Viper Subsea Technology, the Portishead and Aberdeen-based subsea engineering company that provides consultancy and develops products for the oil and gas sector worldwide, has acquired a 33% equity stake in US-based LiveWire Innovation, a provider of Spread-Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometry (SSTDR).
LiveWire’s SSTDR technology transmits small signals along communications or power cables and detects any anomalies along the length of the cable. Proprietary algorithms interpret the signals and convert the information into data that can be used by the client. The technology enables system operators and equipment manufacturers to ‘see’ into their electrical infrastructure while in use and to find the location of electrical short-circuits and open-circuits, as well as intermittent or transient faults such as arcs. SSTDR is designed to locate faults to within 98% accuracy.
“This is a strategic move that benefits both parties, with Viper Subsea acquiring exclusivity to the SSTDR products in certain geographical markets and business segments,” said Neil Douglas, managing director, Viper Subsea. “The combined Viper Subsea / LiveWire offer will reduce maintenance and troubleshooting costs for clients, increase system reliability, and reduce down-time for a range of systems that rely on electrical cables to deliver power and/or communications.”