Tech

The new standard represents an important step towards optical modem interoperability for subsea systems. (Image source: SWiG)

Oil and gas industry network Subsea Wireless Group (SWiG) has released a new industry specification for free-space optical communications, providing a common protocol for modems from different manufacturers

SWiGoptical Level 1 defines a simple protocol to satisfy interoperability and interchangeability requirements for subsea free-space optical communication devices. It supports applications including, but not limited to, process control, equipment and process monitoring, diagnostics and maintenance, and data exchange and harvesting across autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and other connected subsea systems.

Systems working together

SWiG, a joint industry project (JIP) managed by OTM Networks (part of R&D consultancy Sagentia Innovation), was established to enable vehicles, infrastructure and equipment from different suppliers to work together seamlessly. It has 27 members representing all parts of the supply chain, from major energy operators to subsea service providers and integrators to specialist instrumentation companies. Its objectives include:

• Promote interoperability between users of subsea wireless communications.
• Raise industry awareness and acceptance of subsea wireless communications.
• Identify areas (within subsea wireless communications) where open standards are needed, and develop them.
• Encourage the integration of subsea wireless communication technologies.
• Share best practices across the industry.
• Promote knowledge transfer across the industry.

Shreekant Mehta, senior vice president, Energy Sector at Sagentia Innovation, said SWiGoptical Level 1 represents an important step towards optical modem interoperability for subsea systems.

“SWiG’s goal is to create a common subsea ecosystem where devices from different manufacturers interact seamlessly,” Mehta explained. “As subsea communication technologies continue to mature, a collaborative approach to developing open standards supports cost management and provides a common framework, reducing deployment risk, simplifying integration and supporting scalability. Achieving interoperability across subsea operations is essential if the industry is to realise the full benefits of autonomy.”

The new specification builds on the earlier SWiGacoustic standard and is the latest in a family of complementary SWiG standards that also cover radio frequency (RF), inductive data and power and hybrid communications. SWiGoptical Level 1 is now available to the wider industry, with Level 2 and Level 3 specifications for higher-performance protocols already under development.

The TESCOM RC-X motorised injection rate control valve. (Image source: Emerson)

Emerson has launched the TESCOM RC-X motorised injection rate control valve, which helps offshore refineries achieve accurate, repeatable chemical injection, reducing chemical waste, downtime and overall operating costs

Flow assurance is critical for offshore production facilities, especially as the industry moves to deeper water, longer tiebacks, deeper wells and higher temperature and pressure reservoirs, where conditions such as hydration, corrosion or the buildup of wax, asphaltene, scale and emulsion can restrict flow.

Chemical treatment can help mitigate these blockages, but there are dangers with over or under injection of chemicals. Over injection increases chemical consumption and resulting costs as well as additional field trips to replenish chemical storage tanks. It can also adversely impact downstream processing or treatment programmes and result in contamination penalties. Under injection can be ineffective, risking mechanical integrity and production output.

“Proper chemical dosing in deepwater and high-pressure/high-temperature refining environments can prevent blockages and flow instability, helping to ensure optimum fluid behaviour, protect asset integrity and stimulate production,” said Julia Villa, product marketing manager with Emerson´s fluid and motion control business, noting the TESCOM RC-X control valves enable accurate dosing that reduces downtime and chemical waste associated with over injection.

The value is specifically designed to work with Micro Motion Coriolis flow meters in offshore chemical injection processes, which deliver reliable flow measurement for liquids, gas or slurries.

Product features

• Precise flow assurance - With a short-stroke design (less than 1/8 of an inch), TESCOM RC-X control valves are accurate up to 15,000 pounds per square inch (psi) and offer ultra-low flow rates of 0.02-500 liters per hour and repeatable function with 4-20 milliampere (mA) control
• Electric actuation eliminates air requirements, an advantage when compressed air is unavailable or unreliable.
• Available in medium- and high-pressure models
• Lightweight and compact
• Fewer moving parts than comparable products, reducing risk of mechanical failure over time, performing more consistently and requiring less maintenance.
• Explosion-proof, waterproof (IP67-rated) and corrosion resistant (compliant to NACE MR0175).

PipeSense deployed PipeScan, a pressure-pulse technology, to locate obstructions in two offshore pipeline networks. (Image Source: PipeSense)

PipeSense, a pipeline leak detection specialist, has expanded its capabilities to support offshore operations, following a successful project off the coast of Angola

Working with a multinational operator, PipeSense deployed PipeScan, a pressure-pulse technology, to locate obstructions in two offshore pipeline networks. PipeSense’s team of experienced operators, engineers, and data scientists monitored a 20-inch natural gas pipeline and a 16-inch offshore crude and multiphase pipeline that was flooded with seawater.

With the natural gas pipeline, the company completed repeated pressure pulse testing to identify an obstruction approximately 11km downstream. For the second project, PipeSense installed instruments on both ends of the offshore crude and multiphase pipeline. Controlled pressure releases generated repeatable reflection signatures that identified the obstruction within approximately 700m of the launcher.

The projects highlighted how induced pressure pulse testing, high-speed pressure acquisition, and dynamic pressure wave reflection analysis can accurately determine obstruction location in offshore environments, all without interrupting normal pipeline operations or requiring specialised tools.

Josh Holmes, PipeSense’s VP of Business Development, said, “This project is a clear and concise demonstration that our approach to obstruction locating can provide a practical addition to the pipeline integrity toolkit for locating stuck pigs, hydrate plugs, debris, and other flow restrictions across a wide range of offshore pipeline applications.    

Offshore and subsea pipeline operators undertake highly complex work every day to safely operate, maintain, and protect critical infrastructure in some of the world’s most challenging environments. This requires a continued focus on asset integrity, operational reliability, and the ability to identify and respond to changing pipeline conditions with confidence.  

Our goal is to support operators in that mission by providing advanced technologies that deliver greater visibility into pipeline performance and help teams make faster, more informed decisions. Having demonstrated our capabilities across a range of onshore applications and complex flow conditions, we are excited to bring that experience into offshore and subsea environments. This project in Angola represents an important first step in what we believe will be a strong and exciting future supporting offshore operators around the world.” 

The submissions reveal an industrial shift towards smart, resilient and efficient energy systems.

Reflecting rising demand, growing energy security pressures and rapid technological change, this year's ADIPEC 2026 Technical Conferences, hosted by ADNOC, have attracted a total of 7,261 paper submissions from energy professionals and researchers worldwide 

Comprising submissions for SPE's Technical Conference and dmg events' Downstream Technical Conference organised by dmg events, these reveal an industrial shift towards smart, resilient and efficient energy systems that is rapidly redefining the industrial value chain.

For AI & Digital Transformation segment of SPE's programme, the increased number of submissions captured the dynamism of today's energy landscape, as optimisation, automation and decision-support applications continue to reshape the industry’s efficiency and delivery.

Speaking on the submissions, Haitham Al Jenaibi, executive vice president - development and production (Gas), ADNOC Upstream, ADIPEC 2026 Technical Conference Chairman, said, “At a time when energy systems are being asked to deliver more than ever, this record number of submissions reflects the depth of innovation across our industry. It reaffirms that ADIPEC remains the trusted leading technical platform that attracts state-of-the-art technologies and innovation, convening global experts to advance scalable solutions and strengthen the energy sector’s resilience and competitiveness.”

Digital Transformation & Advanced Manufacturing segment of dmg's programme, on the other hand, remained a frontrunner, pointing towards the rapid adoption of digital technologies across refining, chemicals and industrial operations.

The Techno-Economic Design & Strategic Decision-Making segment was introduced this year, with submissions implying the rising relevance of sustainable technical approaches that combine engineering excellence with commercial and strategic thinking, helping organisations navigate an increasingly complex operating environment. 

Thomas Loeffler, senior vice president – ADIPEC, dmg events, said, “This year’s Technical Conferences’ submissions send a clear signal: that AI has moved from theory to infrastructure. The range and complexity of submissions confirm that the technical community is doing the hard work of embedding these solutions across operations; not as a future ambition, but as an essential component of efficient and resilient energy systems.”

Across the SPE programme, submissions grew in Drilling and Unconventional Resources, demonstrating an increased focus on near-term supply and production resilience. Integrated Field Development and Energy Addition/Low-Carbon submissions indicated a rebalancing of technical attention towards immediate supply delivery needs.

In the Downstream programme, Circular Economy, Resource Efficiency & Recycling saw increased submissions, pointing to sustained technical interest in resource efficiency alongside the broader supply-side shift and confirming that longer-term sustainability considerations continue to command serious technical attention - even as near-term security pressures intensify.

The top five SPE submitting countries were the UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, China and the USA, spanning the world's major producing nations and its largest emerging energy market, and underscoring the genuinely global reach of the Technical Conferences. The breadth of participation reinforces ADIPEC's role as the platform where the technical community convenes across geographies and disciplines to share knowledge and advance the solutions the industry needs.

ADIPEC 2026 will take place in Abu Dhabi from 2–5 November 2026, bringing together more than 239,000 attendees, 1,800 speakers, 16,500 delegates and 2,250 exhibiting companies to advance the partnerships, technologies and practical solutions needed to strengthen energy systems under pressure and support long-term economic growth.