Oil and gas riser spider with low frequency antenna apparatus and method

A method of tracking marine riser pipe sections, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of radio frequency identification tags attached to outsides of and associated with a plurality of riser pipe sections;
• attaching an antenna to an internal surface of a riser spider, the antenna being in the configuration of an oblong loop substantially spanning up to about half of an internal surface of the riser spider so that the antenna follows the contour of the riser spider;
• utilizing the riser spider to connect the plurality of riser pipe sections during assembly of a riser pipe string, the riser spider forming an annulus around a first section of the plurality of riser pipe sections to support the first section of the plurality of riser pipe sections during connection to a second section of the plurality of riser pipe sections;
• and
• reading each of the plurality of radio frequency identification tags during a feeding of the associated riser pipe section through the riser spider by utilizing the antenna.

A method of tracking a plurality of riser pipe sections, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) attaching a radio frequency identification tag to an outside of each of the riser pipe sections;
• (b) attaching an antenna to an internal surface of a riser spider the antenna comprising an oblong loop attached to and substantially spanning about half of an internal surface of the riser spider so that the antenna follows the contour of the riser spider;
• (c) connecting a radio frequency identification tag reader to the antenna and placing the reader apart from the riser spider;
• (d) lowering a first section of the riser pipe sections into the riser spider and supporting the first section with the riser spider and connecting a second section of the riser pipe sections to the first section of the riser pipe sections, and repeating the step (c) to make up a riser pipe string;
• (e) with the antenna and the reader, reading each of the radio frequency identification tags as the riser pipe sections pass through the riser spider during step (c);
• and
• (f) transmitting the information read in step (e) to a computer, and with the computer, determining a relative deployed position location of the each of the plurality of riser pipe sections that form the riser pipe string.