GE’s Naxys A10 – Subsea Acoustic Leak Detection

During the recent Rio O&G 2014 Expo and Conference a range of new products for the O&G industry were launched. The size of the event, with over 1,000 companies present and tens of thousands of daily visitors made it a great medium for showing new products to the market. GE had its large booth constantly full and was probably the company, which had the largest number of new products on display. Naxys joined GE in September 2012 as a world-class sensors developer for the subsea sector. With its headquarter in Bergen, Norway, Naxys develops and supplies leak detection and condition monitoring sensors based on proprietary, passive acoustic hydrophone technology.

The design of the sensing element enables extremely sensitive and accurate measurement of subsea acoustics, allowing operators to monitor the integrity of their subsea installations. The new product launched at the Rio O&G 2014 was the Naxys A10, which is an integrated acoustic solution for monitoring equipment and its surrounding environment. The sensor released at the event uses acoustic sensing to identify potential problems related to subsea operations and to find any leaks that may be harmful to the environment. With additional drilling operations moving to the subsea level and deep waters, leak detection is more important than ever. Naxys A10 is a standalone, non-intrusive sensor that provides wide-area directional coverage up to 500 meters. It leverages cutting-edge acoustic technology that detects both liquid and gas leaks in the subsea environment before they become potentially costly environmental issues.

Leakages are monitored in real time 24/7. When an abnormal vibration is detected, a warning is sent topside to the operator. The severity of the warning can be assessed, by checking the mass balance or complementary leak detector. Subsea systems optimization provides topside visibility for subsea acoustic leak detection. Qualified according to the ISO 13628-6, the system is capable of processing resident data, analyzing results and sending the information to the surface in real time. According to GE, the use of this solution allows the operator to make faster and reliable decisions, increasing the operational efficiency of their equipment.