MAPS Technology receives ASME Lubinski Award at OTC 2009

MAPS Technology Ltd received the prestigious Arthur Lubinski Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Petroleum Division at the 2009 Offshore Technology Conference.

This year’s award recognizes the significant step forward in flexible riser integrity management offered by the MAPS-FR™ technology and as described in the paper - Non Invasive Magnetic Inspection of Flexible Risers - authored by two of its leading technologists, John McCarthy and David Buttle.

Flexible risers are generally used to link subsea pipelines to floating offshore installations: they are complex multi-layered structures comprising layers of flexible metal, polymer layers and spiral wound armour wires. The weight of the riser is supported by the armour wires and failure of these wires represents a significant risk to the integrity of the riser which can have significant financial and environmental consequences. The integrity of flexible risers therefore is a primary concern for operators of offshore risers. The structural complexity and the operational environment mean that conventional inspection technology is not effective. However, trials in the UK and Brazil show that the non-invasive MAPS™ technology can detect broken armour wires and give early warning of possible failure of the riser.

Each year, the Petroleum Division of ASME honors the best petroleum mechanical engineering paper presented at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). Arthur Lubinski, for whom the award is named, is the originator of the ASME Study Committee for the Exchange of Offshore Information which helped lead to the formation of OTC.

MAPS Technology was also selected as one of six finalists for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 26th Annual Woelfel Best Mechanical Engineering Achievement Award (BMEA).  The Woelfel BMEA recognizes a product, device or system displayed at the OTC conference, which best reflects innovation and/or practical use of mechanical engineering in solving problems, improving design or maximizing performance. Relevant criteria include: novelty, impact on industry, HSE, state of development and presentation. 

"To be nominated for both awards and to win the Lubinski Award is a significant achievement and reinforces the potential of our unique technology and capabilities in the oil & gas sector and beyond. The recognition is even more remarkable since 2009 is the first time MAPS Technology has exhibited and contributed to OTC" commented MAPS CEO David Pummell.

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