Partnership for Hydrocarbon Monitoring Sensors
Chelsea is to begin working with Liquid Robotics as its technology partner for hydrocarbon sensors. The company has already been working with Liquid Robotics for two years, providing a number of UV AquaTracka Hydrocarbon Sensors for integration into its Wave Gliders.
The UV AquaTracka has long been the industry standard for hydrocarbon detection, a reputation proven during the Macondo Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Originally developed for military applications, the UV AquaTracka remains unique in its ability to detect very low levels of crude and refined oils in the marine and freshwater environment. The UV AquaTracka is so sensitive it can detect aromatic hydrocarbons diluted a thousand billion times in water; in other words, it can detect one part in 1,012.
Liquid Robotics is an ocean data services provider and developer of the Wave Glider, a wave-powered marine robot, that functions as a persistent and versatile platform for scientific, industrial and defence applications. The Wave Glider is enabling dozens of applications and missions.
The growth in oil exploration has facilitated a demand from offshore oil companies for high-quality surveying and monitoring data. Using data from sensors such as the Chelsea UV AquaTracka deployed from the Wave Glider, Liquid Robotic can provide real-time information on water quality to the oil industry at a fraction of the cost of traditional data acquisition methods such as support ships and ROV.
Measuring hydrocarbons in tough conditions can be a difficult job. Chelsea’s UV AquaTrackas have already been tested over the years in various seas and found to be consistent, accurate and precise, yet rugged enough to stand the worst of conditions. They have seen service in very hostile environments and can withstand harsh offshore conditions for months at a time.
