Our team recently spent a week in Fort William demonstrating subsea tooling from our partners at Lateral AS, working alongside VideoRay in real operational conditions. It was a week that reinforced something we see time and again in this industry: the right ROV-deployed tooling, handled by an experienced team, can change what’s possible for a subsea project.
A Week of Demonstrations in the Highlands
Leading the demonstration was Mark Salter, our Head of Global ROV Inspection Services, who spent the week putting Lateral AS’s subsea tooling through its paces alongside the Lateral and VideoRay teams. Fort William’s waters offered exactly the kind of demanding, real-world conditions that separate a tool that looks good on a datasheet from one that performs reliably in the field.
This is a distinction we take seriously. Atlantas Marine doesn’t just supply equipment; we operate it, in the same conditions our clients face. That operational grounding is what allows us to speak with confidence about how a piece of subsea tooling will actually perform once it’s in the water.
Why ROV-Deployed Subsea Tooling Matters
Demonstrations like this matter because the demands on subsea operators are only increasing. Assets are ageing, maintenance windows are shrinking, and budgets are under more scrutiny than ever. Compact, ROV-deployed tooling is playing an increasingly important role in meeting those demands.
Faster to Mobilise, Faster to Deploy
Smaller, more portable tooling systems can be mobilised without the cost and lead time of larger, containerised spreads. For clients working to tight project windows, that speed of deployment can be the difference between staying on schedule and losing valuable time.
Built for a Range of Subsea Assets
Modern ROV tooling is designed to work across a broad range of structures, from pipelines and risers to hulls and mooring lines. That versatility means one investment in the right tooling can support multiple areas of an asset integrity programme, rather than being limited to a single application.
Protecting the Asset, Not Just Servicing It
Effective subsea tooling doesn’t just get the job done; it does so without causing damage to the surfaces and coatings it’s working on. That’s an important consideration for clients balancing maintenance needs against the long-term condition of their assets.
Supporting Ageing Infrastructure and Tighter Budgets
As offshore infrastructure ages, the case for efficient, low-impact maintenance solutions becomes stronger. Tooling that reduces task time and protects the asset helps operators extend the working life of infrastructure while keeping maintenance costs under control.
What Our Partners Say
Kristoffer Undheim, COO and Co-owner of Lateral AS, summed up the week:
“Seeing Atlantas Marine and Mark Salter’s dedication throughout the trial in Fort William was impressive. Everything was handled professionally, from the logistics through to the ROV operations. Mark’s operational knowledge and dedication are among the best I have come across in more than 10 years in the industry. It has been a pleasure working with and partnering with the Atlantas Marine team, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration on future projects.”
Feedback like this reflects what we believe sets Atlantas Marine apart. We’re not just a route to market for equipment manufacturers; we’re a partner who understands how that equipment performs operationally, and can back it up with genuine field experience.
Why Atlantas Marine
Atlantas Marine works across both equipment supply and inspection operations, which means our understanding of subsea tooling goes beyond the datasheet. We use the equipment we supply, we train the people who operate it, and we support clients long after the initial purchase.
That combination of supply, operations, training and support is what allows us to help clients get underwater data and maintenance work done faster, more safely, and with less risk, whether that’s reducing diver exposure, minimising vessel time, or simply making sure the right tool is deployed for the job.
Looking Ahead
Demonstrations like this one in Fort William are an important part of how we continue to build our understanding of the tooling and systems available to our clients. Our thanks go to Lateral AS and VideoRay for a productive week of collaboration, and we’re looking forward to what comes next in this partnership.
If you’d like to discuss how ROV-deployed subsea tooling could support your next inspection or maintenance project, get in touch with our team.