Visit Spectrex at OTC 2004, Houston, TX USA

The annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) has been regarded as one of the most influential and important events in the upstream industry. It is the world's foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production, and environmental protection. The OTC 2004 Exhibition, which will take place on May 3-6 at Reliant Center in Houston, houses more than 2,000 companies, subsidiaries and divisions, displaying the latest advancements and technologies in the offshore industry.

Join Spectrex at the OTC (booth number 5605) to see the latest developments in fire and gas detection including the new family of low-power, lightweight, small and cost-effective flame detectors.

Statoil has chosen the unique CCTV - IR3 Flame Detectors for its Snorre FPSO

Statoil (Norway) has recently incorporated on the Snorre FPSO, as part of its fire protection system, the unique hybrid IR3 - CCTV Flame Detectors that provide independent continued video event viewing and recording during or prior to a fire event without influencing or impairing the fire detection capability.

The CCTV Flame Detector combines the well-proven, widely used by the oil & gas industry (over 20,00 operational detectors) Triple IR (IR3) Flame Detection with the benefits of the CCTV continued monitoring to offer a unique performance and flame detection capability in all weather conditions.

The IR3 portion is the well proven technology of the IR3 flame detector used to protect the oil and gas industry including production, storage and transportation processes and installations, aircraft hangars, automotive industry including paint booths and many other applications that require high sensitivity and false alarm immunity.

The detector can see a clear fire such as a gas flame and is not blinded by sun and/or other radiation sources. The CCTV portion gives a color video image that enables the user to investigate the monitored area, identify and study the fires source and location and help select the best response.

Click here for more information on CCTV Flame Detectors.

Offshore Hydrocarbon Releases Down in 2001/2

During 2001/2002, 241 offshore hydrocarbon releases were reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 29 (11%) less than the previous year. The numbers of both major and significant releases have decreased substantially over the past three years.
The figures are today published by HSE's Offshore Division (OSD) in its offshore hydrocarbon releases statistics report for 2002, giving details of hydrocarbon releases from offshore oil and gas installations on the UK Continental Shelf. The report covers all hydrocarbon releases notified to HSE from 1 October 1992 to 31 March 2002, and replaces the 2001 statistics report (HSR 2001 002, issued January 2002).

Click here for the full report.

SharpEye and SafEye Products integrated in the fire and gas system of the Goldeneye Platform

Shell UK has awarded Foster Wheeler a 60 million Sterling Pounds contract to build the onshore gas processing facilities at St Fergus for Shell's Goldeneye development. The Goldeneye offshore platform will be located in the Shell operated UKCS Block 14/29a, 105 km from North-East Scotland in the South Halibut basin area of the Outer Moray Firth.

MSA supplied 10 SafEye Open Path Gas Detection Systems as part of temporary Fire & Gas system to protect the plant during construction phase of onshore gas processing facilities at St. Fergus as it is close to existing site. In addition, 17 SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) Optical Flame Detectors have been commissioned for the permanent installation.

Goldeneye platform production will be approximately 300 mmscf/d wet-gas some 10,000 barrels/day condensate. Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) will be extracted from the gas and condensate streams throughout field life.

Gas will be delivered to the National Transmission System at Transco in St. Fergus while NGLs and condensate will go to the Fife Natural Gas Liquids Plant in Mossmorran through an existing pipeline. After further processing various products, including condensate, Propane and Butane will be produced. The field is expected to be in production from 2004 for between 7 and 10 years.

SafEye Gas Monitoring Systems Performance Verified by the US EPA

SafEye Open Path Gas Detectors were tested at Advanced Monitoring Systems (AMS) Center operated by Battelle Institute in cooperation with EPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory. This evaluation program is part of the Environmental Technology Verification Program® (ETV), conducted under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and provides verification statements on the tested systems.

Specifically, SafEye models 420 (UV system for ammonia monitoring) and 227 (IR system for hydrocarbon flammable vapors monitoring) were tested under harsh environmental conditions and their performances are reported in terms of minimum detection limit, source strength linearity, concentration linearity, accuracy, precision and sensitivity to atmospheric interferences.