Inductosense to develop cost-effective thickness monitoring solution for subsea operations
03/11/2023
DeepStar has awarded a project to Inductosense to advance the company’s patented WAND technology to enable subsea data collection, titled: ‘Low-Cost Thickness Sensors for Subsea Applications’. This project aims to develop the existing prototype of Inductosense’s Subsea WAND module, making the device robust and compatible with commercial subsea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) applications. As contributors to the project, Chevron and Petrobras are providing technical and business inputs to best adapt this technology for subsea oil & gas operations.
UK-based Inductosense develops and manufactures ultrasonic sensor technologies for internal corrosion and erosion monitoring. The WAND technology is an embeddable wall thickness monitoring system that enables accurate, repeatable measurements at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time of alternative methods. Inductosense’s WAND sensors are battery-free and permanently installed to pipework and structures. The data can then be collected using either a hand-held device or a remote data collector. The WAND technology has now been approved by nine oil & gas majors and deployed globally across the mining, renewables, aerospace, nuclear and chemical industries.
The Subsea WAND module prototype was previously successfully tested in an operational subsea environment at a depth of approximately 200 m, a project funded and supported by Chevron. This new project will develop the Subsea WAND module prototype into a commercial product that can withstand harsh underwater environments down to a depth of 3000 m and operate effectively with a wide range of ROVs/AUVs.
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| Charles Guo, Principal Subsea Engineer at Inductosense |
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| Inductosense is advancing its patented WAND technology for subsea data collection |
The DeepStar Programme is an innovative joint-industry technology development group that has established itself as a successful research consortium. DeepStar and its member companies are committed to advancing deepwater technologies to increase production and reserves. The programme also provides developers with invaluable insights from leading industry experts. Inductosense will benefit from the support of Petrobras and Chevron, ensuring the end product successfully fulfils industry needs.
“We are excited to be working on this DeepStar project and expanding our capabilities to subsea,” said Charles Guo, Principal Subsea Engineer at Inductosense. “This will enable us to provide more value to our customers in the offshore industry. This project is another example of our company’s commitment to innovation and ultimately supporting our customers in working towards their digitisation and net-zero objectives.”
