Total released a video on the project last week and said the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle would be able to perform work on installations within six or seven years.
"Today, remote operated vehicles (ROV) used for monitoring are tied back to workboats by cables and have to be guided," Total's deep offshore development project head Frederic Garnaud said.
"This innovation would allow us to perform the same tasks four times faster, improving both safety and costs."
Total's video on the project is available here.