posted on 28/10/2011
Oceaneering Umbilical Solutions officially opened a new state-of-the-art Test, Qualification and Reliability (TQR) facility in Rosyth, Scotland.
Oceaneering Umbilical Solutions, is a global leader in the design and manufacture of subsea control umbilicals for the offshore oil and gas industry, and is investing $2 million in the TQR laboratory to evaluate and assimilate the long term behaviour of deepwater umbilical cables. They will be testing to industry standard ISO 13628-5.
A key part of the significant investment in new plant and machinery is an Instron 100kN Model 8801 Servo Hydraulic Fatigue Testing System. This Instron test machine with WaveMatrix software, allows Oceaneering to perform a wide range of fatigue and dynamic tests on materials and components.
Umbilicals generally have a 25-30 year life-cycle. However, operational rigours and stresses due to the effects of ocean currents and tidal wave movement on the umbilicals can cause general fatigue and allows corrosion to set in earlier than anticipated. Oceaneering’s investment in this TQR facility will help safeguard against sudden operational failures, as Joao Melo, Test & Reliability Manager Oceaneering Umbilical Solutions explains;
“If an umbilical fails, oil and gas production stops. Although the umbilical is a comparatively inexpensive product within the whole energy production infrastructure it is one of its most critical components. “