Kongsberg Listen Scores Commercial Breakthrough with DOF HUGIN Order

12 March 2026

(Credit: Kongsberg Discovery)

Kongsberg Discovery has secured the first commercial order for its newly launched Kongsberg Listen electromagnetic sensing solution. Leading provider of integrated subsea and marine services to the global offshore energy market, DOF, has selected the innovative ‘passive’ technology as part of an integrated payload on a new HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The landmark agreement was revealed this week at Oceanology International in London.

With a depth rating of 3,000 meters, DOF’s latest HUGIN can be employed under a long-term contract with Brazil’s leading oil and gas operator, supporting deepwater survey and inspection activities across offshore fields in Brazil. Alongside Kongsberg Listen, its payload includes the EM2042 multibeam echosounder and the HISAS1032 synthetic aperture sonar.

The integrated system can conduct high-resolution seabed mapping, pipeline and subsea infrastructure inspections, as well as detailed environmental assessments. This deployment reinforces HUGIN’s strategic role in enabling safe and efficient execution of large-scale offshore developments.

The HUGIN family is widely recognized as the most commercially successful AUV platform available today, offering high maneuverability, long endurance and exceptional stability for precision subsea surveys. Designed to gather data from multiple sensors simultaneously, HUGIN provides operators with comprehensive geophysical datasets from a single mission, reducing operational complexity while maximizing survey efficiency.

Kongsberg Listen introduces a new dimension to that capability. The electromagnetic sensing system provides valuable insight into subsea environments where acoustic methods alone may not deliver the full picture, supporting applications such as pipeline inspection with cathodic protection evaluation, marine mineral exploration and buried cable positioning.

Atle Gran, Senior Sales Manager, Kongsberg Discovery, said the agreement highlights both the strength of the HUGIN platform and the market potential of the newly upgraded electromagnetic technology:

“HUGIN has built its reputation over decades as the benchmark for autonomous subsea survey capability. By combining it with Kongsberg Listen, alongside proven technologies such as the EM2042 multibeam and HISAS synthetic aperture sonar, we are delivering a truly integrated sensor package that gives ambitious operators such as DOF deeper insight into complex underwater environments.”

Kongsberg Listen was launched to the market this year, following on from Kongsberg Discovery’s acquisition and further development of Argeo’s electromagnetic sensing technology. The platform agnostic system incorporates new hardware and an enhanced software environment designed to streamline data processing and visualization, enabling users to move efficiently from raw measurements to actionable survey information.

For energy operators, this capability adds significant value when inspecting or mapping subsea infrastructure, supporting improved understanding of asset conditions and surrounding geological features.

Commenting on the new agreement, Fabio Nobrega, Regional Survey Manager, DOF, said: “The acquisition of the new HUGIN 3000 represents an important step in expanding DOF’s autonomous capabilities in Brazil. The combination of the new Kongsberg Listen solution with all the other sensors strengthens our ability to perform survey operations with greater precision, efficiency, and safety. This investment reinforces DOF’s commitment to applying cutting-edge technology to support our clients and to further advance the use of AUV solutions in Brazilian waters.”