Atkins has been awarded a United States Patent (US9828072) for its marginal field production facility, the Deep Draught Production, Storage and Offloading (DDPSO), a unique, reusable, low CAPEX floating solution designed to operate in harsh environments that may otherwise limit small, ship-shape FPSOs. 

 
The DDPSO concept had already been awarded a GB patent (GB2507370) in recognition of its novel hull form that provides a highly stable platform, combining oil storage with a high weight efficient and low-cost hull. The new US patent recognises this and further enhancements to the concept.
 
Paul Gallagher, Director for Field Development & Consulting in Engineering & Consulting, part of SNC-Lavalin’s Oil and Gas business, said: “We invented the DDPSO concept some years ago to address the economic challenges of marginal fields and its relevance in today’s market as an innovative solution to satisfy demand for ever lower CAPEX and OPEX constraints is clearer than ever. The combination of Atkins’ expertise in floating systems with SNC-Lavalin’s facilities engineering and project delivery skills is now ideally suited to taking projects which utilise such ground-breaking technologies forward.”
 
The DDPSO’s symmetrical hull uses an oil-over-water philosophy to store stabilised crude product following processing, and as a result requires only a minimal water ballast system. Whilst this provides a practical benefit in saving volume and steel-weight cost in construction, the key to the DDPSO lies in in the hull shape that exploits this property.
 
The inventive step was to combine hull dimensions, fixed solid ballast, and topsides mass, in a new way that with a water-plane area selected to balance stability and a high natural period in heave, reduces motions and loads in heavy seas. The deep draught and use of heave plates further improves the response of the system. The resulting hull form is, uniquely, neither that of a conventional SPAR nor that of established circular FPSO designs, but combines some of the most beneficial features of each.
 
Further development is on-going, including application to automated, remote unmanned operation which would see simplification of process facilities and reduced topsides weight with an additional oil/water separation cell incorporated into the hull design to manage high water-cut and support produced water treatment (included within the US and GB patents).
 

Hempel has launched a high performance, chemical resistant, two component epoxy coating – Hempadur 15600 – to the offshore industry.

Designed specifically for Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) cargo tank protection, Hempadur 15600 is International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC) cargo oil tank compliant. It provides excellent resistance to continuous immersion in hydrocarbons, including crude oil up to 90˚C.

Maurice Steijger, Group Offshore Manager, Hempel A/S says, "It offers the application benefits of a pure epoxy coating with the corrosion protection and temperature resistance of an epoxy phenolic coating. It is particularly suitable for FPSO contractors and owners specifying coatings for their cargo and slop tanks. It is mechanically robust and can be applied in just two coats to comfortably achieve the required dry film thickness (DFT) for most cargo oil tank specifications. This enhanced performance is due to Hempel's high cross-link density technology which gives added chemical and corrosion resistance and a hard, glossy surface for easy cleaning."

Additionally, this high temperature resistance ensures excellent performance at temperatures where conventional pure and modified epoxy universal primers can display limited resistance.

To assist with the necessary tank inspections, Hempadur 15600 is available in multiple shades including light colours which are highly resilient to oil staining, permitting easier inspection and identification of defects following immersion service.

The 2018 edition of BP’s Energy Outlook is now published and considers the forces shaping the global energy transition up to 2040 and the key uncertainties surrounding that transition. 

"By 2040, oil, gas, coal and non-fossil fuels each account for around a quarter of the world’s energy. More than 40% of the overall increase in energy demand is met by renewable energy,” explained Spencer Dale, group chief economist.

Oil demand grows over much of the Outlook, although it plateaus in the later years. All the demand growth comes from emerging economies. The growth in supply is driven by US tight oil in the early part of the Outlook, with OPEC taking over from the late 2020s as Middle East producers adopt a strategy of growing market share. The transport sector continues to dominate global oil demand, accounting for more than half of the overall growth. Most of the growth in energy demand from transport, which flattens off towards the end of the Outlook, comes from non-road (largely air, marine and rail) and trucks, with small increases from cars and motorbikes. After 2030, the main source of growth in the demand for oil is from non-combusted uses, particularly as a feedstock for petrochemicals.

Natural gas grows strongly over the period, supported by increasing levels of industrialisation and power demand in fast-growing emerging economies, continued coal-to-gas switching, and the increasing availability of low-cost supplies in North America and the Middle East. By 2040, the US accounts for almost one quarter of global gas production, and global LNG supplies will more than double. The sustained growth in LNG supplies greatly increases the availability of gas around the world, with LNG volumes overtaking inter-regional pipeline shipments in the early 2020s.

Coal consumption flatlines over the Outlook period, with falls in China and the OECD offset by increasing demand in India and other emerging Asian economies. China remains the largest market for coal, accounting for 40% of global coal demand to 2040.

Renewable energy grows over 400% and accounts for over 50% of the increase in global power generation. This strong growth is enabled by the increasing competitiveness of wind and solar. Subsidies are gradually phased out by the mid-2020s, with renewable energy increasingly able to compete against other fuels. China is the largest source of growth, adding more renewable energy than the entire OECD combined, with India becoming the second largest source of growth by 2030.

Power accounts for nearly 70% of the increase in primary energy demand. The mix of fuels used in power generation is set to shift materially, with renewable energy gaining share more quickly than any energy source in history, increasing from 7% today to around a quarter by 2040. Even so, coal remains the largest source of energy in power generation by 2040.

Transport energy demand grows by only 25% despite total demand for transportation more than doubling, reflecting accelerating gains in vehicle efficiency. The transport sector continues to be dominated by oil (around 85% in 2040), despite increasing penetration of alternative fuels – particularly natural gas and electricity.

This year’s Outlook argues that the penetration of electricity in the transport sector is best measured by considering both the number of electric vehicles (EVs) and how intensively each vehicle is used. In the evolving transition scenario, the share of EVs in the global car park reaches around 15% by 2040 – more than 300 million cars in a car park of almost 2 billion. However, the share of passenger car kilometres powered by electricity, which also takes account of the intensity with which electric cars are used, is over 30%. The Outlook shows how the interaction of fully-autonomous cars with shared mobility has the potential to substantially boost the intensity with which electric cars are driven.

A key uncertainty in the period to 2040 is the speed with which sales of electric cars increases. To gauge the significance of this uncertainty, the Outlook considers a scenario in which there is a worldwide ban on the sales of cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) from 2040. This scenario reduces liquid fuel demand by around 10 million barrels a day relative to the evolving transition scenario but, even so, the level of oil demand in 2040 in the ‘ICE ban’ scenario is higher than in 2016.

“The suggestion that rapid growth in electric cars will cause oil demand to collapse just isn’t supported by the basic numbers – even with really rapid growth,” explained Dale. “Even in the scenario where we see an ICE ban and very high efficiency standards, oil demand is still higher in 2040 than it is today.”

Refinery operators have a pressing requirement to improve the efficiency of flow control in their plants and they want to know from the Distributed Control System (DCS) if valves are open or closed. In a typical refinery, 10% of valves are actuated and 90% are manually operated. This poses a serious problem for end-users if the DCS does not accurately know how many manual valves are opened or closed, which limits the efficiency of their business operations.

To meet this challenge, Rotork Gears has introduced the SPI Smart Position Indicator, designed to provide a vastly improved, more robust, reliable and accurate solution compared with previously available equipment. This innovative solution has led a Spanish end user to place an order for approximately 900 units. With an SPI installed, the control centre is able to monitor any of the valves in the refinery, so operational control is more accurate.

The SPI has a large dial display to show the valve position locally and one or two internal switches or sensors for remote indication. The fully sealed aluminium enclosure provides an accurate and reliable valve position signal. For larger valves that are operated with a gearbox, the SPI is mounted to the gearbox input flange. For smaller valves it can be mounted directly on the valve and an optional thrust base is available for rising stem applications. The SPI uses the same ISO 5210 valve adaption as used for electric actuation, which is considerably more robust than alternative “arm” methods.

Environmentally sealed to IP67, the SPI is available in two IECEx/ATEX Ex certified variants for hazardous areas; an Ex e ‘increased safety’ version for gas and dust applications, and an Ex i ‘intrinsic safety’ version for gas only. Additionally, a non-certified safe area version is also available. The SPI is easy to maintain and, unlike other products, in case of failure, the valve still remains available.
 

In addition to chemical and petrochemical plants, typical areas of application for the SPI include power stations, public infrastructures, airports and fire hydrant systems.

The sheer quantities and varieties of material that are needed to be procured, organized, dispatched and recorded during the lifecycle of a pipeline construction project can be mind-boggling. Reportedly, inefficient materials handling has led to tons of wasted material or material that has been lost or unaccounted for, resulting in significant wastage and costs that have a direct impact on the overall economics of the project.

The constantly changing variables in the pipeline construction process lays bare the many ways in which material handling can swiftly become a victim of human error. A fitting example of this is the Alaskan Pipeline Project. The freight delivery shipping chart itself depicts the complex grid of materials and pipes that were shipped to multiple locations with multiple points of entry with the pipeline itself divided into six sections. Did the correct grades of steel and material specifications get installed at accurate intended locations as had been defined by design? Without real time and automated checks in place, and no advanced pipeline data management solution deployed, it was probably left to manual processes and paperwork.

Unsurprisingly, this gargantuan project was not without its share of technical and quality related controversies. For instance, the infamous welding controversy that the pipeline project was doused in. Reportedly, a whopping total of  $55 million were spent on the repair of faulty welds that had come to light as a result of a conspiracy to falsify XRays in the Quality control process.

With Pipetrak IT’s ability to keep a check on quality issues such as welding and x-ray quality statistics, welder performance and QA/QC processes in real time, thereby intercepting and stemming potential disaster as the process unfolds, it is an important step forward. The wastage of money, time, human resources and material can be curbed to a significant extent.

Another issue that commonly arises in the course of such large projects is the ability to place timely re-orders for material to prevent stock-out situations and delays. The Pipetrak IT software does a complete reconciliation analysis of the material consumption constantly as construction progressed and indicates the number of pipes and fittings approaching threshold stock levels so that timely orders may be placed and the construction progress is not disturbed.

As all material vendors are using the Pipetrak IT system too, a seamless and timely order and delivery process may be implemented which increases efficiencies in material management.

It’s no secret that coatings last longer and perform better on a clean surface. Most cleaning methods, however, cause problems of their own. Dry blasting shatters the rust and coating on the surface and embeds abrasive contaminants to become stuck into the roughened surface. Wet abrasive blasting with untreated water causes flash rust. Other salt removers only remove a few salts, while replacing them with other salts and leaving behind an acidic, conductive residue. A new solution from a US-based company offers impressive cleaning without contaminants, flash rust, residue or film. It is naturally proving popular in the oil & gas sector – a market where durable, corrosion-resistant coatings are an absolute necessity.

HoldTight completely removes all salts and therefore all conductivity. It also removes abrasives and debris from the surface’s profile, providing a better surface area to bond with coating. Since it leaves a clean, rust-free surface for up to 72 hours, large areas of structures can be blasted and cleaned completely before coating application, instead of having to be coated immediately after blasting every day.

The product can be worked into any blasting process to achieve a totally clean surface, with zero flash-rust and zero residue left behind. It is a clear, simple additive with visible results, eliminating both natural and artificial contaminants. Throughout the oil & gas sector – from upstream to downstream – the solution is safe to use and compatible with a wide variety of surfaces, including steel, concrete, fibreglass, aluminium and composites.

Blasting water treated with HoldTight onto a surface prior to coating removes all naturally occurring contaminants (salts, acids, conductives). The solution also removes byproducts of the blasting process (shattered abrasives, dried paint) lodged within the pores of the surface, allowing for the most adhesive bond possible between the surface and the coating.

The cleanest surfaces are achieved when the product is used in both the blast and wash-down cycles at a 50-100 (water to HoldTight 102) ratio. The product extends the life and value of oil & gas assets for just pennies per application.

Operators can also save time and money with HT 365, a new thin-film coating that can be applied to blasted surfaces, preserving the blast and preventing flash rust and corrosion for up to one year. It can be applied to untreated surfaces or those that have been treated with HoldTight 102.

By preserving the blast for up to one year, HT 365 allows personnel to work with maximum efficiency, giving operators peace of mind that their surface is properly prepped for a quality coating – even if the project cannot be completed right away.

This new product is easily applied by brush, spray or dipping and easily removed by high-pressure washing with HoldTight 102-treated water.

Ken Rossy is with HoldTight. www.holdtight.com

To analyse the long term performance and reliability of hard working valves and pumps, serial innovators Manchester-based Bifold Group has adopted radio frequency based torque transducers from Sensor Technology Ltd for two of its specialist test rigs.

By using the power of computer aided design many of Bifold’s products are built to custom designs, yet they are produced to very short lead times thanks to the efficiency of internet communications. To maintain this standard, sample products and components are comprehensively tested so that their reliability and capabilities are never in doubt.
   
So when Bifold wanted to assess the effects of wear on its long-life valves they set about designing a special test rig. Engineer Andrew Laverick recalls: “We wanted to measure the power required to operate the valve to see how it changed over time and with long term use. It was clear that the best way to do this was to measure the torque input over an extended period.”

“We were open to any design concept for the test rig, but soon found ourselves gravitating towards a TorqSense solution because the Sensor Technology engineers were so helpful and really knowledgeable about test rigs.”

TorqSense transducers lend themselves to test rig uses because they are non-contact measuring devices. Attached to the surface of the transducer shaft are two Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices, when torque is applied to the shaft the SAWs react to the applied strain and change their output. The SAW devices are interrogated wirlessly using an RF couple, which passes the SAW data to and from the electronics inside the body of the transducer.

Sensor Technology’s Mark Ingham explains: “All you have to do is set up a TorqSense transducer in the test rig and fire it up. The SAW frequencies reflected back are distorted in proportion to the twist in the test piece, which in turn is proportional to the level of torque. We have some clever electronics to analyse the returning wave and feed out torque values to a computer screen.

“TorqSense has been used on many test rigs over the years and I was delighted to hear the Bifold engineers say how easy it is to use and how robust the software is.”

Laverick again: “As a test engineer you are almost resigned to long set up procedures and software that falls over at the drop of a hat. But Sensor Technology has designed these problems out of their TorqSense equipment, with the result that we were able to complete our long term test procedures with the minimum amount of fuss and heartache and well within the allotted time schedule.”

In fact Bifold has since bought a second TorqSense which is being fitted to a new test rig used to assess the performance of mission critical chemical injection pumps, as used at oil and gas wellheads and on process pipelines.

“This project is proceeding well,” says Laverick, “and is allowing us to further develop our abilities to quickly provide bespoke equipment for ultra demanding applications, safe in the knowledge that it will perform faultlessly over a long working life.”

ABB is opening a new Ability Collaborative Operations Centre for the oil, gas and chemicals (OGC) industries in Norway. 

This new centre benefits from an expanded team of more than 150 experts that have been brought together from around the globe to support OGC customers to improve operations and maintenance using digital technologies to collaborate with dedicated, co-located operations experts.

The push toward digitalisation has increased the amount of data available. ABB Ability Collaborative Operations uses this data to provide more value to customers through information analytics, making it more useful for driving decisions that optimise plant and fleet performance. 

Per Erik Holsten, managing director of ABB’s Oil, Gas and Chemicals business in the Industrial Automation Division said, “For 20 years, ABB has been helping customers in the oil, gas and chemicals industries benefit from emerging digital technologies so they can respond to challenges and remain competitive in the new market. We’ve added the Collaborative Centre in Oslo to help us continue to bring together our expertise with our customers, helping to improve their reliability and operations while reducing their carbon footprint.”

Collaborative Operations employs ABB technologies, software and services to automatically gather and analyse information on assets, processes and risks. Through these analytics, performance improvement areas are automatically identified, categorised and prioritised so that customers at operating sites can take actions to ensure that each plant is operating within regulatory, load, environmental and cyber security requirements. Collaboration is scalable to customer needs, capable of being applied at a device or process level, up to plant and enterprise-wide operations.

Twister and Petronas have entered into a joint development program for the use of Twister technology for the monetisation and processing of acid gas fields containing large amounts of CO2. Part of the program is to develop, fabricate and test a skid-mounted Crystalliser Vessel for qualification, confirming the functionality and proving the concept of melting CO2 solids and producing liquid CO2 ready for reinjection. 

 
The Crystalliser vessel is similar to the proprietary Twister Hydrate Separator in that both technologies can handle a solid phase, although the Crystalliser vessel operates in a low temperature cryogenic environment. Currently Twister technology is qualifying for an offshore application for CO2 removal using a cryogenic setup. The alternative technology consists of a vast area of membranes that considerably increases the size and weight of the offshore structure. The main feature of the cryogenic approach is the generation of solid pure CO2 (dry ice). Using an adaptation of Twister’s Hydrate Separator, the solid CO2 is melted in order to enable reinjection of CO2 into the reservoir through pumps. A fully equipped skid, fabricated in the Netherlands containing the Crystalliser and test control equipment, is being transported to Malaysia to undergo qualification tests.
 
The qualification test is scheduled for Q2 2018 in Petronas' facilities in Malaysia and is a key component of the joint technology program, which includes the development of the Twister Supersonic Separator for CO2 removal. 

Floatover equipment from Trelleborg’s engineered products operation has contributed to the successful mating of Statoil’s landmark Aasta Hansteen gas field project’s 24,000 ton topside and the world’s largest Spar FPSO platform, off the coast of Norway at Stord.

Following a 14,500 nautical mile journey from South Korea, the 24,000 ton topside for the Aasta Hansteen platform was towed from Ølensvåg to Stord on the west coast of Norway. At Stord it was floated over the seabed-moored vertical cylindrical hull of the 200 meter long, 46,000 ton Spar FPSO platform.

Trelleborg designed, tested and delivered two topside mating units with design loads of 1,500 MT each, as well as eight dual barge floatover support units with support design loads of 7,500 MT. These were essential component of the floatover system, as they acted as support points between two barges that supported the topside as it was slowly moved into position over the substructure.

JP Chia, Engineering Manager for Trelleborg’s engineered products operation, says: “Comprising Norway’s first Spar FPSO platform, the Aasta Hansteen gas field is a truly ground-breaking and challenging project. Our floatover solutions were delivered and installed safely and efficiently, ensuring a successful floatover.”

Atkins has been awarded a United States Patent (US9828072) for its marginal field production facility, the Deep Draught Production, Storage and Offloading (DDPSO), a unique, reusable, low CAPEX floating solution designed to operate in harsh environments that may otherwise limit small, ship-shape FPSOs. 

 
The DDPSO concept had already been awarded a GB patent (GB2507370) in recognition of its novel hull form that provides a highly stable platform, combining oil storage with a high weight efficient and low-cost hull. The new US patent recognises this and further enhancements to the concept.
 
Paul Gallagher, Director for Field Development & Consulting in Engineering & Consulting, part of SNC-Lavalin’s Oil and Gas business, said: “We invented the DDPSO concept some years ago to address the economic challenges of marginal fields and its relevance in today’s market as an innovative solution to satisfy demand for ever lower CAPEX and OPEX constraints is clearer than ever. The combination of Atkins’ expertise in floating systems with SNC-Lavalin’s facilities engineering and project delivery skills is now ideally suited to taking projects which utilise such ground-breaking technologies forward.”
 
The DDPSO’s symmetrical hull uses an oil-over-water philosophy to store stabilised crude product following processing, and as a result requires only a minimal water ballast system. Whilst this provides a practical benefit in saving volume and steel-weight cost in construction, the key to the DDPSO lies in in the hull shape that exploits this property.
 
The inventive step was to combine hull dimensions, fixed solid ballast, and topsides mass, in a new way that with a water-plane area selected to balance stability and a high natural period in heave, reduces motions and loads in heavy seas. The deep draught and use of heave plates further improves the response of the system. The resulting hull form is, uniquely, neither that of a conventional SPAR nor that of established circular FPSO designs, but combines some of the most beneficial features of each.
 
Further development is on-going, including application to automated, remote unmanned operation which would see simplification of process facilities and reduced topsides weight with an additional oil/water separation cell incorporated into the hull design to manage high water-cut and support produced water treatment (included within the US and GB patents).
 

Hempel has launched a high performance, chemical resistant, two component epoxy coating – Hempadur 15600 – to the offshore industry.

Designed specifically for Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) cargo tank protection, Hempadur 15600 is International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC) cargo oil tank compliant. It provides excellent resistance to continuous immersion in hydrocarbons, including crude oil up to 90˚C.

Maurice Steijger, Group Offshore Manager, Hempel A/S says, "It offers the application benefits of a pure epoxy coating with the corrosion protection and temperature resistance of an epoxy phenolic coating. It is particularly suitable for FPSO contractors and owners specifying coatings for their cargo and slop tanks. It is mechanically robust and can be applied in just two coats to comfortably achieve the required dry film thickness (DFT) for most cargo oil tank specifications. This enhanced performance is due to Hempel's high cross-link density technology which gives added chemical and corrosion resistance and a hard, glossy surface for easy cleaning."

Additionally, this high temperature resistance ensures excellent performance at temperatures where conventional pure and modified epoxy universal primers can display limited resistance.

To assist with the necessary tank inspections, Hempadur 15600 is available in multiple shades including light colours which are highly resilient to oil staining, permitting easier inspection and identification of defects following immersion service.

The 2018 edition of BP’s Energy Outlook is now published and considers the forces shaping the global energy transition up to 2040 and the key uncertainties surrounding that transition. 

"By 2040, oil, gas, coal and non-fossil fuels each account for around a quarter of the world’s energy. More than 40% of the overall increase in energy demand is met by renewable energy,” explained Spencer Dale, group chief economist.

Oil demand grows over much of the Outlook, although it plateaus in the later years. All the demand growth comes from emerging economies. The growth in supply is driven by US tight oil in the early part of the Outlook, with OPEC taking over from the late 2020s as Middle East producers adopt a strategy of growing market share. The transport sector continues to dominate global oil demand, accounting for more than half of the overall growth. Most of the growth in energy demand from transport, which flattens off towards the end of the Outlook, comes from non-road (largely air, marine and rail) and trucks, with small increases from cars and motorbikes. After 2030, the main source of growth in the demand for oil is from non-combusted uses, particularly as a feedstock for petrochemicals.

Natural gas grows strongly over the period, supported by increasing levels of industrialisation and power demand in fast-growing emerging economies, continued coal-to-gas switching, and the increasing availability of low-cost supplies in North America and the Middle East. By 2040, the US accounts for almost one quarter of global gas production, and global LNG supplies will more than double. The sustained growth in LNG supplies greatly increases the availability of gas around the world, with LNG volumes overtaking inter-regional pipeline shipments in the early 2020s.

Coal consumption flatlines over the Outlook period, with falls in China and the OECD offset by increasing demand in India and other emerging Asian economies. China remains the largest market for coal, accounting for 40% of global coal demand to 2040.

Renewable energy grows over 400% and accounts for over 50% of the increase in global power generation. This strong growth is enabled by the increasing competitiveness of wind and solar. Subsidies are gradually phased out by the mid-2020s, with renewable energy increasingly able to compete against other fuels. China is the largest source of growth, adding more renewable energy than the entire OECD combined, with India becoming the second largest source of growth by 2030.

Power accounts for nearly 70% of the increase in primary energy demand. The mix of fuels used in power generation is set to shift materially, with renewable energy gaining share more quickly than any energy source in history, increasing from 7% today to around a quarter by 2040. Even so, coal remains the largest source of energy in power generation by 2040.

Transport energy demand grows by only 25% despite total demand for transportation more than doubling, reflecting accelerating gains in vehicle efficiency. The transport sector continues to be dominated by oil (around 85% in 2040), despite increasing penetration of alternative fuels – particularly natural gas and electricity.

This year’s Outlook argues that the penetration of electricity in the transport sector is best measured by considering both the number of electric vehicles (EVs) and how intensively each vehicle is used. In the evolving transition scenario, the share of EVs in the global car park reaches around 15% by 2040 – more than 300 million cars in a car park of almost 2 billion. However, the share of passenger car kilometres powered by electricity, which also takes account of the intensity with which electric cars are used, is over 30%. The Outlook shows how the interaction of fully-autonomous cars with shared mobility has the potential to substantially boost the intensity with which electric cars are driven.

A key uncertainty in the period to 2040 is the speed with which sales of electric cars increases. To gauge the significance of this uncertainty, the Outlook considers a scenario in which there is a worldwide ban on the sales of cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) from 2040. This scenario reduces liquid fuel demand by around 10 million barrels a day relative to the evolving transition scenario but, even so, the level of oil demand in 2040 in the ‘ICE ban’ scenario is higher than in 2016.

“The suggestion that rapid growth in electric cars will cause oil demand to collapse just isn’t supported by the basic numbers – even with really rapid growth,” explained Dale. “Even in the scenario where we see an ICE ban and very high efficiency standards, oil demand is still higher in 2040 than it is today.”

ABB is opening a new Ability Collaborative Operations Centre for the oil, gas and chemicals (OGC) industries in Norway. 

This new centre benefits from an expanded team of more than 150 experts that have been brought together from around the globe to support OGC customers to improve operations and maintenance using digital technologies to collaborate with dedicated, co-located operations experts.

The push toward digitalisation has increased the amount of data available. ABB Ability Collaborative Operations uses this data to provide more value to customers through information analytics, making it more useful for driving decisions that optimise plant and fleet performance. 

Per Erik Holsten, managing director of ABB’s Oil, Gas and Chemicals business in the Industrial Automation Division said, “For 20 years, ABB has been helping customers in the oil, gas and chemicals industries benefit from emerging digital technologies so they can respond to challenges and remain competitive in the new market. We’ve added the Collaborative Centre in Oslo to help us continue to bring together our expertise with our customers, helping to improve their reliability and operations while reducing their carbon footprint.”

Collaborative Operations employs ABB technologies, software and services to automatically gather and analyse information on assets, processes and risks. Through these analytics, performance improvement areas are automatically identified, categorised and prioritised so that customers at operating sites can take actions to ensure that each plant is operating within regulatory, load, environmental and cyber security requirements. Collaboration is scalable to customer needs, capable of being applied at a device or process level, up to plant and enterprise-wide operations.

Refinery operators have a pressing requirement to improve the efficiency of flow control in their plants and they want to know from the Distributed Control System (DCS) if valves are open or closed. In a typical refinery, 10% of valves are actuated and 90% are manually operated. This poses a serious problem for end-users if the DCS does not accurately know how many manual valves are opened or closed, which limits the efficiency of their business operations.

To meet this challenge, Rotork Gears has introduced the SPI Smart Position Indicator, designed to provide a vastly improved, more robust, reliable and accurate solution compared with previously available equipment. This innovative solution has led a Spanish end user to place an order for approximately 900 units. With an SPI installed, the control centre is able to monitor any of the valves in the refinery, so operational control is more accurate.

The SPI has a large dial display to show the valve position locally and one or two internal switches or sensors for remote indication. The fully sealed aluminium enclosure provides an accurate and reliable valve position signal. For larger valves that are operated with a gearbox, the SPI is mounted to the gearbox input flange. For smaller valves it can be mounted directly on the valve and an optional thrust base is available for rising stem applications. The SPI uses the same ISO 5210 valve adaption as used for electric actuation, which is considerably more robust than alternative “arm” methods.

Environmentally sealed to IP67, the SPI is available in two IECEx/ATEX Ex certified variants for hazardous areas; an Ex e ‘increased safety’ version for gas and dust applications, and an Ex i ‘intrinsic safety’ version for gas only. Additionally, a non-certified safe area version is also available. The SPI is easy to maintain and, unlike other products, in case of failure, the valve still remains available.
 

In addition to chemical and petrochemical plants, typical areas of application for the SPI include power stations, public infrastructures, airports and fire hydrant systems.

The sheer quantities and varieties of material that are needed to be procured, organized, dispatched and recorded during the lifecycle of a pipeline construction project can be mind-boggling. Reportedly, inefficient materials handling has led to tons of wasted material or material that has been lost or unaccounted for, resulting in significant wastage and costs that have a direct impact on the overall economics of the project.

The constantly changing variables in the pipeline construction process lays bare the many ways in which material handling can swiftly become a victim of human error. A fitting example of this is the Alaskan Pipeline Project. The freight delivery shipping chart itself depicts the complex grid of materials and pipes that were shipped to multiple locations with multiple points of entry with the pipeline itself divided into six sections. Did the correct grades of steel and material specifications get installed at accurate intended locations as had been defined by design? Without real time and automated checks in place, and no advanced pipeline data management solution deployed, it was probably left to manual processes and paperwork.

Unsurprisingly, this gargantuan project was not without its share of technical and quality related controversies. For instance, the infamous welding controversy that the pipeline project was doused in. Reportedly, a whopping total of  $55 million were spent on the repair of faulty welds that had come to light as a result of a conspiracy to falsify XRays in the Quality control process.

With Pipetrak IT’s ability to keep a check on quality issues such as welding and x-ray quality statistics, welder performance and QA/QC processes in real time, thereby intercepting and stemming potential disaster as the process unfolds, it is an important step forward. The wastage of money, time, human resources and material can be curbed to a significant extent.

Another issue that commonly arises in the course of such large projects is the ability to place timely re-orders for material to prevent stock-out situations and delays. The Pipetrak IT software does a complete reconciliation analysis of the material consumption constantly as construction progressed and indicates the number of pipes and fittings approaching threshold stock levels so that timely orders may be placed and the construction progress is not disturbed.

As all material vendors are using the Pipetrak IT system too, a seamless and timely order and delivery process may be implemented which increases efficiencies in material management.

It’s no secret that coatings last longer and perform better on a clean surface. Most cleaning methods, however, cause problems of their own. Dry blasting shatters the rust and coating on the surface and embeds abrasive contaminants to become stuck into the roughened surface. Wet abrasive blasting with untreated water causes flash rust. Other salt removers only remove a few salts, while replacing them with other salts and leaving behind an acidic, conductive residue. A new solution from a US-based company offers impressive cleaning without contaminants, flash rust, residue or film. It is naturally proving popular in the oil & gas sector – a market where durable, corrosion-resistant coatings are an absolute necessity.

HoldTight completely removes all salts and therefore all conductivity. It also removes abrasives and debris from the surface’s profile, providing a better surface area to bond with coating. Since it leaves a clean, rust-free surface for up to 72 hours, large areas of structures can be blasted and cleaned completely before coating application, instead of having to be coated immediately after blasting every day.

The product can be worked into any blasting process to achieve a totally clean surface, with zero flash-rust and zero residue left behind. It is a clear, simple additive with visible results, eliminating both natural and artificial contaminants. Throughout the oil & gas sector – from upstream to downstream – the solution is safe to use and compatible with a wide variety of surfaces, including steel, concrete, fibreglass, aluminium and composites.

Blasting water treated with HoldTight onto a surface prior to coating removes all naturally occurring contaminants (salts, acids, conductives). The solution also removes byproducts of the blasting process (shattered abrasives, dried paint) lodged within the pores of the surface, allowing for the most adhesive bond possible between the surface and the coating.

The cleanest surfaces are achieved when the product is used in both the blast and wash-down cycles at a 50-100 (water to HoldTight 102) ratio. The product extends the life and value of oil & gas assets for just pennies per application.

Operators can also save time and money with HT 365, a new thin-film coating that can be applied to blasted surfaces, preserving the blast and preventing flash rust and corrosion for up to one year. It can be applied to untreated surfaces or those that have been treated with HoldTight 102.

By preserving the blast for up to one year, HT 365 allows personnel to work with maximum efficiency, giving operators peace of mind that their surface is properly prepped for a quality coating – even if the project cannot be completed right away.

This new product is easily applied by brush, spray or dipping and easily removed by high-pressure washing with HoldTight 102-treated water.

Ken Rossy is with HoldTight. www.holdtight.com

To analyse the long term performance and reliability of hard working valves and pumps, serial innovators Manchester-based Bifold Group has adopted radio frequency based torque transducers from Sensor Technology Ltd for two of its specialist test rigs.

By using the power of computer aided design many of Bifold’s products are built to custom designs, yet they are produced to very short lead times thanks to the efficiency of internet communications. To maintain this standard, sample products and components are comprehensively tested so that their reliability and capabilities are never in doubt.
   
So when Bifold wanted to assess the effects of wear on its long-life valves they set about designing a special test rig. Engineer Andrew Laverick recalls: “We wanted to measure the power required to operate the valve to see how it changed over time and with long term use. It was clear that the best way to do this was to measure the torque input over an extended period.”

“We were open to any design concept for the test rig, but soon found ourselves gravitating towards a TorqSense solution because the Sensor Technology engineers were so helpful and really knowledgeable about test rigs.”

TorqSense transducers lend themselves to test rig uses because they are non-contact measuring devices. Attached to the surface of the transducer shaft are two Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices, when torque is applied to the shaft the SAWs react to the applied strain and change their output. The SAW devices are interrogated wirlessly using an RF couple, which passes the SAW data to and from the electronics inside the body of the transducer.

Sensor Technology’s Mark Ingham explains: “All you have to do is set up a TorqSense transducer in the test rig and fire it up. The SAW frequencies reflected back are distorted in proportion to the twist in the test piece, which in turn is proportional to the level of torque. We have some clever electronics to analyse the returning wave and feed out torque values to a computer screen.

“TorqSense has been used on many test rigs over the years and I was delighted to hear the Bifold engineers say how easy it is to use and how robust the software is.”

Laverick again: “As a test engineer you are almost resigned to long set up procedures and software that falls over at the drop of a hat. But Sensor Technology has designed these problems out of their TorqSense equipment, with the result that we were able to complete our long term test procedures with the minimum amount of fuss and heartache and well within the allotted time schedule.”

In fact Bifold has since bought a second TorqSense which is being fitted to a new test rig used to assess the performance of mission critical chemical injection pumps, as used at oil and gas wellheads and on process pipelines.

“This project is proceeding well,” says Laverick, “and is allowing us to further develop our abilities to quickly provide bespoke equipment for ultra demanding applications, safe in the knowledge that it will perform faultlessly over a long working life.”

The Liberty Group’s mission to reinstate Hartlepool pipe mills’ as a global force in the oil and gas sector has taken a big step forward with the news that the plant has secured a multi-million-pound order from Subsea 7 to provide large diameter steel pipe for Statoil’s Snorre Expansion Project off the coast of Norway.

The contract, which amounts to over 13,000 tonnes of production, will provide work on the plant’s 84” mill for nearly a year and is the first in an expected series of new orders for the 140-worker site, now making a strong comeback following its acquisition by the Liberty House Group in September 2017. The pipe for the Subsea 7 order will be the largest diameter ever produced at the mill.

Following his acquisition of the plants, industrialist Sanjeev Gupta, founder and executive chairman of Liberty House – part of the GFG Alliance – pledged to restore the mills to their former prominence in key markets such as oil and gas and construction.

Subsea 7, the global seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services contractor, has chosen Liberty to provide the pipe for its engineering, construction and installation contract with Statoil for the expansion of the Snorre oil and gas project in the Tampen area, nearly 150 miles off the Norwegian coast.

This includes the installation of three pipeline bundles containing the flowlines and control umbilicals necessary for part of the operation. Using pipe from Hartlepool, Subsea 7 will produce the pipeline bundles in its fabrication facilities at Wick, Scotland, with installation on site in the North Sea scheduled for 2019 and 2020.

The contract is the largest secured by the Hartlepool plant since Liberty purchased the 42” and 84” submerged arc-welded pipe mills from Tata Steel UK last year.

Pipe for the Snorre scheme will be manufactured in nine metre lengths from heavy duty steel plate designed to withstand the hostile environment of the North Sea and then welded into 27m spools which will be coated at the Hartlepool plant before being transported to Subsea 7’s fabrication unit at Wick.

FlexiMold is the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions unique method of producing large diameter joint-free seals. The process has now been extended to offer FlexiMold seals in Isolast perfluoroelastomer materials specifically engineered for oil & gas applications.

Three Isolast perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) compounds have been specially engineered to meet the most demanding of oilfield conditions. These compounds can now be manufactured using the unique joint-free FlexiMold process from 600 millimetres /24 inch up to any size.

Chris Busby, the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Product Manager for Isolast and FlexiMold, said: “Chemical injection swivels and turbo compressor applications often require large diameter seals in sizes up to 2000 millimetres/7 feet in diameter. It would not be possible to produce these seals using standard methods of production. Hence, the development of the FlexiMold process. As an alternative to splicing, using FlexiMold proprietary moulding techniques, we can deliver a seal that has no visible join. It will also have excellent integrity to provide extended life, lowering operators overall costs.”

For the oil & gas industry seals are now available in the following Isolast perfluoroelastomer materials specifically engineered for the oil & gas industry.

Isolast® J9554 offers outstanding chemical resistance in all environments including in high temperature steam, as well as exceptional mechanical performance at high pressures. This is an ideal elastomer for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) applications, including chemical and steam injection applications, downhole tools, and geothermal applications.

XploR J9523 has a combination of excellent chemical and thermal properties with a focus on outstanding low temperature capabilities. It exhibits exceptional performance in Rapid Gas Decompression (RGD) situations and at extremely low temperatures. The material has been independently tested to NORSOK M-710 (ISO 23936) and the API-6A, Annex F specification, satisfying compliance to each specification.

Isolast XploR J9513 is the ideal sealing solution for oil and gas applications where RGD could be encountered. This material has a high Rapid Gas Decompression (RGD) resistance within its material type and is capable of operating in extreme temperatures with long service life in the most aggressive media. It is compliant with NORSOK M-710 (ISO 23936) for both aging in sweet and sour media and RGD resistance, as well as API-6A, Annex F immersion compliance.