Helping Operators Execute Decommissioning Campaigns Safely and Efficiently

With so many offshore oil and gas rigs approaching the end of their production cycle over the next decade, the planning of decommissioning projects among ocean energy developers is a long-term operational priority.

While the practical lifespan of oil and gas platforms varies, generally speaking, such infrastructure is designed to operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week, all year round, for between 25 – 35 years.

At the turn of the century, we saw a planned and accelerated expansion of offshore oil and gas industry, with E&P activities increasing seeking to access untapped resources found in ultra-deep waters across the globe.

Fast-forward two decades, and well abandonment technologies and services represent a burgeoning decommissioning industry.

The end-to-end process and scope of work associated with such subsea decommissioning efforts, especially in deeper waters, is nothing short of complex and challenging. As decreed by the Petroleum Act 1998, wells must be plugged and, eventually, the physical infrastructure must be dismantled and removed to allow the surround marine environment to return to its natural, pre-lease state.

Timing is, therefore, critical to planning, and hinges on thorough monitoring, inspection, and testing campaigns supported by a range of subsea technologies deployed to provide accurate data and feedback on an active asset’s current operating capacity.

MODERNIZING SUBSEA TOOLS

Simplifying subsea testing is what we do at C-Kore Systems. Founded in 2012 in the UK, our goal has always been to bring modern testing technology to the offshore oil and gas industry.

The company began as part of Zetechtics, designers and manufacturers of the award winning Jupiter subsea control systems, before C-Kore was launched as a standalone business with a mission to eliminate downlines and platform-led testing in the name of efficiency, safety, and significant OPEX reductions.

Recognizing that offshore testing has, for too long, been overly reliant on error-prone manual intervention and measurement services, C-Kore’s early focus was to develop a Cable Monitor tool and the low-voltage IR testing concept. As a result of two generations of successful field-trials with key customers, we introduced our third-gen, commercial design.

Following widespread adoption of the C-Kore Cable Monitor—and the clear benefits it presented in terms of cost savings and measurement improvements, we applied our expertise and experience to broadening our portfolio by developing new tools for the subsea industry, such as our Cable TDR and Pressure Monitor.

BETTER DATA FASTER

C-Kore’s products has been engineered to provide operators with more control and access to better data, faster. Our testing units, which are not much bigger than a dummy plug and can be fitted on deck or by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), allow any asset testing to be completed much faster by automating the entire process and minimalizing vessel time.

Today, C-Kore Systems has a range of subsea testing tools used globally by operators and contractors on decommissioning, fault-finding operations and new installation campaigns. The tools are easy to deploy and operate—without the need for C-Kore personnel to be present—ensuring their rapid integration and accurate feedback.

Further, they are safe for use on all subsea infrastructure, including electrical cables (umbilicals, power cables, flying leads, jumpers) subsea sensors and instruments, hydraulic and fluid lines; subsea control modules (SCM), distribution units (SDU) and manifolds; and down-hole sensors and cables (DHPT).

SENSOR MONITOR

C-Kore’s Sensor Monitor unit allows operators to read subsea sensors by plugging directly into the x-mas trees, giving data that is otherwise unobtainable without cumbersome and expensive workover tooling. With this capability, operators can easily verify the state of subsea x-mas trees, ensure safe working conditions and the avoidance of any accidental release of hydrocarbons.

Originally designed for a North Sea decommissioning campaign to ensure the safety of subsea divers, C-Kore’s Sensor Monitor unit is versatile but easy to use. It supports an extensive range of pressure, temperature, positional and other sensors. The Sensor Monitor ensures a safe working environment for decommissioning campaigns without requiring the presence of the Subsea Control Module.

The Sensor Monitor, like all our testing tools, has been designed to be intuitive and operator friendly. Our underlying goal is to introduce a degree of automation that grants our customers fast and reliable access to the data they need to make informed and critical maintenance decisions, without the need to deploy downlines or take extra personnel offshore. The Sensor Monitor’s defining product attributes of simplicity, accuracy, and reliability signals a new era of operational savings for subsea testing campaigns in the age of offshore decommissioning.

Don’t just take our word for it; during a recent decommissioning assignment in an undisclosed location, a Subsea Engineer from one of our operator partners summed up the scale of return on investment available: “Using the C-Kore Sensor Monitor unit simplified our whole testing campaign. We were able to quickly confirm the pressure/temperature transducer was still operational without having to pull the SCM, saving us over AU$1 million!”

Testimonials like this have always been what has driven us at C-Kore to keep innovating and striving for an increasingly modern approach to a modernizing offshore environment. This commitment to challenging the status quo has helped us establish an exemplary track record of partnering with operators around the globe looking to raise operating standards while slashing costs. Expanding our capabilities into the decommissioning market was a natural next step for the team at C-Kore, and the highly positive feedback received to date from our customers has confirmed the utility of our tools on time-critical decommissioning campaigns. Not only for the cost efficiencies they bring, but also ensuring a safe working environment.

For more information, visit: www.c-kore.com.

This story was originally featured in ON&T Magazine's October/November 2023 issue. Click here to read more.