The three successful projects, which will split £1.1. million in funding, were selected as part of the OGTC’s first ‘Call for Ideas’ focused on Asset Integrity, launched in 2017. Pressure vessel inspection was identified by the industry as a crucial challenge to maximising economic returns from the UK Continental Shelf.

Non-intrusive inspection (NII) of pressure vessels can deliver significant cost savings and safety benefits. Sonomatic’s aim is to develop the next generation of robotic NII technology, with improved speed, agility and autonomy compared with existing systems. The robot, incorporating advanced inspection technologies, will help increase production uptime, reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Robots and Drones

The OGTC is also working with the University of Strathclyde on a number of projects. The first will develop a new robot crawler equipped with 3D laser-scanning and non-destructive testing technology. Existing crawlers are normally deployed only when the operator has clear line-of-sight. The University’s solution will construct a virtual, dynamic 3D representation of the inspection site meaning it can be operated safely from a remote location.

The OGTC and the University  are also exploring the use of swarms of small unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, for offshore visual inspection. Drone swarms are being rapidly adopted by the military and for logistics activities and can deliver a safe, flexible and cost-effective alternative to human inspection.

The centre’s second Asset Integrity call for ideas will launch in March 2018. This round will focus on predicting, preventing, detecting and repairing corrosion under insulation.

Rebecca Allison, Asset Integrity Solution Centre Manager, said:

“From day one, developing and deploying new technology for pressure vessel inspection has been a key focus area for the Oil & Gas Technology Centre. We’re delighted to be investing in robotics projects with Sonomatic and the University of Strathclyde, which we believe can significantly reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance safety.

“Process vessel inspection and corrosion under insulation cost the industry more than £300 million each year so it is important that our first two Calls for Ideas focus on these challenges. We’re always looking for innovative ideas and concepts from inside and outside the oil and gas industry and look forward to launching our next call in March.”

Mark Stone, Integrity Services Manager, Sonomatic, said:

“We’re excited to be working with the Oil & Gas Technology Centre to develop the next generation of robotic inspection tools for non-intrusive inspection. There have been significant advances in robotics technology, inspection solutions and data science over the past few years and the support from the Technology Centre will ensure these are soon available in a practical tool for field application.”

Willie Reid, Director of the Strathclyde Oil and Gas Institute, said:

“The robotics team at Strathclyde, led by Dr Gordon Dobie and Dr Erfu Yang, are excited to be working with the Oil & Gas Technology Centre on these challenges for improving inspection for offshore asset integrity.

“In a multi-disciplinary approach, they will use the broad experience of both the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering and also the Department of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management. We will also utilise our experience in transferring technology from other sectors into oil and gas.”

More information on the new call for ideas will be revealed in the near future.