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HYPERBARIC TESTING
In 2024, Matrix Composites and
Engineering, working with the
Western Australian Government,
Subsea Innovation Cluster Australia
(SICA) and Baker Hughes, opened the
Matrix Deepwater Hyperbaric
Common User Facility (HCUF) at the
company’s Subsea Test Centre in
Henderson, Western Australia.
ADDRESSING A LONG-STANDING
INDUSTRY BOTTLENECK
Historically, deepwater hyperbaric and
systems-integration testing in the
Asia–Pacific region required shipping
equipment to facilities in Europe or
North America.
The consequence was familiar – six- to
twelve-month schedules, higher cost,
transportation damage risk, added
carbon from long-haul logistics, and
limited scope for late-stage design or
test changes once equipment had left
the region.
The HCUF changes that.
Deepwater testing can now be
performed in Australia – closer to
Indo-Pacific offshore projects yet also
"The HCUF was built to remove
barriers to innovation and give the
subsea industry access to the same
world-class testing capabilities that
have historically been concentrated in
the Northern Hemisphere." — Aaron
Begley, CEO of Matrix Composites &
Engineering
available to international
programmes. Local availability
reduces logistical risk, shortens lead
times, cuts transport emissions, and
opens space in the schedule for
evidence-based adjustments to test
plans.
For installation campaigns, this
enables full functional verification
prior to deployment – an “insurance
policy” against offshore failure modes.
For IRM, refurbished or modified
hardware (including riser equipment
and subsea control modules) can be
re-validated before return to service,
reducing intervention time, vessel
days and operational risk.
AN OPEN-ACCESS OPERATING
MODEL
Unlike traditional hyperbaric testing
facilities, the HCUF operates as a
common user resource. Operators,
OEMs, EPCs, technology developers
and service providers can book test
windows and bring their own
procedures, instrumentation and
personnel as needed.
This model broadens access to
infrastructure, concentrates learning
locally and grows the regional
expertise and workforce that complex
subsea validation requires.
The HCUF is the first test facility of its
kind in Australia and the largest of its
type in the Southern Hemisphere.
First-of-its kind Deepwater Hyperbaric Common
User Facility expands subsea testing in the
Southern Hemisphere
HCUF
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FACILITY OVERVIEW
At the core of the HCUF is a Ø1.5m × 6m deep hyperbaric chamber
capable of simulating ocean depths up to 3.4 km (≈340 bar) at ambient
temperatures.
The chamber lid hosts five modular flanges that can be customised for
any combination of hydraulic, electrical and fibre-optic connections.
Existing flange inventory provides 10 hydraulic, 18 electrical, and 4 fibre-
optic penetrations, enabling multi-disciplinary test configurations.
Supporting infrastructure includes:
●Main frame engineered to support under-lid equipment assembly.
●Equipment-Under-Test (EUT) frame accommodating a wide range of
subsea systems, including but not limited to:
•
Subsea Control Modules (SCMs)
•
Pressure Control and Diverter Modules (PCDMs)
•
Electronic Data Capture systems (EDCs)
•
Electric Flying Leads (EFLs)
•
NDT crawlers, UUVs, ROVs, ultrasonic flow meters
•
Riser accessories and ancillary hardware
●Flange assembly frame for efficient integration of connectors, cables
and hoses onto modular flanges.
●Clean room for the preparation and servicing of sensitive components
pre- and post-test.
●Pressure medium water with glycol.
In addition to system-scale campaigns, the HCUF has supported
customer R&D product validation activities—for example, OEM
programmes to pressure-qualify a subsea NDT crawler to 6.6 bar and a
deepwater ultrasonic transducers to 300 bar.
COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY IMPACT
The HCUF was established through a multi-stakeholder partnership
spanning industry and government to address broad community needs
and strengthen regional capability. Key benefits include:
• Up to tenfold reduction in lead times compared with overseas
testing
• Lower overall project costs via reduced logistics and downtime
• Lower transport risk, minimising damage during long-haul shipping
• Reduced carbon emissions by avoiding international transport
• Faster innovation cycles through shorter feedback loops and easier
iteration.
• Open access for industry, supporting OEMs, EPCs, and technology
developers worldwide
• Greater scheduling flexibility and time for comprehensive
validation before deployment.
• Support for energy transition technologies, including offshore
wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and emerging marine
renewables.
• Expansion of local expertise and workforce across testing services
and verification disciplines.
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CASE STUDY: INPEX SCM FUNCTIONAL TEST
As part of Systems Integration Testing (SIT) in 2025,
an INPEX-operated, Baker Hughes-designed
Subsea Control Module (SCM) became the first
equipment to complete full electrical functional
testing in the HCUF, demonstrating capability on
one of the most complex and sensitive subsea
assets.
Test configuration and method
● Two custom-built Electric Flying Leads (EFLs)
were connected between the 2T SCM and an
electrical flange to verify full electrical functionality
under pressure.
● The SCM, installed on EUT frame assembled
inside the HCUF’s Kraken hyperbaric chamber, was
tested to 1.1 × rated depth of 300 m sea water
(MSW).
● Chamber pressure was increased in 50 MSW
increments, with full electrical functionality verified
at each step.
● All power, signal and control circuits performed
as expected under simulated subsea pressures.
STANDARDS AND ASSURANCE
By executing the first SCM test in the HCUF, a
precedent was set in line with the latest API 15F (5th
edition) requirement that states SCMs and other
subsea units containing pressure compensation
and/or electronic components are to be pressure
tested after every repair. The SIT evidenced
measurable reductions in testing lead times and
increased transparency across repairs, inspections
and logistics directly supporting IRM schedules with
faster turnarounds and auditable verification.
BEYOND TESTING – SUBSEA TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT
The HCUF forms part of Matrix’s wider subsea
technology portfolio. Recent developments
include:
●High Performance Distributed Buoyancy Module
(DBM) Clamp — Matrix has developed a new DBM
Clamp that doubles capacity compared to previous
designs. This innovation can reduce the number of
modules required, lowering transport costs,
installation time and vessel usage.
●Matrix Ultralight GRP DBMs – Engineered to
maximise uplift and minimise DBM count, these
modules reduce installation time, freight, and
logistics costs. Their tighter geometric tolerances
improve interfacing with module handling systems.
Certified to API-17L1:2nd edition, they are ideal for
SURF applications.
●Matrix LGS VIV and Drag Suppression Technology
— Developed with AMOG Technologies, this
biomimetic grooved profile disrupts vortex formation
to reduce hydrodynamic loading.
HYPERBARIC TESTING
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Proven in field trials and large-scale testing, Matrix
Longitudinal Groove System (LGS) has been
successfully used in drilling riser buoyancy module
systems, pipeline free span remediation, and jumper
buoyancy.
Technologies involving riser integrity management and
buoyancy solutions, can be validated at the HCUF in
realistic deepwater conditions, ensuring proven
performance before offshore installation or re-entry
into service.
GLOBAL REACH AND ENGINEERING
EXPERTISE
The HCUF, alongside Matrix’s syntactic
foam production and LGS technology,
positions Henderson as a global subsea
engineering hub. From this base, Matrix
delivers testing, product development
and engineering services to offshore
projects around the world, supported by
offices in the US and UK, and a global
network of agents.
This capability complements both
installation and IRM requirements,
providing lifecycle verification for subsea
assets — from initial commissioning to in-
service inspection and post-repair
validation. Backed by decades of
expertise in advanced materials
engineering, Matrix designs tailored
solutions to complex offshore challenges,
from buoyancy and coatings to structural
subsea hardware.
As the offshore industry continues its
energy transition toward renewable
energy and lower-carbon operations, the
HCUF provides a critical platform for
validating next-generation subsea
systems — from floating wind mooring
hardware to subsea cable protection and
tidal energy devices — before they are
deployed in challenging marine
environments.
Matrix’s combination of technical
capability, open-access infrastructure, and
engineering expertise provides operators
and developers with greater certainty and
agility in subsea project execution.
"The HCUF is already delivering tangible
benefits to industry,” said Aaron Begley.
“It represents a step-change in regional
capability and will continue to support
innovation across the global offshore
sector."
Clamp slip load testing
under hyperbaric
conditions is also
available at the HCUF to
validate the mechanical
performance of clamping
systems.