In Texas, Universal Subsea Inc. developed a new preservation fluid for subsea marine equipment that is lightweight, nontoxic, and biodegradable. The fluid protects subsea equipment components and interface profiles and can be recycled and reprocessed to its original specifications.
USI’s new environmentally friendly fluid can be used in place of the usual commercially available fluids that are very toxic and have higher flammability and other unwanted properties.
“Subsea wellhead preservation fluids are discharged directly to the marine environment. We wanted a fluid that would be completely nontoxic to aquatic life while providing the lowest overall environmental impact,” Sean Thomas, P.E., General Manager, Universal Subsea, Inc. told Marine Technology News. “Defender Stasis LT provides a long shelf life and service life, but biodegrades rapidly if released to the environment.”