C-Kore Systems, a UK company providing innovative subsea testing tools, is helping operators and installation contracts quickly test the integrity of umbilicals during installation campaigns
Fibre optics are becoming common in subsea umbilicals with the increased bandwidth required for modern subsea control and instrumentation systems. Now with C-Kore’s new Subsea OTDR for umbilical optical fibres complementing C-Kore’s existing electrical and pressure testing tools, C-Kore has a complete suite of tools to help operators simplify their installation process, even in remote locations.
C-Kore Systems has a range of subsea testing tools used globally by operators and contractors on decommissioning, fault-finding, and new installation campaigns. The tools are easy to deploy and are operated without the need for C-Kore personnel present, providing rapid and accurate feedback. This combination of simplicity, accuracy and reliability introduces significant operational savings to testing campaigns.
With the number of subsea umbilicals containing fibre optics increasing, C-Kore is seeing their Subsea OTDR being used alongside their C-Kore Cable Monitor in more umbilical installation campaigns. The Cable Monitor unit tests the insulation resistance and continuity of electrical lines, while the Subsea OTDR confirms the integrity of the optical fibres. C-Kore can also provide an electrical TDR for fault location on subsea electrical lines.
The C-Kore Subsea OTDR works much like a radar; it sends out a pulse of light and detects the reflections that come back. Anomalies (splices, bends, connectors, etc) along the fibre all create reflections. By knowing the transmission properties of the fibre and how long it takes for a reflection to return, the distance to each anomaly is accurately calculated along with a loss measurement for each fibre.
Greg Smith, operations director for C-Kore commented further, “With fibre optics becoming increasingly common in umbilicals, our customers needed a subsea testing solution. We designed the Subsea OTDR to have impressive functionality while remaining incredibly simple to use. It’s exciting to have our new Subsea OTDRs out on deployments and gathering great feedback from customers. With the added ability to measure optical lines subsea, our customers can now test all functions in their umbilicals with C-Kore tools.”
To learn more about C-Kore’s innovative subsea testing technology, please visit their website, www.c-kore.com.
