e riser annulus that could ultimately lead to a line rupture, this tool guarantees better safety.research program, the Emergency Pipe Repair System, directs its work more broadly at optimizing pipeline maintenance by identifying all risks of pipeline damage and taking an inventory of existing repair solutions.
Toward Hull Inspection by ROV
Every two and one-half years, a subsea inspection of the hulls of Total s fleet of FPSOs checks the integrity of the vessels, to guarantee the safety of the personnel on board, as well as of the production facilities. But the inspection operations present their own set of significant risks (eg, waves, weather conditions) for the divers dispatched to intervene in water depths down to 30 meters. Moreover, the inspections mobilize considerable support resources (support vessels, hyperbaric chambers, etc.) For several weeks at a time.
Deploying an ROV controlled from the surface for hull inspections would offer some appealing advantages:
· It would improve the safety of operations by limiting diver intervention and therefore the risk of accidents;
· It would limit inspection time, since an ROV can operate for longer periods than a human diver, even in rough seas.evaluating the potential solutions, R & D opted in favor of a Crawler / HERO ROV developed by ECA and operated by DCNS. Compared with a conventional ROV, the Crawler / HERO robot is equipped with thrusters that enable it to «stick» directly on the surface of the FPSO hull. Total s R & D qualified this innovative solution in 2011. It is destined to be tested on one of Total s FPSO vessels in the future.
Optimizing Safety
A focus on the safety of people and operations has always been the foundation of Total s conquest of the deep offshore. For the Group, continually optimizing the technologies it develops to help operating teams foresee and prevent risks every step of the way is an absolute priority of its deepwater activities.
Managing the Risk of Well Blowout During Drilling
The drilling accident that took place in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico provided a tragic reminder that there is no such thing as zero risk. This is particularly true in the deep offshore, where the industry s work involves increasing complexity and ever-deeper waters.analyses carried out by the Group s drilling experts indicated that complying with Total s safety standards would have averted that uncontrolled well blowout, which led to the explosion of a drilling rig. Although the probability of occurrence of this type of accident is low, Total has taken every measure to further enhance the safety of its drilling operations and learn the valuable lessons of this event. offshore environment intervention drilling terms of technology, Total has teamed up with partners in the industry to define new solutions that will enable a faster response in this type of situation. The goal is to develop equipment tailored to prompt interventions in the deepwater context, able to control and contain a well and cap a leak. In parallel, Total is working in-house to develop dedicated solutions for its own producing wells in the Gulf of Guinea.
Real-Time Monitoring of Geohazards
