The Luminous team have been pioneering 3D imaging and visualisation for over 15 years, delivering precision digital assets for some of the world’s most complex industrial environments.
In 2015, we were commissioned by Dolphin Drilling to undertake a comprehensive 3D laser scan of the Belford Dolphin, an ultra-deepwater drillship designed for operations in harsh offshore conditions. Originally built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea and featuring a DP3 dynamic positioning system, the vessel is renowned for its innovative moonpool and bilge keel design, providing exceptional motion stability during deep-sea operations.
As part of ongoing maintenance and upgrade work, the Luminous survey team were deployed offshore Mozambique while the vessel remained in operation. Using high-accuracy laser scanning technology, we captured millions of data points across key systems including:
- Riser tensioners
- Cement lines
- Choke and kill manifolds
- Mud standpipes
- BOP bleed spool assemblies
From this data, our engineers developed a series of detailed as-built 3D models, enabling Dolphin Drilling to design and fabricate replacement parts with complete confidence. The digital models ensured first-time-fit accuracy, eliminating costly rework, avoiding on-site clashes, and significantly reducing downtime during maintenance operations.
Always seeking to push the boundaries of what’s possible, the Luminous team went a step further—optimising and texturing the as-built model for Virtual Reality. This created a fully immersive digital twin of the Belford Dolphin, which could be used for crew training, familiarisation, and emergency planning.
This project demonstrated how 3D laser scanning and immersive visualisation can deliver measurable operational value—enhancing safety, improving asset management, and enabling smarter decision-making across the lifecycle of offshore assets.
The Luminous team provide 3D scanning across the globe from the UK to the Middle East.
