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CASE STUDIES
Combined Wireless Real-Time UT & Acoustic Sand Monitoring Solution for a Remote WHP in Southeast Asia
Location: Southeast Asia
Industry: Oil & Gas
An oil and gas operator identified increasing sand production from a remote wellhead platform (WHP) in Southeast Asia. Existing acoustic sand monitoring and corrosion-erosion monitoring systems were obsolete, unreliable, or offline, leaving the operator with limited visibility of sanding activity and its potential impact on flowline integrity.
Because sand production can accelerate pipeline erosion and increase the risk of loss of primary containment (LOPC), the operator required a dependable, real-time monitoring solution that could operate reliably at a Normally Unmanned Installation (NUI) with no safe area.
SMS Integrity was awarded a pilot project to design, supply, commission, and integrate a combined sand and erosion monitoring system on one known sand-producing well. Following successful commissioning and proven system reliability, the client extended the solution across the remaining four wells on the platform.
The Challenge
The client needed a robust monitoring solution that could provide early warning of sand production and continuous wall-thickness data in a remote, hazardous-area environment.
Key challenges included:
-
A depleting sandstone reservoir with confirmed sand production across multiple wells
-
Obsolete and unserviceable acoustic sand monitoring and corrosion-erosion monitoring systems
-
The need for real-time monitoring and integrated alarm capability
-
A Normally Unmanned Installation with no safe-area access
-
Limited platform visits, making system reliability and low maintenance essential
-
Restricted availability of Process Control System (PCS) integration architecture
-
The need to protect flowlines from erosion and reduce the risk of loss of primary containment
An oil and gas operator identified increasing sand production from a remote wellhead platform (WHP) in Southeast Asia. Existing acoustic sand monitoring and corrosion-erosion monitoring systems were obsolete, unreliable, or offline, leaving the operator with limited visibility of sanding activity and its potential impact on flowline integrity.
Because sand production can accelerate pipeline erosion and increase the risk of loss of primary containment (LOPC), the operator required a dependable, real-time monitoring solution that could operate reliably at a Normally Unmanned Installation (NUI) with no safe area.
SMS Integrity was awarded a pilot project to design, supply, commission, and integrate a combined sand and erosion monitoring system on one known sand-producing well. Following successful commissioning and proven system reliability, the client extended the solution across the remaining four wells on the platform.
The Challenge
The client needed a robust monitoring solution that could provide early warning of sand production and continuous wall-thickness data in a remote, hazardous-area environment.
Key challenges included:
-
A depleting sandstone reservoir with confirmed sand production across multiple wells
-
Obsolete and unserviceable acoustic sand monitoring and corrosion-erosion monitoring systems
-
The need for real-time monitoring and integrated alarm capability
-
A Normally Unmanned Installation with no safe-area access
-
Limited platform visits, making system reliability and low maintenance essential
-
Restricted availability of Process Control System (PCS) integration architecture
-
The need to protect flowlines from erosion and reduce the risk of loss of primary containment
