Whilst corroding subsea pipes remains a significant concern, detailed corrosion mapping of these pipes has required computer imaging capability which, until now, subsea permanent monitoring systems have been unable to handle, due to the computing capability and energy required in performing such mapping.
This paper addresses the challenges and possibilities of online permanent tomography imaging/mapping of pipes, adopting new technologies and algorithms using low power instruments and providing real time processing. Standard tomographic wall thickness mapping became an option mid-2010s, with the integration of a software package.

Systems with full coverage of a pipe section provide three-dimensional maps of wall thickness loss, with key results like minimum wall thickness and defect positions transmitted to the control system. Many wall thickness monitors are equipped with fewer transducers than what is required for standard tomographic wall thickness mapping. The intention and challenge of the “Tomography Light” system is use these simpler and more cost-effective systems and still be able to achieve tomography mapping of a local area where corrosion or erosion is expected to be most severe.