An autonomous underwater robot for tracking and monitoring of subsea plumes after oil spills and gas leaks from seafloor. (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kato, Naomi; Choyekh, Mahdi; Dewantara, Ryan; Senga, Hidetaka; Chiba, Hajime; Kobayashi, Eiichi; Yoshie, Muneo; Tanaka, Toshinari; Short, Timothy
• Is Part Of: Journal of loss prevention in the process industries. Volume 50:Part B(2017:Nov.)
• Page Start: 386
• Page End: 396
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: Autonomous underwater robot -- Monitoring -- Water column profiles -- Dissolved substances -- Water currents; Chemical industries -- Safety measures -- Periodicals; 660.2804
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlp.2017.03.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-4230

Abstract

Abstract: To response to the lessons from The Deepwater Horizon oil spill accident off Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, an autonomous underwater robot was proposed and tested for early detection and monitoring system as one technological measure around offshore oil and gas production systems. The mission of the robot is to monitor not only detailed structure of oil and gas plumes in the water columns, but also time-varying structure of transportation of oil droplets in 3-D space. It was found that the proposed system using an autonomous underwater robot is capable of in situ measurement for dissolved substances as well as oceanographic data and water current profiles in water columns which are indispensable to early detection and monitoring of oil spills and gas leaks from offshore oil and gas production platforms. The robot can provide oceanographic simulation with the real-time data to precisely grasp the 3-D structure of oil and gas plumes as a data assimilation scheme between an autonomous underwater robot and oceanographic simulation. Highlights: Early detection and monitoring systems as one measure should be established inside and around offshore oil and gas production systems. An autonomous underwater robot was proposed and tested for early detection and monitoring system around offshore oil and gas production systems. The proposed system was able to conduct in situ measurement for dissolved substances as well as oceanographic data in water columns.