UK firm lands multi-year ultra-deepwater weld inspection contract in Brazil

April 18, 2025, by Zerina Maksumic

UK provider of remotely deployed subsea inspections, TSC Subsea, has secured a multi-year contract in Brazil for subsea phased array (SPA) inspection of circumferential welds on rigid subsea pipelines, covering both flowline and riser sections at depths of up to 3,000 meters.

According to TSC Subsea, the contract, which will run from 2025 to 2027, involves continuous delivery of weld inspection services using phased array ultrasonics (PAUT) adapted for ultra-deepwater conditions.

The technology, known for its crack detection and defect sizing in topside applications, has been integrated with TSC Subsea’s deepwater robotic systems to support non-destructive testing (NDT) of critical subsea assets.

“Having demonstrated the strength of our advanced NDT solution – proven to be the most reliable and efficient – this contract stands as a strong vote of confidence in our team, our technology, and our capability to perform in the most challenging subsea environments,” said David Melo, Sales Manager at TSC Subsea.

“We’re proud to support our client with consistent, repeatable weld inspection services that meet the highest industry standards.”

According to the company, the qualification process included multiple factory acceptance tests (FATs), scanner trials in pressure chambers, and inspections of 10 and 12-inch coated test samples featuring embedded defects.

“This award further validates how our remotely deployed robotic solutions enable accurate and dependable subsea asset integrity assessments,” said TSC Subsea in a social media post.

“With world-class NDT technologies, advanced robotic scanners, and a highly experienced team of NDT specialists, TSC Subsea is leading the way in subsea inspection innovations, paving the way for safer and more sustainable operations across the industry.”

In July 2024, TSC Subsea secured a multi-year contract with an undisclosed operator to deliver subsea inspection of insulated flexible pipes in the pre-salt region offshore Brazil.