Leakage detection system

Generally, the LDS sensor shall be a low cost alternative to large flowmeters for single phase flow. Although the focus is on the new offloading market segment, the LDS flow sensor will have a broader application, especially if a high enough accuracy can be achieved. A filling operation may take up to twenty hours for the largest shuttle tankers, and extra vigilance is needed to ensure that there are no leaks to sea. Without flow monitoring, the personnel listen for the flow inside the pipe onboard. Visu al inspection is part of the routines, but this is problematic when it is dark. One of the main challenges will be to develop the system in the sense that the flow rate at the pumping end shall be compared continuously with the flow rate at the receiving end via a telemetry connection. Another challenge is to optimise compensation of nitrogen pressure versus process pressure. Till year 2009, there used to be no flow monitoring on the shuttle tanker. Statoil/Teekay have introduced flow monitoring during o ffloading as a result of the large oilspill at the Statfjord field in December 2007. 4.400 m3 of crude oil was pumped to sea undetected. This was the second largest oilspill in Norway after the Bravo blow-out in 1977. The project idea and main objective o f the R&D project is to develop a low cost flow sensor that can be integrated in the pipes onboard the vessel. The R&D project results will be an important basis for the realisation of the product. With a successful development, we are looking at a huge m arket world-wide for low cost flow monitoring devices. To quantify this will be one of the tasks during the project. The starting point is the offloading market. This will be more critical for developments like Goliat and the possible oil activities clo se to shore in Lofoten and Vesterålen.