Oil & Gas Innovation Centre supports 100 projects

The 100^th project will see OGIC supporting Targe Environmental Consulting Ltd with its development of a decommissioning materials management platform. Using AI the technology will greatly increase the identification of materials on oil and gas assets, pre-dismantlement, that can be re-used, this will include a multi-faced marketplace to allow the resale of usable assets and recyclable materials.

The aim of the platform is to reduce the overall cost of decommissioning and increase the principles of the circular economy by greatly increasing the amount of material which is reused and recycled across multiple industry sectors and geographic locations.

Targe will work with Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) School of Computing Science and Digital Media to develop the software. At the end of the 12-month project a fully functioning prototype of the system will have been developed.

The announcement of the 100^th project follows OGIC signing agreements to support five new pieces of innovative technology which have the potential to improve efficiency and reduce costs in the oil and gas industry.

The diverse projects range from a system to detect marine mammal activity to innovative drill bit technology, a new additive manufacturing process and a research project into polymers for pipeline coatings.

Ian Phillips, chief executive officer of OGIC, said: “The signing of our 100^th project is a significant milestone and is testament to the current appetite across the industry to develop both new and disruptive technology. We are increasingly seeing a recognition that the only way to make operations more efficient and cost-effective is to develop innovative ways of working.

“Our most recent projects are excellent examples of the range of applications and opportunities which exist across the sector for developing innovative technology. They also highlight the vast amount of expertise and knowledge which exists within Scottish Universities.”

For example, TechnipFMC is working with the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Material Research Laboratory (AMRL) to develop and qualify a wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process for its additive manufactured product range. TechnipFMC’s product range is conventionally manufactured using traditional techniques such as forging and fabrication. Depending on product complexity, lead times for large forgings can often exceed 30 weeks and the situation is broadly similar for fabricated components which is largely due to the numerous heat treatment and machining operations that are required.

The development of the WAAM process would minimise material consumption, reduce inventory and create a rapid near net shape production route for new and replacements parts. The AMRL will collaborate with key engineers and technologists from TechnipFMC to provide materials analysis and testing capability during the development, validation and full-scale production of additive manufactured products using TechnipFMC’s new WAAM facilities.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/01052019/oil-gas-innovation-centre-supports-100-projects/