Roy Stensgaard
SINCE THE LATE 1980s- —ROV Supervisor for multiple ROV companies since the late 1980s.
- —ROV & Intervention Specialist with Aker Solutions and OneSubsea for 13 years.
- —Designer of a wide range of underwater tools.
Norsub AS — Laksevåg, Norway
ROV-BASED DRILLING
IN SUBSEA ROCK.
Norsub drills 6M+ horizontally into underwater rock faces and 6M+ vertically down into rock on the seabed — with a remotely operated ROV, ENGINEERED & BUILT IN-HOUSE.
6M+
HORIZONTAL, INTO A ROCK FACE
6M+
VERTICAL, INTO THE SEABED
What we do
DRILLING INTO ROCK BELOW THE WATERLINE
Norsub AS is a Norwegian subsea company. We drill holes in rock under water, from an ROV operated from the surface.
The same system works in two directions: into a vertical rock face in a fjord or coastal site, and straight down into rock on the seabed. The drilling system is designed for drilling 6M+ into rock in both directions.
Drilled holes are used where something has to be fixed into competent rock — anchor points, bolts and penetrations for moorings, cables, pipelines and structures. The ROV is operated remotely from the surface, giving precise control over each hole.
How the drilling works
01 / 02
HORIZONTAL DRILLING INTO A ROCK FACE
The ROV is positioned against an underwater rock wall, braced, and drills in horizontally — 6M+. Used where fixings or penetrations are needed in a vertical rock formation.
02 / 02
VERTICAL DRILLING INTO THE SEABED
The same ROV drills straight down into rock on the seabed — 6M+ — where loads have to be carried by rock rather than by sediment.
Drilling length
6M+
DRILLING CAPABILITY – HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL
ROCK FACE
0m
1m
2m
3m
4m
5m
6M+
6M+
The equipment
AN ROV BUILT AROUND THE DRILL
This is not an inspection ROV with a drill bolted on. Norsub built the vehicle around the drilling job: the frame, the drill feed, the hydraulics and the thruster layout are all part of the same system, so the ROV can hold position and push against rock while drilling.
AI-generated visualization based on NORSUB's actual ROV design.
01 / 03
DRILL AND FEED
Rotates the drill string and feeds it into the rock, 6M+, horizontally or vertically.
The people behind the system
75+ YEARS
BUILT ON DECADES OF SUBSEA EXPERIENCE
Roy Stensgaard and Ronny Guttormsen developed the drilling ROV and run it offshore. Together they have more than 75 years of offshore ROV experience.
Ronny Guttormsen
SINCE 1984- —ROV Supervisor since 1984.
- —Extensive experience from subsea operations aboard drilling rigs and vessels across a wide range of offshore projects.
That experience is built into NORSUB — from the ROV and tooling to how the system is run offshore.
Roy and Ronny's earlier career covers projects for — this is their personal experience, not work delivered by Norsub AS
EquinorShellAker BPEniDONG EnergyVår EnergiConocoPhillipsTotalEnergiesDNOOceaneering
Other ROV work
ROV SERVICES ALONGSIDE THE DRILLING
The same ROV, crew and tooling are used for other underwater work when a job calls for it.
AQUACULTURE
Rock anchoring for fish farm moorings, plus inspection of nets, chains and anchor points.
SUBSEA CABLES
Drilled fixing points for cables in rock, and inspection and support work along cable routes.
INSPECTION
Camera inspection of quays, structures, pipelines and anchor points, with video for documentation.
INSTALLATION
Placing and securing equipment on the seabed, including bolting into drilled holes in rock.
INTERVENTION
Tooling work under water — turning, cutting, connecting and recovering — carried out from the ROV.
CUSTOM TOOLING
When no existing tool fits the job, we build one and fit it to the ROV.
HSEQ
QUALITY, HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT
How we work, on the quay and offshore.
QUALITY
Work is carried out in line with the contract and applicable regulations, using documented procedures. Everyone on the job is responsible for following them.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Operations are planned to avoid harm to our own crew and to others around the job. Drilling is done by the ROV, which keeps people out of the bore area.
ENVIRONMENT
Equipment, materials and operations are handled with care for the surroundings, both onshore and at sea.
About Norsub
A NORWEGIAN SUBSEA COMPANY
Norsub AS is based at Laksevåg in Bergen and works along the Norwegian coast and offshore.
The company is built around one capability: drilling 6M+ into rock under water, horizontally or vertically, from our own ROV.
Alongside the drilling we take on inspection, installation and intervention work with the same ROV and crew.
Enquiries are handled by the people who run the equipment.
UPCOMING ASSIGNMENT →TELL US ABOUT THE JOB
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