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Oil & Gas
Shell ’ s iShale ® well pads and a mini-modular Central Processing Facility ( CPF ) are powered by large solar panels and wind turbines .
The Namibia Orange basin , the location of recent discoveries , is believed to be rich in oil resources .
In June , Denmark for the first time allowed companies to investigate carbon storage in Danish subsoil . Norway has likewise permitted six companies , including Equinor and Aker BP to store carbon on the Norwegian Continental Shelf . Current technologies for reinjecting CO2 into the seabed are highly energy-intensive . However , TechnipFMC and Sulzer Flow Equipment have collaborated to develop a new high-pressure separation technology to separate CO2-rich natural gas from oil at the seabed . The technology promises to improve energy efficiency on FPSOs while reducing costs and emissions . Green energy - Several companies are transitioning to greener types of energy production such as wind , solar , bio-energy and hydrogen . Among the heavyweights in this field are BP , Enbridge , TotalEnergies , Shell , Eni and Equinor . They have seen the writing on the wall and are positioning themselves to become providers of the energy of the future . However , according to Greenpeace , this process is not happening quickly enough , and companies ’ green investments remain tiny in comparison to their investments in both fossil fuel and CCS ; furthermore , earlier this year BP , TotalEnergies and Shell announced they were scaling back their green investments 4 . The whole transition process would be considerably sped up if subsidies and tax breaks for fossil-fuel production were to be phased out . 3D printing - already well established in aerospace , medicine and other industries , 3D-printing has yet to take hold in upstream oil and gas . Some components have been 3D-printed , but there is much more that can be done . The benefits of local 3D-printing of components on remote locations such as rigs are too great to ignore : they include reducing lead times and eliminating storage costs . The additive approach to manufacturing consumes less materials and generates far less waste than the traditional subtractive approach . DNV has set up Global Additive Manufacturing Technology Centre of Excellence in Singapore and is active throughout the world in promoting the technology . Local initiatives have been undertaken by Jordan , the UAE , Saudi Arabia , Oman and Egypt . Examples of components that could be 3D printed are control-valve components , casings and pump manifolds . Exxonmobil , Chevron and TotalEnergies have all worked with 3D manufacturers .
Stainless steel Oil & gas continues to be a very important market for stainless steel and CRAs . No doubt , this fact drove the decision by the tubular maker Corrosion Resistant Alloys to set up a facility in Brenham , Texas . Recent deals include Butting ’ s delivery of 290 kilometres of mechanically lined pipes for three offshore projects in Brazil ( 2023 ); Nippon Steel ’ s renewed contract for OCTGs for Equinor ; Vallourec ’ s five-year contract for tubes and connections for Equinor ’ s Brazilian operations ; Alleima ’ s umbilicals contract for a Brazilian offshore project ; and Vallourec ’ s contracts to supply tubes and connections for Abu Dhabi ’ s ADNO . Alleima recently unveiled a new alloy for subea umbilicals . SAF™ 3007 duplex stainless steel is designed to offer superior strength , fatigue properties and corrosion resistance , all at reduced cost . The alloy ’ s lighter weight and thinner walls contribute to streamlined manufacturing processes , in line with the drive to greater sustainability . Specifically , the new tubular material is designed as an alternative to the standard grade to SAF™ 2507 . Compared to the latter , the new grade features additional chromium ( 30 %), reduced molybdenum ( -1 %) and introduces tungsten at 3.4 %. The new grade will be rolled out at the end of 2024 .
References
[ 1 ] https :// gulf . omeclk . com / portal / wts / ug % 5EcnDykzSa qFxyd894aBk8cDL48lpzDE % 5BGrl9a
[ 2 ] https :// worldoil . com / news / 2024 / 6 / 12 / slowingdemand-growth-and-surging-supply-put-worldoil-markets-on-course-for-major-surplus-ieareports /? oly _ enc _ id = 6911F5579689H1Z )
[ 3 ] https :// www . zero . cam . ac . uk / who-we-are / blog / news / hundreds-uk-scientists-and-academics-urge-primeminister-rishi-sunak-prevent
[ 4 ] https :// balkangreenenergynews . com / greenpeace-oilcompanies-investing-pocket-change-in-renewableenergy-sources /
34 Heat Exchanger World September 2024 www . heat-exchanger-world . com