TSC Subsea is once again leading the field in the development of subsea technology with its latest piece of equipment, an industry first in acoustic deepwater hydrate detection. The ART® vPush, from the global specialist in developing advanced subsea inspection solutions for challenging situations, provides efficient, cost effective, hydrate detection at a level which has not been previously available.
Designed and developed by TSC Subsea’s UK team, working closely with the company’s Norwegian acoustic scientists, the ART® vPush was designed with speed of inspection as a priority without compromising detection capability and sizing accuracy.
The tool uses TSC Subsea’s ART® technology on a moving platform to rapidly assess pipeline contents over complete pipe runs. Data is collected in real time and processed with several algorithms to monitor signals from the far side of the pipe which detect if hydrate is present.
Typically deployed via ROV manipulator, it can also be fitted directly onto an ROV and has a depth rating of 3,000 metres. The high-speed data collection achieves cost savings by minimising ROV and vessel time.
Common applications include detection of, or screening for, hydrate in subsea pipelines and wall thickness measurements on subsea pipeline.
The ART® vPush was developed to meet the specific needs of a major operator. TSC Subsea collaborated with DOF Subsea Norway AS to complete the project for the operator in Angola, West Africa.
Tasked with locating a hydrate in the pipe, the team deployed the ART® vPush which scanned 12km of 8” 3LPP coated water injection line in just 33 hours at 1,300m. The hydrate plug was found and scanned for exact measurements.
“In addition to benefiting from the most efficient and fastest hydrate detection and sizing tool on the market, the operator also achieved additional cost savings in terms of dredging requirements,” said Jonathan Bancroft, TSC Subsea Global Sales Director. “The smart design of the ART® vPush means that only minimal dredging is required.”
