The Oil & Gas Technology Centre has invested more than £1.6 million in new projects to accelerate the development and deployment of technologies to improve efficiency and reduce costs for operators.
To reduce the cost of inspecting and maintaining offshore infrastructure by 50% by 2021, the Aberdeen-based centre will co-fund the development of a new generation of unmanned drones and the latest ultrasonic technology to help manage asset integrity.
This will help developer Air Control Energy to deliver ‘a step-change’ in remote inspection of oil and gas facilities as advanced drones could be 20 times faster than traditional inspection techniques and reduce costs by 50% in comparison to traditional rope-access methods.
The centre is also working with TRAC Oil & Gas to develop a new electromagnetic method to inspect corroded pipework under insulation and composite wrap materials. This would enable companies to monitor the condition of hidden pipework, saving time and money compared to current approaches.
Using technology to transform the construction and operation of wells could reduce costs by up to 50%.
To support this, the centre is also co-funding a project with Deepwater Oil Tools to develop a special articulated joint which could enable drilling operations in rough weather conditions, saving tens of millions of pounds each year.
Meanwhile, Total, Chevron and Nexen have become members of OGTC’S multiple solution centres, while information technology firms Resulting and Kippitech have joined ITS Digital Solution Centre.
Subsea integrity specialist, 1CSI, has signed up to OGTC’s Asset Integrity Solution Centre and subsea technology company, Exnics, has joined the Small Pools Solution Centre.
Colette Cohen, Chief Executive of the Oil & Gas Technology Centre, said: “I’m pleased and proud to welcome our first members to the Oil & Gas Technology Centre and -given the significant level of interest in our activities – am confident many more will follow in the coming months.
“Since our launch in February 2017, we’ve screened almost 200 technologies and have an excellent pipeline of opportunities, with operating companies now facilitating field trials on the UKCS.
Launched in February 2017 with £180 million funding from the Scottish and British governments, the Oil & Gas Technology Centre is a not-for-profit, research and knowledge company, which aims to unlock the full potential of the UK North Sea and to anchor the supply chain in north east Scotland.
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