Co.L.Mar.: Subsea Leak Detection With Passive Acoustic Technology

We briefly review the capabilities of the Co.L.Mar acoustic detectors designed for oil and gas leakages from the offshore pipelines. In 1998-2015 Co.L.Mar had 76 clients all over the world, including six companies in the Caspian Sea and 3 companies in the Black Sea. In total, we have detected 43 subsea leaks, including one in Bulgaria in April 2004. Several key studies are presented. The discussion is focused on new versions of acoustic leak detectors which allow them to work in ice-covered conditions at very low temperatures; in very shallow regions; to detect inward leaks directed inside the pipeline due to high ambient pressure, and to perform a permanent monitoring of the subsea installations.