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Tracerco brings subsea pipeline innovation to Australasia

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World Pipelines,


Global oil and gas service company, Tracerco, part of FTSE100 Johnson Matthey Plc, has brought its innovative technology to the Australasia region, permanently basing their equipment at their Western Australia facility in Perth.

The equipment

OTC Spotlight on New Technology 2015 winner, DiscoveryTM, a breakthrough in pipeline inspection and its complimentary technology, ExplorerTM are now readily available in this region thanks to Tracerco basing equipment in their Perth facility.

Discovery gives detailed high resolution CT scan of subsea pipelines, distinguishing between wax, hydrate, asphaltene or scale deposition at density differences of 0.05 g/cc; data that is paramount when planning any flow remediation campaigns. Explorer can fast screen pipelines (100 m per hour) to locate restrictions. Together they provide the complete package for operators looking to plan effective remediation to bring a flowline back to full capacity, quickly and cost effectively.

Both devices work without the need to remove the pipe coating material. Once Explorer has located the area of the suspected blockage, Discovery can be deployed to accurately characterise its precise nature.

Basing the equipment in Perth means the technology can be mobilised within a week, reacting quickly to customers' needs in the region. This is vital for operators experiencing flow assurance issues, as restrictions can mean operators failing to meet daily production targets.

Comments

Ken Pearson, Managing Director, Australasia said: "Australasia is an important region for Tracerco's products and services, and our Subsea Technologies are no exception. Research from Infield Systems Limited shows there is 4213 km of subsea pipeline in the Australia subsea region, which – like all subsea pipelines – experience flow restrictions from time to time. We are delighted to bring our most innovative technology to the region for an even more responsive service to customers.

"Operators who face flow challenges need to get their pipelines back to full operation quickly. The speed at which we can deploy, coupled with the fact that coatings do not need to be removed from the lines before inspection, saves time and costs whilst mitigating the risk of damage to the pipeline. What's more, having the equipment based here means that we are mobilising with minimum transportation costs, a saving that we are passing onto all our customers within the region."

Both technologies can operate at depths of up to 3000 m (10 000 ft). They have the ability to screen a variety of different piping systems: standard rigid pipe (coated or uncoated), pipe-in-pipe, bundle systems and flexibles.

Explorer

Explorer detects the location of deposit build-ups by measuring the density profile of the pipeline and then analysing any detected anomalies. An abnormal density, in relation to the material flowing in the line, indicates a build-up of deposit. The tool provides a detailed profile showing mean densities of pipeline contents and amounts of deposit based on assumed densities. It has already been used on several subsea flowlines including a project in the North Sea, as well as a campaign in the Gulf of Mexico. So far Explorer has delivered excellent results for the customers who have used it, proving effective in deposit detection as well as being straight forward to deploy.

Discovery

Discovery can also detect any integrity issues within a pipe including corrosion, wall thinning and pitting. It has won considerable acclaim from the industry for revolutionising subsea pipeline inspection, winning many industry awards including the Subsea Energy Australia Awards 2015. Field proven, Discovery has completed hundreds of scans for several of Tracerco's customers, and has successfully characterised deposits, as well as identified integrity issues within a range of flowline designs.

Edited from source by Stephanie Roker

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/equipment-and-safety/23022016/tracerco-brings-subsea-pipeline-innovation-to-australasia/

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