International underwater asset integrity specialists Welaptega has innovated an advanced cleaning system to safely and efficiently remove marine growth from risers.

Welaptega, owned by integrated subsea technology and services company Ashtead Technology, delivered the Riser/Rope Cleaning and Inspection System (RCIS) to client Ocean Installer AS for its inaugural deployment in May this year.

The project saw riser cleaning operations carried out in Norwegian waters as part of the Balder X project.

Tyler de Gier, General Manager, Welaptega, said: “This project with Ocean Installer marks the first occasion that a RCIS has been used in the field.

“Building on the decades of practical experience we have gleaned with our proven mooring rope cleaning and inspection Rope Measurement System, the RCIS cleans and inspects the surface of subsea tubular components such as flexible risers, marine power cables, umbilicals and fibre/wire moorings.

“We are delighted to have been selected by Ocean Installer to deliver this scope, providing an efficient cleaning solution that saves days of DSV time compared to conventional means.”

The RCIS frame is towed by an ROV at approximately 1m/s, efficiently cleaning both soft and hard marine growth. An optional module consisting of four cameras performs a full 360-degree close visual inspection of the riser or rope surface.

The RCIS, which can be used for unmanned operations, operates efficiently and requires no specialist offshore technicians to operate it, thereby helping to keep operational costs low and reducing POB.

To see Welaptega’s Riser/Rope Cleaning and Inspection System (RCIS) in action, click here.