The AGR Neptune fitted to a ROV. 

“The objectives of AGR Field Operations and flexlife are to field the first subsea inspection application that can be used for the reliable, in-situ annulus examination of flexible risers and flowlines for the detection of flooding,” said Age Landro, AGR Field Operations Executive Vice President, in a press statement announcing the partnership. Landro also envisions using this technology to reduce or eliminate hydrocarbon leaks from floating production, storage, and offloading facilities that may arise from in-service failure of flexible risers and flowlines. 

The technology is nondiver reliant, meaning that divers and dive support vessels will not be necessary, which is customary for most external inspections subsea. This promises to reduce inspection costs by approximately two-thirds, according to AGR, and extends operating depths for the tool up to 6000 m, the typical maximum operating range for a ROV. 

Conventional subsea inspection techniques call for external inspection tools used by divers to corroborate internal pigging inspection findings. These tools transmit analog signals, which limits the operating depth due to transmission limitations. The AGR Neptune data, by contrast, are digitized and transmitted to the surface via the ROV umbilical. 

“This is the first time it has been possible to scan any flexible pipe in situ without access to the end fitting, meaning any potential failures can be identified and dealt with more quickly than was possible previously,” said flexlife Director Carl Petter Halvorsen. He said that because Neptune was fast, reliable, and capable of operating at great depths, “the technology can go anywhere in any environment, meaning that the potential cost savings and environmental benefits are immense.” 

The companies are in the process of showcasing the technology at regional oil and gas conferences, including last week’s Offshore Technology Days in Norway and Subsea UK’s conference in London on October 30.