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SWiG Subsea Wireless Group

- Presentation to API

January 14

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Agenda

• About SWiG

• What is the

technology?

• Where is it used?

• SWiG family of

standards

• Where within API 17

does SWiG think it

should fit?

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About SWiG

• Subsea Wireless Group (SWiG) – Oil & Gas industry network (JIP)

– Founded May 11

– 20 members

• Why SWiG? – Lack of open standards &

interoperability is stifling innovation & driving up costs

• Objectives – Define and promote open standards to

support interoperability in subsea wireless communications and control

– Raise awareness and acceptance of subsea wireless comms & control

– Promote best practice and knowledge transfer

• Technologies – Radio,

– Acoustic,

– Free-space Optics

– Inductive power

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What is the Technology?

- Communications

Pros Cons

Acoustic - Highly proven Technology

- Long range – up to 20km

- Energy efficiency at longer ranges

- Precision Navigation

- High integrity (spread spectrum)

- Can be adversely affected by:

- Water aeration & turbidity

- Multi-path in shallow water

- Limited bandwidth

- High latency

- Does not transit water/ air

Radio - Water aeration & turbidity improve

performance

- Non-line-of-sight performance

- Low latency

- Immune to marine fouling

- High bandwidth

- Transits water/ air & water/ seabed

- Limited range through clear water

(compared to acoustics and FSO)

- Low energy efficiency at longer

ranges

- Susceptible to in-band EMI

Free Space Optical - Ultra-high bandwidth

- Low latency

- Immune to acoustic & EMI noise

- Longer range capability than Radio in

clear water

- Susceptible to aeration & turbidity

- Marine fouling on lens faces

- Requires line–of-sight and alignment

- Limited range through water

(compared to acoustics)

- Laser safety issues

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Acoustics

• The term ‘acoustics’ or ‘hydro acoustics’ typically relates to any wireless system which operates underwater using signals with a frequency within the ‘acoustic spectrum’.

• A variety of subsea applications utilise acoustics:

- Positioning (Vessel, ROV, AUV...)

- Control (BOP, AVP...)

- Communications (Divers)

- Data Transfer (Loggers, sensors, AUV...)

- Imaging (ROV Navigation, object identification)

- Profiling (Bathymetry)

- Attitude/Altitude Monitoring

- Underwater Structural Stress Monitoring

- Tsunami Warning Systems

Acoustic positioning

Acoustic Data Transfer

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Radio

• The term ‘radio’ typically relates to any wireless system which operates underwater using signals within the ‘radio spectrum’.

• Radio is an emerging technology for use underwater, and has been utilised in a number of applications:

– Data Recovery

– Wireless Video

– Wireless Integrity Management Sensors

– Offshore Decommissioning

– Wireless Black Box Recorder

– Wireless LMRP to BOP Link

– Pipeline/Flowline Monitoring

– Riser Monitoring

– Mooring Monitoring

Wireless Video Streaming

Wireless PipeLogger – non-penetrating temp logger

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Introduction to Free-Space Optical (FSO)

Communications

• Free-space Optical Communications:

Use of visible light to communicate under-water

wirelessly

• Applications:

– Wireless sensor networks

– Subsea-to-sea level communications

– Sea level-to-subsea communications

– Multi-functionality of communications systems with:

• 2D and 3D mappers

• Laser Imagers

• Laser illuminators

• Laser ranging systems

• Surveying (via laser scanning)

• Subsea forensics

7

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Free Space Optics

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SWiG Family of Wireless Open Standards

- Timetable

1. SWiGradio low frequency radio comms through water and water/air boundary

2. SWiGacoustic subsea acoustic comms

3. SWiGFSO subsea free space optical comms

4. SWiGpower subsea inductive power transfer

5. SWiGhybrid hybrid - radio, acoustic, optical, power

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

SWiG

Launched

SWiGradio

SWiGacoustic

SWiGFSO

SWiGpower

SWiGhybrid

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SWiGradio Draft Standard

• Scope – Low frequency radio:

• Through seawater

• Through the splash zone

• Through non-metallic materials

• Through metallic materials

– Applications • Subsea instrumentation &

control

• Communications

• Streaming – data, voice, video

• Based on IEEE 802.15.4

• Developed with support from HART Foundation

Asset Integrity Data Harvesting

Workover Wireless Network Comms with pig in pipe

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Where within API 17 does SWiG think it

should fit?

• Options

– 17A: Design & operation

of Subsea Systems

– 17D: Subsea wellhead

and Tree equipment

– 17F: Subsea production

& control systems

– 17H: remotely operated

tools and interfaces on

subsea production

systems

• Recommendation

– discussion

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Q&A