Abstract
Among Government Authorities, Subsea Production Operators, and the General Public, there is an increased awareness and concern about subsea hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide (CO2) leaks, and consequent pollution. Leaks from production and CO2 injection wells may have severe environmental consequences. Even if all subsea systems are designed not to leak, leaks have and will occur, in smaller and larger volumes. Any leak, small or big, should be detected and stopped to avoid environmental disasters following the As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) philosophy as described by Offshore Norway Guidelines 100 for Detection of Acute Pollution to the Sea.
Active acoustic sonar has been used for decades in the fishing industry, as a very effective and accurate technology to find fish and monitor marine life. Over the last decade this technology has been further developed to detect hydrocarbon and CO2 leaks from subsea oil and gas production systems.
This paper will strive to describe and demonstrate a recently qualified and field validated solution to overcome issues with traditional leak detection methodology, through a collaboration between operators and suppliers and validated through third party testing, both in controlled environments and in real life field installations.
