In an effort to spur expansion throughout the continent, Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection (Teledyne GFD) has appointed a new vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas.
Gerald V. Sims will assist Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection in further growing its market share in this significant geographic market thanks to his extensive experience in gas utilities and his proven track record of sales leadership.
Over many years, Teledyne GFD has been expanding throughout the Americas. Teledyne Detcon, the company's US manufacturing facility in Cypress, Texas, has been offering industrial-grade gas detectors, control systems, analysers, and wireless technologies to the gas detection market for more than 40 years.
“Gerald will use his expertise and deep industry knowledge to play a pivotal role in maximising our growth potential and enhancing the presence of our product brands across the Americas,” said Thibault Fourlegnie, vice president and general manager, Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection. “We’re excited to see the gains that Gerald can provide, not just for Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection, but also for our customers. After all, an even stronger Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection is beneficial for stakeholders up and down the supply chain, including distributors and end users.”
Celeros Flow Technology (Celeros FT) and Carbon Clean signed a partnership agreement at ADIPEC to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture technology in hard-to-abate industries
Under the partnership agreement, both companies will collaborate to develop industrial-scale carbon capture solutions. It will see Celeros FT combining its application knowledge and technical engineering pedigree with Carbon Clean’s specialist expertise in carbon capture solutions, specifically Carbon Clean’s patented Cyclone CC technology, which is columnless, compact and modular, delivering high performance while significantly reducing the cost of carbon capture compared to conventional solutions.
Celeros FT, which provides engineering and fabrication services based on more than 140 years of experience, will leverage its extensive sales and aftermarket support network to support the decarbonisation goals of existing and new customers.
The agreement represents further progress towards Celeros FT’s ambition to become a full chain supplier to the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) sector and adds industrial carbon capture technology to its portfolio of specialist CO2 transportation pumps and injection pumps for storage.
Jose Larios, CEO & president, Celeros FT said, “Celeros Flow Technology recognises the challenges that the energy transition raises for customers. This partnership further underlines our commitment to developing fully customised lifecycle solutions that respond to the diverse process challenges of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable resources. We are excited by the prospect of working collaboratively with Carbon Clean to deliver modular, compact, and scalable solutions for carbon capture across our chosen markets.”
Aniruddha Sharma, chair and CEO, Carbon Clean, commented, “Our fully modular, columnless technology will transform the industrial carbon capture sector – solving the longstanding cost and space barriers. The Carbon Clean team have delivered a breakthrough and we are excited to partner with Celeros Flow Technology for manufacturing and fabrication. This partnership will play a significant role in accelerating the number of deployed units, enabling CycloneCC technology to be fully commercialised and rolled out at scale.”
Cannon Artes is constructing an advanced wastewater treatment and water reuse plant within one of the largest petrochemical complexes in the Middle East.
The facility, designed to support the water recovery requirements of a major polyolefin plant in Qatar, will process up to 25,000 cubic metres of effluent and cooling-tower-blow-down water daily. With a recovery capacity of 780 cubic metres per hour, the plant significantly reduces discharge rates, achieving nearly 80% water reuse.
This far exceeds regulatory standards. The facility is part of a nearly US$2bn project to establish a new polyethylene plant. The plant, designed with two polymerisation units and an annual capacity of nearly 2 million tons, incorporates advanced membrane technologies to manage industrial wastewater and cooling water blowdown.
Industrial effluents are treated using Cannon Artes’ proprietary EmbioArt Membrane BioReactor (MBR), while cooling water blowdown is processed with ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) technologies. The facility has a total treatment capacity of approximately 1,000 cubic metres per hour.
The project also includes a 600 cubic metre-per-hour remineralisation plant, equipped with six advanced calcite filters. This system increases pH and reduces the corrosivity of recovered water, setting a new benchmark for industrial remineralisation technology.
The Qatar project highlights Cannon Artes’ capability to execute large-scale, complex contracts. The company handled every aspect, from process design to procurement, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and delivery. All components were customised to meet client specifications, integrating cutting-edge technologies like EmbioArt MBR, UF, and RO for maximum efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Construction commenced in August 2024, with infrastructure expected to be completed within six months by early 2025. Full mechanical completion is slated for Q4 2025, demonstrating an impressive timeline given the project's complexity.
With projects delivered in more than 80 countries, the company has provided customised solutions to industries including oil and gas, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and food and beverage, solidifying its reputation for excellence in industrial water management.
“Cannon Artes was chosen as the supplier of choice earlier this year, due to our proven ability to deliver large-scale and complex industrial wastewater treatment solutions that meet the highest environmental and efficiency standards,” said Alessio Liati, sales director at Cannon Artes. “To give an idea of the project’s scale, the water treatment plant alone spans an area comparable to three football fields, with more than 1,600 reverse osmosis membranes, 360 ultrafiltration modules, and over 17,000 sqm of active MBR membrane surface.”
Following the launch of the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) at COP28, oil and gas companies are accelerating efforts to track, monitor and control their methane emissions
Eni has been awarded “Gold Standard reporting” of the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) for its commitment to reporting emissions at the highest data quality levels. OGMP 2.0 is an initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, aimed at setting the global standard for methane accountability and transparency in the oil and gas sector as a necessary step to effectively track and target mitigation with measurement-based data. Eni has been awarded “Gold Standard reporting” for having effectively reached highest data quality levels.
Eni has set itself the goal to reach near zero methane emissions by 2030, in line with the OGDC objectives, and has more than halved methane emissions between 2018 and 2023. Eni’s Upstream methane intensity of 0.06% in 2023 places the company among the leaders in the sector. A founding member of the UNEP Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP), the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) and Methane Guiding Principles (MGP), the company is signatory to the OGDC as well as the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction trust fund (GFMR), an initiative launched by the World Bank to support governments and operators in developing countries to eliminate routine flaring and reduce methane emissions from the O&G sector to near zero by 2030. Eni has also signed collaboration agreements with National Oil Companies (NOCs) aimed at sharing its industry-leading experience in methane management to enable methane reduction across the sector.
Meanwhile TotalEnergies, which is also aiming for near-zero methane emissions by 2030, has announced that the company is going a step further in the monitoring and reduction of its methane emissions with the deployment of continuous, real-time detection equipment at all of its operated Upstream sites, enabling real-time identification of methane emissions, both fugitive and stationary, and immediate corrective actions to stop them. This continuous detection plan will be fully implemented by end-2025 and will use existing and proven technologies such as loT2 sensors, InfraRed cameras, flowmeters and Predictive Emissions Monitoring Systems on combustion sources.
The company will meet as soon as this year its target to reduce emissions by 50% compared to 2020, a year ahead of plan as a result of numerous initiatives, including the successful deployment of its AUSEA drone campaigns.
“Slashing methane emissions is a short-term priority to contribute to the fight against climate change. Continuous, real-time detection will enable our operators to act in an even more decisive manner in order to reduce our methane emissions and to repair leaks to achieve our near-zero methane emissions ambition. As a champion of the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), I am proud that TotalEnergies is leading the way in deploying such equipment at large scale and we will continue to work with the industry to share best practices in measuring and fighting methane emissions”, said Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.
See also https://oilreviewmiddleeast.com/energy-transition/positive-progress-towards-ogdc-goals
Niftylift has unveiled ClipOn, a retrofittable safety device that offers access platform operators clear visual and audible cues to connect their harnesses before operating machinery.
Designed for Niftylift’s entire HeightRider range, ClipOn activates as soon as the key switch is turned on, alerting operators if they attempt to operate without securing their harness.
Red LED lights above connection points indicate an unfastened harness, and an alarm will sound if the operator tries to move the machine without proper attachment. Once the harness is secured, the LEDs turn green and the alarm ceases, ensuring a clear signal of safety compliance.
ClipOn’s visibility extends to ground teams with under-basket LEDs, signalling whether the operator is harnessed correctly, reinforcing safety protocols on-site.
The system integrates seamlessly into both new and existing Niftylift fleets and instals with ease using only three components—the control box, harness sensor, and light array. Its operation is intuitive, similar to seat belt alert systems in vehicles, making adoption straightforward for operators.
Effective safety protocols are essential, especially in high-risk sectors like working at height, where falls are a leading cause of workplace injuries.
Systems like ClipOn, with its simple yet powerful reminders, provide critical assurance for operators, managers, and site owners. ClipOn not only enhances safety but also simplifies inspection and compliance checks, offering a streamlined and unobtrusive safety solution that sets a new standard in access platform safety.
“Working at height inevitably involves risks, with falls being one of the most frequent causes of workplace injuries. That’s why ClipOn is crucial. Safety shouldn’t be complicated, and by ensuring every operator is securely harnessed before operating the machine, we’re making a simple but significant move towards eliminating the risk of falls from height,” said John Keely, managing director at Niftylift.
CS Combustion Solutions recently enhanced the capacity and efficiency of a sulfuric acid production plant located in Africa’s Copperbelt region, where demand for sulfuric acid is crucial in mining applications such as leaching copper and cobalt
Faced with growing demand, the plant needed to increase production while reducing operational costs and improving reliability. Through targeted improvements, CS increased daily production from 2,200 to 3,000 tons and optimised the plant’s overall performance.
Prior to the upgrade, the plant faced several challenges, including incomplete combustion, which led to sulfur droplets fouling downstream equipment like the waste heat boiler (WHB) and catalyst beds, increasing system pressure and requiring frequent shutdowns for maintenance. Clogging issues with conventional pressure atomisers resulted in frequent, costly nozzle replacements, while poor droplet atomisation caused hotspots in the refractory lining, increasing wear and reducing reliability.
CS Combustion Solutions tackled these issues with the following measures:
1. Ultrasonic atomisation: Replacing pressure atomisers with ultrasonic nozzles reduced droplet size from 400 to 110 µm, which minimised fouling, improved combustion, and protected the refractory lining from localised heat.
2. Swirl bodies: Introducing swirl bodies created rotational motion in the combustion air, enhancing flame formation and leading to more efficient sulfur combustion.
3. VectorWall installation: Replacing the plant’s original baffle walls with a VectorWall improved mixing within the combustion chamber, reduced hotspots, and prevented unreacted sulfur carryover to downstream components.
4. CFD analysis: A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study simulated and optimized the modifications prior to implementation, ensuring targeted performance improvements.
With these enhancements, the plant boosted production capacity by 30%, enabling 40 tons of sulfur incineration per hour. The new configuration allows maintenance of sulfur guns without stopping operations, reducing downtime and saving US$160,000 annually by decreasing pressure drop. Additionally, precise ultrasonic atomisation prevented sulfur buildup on the refractory, extending its lifespan.
This case study highlights the importance of innovative combustion technologies and detailed pre-implementation analysis, offering valuable insights for facilities facing similar challenges in optimising sulfuric acid production.
Halliburton has launched SandTrap XL consolidation service for sand control, a chemical resin consolidation technology to stop the production of formation sand
SandTrap XL sand control service employs an externally activated, low-viscosity resin system that provides consolidation strength to the formation grains without compromising rock permeability. Unlike internally activated resin systems, there are no restrictions on pumping or activation time to allow treatment of longer intervals.
The SandTrap XL system excels in the treatment of high-clay content minerology up to 25% and adapts to various formation mineralogies. It provides thermal stability above 550°F (287°C). This allows it to control sand in heavy oil reservoirs under enhanced oil recovery methods, such as steam flooding. As part of Halliburton’s portfolio of remedial solutions, SandTrap XL mitigates solids production, including formation sand and fines migration. This approach helps ensure the long-term stability and productivity of oil wells to address the needs of operators in diverse geological environments.
“Excessive sand production remains an issue in our industry,” said Luke Holderman, vice president, Production Solutions and Pipeline & Process Services. “SandTrap XL empowers our customers to maximise asset value through enhanced well performance and extended asset life. Through customised chemical consolidation, SandTrap XL provides a reliable solution for mature fields and unconsolidated reservoirs to ensure long-term productivity and efficiency.”
Eni and BP have resumed their exploration activities in Libya after halting drilling operations in the onshore region in 2014, according to Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC)
This follows the formal revocation of force majeure status by Eni and NOC in August 2023 on exploration areas A&B (onshore) and C (offshore), where Eni is operator with 42.5% along with bp (42.5%) and Libya Investment Authority (15%), as a result of a favourable security assessment. Some of these areas are close to the Wafa gas facilities that export production to Italy.
On October 26, Eni began its exploration activities in the Area B (96/3) of Ghadames Basin, where the first exploratory well, A1-96/3 (Hasheem Prospect), was drilled. This well is the first under the contractual obligations for Area B in Ghadames Basin, according to the Fourth Bid Round Contract of 2007. Mellitah Oil & Gas, which has extensive experience in the region, particularly in developing and managing the Wafa field, is overseeing the drilling operations and all related activities for this well.
Several promising geological formations in the A1-96/3 well are set to be tested, which are expected to contain both oil and gas. The well is projected to reach a final depth of approximately 3,147 m.
The A1-96/3 well is located around 35 km from the Wafa field and approximately 650 km from the capital, Tripoli.
Eni is the leading international gas producer in Libya, where it has been operating since 1959, and currently has a large portfolio of assets in exploration, production and development. Production activities are operated through the joint venture company Mellitah Oil and Gas BV (Eni 50%, NOC 50%).
Repsol and OMV are also set to restart operations sin the Murzuq Basin and Sirte Basin respectively, NOC says.
Data and analytics company GlobalData has released a thematic report, Robotics in Oil and Gas, which highlights the role of major oil and gas companies, such as ADNOC, BP, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Rosneft, Shell, and TotalEnergies in the development and adoption of robotics to enhance safety and productivity on the field
With the applications of robotics continuously evolving, the oil and gas industry has emerged as a significant adopter of the technology to improve safety and efficiency of operations. According to the GlobalData report, robots equipped with advanced technologies are yielding increasingly positive results, bringing a continued transformation in the operations of oil and gas companies.
Ravindra Puranik, oil and gas analyst at GlobalData, said, “Robots are proving invaluable to execute complex tasks at production facilities, thereby protecting workers from hazardous environments and reducing the likelihood of costly shutdowns. As a result, companies such as Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Shell are deploying them to work alongside humans on offshore sites. For instance, robotic automation can manage remote operations, such as those conducted on Equinor's Oseberg H platform in the North Sea. Their ability to perform repetitive and mundane tasks with minimal errors is saving time and internal resources for companies. Furthermore, it allows them to deploy field technicians on more critical issues.”
Oil and gas operations are labor-intensive and involve numerous repetitive tasks, many of which occur in hazardous environments and face various obstacles. Robotics presents an excellent solution to many challenges within the industry, as they can handle more strenuous tasks and complex procedures more effectively than humans.
Puranik said, “Robots provide greater reliability and efficiency in completing assigned tasks while also enhancing operational safety. The integration of terrestrial, aerial, and underwater robots is already playing a crucial role in several high-stakes oil and gas projects throughout the value chain. French oil major TotalEnergies, in collaboration with Oceaneering, recently conducted a pilot inspection of subsea pipelines in the North Sea using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).”
Robots can access hard-to-reach areas, carry out tasks beyond human capabilities, and operate continuously without needing breaks. Hence, they are being utilized as effective solutions for conducting inspections in difficult or hazardous environments, thereby avoiding preventing human exposure to such sites. Recently, cleaning of storage tanks is emerging as another prominent use case for robotics with companies, such as Saudi Aramco, Woodside, SK Innovation, and Indian Oil Corp, exploring the potential of robotic crawlers in this application.“Advancements in technology have equipped robots to effectively replace field personnel on oil rigs. Additionally, there is an increase in collaboration between oil and gas companies and technology vendors, enabling the diversification of robotic use cases with the integration of AI, IoT, cloud, and edge computing. These developments are anticipated to drive future growth in robotics within the oil and gas sector, reducing risks to human workers who operate alongside heavy machinery in often remote and challenging environments,” said Puranik.
Italy’s Industrie De Nora, which specialies in sustainable electrochemical technologies and in the emerging green hydrogen industry, has been awarded a contract to supply electrochlorination units for Qatar’s North Field South (NFS) project
The contract to supply electrochlorination units for the onshore LNG facilities in Ras Laffan, was awarded by the T.EN CCC Joint Venture, led by Technip Energies (T.EN) in partnership with Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), for QatarEnergy LNG. This is a continuation of the first phase, North Field East (NFE) Project, which was awarded in June 2021 and is now under construction. Together with the North Field West project, these projects form the North Field LNG expansion programme, the world’s largest LNG expansion project, which will raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77 to 142 mtpa in 2030.
This contract will include two CECHLO-MS 326 units producing a high-strength, 12.5% sodium hypochlorite solution on site. Spread across two mega LNG generator trains, the units produce 294 kg of sodium hypochlorite per hour, equivalent to seven tons per day – enough to support LNG production capacity of 16 MTPA per train.
The new system will supplement the units awarded for North Field East (NFE) project in 2021, which included units spread across four mega LNG trains with a capacity of 8 MTPA each. Once completed later this year, these units will produce 11 tons per day of chlorine equivalent used to control biofouling as well as disinfect the formation of service water and firewater, and brine management from the desalination plant to the sea.
Crescent Petroleum, based in Sharjah, has rolled out a specialised Oil & Gas solution tailored to its operations, provided by global technology firm SAP.
This implementation is part of Crescent Petroleum’s broader solutions roadmap, which began in 2020 with the initial phase. At that time, it became the first company worldwide to deploy SAP S/4HANA Oil & Gas Model Company 1809, integrating essential functions such as plant maintenance, procurement, project systems, finance, human resources, and health, safety, and environment (HSE).
The second phase was delivered through a hybrid approach, where activities such as solution workshops, user acceptance testing, and cutover were conducted on-site, while the build phase was managed remotely.
Ravi Kumar, chief corporate officer of Crescent Petroleum and board member of the Crescent Group, said, "Having completed the Phase 1 of the SAP roadmap in a record eight months, we set out to integrate Crescent Petroleum's operations, providing a seamless flow of data, from Wellhead to Customer, in Phase 2. The benefits are significant as we have integrated data across disparate parts of the plant, allowing us to seamlessly integrate plant systems with SAP systems and ensure a single source of truth across the company."
Kumar added that digitising the processes has accelerated Crescent Petroleum's broader objectives of determining real-time visibility of information across the entire company and providing insightful data for a range of digital initiatives planned for the future.
Sergio Maccotta, senior vice president of SAP Middle East & Africa - South, said, "We enjoy a strategic relationship with Crescent Petroleum, which is a strong advocate of 'best practice adoption' in the Oil & Gas industry, as confirmed when it won the SAP Quality Gold Award for best implementation in 2021 for Phase 1 of this project.
"A large part of the success of Phase 2 has been due to the close collaboration of all the team members involved. The result is an integrated solution delivering relevant and reliable data, streamlined processes, enhanced operational efficiency and easily managed reporting for compliance purposes. This plays a crucial role in the next phase of Crescent's digital transformation."
The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY), the Bahrain-based ship and rig repair yard, has recently announced the launch of the first phase of the Bapco Refining Self-Propelled Fuel Oil Bunker Barges Project
The project, scheduled for execution in the final quarter of 2024, was announced during an official launch ceremony held at the company’s headquarters in Hidd, in the presence of senior officials from both companies, led by Dr. Ahmed Al-Abri, chief executive officer of ASRY, and Bapco Refining representatives.
This strategic project comes as part of a strategic alliance between ASRY and Bapco Refining, with a view to positioning the Kingdom of Bahrain as a key maritime hub in the region. The project consists of the delivery of two self-propelled fuel oil bunker barges to one of the biggest national industrial corporations.
ASRY's extensive experience and high competency in the field of marine asset optimisation, being a leading maritime repair and fabrication facility in the region, were key factors in being awarded the project. ASRY operates in four sectors – Ship Repair & Conversion, Rig Repair & Conversion, Naval Repair & Conversion, and Fabrication & Engineering – which together cover all types of vessel repair including jack-up rigs and other offshore assets, as well as fabrication of onshore and offshore industrial components.
Dr. Abdulrahman Jawahery, chief executive officer of Bapco Refining, stated, "We acknowledge the advantages of leveraging the distinguished expertise at ASRY in executing this strategic project. This approach will allow us to meet the advanced and diverse requirements of the energy sector in alignment with international standards and specifications, ensuring compliance with the dual framework of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) MARPOL agreements."
Dr. Ahmed Al-Abri, chief executive officer of ASRY, commented, “Bapco Refining’s Fuel Barges Project is one of the largest projects secured for implementation by ASRY for one of its most important national clients in the regional energy sector. Efforts are devoted to completing this project and ensuring smooth operations, where the long-standing expertise of the company will undoubtedly contribute to the project’s success and the achievement of its desired goals.”
"Our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality work on schedule while maintaining safety reinforces our position as the preferred global yard of call for ship, rig, and naval ship repair and maintenance, along with being a destination for engineering, industrial construction, and fabrication projects.”