RFID system for identifying equipment and positioning autonomous vehicles in an underwater environment

A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for identifying equipment and positioning autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in a deep sea underwater environment, the system comprising:

• two separate devices, the first device being an active equipment, reader/recorder integrated into one or more AUVs, and the second device being one or more passive equipment RFID tags (TAGs) positioned to be associated with one or more items of equipment when positioned in the deep sea underwater environment, wherein identification information associated with the one or more TAGS includes stored characteristics, equipment, and material codes, which are linked to a digital positioning map for AUV inspections when in areas of the deep sea underwater environment,
• wherein the identifying TAGs are positioned by the one or more AUVs when in the deep sea underwater environment, or onshore prior to positioning the equipment in the deep sea underwater environment, in one or more predetermined objects in an oil field of a selected depth of 2,000 meters or deeper in the deep sea underwater environment,
• and wherein power of the active equipment, reader/recorder is increased to 5 W or greater when the one or more AUVs is positioned adjacent the oil field at the selected depth in the deep sea underwater environment.