InnovOil Issue 34 June 2015

Published by

Issue 34 June 2015

Bringing you the latest innovations in exploration, production and refining

™

Heat and ligHtLaser-drilling from ZerLuxPage 10

an awesome waveHalfwave’s ART Scan tool for in-line inspectionPage 26

stimulating debateCould unconventional technologies unlock an extra 141 billion barrels in low-productivity fields?Page 6

Future-prooFAn in-depth look at assetintegrity and technologyPages 13 to 27

N E W S B A S E

Zn

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asset integrity

special supplement inside

Pages 13-27

InnovOil June 2015page 2

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Contacts:

Media DirectorRyan [email protected]

Associate Director of Business DevelopmentAndrew [email protected]

Media Sales ManagerRiley [email protected]

Media Sales ManagerGary [email protected]

Design & WebDan [email protected]

EditorAndrew [email protected]

NewsBase LimitedCentrum House, 108-114 Dundas StreetEdinburgh EH3 5DQ

Phone: +44 (0) 131 478 7000

www.newsbase.comwww.innovoil.co.uk

Design: www.michaelgill.eu

Published by

Issue 34

June 2015Bringing you the latest innovations in exploration, production and refining

™

Heat and ligHtLaser-drilling from ZerLuxPage 10

an awesome waveHalfwave’s ART Scan tool for in-line inspection

Page 26

stimulating debateCould unconventional technologies unlock an

extra 141 billion barrels in low-productivity fields?

Page 6

Future-prooFAn in-depth look at assetintegrity and technologyPages 13 to 27

N E W S B A S E

Zn

Zn

Zn

Zn

Zn

Zn

Zn

Zn

ZnZn

Zn

asset integrity

special supplement in

side

Pages 13-27

InsideShortlist for import terminal 5 13 prequalifiers for the contract for an LNG import terminal in Kuwait

Unconventional thinking 6 Unconventional techniques could unlock as much as 141 billion barrels in the world’s low-productivity fields

Laser drilling from ZerLux 10 Its accuracy, stability and the potential for increased production means the industry should take note

ASSet InteGRIty SPecIALcore questions 14Experts for their thoughts on asset integrity, and how technology is changing

Polyguard’s RD-6 17 When is a tape not a tape?

Detect the unexpected 19 Energo explains why a fresh approach to asset integrity is needed as deepwater installations mature

Zinc big with AvantGuard® 20 Global coatings supplier Hempel looks to re-define anti-corrosion protection

thermalSpection 22 Monitoring the temperature and integrity of critical assets safely and accurately

composites attract 23 IMG Composites maintained its pole position as a provider of composite pipe and structural repairs

the ARt of innovation 26 Acoustic Resonance Technology (ART), developed by Norway-based Halfwave.

news in brief 28 the sky’s the limit 31 Recruitment 33 contacts 35

InnovOil June 2015

page 13

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ASSET InTEgrITyProof of lIfEEnergo Engineering talks asset life assessmentPage 19

BluE-Sky zIncIngHempel’s HEMPADUR AvantGuard® seeks

to re-define anti-corrosion protectionPage 20

A STrucTurEd APProAchIMG Composites on 10 years of composite repairsPage 23

YEARS FPSO EXPERIENCE

20Fugro’s subsea cleaning, inspection and

innovative repair solutions have now been

used on 90% of North Sea FPSOs.

Our world-class ROVs, vessels, engineering and

tooling personnel provide detailed inspection and vital

repair work to help operators maintain the integrity

and safety of their FPSOs.

Fugro Subsea Services Ltd

Tel: +44 (0)1224 257600

Email: [email protected]

www.fugrosubsea.co.uk


20Fugro’s subsea cleaning, inspection and

innovative repair solutions have now been

used on 90% of North Sea FPSOs.

Our world-class ROVs, vessels, engineering and

tooling personnel provide detailed inspection and vital

repair work to help operators maintain the integrity

and safety of their FPSOs.

Fugro Subsea Services Ltd

Tel: +44 (0)1224 257600

Email: [email protected]

www.fugrosubsea.co.uk

SPEcIAl SuPPlEmEnT Pages 13-27

InnovOil June 2015 page 3

N E W S B A S E

A note from the EditorEarliEr this month i attended the all-Energy exhibition and conference in Glasgow. although the two day-event was primarily renewables-focussed, it was encouraging to see the ways in which oil and gas services and engineering could be transferred to the green sector, with offshore wind, wave and tidal being the areas of greatest potential.

it was interesting to talk with new firms and start-ups already eager to explore this potential. New subsea equipment in particular is ready-made to be used in both renewables and oil and gas installation. and while low prices remain a problem for some firms, the diversification of some service providers is undoubtedly a good thing for the industry in the long-run.

as with wind turbines, asset integrity is a term that excites some and sends shivers down the spine of others. luckily, innovOil belongs to the former camp.

regardless of one’s opinion, the topic is forming an increasing part of operator focus. For most it is about ensuring the safety and security of installations, but better awareness is also leading to greater scope for life extension, increasing the producing potential – and perhaps deferring the looming costs of decommissioning.

as a result, super-majors – many of which are now dealing with the issue on a global level – are adopting new and sometimes drastic approaches. Perhaps most notably, in November 2014 Talisman Sinopec announced it was to split its North Sea business into two, with one division concentrating solely on late life assets.

at the time, a Talisman Sinopec spokeswoman said that: “[The] late life asset division will be very different and will put us at the forefront of late-life asset management.

We will find innovative and creative ways to become a safe yet ultra-low cost operator.” The closing sentence in particular succinctly illustrates the dual nature of the problem.

in our regular Q&a feature, Gerhard Ersdal of Norway’s Petroleum Safety authority also raises the point that decommissioning also offers us new and often-overlooked ways of understanding asset integrity, noting that: “a lot of learning may be achieved from decommissioned structures and facilities, and the decommissioned facilities should be investigated with learning in mind.”

Yet, as ever, technology providers are eager to offer new ways of tackle old problems. For his comments – and others – see our Core Questions feature on page 14.

This month we feature a range of innovations, from the corrosion protection and coatings of Polyguard and Hempel, to lumasense’s asset monitoring technology, iMG Composites’ history in repairs and cutting-edge pipeline scanning from Halfwave.

robert Sheppard also explains why engineers must go into new and greater depth when

evaluating the service life of assets, offering some insight into the way Energo Engineering approaches such projects.

in addition, Zerlux takes us through the workings of its laser technology. laser-

drilled laterals claim some major advantages over explosive perforations, whilst helping

to preserve wellbore stability and increase oil flow.

You’ll also find our recruitment section located at the rear of the publication,

bringing you some of the best new opportunities from around the

world.The team and i are pleased

to bring you the June edition of innovOil.

andrew DykesEditor

ENABLING THE ADVANCMENT OFTHE WORLD’S OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

THE ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL PETROLEUM EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE

9-12 NOVEMBER 2015

ABU DHABIUAE


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KNPC has submitted the list to the Central Tenders Committee for approval ahead of a planned tender by the end of the second

quarter and an award scheduled for the second quarter of 2016.

The proposed terminal is an important element of a multi-pronged strategy seen unfolding over the next 15 years to cope with growing fuel shortages induced by lack of indigenous gas resources, slow refining capacity expansion, and highly profligate energy use.

according to data from BP, Kuwait’s gas consumption stood at 17.5 billion cubic metres in 2013, significantly exceeding production of 15.8 bcm.

The proposed terminal, budgeted at 1 billion dinar (US$333 million), will comprise a 1,500 million British thermal units (mBtu) per day regasification terminal, four 225,000 cubic-metre lNG storage tanks, two berths capable of handling simultaneous loading of very large lNG carriers, natural gas send-out pipelines and connections with upstream operator Kuwait Oil Co.’s existing gas network. Provisions in the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract’s scope will enable a future second phase expansion doubling regasification and storage capacity.

KNPC’s provisional shortlist comprises: Bechtel and CB&i, both of the US; Japan’s Chiyoda Corp.; South Korea’s Daelim industrial with Japan’s iHi Corp.; South Korea’s Daewoo with american firm Fluor Corp.; Entrepose Projects with Vinci Construction, both of France; South Korea’s GS Engineering & Construction (E&C) with Spain’s Tecnicas reunidas; South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering with Hyundai E&C and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy industries; UK-based Petrofac with Black & Veatch of the US; italy’s Saipem with athens-based Consolidated Contractors Co. (CCC); Samsung

Engineering and Samsung C&T, both of South Korea; Spain’s Sener with italian-argentinian Techint Compagnia Tecnica internazionale, and France’s Technip. amec Foster Wheeler is also the front-end engineering and design (FEED) contractor.

The terminal is scheduled for completion by 2020, having been on the drawing board since 2011 when long-term lNG import options began being studied, two years after the first cargoes were purchased for processing through temporary facilities at al-ahmadi port, 50 km south of Kuwait City.

at the time it would have become the first fixed regasification plant in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), reflecting Kuwait’s particular gas poverty despite its vast oil reserves – though the project has now been overtaken by that planned at Fujairah by abu Dhabi-government-owned Emirates lNG, currently at the commercial EPC bid evaluation stage. Super-majors BP and royal Dutch Shell signed contracts last year to supply 2.5 million tonnes per year (tpy) apiece to

shortlist completed for lng import terminalState downstream operator Kuwait National Petroleum Co. (KNPC) has drawn up a list of 13 prequalifiers for the contract to construct an LNG import terminal at Al-Zour in the south

Kuwait during the summer period of peak demand for five-six years.

KNPC’s progress on other elements of the state’s 2030 fuel strategy has been mixed. a fourth gas-processing train at al-ahmadi is under commissioning while delayed bids for the fifth were submitted in early March, with the client indicating late last month that an award would be made within two months despite higher-than-budgeted prices. Both trains with have capacity of 805 million cubic feet (22.8 million cubic metres) per day of gas, raising total output to 3.3 bcf (93.5 mcm) per day.

The recent record on refining expansion to boost output of lighter fuels is more mixed.

Work is under way on the main EPC contracts on the Clean Fuels Project (CFP) to expand and upgrade the existing Mina al-ahmadi and Mina abdullah refineries, but the flagship New refinery Project (NrP) for a 615,000 barrel-per-day greenfield facility at al-Zour is being subjected to fresh delays following submission of significantly over-budget EPC bids in March. n

ENABLING THE ADVANCMENT OFTHE WORLD’S OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

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9-12 NOVEMBER 2015

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cOMMentARy

UNCoNveNtioNal techniques, could potentially unlock as much as 141 billion barrels in conventional fields outside of

North america, according to a new study by consultancy iHS. Many of these innovations – such as hydraulic fracturing in multiple stages and the drilling of horizontal wells with longer-reach laterals – have been refined during their deployment in the US’ shale plays.

This potential for rejuvenated production was identified in 170 largely-unproductive plays around the world, from Mexico and argentina to the Middle East, China and indonesia. The top four countries outside of North america for potential incremental oil recovery in low-productivity conventional plays are iran, russia, Mexico and China. Two-thirds of the estimated potential volume is in the Middle East and latin america.

2P or not 2P“We were very surprised, but not as much by the figure – a potential 141 billion barrels – as by, for example, how high Mexico was on the list,” said iHS Energy director of upstream energy research leta Smith, PhD, in an interview with innovOil. Mexico was third on the list after iran and russia.

To put the 141 billion potential barrels in context, russia has 136 billion of remaining 2P (proven plus probable) reserves.

iHS examined the rejuvenation of onshore and shallow offshore conventional plays outside the US and Canada with a recovery factor of less than 20% - i.e. where 20% or less is extractable. The global average recovery factor in all plays is 30%, said Dr Smith, the principal analyst behind the study.

The analysis does not include deepwater offshore plays, where the cost of using unconventional techniques was assumed to be prohibitive. The study included

both ageing and undeveloped plays, but economic and supply factors, such as the price of oil, presence of infrastructure, legislation or sufficient water supply for hydraulic fracturing were not.

“as many of the world’s oil and gas producers struggle to lower costs and optimise existing assets, we wondered what kind of impact the application of newer technological innovations could deliver to the industry in terms of expanding conventional resource potential outside North america,” said iHS vice president of upstream energy research Susan Farrell, another of the report’s authors.

“Drilling horizontal wells allows access to thinner zones, where vertical wells are not commercially productive,” added Dr Smith. “also, horizontal wells allow

Unconventional thinking from IHS Ros Davidson explores IHS’ recent claims that unconventional techniques could unlock as much as 141 billion barrels in the world’s low-productivity fields


N E W S B A S E

cOMMentARy

engineers to connect compartmentalised portions of the reservoir with one well instead of many vertical wells, which addresses cost and footprint considerations as well as increasing the well-to-reservoir contact ratio.” Frack stages in unconventional plays might reach 16 on average, whereas in low-productivity plays, only eight might be used.

Horizontal wells may decline faster than verticals, but iHS notes that decline rates are highly variable—typically anywhere between 40% and 90% in the first year. The unconventional techniques used might also include modern seismic techniques, which can help operators place fractures to take better advantage of natural fracturing and other geologic features. it helps maximise production and avoid water zones.

Well-to-doanother useful technology is measurement-while-drilling (MWD), whereby well logging tools such as sensors are placed on the drillstring to allow the relay of real-time information. Subtle adjustments can then be made during drilling. The sensors might measure resistivity of the rock, which helps predict the presence of oil or water, Dr Smith continued.

logging-while-drilling (lWD), telemetry and the use of equipment to carry logging and other tools may also help maintain a true horizontal wellbore in thinner and thinner zones. Higher-powered motors driving the drillbit, and a better bit and associated drillstring materials capable of handling higher torque could help producers achieve longer horizontal wells.

improved well performance can also be enhanced by: better electrical submersible pumps; enhanced well construction which allows for the placement of liners in the horizontal section (formerly open-hole completions were used in horizontals); the ability to turn sharper corners into the horizontal, which provides a longer length of true horizontal section, and more powerful frack fluid pumps to frack deeper into a horizontal section.

Pad drilling has also proved to be a crucial innovation, allowing multiple wellbores to be drilled from a single site. This can reduce costs, the project’s environmental footprint and overall mob/de-mob time, whilst enabling better control of water usage.

improved and toughened drill bit design

Shale drillers in Argentina’s Vaca

Muerta

Argentina ShaleSpecial Investment Report

£350 April 2015

Risk and reward Argentina’s unconventional potential could make it a rewarding target for investors, but the country’s poor economy and political climate are clear risks.

First-mover advantage Chevron, Petronas and Sinopec have formed partnerships with state-run YPF to develop the Vaca Muerta shale, but more investment is needed.

Independent’s day Andes Energia is the leading independent in Argentine shale and its experience offers key lessons to potential investors.

\NewsBase

To find out more about this special report, click hereor visit shop.newsbase.com

http://shop.newsbase.com/products/argentina-shale-special-investment-report

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N E W S B A S E

and construction materials can also ensure that bits last longer, requiring fewer trips in and out of the hole.

Regional differencesall types of plays outside the US and Canada, geologically speaking, were included in the study, including those with tight oil other than shale oil. “You can find poor quality reservoirs almost anywhere,” quips Dr Smith.

in these ailing low-quality plays, the authors assumed that unconventional techniques could increase the recovery factor by 10%, for example from 20% to 22%. This was based on a real-life case -- the increase in production seen by using unconventional techniques in the abandoned Saint Martin de Bossenay field in the anglo-Paris Basin in France, first discovered in 1959.

Modern horizontal drilling was used to increase production there, owing to France’s ban on fracking. Following redevelopment, the field’s recovery factor improved from 40% to 44% --adding 1 million barrels to its 2P reserves.

in most of the world, hydraulic fracturing is likely the single-most useful unconventional technique for low-quality conventional fields. Of the estimated 141 billion barrels of potentially recoverable oil found in the study, the iHS assessment determined that that 135 billion exists in plays that would likely require hydraulic fracture stimulation to produce more.

iHS found operators outside North america are already leveraging some of these newer techniques to address different geologic and production challenges. apart from Saint Martin de Bossenay, unconventional techniques were used fields such as the Tahe Complex in the Tarim Basin and Changqing in the Ordos Basin – both in China – and the Bir Ben Tartar field in Tunisia.

While the Chinese fields have seen great success, operators in the Bir Ben Tartar have encountered a great deal of water. Dr Smith stressed that the

141-billion-barrel figure in conventional fields is only the potential oil that can be recovered, since it is not yet known whether the 170 unproductive plays identified would also yield too much water.

Exporting expertiseWithin the US, unconventional techniques have been successfully used for some years in the Granite Wash Basin in Oklahoma and in parts of the Permian Basin in east Texas, both near the Texas demand hubs. Newer areas include the Frontier Formation in Wyoming, and the Woodbine also in east Texas.

in the Granite Wash, iHS has found that gas production increased fourfold from 2001 to 2011, largely because

of unconventional techniques. Crude production has grown even more, from 3,000 barrels per day to 36,000 bpd over the same decade.

Many of the top-15 countries identified are access-limited, but North american firms with expertise in unconventionals may find much greater near-term potential in Mexico. The oil sector there is just opening up in the wake of recent energy reform, having been nationalised for more than 80 years.

according to the iHS analysis, Mexico has a potential 14 billion barrels in its low-quality reservoirs which could be accessed with unconventional techniques, compared with iran’s potential 40 billion barrels and russia’s 16 billion.

indeed on May 11, Mexican officials released 26 onshore ‘mature fields’ in Chiapas, Nuevo leon, Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Veracruz for bidding by foreign investors. The deadline for bidding is December 15, with companies able to win up to five bids across five different mature fields. The start of the auction, the third so far, is part of Mexico’s historic round 1.

also of interest in the near-term for North american firms, said Dr Smith, is argentina. Shale is already being developed there, and thus some unconventional rigs are already in the region. argentina has about 4 billion barrels of potential that could be unlocked with unconventional techniques, says iHS.

indonesia may also be of interest, with its 1 billion barrels in potential. Many of the low-productivity fields here are onshore, again making them easier to access and re-develop in comparison to the offshore reserves of the UK, Norway and much of West africa, Smith concluded.

The innovations developed to enable the US’ hydraulic fracturing boom will continue to shape the global hydrocarbon landscape for decades to come. With governments and operators already eyeing up territory for the next energy revolution, the US has a new export opportunity: unconventional

technology and know-how. n

Argentina ShaleSpecial Investment Report

£350 April 2015

Risk and reward Argentina’s unconventional potential could make it a rewarding target for investors, but the country’s poor economy and political climate are clear risks.

First-mover advantage Chevron, Petronas and Sinopec have formed partnerships with state-run YPF to develop the Vaca Muerta shale, but more investment is needed.

Independent’s day Andes Energia is the leading independent in Argentine shale and its experience offers key lessons to potential investors.

\NewsBase

To find out more about this special report, click hereor visit shop.newsbase.com

Nabors Industries’ PACE-X rig, a prime example of a shale rig built for pad drilling


N E W S B A S E

Although innovation pushes the industry in new directions, the fundamental focus will always stay on drilling. Yet while rotary

contact drilling remains the mainstay, new applications are entering the market. innovOil has already examined the potential of plasma drilling, but other cutting-edge bits of kit are also making their mark.

laser drilling has long been considered for use in drilling, but has only become feasible and economic within the past decade or so, spurred on by enhancements in pulse energy, wavelengths and fibre efficiency. Seeing the opportunity, Hungarian firm Zerlux began developing laser applications and tools for oil and gas in 2010.

although lasers are suited to a number of industry operations, improved oil recovery (iOr) operations via perforations are perhaps the most straightforward. Extended perforations (a.k.a. laser-drilled laterals) use a laser in place of a conventional explosive perforation, using it to drill short channels from the bore into the reservoir, and allowing more liquid to flow more economically into the well.

Zerlux see it as an ideal technology to maximise production in shallow, thin, mature or depleted oilfields with sandstone formations. it is also useful for deployment in formations where hydraulic fracturing could cause cementing failure, or where the process requires disproportionately higher investment and cost to pay out. With no weight-on-bit (WOB), there is no force applied to the cementing or the formation, so laser drilling is frequently faster and more stable than conventional alternatives.

How it worksa typical system uses 30 kW of laser power in the borehole, to drill 2-inch (50.8-mm) outer diameter holes, of up to around 80 feet (24 m) in length. These can be drilled

straight through the casing, without the need for section milling, or to cut or remove production tubing.

it is controlled by the operator in real time, with video and spectroscopy feedback. This offers faster tool-in and tool-out and reduced trip time overall, when compared with conventional drilling and milling – all of which reduces operating costs whilst increasing production.

The tool superheats the subsurface formation, melts the rock matrix, and will remove the molten debris while the borehole

lateral thinking: laser drilling from Zerlux

Comparative Flow Pattern Ananalysis: Laser vs Mechanically Drilled Hole

Laser drilling has only become technically feasible within the last few years, but its accuracy, stability and the potential for increased production means the industry should take note

is being drilled, meanwhile creating a durable borehole wall of adjustable permeability. Drilling debris, mostly disintegrated cement, steel and/or rock, is easily managed by the in-built removal system, more so than traditional swarf.

The lack of moving parts also means the system requires no drilling mud, no milling bits or motors that could create kicks or stalls, and eliminates fishing for stuck tools.

The laser bottom hole assembly (BHa) is designed for use with coiled tubing, and can

Increased Permeability Zone Laser Drilled HoleHigh Permeability Glass Borehole Wall

Heat Shock Induced Fractures Secondary Effects of Laser DrillingInduced Fractures and Increased Permeability Zone

Sandstone Core Sample• 10 kW laser• 180 second shot• SE 18 kJ/ccm• 35 mm diameter• 100 mm long hole• 96 ccm

Formation RockRock

Hot Molten Rock

Laser Drilled Hole

Fused Grain

Increased Permeability Zone

Glass Borehole Wall

Micro Fluid Passages

Molten Layer

laser; 0 min laser; 8 minmachanical; 0 min machanical; 8 min


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also include multiple laser drilling heads, allowing for differing lateral bore sizes, all housed in a small unit which takes up little space to operate downhole.

The system’s rate of penetration (ROP) is dependent on the available power source, but a combined, single trip will often be faster and more economical than separate section milling and drilling. Each laser has to be optimised for each formation, but a source of roughly 100 kW is needed on the surface to power a 30-kW laser downhole, owing to attenuation in the line.

Enhanced productionCost savings also come from other avoided expenditure, such as the time and cost

of replacing damaged drill bits, other replacement parts and, more seriously, compromised formation integrity. By preserving the formation integrity while maximising the wellbore diameter, wells can produce more for longer periods.

The company estimates that well productivity is increased by approximately 200% when compared with conventional perforations, a figure borne out by recent studies from research firm AGR and other third-party assessments.

The technology is also suitable for use in high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) wells, both on- and offshore. Offshore, it also means complex drilling can be undertaken from smaller platforms, where

higher-cost rigs are not technically or economically feasible.

ZerLux suggests that on average, the cost of drilling short laterals will equal that of conventional alternatives. But on balance, the increased stability, integrity and productivity means laser drilled laterals for well completion may well be a more shrewd investment.

ZerLux is now preparing for the integration and field testing of its extended perforation technology. n

Contact: Peter Bajcsi, COOTel: +36 203 236 033Email: [email protected] Web: www.zerlux.com

Solving the Most Challenging Structural Problems for Operators in the Oil and Gas Industry Around the World

• Advanced Structural Analysis• Structural Integrity Management• Fixed, Floating and Subsea Systems

[email protected] +1-713-532-2900

300%

250%

200%

150%

100%

50%

0%

Flow

effi

cien

cy (%

)

Perforations 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Flow efficiency: Comparison of perforating

vs Laser-drilled laterals


20Fugro’s subsea cleaning, inspection and innovative repair solutions have now been used on 90% of North Sea FPSOs.

Our world-class ROVs, vessels, engineering and tooling personnel provide detailed inspection and vital repair work to help operators maintain the integrity and safety of their FPSOs.

Fugro Subsea Services Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1224 257600Email: [email protected] www.fugrosubsea.co.uk






N E W S B A S EN E W S B A S E

asset integrityprooF oF liFeEnergo Engineering talks asset life assessmentPage 19

blue-sky ZincingHempel’s HEMPADUR AvantGuard® seeks to re-define anti-corrosion protectionPage 20

a structured approacHIMG Composites on 10 years of composite repairsPage 23









special supplement Pages 13-27


N E W S B A S E

gerhard ersdalPrincipal Engineer Structural Integrity, Coordinator R&DPetroleum Safety Authority Norway

Why has asset integrity become a new focus for operators?

We at the Petroleum Safety authority Norway (PSa) are of the impression that asset integrity management has been the focus for operators for many years, although under different names over the years.

in the mid ‘90s the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate safety division (now named Petroleum Safety authority Norway) issued the so-called Base Study for maintenance of offshore facilities. although the name asset integrity may not have been used in these reports, the topic was still the same.

The base study has later been implemented into the NOrSOK Z-008 standard.

The work on the PaS55 standard and the later iSO 55000 standard on asset integrity management has possibly strengthened the focus even more and has to a large degree systemized integrity management. However, being the Norwegian regulator, we are of the opinion that asset integrity and caring for the offshore and onshore facilities has been a focus for operators also before these standards.

Which areas under the asset integrity umbrella do you think require more

Core questionsensure the best possible outcome in terms of expenditure and safety.

Many good initiatives are being taken by e.g. iOGP, but still these do not always come in the hands of the design houses and the manufacturers of e.g. structures and flexible risers. Are there any new/developing technologies which could shape the sector in future?

The development of standards like PaS55 and iSO 55000 is clearly going to shape the future for asset integrity management. Further, we hope that our initiative on barrier management will make significant changes to the asset integrity in the years to come. The development of new technology is unfortunately slowing down. Better technology for inspection and monitoring of the condition of mooring lines, flexible risers, corrosion under insulation etc. are needed. However, we are unfortunately still waiting for the grand new technologies that will shape the future in these areas.

Will low oil prices change industry priorities when it comes to Asset Integrity?

low oil prices will most likely affect the priorities, but it may also make facilities that are expensive to maintain redundant and hence disposed. The best outcome of a period of relatively low oil price may be that the industry increase their efforts in developing new methods and technology for asset integrity in order to become more effective in this area.

The unwanted outcome would be if the industry should reduce their efforts on developing new technology, which would lead to a downward spiral in asset integrity and production. regulators like PSa will encourage the route of increasing the efforts in developing new methods and technology for an improved management of asset integrity. n

innovation (e.g. corrosion monitoring, risk-based inspection)?

Several issues in this area require more innovation. Corrosion under insulation is a challenge both to the integrity, but it is also a challenge to detect such corrosion. Hence, new inspection technology is needed. also inspection in the splash zone is a challenge, although some innovative developments have emerged the later years. improved evaluation and assessment of fire extension and deluge system beyond design life are needed.

Monitoring and inspection of flexible risers are still in need of innovative new tools. Developments in risk-based inspection philosophy versus deterministic material degradation models are needed. assessment and evaluations of older mooring systems should be improved. Too many mooring systems fail yearly on the Norwegian continental shelf.

a lot of learning may be achieved from decommissioned structures and facilities, and the decommissioned facilities should be investigated with learning in mind.

How can we ensure more co-operation and knowledge-sharing, especially between global regions?

More openness from operators and sharing between operators would be beneficial. The safety of the facilities, which is one of the goals in asset integrity, should not be treated as a competitive area, but rather an area where the operators should collaborate in order to

this month we asked industry experts for their thoughts on asset integrity, and how technology is changing the ways in which the industry approaches it


N E W S B A S E

“A lot of learning may be achieved from

decommissioned structures and facilities, and the

decommissioned facilities should be investigated with

learning in mind.”gerhard ersdal

ASSet InteGRIty


N E W S B A S E

ken bruceSenior Vice President, Global Asset Integrity Services,Lloyd’s Register Energy


Structural fatigue is clearly the major challenge where ageing installations are concerned. We are now seeing assets that are being effectively reassessed for what will be a 50-year operating life and there is talk of some duty holders and operators potentially seeing assets that may have a 100-year lifespan. increasingly, we are being tasked with supporting clients by looking at issues like fatigue lives, understanding what condition the asset is in and determining what refurbishment programmes need to be put in place in order to hit particular target dates.

although the structure’s original design life is known, establishing “current condition” is not always a simple matter. Most ageing installations will have had several owners and perhaps also several different engineering and maintenance contractors responsible for them at one time or another. at each of those transitions, there is potential for loss of knowledge and paperwork.

Which areas under the asset integrity umbrella do you think require more innovation?

Given the global cross-geo focus on ageing infrastructure, the need for industry to continue to develop and improve upon non-destructive testing (NDT) inspection tools and materials is significant. The need for rOV-deployable tools is of special interest owing to safety concerns with and the depth limitations in which diving can be performed.

in the past two years, three new rOV-deployable subsea inspection techniques that use pulsed eddy current, digital radiography, and computed tomography have been released to the market,

Core questions Pipelines, too, are undergoing a technological evolution with the emergence and application of thermoplastic composite pipes.

The fibre materials providing the strength within the composite are typical industry materials, such as glass or graphite fibres and Kevlar. and the polymers remain typical industry materials.

another exciting emerging technology is the use of “additive manufacturing” for fabrication of subsea equipment. Since deepwater processing facilities require thick- walled vessels to contain pressure, equipment such as gravity-based separators have become very large and difficult to transport when fabricated using solid steel plate. But just as additive manufacturing offers an opportunity to customise materials, these variations from solid materials can compromise the structural integrity of an asset in ways that would be new to the industry. Clearly, a deeper understanding of the benefits and barriers to adoption is required.


Yes, but operators have different approaches to how they manage things. Some are very comfortable with outsourcing or subcontracting a lot of this activity. Some who previously did that are now taking more of this activity in-house, saving for specialist support and advice in certain areas. and some of the newer entrants to the market are determined right from the start to have that capability within their organisation. There is no right answer.

improving asset integrity is not just about maintaining things. it is also about making adjustments in light of infrastructure role changes. it’s a case of making sure the integrity and the operating and maintenance strategies reflect in infrastructure’s current and likely future use.

With the reduced production profiles of many of today’s marginal field developments relying heavily on installed infrastructure, maintenance has become a hugely strategic issue. But how do we control and manage that process, and how do we ensure that it is done safely? For all the duty holders, and for us, the bottom line at the end of the day is about safe operation for everybody, without exception.. n

indicating that inspection companies are making significant strides in responding to operator needs. Naturally all areas of the asset integrity umbrella are under review in a cost-conscious climate to ensure safe and sustainable techniques and innovative materials are used to extend the total operational life-time use of current infrastructure below and above the water line.


Economists believe that about 1/3 of economic growth is influenced by technological change, making technical innovation critical to our prosperity.

Our Global Technology Centres in Singapore and Southampton, are leading the programme on innovation. We are developing and supporting the innovations that will play a vital role in the immediate and long-term future of energy and shipping. We aim to create centres of excellence for technology, innovation and research that will benefit our clients, the local economies, industry and society at large. regular client executive briefings are also particularly insightful and help to identify emerging risks and opportunities, to assess best practice and key stakeholder’s approach to sustainability, and to encourage ever-greater innovation.

Are there any new/developing technologies which could shape the sector in future?

To support asset-integrity management programmes, the industry is exploring the use of autonomous underwater vehicles (aUV), which are docked and recharged subsurface to perform routine visual inspections, freespan pipe monitoring and cathodic protection surveys that detect erosion.

in some cases, aUVs could replace current remotely operated vehicles and their support vessels, potentially reducing cost and improving integrity-management practices and maintenance activities.

advancements in data analytics are also playing an increasingly important role in the integrity management of pipelines. They are giving operators better visibility of the operating health of subsea pumps and the fluids produced in subsea processing facilities, as well as helping to monitor the condition of the pipeline, including the use of leak-detection systems.


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dr. Henry tanLloyds Register Centre for Safety and Reliability Engineering,School of Engineering,University of Aberdeen


This is mainly due to the ageing of the offshore assets. More than a quarter of the North Sea oil & gas production pipeline network was first commissioned in 1960s and 70s, and the other quarter was built during the 80s. Production from water depths greater than 1,000 feet began in 1979 at the US Gulf of Mexico. Those offshore assets were originally designed to operate around 20-30 years.

Nowadays the majority of the world’s offshore infrastructure is reaching the end of its original design life. Many of the offshore operators are requiring their installations to operate for 10-30 years

and government bodies. Journal/magazines and interview videos can also accompany the conference for further knowledge-sharing and paper publication.


Soft technology for maintaining asset integrity is the key for the future. life extension is based on a better understanding of the asset system. Bayesian Network modelling provides a systematic way to improve the understanding of asset system. Through this modelling we can have the potential to establish fundamental principle for maintenance decision making by integrating industry experience with real-time inspection data and accumulated knowledge.


Yes, more attention will be paid to develop soft technology to maintain asset integrity, improving the capability in maintenance decision-making based on limited data available. Offshore asset property data is expensive; the goal is to pursue the best use of data, not towards hard technologies for getting more complete set of data. n

beyond their original design life, whilst continuing to meet business and regulatory requirements for reliability and safety. They are facing a common challenge on how to maintain production capability against changing operational demands in a cost-effective way, whilst preserving integrity of the equipment.

Which areas under the asset integrity umbrella do you think require more innovation (e.g. corrosion monitoring, risk-based inspection)?

We need more innovation in soft technology for making the best use of the data collected. The data include those from design and operational stages, from corrosion monitoring and risk-based inspection. The most effective use of data is to combine them with the previous experience and scientific knowledge for decision making.


attending or hosting international conferences is the best way to ensure co-operation and knowledge-sharing between global regions. Good conference organisers are strict in selecting speakers, creating an environment for information exchange between industry, laboratories


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robert sheppardChief Technical Advisor, Energo


The need to maximise the operational life of existing assets has driven the interest in integrity Management (iM). This involves going beyond simply meeting the minimum regulatory requirements and encouraging an understanding of the drivers of integrity issues, so that your iM program focusses on areas of need and delivers data to enhance future operations.

Which areas under the asset integrity umbrella do you think require more


The boom in portable electronic devices that put more technology out in the field, from high definition cameras, to portable detection devices and handheld computers, will enhance detection capabilities as well as data evaluation once the field work is complete. This will promote better data tracking, analytics, forecasting and trend monitoring.


With tighter budgets for all aspects of operations, iM will become a higher priority. Existing assets will need to produce for longer and that will require more iM activities both through physical work on the assets and programmatically to manage the activities as efficiently as possible. Having a world-class iM program will enable operating companies to extend asset life. nSee page 19 for Robert Sheppard’s futher thoughts on asset integrity.

innovation (e.g. corrosion monitoring, risk-based inspection)?

Technology for effectively monitoring structural systems and identifying degradations is an area of great promise for iM. By following a prescriptive risk-based inspection protocol, the industry has been able to optimise inspection activity efforts.

in addition to enhancing their detection capabilities when they do need to inspect the development of reliable tools delivering high-quality data would have a tremendous impact on operational reliability and personnel safety.


awareness of the benefits of sharing data is the best way to drive interest. Past industry efforts have been successful in compiling data from assets for particular areas of interest, e.g., corrosion rates. Promotion of these studies can provide the awareness and impetus to move forward with additional focused studies or broader initiatives.


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IN terms of modern pipeline protection, “tape” has very negative connotations. it is associated with failure as a result of disbonding, wrinkling and shielding

on cathodic protection, all of which can occur once the tape has lost its adhesion to the surface. in the US market, multi-layer polyethylene tapes have more or less been a dead technology for decades, now used by only small fringe of the industry.

in response, Polyguard developed the rD-6 coating system – the “tape that is not a tape” –in the late 1980s. it differentiates itself from older tape in its application and performance, offering far superior adhesion and added resistance to elongation – a customised polypropylene mesh means it will resist wrinkling from soil stress. The coating is a self-healing, one-layer system which can be applied faster and more simply –it doesn’t need time to cure – than multi-layer tape systems.

in many cases, the cost of the rD-6 system is cheaper than multi-layer polyethylene tapes, because the user only needs to apply one layer, with a one-inch (2.5 cm) overlap instead of a 50% overlap. The bitumen layer used in rD-6 is also much thicker, meaning a more resistant and higher-performing coating system can be applied for less money than existing multi-layer systems

rD-6 is also a non-shielding coating. This means that if the coating ever becomes disbonded, the pipeline is still protected because cathodic protection currents can reach the disbonded area.

Standard deviationHaving been used in the US for over 25 years, the system is proven and effective for the rehabilitation and maintenance of buried pipelines. Yet adherence to different standards has so far prevented a wider uptake in Europe. Polyguard’s Global Business Development director, Nate Muncaster explained to innovOil that: “in Europe there is a perception that the highest standards are in place. in some contexts that is correct… [but] in a context where the standard obliges an engineer or designer to follow what they consider an obsolete or inferior technology then the standard becomes an inhibition.”

The result is that “such standards can therefore be a limitation when designers find it difficult to use judgment or adopt a new or innovative solution,” he continues. an example of this was seen in recent trials in Estonia, a country held in very high esteem inside the EU for strict adherence to European Norms and budgetary requirements.

rd-6: when is a tape not a tape?

Polyguard’s Nate Muncaster explains how the RD-6 Non-Shielding coating system illustrates the difficult path between innovation and adherence to standards

Here, the Polyguard rD-6 coating system was field-tested for a period of over five years in a demanding buried environment. Four other European Norm-compliant products were also tested – some for only two years, some for the full five. at the end of this trial period, the only system without a failure was the officially “non-compliant” rD-6 system. all other coating systems revealed failures from their environment.

“This issue of performance versus compliance created a complication for the Estonian Gas company, leading several branches of the Estonian government and industry associations to study the results. in the end, Eesti Gaas favored the performance of rD-6,” Muncaster enthuses.

Polyguard’s point is that the purpose of standards should be to provide the best performance – when they fail to do that, their value decreases. as Muncaster concludes, it should also serve as a reminder of “the importance of innovation and the value it brings to engineers and energy professionals in the industry.” n

Contact: Nathan MuncasterTel: +1 214 515 5000Email: [email protected]: www.polyguardproducts.com

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Structural Integrity ManagementGulf of Mexico2-3 June 2015 | Sheraton Brookhollow, Houston, Texas

� Debate the positives and negatives of risk-orientated approaches to IMR and the techniques you can use to defi ne inspection intervals and the risk profi les of assets

� Assess the value which structural monitoring technologies and advanced engineering solutions can add to the e� ciency and commercial outlook of your fl eet

� Hear about the market innovations and JIP’s which are currently under operation to enhance your perspective on more cost e� ective solutions to inspection, maintenance and repair operations

� Understand how changes to the regulatory structural will drastically impact your asset management program and where RP2SIM will infl uence your SIMS

� Discuss the strategies and innovations being employed by leading operators to mitigate the impact of extreme external events on your at-risk assets

• 150+ Senior Structural Integrity Professionals

• 25+ business critical presentations focused on well integrity management, risk based methodology, Annulus Pressure Management, Corrosion Management, Zonal Isolation, Lifetime integrity through Well Design , tolerable damage, and API/ISO compliance

• Practical case studies from the biggest operators North America. Plus regional case studies from Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacifi c

• Premium networking opportunities including an online networking tool, evening drinks and round table sessions

CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE:

2015 EXPERT SPEAKERS:

CONFERENCE 2015

Doug Kemp O� shore Americas & West Africa

Integrity Advisor Hess

Pat O’Connor Chair Person

ISO 19901-9 SIM Committee

Kai-tung (KT) Ma Mechnical Team Lead,

Mooring and Geotechnical Chevron

Nigel Wayne Nichols Structural Technical Authority

Petronas

Hongbo Shu Mooring Systems SME and Technical Authority

Shell

“ The exhibition draws the highest calibre of talent and expertise in the industry in a concentrated, easy to meet manner ”Joel Wittenbraker, CEO, Mactech Offshore

Structural Integrity Management_NorthAmOil_A4_AWX.indd 1 25/03/2015 16:21

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AssessiNg the continued service life of existing oil and gas assets is not simply a question of running analyses and defining stress levels

and fatigue lives. instead, a holistic approach is needed. This should cover the condition of the facility, how it will be used for the remaining years of service life, and any changes that have taken place, including repairs and maintenance. any analysis should then be undertaken with a pragmatic view towards fitness for service – not necessarily strict code compliance.

“While the stated design life of a structure is a prudent point at which to review its condition, it is not an expiration date,” Sheppard says. “a well-maintained offshore facility can be used indefinitely – though older installations may require more active integrity management than newer ones.”

A design for lifeThe major hurricanes which hit the Gulf of Mexico’s offshore fleet in the early 2000s prompted a thorough review of the design parameters used for wind, wave and current loading. Some areas of the Gulf saw a significant increase in the loading expected of new designs, and the reassessment of existing structures. He explains that this happened because reviewers asked a specific question: “Can existing high-consequence structures survive storm loads at the new, higher load levels when they were designed for lower levels?”

Some operators took these reassessments a step further and evaluated other aspects of their systems. Fatigue, for example, can also be driven by hurricane level loading – low-cycle, but high-stress – particularly for highly dynamic structural systems in deep water. But assessing the fatigue of an existing structure must be approached differently than for a new design. Simply asking whether changed metocean conditions will affect fatigue and/or design life does not provide useful data when considering the asset’s continued service.

a facility may never be tested under its design storm conditions, but fatigue degradation will affect the structure from the day it is installed. He continues: “an analysis which concludes that the facility will work for its remaining few years of ’design life’ tells the operator nothing about how long they can operate confidently, or where they should use resources for inspection or monitoring.”

Going deeperWhen determining how to approach fatigue assessment for an existing structure, there are many factors to consider: how the loading on the facility has changed over time; how best to capture the structure’s dynamic response; what fatigue approach is best suited, as well as any details which fall outside the normal bounds of fatigue assessment. For the majority of installations in the Gulf of Mexico, this is straightforward, but for fixed deepwater assets, these questions become

more important, and the standard approach is not always the correct one.

“analyses of these structures can draw attention to unexpected areas – and this is particularly true for unique design details,” he says. For one recent Energo project, initial results indicated that while fatigue sensitivities existed, they were in expected areas and were already monitored. Yet more exact modelling of unique structural features identified areas not previously considered a concern, and which would not have been identified under standard approaches.

Expanding on Energo’s approach, Sheppard says that: “With this more in-depth information, the integrity management approach can account for these areas, and monitoring and inspection activities can be devoted to these locations.”

Energo believes that while detailed structural analyses are useful, it is important that they be undertaken in the context of addressing whether continued service is viable, and to provide information that supports that objective.

“This is why we approach structural assessment differently to typical analyses, going beyond the expected, and digging further into details which may otherwise be ignored.” n

Contact: Energo EngineeringTel: +1 713 532 2900Email: [email protected] Web: www.energoeng.com

Detect the unexpected

Energo Engineering’s Chief Technical Advisor, Robert Sheppard, explains why a fresh approach to asset integrity is needed as deepwater installations mature

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A great many industry assets are located in C4 and C5 corrosive environments, where saltwater and high humidity

eat rapidly through unprotected steel. As the conditions for exploration and production get tougher – and with ageing infrastructure requiring more maintenance – advances in corrosion protection and prevention are one of the industry’s key concerns in the field of asset integrity.

Zinc coatings have traditionally been used to protect oil and gas installations, pipelines and equipment from corrosion. Despite their prevalence, only around one third of the zinc in a standard zinc epoxy coating has any anti-corrosive effect, yet it is the most important ingredient in terms of fighting corrosion.

Zinc coatings work via galvanic corrosion, a process whereby one metal will corrode preferentially when in electrical contact with another. As zinc is less noble than iron, it will react instead of the iron when exposed to corrosive elements such as water and oxygen, leaving the steel intact.

Because this process requires electrical contact between the zinc particles, the effect will only occur in the region closest to the substrate, in the case of a standard coating.

Activated zincSeeing the demand for improvement, global coatings supplier Hempel developed HEMPADUR AvantGuard®, a new range of protective primers based on activated zinc. Seeking to redefine

anti-corrosive protection, HEMPADUR AvantGuard® offers better performance than other zinc epoxy primers on the market, and can significantly decrease maintenance costs for installations – especially for assets in difficult-to-access locations, where maintenance and downtime are most expensive.

Development of AvantGuard® saw Hempel spend around 8,000 hours in the lab, creating 800 prototypes in the process. The technology uses a weighted combination of hollow glass spheres and proprietary activators, which make the zinc available to oxidation throughout

Zinc big with AvantGuard® Global coatings supplier Hempel looks to re-define anti-corrosion protection with the zinc activation power of HEMPADUR AvantGuard®

the film and so increase electrical contact through the entire coating.

As a result, all of the zinc in the primer is activated to undergo galvanic corrosion. In addition, the process of activation also improves water impermeability. The white salts produced as a result of the activation process fill any space within the film, enhancing the barrier properties of the coating system.

These also contain high levels of chloride ions that are captured as they are diffused from the environment through the film. As a result, the coating makes use of the inhibition effect by reducing

Zinc epoxy without AvantGuard® technology

Zn

ZnZn

ZnZn

ZnZn

Zn Zn ZnZn

ZnZnZn

ZnZn

Zinc epoxy without AvantGuard® 80%w zinc, 74 mic

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the concentration of corrosive agents that reach the steel structure, delaying the start of the unwanted corrosion process.

These qualities become even more beneficial in the aggressive saltwater environments of offshore work.

Self healing, fast-actingZinc epoxies are often used on steel structures that are exposed to severe mechanical stress, including extreme temperature fluctuations and vibrations. But in a typical zinc protective system, the zinc primer is the weakest mechanical point. As a result, cracks can form in the

coating as the steel expands and contracts. AvantGuard® coatings are different.

If a crack forms in a HEMPADUR AvantGuard® coating, the glass spheres absorb most of the stresses arising from the initial crack and stop it from worsening. In addition, the white salts formed during the zinc activation process then occupy the space left by the micro-crack, preventing it from becoming more serious.

HEMPADUR AvantGuard® coatings can be applied at both high humidity and elevated temperatures without blistering, and they are resistant to cracking even with high dry film thicknesses. This

improves application efficiency, as it means less reworking is required over welds or in corners, where coatings are often over-applied.

Hempel currently supplies three HEMPADUR AvantGuard® coatings – the 770, 750 and 550 – and is continuing to work on new solutions which use the activated zinc technology. n

Contact: Zohra AliTel: +44 (0) 1254 870 051Email: [email protected]: www.hempel.com

Zinc epoxy with AvantGuard® technology

Zn

ZnZn

Zn

ZnZn

ZnZn

ZnZn

Zn

AvantGuard® uses hollow glass spheres and a proprietary activator to ensure more zinc in the coating is activated to protect the steel from corrosion.

HEMPADUR AvantGuard® at a glancel Advanced corrosion protection due to

the high level of activated zinc in the coating.

l Excellent crack resistance in cyclic temperatures and varying humidity.

l Self healing of micro cracks prevents further propagation of cracks.

l Requires the same application techniques as zinc epoxies.

l Suitable for all applications and especially designed for tough conditions and C4 and C5 environments.

l Three coatings currently available globally: HEMPADUR AvantGuard® 770, HEMPADUR AvantGuard® 750 and HEMPADUR AvantGuard® 550.

Zinc epoxy with AvantGuard® 80%w zinc, 79 mic

HEMPADUR AvantGuard® outperformed zinc epoxies without AvantGuard® technology in tests performed by Hempel following international standards: salt spray tests (ISO 12944 part 6), cyclic corrosion tests (ISO 20340 - NORSOK M-501 revision 6), water permeability tests and thermal cycling resistance tests (NACE cracking test).

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ASSet InteGRIty

IN petrochemical and refining facilities, the monitoring of critical assets such as reformer furnaces and gasification vessels is crucial to maximising

efficiency and minimising system downtime and potential safety issues. The extreme temperatures and pressures involved in these processes can result in high exterior skin temperatures on these assets and their supporting manifolds, piping and joints. Such intense stresses can then lead to damage and failure of the vessels.

areas of poor combustion mean cooling can be as much of a problem as overheating. if temperatures are too low, condensate can build up between the shell and refractory, leading to corrosion and lower pressure containment capability. Corrosion can also cause the refractory to flake off, allowing sudden burn-through of the shell.

With this in mind, accurate temperature measurement is a vital part of keeping production running. Yet these extreme temperatures and non-uniform gradients mean obtaining accurate data at multiple critical points is a difficult task. Traditionally, thermocouple systems and fibre optic distributed sensing systems have been used for temperature measurement on critical vessels, but these sensors can be unreliable and prohibitively expensive to install and operate.

Typically, they employ wired or fibre optic networks with point sensors which only monitor the temperature of discrete points on the outside of a vessel, often with poor spatial resolution. This can result in inaccurate measurements owing to skin temperature gradients. in addition,

the failure of thermocouples or fibre breakage can leave dangerous gaps in entire monitoring systems until they are replaced or repaired.

instead, innovative thermal imaging systems have demonstrated how radiometric thermography has evolved into a mature and cost-competitive alternative. The non-contact nature of infrared thermal imaging is more robust, more reliable and easier to maintain than wired networks. it also presents a number of technological advantages, such as graphical visual displays, historical archiving and trending, hot-spot tracking and easy integration into existing control systems.

The bigger pictureThe lumaSense ThermalSpection CVM system uses micro-bolometer-based imagers

to collect thermal infrared radiation emitted from monitored

Hot spot monitoring with thermalspectionDr. Tim Dubbs, Director Global Applications for LumaSense, explains how the thermal imaging system allows operators to monitor the temperature and integrity of critical assets safely and accurately

components, giving accurate temperature readings at up to 500°C or more.

With multiple imagers placed strategically around the vessel perimeter, a user can build a complete thermal image, with special resolution down to 5cm or less – all without direct contact. Each camera is mounted in a sealed, aTEX- or Class i, Div 2-certified housing. This unit includes internal cooling and a positive pressure purge to prevent flammable gases or dust from entering the enclosure.

With one-second response times, the ThermalSpection CVM provides continuous coverage with alarm generation functions. Output options include OPC to the plant DSC, analog and relay outputs. Custom software options build on this platform, providing displays for thermal profiles, historical trends which can be compared against baseline performance and developing hot spots, all of which can be tracked in real time.

a further benefit of remote monitoring is that the system can be installed, upgraded and serviced in the field, with the vessels remaining in full operation. Each client’s

site is custom-modelled, with optics and camera mounting locations

chosen to guarantee the best spatial coverage

and resolution. n

Contact: LumaSense TechnologiesTel: +49 69 973 730Email: [email protected]

Web: www.lumasenseinc.com


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composites attract: img composites on ten years in the businessCelebrating a decade in the industry, IMG Composites explains how it has maintained its pole position as a provider of composite pipe and structural repairs

IN the ever-changing landscape of the oil and gas industry, a decade is a long time. in such a notoriously conservative industry, it is possibly even

longer, especially if one is trying to bring new ideas and innovations to the table. Thankfully, aberdeen’s iMG Composites has had far more success than strife.

The firm’s founders, Brian Whytock and Bob Taylor, met during their tenure as members of the senior management team at industrial Maintenance Group.

Whytock’s background is the pipe industry and includes a 14-year term at British Gas in a variety of technical and management roles, while Taylor’s applied Chemistry degree led him to a number of technical, marketing and management roles in the surface coatings sector. Their combined 70 years of professional experience has since been the bedrock of innovation behind iMG Composites.

Pipe integrity loss and pipe repair became a joint focus for the pair.

Whytock’s experience at British Gas had shown that existing pipe repair solutions were often poor. laboratory innovations often failed to live up to the demands of field conditions. Taylor’s technical knowledge led to the development of a material which did – the same chemical formulation which is the basis of the various CompoSol® composite materials now in use by iMG Composites.

in 2001 iMG Offshore was formed as a separate business unit to carry out

A CompoSol® deck repair being loaded with a new turbine in a £250m asset refurbishment


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the repair of pipes using the CompoSol® material, and for years served the onshore and offshore markets. But more investment was needed to ensure its success, and in 2005, Whytock led a management buyout to create a dedicated business – iMG Composites.

The new company sat on the Joint industry Working Group committee that developed the international standard for composite pipe repairs to hydrocarbon systems – iSO 24817. repairs to this comprehensive standard form the majority of iMG Composite’s business. “Full compliance to the iSO standard is difficult to achieve, and that’s why it’s important,” iMG Composites commercial manager ian Taylor says. “Only a couple of top tier companies can offer the standard that we offer.”

The company also went on to become a founding member of the independent association of Composite repair Suppliers, in order to set standards for pipe repair qualification and prevent poor quality composite repairs from tarnishing reputable suppliers.

No limitationsat the recent iTF Technology Showcase 2015 in aberdeen, Professor Mike Hinton, Technology Director at the UK’s National Composites Centre, urged industry engineers to take more of a “holistic approach” to design. Composites, he argued, offer the “freedom to develop component solutions that are intrinsically more effective,” are easier to produce, and require less maintenance than other materials – all of which should warrant serious consideration for oil and gas companies.

Yet despite their benefits and capabilities, composites remain widely misunderstood by the industry. iMG Composites commercial manager ian Taylor explains that many within operators are unaware of the complexity of the iSO standard for composite pipe repairs, while others have a very limited view of their potential applications due to bad experiences of poor companies.

indeed, some clients are so unused to working with high quality composite repair systems that they do not believe they are

suitable for the applications in which iMG Composites has proven them effective. iMG Composites Engineering Manager explains, ‘For composite repairs to be qualified for through-wall defects (holed pipes) they need to have excellent adhesion and strength, few composite repair systems have this and so some believe that no composite repair systems can repair holes in pipes.’

The iSO Standard makes repair designs very conservative so there is an appropriate level of safety margin for repairs to hydrocarbon lines. in accordance with the iSO Standard, CompoSol® systems can repair almost any form of pipe or pipeline under internal pressure and structural loading. These materials can be applied to pipes that are running utility systems as well as produced water, firewater, hydrocarbons, flammable fluids, gas and naturally less hazardous substances.

Neither are composites limited by their operating environment. CompoSol® products have been used in water, all types of hydrocarbons (sweet and sour), hydrogen sulphide, amine and ammonia,

at temperatures up to 150°C (300°F). They have also been used on blowdown lines, which in service can experience as low as -70°C (-95°F). This versatility allows iMG Composites to provide integrity management solutions to operators on a global scale.

A structured approachWhile their use in pipeline repair is common, it is by no means the only application. iMG Composites also offer engineered repairs to structures as well. Years of research into design methodologies, significant investments in material testing, and the procurement of an in-house Finite Element analysis capability, means the company has a wealth of experience in repairing integrity issues across different structures.

retrofit composite repairs have a number of advantages over conventional replacements – especially in the oil and gas industry where space is limited and the decommissioning of installations can be very disruptive and expensive.

ASSet InteGRIty

A distinctive CompoSol® Pipe repair on a 20” line in a UK refinery


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On offshore platforms, the removal of condemned structures will often have many lifting clash points. any temporary stores required for construction and/or removal of sections take up precious space on the asset, limiting movement and production. in addition, large repairs can often result in long periods of planned downtime while the replacement takes place, meaning even greater costs to operators.

retrofitting can therefore be faster and cheaper than reconstruction, while the composite replacement structures may even be stronger and more resistant than the original steel. CompoSol® Structure, for example, not only reinforces the structural element, but also prevents further corrosion by sealing the surface of the substrate with the super coating. This particular material is suitable for use on flat plates, i-beams, tubulars, piles, columns, hollow box sections and more.

Deck repairs are another area in which iMG Composites have had exceptional results. in such instances, CompoSol® Flat and Structure is used to replace and/or

reinforce corroded and damaged vertical and horizontal flat surfaces such as decks and accommodation bulkheads. With an application temperature of between 10°C and 50°C, and service temperature of between –50°C and +60°C, CompoSol® Flat is well-suited to almost any Oil & Gas operator’s environment.

One case study saw a team repair a 52 square metre area of deck – 80% of which had severe wall thinning, some areas measuring between 0 and 3 mm – in 15 days. The team cleaned and prepared the substrate, then patched smaller repairs with a multi-part CompoSol® Flat system. The layered build-up of epoxy and laminate increases the strength of the new deck area, and allows it to dissipate the forces expected under normal working conditions. The result of the operation was a quantifiably stronger, safer deck area in less time than a conventional replacement – and at a lower cost.

Client-focussedNo standardisation exists for the repair

of metallic and concrete structures using composite materials. This meant that iMG Composites’ technical department had to scour multiple studies and papers from around the world, as well as return to engineering first principles, in order to develop a design methodology. Now that they are in place, CompoSol® repair systems can be applied to solve a range of asset integrity issues, with relative simplicity.

CompoSol® composite repairs are each treated individually and properly assessed by iMG Composite’s engineers. after receiving the repair scenario information from the client, staff begin to compile the input data –including an assessment of the loads and stress/strain induced by such loads. They then create a unique design for each repair area, which is then presented to the client’s structural design technical authority prior to application.

The company’s work has earned it global recognition, including the award for Best Offshore Engineered repair Solutions Provider 2014 by acquisition international magazine in its annual Offshore Excellence awards, which has been followed by two awards this year for: • BestRepairSystemsProduct:

CompoSol®

• AwardforInnovationinOffshoreAssetintegrity.

So what’s next for iMG Composites? Taylor says that while established in the UK and Norwegian North Sea, markets are developing as far afield as india and australia. as more assets mature and integrity becomes a greater focus for more and more operators, composite repairs will play an even larger role. Crucially operators will become more universally used to distinguishing high-quality composite repairs from those that are not up to standard. and thanks to its award-wining service, and proven technology, iMG Composites promises to continue to be the benchmark. n

Contact: Ian Taylor, Commercial Manager Tel: +44 (0) 1224 879 966Email: [email protected] Web: www.imgcomposites.com

ASSet InteGRIty


N E W S B A S E

DesPite the ongoing crunch on industry budgets and spending, some innovations have continued to gain

traction. in pipeline inspection particularly, there has been

consistent demand for better pipeline monitoring solutions, and new methods of inspection for unpiggable pipelines. But advances

over the last few years are now coming to fruition, with a number of

new products entering the marketplace.One such approach has been developed

by Norway’s Halfwave, an oil and gas innovator backed by Energy Ventures, Det Norske Veritas and Chevron. its patented acoustic resonance Technology

(arT) technique for in-line inspection (ili) provides the ability to

perform high-resolution, direct measurement in a natural gas environment.

The key to arT lies in using the pressurised natural gas in the pipeline as an ultrasonic coupling medium. a sending transducer transmits a broad-band acoustic

signal towards the metal structure – in this case a pipeline. The signal then spreads in the structure, exciting half-

wave resonances, and the structure’s response signal is then detected by the receiving transducer.

analysis of the frequency content of this response signal gives

the resonance peak frequencies, from which the base resonance frequency – and ultimately the structure’s thickness – can be estimated. During post-processing, multiple measurements can be combined to estimate the size and depth of flaws,

such as wall loss, in the metal structure.

The system’s accuracy, and the repeatability of its measurements,

make it is an ideal tool to inform reliable integrity decisions.

An awesome waveDNV began initial development of arT in the early 1990s, but the breakthrough

into the ili market came from a

the art of innovationAcoustic Resonance Technology (ART), developed by Norway-based Halfwave, is an innovative new method for in-line inspection

strategic development between it and the Norwegian gas pipeline infrastructure operator Gassco, who recognised the need for a new and reliable ili technology.

The key goal of the venture was to develop a tool that provided information to reduce operational risk while increasing confidence in integrity programs. Once a prototype was developed and the tool commissioned, further capital was needed to bring the technology to market. The arT team and assetvre then spun out from DNV, with the introduction of capital from Energy Ventures, and later Chevron ventures, to form Halfwave.

The development started with the testing of an unproven idea for running Ultrasonic sensors in Gas. This required research on sensor and electronics to enable laboratory testing in a live natural gas environment, before algorithms needed for data processing and analyses were developed. These algorithms have since been expanded, meaning analysis of the data collected the tool could be fully automated.

Next came a three-channel prototype, tested a total of seven times in a 20-km pipeline in 2010. Success in these trials led to the creation of the current tool, built to work in the range of 28–42 inch (711-1,067 mm) pipelines. it features 192 sensors, a 1,300-km inspection range, an inertial measurement unit (iMU), accelerometers, pressure and temperature gauging, odometers, and pig tracking.

Owing to the relative low frequencies used, arT can also penetrate coatings. in short, says Halfwave’s pipeline inspection manager, Jan Ove Toskedal, it has “everything you would expect from a state-of-the-art ili tool.”Superior scanningin addition to precise inspections on natural gas pipelines, arT is capable of measuring multiple data sets in a single run. Wall-thickness data is collected, even on heat-affected zones (HaZ) and bends, as well as inertial mapping unit (iMU) data and internal wall-mapping – all in a single run.

The tool stores the full raw-signal data from each sensor for post-processing.

ASSet InteGRIty


N E W S B A S E

The benefits of this storage is that with future advances in processing and with increased feature databases available, it will be possible to reprocess the data with even more advanced algorithms prior to a re-inspection 5–10 years after the initial inspection.

This will allow the true comparison of all data sets, on a one-to-one basis, and will enables users to make highly accurate corrosion growth estimates.

at present, tool-speed currently ranges from 0–3 metres per second at full performance. Higher speeds only reduce the axial sampling rate, but maintain data collection up to 6 m/s without effect on measurement quality. The combination of a speed flexibility, low-weight, and low-pipe wall friction, means an end to the days of reducing flow-speed below 1 m/s during USWM ili.

The arT Scan tool has practically no wall thickness limitation and full resolution is maintained, with the technology having accurately mapped pipewall thicknesses of up to 3.4 inches (85mm). its on-board calliper function is

amongst the best in the industry yet with none of the drawbacks of less accurate mechanical systems.

an additional benefit, not seen on other ili wall measurement tools, is its capability to report on coating loss and damage.

The arT Scan tool can also be configured in a bi-directional single module format making it a solution to many operators’ unpiggable pipelines.

Cra-lined pipelines are another area where the technology differentiates itself from the competition, as the scanner can see through the Cra lining and report on any potential disbondment.

Running smoothlyafter a commissioning run in 2012 inside a 340-km natural gas pipeline, arT underwent the final stage of development, making four qualification runs across two individual pipelines –one of 20 km and one of 620 km.

after the successful qualification runs, a comprehensive industry standard probability of detection (POD) test was

performed in a live natural gas atmosphere, documenting and final verification of inspection performance, repeatability and accuracy.

The 30 inch (762 mm) diameter, 1-inch wall thickness test pipe had a total of 185 internal and external features representing all defect classes – dents, corrosion, gouges etc. – with various depths and geometry. The testing confirmed arT specification with 90% POD at 95% confidence, and established relevant sizing accuracy for all defect classes. The same tool was then tested in water to confirm its performance in a liquid environment, proving it can be used both on- and offshore.

Halfwave now offers scanning for 16–28 inch (406-711 mm) pipelines. its next step will be to complete even smaller diameters, which will be brought to market in early 2016. n

Contact: Alan MatherTel: +44 (0)7827 322 433Email: [email protected] Web: www.halfwave.com

The ART Scan tool being loaded into a

pipeline for ILI

ASSet InteGRIty


N E W S B A S E

panama canal widening to speed the wayThe reopening in april 2016 of a wider Panama Canal will allow lNG carriers to travel from the US to North asia and back in 22 fewer days than currently possible, giving Japan and the region access to cheaper supplies.

The US$5.2 billion widening of the canal’s locks will allow access to new, bigger lNG tankers. Supertankers from North america usually have to travel round the Cape of Good Hope in South africa to reach Japan.

Of 421 lNG vessels in service globally, 89% – or 376 – will be able to pass through the waterway, up from just 23 now, the CEO of the Panama Canal authority, Jorge Quijano, told the Sea asia shipping conference in Singapore last week. With current vessel order books taken into account, the percentage could rise to 92%.

The canal’s expansion will effectively shrink the distance between the US Gulf and Japan to 9,214 nautical miles (17,065 km) from 14,570 nautical miles (26,980 km) via the Suez Canal, helping lNG trade through the canal expand to an estimated 25 million tonnes per year, he said.

The upgrade comes at a time when exports of US shale gas are nearing take-off. Japan aims to start full-scale lNG imports from the US Gulf Coast in 2017.

New tolls for vessels, including gas carriers, which pass through the widened Panama Canal have already been approved and will ensure lNG trade from the US gulf to asia will be “very competitive,” the Panama Canal authority executive said.

The deputy administrator of the Panama Canal authority, Manuel Benitez, also told the Japan Times that there was “no doubt” Japan would benefit from “better prices for commodities like lNG” once the widened canal opens.

The expansion will offer Japan and other countries in East asia “another source of energy from the Gulf of Mexico” for “very competitive prices,” he said.

lNG shipments from Peru to Spain will also take eight fewer days, with vessels currently having to pass through

newS In BRIeF

the Magellan Straits, according to Quijano. Shipments from Trinidad and Tobago to Chile will also be faster. nEdited by Ed [email protected]

optasense enters into major framework supply agreementOptaSense, part of the QinetiQ Group, has entered into a two year framework agreement in the Middle East to deliver enhanced security, using its Distributed acoustic Sensing (DaS) systems, on up to 8,000km of assets.

The framework agreement will see a major programme to install up to 200 OptaSense systems to protect oil & gas pipelines, refineries, airports and other critical national infrastructure sites. The contract follows the successful completion

of previous work in the region to protect similar facilities.

OptaSense’s Managing Director, Magnus McEwen-King said: “The protection of critical national infrastructure, in particular oil & gas pipelines, is vital to assure revenue generation, especially in the Middle East. We are particularly pleased to be chosen to protect an entire regional asset base through a structured two year implementation programme. This framework agreement is an endorsement of OptaSense’s proven capability in delivering large scale projects reliably.”

“We know our customers rely on our systems to keep their assets safe and productive and often OptaSense is the first line of defence against theft & terrorism. as such, our customers not only rely on an excellent technical solution but also in having the depth of resources to deliver in field performance reliably over many thousands of kilometres of critical national infrastructure.” Upon completion of this programme OptaSense will be protecting approximately 23,000km of assets globally in 50 countries. nOPTASENSE


N E W S B A S E

cnooc begins operation of china’s first small lng vesselChina National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) via its lNG shipping entity CNOOC Energy & Technology Services (CETS) has started the operation of China’s first small lNG vessel, making debut in the country lNG shipping in the second and third-tier market.

The ship Hai Yang Shi You 301 just finished a two-week sea trial at the Beibu Gulf off Guangxi region and is now ready to load its first cargo from CNOOC-operated lNG terminal in Zhuhai City in Guangdong Province.

The vessel with four C-shaped tanks has a total capacity of 30,000 cubic metres and can transport a total of 900,000 tonnes per year of lNG. The ship, built by Shanghai Jiangnan Shipbuilding, is operated by the lNG Shipping Co. of CETS.

it was designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & research institute, and the 185-metre long unit will be powered by a dual-fuel diesel-electric propulsion system.

NewsBase understands that CETS has opted out an earlier option to build a second similar unit at the moment, as it wants first to see how the first unit will work and if the operation will make economic sense.

With Hai Yang Shi You 301, CNOOC hopes to expand its lNG market to inland provinces and cities, markets normally dominated by pipeline gas distributed by PetroChina and Sinopec.

The scheme involves CNOOC uploading lNG from bigger lNG carriers at lNG terminals in Guangdong and Hainan provinces and transporting the product to inland cities in Guangxi region.

CNOOC became the world’s second largest lNG importer in 2014, with imports hitting 14.11 million tonnes, accounting for

newS In BRIeF

70% of China’s import total, an increase of 9% from 2013. it largely distributes the clean fuel to the markets along the southern and eastern coasts via its seven lNG terminals. nEdited by Andrew [email protected]

delta subsea adds new vesselDelta SubSea, llC (‘DSS’) has entered into an agreement with Olympic Shipping aS for the Olympic Delta, a newly built Multipurpose Subsea Support & Construction Vessel. The Olympic Delta (below) is a GrEEN Vessel designed according to DNV class, with high focus on reduced fuel consumption, which also means lesser emission to the environment. The vessel is equipped with two Delta SubSea Schilling HD 150 HP work-class remotely operated vehicles (rOVs) from DSS’s fleet.

“We’re thrilled to announce the addition of a second vessel to our growing line up,” said Scott Dingman, DSS’s President – CEO. “The Olympic Delta will extend our growth in the international market place by allowing Delta SubSea to better cater to our clients deepwater iMr and construction needs.”

The 94 m long, Olympic Delta, has a maximum speed of 13 knots and is equipped with an 80 T (aHC) crane with 2,000 m of wire. The vessel also comes equipped with 3 bow thrusters designed for working in high currents and a 6 m x 6 m moon pool for construction work. The Olympic Delta has one rOV hangerdeck area and two WrOV larS located on the starboard and port sides of the vessel. The vessel is equipped with Kongsberg K-Master DP control and navigation equipment and has 52 staterooms for 80-man POB. nDELTA SUBSEA

cimc launches deepwater semi-sub riga new deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig has the yard of CiMC raffles at Yantai in Shandong Province to join the South China Sea fleet of CNOOC ltd.

The rig was built for China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) subsidiary China Oilfield Services ltd (COSl), and had been undergoing sea trials since November 2014.

it is the fourth deepwater semi-submersible built by CiMC for COSl and will have an operational depth of 1,500 metres and a drilling depth down to 7,600 metres, the Yantai yard said in a statement.

The rig, called COSl Prospector, can accommodate a crew of 130, said Xinhua news agency. CiMC said it had built a total of nine deepwater semi-submersibles to date and was currently constructing five more, including two for Singapore-based Frigstad Offshore.

“Yantai has become a vital design, construction and sea trial centre in China due to breakthroughs in deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig bulk design and construction,” CiMC said. COSl Prospector is the first semi-submersible built by CiMC incorporating Wood Group Mustang Norway’s GG5000 floating hull design. Wood Group said it was responsible for the basic design and had participated in the detailed drafting of the semi-submersible hull and main marine systems.

The rig, engineered to Norwegian Petroleum Directorate standards, was the result of “highly successful collaboration”, Wood Group’s president, Otto Soberg, said in a statement. Previous reports, when the COSl Prospector began sea trials, suggested the rig would be employed by COSl Drilling Europe in the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

it has not been made clear why the rig has now gone to the South China Sea as part of CNOOC ltd’s exploration and production fleet. Some of China’s offshore rig and vessel yards are suffering from a downturn owing to capital expenditure cuts by many oil and gas explorers because of the oil price slump. The downturn is affecting China’s jack-up rig business in particular. nEdited by Andrew [email protected]

With the conclusion of talks between the UN P5+1 and Tehran regarding Iran’s nuclear programme pending, NewsBase has released its Iran Investment Special Report.

Topics covered in the report include:

Iran Investment Special Report

• Risk• Key players• Services• Pipelines• Influential local contact details• A breakdown of the IPC

• Investment• Field profiles• Export options• Projects & Tenders

Click here to to find out more.

http://shop.newsbase.com/products/iran-investment-special-report


N E W S B A S E

As InnovOil has previously reported, the last few years have seen unmanned aerial vehicle (UaV or drone) inspections take

off within oil and gas applications. The combination of cheaper aircraft capable of carrying more advanced payloads, and the pressure on industry to keep costs down, has made them an attractive proposition.

The increased safety and reduced downtime they offer when compared with rope-access inspections is also a benefit, as firms push to maximise operational efficiency and avoid unnecessary downtime. as a result, drones are attracting more and

the sky’s the limit

more attention from both operators and investors.

One company bearing witness to some of this record growth is Sky-Futures. Having grown by 700% in 2014, the company has now attracted the attention of venture capital firms, this month gaining £2.5 million (US$3.8 million) in new investment from the UK’s MMC Ventures – the largest such investment in drones seen in Europe so far.

MMC’s investment director Simon Menashy commented: “Drone technology is an exciting area of innovation, but it’s only now that we are seeing leading commercial operators emerge. We’re excited to work

with an exceptional trio of founders in James, Chris and Nick, and look forward to helping the team to take the business to the next level of global scale.”

But the attention has not been limited to oil and gas insiders. MMC’s backing follows two previous seed rounds which included angel investments from aSOS CEO Nick robertson.

Flying highDespite many businesses struggling with low oil prices, Sky-Futures has had a fairly successful year already. its recently opened Houston office gained a major breakthrough in March, with the US Federal aviation administration (Faa) granting a Section 333 Exemption, permitting the use of Sky-Futures’ ascending Technologies Falcon 8 drone in US National air Space (NaS).

The certification puts it in the vanguard of such firms looking to offer drone inspection to operators in the Gulf of Mexico. Sky-Futures’ vp of business development, Jason Forte, explained to innovOil: “Sky-Futures is the only experienced UaV inspection company in the US with a [Section 333] Exemption. We were the 46th company in the US to receive Faa approval.”

The drones are used to collect high-definition video, stills and thermal imagery data, all of which is then analysed in a proprietary data platform and delivered to the client as a technical report, written by qualified expert team.

But innovation never sleeps, and new inspection and monitoring technologies are already in the pipeline. Forte told innovOil: “Measuring percentage change in defects over time, as well as gas detection, [is] on the horizon for commercial release.”

in addition to its new US office, Sky-Futures offers inspection services in the North Sea, the Middle East, Southeast asia and North africa.

But with venture capital now involved, will there be an explosion of drone-based services firms? “it’s difficult to say,” Forte posits. “Many new UaV companies are trying to be the jack of all trades and experts of none. We made the decision years ago to focus on the niche market of oil and gas. investment companies need to be sure that their money is going to the experts in a particular industry. While the UaV services industry is going to explode over the next few years, i think those companies without focus are not going to fare too well.” n

newS In BRIeF

With aerial drone inspections becoming more common and more advanced, Sky-Futures have gone from strength to strength


N E W S B A S E

newS In BRIeF

atkins wins centrica decom-missioning contractatkins has secured a five-year contract to support the UK’s Centrica Energy with oil and gas decommissioning, the project management and consulting company said last week. The news comes at a time when weak oil prices are triggering a raft of decommissioning projects in mature North Sea waters.

Under the multidisciplinary pre-front end engineering design (FEED) decommissioning contract, atkins is to provide engineering and design services to Centrica for any fields in the UK or Netherlands that it decides to decommission.

although Centrica Energy is determined to maximise the potential of all its North Sea assets, the entire industry needs to plan ahead on how to decommission offshore platforms, subsea infrastructure and pipelines in mature regions, said Myrtle Dawes, Centrica’s projects director for the UK and Netherlands.

Centrica Energy also announced last week that it had awarded a contract to acteon unit Offshore installation Services (OiS) to decommission multiple wells in the North Sea.

The initial campaign will see OiS decommission six subsea wells in the central North Sea, which will be abandoned using a diverless, vessel-based approach.

The work will be conducted from an anchor-handling tug supply vessel (aHTS), the island Valiant.

in the first phase, OiS will use sister company’s Claxton Engineering Services’ Suspended Well abandonment Tool (SWaT) system to set cement plugs in the bore and across all the casing annuli. in phase two, it will use an abrasive severance system for the cutting of the wells and their removal from the seabed.

Planning and engineering work is now under way, with the offshore scope of the contract due to mobilise in the summer.

Given the high degree of flexibility permitted with the rigless operations, OiS is also in talks with other North Sea operators interested in joining the campaign. Fairfield Energy also announced plans last week to

decommission its Dunlin alpha platform in the North Sea, citing the weak oil price and “challenging operational conditions”. The decommissioning process – for which Dunlin has not yet named a contractor – is projected to cost around GBP400 million (US$621 million). The Dunlin field lies around 483 km northeast of aberdeen in the East Shetland Basin.

royal Dutch Shell started consulting earlier this year on its plan to remove the first of its Brent platforms in what will be the biggest North Sea decommissioning project to date.Edited by Ryan [email protected]

galfar wins work on duqm schemelocal Omani firm Galfar Engineering & Contracting has been awarded the site preparation contract for the proposed greenfield refinery at the central port of Duqm, as the project company’s quiet renaming signals a pragmatic reconfiguration of the multi-billion dollar scheme in the wake of tougher economic times.

Duqm refinery & Petrochemical industries Co. (DrPiC) has become simply Duqm refinery, as plans have been shelved for the simultaneous construction of an integrated petrochemicals plant.

Muscat has generally been adamant that major strategic economic development projects will proceed despite the fiscal strain but with costly world-scale chemicals schemes at the established northern industrial hub of Sohar further advanced and enjoying a more obvious economic viability, and the entire Duqm development suffering from delays, embarking on another major capital project in an isolated location appears to have been a bridge too far. Decoupling the two Duqm ventures should accelerate progress on the refining element.

Galfar’s contract calls for the excavation and compaction of more than 12 million cubic metres of soil at the 900-hectare (9-square km) site allocated to the refining scheme by the Special Economic Zone authority of Duqm (SEZaD).

Completion is scheduled in five months, in preparation for the start of construction

of the planned 230,000 barrel per day refinery during 2016.

UK-based amec Foster Wheeler is carrying out the refinery’s front-end engineering and design (FEED) under a contract awarded in March 2014 that is anticipated to take around 14 months. Prequalification for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was launched in September 2014 and tenders are expected later this year.

Progress has been slow and piecemeal since the 50:50 joint venture (JV) agreement to develop both the refinery and a petrochemicals complex was signed between Muscat-owned Oman Oil Co. (OOC) and abu Dhabi government-owned international Petroleum investment Co. (iPiC) in June 2012. Shortly afterwards, France’s Technip was awarded the project management consultancy (PMC), with the FEED tendered the following year and a long wait for its award last year.

in the meantime, fellow French firm Credit agricole was selected as financial adviser for the estimated US$6 billion refinery. However, various elements of the broader Duqm development have unexpectedly accelerated since the advent of lower oil prices and hence squeezed state revenues in June 2014.

Prequalification applications were due in early May for the EPC contracts on both the seawater intake plant to provide treated water to the refinery and other industrial ventures at the site and on the first package – covering dredging and reclamation – of a bulk liquids terminal to serve the import-export facility, which aims to profit from Duqm’s favourable location on major shipping routes and outside the overcrowded, politically sensitive Straits of Hormuz.

The FEED contract was also awarded in January to amec Foster Wheeler on the proposed ras Markaz crude storage and export park that would be linked by an approximately 70-km pipeline to Duqm. Eventually envisaged to become one of the largest such facilities in the world, the park will be built in phases according to demand – allowing the timing of execution to respond directly to prevailing economic conditions.

as the SEZaD’s anchor tenant, the OOC/iPiC venture’s decision to do likewise is a positive step for the development as a whole.Edited by Ian [email protected]

Executive Search

www.fwbparkbrown.com

FWB Park Brown consists of very experienced executive search consultants, researchers and administration support. We advise and support our clients with the identification, and recruitment of Board level (Executive and Non-Executive) and Senior Management talent. We combine the benefits of localised market knowledge with global reach and have sourced talent from almost every part of the world. Our people are the key to our success.

Meet Stuart Cochrane

A mechanical engineer by training and possessing an MBA from Edinburgh University, Stuart has gained over 25 years’ experience within the oil & gas industry in both the USA and Europe. Stuart joined Park Brown International as a Director in 2002 and in 2013 joined the board of FWB Park Brown. Stuart has applied his extensive industry experience to successfully complete many senior level assignments across all sectors of the upstream oil and gas industry in the UK, North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Contact the team at FWB Park Brown to discuss your individual or company requirements, or to discover more about our specialist services.

Call Edinburgh on 0131 539 7087, Aberdeen on 01224 317 344 or Houston on +1 832 409 6337

E X E C U T I V E S E A R C H


Stuart Cochrane, Director

..it’s about being organised, rigorous and focussed … and fundamentally about knowing what good looks like”

“We have considerable expertise across our team, for example many of us have worked in the Energy sector for the sorts of businesses we are now advising and supporting. Almost all of the work I handle involves searching internationally and …

A4_Stuart_Cochrane_20MAY.indd 1 20/05/2015 10:16


N E W S B A S E

Executive Search


FWB Park Brown consists of very experienced executive search consultants, researchers and administration support. We advise and support our clients with the identification, and recruitment of Board level (Executive and Non-Executive) and Senior Management talent. We combine the benefits of localised market knowledge with global reach and have sourced talent from almost every part of the world. Our people are the key to our success.

Meet Stuart Cochrane

A mechanical engineer by training and possessing an MBA from Edinburgh University, Stuart has gained over 25 years’ experience within the oil & gas industry in both the USA and Europe. Stuart joined Park Brown International as a Director in 2002 and in 2013 joined the board of FWB Park Brown. Stuart has applied his extensive industry experience to successfully complete many senior level assignments across all sectors of the upstream oil and gas industry in the UK, North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Contact the team at FWB Park Brown to discuss your individual or company requirements, or to discover more about our specialist services.

Call Edinburgh on 0131 539 7087, Aberdeen on 01224 317 344 or Houston on +1 832 409 6337

E X E C U T I V E S E A R C H


Stuart Cochrane, Director

..it’s about being organised, rigorous and focussed … and fundamentally about knowing what good looks like”

“We have considerable expertise across our team, for example many of us have worked in the Energy sector for the sorts of businesses we are now advising and supporting. Almost all of the work I handle involves searching internationally and …

A4_Stuart_Cochrane_20MAY.indd 1 20/05/2015 10:16

To make enquiries about any of the products or

technologies featured in this edition, use this list

of vital connections

If you’d like to learn more about the potential of composite repairs – whether for pipelines or complex structures – contact Ian Taylor at IMG Composites on +44 (0) 1224 879 966

or email [email protected]

To enquire about the ThermalSpection CVM thermal imaging system and how it could help monitor the temperature and safety of your assets, contact Lumasense at +49 69 973 730 or [email protected]

If Robert Sheppard’s call for greater depth and better asset life data makes sense, or if you’d like more information when examining the

health of your installations, contact Energo Engineering on +1 713 532 2900 or email [email protected]

If the performance of Polyguard’s RD-6 Non-Shielding coating could protect your pipelines, please contact Nathan Muncaster on:

+1 214 515 5000 or you can email [email protected]

To learn more about the zinc activation power of HEMPADUR AvantGuard®, contact Zohra Ali at Hempel on +44 (0) 1254 870 051

or email [email protected]

With new variations already in development, Halfwave’s pioneering ART Scan tool could be in demand. For more information contact Alan Mather

at [email protected] or call +44 (0)7827 322 433

Is the future of drilling already here? ZerLux’s laser-drilled laterals may suggest so. If you’d like to know more, direct your enquiries to Peter

Bajcsi at [email protected] or you can call +36 203 236 033

Additionally, if you’d like any more information on drone inspections for your assets, contact Katy Kelly at Sky-Futures, via

[email protected]

what next …?

an asset to energy professionals

also available on your tablet

Synchrony magnetic bearingSEliminating metal-to-metal contact and frictionPage 2

Published by vNewsBase

Issue ThreeOctober 2012


™

Fuel FlexibilityWärtsilä’s technology’s power generation Page 4

core cuttingNOV’s innovative approach to samplingPage 6

eaSing the preSSureEffective training for HPHT drillingPage 7

Powering uP with SPecialiSed ManageMent ServiceS SMS goes offshore with its Hydraulic Power UnitsPage 3

catch of the dayAn innovative approach to well stimulation from FishbonesPage 10

SMall iS beautifulCompactGTL’s small-scale modular gas-to-liquid plant Page 8

heavy rotationWell Innovation introduces its rotating Inflow Zone ControllerPage 14


Issue Two September 2012


™

DODGING DOWNTIMENorgren’s Redundant Valve

Manifold systemPage 2


Issue FiveDecember 2012


™

FOAMING UPChampion Technologies

tackles gas well loading

Page 4

SMART THINKINGRotork’s Smart Valve Monitoring system

Page 6

SEAL OF APPROVALCode A Weld’s wealth of

weld testing expertisev

Page 10

NEWin this issue: CompanyprofilesSee pages 9 &10

The GOD Of Tie-in TechnOlOGyThor’s new solution to an

age-old problemPage 9


Issue Four

November 2012Bringing you the latest innovations in exploration, production and refining

™

fRAcK TO The fUTUReHalliburton’s new PermStim™

fracturing service

Page 2

RAPiD RiSeRRiserTech’s new dynamic

software design Page 4

nODAl KnOWleDGeFairfieldNodal’s cable-free node technology

Page 6

CATALYST FOR GROWTHA new perspective

on gas-to-liquids

Pages 2-3


Issue Nine

April 2013


™

KEEPING TRIMCarter Process

Control’s JACK Trims

Page 4

GOOD BUOYMatrix’s advanced subsea

buoyancy products

Page 10

TESTING TIMESWellDog introduces its

CBM testing service

Page 12

CLICKfor our new videos page

PUSHING THE LIMIT

Silixa’s iDAS application Page 6


Issue Ten

May 2013


™

MATERIAL IMPACTAGR maximises

materials management

Page 2

BETTER LIFTING

THRoUGH CHEMISTRY

Clariant considers the

merits of chemical EOR

Page 8

WELL SToCKEDTaking stock with

Thames Stockholders

Page 14

e-mail: [email protected]: +44 (0) 131 478 7000

www.innovoil.co.uk

“the article on kongsberg maritime’s munin auv is excellent” Mark Hampton, Manager of Exploration and Technology, Shell Exploration and Production Inc.

InnovOil, from the NewsBase group, is a technology-driven, monthly magazine which aims to provide a platform for innovators and engineers to share to share their ideas and expertise. Our publication remains a trusted, solicited information source for technology news across the complete spectrum of the upstream, midstream and downtream oil and gas sectors.

PRESSURE PRINCIPLEWebtool’s new

intensifier panel

Page 6


Issue Eleven

June 2013


™

SEALED & DELIVEREDArefco’s bespoke

sealing solutions

Page 4

DEEP THINKERSAvalon Sciences’ Geochain

borehole seismic system

Page 10

INSPECTION

TIMECortez Subsea’s exclusive

contract with MCS

Page 8

Published by

Issue 23

May 2014


™

SIXTH SENSELumasense’s flare

monitoring system

Page 14

CORE QUESTIONSInnovOil asks the

drilling industryPage 4

GATHERING INTELAGR’s iQx™ software

Page 6

MISSION MONITORINGModular Subsea

Monitoring from

KongsbergPage 10

Published by

Issue 24

June 2014


™

RAPID RESPONSE

The Containerized

Delivery System

from SeaBotixPage 6

IN THE PIPELINE

Automated pipe laying from Atlas Copco

Page 14

CORE QUESTIONSInnovOil goes subsea

Page 4

POWER AND CONTROL

Oceaneering Umbilical Solutions

Page 8

Published by

Issue 25

July 2014


™

PIONEERING

PERSPECTIVE EOR at Heriot Watt

UniversityPage xx

TRIED & TESTEDAnton Paar’s Callisto 100

Page xx

IN THE WATER

Biocides from BWA

Page xx

SPEED OF SOUND The UV-SVP from

ValeportPage xx

page 1

November 2014

Issue 28

™

UNLEASHING A TITANScientific Drilling

International’s TITAN22

performance drilling motor

Page 13

PHOTOREALISTICSchlumberger introduces the

Quanta Geo reservoir geology service

Page 17

ENGINEERING SAFETY

The IChemE highlights its new

process safety qualification

Page 10

CAPTURE THE FLAG

Scottish Carbon Capture &

Storage roundtable

Page 4

November 2014

Published by

Issue 29

December 2014


™

GAME OF DRONES

Are UAVs the future of

asset monitoring?Page X

IN FROM THE COLD

Cold Temperature

Demulsifiers from

Clariant Oil Servicesp. XX

CORE

QUESTIONSOur Q&A with

Production

Efficiency expertsp. XX

PIPELINE

PROTECTIONMonitoring corrosion

with Teledyne Oil and Gas

PageX

Published by

Annual

January 2015


™

2014 Annual

SubSea Special

Sea HeRe

Subsea systems from Zetechtics Page 9


Issue 18January 2014


™

iNTO THe

blueSubsea UK reports

on the industry

Page 2

GOiNG DeepeRFugro’s innovative

ROVs

Page 5

21ST ceNTuRY

buOYABTOG’s marginal field

development solutions

Page 19


Issue Nineteen

January 2014


™

MAXIMUM VOLUME

Trican’s latest

frac fluids

Page 4

TEST RUN

HIL testing with

Marine Cybernetics

Page 7

ULTRAVIOLET

atg UV water

purification

Page 9

ENHANCED

PRODUCTION

Maersk Oil’s TriGen project

Page 2

AT YOUR SERVICEProfiling DOF

SubseaPage 5


Issue Twenty

February 2014


™

HEATING

UPTranter’s innovative

plate design

Page 2

POWER SUPPLYSLD Pumps

and Power

Page 4

VITAL LOGISTICS

DHL’s integrated

solutions

Page 9

THE PERFECT

PREDATORAtlas Copco’s

mobile drilling rig

Page 2


Issue Twenty One

March 2014


™

TRANSFER

WINDOWA look at Bronswerk’s

compact cooling

Page 5

TACTICAL

FORMATION

Trican’s AccuLite

cementing system

Page 8

LIGHTING A

LIFELINEPhotoSynergy’s award-

winning LIGHTPATH

Page 18


Issue 22

April 2014


™

ON A WIREDyform Bristar

ropes from

Bridon

Page 7

WORLD FIRSTHIL testing with

Marine Cybernetics

Page 4

AWARD SEASONThinkTank Maths’

latest achievement

Page 6

NEW DIRECTION

DDO systems

from GEM

Page 8

Published by

Issue 24

June 2014


™

RAPID RESPONSE

The Containerized

Delivery System

from SeaBotix

Page 6

IN THE PIPELINE

Automated pipe laying from Atlas Copco

Page 14

CORE QUESTIONSInnovOil goes subsea

Page 4

POWER AND CONTROL

Oceaneering Umbilical Solutions

Page 8

Published by

Issue 25

July 2014


™

PIONEERING

PERSPECTIVE EOR at Heriot Watt

UniversityPage 6

TRIED & TESTED

Anton Paar’s Callisto 100

Page 10

IN THE WATER

Biocides from BWA

Page 11

SPEED OF SOUND The UV-SVP from

ValeportPage 8

Published by

Issue 26

August 2014


™

TighT securiTyNord-Lock

introduces No Need

For Retightening

Page 8

see clearlyYokogawa’s Vigilant

Plant concept

Page 7

The chainSupply chain track & trace

from Swire Oilfield Services

Page 10

ch-ch-changes

A closer look at ONS 2014

Page 4

Published by

Issue 27

September 2014


™

ALL IN THE CHEMISTRYThe Royal Society

of Chemistry talks

oilfield innovations

Page 4

EXTENDING

LIMITSViscodrill™ from

OMNOVA Oil & Gas

Page 8

TRACING TO WINTracerco’s tagging

technologyPage 12

SURF’S UPClariant Oil

Services’ SURFTREAT®

flowback aids

Page 10

page 1

November 2014

Issue 28

™

UNLEASHING A TITANScientific Drilling

International’s TITAN22

performance drilling motor

Page 13

PHOTOREALISTIC

Schlumberger introduces the

Quanta Geo reservoir geology service

Page 17

ENGINEERING SAFETY

The IChemE highlights its new

process safety qualification

Page 10

CAPTURE THE FLAG

Scottish Carbon Capture &

Storage roundtable

Page 4

November 2014

Published by

Issue 29

December 2014


™

GAME OF DRONES

Are UAVs the future of

asset monitoring?Page X

IN FROM THE COLD

Cold Temperature

Demulsifiers from

Clariant Oil Servicesp. XX

CORE

QUESTIONSOur Q&A with

Production

Efficiency expertsp. XX

PIPELINE

PROTECTIONMonitoring corrosion

with Teledyne Oil and Gas

PageX

Published by

Issue 23

May 2014


™

SIXTH SENSELumasense’s flare

monitoring system

Page 14

CORE QUESTIONSInnovOil asks the

drilling industry

Page 4

GATHERING INTEL

AGR’s iQx™ software

Page 6

MISSION MONITORINGModular Subsea

Monitoring from

KongsbergPage 10

Published by

Issue 30

February 2015


™

VERSATILE VEHICLE

The vLBV from

Teledyne SeaBotix

Page 6

ASK THE EXPERTSSubsea Q&APage 8

SUIT UPHeated diving equipment

from entro Page 18

NEW YEAR, NEW

CHALLENGESSubsea UK’s Neil Gordon

surveys the field

Page 4

SUBSEA SPECIAL Issue 30February 2015

Published by

Issue 31

March 2015


™

Shared idealS

Enhancing collaboration and

communication with nuVa

Page xx

Careful abandon

Tom Leeson discusses low

prices and decommissioning

Page xx

a bit different

Is GA Drilling’s non-contact

PLASMABIT the future of P&A?

Page xx

big dealOur Q&A grapples

with Big Data

Page xx

Published by

Issue 33

May 2015


™

Flexible Friend

Bronswerk’s Flexplate is a

new approach to heat exchangers

Page 10

A Win-Win For the industry?

DNV GL’s exciting new project explores

floating wind-powered water injection

Page 6

neW tool kitJ2 Subsea’s 4 Port ROV Tool Changer

Page 13

Cutting-edge CArriers

Japanese shipbuilders are poised to

see a renaissance thanks to LNG

Page 24

noW With

reCruitment

see page 3

3

N E W S B A S E

Published by

“The article on Kongsberg Maritime’s Munin AUV is excellent!”Mark Hempton, Manager of Exploration and Technology at Shell International Exploration and Production Inc. “The article was great and we received our first sales lead as a result of the article today.”Alex Grant, Product Line Manager Well Drilling, Atlas Copco “Following the article we experienced increased level of interest in our products and we can directly attribute significant new customer enquiries to the publication.”Andy Hill,Group Marketing ManagerIPU Group “We were pleased with the immediate interest that our article attracted.”Oxford Catalysts Group


Issue 22 April 2014


™

ON A WIREDyform Bristar ropes from BridonPage 7

WORLD FIRSTHIL testing with Marine CyberneticsPage 4

AWARD SEASONThinkTank Maths’ latest achievementPage 6

NEW DIRECTIONDDO systems from GEMPage 8

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InnovOil Issue 34 June 2015

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