We have just returned from another offshore survey to carry out a thermal imaging ‘separator sediment level inspection’.
Separators are very large horizontal vessels which are used to separate out the oil, gas and produced water from the wells in the sea bed. Over time, sand and sediment build up within the vessels and this needs to be cleaned during a shutdown.
Knowing how much sediment and where it is located within the vessel allows the correct downtime to be planned. We have carried out many of these surveys in numerous locations both onshore and offshore for our clients.
The cool (dark areas) in the thermal image above show the extent of the sediment within the dome end of this vessel and a full mapping exercise is incredibly useful the the operations team on the platform.