Roxar Launches Compact Subsea Acoustic Sand Detector

Roxar

Roxar reports that its AD3000 subsea system, the world's most compact sand detector, is now available to oil and gas and EPC (Engineering Procurement Construction) companies across the world. The AD3000 is compact, non-intrusive, virtually maintenance-free, uses the latest in acoustic technology and is fully integrated with Roxar's multiphase and wet gas meters to ensure greater accuracy.

Having received rave reviews when demonstrated at OTC (Offshore Technology Conference) 2005 in Houston, Roxar is confident that the AD3000 acoustic detector will provide the company with a crucial edge within the highly competitive subsea sand detection industry. Roxar has already received a number of orders demonstrating expected market confidence. The same detectors can also be used for detecting and monitoring pipeline pigs.

Sand is one of the main reasons for the loss of production and revenue in oil and gas wells with sand clogged production equipment eroding completion components, impeding wellbore access, interfering with the operation of downhole equipment and even leading wells to be prematurely shut in or abandoned. Roxar's acoustics and monitoring technology is capable of determining sand in the well stream and the acceptable sand production rate the facilities can handle to a high degree of accuracy.

As the world's most compact sand detector with its' non-intrusive nature, companies will find it easier to locate suitable installation locations within the constraints of subsea template and piping designs.

The AD3000 system utilizes the acoustic energy generated by the sand particles and shuts out alien noises to provide real-time quantitative monitoring of sand in oil, gas or multiphase pipeline flows. The result is an optimization of production while avoiding the erosion of valves, inline process equipment and flow lines.

The AD3000 is also closely integrated with Roxar's Multiphase Flow Meters, designed to continuously measure the flow rates of oil, water and gas in the well stream; and Wet Gas Meters, the latest in wet gas metering technology providing real-time accurate flow rates and water fraction measurements. By integrating the digital signal processing in the sand monitors with the velocity measurement from subsea retrievable multiphase/wet gas meters, it is possible to determine the sand production rate more accurately.

Furthermore, as part of a complete package, each AD3000 detector has its own miniaturized built-in computer with a unique slave address and a powerful calculation engine that carries out all sand rate or pig detection processing with no need for external computers. The detectors are almost maintenance-free.

Roxar CEO, Sandy Esslemont, welcomed the announcement:
"It's clear that sand is bad news for producing wells and in an environment, where performance, production and profits count, no E&P company can afford to be without an efficient, integrated and accurate sand detection solution. With the AD3000, Roxar meets this full criteria, determining when sand occurs before it does any damage."

He continues:
" We are also particularly proud that we can now boast the most compact subsea sand detection system on the market today, a complete package for customers and a sand monitoring system fully integrated with our industry-leading multiphase and wet gas meters. With the AD3000, Roxar continues to focus on highly practical benefits for our customers - all meeting today's challenges of maximizing reservoir performance."

Roxar Business Unit Manager, Sand and Pig, Erlend Fremstad continued:
"With the launch today, Roxar is consolidating its position as a pioneering company within sand and pig detection. The AD3000 system is a worthy successor to the SAM400 and will take the quality and accuracy of sand and pig detection to new levels. We are particularly pleased to announce the closer integration with Roxar's other industry-leading instrumentation solutions. E&P companies can now look forward to the very-best in real-time production data in a seamless and closely integrated manner."

The key features of the AD3000 detector are:

  • Ultra Compact and Sensitive. The AD3000 detector is the most compact sand detector on the market today. The detector is sensitive and non-intrusive, can be strapped on to any flowline and is virtually maintenance free.
  • Passive Acoustic Technology. The AD3000 is built around a new optimal mechanical design for sound transfer from piping to detector. The detectors monitor any noise through the flowline and listen for any changes. The AD3000 can also suppress alien noises.
  • Integration. The AD3000 system is fully integrated with Roxar's Multiphase Flow and Wet Gas Meters providing a complete subsea flow measurement package. While the AD3000 detector and flow meters are two separate instruments with individual communication lines, they will share power over the same line, saving the additional line and corresponding connectors. The subsea sand detectors will also obtain velocity input from the Multiphase Flow and Wet Gas Meters, hence saving the additional subsea jumper and corresponding connection to the System Control Module (SCM).
  • Deepwater Capability. The AD3000 is operational at up to 3000 meters in water depth.
  • Easy Management of Data. With each AD3000 detector having its own miniaturized built-in computer, the pre-processed data goes straight into the Master Control System (MCS) or equivalent host system.
  • Increased Redundancy & Low Power Consumption. As well as low power consumption, the AD3000 system has redundant electronics allowing for two independent communications paths.
  • ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Retrievability. The AD3000 sensors are ROV retrievable and mounted in fixed, pre-installed clamps with guide funnels. The retrievable system used has the same design principles as Roxar's Multiphase and Wet Gas Meters with tests performed in conjunction with these meters.
  • Flexible Software Configuration. The Roxar server and client software packages are available for real-time and historical time-series trending and overview information. New software configurations, calibrations and settings can be downloaded over the serial links if changes are required to the calculation model at any time.

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