The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Major projects backed
Oil: Innovation body aids four schemes with £230,000 funding
The body that connects oil and gas firms with university researchers in Scotland has backed four new projects with £230,000 of funding.
The Oil& GasInnovation Centre (Ogic) signed its 31st project agreement, which will see the development of a system to allow heat from subsea pipelines to be converted to electrical power.
The project is one of four recentlyagreedthat will see companies developing innovative technology with direct applications across the oil and gas industry.
Ellon-based Exnics will work with Heriot-Watt University to develop a thermoelectric generator (TEG) to support its “Hot Rings” system, which works to harness the heat from subsea pipelines and convert it intoDCelectrical power.
A bespoke TEG will be developed to improve the performance of the product in future deployment and will increase the range of applications where power from waste heat can be used.
In the second project, textiles firm Iron Ocean is developing a garment to improve the chances of survival in the event of offshore workers being submerged in the sea.
The company, founded by former oil and gas worker Simon Lamont, came up with the idea after fatal helicopter ditchings in the North Sea in 2009.
The compression fit garment will be designed to be worn under offshore survival suits and would improve heat retention, be slash resistant, generate heat and resist fire. A coating will be designed to produce a thermal reaction to provide warmth to the wearer lasting at least one hour.
Iron Ocean will work with Heriot-Watt University’s School of Textiles and Design to construct a prototype which will be tested, certified and ready for use by industry within a year.
The third project will see two firms, Core Specialist Services (CSS) and Hydrophilic AS, working with the University of Strathclyde to develop a pressure probe thatwill enable the estimation of the depth to the oil/water contact without drilling through it. The knowledge of the oil/water contact is crucially important for volume and value assessment of any hydrocarbon discovery. CSS is working with the University of Strathclyde on proof of concept, which will then allow the next stages of progress to be completed with the development of a functioning tool.
In the fourth project, Subsea Deployment Systems will work with the University of Strathclyde to develop a system for installing large subsea structures without a heavy lift vessel. The Subsea Deployment System (SDS) will allow small crane vessels to instal large structures in hostile environments. This will reduce the cost, extend the operating window, improve safety and reduce the environmental impact of subsea installation operations.
Ian Phillips, chief executive of Ogic, said: “The confirmation of our 31st project is testament to the industry’s willingness to seek innovative solutions to the challenges currently being faced by companies operating in the UKCS.
“Our four most recent projects all focus on very different aspects of the industry but each has the potential to have a major impact on offshore operations.”
Ogic has co- funded 31 projects valued at almost £2million and is progressing more than 50 others across the exploration and production spectrum, collaborating with UK and international businesses.
“Each project has the potential to have amajor impact”
Alexander Garden