Independent Remote Monitoring System for Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Floating Production Systems
Authors: Denney Dennis 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 18607, "An Independent Remote Monitoring System for Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Floating Production Systems," by J.T. von Aschwege, BP, Kal Jassal, DNV, and Robert Barker, BMT-SMS, prepared for the 2007 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 30 April-3 May.

As part of its integrity-management efforts, BP has installed permanent integrated marine monitoring systems (IMMSs) on its Gulf of Mexico (GOM) deepwater floating systems. The IMMS monitors critical environmental and floating-system response parameters, then archives and transmits data to shore in near-real time. A backup system called the independent remote monitoring system (IRMS) also has been installed on these floating systems. The IRMS has limited capabilities designed to transmit vital information onshore, in near-real time, in the event of a platform evacuation during hurricane conditions. The IRMS is fully independent of the primary IMMS.

Introduction

During the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, many deepwater floating facilities in the GOM lost power or were otherwise unable to communicate to shore. During Hurricane Rita, onshore facilities in Houston lost communication abilities with offshore facilities. Loss of communications renders platforms invisible to conventional shore-based monitoring. Backup remote marine monitoring was needed for offshore floating facilities when evacuated.

The IRMS is an independent system that does not rely on any platform service for operation. The IRMS has its own measuring instruments for gathering weather, position, and vessel-motion data. The design is such that the only connection between the IRMS and the platform is the foundation it sits on. The system's satellite link enables near-real-time data and video transmission to shore throughout an evacuated period, and the internal data storage provides a "black-box" approach to data capture for potential forensic evaluations.

IRMS Overview

The IRMS unit, shown in Fig. 1, is self-contained with a computer, batteries, satellite-communications system, and sensor array all mounted in two enclosures. The computer, communications hardware, and electronics are mounted in one enclosure, and the other enclosure contains only the batteries. The electronics enclosure houses the IRMS server-grade computer, which is a special low-powered unit, designed to operate in a high-humidity and high-temperature ambient environment. Signal conditioning occurs at each of the sensors or in the electronics enclosure, and all sensors interface serially or digitally with the IRMS console.

Instrumentation Package. The IRMS has its own instrument array for measuring environmental conditions and platform behavior that is independent from that installed on the platform. The IRMS was not required to mimic the permanent IMMS in its entirety. The selection of instruments was intended to provide sufficient channels of data to allow reliable indications of prevailing offshore conditions and platform-motion behavior. Facility-monitoring data include pitch/trim, roll/heel, surge, sway, heave, yaw, and position. Environmental monitoring data include wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature. The system runs its own health checks including battery checks and input and output voltage and currents. Both video and still images are collected.