GB2532421A - Remote monitoring of underwater oil and gas leakages - Google Patents
Remote monitoring of underwater oil and gas leakages Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2532421A GB2532421A GB1420403.6A GB201420403A GB2532421A GB 2532421 A GB2532421 A GB 2532421A GB 201420403 A GB201420403 A GB 201420403A GB 2532421 A GB2532421 A GB 2532421A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- reflector
- oil
- acoustic
- gas
- identifying
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 238000012544 monitoring process Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 9
- 239000013535 sea water Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 238000002592 echocardiography Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000003921 oil Substances 0.000 description 26
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 14
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 7
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 2
- VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N methane Chemical compound C VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000003305 oil spill Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000003129 oil well Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910000838 Al alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000005481 NMR spectroscopy Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004954 Polyphthalamide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920006102 Zytel® Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000004458 analytical method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005284 excitation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229930195733 hydrocarbon Natural products 0.000 description 1
- 150000002430 hydrocarbons Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000005305 interferometry Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920006375 polyphtalamide Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004576 sand Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002379 silicone rubber Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000011179 visual inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000003643 water by type Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01M—TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01M3/00—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
- G01M3/02—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum
- G01M3/04—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point
- G01M3/24—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point using infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic vibrations
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B47/00—Survey of boreholes or wells
- E21B47/10—Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B47/00—Survey of boreholes or wells
- E21B47/10—Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements
- E21B47/107—Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements using acoustic means
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B47/00—Survey of boreholes or wells
- E21B47/10—Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements
- E21B47/117—Detecting leaks, e.g. from tubing, by pressure testing
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
- G01S15/74—Systems using reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
- G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
- G10K11/18—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound
- G10K11/20—Reflecting arrangements
- G10K11/205—Reflecting arrangements for underwater use
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
- Remote Sensing (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Geophysics (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Multimedia (AREA)
- Examining Or Testing Airtightness (AREA)
Abstract
A system for monitoring for leakage of oil and gas from an underwater facility comprising placing an acoustic reflector, which comprises a shell surrounding a core wherein an incident acoustic wave may be partially reflected by the front of the reflector and partially pass into the core to be reflected from the shell at the rear of the reflector, on or adjacent to an underwater facility to be monitored, acoustically interrogating with a sonar and identifying the acoustic reflector, comparing the returned echoes received with echoes received in normal seawater without the presence of an oil or gas leak and identifying any variance in the reflected echoes to identify potential presence of oil or gas in the water surrounding the acoustic reflector. The identified variance may be the acoustic distance of the reflection from the sonar.
Description
Remote monitoring of underwater oil and gas leakages.
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a remote monitoring system for subsea oil and gas fields, focussing mainly around wellheads, manifolds, xmas trees etc. where leakages are most likely to occur Although specifically designed for use with oil-well heads to monitor spills, it can be used in other under water situations where there is a risk that leakages of hydrocarbons may occur, such as from underwater pipelines or storage facilities.
Background Art
[0002] The production of oil is still one of the most important sectors in the global economy, delivering both the materials resources and energy that drive almost all other sectors. As existing oil reserves are dwindling, wells are increasingly drilled offshore and in deeper waters. However, there is a significant risk of oil leaks from faulty equipment or through induced cavitation of the seabed, which go unnoticed until surface oil is visible, which is too late. Untended leaks from oil wells have two distinct impacts: they reduce the efficiency of oil production (and increase prices correspondingly) and cause severe environmental damage to subsea ecosystems. In addition leaking gases may cause corrosion of installed equipment (H2S) or affect acidity of the seawater (002) or climate change (CO2, methane).
[0003] There is also a problem with temporarily or permanently abandoned wells of which there are 27000 alone in the Gulf of Mexico, where there are indications of untended leaks in some.
[0004] A number of solutions have been proposed to the problem of detection of oil leakage from wells. Among them are: [0005] WO 2009/023552 A (SCHLUMBERGER ET AL) 19/02/2009 describes an oil spill detection system based on atmospheric reflection and so is limited to detection of oil on the surface.
[0006] US 2011181279 A (SRNKA ET AL) 28/07/2011 is primarily a system for detection under surface ice using nuclear magnetic resonance. It is limited to oil leakage detect at no more than 150m depth.
[0007] US 2009189074 A (EIC LAB) 30/07/2009 uses polarised light and a sensor, both of which are expensive; the light source has a high power requirement.
[0008] US 4434364 A (CONOCO INC) 22/08/1984 uses a fluorescence system carried on a submersible a submersible and does not allow for continuous monitoring.
[0009] US 2005122225 A (KRAM ET AL) 09/06/2005 deploys fluorescence detected LEDs, the technology is for detecting leaks in storage tanks and it is not apparent how this system could be deployed underwater.
[0010] CN 202869980 U (NANKIA UNIVERSITY) 10/04/2013 deploys a portable oil spill detector using microfluidics. Such a system is difficult to adapt to undersea conditions.
[0011] CN 102692402 U (YANTAI SENKETE INTELLIGENT INSTR CO LTD) 26/09/2012 uses a system of oil detection through fluorescence based on UV excitation. This system is incompatible with the presence of sand, silt and similar obscuring materials.
[0012] US 2007210262 A (I NTEROCEAN SYSTEMS INC) 13/09/2007 provides a for detecting oil on the surface at very low concentrations.
[0013] US 2003072004 A (HUANG YEN-CHIEH) 17/04/2003 is a system for detection of oil on the surface using interferometry.
[0014] None of these solutions provides an adequate system for monitoring leaks of oil and gas at well heads. As a result the detection of subsurface offshore oil and gas leaks relies on one or more of: * visual inspection using remotely operated vehicles, these by their very nature cannot monitor continuously; further cameras require frequent cleaning to avoid the build-up of obscuring materials; * passive sonar listening for the signatures of leaks, the effectiveness of such systems is limited by the high ambient noise of oil flowing into pipelines and some leaks do not produce noise and are missed; * active sonar to detect bubbles of oil and gas in the water. The system usually has to be applied to individual well heads and in medium sized oil fields becomes very expensive.
[0015] Thus there remains a requirement for a continuous monitoring system for oil and gas leaks at well heads and capped well heads, which is cost effective.
Summary of invention
[0016] According to the present invention a system for monitoring for the leakage of oil or gas from an underwater facility comprising: * placing an acoustic reflector, which itself comprises a shell surrounding a core wherein an incident acoustic wave may be partially reflected by the front of the reflector and partially pass into the core to be reflected from the shell at the rear of the reflector, on or adjacent to an underwater facility to be monitored; * acoustically interrogating the underwater area in which such an acoustic reflector is located with a sonar, identifying the acoustic reflector; * comparing the returned echoes received from the acoustic reflector with the echoes received in normal seawater without the presence of an oil or gas leak; and * identifying a variance in the echoes from the acoustic reflector from the echoes received in normal seawater as identifying the potential presence of oil or gas in the water surrounding the acoustic reflector. [0017] The measured variance can be in the measured acoustic distance of the reflector from the sonar but in addition or alternatively the reflected wave form can be analysed as this varies according to the composition of material through which it passes.
[0018] In addition to identifying the presence of a leak, the composition of the leak can be identified and classified using comparative data. Sound waves pass through oil significantly more quickly than through gas, and thus the presence of oil can easily be distinguished from the presence of gas. Different types of oil have different acoustic velocities, some are higher than that of seawater, and some lower. However, the measurements taken using the method can be used to help identify the type of oil present. Likewise different gases have different acoustic velocities, themselves different from one another but all significantly lower than seawater, (most gases of interest have acoustic velocities between a fifth and a third of that of seawater). The accuracy of the measurement process of this invention will aid reasonably accurate determination of both the existence of the leak and its likely composition.
[0019] In acoustic reflectors comprising a shell surrounding a core wherein an incident acoustic wave may be partially reflected by the front of the reflector and partially pass into the core to be reflected from the shell at the rear of the reflector and constructed using a ratio between of the average speed of sound wave transmission in the shell to the average speed of the wave transmission in the core is in the range 2.5 to 3.4 or a multiple thereof (and preferable a ratio of 2.74 to 2.86 inclusive or a multiple thereof), when an acoustic signal is projected at the reflector a double echo is received at an detector of the reflected signal. The first echo being from the front of the reflector, and second echo being from the rear of the reflector in combination with the wave transmitted around the shell. Conventional sonar detection software assumes a uniform speed of sound: in a reflector of the kind described the speed of sound inside the reflector is very low -usually about 850m/s compared to 1500m/s in the surrounding sea water. This increases the apparent size of the reflector when viewed from a detector, the actual apparent size when seen from a detector depends on the materials of the reflector and the speed of sound in the surrounding medium. Using the knowledge of the reflector and the normal speed of sound in sea water surrounding it, it is possible to detect changes in the composition of the surrounding sea water by changes in the acoustic distance between the interrogating sonar and a reflector of the kind described. Variations in the distance being an indication of a change of velocity of sound in the surrounding water; it is possible to calculate these changes down to an accuracy of 1 m/s.
[0020] In practice, it has been found that robust acoustic reflectors for use in this application are as described in WO 2012/007742 A (SUBSEA ASSET LOCATION TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED) 19/01/2012 (incorporated by reference). The ideal size being about 200mm in diameter with an 8.8mm 25% glass fibre reinforced polyphthalamide (example trade name Zytel® HTN51G25HSL) shell and an RTV12 silicon elastomer cast core; such a reflector generally works well at most sonar frequencies over 120 kHz; for lower frequencies sonars below 90kHz an aluminium alloy shell, say 6082T6 is much more effective. Such reflectors can function at depths of 3000m for 20 years (which is the average lifetime of well head equipment).
[0021] Reflectors of the kind described in W02012/007742 can be detected from considerable distances, well over 1 Km and much further with larger reflectors, it becomes possible therefore for a single sonar system with a detector and analysis equipment to monitor a number of acoustic reflectors of the kind described, associated with well heads or capped well heads.
Claims (4)
- Claims 1. According to the present invention a system for monitoring for the leakage of oil or gas from an underwater facility comprising: placing an acoustic reflector, which itself comprises a shell surrounding a core wherein an incident acoustic wave may be partially reflected by the front of the reflector and partially pass into the core to be reflected from the shell at the rear of the reflector, on or adjacent to an underwater facility to be monitored; acoustically interrogating with a sonar the underwater area in which such an acoustic reflector is located with a sonar and identifying the acoustic reflector; comparing the returned echoes received from the acoustic reflector with the echoes received in normal seawater without the presence of an oil or gas leak; and identifying a variance in the echoes from the acoustic reflector from the echoes received in normal seawater as identifying the potential presence of oil or gas in the water surrounding the acoustic reflector.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 in which the identified variance is in the acoustic distance of the reflector from the sonar.
- 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 in which the reflected waveform is compared with that expected in the presence of seawater only, the variance identifying the potential presence of oil or gas in the water surrounding the reflector.
- 4. A method according to claim 1 or 2 additionally including the step of identifying and classifying the composition of a leak.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1420403.6A GB2532421A (en) | 2014-11-18 | 2014-11-18 | Remote monitoring of underwater oil and gas leakages |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1420403.6A GB2532421A (en) | 2014-11-18 | 2014-11-18 | Remote monitoring of underwater oil and gas leakages |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB201420403D0 GB201420403D0 (en) | 2014-12-31 |
| GB2532421A true GB2532421A (en) | 2016-05-25 |
Family
ID=52248471
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB1420403.6A Withdrawn GB2532421A (en) | 2014-11-18 | 2014-11-18 | Remote monitoring of underwater oil and gas leakages |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2532421A (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN109406377A (en) * | 2018-12-10 | 2019-03-01 | 美钻深海能源科技研发（上海）有限公司 | Underwater kit hydrogen sulfide corrosion data detecting device |
| CN109322635A (en) * | 2018-12-13 | 2019-02-12 | 美钻深海能源科技研发（上海）有限公司 | Underwater kit hydrogen sulfide corrosion automatic safe closing well system |
| CN111951242B (en) * | 2020-08-07 | 2023-04-18 | 哈尔滨工程大学 | Gas leakage detection method based on multi-beam depth sounding sonar |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4001764A (en) * | 1974-06-14 | 1977-01-04 | Exxon Production Research Company | Acoustic method for detecting leaks from submerged pipelines |
| WO2012007742A2 (en) * | 2010-07-16 | 2012-01-19 | Subsea Asset Location Technologies Limited | Acoustic reflectors |
| CN103090193A (en) * | 2013-01-08 | 2013-05-08 | 浙江大学 | Device and method for detection and location of submarine oil pipeline leakage |
| RU2499951C2 (en) * | 2011-09-22 | 2013-11-27 | Российская Федерация, от имени которой выступает Министерство промышленности и торговли Российской Федерации (Минпромторг России) | Detection method of low-intense leaks from underwater oil lines by means of mobile underwater measuring complex |
-
2014
- 2014-11-18 GB GB1420403.6A patent/GB2532421A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4001764A (en) * | 1974-06-14 | 1977-01-04 | Exxon Production Research Company | Acoustic method for detecting leaks from submerged pipelines |
| WO2012007742A2 (en) * | 2010-07-16 | 2012-01-19 | Subsea Asset Location Technologies Limited | Acoustic reflectors |
| RU2499951C2 (en) * | 2011-09-22 | 2013-11-27 | Российская Федерация, от имени которой выступает Министерство промышленности и торговли Российской Федерации (Минпромторг России) | Detection method of low-intense leaks from underwater oil lines by means of mobile underwater measuring complex |
| CN103090193A (en) * | 2013-01-08 | 2013-05-08 | 浙江大学 | Device and method for detection and location of submarine oil pipeline leakage |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB201420403D0 (en) | 2014-12-31 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |