Jim Bramlett, Commercial Manager – The Americas, Tracerco, describes managing flow assurance and corrosion risks through non-intrusive monitoring.
In the offshore energy sector, ensuring the long-term integrity of subsea pipelines remains one of the most pressing challenges for operators. As projects move into deeper and more complex waters, pipeline performance is increasingly affected by issues such as flow restrictions, corrosion, and limited access and options for inspection.
These risks not only impact on operational efficiency but can also lead to significant financial and environmental consequences if not managed effectively.
Maintaining integrity over the full lifecycle of a subsea pipeline requires a multi-faceted approach, one that combines design foresight with practical, in-field diagnostics capable of identifying problems before they escalate.
Evolving challenges in flow assurance
Flow assurance is a critical focus for subsea operations, particularly in deepwater regions where long tiebacks and variable conditions increase the likelihood of restrictions forming. Common causes include hydrate formation, asphaltene, wax build-up, and scale accumulation, all of which can reduce flow rates, lead to pressure anomalies, or create complete blockages if left unchecked.
Pigging and other mechanical interventions, while often effective, are costly and can introduce additional risks or downtime. Moreover, not all pipeline systems are piggable, particularly when they are bundled, operating under specific design constraints, or the build-up in the pipeline is severe.
Integrity at depth: access and assessment
The inspection of partially buried pipelines or those housed within protective structures is another known difficulty in offshore operations. Inline inspection (ILI) is a critical process used in the pipeline industry to assess the structural integrity and condition of pipelines from the inside using intelligent tools – pigs. This non-destructive testing (NDT) method involves sending the specialised device (pig) through a pipeline to detect metal loss, e.g. corrosion, cracks or fractures, dents or deformations, weld anomalies, changes in wall thickness, and geometrical issues.
ILI may be limited or impossible, due to the pipeline set up or known and unknown internal build up which makes it impractical or cost prohibitive. This makes the ability to monitor internal conditions non-intrusively increasingly valuable.
Technologies that allow operators to assess pipeline wall thickness, identify areas of suspected corrosion or under-deposit issues, and locate partial flow restrictions, without disrupting operations, are proving critical in environments where intervention is both complex and high-risk.
Real-time data, targeted decisions
Non-intrusive inspection methods are enabling more informed decision-making in the offshore sector. Rather than relying on periodic intrusive testing or assumptions based on external conditions, real-time data is helping engineers understand what is happening within pipelines and to respond accordingly. For example, in deepwater assets where access is limited and intervention costs are high, such diagnostics can support predictive maintenance strategies by providing early warnings of flow anomalies, density changes, or wall thinning. These insights can help prioritise inspection resources, defer unnecessary intervention, and extend the productive life of pipeline systems.
Jim Bramlett, Tracerco’s Commercial Manager for The Americas, said: “We are increasingly seeing a real shift in how operators approach subsea pipeline integrity. As offshore assets age and projects move into harsher environments, the tolerance for uncertainty is reducing. Operators are no longer waiting for failures or anomalies before acting – they want proactive intelligence that allows them to intervene early, cost-effectively, and safely.
“Non-intrusive diagnostics are giving them exactly that: clear, verified insights into the condition of their subsea infrastructure, even in cases where traditional inspection methods can’t reach. In deepwater operations, where access is limited and downtime is expensive, having this kind of visibility can make the difference between a minor intervention and avoiding a major shutdown.”
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