A world-first subsea scanner for oil and gas pipelines is being developed in Billingham for deeper waters
Lee Robins, from Tracerco, with the Discovery scanner, designed and built in Billingham
Billingham industrial technology business Tracerco will take its game-changing oil and gas scanner into deeper waters, after securing a major deal in the Gulf of Mexico.
Discovery, a subsea CT scanner for pipelines, allows operators to inspect pipes from the outside without having to remove protective coatings.
It’s the first time this has been made possible and it’s thought the scanner could revolutionise the oil and gas industry.
Discovery operates at 1,000 metres, but next-generation technology being developed by Tracerco will see the pioneering piece of kit to reach three times that depth.
A £1m order has been received from one of the big global oil and gas operators.
Tracerco’s Head of Subsea Lee Robins said: “We are building a second tool for the Gulf of Mexico. Most of it will be built in Norway but some quite complex parts will be done locally, using engineering companies and machine shops on Teesside.
Meanwhile, the company is expanding in Billingham with an £8.6m Technology Centre, and there are plans to increase the 150-strong workforce by another 50.
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