Advanced imaging from Tracerco improves confidence in subsea pipeline inspection
28/09/2026
Tracerco’s Discovery system is proving to be a significant advancement in subsea non-intrusive inspection technology. Claimed to be the world’s first subsea computed tomography (CT) scanner, Discovery was developed by global industrial technology company Tracerco for offshore pipeline and riser inspection.As subsea infrastructure continues to age and integrity demands increase across the offshore energy sector, operators require increasingly advanced inspection techniques capable of delivering high-confidence condition data without intrusive intervention.
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| Discovery positioned on a pipe |
Recently, Tracerco supported a major global energy company that was preparing for a potential intervention on a deepwater pipeline system located at a depth of more than 4000 feet. There were concerns about internal build-up and possible corrosion across multiple components, including flowlines, jumpers and steel catenary risers.
Due to the presence of internal deposition and the complexity of the system, the assets were considered unpiggable. Without detailed information, the operator faced the possibility of a broad and costly intervention campaign.
Tracerco deployed Discovery at selected locations across the system to assess both flow assurance and structural integrity. The data provided a clear and detailed picture of asset condition. Rather than identifying widespread issues, the diagnostics confirmed that the primary restriction was localised within a single well jumper, where scale had resulted in significant bore blockage. At the same time, the wider flowline and riser infrastructure were shown to be in acceptable condition, with no immediate need for intervention.
Daniel Pattinson, Discovery Supervisor at Tracerco, said: “Since its introduction, the system has been deployed on offshore assets worldwide across a variety of subsea operating environments, demonstrating both operational robustness and increasing market demand for advanced subsea imaging solutions.
“Designed for deployment by remotely operated vehicle (ROV), Discovery applies computed tomography principles in a subsea environment to generate high-resolution cross-sectional images of in-service subsea assets. This enables operators to directly visualise internal pipeline conditions and assess integrity concerns with greater confidence.
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| Tracerco’s Discovery insights showing the extent of pipeline deposit |
“Discovery provides direct image-based inspection data, which supports improved defect characterisation, reduces uncertainty in integrity assessments and enables more targeted maintenance and intervention planning.”
By using Discovery with a Tracerco customer that was experiencing issues in its deepwater system, the insights allowed the operator to narrow the scope of the campaign to a targeted jumper replacement, rather than undertaking a more extensive system-wide intervention.
The technology can be used to identify and characterise a wide range of subsea flow assurance and integrity issues, including internal corrosion and wall loss, wax, scale and hydrate deposition, internal blockages and restrictions, density variations within process contents and product interface verification.
In addition to high-resolution CT imaging, Discovery can also be operated in fast-screening modes across larger asset sections, enabling rapid identification of anomalies before focused detailed inspection.
As operators continue to seek greater certainty in subsea integrity management, advanced imaging technologies such as computed tomography are expected to play an increasingly important role in the future of offshore inspection.
Tracerco continues to invest in the development of Discovery to further enhance capability and support the evolving needs of the offshore energy sector.
tracerco.com
