Oil filled cables present unique challenges when damage causes the oil from the cable to leak into the environment. The cost to the asset owner escalates quickly as the cost of the oil is added to the cost of containment and rehabilitation of the environment.

It is key that such leaks are quickly located so that repairs can be effected and the leakage minimised. Previously it was only possible to locate the leaks using a freezing process whereby the cable was exposed at appropriate points and the oil in the cable frozen using liquid nitrogen. The side of the cable where the oil pressure continued to drop was identified as the side of the cable that contained the leak. This can be a very time consuming and costly process.

HV Diagnostics have pioneered the development of systems that inject insignificant concentrations of tracer elements into the oil using existing de-gassification equipment. Powerful gas concentrators combined with extremely sensitive detectors can then be used to detect the presence of the tracer elements in the atmosphere and hence locate the source of the leak.