OceanSENSE™
Underwater Leak Detection System
Description
The OTAQ OceanSENSE™ is an underwater leak and cement detection system based on a high sensitivity fluorosensor that detects minute amounts of fluorescent dyes in water and generates software-based results. It is used to locate leaks from subsea oil and gas infrastructure and to confirm cement returns during subsea cementing operations.
OceanSENSE™ emits high intensity light at a wavelength specific to the fluorescing dye under detection; the agitated dye emits light at a different wavelength, which OceanSENSE™ detects and multiplies many thousands of times before analysis and presentation of the data. The stated detection capability is approximately 50 times that of the human eye and conventional ‘black-light’ detection systems. OceanSENSE™ is classed as a ‘bright light’ system, so ROV lights do not have to be turned off during detection, and the maximum detect range is up to 15 m (stated for the ROV 3K).
The OceanSENSE ROV 3K has an anodised aluminium housing rated to 3000 m and weighs 1.9 kg in air and 0.97 kg in water; the OceanSENSE ROV 6k has a titanium housing rated to 6000 m and weighs 3.8 kg in air and 2.7 kg in water. Both ROV models run on 18–32 VDC (500 mA @ 24 VDC), communicate over RS232/RS485 through an MCBH8M wet mate connector and are operated with the OceanSENSE App supplied on a fully configured laptop. The OceanSENSE Diver has an anodised aluminium housing rated to 200 m, weighs 3.5 kg in air and 1.8 kg in water, and has an on-board display.
OceanSENSE™ detects fluorescing trace dyes such as Roemex RX-9022 and B275, hydraulic fluids such as Transaqua HT2, Pelagic 100 and 100 Pink, UV dyes such as Roemex RX-9026E and Champion Clear Dye, dye sticks such as Roemex RX-9034A, hydrotest cocktail fluids such as Roemex RX-5255, and hydrocarbons. Stated applications are leak detection in hydraulic control systems, flowlines, risers and subsea infrastructure, commissioning of spool tie-ins and subsea structures, cement detection when forming new wells, and cement returns during plug and abandonment.