An unidentified sponsor of Viper Subsea’s join industry project (JIP) has proposed to deploy V-LIM line insulation monitor units into various North Sea fields in June.
Aimed at developing Viper Subsea’s V-IR subsea integrity monitoring system, the project began in October 2013, with BP, Chevron, Shell, and Total agreeing to join as key partners sponsoring the V-IR technology development.
Set to be ready for field trials later in 2015, the V-LIM will give the partner an immediate benefit through improved umbilical condition monitoring, as well as easy integration of the V-IR subsea monitoring hardware.
The V-LIM can be integrated into topsides equipment, either as part of a new development or retrofitted to existing installations.
“The V-IR system will be used to identify and locate faults in remote subsea electrical distribution systems.”
Acting as an integral component in the V-IR system, it monitors the insulation resistance, polarisation index, voltage, current, and power, as well as the capacitance of the umbilical and subsea equipment.
Viper Subsea managing director Neil Douglas said: “The early commitment to V-LIM illustrates the degree to which our partners are committed to this project and convinced of the long-term benefits of the V-IR system.
“As operating efficiency becomes increasingly critical, so our innovative systems are gaining traction within the industry. By committing to V-LIM at this early stage, the operator is putting in place the first key components to enable a complete V-IR solution.”
The V-IR system has been developed to solve problems for operators within the oil and gas industry. It will be used to identify and locate faults in remote subsea electrical distribution systems.
The V-IR system is being developed at Viper Subsea’s Research & Development facility located in Portishead near Bristol.