Autonomous Underwater System for Pipeline Leak Detection and Inspection

Autonomous Underwater System for Pipeline Leak Detection and Inspection

Capacitive sensors

Gas detectors

Hydrocarbons

Inspection

Leak detection

Petroleum

Pipelines

Production

Remotely operated vehicles

Water pollution

The risk for accidental leaks of hydrocarbons from pipelines on the seabed is expected to increase due to mainly corrosion effects. To assure uninterrupted hydrocarbon production, and to avoid conflicts with expected more strict environmental demands, pipeline inspections should be carried out continuously with new and improved tools. Presently a concept for an autonomous pipeline leak detection and inspection system, designed for also other types of underwater work, is developed by SubOcean. The main system components are a hydrocarbon detection sensor and a ROV with swimming and seabed crawling capacity. The ROV is equipped with an energy package, navigation and positioning systems, communication system and a pipeline tracking system. Pipeline leaks result in hydrocarbon anomalies in surrounding sediments and seawater. The concentrations rapidly decrease by dilution in the water. Although such hydrocarbon plumes at best can be detected miles away from the source, analysis of bottom waters immediately above the pipelines is more specific and sensitive, allowing simultaneous detection and localization of even the smallest leak. The system is also designed to detect a wide range of organic pollutants in environmental surveys, and to determine anomalies of hydrocarbons originating from natural sources, i.e. it is suitable as a prospecting tool to localize hydrocarbon reservoirs under the sea floor. The system is mainly based on the Subsee Seabed Crawler and OTS R&D's SEAS-system, developed and tested or presently in a construction and test phase.

15-24

T. A. Mellin

O. Ravik

Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Unmanned Untethered Submersible Technology,

1989

conferencePaper