Subsea Monitoring and Data Acquisition

10 June 2009 Perth Branch Evening Meeting

Chairman Terry Griffiths, Principle Pipeline Engineer, J P Kenny
Sponsored by Schlumberger, 2H Offshore and Fugro

Report by Terry Griffiths

Flyer

Presentations

New Surveillance Solutions for Risers and Flowlines

Lenny Sutherland, Operations Manager, Schlumberger Subsea Surveillance

New continuous surveillance systems applied to subsea risers and flowlines provide simple and clear measurements of the parameters necessary to monitor their long-term structural integrity and reliability. For new field installations, these monitoring systems can be efficiently integrated at the design stage with multiple value adding objectives, from integrity and production surveillance, to flow assurance applications. For existing facilities already in operation, retro-fitted products can be easily installed in response to specific needs arising in the field. This presentation described a number of specific solutions which have been developed and successfully deployed.

Recent Advancements in Riser Monitoring Systems

Shreenaath Natarajan, Technical Manager, 2H Offshore Engg Sdn Bhd

Shreenaath focused on the subsea strain monitoring deployed on a  deepwater steel catenary riser (SCR) providing a comprehensive monitoring solution capturing wave/vessel induced response, vortex induced vibration (VIV) and pipe/soil interaction. A significant improvement in reducing risk and cost by using subsea acoustic transmission system compared to a cumbersome real-time monitoring via umbilicals were also presented through a case study where a vessel mooring line integrity is monitored using subsea acoustic monitoring system. An innovative microphone based flexible riser monitoring device to detect armor wire rupture was presented, along with the positive outcome from the field trial.

Optima, a suite of tools for onboard riser management

Mark Wimshurst, Sales and Commercial Director, Fugro GEOS

Fugro GEOS has extensive experience in the measurement of subsea currents and their effect on structures in general and risers in particular. This talk described in general terms a system for measuring the current profile at a rig performing completion and work-over operations in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico over a period of several years. The measured current profile is used by the MCS software package Optima to calculate the riser profile, and estimate the fatigue history of the riser. The software module is one of the range of the MCS/Fugro Optima Suite for Riser Operations, Planning and Management, which was also described.