Annulus testing

Flexible riser
annulus testing

Riser integrity is vital to ensure the safety and reliability of operations, especially when deep-sea flexible piping is vital to your business.

Annulus testing will ensure outer sheath integrity and the safety of carbon steel structural components within the flexible riser, by identifying problems with corrosion or fatigue.

The frontline for flexible riser integrity management

And read more of the most frequently asked questions we get about Annulus Testing in our blog:

Annulus Testing FAQs

Yes. In addition to providing in-situ annulus testing, we also give you the option to buy our market leading annulus test kits for your own use. This is ideal if you want to utilise existing offshore employees and avoid mobilising third-party personnel. We also offer additional coverage for calibration and servicing with an annual maintenance and support contract.

Can we buy the kit?

The Impulse Group can provide a full results report and analysis within 1 week of testing. We also report daily whilst offshore to keep clients up to date with the latest progress and intervention.

How soon can we obtain results?

How long does an annulus test take to complete?

Annulus testing typically takes 6 hours to complete per riser. Our kit has been designed with quick-connect Swagelok fittings so we can mobilise and test quickly and efficiently.

Yes, our tests conform with Annex E and Annex F of API 17B. Our testing philosophy also aligns with industry standards from alternative providers. We can incorporate previous annulus testing results into our integrity management plans. When it comes to volume measurements, we can repeat testing and make comparisons. Allowing us to provide our clients with ongoing comparable data for integrity decisions.

Does your test meet the requirements of API 17B?

Positive pressure testing and negative pressure testing capability No requirement for an external power source Gas sample capability ATEX rated for classified areas Testing capabilities on ‘live’ production pipes

Why do you need annulus testing?

What is annulus testing?

Over time, the annulus of an unbonded flexible pipe can deteriorate. Flexible risers can fill with fluid from gas permeations and condensation. Riser integrity is vital to ensure the safety and reliability of operations, especially when deep-sea flexible piping is vital to your business.

Annulus testing will ensure outer sheath integrity and the safety of carbon steel structural components within the flexible riser, by identifying problems with corrosion or fatigue. This will allow you to act before small issues become big problems and extend the life of subsea piping.

Annulus testing can provide you with vital information on the integrity of flexible risers in a number of ways:

Identify when corrective measures must be taken to prevent the burst of the outer sheath
Detect outer sheath damage
Provide vital information when reassessing pipes and checking the fatigue of pipelines
Check the success of riser installations

The importance of annulus testing

Annulus testing for the monitoring of flexible piping systems is essential within any business relying on structural integrity to continue to deliver services. The various testing methodologies present challenges to organisations, which is where The Impulse Group comes in.

We are specialists in flexible pipe risers and flowline integrity management. Our annulus integrity test has been designed to reduce errors which can be created in reporting annulus test data.

With our team of highly skilled technicians and engineers we will get you the most accurate test results, ensuring that you know the integrity of your deep water risers, as well as helping to prevent any unnecessary intervention on risers which are acceptable for service life.

Annulus testing methods and equipment

Flexible riser integrity tests ensure the safety and reliability of operations. For engineers in the oil and gas industry this is vital, as the failure of an oil or gas pipeline can lead to disaster. Our highly accurate test kits will check the integrity of your flexible riser annulus, allowing you to take the necessary precautions and steps to repair or replace piping.

With technicians based globally, our dedicated team can mobilise to your place of business. Our annulus test kit and support toolbox are easily transportable, so they can be mobilised to the site ahead of testing or hand carried with our testing technicians for ease of deployment.