Sonomatic Featured at Oil and Gas Technology Centre

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(Aberdeen, May 2017) Sonomatic was delighted to be selected by Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) to have equipment on display during the recent visit by the Prime Minister to their offices in Aberdeen. The Prime Minister was taken on a tour of the Centre to see first-hand the innovative technologies on display and how these make a positive impact across the Oil and Gas industry. Models of Sonomatic's ROV-iT advanced ultrasonic subsea inspection system and internal caisson inspection tool were on display for the visit.

These are two of many examples of Sonomatic's innovative technology and methods that are supporting the Oil and Gas industry in becoming more efficient and maximising production.

Colette Cohen, Chief Executive of the Oil & Gas Technology Centre said:
"It was great to have the Prime Minister visit us recently, to see how we're inspiring, accelerating and funding technology that will transform the industry. We're challenging how our industry works, reimagining the way we do things and using technology to lower costs, increase efficiency and improve recovery".

"At the same time, we also need a long-term vision, making sure that oil and gas are part of a balanced and integrated energy system for the UK as we move to a lower carbon future. Solutions like those offered by Sonomatic, have a vital role to play in this transition and we are working with the industry and academia to co-invest in technologies that will make this vision a reality".

Sonomatic is actively working with the OGTC's Asset Integrity Solution Centre in a number of areas, supporting their targets of eliminating the impact of asset integrity on operational uptime and achieving no vessel entry for the purpose of inspection of the pressure boundary by 2026.

Non Intrusive Inspection (NII) of pressure vessels is one of the particular areas of focus of the OGTC. NII offers significant benefits to operators by reducing shut down durations, maximising production, reducing the cost of inspection and avoiding the hazards of personnel entry in vessels. Sonomatic has substantial experience in NII and has worked with many of the operator companies delivering effective NII programmes for both offshore and onshore operations. We have been actively involved in supporting the UK Oil and Gas industry with NII with the since the early 2000's, working with several of the early adopters of NII initially and subsequently supporting more operators as the approach has matured and advancing technologies make it more accessible.

Dr. Susan Osbeck, Manager of Sonomatic's NII Activity in Aberdeen said:
"Sonomatic recognises the need to follow a robust NII process in order to ensure confidence in the integrity of the pressure boundary. This requires a thorough understanding of the integrity management requirements for the inspection, the corrosion risks for the vessel, and the capabilities of inspection tools. We were involved in developing the recommended practice for NII and have now been involved in over 1000 NIIs globally. We are excited to be able to work with OGTC to further the understanding and use of NII in the Oil and Gas Industry".

Effective management of Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) is also a key theme for OGTC's Asset Integrity Solutions Centre. Sonomatic is developing a unique microwave inspection technology for inspection through polymer clad insulating materials. This type of insulation is being used more widely in the industry and, as with metal clad insulation, there remains a need for effective methods of inspection for CUI.

Dr. Chris Gregory, Manager of Sonomatic's Microwave R&D programme said:
"We have demonstrated that our microwave technology has the ability to profile the surface of steel and corrosion product through insulation and can also detect water. We are looking forward to working with OGTC and others to demonstrate practical application of the technology and to develop it further as an effective solution to this critical integrity issue".

For more information, please contact Sonomatic at info@sonomatic.com