Tracking and inspection of subsea pipelines and cables using underwater vehicles: A comprehensive review

Favour O. Adetunji; Vibhav Bharti; Maria Koskinopoulou; Yvan R. Petillot; Ignacio Carlucho

doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2026.125884

Tracking and inspection of subsea pipelines and cables using underwater vehicles: A comprehensive review

Favour O. Adetunji
, Vibhav Bharti
, Maria Koskinopoulou
, Yvan R. Petillot
, Ignacio Carlucho

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

The significance of underwater cables and pipelines is paramount in today’s world, driven by factors such as the expansion of offshore wind farms, the demand for high-bandwidth network connections across continents, and ongoing offshore petroleum extraction activities. Ensuring the continual operation and maintenance of these underwater structures is essential. This review explores advancements in detecting, tracking and inspecting these structures externally, delving into the available methodologies, their respective advantages and disadvantages, and offering insights for the future development and growth of this specialised engineering field.

Original language	English
Article number	125884
Journal	Ocean Engineering
Volume	358
Issue number	Part 3
Early online date	8 May 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2026.125884
Publication status	Published - 15 Jun 2026

Keywords

Underwater cables
Underwater pipelines
Autonomous tracking
Underwater survey
Remote sensing

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abstract = "The significance of underwater cables and pipelines is paramount in today{\textquoteright}s world, driven by factors such as the expansion of offshore wind farms, the demand for high-bandwidth network connections across continents, and ongoing offshore petroleum extraction activities. Ensuring the continual operation and maintenance of these underwater structures is essential. This review explores advancements in detecting, tracking and inspecting these structures externally, delving into the available methodologies, their respective advantages and disadvantages, and offering insights for the future development and growth of this specialised engineering field.",

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AU - Adetunji, Favour O.

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AU - Koskinopoulou, Maria

AU - Petillot, Yvan R.

AU - Carlucho, Ignacio

PY - 2026/6/15

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AB - The significance of underwater cables and pipelines is paramount in today’s world, driven by factors such as the expansion of offshore wind farms, the demand for high-bandwidth network connections across continents, and ongoing offshore petroleum extraction activities. Ensuring the continual operation and maintenance of these underwater structures is essential. This review explores advancements in detecting, tracking and inspecting these structures externally, delving into the available methodologies, their respective advantages and disadvantages, and offering insights for the future development and growth of this specialised engineering field.

KW - Underwater cables

KW - Underwater pipelines

KW - Autonomous tracking

KW - Underwater survey

KW - Remote sensing

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ER -

Tracking and inspection of subsea pipelines and cables using underwater vehicles: A comprehensive review

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Keywords

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