August 2016 Issue (49-56) - DEW Journalprojects in the Krishna-Godavari basin on the east coast of...

August 2016 DEW JOURNAL 1

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2 DEW JOURNAL August 2016

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Chairman Editorial Board andChief EditorArun Kumar Singhal

DirectorShrey Singhal

Editorial AdvisorsSatish Kumar Mathurformer General Manager (E&S), ONGC

Prof (Dr.) Nikolay P. ZapivalovChairman of Novosibirsk Centre ofRussian Academy of Natural Sciencesand Professor of NovosibirskUniversity, Russia

Dr. Himmat SinghHead of Department - PetroleumEngineering, Chandigarh Universityformer Distinguished Professor,Hydrocarbon Engineering, UPES,former Advisor (R&D), Bharat PetroleumCorp. Limited, former Sr. Dy. Director(Scientist “G”), Indian Institute of Petroleum

S K DasFormer Executive Director, ONGC

PublisherArun Kumar SinghalAdvertising ManagerMs. SarojCirculation ManagerPramil KhanduriDesign & GraphicsAbhinav AryaFinance ManagerPramod KumarRegional Coordinator - New DelhiMukesh GuptaRegional Coordinator - MumbaiJ. ChakarbortyRegional Coordinator -South East Asia & ChinaTony Chen W. K.

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Prepress processing & Printing at Saraswati PressDrilling & Exploration World (DEW) publishedsince 1989 by Technology Publications fromDehradun is an internationally circulatedEnergy and Oil & Gas journal. The journalholds the dist inct ion of being the onlyMONTHLY Energy and Oil & Gas journalpublished from India.

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CONTENTSISSN-0971-7242 R.N.I. No. 51048/89 © 2015 Technology Publications

Cover Focus

August 2016 - Volume 25 No.10

Technology/ Technical Papers

Special Report

80Face to Face

Worlds largest jackup rigand semi-submersible

up for operations

12 Drilling Industry Heavy Weights

14 Oil and gas potential in India and strategy for cost effectiveExploration and Production operations in low price regimeEXPERT VIEWS: Dev Dutt Sharma, Exploration Expert

16 ‘Need to take advantage of low oil pricesto develop domestic oil & gas industry’(Experts at the 17th Energy Summit pondered onissues related to oil & gas operations in low crudeoil price regime to evolve implement able solutions)

Translational Researchis the order of the day

31

Internationally acclaimed scientists, engineers, experts from academia, R&DCentres, operating/engineering companies converged under the banner of IndianInstitute of Petroleum to discuss the need for translational research to excel.

“Translational Research” is anew terminology supporting

PM’s vision of “Make in India”

48 Pipeline Integrity ManagementSystem need of the hour: ExpertsDr B. Mohanty, Member (BM), PNGRB stresses upon theimportance of pipeline integrity management system whileDr. Ashutosh Karnatak, Director (Projects), GAIL informedabout the paradigm shift in pipeline integrity managementand pipeline safety and security initiatives by his company

53 Connecting IT with OT and ET for Asset Performance Modeling57 A review on Organic Rankine Cycle:Application to geothermal energy65 Enhanced Oil Recovery - III76 The impact of technological advancements

in the Asia Pacific Energy Sector

‘Who’s who of oil & gas industryto converge at PETROTECH 2016’DEW talks to Mr.Verghese Cherian, Chairman, Org Committee, PETROTECH-2016

Chief Edi tor, DEW Journal ta lks toExecut ive Director, L indenPointeDevelopment eCentre, Pennsylvania, USA

ECENTER@LINDENPOINTEMaking Startups Move!

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dewjournal.com Petro-Events CalenderFrom the Editor

Our industry has seen technological innovation move E&P opportunities fromonshore to offshore, then to deep water and frontier regions, and most recentlyto unconventionals.

Improvements in the quantity and quality of information about differentgeological structures have meant we have been able to find more oil and gas.When looking at recovery rates, technological developments have helped increasethese from less than 10 per cent of oil in place in the early history of the industryto more than 70 per cent in some fields today.

Advancements have also improved the safety of our industry; for thoseworking in it, and also in terms of exploration, production and supply. And theyhave allowed us to continually improve the environmental credentials of oil andgas, both in production and use.

Looking ahead, there is no doubt that the world will need more energy in thedecades to come – as the global population expands, economies grow, and countriesseek to provide the energy poor with access to modern energy services. Weneed to remember that many billions of people still rely on biomass for their basicneeds and more than a billion still have no access to electricity.

To 2040, global energy demand is expected to expand by around 50 per cent.In this regard, all forms of energy will be needed – wind, solar, hydro, nuclear andof course fossil fuels, which will continue to play the major role in meeting demand.This growth will require some major investments.

In terms of oil, with demand projected to grow to 110 million barrels a day by2040, oil-related investment requirements are estimated to be around $10 trillionbetween now and then.

With all this in mind, experts are of the view that there is no doubt that theworld has enough oil and energy resources to meet these expected future needs.

The most recent analysis for the remaining ultimately recoverable oil resourcesputs the figure at 2.8 trillion barrels. And for natural gas, it is over 420 trillionstandard cubic metres.

It should be underscored that despite the continuing cumulative production,these numbers have increased over the past five decades. Moreover, thesenumbers do not take into account the large amounts of available unconventional oiland gas resources.

Experts’ feel our industry’s best days are yet to come. We have an abundanceof hydrocarbon resources. And oil and gas demand continues to grow. All of thispoints to tremendous opportunities.

To turn existing and future challenges into promising opportunities, however,requires strength, resilience and vision. And this means working towards morestability in the market.

We should keep in mind the fundamental importance of ensuring that thepeople in our industry continually push for innovation and the development of newtechnologies, that can help discover, extract, produce and supply morehydrocarbons in an ever more cost effective and sustainable manner.

The industry’s past successes are a reminder that innovation and newtechnologies are keys to unlocking the abundant sources of oil and energy in anever more sound, secure and responsible manner.

In the coming years and decades, the industry can expect to see additionalnew technologies shift perceptions and prospects once more. This will be achievedthrough such developments as carbon capture and storage, advancements inenhanced oil recovery and the development of new oil-based materials for variousindustry sectors.

It all points to the simple facts that the industry’s future will require more R&D;it will need more investment; and it will need more people.

Yes, we need to keep our eyes firmly on the future, given the fact that oil isexpected to be fundamental to the lives of many more people in the years ahead.But we also need to focus on the immediate challenges as the market searchesfor more stability during the current period of volatility.

We need to keep investing. It is essential for our industry’s future. It isessential to all those consumers around the world who rely on hydrocarbonresources for their everyday needs. And it will be essential to the future of thosecurrently without access to modern energy services.

‘Innovation, Technology and Opportunities’ – are not only vital to developingthe industry’s future hydrocarbon reserves and other related activities, they havealso been central to its past.

September 22-24, 2016, YANGON, MyanmarManufacturing 2016 - 3rd InternationalManufacturing Machinery, Equipment,Materials and Services Exhibitionwww.manufacturingmayanmar.com

September 28-30, 2016, KL, MalaysiaThe 3rd MOGSEC 2016www.mogsec.com.my

October 6, 2016, GANDHINAGAR, IndiaInternational Shale Gas & Oil Workshopwww.pdpu.ac.in

Oct 10-13 2016, JOHANNESBURG, S.AfricaSuccession Planning, Performance Mgt.,and ROI on Training & Developmentinfocusinternational.com/successionplan

Oct 17-19, 2016, DAMMAN, Saudi ArabiaThe 8th SAOGEwww.saoge.org

October 18-21, 2016, S I N G A P O R EAdvanced Oil & Gas Accountinginfocusinternational.com/oil-gas-accounting

October 24-28, 2016, SINGAPOREThe SIEW 2016www.siew.sg

October 26-28, 2016, SINGAPOREThe 4th Gas Asia Summitwww.gasasiasummit.com/dewjournal1

November 15-17, 2016, SHANGHAI, ChinaThe 11th SIPPE 2016www.sippe.org.cn

November 15-17, 2016, FLORENCE, ItalyThe 29th WLPG Forum & AEGPL Congresswww.worldlpgforum-aegpl2016.com

November 16-17, 2016, KL, MalaysiaThe 4th Offshore Engineering Malaysiawww.fleminggulf.com

November 29-December 2, 2016, SINGAPOREThe 21st OSEA 2016www.osea-asia.com

December 5-7, 2016, NEW DELHI, IndiaThe 12th PETROTECH 2016www.petrotech.in

January 17-19, 2017, JAKARTA, IndonesiaGasIndonesia Summit & Exhibition 2017www.gasindosummit.com/dewjournal1

April 4-7, 2017, TOKYO, JapanGastech Conference and Exhibitionwww.gastechevent.com/dewjournal1

July 9-13, 2017, ISTANBUL, TurkeyThe 22nd World Petroleum Congress 2017www.22wpc.comAKS


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Contributing to India’s explorationand production (E&P) activities inthe oil and gas sector, GE hassigned an exclusive MoU with L&THydrocarbon Engineering Limited,a whol ly-owned subsidiary ofLarsen & Toubro (L&T). Together,the f i rms wi l l partner in themanufacture of subsea manifoldsdest ined for future deepwaterprojects in the Krishna-Godavaribasin on the east coast of India.

The partnership br ingstogether the manufacturing andtechnological excellence of twoleading companies in the oil andgas space, and also marks India’sentrance into local subseaequipment manufacturing.

Spread over an area of 600,000m2 and with an annual capacity of50,000 MT, L&T’s modularfabrication facility in Tamil Naduwas chosen as the production siteafter a r igorous qual i f icat ionprocess. The plant is equipped withadvanced welding and fabricationcapabilities along with a 150m jetty,making i t an ideal locat ion tomanufacture advanced hardwarefor the seabed. Utilizing a modularapproach, GE’s subsea manifoldswill provide long-term reliability,safety and quality, while addressingthe complexities of the subsea

environment.Ashish Bhandari, CEO, GE Oil

& Gas, South Asia said, “GEcontinues to grow its widespreadmanufacturing footprint in Indiaand this latest collaboration willcontinue our contributions towardsMake in India. Our strategicpartnership with L&T has openednew avenues for us to manufacturehighly advanced equipment toserve the needs of India’s oil andgas sector as well as the broader,global industry.”

Commenting on thedevelopment, SubramanianSarma, CEO and MD, L&THydrocarbon Engineering, said:“Associating with GE will help L&Tto broaden its offering in the deepwater space and provide acompelling value proposition to our

customers. Projects of suchstrategic importance andmagnitude br ing hugeresponsibility and we are poisedto make significant contributions toIndia’s growth curve going ahead.”

In addition to this MoU, L&TInfotech has also joined the GEDigital Alliance Program, with theorganizat ions col laborat ing todevelop innovative digital industrialsolutions powered by GE’s Predixoperating system for the IndustrialInternet. They will work together toleverage analytics and real-timeinsights to enhancecompetitiveness and transform theway companies manage theirassets and workforce.

GE is the world’s Digi talIndustrial Company, transformingindustry with software-def inedmachines and solutions that areconnected, responsive andpredictive.

L&T is an Indian multinationalengaged in technology, engineering,construction, manufacturing andfinancial services with over USD 16billion in revenue. It operates in over30 countries worldwide.

L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering,a wholly-owned subsidiary of L&T,serves the oil & gas sector aroundthe world.

GE and L&T to manufacture subsea equipmentfor deepwater projects on the east coast of India

• Subsea mani fo lds to bemanufactured in Tamil Nadu forupcoming deepwater projectsin the Krishna-Godavari basinon India’s east coast

• MoU marks India’s entry intosubsea equipment manufacturing-contributing to the country’s‘Make in India’ initiative


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ExxonMobil is launchingMobil ServSM LubricantAnalysis, i ts newmobi le-enabled usedoil analysis service, inthe Asia Pacific region.The new service helpsenhance efficiency andsimpl i fy the userexperience by replacinga paperwork-heavyapproach with a simple,intui t ive mobi le-enabled serviceplatform that reducesthe number of steps inthe used oi l analysisprocess.

Specifically, the new servicestreamlines the entire process,from initial sample gathering tofinal reporting, with QR coded scan-and-go bottles that help customerseasily deliver used oil samples toExxonMobi l ’s oi l analysislaboratory. Once samples areanalyzed, customers can accessresults and customized equipmentrecommendations on their mobileor tablet device.

“Our customers have told usthat they are looking for easy-to-usetools, like Mobil Serv LubricantAnalysis, that can help themreduce their costs andextend equipment l i fewithout sacrificing dataintegrity or convenience,”said Glen Sharkowicz,Asia Pacif ic IndustrialMarket ing Manager,ExxonMobil Asia PacificPte. Ltd. “By shifting awayfrom a paper-basedsystem to a mobi le-

ExxonMobil launches Mobil Serv lubricant analysis

enabled platform, this new servicewill help customers gather used oilanalysis data far more efficientlyand help them better monitor thehealth of their operation.”

The new service also offersappl icat ion-speci f ic analysisopt ions– including hydraul ic,gearbox, engine, compressor,power train and circulat inganalysis, among others – for a widerange of industr ies, enabl ingcompanies to choose the optionthat best fits their specific needs.

Used oil analysis is essentialfor assessing equipment

performance, as it canhelp provide crucialinformation to help youincrease productivi ty,reduce unscheduleddowntime, improveequipment durabi l i tyand lessen lubr icantconsumption.

And, the launch ofthis new service buildson ExxonMobil ’s longtradi t ion of providingleading used oi lanalysis services tocompanies around theworld. ExxonMobi l ’sShanghai Laboratory

provides state of the art testing andsupport for the Asia Pacific region.

Mobil Serv Lubricant Analysisis the latest addition to the MobilServ family, ExxonMobil ’s newlubricants services brandformalized in late 2015.

For more than 150 years,ExxonMobi l has del ivered anextensive range of leadingtechnical services to helpcustomers opt imize theirmaintenance programs, enhanceequipment performance andensure safety, and it has nowbrought these services together

under one brand to helpdeliver these serviceseven more efficiently.

Mobi l ServLubricant Analysis,which replacesExxonMobil’s SignumOil Analysis, wi l l berolled out globally inother markets laterthis year.

Service helps enhance efficiency of used oil analysis through a new, mobile-enabled platform

• Simplifies the used oil analysis process byreplacing paperwork with a mobile-enabledplatform, reducing the number of steps frominitial sample gathering to final reporting

• Service delivers vital data that can helpimprove equipment performance andoperational productivity

• New features include mobile app, scan-and-go bottles and flexible analysis options

“Mobil Serv Lubricant Analysis can help reducecosts and extend equipment life withoutsacrificing data integrity or convenience”

- Glen Sharkowicz


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Samit has announced i tspartnership with AdvancedGeophysical technology (AGT),Houston to offer high end seismicdata imaging services from it’stechnology centre in Gurgaon.

Building on its vision to provideworld class services to its clientsby partnering with industry leaders,this alliance with AGT is a stepchange in the capabi l i t ies ofGurgaon centre. The expandedoffering includes leading edgeseismic image technology togenerate fast, cost-ef fect iveimages of the highest availablequality – and ultimately producehigher resolut ion resul ts thanconventional processing methodsand algorithms used today.

“We are very pleased andexcited about this alliance as forthe first time a truly 100% ownedIndian company is positioned tooffer such high end imagingservices to clients in India andbuilds on the Make In India initiativeby the Government of India. Webelieve this will greatly benefit thelocal E&P industry as we will be

Samit-AGT offers high end seismic data imaging services

able to offer the best in classservices local ly with a fasterturnaround and at a significantlylower cost” said Sanjeev Mittal,Managing Director of Samit

Advanced GeophysicalTechnology (“AGT”) is a growingHouston-based company that isrevolutionizing seismic imaging.From their origin as a developer ofinnovat ive GPU-based depthimaging algori thms, they haveevolved into a service organizationthat uses world-class computingpower and patented proprietaryalgor i thms to develop high-resolut ion 3D seismic imagesquickly and cost-effect ively.Together, their team of el i tegeophysicists is creat ingunparalleled value by helping oiland gas companies select andemploy the ideal imagingtechnology to accurately image thegeophysical propert ies of sal tbasins and other hard-to-imagesubsurface locations.

This al l iance wi l l resul t in

availability of high end imagingservices – from 3D RTM, RTM Angle& Shot Index Gathers at very highfrequency (ISO/VTI/TTI) to 3DTomographic Veloci ty ModelBuilding including Q, Full WaveformInversion (FWI), 3D Kirchhoff Depthand Time Migration, Finite ElementForward Modeling and DiffractionImaging – complementary to theexisting services being offered bySamit.

“We are pleased and excitedto have this technical serviceall iance and are excited aboutexpanding AGT’s set ofgeophysical applications in theregion. Both Samit and AGT arefocused on providing an industryleading cost effective geophysicalservice offering for the region.AGT’s uniquely implemented high-end technology imagingappl icat ions are gainingmomentum globally and we areexcited about the ability to offerthese technologies through ourpartnership with Samit.” said RobYorke, CEO, Advanced GeophysicalTechnology, USA.

M.S. Barkindo takes office as OPEC Secretary GeneralMohammad Sanusi Barkindo of Nigeriaassumed office on August 1, 2016 in hisrole as Secretary General of the Organizationof the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) at the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna.

He replaces outgoing SecretaryGeneral HE Abdalla Salem El-Badri who hasled the Organization since 1 January 2007.

An accomplished oil technocrat andveteran of OPEC, Mr Barkindo brings with him a wealthof experience in the oil and gas industry, both inNigeria and internationally.

From 2009 to 2010, he was Group ManagingDirector of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC). Previous to that, he served as Deputy Managing

Director of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas,a joint venture between NNPC, Shell, Totaland Eni. Earlier in his career, he wasSpecial Assistant to former Minister ofPetroleum Resources and OPEC SecretaryGeneral, HE Dr Rilwanu Lukman.

Mr Barkindo also worked in severalkey roles at OPEC between 1986 and2010. In 1986, he was appointed to

Nigeria’s delegation to OPEC, and from 1993 to2008, served as Nigeria’s National Representativeon the Organization’s Economic Commission Board.In 2006, he served as Acting Secretary General ofOPEC, and represented Nigeria on OPEC’s Boardof Governors from 2009 to 2010.

News


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The Energy Market Authority (EMA) announced“New Energy Realit ies” as the theme forSingapore International Energy Week (SIEW)2016. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) is astatutory board under the Ministry of Trade andIndustry.

The theme reflects the opportunities andchallenges we face in the current environmentof an excess supply of oil and gas. Oil priceshave stayed down for a longer period thanmost had expected. This has discouraged newupstream investments, which would impactfuture supply. At the same time, the ParisAgreement following COP21 has given newimpetus to the deployment of renewables.Technology progress has also continued tomake energy product ion, systems andnetworks smarter, heralding new possibilities.Against this backdrop, SIEW 2016 will discusshow we can work together to navigate thisperiod of change.

SIEW 2016 will host for the first time The26th International Photovoltaic Science andEngineering Conference and Exhibi t ion(PVSEC-26) as part of the Asia Clean EnergySummit (ACES). There will also be a specialedition of the Asian Energy Financial andInvestment Conference. Delegates can alsolook forward to more exhibitions:• Gas Asia Summit will feature an exhibition

alongside its conference for the first time• EU Business Avenues in South East Asia –

Green Energy Technologies 2016, anexhibition focusing on renewables, will alsoreturn to SIEW this year.

As a prelude to SIEW, EMA invited NeilAtkinson, Head of the Oil Industry and MarketsDivision at the IEA, to share the latest IEAMedium-Term Oil Market Report at the launchof the 2016 theme. David Hewitt, Co-Head ofthe Global Oil & Gas, Equity Research at CreditSuisse also participated in the dialogue on theenergy outlook for 2016.

‘New Energy Realities’to Take Centre Stage

at SIEW 2016, Singapore

Mr. Utpal Bora takes overas CMD, Oil India Limited

Mr. Utpal Bora has taken over the charge of Chairman andManaging Director of Oil India Limited (OIL), India’s secondlargest National Exploration & Production Company, on 18thJuly 2016.

Mr Bora has a rich and varied experience of over 33years in the E&P Sector. He served in various capacities atONGC Ltd. including OVL, the international branch of ONGCin activities related to artificial lift, well completion, testing,well control, reservoir management, crude transportation/quality assurance for refinery receipt, work over operationsof onshore and offshore fields, planning, technical cell andat OVL he was specifically engaged in framing of policydirectives and its implementation, co-ordination withnational oil company of Venezuela, PDVSA under projectslike Petrocarabobo and San Cristobal.

His latest assignment was as Executive Director- AssetManager of ONGC’s Mehsana Asset. Mr. Bora took over asAsset Manager, Mehsana on October 1, 2014, which is thehighest Onshore producing Asset of ONGC Ltd, where hewas leading a team of about 2300 engineers andtechnicians to sustain production from brown fields withabout 1800 operating wells, 07 drilling & 20 work over rigs,about 80 exploratory and development wells drilled per yearand 38 surface installations. As Asset Manager he alsooversaw Finance, Material Management, HR, CSR andcoordination with statutory bodies and the Government ofGujarat. He is credited with turning around ONGC’s highestproducing onshore Asset and steering it towards newerheights. Under his leadership the Mehasana Asset receivedthe Best Onshore Award of ONGC last year.

On the educational front, Mr. Utpal Bora holds thedegree of Bachelor of Technology in Petroleum Engineeringfrom the prest igious ISM, Dhanbad, an AdvancedManagement Certif icate from IIM, Lucknow and hascompleted a Leadership Development Programme fromISB, Hyderabad. Besides being an avid reader, Mr. Boraenjoys cricket and watching movies.


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Worlds largest jackup rig andsemi-submersible up for operations

The first journey of the world’slargest jack-up rig, the Noble

Lloyd Noble which SembcorpMarine has buil t for NobleCorporation, is according toSembcorp Marine the world’slargest jack-up rig. The rig’s ultimatedestination is Statoil’s Mariner fielddevelopment in the UK sector of theNorth Sea. It isbased on theGustoMSC CJ70design as well asStatoil’s ‘CategoryJ’ specifications.The rig has anoperational air gapof 69 meters andis capable ofoperating in awater depth of upto 150 meters (500feet) in harshe n v i r o n m e n t a lcondit ions. Itboasts a maximum total drillingdepth capacity of 10,000 meters(approximately 33,000 feet).

The second giant unveiled thismonth is Ocean Greatwhite semi-submersible. The ISDS first for DNVGL classed Ocean Greatwhite-world’s largest semi-submersible.DNV GL has welcomed the world’slargest semi-submersible drillingrig into class recently. OceanGreatwhite is 123 metres long and78 metres wide and was deliveredat Hyundai Heavy Industries inUlsan, South Korea. Owned by theHouston-based drilling contractorDiamond Offshore, the rig will bechartered to oil major BP and willoperate in the Great Australian Bight.

The rig is to be a new design

Drilling Industry

harsh environments,” said Karl Sellers, SVP Technical Services atDiamond Offshore. “HHI and DNV GL were integral in helping us get thisrig to market as we prepare for the drilling project in Australia with BP.”

“We have a strong relationship with both DNV GL and DiamondOffshore – and it is thanks to this good cooperation that the projectwent so well. We are proud to deliver the first drilling ship of this sizeand look forward to many more projects on this scale,” Youngseuk Han,Senior Executive Vice President at HHI said. “We will keep moving theboundaries of technology by completing following large-scale andinnovative projects.”

MOSS CS60E high specification state-of- the art semi-submersibledrilling unit suitable for operations in harsh environments, which is thefirst MOSS CS60E and the largest rig in the world.

“The Ocean GreatWhite is a unique rig purposely built for drilling in

Noble Lloyd Noble boastsa maximum total drilling

depth capacity of 10,000meters (approx.33,000

feet). The rig has anoperational air gap of 69meters and is capable ofoperating in a water depthof up to 150 meters (500

feet) in harshenvironmental conditions

Cover Focus


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Heavy Weights

“Ocean Greatwhite is capable of operating in depths of up to 3000metres and can drill down to a depth of 10,670 metres. It represents thestate of the art in the semi-submersible sector and we are very pleasedto have been asked to contribute our expertise to this project,” says

Paal Johansen, Vice President and RegionalDirector, Americas at DNV GL.

Ocean Greatwhite is also the first new-build rig to receive the DNV GL IntegratedSoftware Dependent Systems (ISDS)notat ion. ISDS are systems whoseperformance is dependent on the overallbehaviour of their integrated softwarecomponents. DNV GL’s ISDS standard helps owners and operatorsminimise software integration errors and delays in projects involving

complex integrated systems.The certification ensures that

software and integration issues areidentified and resolved early onduring the project design stages. Italso represents a new approachto verification, as it emphasises areview of the working methods andprocesses that lead to the deliverythe systems, rather than simplyfocusing on the final review ofdocuments and instal lations toensure they meet productrequirements.

Industry data suggests thathigh specification mobile offshoredrilling units may experience 30per cent down-time during their firstyears of operations, which makesa systematic f ramework forensuring that ISDS achieve therequired rel iabil i ty, availabil i ty,maintainabi l i ty and safetyessential. “We expect that theoperational performance of OceanGreatwhite will demonstrate howthe ISDS notation can contribute to

increasing thereliabil ity of thecomplex systemsonboard,” addsPaal Johansen.DNV GL’s ISDSteams in Korea,Norway, and theUSA al lcontributed to theproject. DNV GLalso providedadvisory servicesto HHI on theintegration of thevarious systems

throughout the newbui ldingprocess.

Ocean Greatwhite iscapable of operating indepths of up to 3000

metres and can drill downto a depth of 10,670

metres. It is a unique rigpurposely built for drillingin harsh environments. Itis 123 metres long and78 metres wide and thelargest rig in the world

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Ocean Greatwhite is the first rigto receive the DNV GL ISDS notation

Technology


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India has vast oil & gas (O&G) potential in its 26sedimentary basins spread over to about 3.14

million sq.km in onshore, offshore (shallow water)and deep water areas; of which only 1/3 area hasbeen explored leaving behind large area (2/3) yet tobe explored. The revised hydrocarbon resourcesbased on recent exploration activities carried out byvarious companies through NELP and Pre-NELPawards stand at 32 billion tons as estimated by theauthor, of which 12 billion tons are recoverable i.e. 7billion tons oil and 5,000 billion cubic metres gas.However, only 3 billion tons of HC resources i.e. 2 btoil and 1 tcm gas have been established so far. Thereassessed HC resources have production potentialof about 1 million tons per day of oil and 685 millioncubic metres per day against the current productionof about 1 lakh tons per day oil and 95 million per dayof gas. Therefore, we have to intensify our E&P effortsalmost by 10 times the present level.

Sedimentary basins of India and their estimatedhydrocarbon resource and production potential -Strategy for cost effective E&P operations:Oil & gas prices have come down to almost 1/3 of thelevel, which used be two years back. While, the currentoil price is about $45/bbl, the gas price is about $3/Mcf against the earlier prices of $135/bbl and $9/Mcf,respectively. Therefore, we have to convert thisopportunity of low price into advantage/ benefit byenhancing indigenous production by implementing

O&G potential in India and strategy for costeffective E&P operations in low price regime

cost effective exploratory, drilling and productionoperations strategy.• Geophysical seismic data (2D & 3D) acquisition

costs have drastically reduced now. The operatorcan acquire the data in all the awarded blockswherever needed as per PSC (now RSC) to take anadvantage of the low price. If blocks are small (Stype), can be clubbed together by the same or withthe other operator so that the data can be acquiredin a sequence to optimise on economies of scale,save cost and avoid any idle time for the unit.

• If the blocks have already been covered by 2D/3Dseismic data, then these can be shared with thenew operator on chargeable basis so as to avoidany duplicity and save on cost.

• Any geoscient i f ic (geological , geophysical ,geochemical& reservoir) studies done in the block/area can also be shared on chargeable basis,which will save on cost for new study.

National Data Repository (NDR) can play animportant role in faci l i tat ing sharing of data/information dissemination to the operators.• Drilling & Work over: Cost of drilling and work over

rig hire have also been reduced almost to half now.The prevailing day rates for an onshore 1000HP rigare now about US$12,500/d against the earlierprice of US$25,000/d. The operators should takethe advantage of low price by drilling & testing thewells wherever required as per the WP so as tomonetize the asset as early as possible. Further,the two or three operators can award the job to thesame dril l ing contractor so as to optimise oneconomies of scale and avoid any idle time for therigs.

• Sharing of Oilfield Services: Instead of awardingseparate contracts for different oilfield services likemud engineering, mud logging, wire line logging,cementing, production testing and hydrofracturing,

Dev Dutt SharmaExploration Expert

Expert View

“We have to convert the opportunity of low price into advantage/benefit by enhancing indigenous production by implementing costeffective exploratory, drilling and production operations strategy”


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integrated contracts can beawarded to the same contractor forbetter management, ensureresponsibility, quality of serviceand save on cost.

• Rationalisation of EnvironmentalStudies: If wells have already beendrilled in the area/ field/ basin andenvironmental (EIA/EMP) studiesare available, then there shouldnot be any fresh requirement ofcarrying out new EIA/EMP studiesand obtaining environmentalclearance. Such EIA/EMP studiesshould be made available in publicdomain so that the Operators cantake advantage and save on costand time. Further, provision forobtaining NOC for each new welldrilling, should also not be mademandatory.

DGH in consultation with MOEFcan play an important role insimpl i fy ing and rat ional is ingenvironmental procedures so as toavoid any delay in execution ofproject and save on cost.

Development of small pools/fieldsAwarded/ yet to be awarded discovered small pool/fields are recommended to be developed adoptingtwo prong strategy. Firstly, already drilled wells whicheither have shown oil fluorescence or given oil/ gasshows while drilling or tested production at low rateor producing at low rate or ceased to flow need to berevived on priority. In USA, any stripper well producingeven 2b/d, is economical. In India, especially onshoreCambay Basin, any well producing 2m3/d oil or2000m3/d of gas will be economical at prevailingprice as a thumb rule. However, for new well thresholdeconomic production limit will be 3m3/d oil and3,000m3/d gas. Based on well wise analysis of idle/abandoned wells, prospective zones need to beidentified for layer wise testing and completion bywork over rig in the best pay zone.

Secondly, new wells (infill/extension) are to bedri l led based on integrated interpretat ion ofgeological, seismic (2D/3D-available or acquired)and logging data adopting efficient and cost effective

new technologies of formation evaluation, drilling,completion, stimulation/HF, testing etc.

Drilling & Work over rigs can be hired adopting a“pool” practice, when 2/3 operators can award thejob to the same contractor to optimise on cost ofdrilling and work over testing.

Association of Oil & Gas Operators (AOGO) canplay an important role in developing such a pool whilecoordinating with such drilling & work over rig serviceproviders and the operators.

Acquiring quality E&P assets overseasCost of asset acquisition, is low now. Shale gas/oilassets in countries like USA, Canada, Australia,should be acquired now. This is high time to acquirethe high quality oil & gas exploration assets globallythrough bidding or farm-in, especially in nearby IndianOcean countries towards west and east as these areavailable at low cost, which will become attractive bythe time they are developed.

The revised hydrocarbon resources based on recentexploration activities carried out by various companiesthrough NELP and Pre-NELP awards stand at 32 billion tonsas estimated by the author, of which 12 billion tons arerecoverable i.e. 7 billion tons oil and 5,000 billion cubic metresgas. However, only 3 billion tons of HC resources i.e. 2 bt oiland 1 tcm gas have been established so far. The reassessedHC resources have production potential of about 1 milliontons per day of oil and 685 million cubic metres per dayagainst the current production of about 1 lakh tons per dayoil and 95 million per day of gas. Therefore, we have tointensify our E&P efforts almost by 10 times the present level

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Expert View


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The industry has been undergoing challenging andturbulent period for the past few years due to low

prices of crude oil and low demand. This has resultedin severe adverse consequences in the industry aswell as on the economy of many oil producing nations.This has led major players in the industry to rationalizetheir operations, seek efficiencies and cost savingmeasures to ensure profitability and survival of theirbusinesses.

The future energy trends reflect that while themarket will eventually rebalance, 2016 looks set tobe another tough year for the industry. There istherefore a need to respond to the near-termchallenges, but we mustn’t lose sight of the longer-term role of the industry in providing the energy theworld needs to grow and prosper, and doing so in asafe and sustainable manner.

According to experts, the industry remainsfocussed on the continuing weakness in the oilmarket. While the market is adjusting and graduallyrebalances, the adjustment process is likely to bepainful, and energy companies need to adapt toweather the storm. But in order to adapt successfully,a clear sense of where we areheading, so that we not onlyemerge from the currentweakness leaner and fitter, butdo so better equipped to meetthe longer-term challengesfacing our industry.

Global oi l pr ices havecrashed 70 percent since mid-2014 as near record outputfrom major producers like theOrganization of the PetroleumExporting Countries (OPEC),

‘Need to take advantage of low oil pricesRussia and North America create a ballooningoverhang that has left storage tanks around the worldstruggling to cope with the excess oil.

At the same time, demand is slowing, especiallyin Asia where the biggest economy and energyconsumer, China, is seeing the slowest economicgrowth in a generation.

According to analysts the huge US storageoverhang was the main reason for falling WTI crude(WTI - West Texas Intermediate, also known as Texasl ight sweet, is a grade of crude oi l used as abenchmark in oil pricing. This grade is described aslight because of its relatively low density, and sweetbecause of its low sulfur content). The huge storageoverhang means that even if US production falls in2016 as drillers succumb to low prices, it will takemany months to work down excess supplies.

With the global economy looking shaky due toChina's slowdown, traders feel the outlook for oilremains for cheap prices for much 2016.

Against this, according to the BP’s Energy Outlook2016 three key features that stands out are first,energy demand will continue to grow. As the world

Dharmendra Pradhan speaking at the inaugural session of the ASSOCHAM’s 17th Energy Summit

“The low oil prices are a challengeto the upstream industry but it hasalso resulted in lowering the cost

of exploration and relatedservices and we need to convert

this challenge into opportunity to upscale production”

- DHARMENDRA PRADHAN


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Experts at the 17th EnergySummit pondered on issuesrelated to oil & gas operations inlow crude oil price regime toevolve implement able solutions.A report by DEW Correspondent:

to develop domestic oil & gas industry’economy expands, more energy will be needed tofuel the higher levels of activity and living standards.The growth in energy will be curbed by faster gains inenergy efficiency. And there is of course considerableuncertainty as to exactly how quickly global GDP willgrow. Even so, it seems clear that significantly moreenergy will be required over the next twenty years toenable the world economy to grow and prosper.

Second, the fuel mix continues to shift. Fossilfuels remain the dominant source of energy poweringthe world economy, supplying 60% of the energyincrease out to 2035. Within that, gas looks set tobecome the fastest growing fossil fuel, spurred on byample suppl ies and support ive environmentalpolicies. In contrast, the growth of global coalconsumption is likely to slow sharply as the Chineseeconomy rebalances. Renewable are set to growrapidly, as their costs continue to fall and the pledgesmade in Paris support their widespread adoption.

Third, the out look for carbon emissions ischanging significantly. In particular, the rate of growthof carbon emissions is projected to more than halveover the Outlook period relative to the past twenty

years. That reflects both faster gains in energyefficiency and the shift towards lower-carbon fuels.Despite this, carbon emissions are likely to continueto increase, indicating the need for further policyaction. Carbon pricing has an important part to playas it provides incentives for everyone to play their part.

I t was in this background, The AssociatedChambers of Commerce and Industry of India(ASSOCHAM) one of the apex trade associations ofthe country organised the 17th Energy Summitfocused on the Indian oil and gas sector with thetheme “Oil & Gas operations in low price regime”.The event was sponsored by the key oil operators inIndia and promoted by DEW Journal.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Petroleumand Natural Gas (I/C) Mr Dharmendra Pradhan saidwhile the low oil prices are a challenge to theupstream industry it has also resulted in loweringthe cost of exploration and related services and weneed to convert this challenge into opportunity toupscale production.

He disclosed, only half of India’s sedimentarybasins have been explored and there is an immense

potential in the remaining half.Exploration of the remaininghalf should therefore be takenup by NOC’s on top priority inorder to curb imports by tenpercent by 2022 as envisionedby the Prime Minister.

Mr. Pradhan alsoemphasized the need forconvert ing resources intoproduction and shared thevarious Policy initiatives of theGovernment l ike uni formPetroleum Minister and other dignitaries lighting the lamp to inaugurate the 17th Energy Summit

Distinguished audience and foreign diplomats at the Summit


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licensing policy, pricing and marketing freedom andeasy to administer revenue sharing models.

He pointed out that suitable project managementand technology innovation can resolve half of theproblems of upstream oil companies even under thevolatile price regime.

On the various policy and administrative initiativestaken by the government from time to time to facilitatehydrocarbon exploration in the country Mr.Pradhanpointed out some of the policy decisions taken inrecent years to enhance exploration and productionactivities that are as under:• Government has approved Hydrocarbon and

Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP). Thispolicy provides for a uniform licensing systemto explore and produce all hydrocarbons suchas oil, gas, coal bed methane, shale oil/gas,etc. under a single licensing framework Policyalso provides many incent ives such asreduced royalty rates for offshore blocks,marketing & pricing freedom and easy toadminister revenue sharing model.

• Marketing and Pricing freedom for new gasproduction from Deepwater, Ultra Deepwaterand High Pressure-High Temperature areassubject to certain conditions.

• Discovered Small Fields Policy- 67 oil & gasfields which have been held by ONGC and OIL

Bid Round-2016’, 46 Contract Areas consisting of 67small fields are being offered to investors the worldover, for exploration and production. Bids are beinginvited for developing and monetizing these contractareas having around 625 Million Barrels of oil and gas.

Oil Equivalent Gas in-place volumes spread over1500 square kilometres in on land, Shallow waterand Deep water areas. Directorate General ofHydrocarbons (DGH), the technical arm of the Ministry,is anchoring the entire bidding process, he informed.

Mr. Pradhan elaborated, India is now movingtowards a new era of hydrocarbon production, driven

According to the BP’s Energy Outlook2016, three key features that stands outare first, energy demand will continueto grow. Second, the fuel mix continuesto shift. Third, the outlook for carbonemissions is changing significantly

Hydrocarbon and ExplorationLicensing Policy (HELP) provides fora uniform licensing system to exploreand produce all hydrocarbons such asoil, gas, coal bed methane, shale oil/

gas, etc. under a single licensingframework. Policy also provides many

incentives such as reduced royaltyrates for offshore blocks, marketing

and pricing freedom and easy toadminister revenue sharing model

for many years, but have not been exploited,has been approved for bidding under thispolicy.

• Policy for grant of extension to the ProductionSharing Contracts of 28 Small and mediumsized discovered blocks.

• Policy Framework for relaxation, extensionsand clarifications at the development andproduction stage under PSC regime for earlymonetization of hydrocarbon discoveries.Under this policy, about 40 pending caseshave been resolved.

• Under New Domestic Natural Gas priceGuidelines, 2014, gas price has been linkedto the market/important hub prices.

On the discovered small fields he said theseare oi l and gas blocks which have so farremained commercially undeveloped. These hesaid are now in focus as the government seeksto boost domestic hydrocarbon production.Under the announced ‘Discovered Small Fields

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by a forward looking Hydrocarbon Exploration andLicensing Policy (HELP); and a new fiscal model basedon Revenue Sharing Contract. This new phase is amove ahead from the earlier NELP; and ProductionSharing Contract regime and addresses variousindustry concerns that led to slowdown in investmentover the last few years.

Single l icense for explor ing al l forms ofhydrocarbons, graded system of royalty rates, pricingand marketing freedom for crude oil and natural gas,were some of the highlights of HELP mentioned bythe Minister. He said, the Government is followingprinciples of enhancing product ion, at tract inginvestment, generating employment, transparency,and minimizing administrative discretion. He said, asimpler and transparent administrative and fiscalsystem has been crated. Calling upon all industrystakeholders to participate in the bid rounds and bea part of new energy revolution in India, the Ministerassured all support to investors.

The uniform licence under HELP will enable thecontractor to explore convent ional as wel l asunconventional oil and gas resources including CBM,shale gas/oil, tight gas and gas hydrates under asingle license. The concept of Open Acreage Policywill enable E&P companies choose the blocks fromthe designated area, he mentioned.

Present fiscal system of production sharing basedon investment multiple and cost recovery /productionlinked payment is replaced by a easy to administerrevenue sharing model. The earlier contracts werebased on the concept of profit sharing where profitsare shared between Government and the contractor

after recovery of cost. Under the profit sharingmethodology, it became necessary for the Governmentto scrutinize cost details of private participants andthis led to many delays and disputes. Under the newregime, the Government will not be concerned withthe cost incurred and will receive a share of the grossrevenue from the sale of oil, gas etc. This is in tunewith Government’s policy of “Ease of Doing Business”.

Recognising the higher risks and costs involvedin exploration and production from offshore areas,lower royalty rates for such areas have been providedas compared to NELP royalty rates to encourageexploration and production. A graded system of royaltyrates have been introduced in which royalty ratesdecreases from shallow water to deepwater and ultra-deep water. At the same time, royalty rate for onlandareas have been kept intact so that revenues to thestate governments are not affected. On the lines ofNELP, cess and import duty will not be applicable onblocks awarded under the new policy, Minister said.

This policy also provides for marketing freedomfor crude oil and natural gas produced from theseblocks. This is in tune with Government’s policy of“Minimum Government –Maximum Governance”.

In order to meet the rising demand of oil andgas, the Government has taken various policyinitiatives to enhance oil and gas production includinginter alia, approving the Marginal Field Policy, linkingthe transparent new gas pricing formula to the globalmarket, reassessing the hydrocarbon potential inIndia’s sedimentary basins, appraising about 1.5million sq. km. of un-appraised basins and settingup of Nat ional Data Repository. Further, the

Government is encouraging Foreign DirectInvestment (FDI) to supplement domest icinvestment and technological capabilities in thepetroleum sector. The present FDI policy for oiland gas sector allows 100% automatic route forexploration and production subject to the existingsectoral policy and regulatory framework in thissector, the Minister said.

The Minister pointed out that the country iscommitted to reduce the carbon footprint by 30-35% by the year 2030. In this regard, theGovernment is promoting the use of clean fuellike natural gas. He said the sector has to bedeveloped through participation by all thesestakeholders. He called upon Petroleum &Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to play

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pointed out that India aims to ensure access toaffordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all inthe coming t ime and is hence committed toharnessing all forms of energy with special emphasisfor renewables.

Currently, India is the fastest growing economyin the world, clocking a GDP of 7.6% in FY 2015-16.Along with the growing economy, the demand forenergy has also risen dramatically over the past fewyears, which is mostly met by imports, and is expectedto increase even further in the future. In a bid to reduceenergy import dependency by 10% the governmentaims to tap hydrocarbon resource available andincreasing the oil and gas production, Mr.Taneja said.

He stressed, the world is looking to India withfresh eyes and as an important investment destination.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr.Taneja highlighted

a lead role in the expansion of gas pipeline networkin the country. The Minister said the Government iscommitted to the balanced growth and for thispurpose new pipelines are being laid in Eastern Indiawhich will boost the availability of gas in the under-developed parts of the country.

In his address Mr. D K Sarraf, Chairman &Managing Director, ONGC said this is not the firsttime that the oil sector is facing the challenge of lowpricing. Mr. Sarraf emphasized on the need forresilience in financial, operational and portfoliomanagement to stay afloat in the current marketscenario. He stressed on the need for innovativeapproach and to monetize the marginal f ields,managing the deepwater, and reversing the tide.

In his key note address Mr.Narendra Taneja,National Convener-Energy Cell, Bhartiya Janata Party

“This is not the first time thatthe oil sector is facing thechallenge of low pricing.

Need for resilience infinancial, operational and

portfolio management to stayafloat in the current marketscenario. Need is also to

monetize the marginal fields,managing the deepwater

for reversing the tide”- D K Sarraf

“The world is looking to Indiawith fresh eyes and as an

important investmentdestination. The government

is proactively taking allpossible measures toprovide a conducive

environment to both Indianand foreign firms so that

E&P activity in Indiacan be further developed”

- Narendra Taneja

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renewable and nuclear energy.While speaking about the potentials of solar

energy, Mr.Taneja was of the view that the futurebelongs to solar and nuclear energy.

Throwing light on the global economic slowdownthat has brought down commodity prices Mr. SunilKanoria, President ASSOCHAM said the crash inglobal oil prices are the most prominent.

Although the industry has been undergoingchallenging and turbulent period in the past years dueto low prices of crude oil, India, one of the largestimporters of oil, is saving billions of dollars due tofalling prices. India imports over 75% of its oil andfalling oil prices has eased its current account deficit.At the same time, the cost of India’s fuel subsidies toohas fallen, he added.

On the future of oil and gas, he pointed out, asthe demand for gas is expected to grow at a fasterpace compared to oil; the oil prices are likely to remainsubdued for a prolonged period, maybe with sporadicminor spurts. This creates a unique advantage forIndia as low oil prices have brought down India’simport bill significantly. We must take advantage ofthis global low cost regime to develop our domesticoil & gas industry, he stressed. With subtle changesin the regulatory and pol icy framework, thegovernment is doing its bit to foster an enabling

that India is now moving towards a new era ofhydrocarbon production, driven by forward lookingHELP; and a new fiscal model based on RevenueSharing Contract. This new phase is a move aheadfrom the earlier NELP; and Production SharingContract regime and addresses various industryconcerns that led to slowdown in investment over thelast few years, he added.

He stressed, India is a growth story, its energyconsumption is increasing and without energy security,there can be no development. Mr.Taneja added gas isthe future fuel and India is taking steps to boostexploration and production. He said the Governmentis working with Public Sector Oil Companies to bringin Start-Up Fund for oil & gas industry which wouldfurther boost the innovative ideas in this sector.

Mr.Taneja shared the intent ions of thegovernment in increasing the exploration activity. Hesaid the government is proactively taking all possiblemeasures to provide a conducive environment to bothIndian and foreign firms so that E&P activity in Indiacan be further developed.

He emphasised Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline Project should goahead in the interest of all the stake holders. TAPI isnot just a gas pipeline project, but a reflection of thecommon desire of the four member countries toreconnect and a way to re-claim the sharedgeography and revitalise an age-old legacyof our mutually enriching interactions, headded.

He emphasised TAPI Gas PipelineProject should also go ahead towardstimely implementation of this strategicproject for the common benefit of peopleof the four nations.

The proposed TAPI pipeline approx.1814 kms will supply to India an estimatedvolume of 38 MMSCMD (Million MetricStandard Cubic Metre per Day) of gas for aperiod of 30 years.

He said that the present Indiangovernment is keen to move towards ageographically diversified energy basket,and this has resulted in India’s greaterfocus on Africa as a vital region for sourcingpetroleum products in coming years.

He also talked about the big challengerelated transitioning from fossil fuels to

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“Government supports essentialfor a direct undersea transnational gas

pipeline from Iran to India”- Sunil Kanoria


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environment, he said.Mr. Kanoria also dwelled on the need for long-

term and lump sum investments to develop thehydrocarbon blocks. A step like this can providecomfort to the investors to not be short-changed, hepointed out.

He asked the government to accord“infrastructure status” to the E&P sector for ease offinancing projects with long term lending period.

Mr.Kanoria was of the view that there is a need todevelop a vibrant domestic service industry along withsetting up state-of-the-art ‘data rooms’ and creationof an independent ‘data acquisition agency’ whichwill put together and make available the entire nation’sdata repository. This he said will be a big step forwardin empowering investors to take calculated risks oninvestment.

Regulations requiring Indian service providersto export the assets from India after completion of theproject/contract etc. need to be amended and focusshould be given on ensuring optimum use of existingassets and equipment, he emphasised.

On the prevalent tax anomaly in leasing, he saidthis need to be taken care of which will have a hugepositive impact on the oil & gas sector. Such stepswi l l substant ial ly enhance the ‘ease of doingbusinesses’ in this sector, he added.

Mr. Kanoria stressed on a direct underseatransnational gas pipeline from Iran to India avoidingPakistan. ASSOCHAM’s members are also activelyinvolved in the development of this multi-billion dollarand technically challenging deep-water gas pipeline

project in quest for India’s Energy Security,he informed. This will be the world’s deepestcommon carrier gas pipeline, in the ArabianSea. Considering the major benefits of thispipeline, he urged the government to providenecessary support to this project.

Earlier Mr.Amar Nath, IAS, JointSecretary (Explorat ion), Ministry ofPetroleum & Natural Gas, Government ofIndia stated that India has recently put inplace a slew of policy initiatives aimed atimproving the business environment andattracting investment which point to agrowing momentum of activities here.

On the prospects in the DiscoveredSmall Fields Bid Round – 2016 Mr. Nath,felt this is a great opportunity to invest in

the E & P sector in India especially considering thenew policy regime under which the bid round is beingheld.

Talking of the indigenous crude oil production, hepointed out that although there is a yawning gapbetween the present demand-supply a lot is beingdone to boost production and overhaul the energyregulatory system and get the incentives in place. Thissaid, he pointed out the need of the hour is to harnessall forms of energy to lessen burden on the fossil fuel.

According to Mr. Nath the growth in energyprovision is not confined to fossil fuels. He thereforeadvocated harnessing solar and wind energy whichhas a huge potential. Mr. Nath also highlighted India’sambitious plans to expand the deployment of windand solar power.

Gas he added is fast growing supported bystrong supply growth. Natural gas will thus play animportant role in the entire energy mix.

While the world energy consumption is stagnant,India, he said is seeing growth. India is set tocontribute more than any other country to the rise inglobal energy demand over the next 25 years,underlining its ever-greater influence in Asia. Thecentre of gravity of energy is therefore moving towardsIndia with oi l & gas businesses here growingstronger.

He pointed out that the Indian energy demandwill grow by more than any other country in the periodto 2040, propelled by an economy that grows to morethan five-times its current size and by populationgrowth that makes it the world’s most populous

Mr.Amar Nath, IAS, Joint Secretary (Exploration), Ministry of Petroleum & NaturalGas, Government of India

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country. Indian energy consumptionwill be more than double by 2040,accounting for 25% of the rise inglobal energy use to 2040, and thelargest absolute growth in both coaland oil consumption.

On the low crude oi l pr icesMr.Nath said, it is good for an oilimporting country like India as it putsless burden on our oil import bill.

He also talked about costmanagement and technology andemphasised efficiency, productivityand technology will play a lead rolein success of oil and gas.

Mr.Nath also spoke about thePradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana - Scheme for ProvidingFree LPG connections to Women from Below PovertyLine (BPL) families/households. Providing LPGconnections to BPL households will ensure universalcoverage of cooking gas in the country. This measurewill empower women and protect their health. It willreduce drudgery and the time spent on cooking asalso reduces indoor air pollution. It will also provideemployment for rural youth in the supply chain ofcooking gas, he added.

According to Dr. Kaushik Deb a BP Economist,India which is set to contribute more than any othercountry to the projected rise in global energy demandhas to aggressively develop sources of clean energysuch as gas and renewables.

India’s primary energy share in global energyconsumption is its highest ever, placing it as the thirdlargest energy consumer in the world, having overtakenRussia in 2015. However, the shares of fuels withinprimary energy haven’tmoved signif icantly.Coal remains dominantat 58.1% of total primaryenergy. Oil has steadiedits market share around28.5% since 2009,while gas continues itslosses having fallen to6.5%, the same that itwas ten years ago.Among non-fossil fuels,nuclear and hydro haveremained around 1%

and 4% of total primary energy, whilerenewables have gradually crept upto 2.2% in 2015, he informed.

It is important to remember thatIndia, home to 18% of the world’spopulation, uses just over 5% of theworld’s primary energy. However, inthe coming years, i t is set tocontribute more to energy demandthan any other large country withsustained economic growth andgreat industrial activity, he added.

According to Dr. Deb, India’sshare in global coal consumptionexceeded 10% for the first time inhistory in 2015. India has now

overtaken the US as the world’s second largest coalconsumer, with China still remaining the largest. Tofeed this growth, there was a large expansion inoutput. India’s share of global coal production is atits highest ever - 7.4% of the total global coalproduction in 2015, following a growth if 4.7% in 2015(29.4 mt). This is nearly twice the next largestcontribution to the increase in production of 15.9 mtby Russia in 2015, he stated.

As for oil, India is definitely pressing hard on theaccelerator, Dr. Deb said. The country had its largestever increase in oil consumption of 309.9 kb/d (+8.1%growth in 2015), and more than 50% higher increasethan the previously highest increment of 204.1 kb/din 2007. India has overtaken Japan as the third largestoil consumer in the world.

According to statistics, Dr. Deb informed the othermajor hydrocarbon - gas – continues to slow down.India’s gas consumption declined, falling by 0.1% in

2015, taking it back to2008-09 levels. Gasproduct ion also waslower having fallen by3.8% in 2015, its fifthcont inuous year ofdecline, taking it 20.1Bcm below its peak of49.3 Bcm in 2010.

Energy is central toIndia’s expandingeconomy andachieving i tsdevelopment goals. To

Dr. Kaushik Deb, BP Economist

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th is end, the country has toaggressively develop sources ofclean energy such as gas andrenewables, he emphasised.

Deliberating on the key featuresof the discovered small fields Mr R KSinha, Chief Technical Officer toDirector General, Directorate Generalof Hydrocarbons (DGH), Governmentof India shared that the Governmentof India has introduced theDiscovered Small Fields Bid Round –2016 the blocks under which isestimated to hold over 625 MillionBarrels of Oil and Oil Equivalent Gasin-place, spread over 1,500 squarekilometres in onland, shallow water and deepwaterareas, for extraction and exploration of oil and gas.

His presentation gave an overview of Indianhydrocarbon upstream sector from past to the future.It is worth mentioning that the viewpoints presentedthrough Mr. Sinha’spresentation showedthat the policy reformsat global low crudeprices is India’s way toutilize the opportunityfor fuelling the future.

Mr. Sinha informedthere is no technicalcapability required forbidding for theseblocks and singlelicense will be given forconvent ional andu n c o n v e n t i o n a lresources. The fieldswi l l be awardedthrough RevenueSharing contract.

Apart from this Mr.Sinha also pointed outthat the Indiangovernment is trying tofurther l iberalize theupstream sectorthrough New DomesticGas PricingGuidelines, Discovered

Small Field Bid Round, PricingGuidelines for difficult gas fields.

He shared HELP features withaudience in detail.

It may be noted that India with itsrapid population growth andincreasing energy demand ischanging energy dynamics of theworld by offering new avenues forinvestments in oil and gas sector.India ranks 3rd in the world in totalenergy consumption, oil and gascontributes about 36% to primaryenergy consumption. Indian oil andgas industry is more than 125 yearold and ranks amongst India’s six

core industries. The legacy in petroleum industry inIndia was about the hegemony of National OilCompanies (NOCs).The transmission of knowledgeand expertise is been boon in the form of legacy, whichhas resulted in major discovery like Mumbai High in

the country. Later on theliberal ization ofpetroleum sector in1990's, which allowed100% Foreign DirectInvestment (FDI) hadopened the market toforeign companies. TheNELP was a majormilestone that enabledmassive exploration inthe country especially indeep water areas. So far28 producing fields and28 exploratory blocks inPre-NELP,254 Blocks in09 NELP Rounds and33 Blocks in CBMRounds are awarded oncompetitive basis.

Last couple ofyears has seenimplementat ion ofmajor policy reforms inupstream hydrocarbonsegment in India andmany others are underc o n s i d e r a t i o n .

Mr.R.K.Sinha,Chief Technical Officer, DGH

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Government of India, embarked upon new initiativeslike Reassessment of Hydrocarbon Resources forall sedimentary basins, Survey of un-appraisedsedimentary area, Non–exclusive Multi-client Geo-scientific Survey, National Data repository (NDR),Codification for Good International Petroleum IndustryPract ices and Site Restorat ion and FieldAbandonment Guidelines.

On the perspect ives on the operat ionaltransformation in oi l and gas sector under thepresent scenario of low oi l pr ices, Mr.DeepakMahurkar, Partner & Leader, PwC Oil and GasPractice said, the oil and gas industry has faced

recurring highs and lows, over regulationsand g lobal uncer ta in i t ies s ince i tsincept ion. But s ince the long termbackdrop has changed, improving oil andgas operations efficiency is paramount tothrive under low price regime.

He also added, oil and gas industryhas been facing testing times and beenforced to undertake some previouslyunforeseeable measures. Whi ledownstream industry has been able tomake better margins by optimising existingassets and improving operat ingeff ic iencies, upstream industry haswitnessed some strategic mergers andacquisi t ions, port fol io balancing,

technology infusion and cost conscious behaviour.For all the uncertainities that may cloud the

sector’s future oil and gas industry has inherentstrength to demonstrate resilience and adapt to adramatically changing world. Whatever the future mayhold, the oil and gas sector will definitely continue toplay a vital role in meeting our changing energysecurity need, Mr. Mahurkar added.

Mr.P.Elango, Co-Chairman, ASSOCHAM NationalCouncil on Hydrocarbon and Managing Director,Hindustan Oil Exploration Company Limited focusedhis talk on the three initiatives that has the potentialto transform the upstream sector on a sustainable

long term basis.He said since the government has funded a

programme to acquire nationwide 2D seismicdata with ONGC and Oil India leading theimplementation. The impact of this programmeneeds to be understood in the context of the factthat only one third of the 3.2 million squarekilometres of sedimentary basins fall under "wellexplored category" and only six basins out of 26contribute to domestic production. The NationalData Repository platform being built by DGHwould usher in open acreage policy, where anyone can pick a block, trigger a bid round andtake up exploration and development.

Similarly, he pointed out the major initiativesin the natural gas sector. To build a strong gasdriven economy, there should be a premium fordomest ic gas in di f f icul t areas, seekingdiscounts on imported LNG, adding significantLNG re gasification capacity, stepping up city gas

Mr. Deepak Mahurkar Mr. P. Elango

“The discovered fields present agolden opportunity to players”

- Mr. P. Elango

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bid rounds, extending the pipelinenetwork especially in North East andSouthern Region and pr ior i tyallocation for CNG.

He complimented the governmentfor opening discovered small fieldswith the features the industry had beendemanding. He emphasised thediscovered fields present a goldenopportunity to players.

He stressed the oi l and gasindustry needs more players of allsizes in the oil and gas sector tomake it more thriving. E&P, he said,is like a game of golf, where you arenot competing with anyone else butonly with yourself.

Speaking on behalf of the newly formed IHS Markitas a result of the merger of IHS and Markit, that isharnessing the deepest sources of information,analytics and expertise to forge solutions for industriesand markets that drive economies worldwide, Ms.Gauri Jauhar, Director–India Consult ing &Research, HIS Markit inher presentationfocused on where is thefuture of the industry?Are there pitfal ls toavoid or hiddenopportunities you canexploit? What are yourcompetitors doing in theface of a volati lemarket?

She remarked theyear 2016 wil l bemarked by survival andopportunity. Energymarkets are threatenedby lower growth, weakprices and over capacity.C h a n g i n gtechnologies, climatepolicy and geopoliticalshifts exacerbateuncertainty. In thepresentation titled "Thegreat energy shakeout"

Ms. Gauri focused on how inter-fuelcompetition will intensify; upwardrebound in oil prices imminent; $250bn of assets/companies on themarket; M&A still the cheapest path togrow reserves; Shale gas reloadedexpands US gas supplies; LNGbuyers options increase; New LNGEntrants redefining buyer landscape;New LNG partnerships; Newcontracts-Smaller volumes, shorter-terms and New hubs- Incrementalsteps for an Asian LNG hub.

On impl icat ions for India,Mr.Gauri outlined the following points• Time for complete market reforms

is now• M&A window is there but there is a mismatch

between price expectations of sellers and buyers• New Entrants redefining buyer landscape• New LNG partnerships• New contracts - Smaller volumes, shorter-terms

• New hubs -Incremental steps foran Asian LNG hub

In his presentation,an OEM’s prespectiveon imperatives for oiland gas operations inthe low price regimeMr. Nikhi l Khurana,Marketing Leader, GEOil and Gas, SouthAsia emphasised theprice cycles are notuncommon to oi lindustry and theindustry has alwayscome out stronger fromthese cycles. Thecurrent oil price cyclethough is different thanthe last few cycleswitnessed by theindustry. The currentcycle clear ly is afundamental cycle,driven by supply sidefactors against any

Ms. Gauri Jauhar

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speculation or geopolitical factors.This cycle thus requires a morecomprehensive approach on part ofal l the stakeholders (operators,service providers, OEMs andGovernment) where in not onlyshould every stakeholder try his bestbut collectively the industry needs tolook for out of the box solutions.

India being a net importer hasbenefited from the current cycle by areduced import bill, elimination ofunder recoveries and significantlyreducing govt's subsidy burden, hesaid. This cycle also offerstremendous opportunities for thenation to increase domestic production and movetowards increasing the share of domestic production.Additionally since the gas prices for imports continueto stay high - the time is right for India to focus ondomestic exploration enabling India in meeting theCOP21 commitments and making available theenergy requirements for initiatives such as Make inIndia. In the current time, The exploration companiescan benefit significantly from the excess capacity andlower prices of exploration equipment, services in theglobal market, accordingto Mr. Khurana.

From a stakeholderstandpoint, Govt. of Indiahas come up with HELP,offering uniform licensingregime and pricingfreedom for deep watergas. There are otherinvestment supportingmeasures such as BS-VI

transition and New Urea policy for thesector. OEMs and service providersare also supporting the industrythrough new business models andtechnologies relevant for current oilprice regime. Some of the models andtechnologies that the industry iswitnessing he said are:Capex to Opex: By offering theequipment, solutions on pay by usebasis against the lump sum buy out,OEMs are supporting operators inimproving project v iabi l i ty andimproving service levels. For eg. GEis working on Industry's first 'BoP bythe hour ' model with Diamond

Offshore under this concept.Fit for Purpose Solutions: Redrawing the projectscope to suit the project requirements of capex andtimelines. For eg. ONGC has combined the SPS andSURF scope for its 98/2 project to help achieve lowercapex and timely completion.Risk-Reward Rebalance: OEMs and service providersare open to offer 'Performance/output enhancementcontracts'. These contracts are designed in a way thatoperators shares the risk with the OEM/service

provider in exchange for ahigher performancebonus, Mr. Khurana,Marketing Leader, GE Oiland Gas, South Asia.Digital Solutions: Digitaltechnologies haverevolutionized theconsumer world,leveraging the power of BigData and analytics.

Mr. Nikhil Khurana

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Similarly in theindustrial space thehuge amount of databeing generated byindustrial machinescan be leveraged toincrease productivityand reducedowntime. GE isleveraging its Digitaland Industrialcapabilit ies todevelop a number ofapplications forp r o d u c t i v i t yimprovement forO&G. The solutionssuch as FieldVantage, IntelligentPipelines can helpoperators in reducingthe unplanneddowntime, improvingproductivity andgenerate significantsavings.

Earlier Mr.MrinalVohra, MemberASSOCHAM National Council on Hydrocarbon andManaging Director, Quippo Oil & Gas InfrastructureLimited in his opening remarks presented an overviewof the Indian oil & gas sector. He said India is set tocontribute more than any other country to the rise inglobal energy demand over the next 25 years,underlining its ever-greater influence in Asia and onthe world stage.

Despite being blessed with an estimated 3.14million sq.km. of sedimentary area comprising of 26basins of oil & gas reserves, India’s fossil fuelscontinue to remain largely unexplored. India stilldepends on imports to meet nearly 80% of its crudeoi l requirements and nearly 40% of i ts gasrequirements which is increasing rapidly. The NELPwhich was initiated in late 90s to step up domesticoil exploration, managed to attract investments to thetune of USD 20 billion leading to 130 discoveries, butthat has not been enough.

To create a more transparent regime for steppingup private investments, in March this year, the

government switchedfrom NELP to the newHELP. With HELP, theerstwhile profitsharing mode makesway for the newrevenue sharingmode and bids willnow be evaluated onthe basis of revenueshare promised tothe Centre by biddersand the companyoffering themaximum share getsto win. HELP lays theground for a moretransparent revenuesharing betweenoperator andgovernment, he said.HELP also enhancedthe flexibil ity forcontractors on anumber of otherparameters. The oil& gas industrywelcomes these

moves. However, the new pricing regime for deep-sea gas applies to undeveloped fields only leavingout fields which have already started production.Government may like to evolve a mechanism wherebyproducing gas fields can also be brought under theHELP maybe with the operators paying a one-timefee to the government. This would help in creating alevel playing field for all players by enhancing thecommercial viability of the gas fields which havealready started production, Mr. Vohra said.

Mr.Anindya Chowdhury, General Manager-Gas,Shell India Markets Private Limited threw light on thegas market in India.

He said the current softness in energy prices isbeing attributed largely to an excess of supply overdemand. This is particularly acute in the case of gasand more specifically LNG which is perhaps of morerelevance to India. It is not surprising, therefore, tosee the Government’s vision for creation of a ‘gasbased economy” while serving the cause of theconsumer – the people of India.

“India is set tocontribute morethan any other

country to the risein global energy

demand overthe next twenty

five years”- Mr. Mrinal Vohra

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“Shell will continueto seek out andapply innovative,

pragmatic, long-term solutions for gas tobuild a more stable,energy rich futurethe world needs”

- Mr. Anindya Chowdhury


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The NDA 1 Government hadenvisioned in the Hydrocarbon Vision2025 document that the share ofnatural gas in the country’s energymix to be 20% by 2025. We hadreached 11% some years ago but arenow down to 6.5% - an alarminglydeclining trend. Falling domestic gasproduction, insufficient LNG importinfrastructure and pipeline delayshave been contributing causes -butmost significantly - lack of developedgas markets, Mr. Chowdhury said.

Today the gas market comprisesa couple of dominant players wholeverage their pipeline access tocustomers for gas supply, and ahandful of other gas suppl iersstruggl ing to grow market shareagainst the odds. A large number ofcustomers remain isolated from thegas network as virtually no pipelineshave been constructed in nearly adecade, he said.

As in the power sector, where thetransmission network has been unbundled – the gassector would also benefit from the natural monopolyof pipelines being separated from marketing interests.With all marketers getting non discriminatory accessto pipelines and thereby to customers – a thrivingcompetit ive gas market could evolve al lowingincreased supply and transparent price discovery. Thebenefits of competition are all too visible in the telecom,airlines and insurance sectors, he added.

This opening up of gas markets Mr. Chowdhurysaid would go a long way to help mitigate the growingair quality issues in urban centres by CNG, indoor airpollution in rural India (by displacing LPG from urbanIndia by PNG and redirecting this LPG to rural customerscurrently using biomass). With the growing participationof Renewable Energy in electricity generation - thegrid would have to find a solution for the intermittencyof RE generation. Gas based power is very suitable toplay a complementary role. However, the time is to actnow – or the “golden Age of Gas” may pass India by.

The Summit was also graced by Mr.RajkumarDhoot, Member of Parliament and Past PresidentASSOCHAM. Mr. Dhoot pointed out that in the presentlow oil price regime India finds itself in a sweet spot

in the global economy today. Whenthe world is reporting gloom from allaround, India has managed tosecure an enviable growth of 7.6 percent in 2015-16. This makes it thefastest growing economy in theworld. India has already benefited hesaid in low oil price regime throughlower inflation, f iscal deficit andcurrent account deficit, it furtherseems to be benefit ing from theincreased avenues of oil supply andinvestments into the country.

Mr. Dhoot compl imented thegovernment for a slew of recent policyinitiatives aimed at improving thebusiness environment and attractinginvestment. He said this point to agrowing momentum that will need tobe sustained. Rising incomes andpopulat ion, increased access toelectr ic i ty and clean cookingfaci l i t ies, urbanisat ion andindustrialisation are the key factorsunderpinning the r ise in energy

demand. Taking into account the achievement ofuniversal electr ic i ty access and ant ic ipateddemographic trends that will make India the mostpopulous country in the world, India has to makeprovision for nearly 600 mil l ion new electricityconsumers by 2040. Over the same period, some315 million people, almost the population of theUnited States today, will be added to India’s urbanpopulation. This will accelerate the switch to modernfuels and the rise in appliance and vehicle ownershipwhile pushing up demand for construction materials.The “Make in India” programme that aims totransform Indian into a manufacturing powerhousecan help modernise the economy and create jobs forthe growing workforce, and also has majorimplications for energy use.

The event also saw the display of Panasonic’sTough Books and Ipads specially designed by thecompany rugged industry operations. Mr. GunjanSachdev, Senior General Manager & Nat ionalBusiness Head, Panasonic India presented the hi-tech machines to the audience. Mr. Sachdev alsospoke on the importance of mobil i ty for higherproductivity. dewjournal.com

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“India has benefitedin low oil priceregime throughlower inflation,

fiscal and currentaccount deficit”

- Mr.Rajkumar Dhoot


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Translational Researchis the order of the day

Internationally acclaimed scientists, engineers, experts fromacademia, R&D Centres, operating/engineering companiesconverged under the banner of Indian Institute of Petroleumto discuss the need for translational research to excel.A report by DEW correspondent:

The Indian hydrocarbon industry has steadily grown to become thethird largest in the world today. The opening of the economy in the

1990s brought in competition from private and international companies.This in turn challenged the Indian research organizations-labs in industryas well as in government to compete globally to commercialize theirtechnologies. The need to overcome this formidable challenge has beeninstrumental in evolving focused translational research involving industryas a partner; this subsequently led to successful commercialization ofseveral technologies, some of these first times in the world.

L to R: Dr. D.C. Chamola, Scientist, CSIR-IIP, Dr. Ram Vishwakarma, Director, CSIR-IIP, Dr.S.J. Chopra, Chancellor, UPES, Prof. Paul A Webley, Director, Peter Cook Centre for CarbonCapture and Storage Research, University of Melbourne, Australia and Dr. S M Nanoti, Head,Refining Technology Division, CSIR-IIP at the inaugural session of the Symposium.

“TranslationalResearch”is a new

terminologysupporting

Prime Minister’svision of

“Make in India”

Chief Guest, Dr. S.J. Chopra and other dignitaries lighting the lamp to inaugurate the symposium

“Indian Institute ofPetroleum (IIP)since inceptionhas worked and

focused ontranslational

research,converting

laboratory data totechnologypackage to

engineering andfinally

implementation”- Dr.M.O.Garg

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Translation research is to ‘Translate findingsfrom research to practice implementation or focusedresearch that applies discoveries generated in thelaboratory to their successful commercialization. Inother words translational research means translatingresearch to commercial and social benefits or for thematter encouraging academia/research laboratoriesand industry partnerships and collaborations.

Technology commercialization is a process of

transferring know how generated in the researchcenters to the industry with a business model ofincreasing prof i ts. Hence, technologycommercialization has to be thought of in relation toappropriate technology transfer activities to increasethe success rate of technology commercialization.

The successful commercial izat ion of newtechnologies and processes from labs to industry inorder to reap fruits of investments in R&D for the larger

In reference to the subject of thesymposium on transat ionalresearch organized by the IndianInst i tute of Petroleum,internationally acclaimed scientistPadma Vibhushan Prof. M.M.Sharma the doyen of ChemicalEngineering threw light on fewareas related to petroleum refiningand petrochemicals through hismessage sent to the Institute.

“In the most recent past twooutstanding examples have beencat. cracker benzene recovery andwax product ion technologies”developed by Indian Institute ofPetroleum according to Prof.Sharma.

Catalysis he said has playeda vital role in petroleum refining and

EXPERT VIEWS: Prof M.M. Sharma on technologies andpetrochemicals and here we needcollaboration between physicists,chemists, material scientists, andchemical engineers. Thesuccesses in reforming,isomerisation, hydro-desulphurization, cat-cracking,hydrocracking etc. are to be notedhe said. How the concept of nano-particles has played a vital role andhow the loading of noble metals hasbeen drastically reduced. In thecase of gold based catalysts it worksonly when nano and selectiveoxidation of CO at ppm level to zero,in the presence of H2, has beenrealized. The earlier case of 3 waycatalyst for auto exhaust can be citedas an outstanding example and sawadvent of honeycombs. Ionic liquidsare attempting to make a dent andare environmental ly benignexample for alkylations, he added.

Zeolites started as adsorbentsbut have now become outstandingcatalysts and dubbed asphilosopher’s stone he said. Newzeolites are being made. Imagineconversion of methanol to ethylene/propylene or aromatics.Spectroscopic methods have playedan important role. In all cases thereactor designs have been importantand CFD has played a role. The shiftfrom high pressure processes likefor making methanol from syn gas,carbonylations, oxo-reactions stand

out as outstanding examples. Inearly 1960s, we had seen stablesteam reforming of naphtha to givesyn gas which required collaborationacross different disciplines.

Fischer-Tropsch processesprovide scintillating examples asCO+H2 can go to only CH4, CH3OH,polymethylenes (diesel) via surfacediffusion, alcohols, olefins, etc. Thedevelopment of reactors includingslurry reactors with high catalystloading of high density providesoutstanding examples. Highthroughput combinatorial methodsare making an impact in developingnovel catalysts Prof. Sharmapointed out.

Homogenous catalysis he saidhas played a pivotal role in lowpressure carbonylation of methanolto acetic acid, oxo-reaction ofpropylene+CO+H2 to give Butanol/2-ethyl hexanol, leading to a Nobleprize. Here deep knowledge ofcoordination chemistry wasrequired. This is also true for newversions of catalysts forpolymerization of Ethylene/Propyleneand great success also comethrough fluidized bed polymerization.

He mentioned of the removalof H2S via chemical absorptionwhere H2S is reduced to below 1ppm. The role of thermodynamicsand kinetics and even backmixingis vital. He reference to the role of

Prof. M.M. Sharma

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benefit of the society, however, remains an area ofimportance.

India is an expanding economy and expected hubof manufacturing industries. Considering this, thereis a tremendous potent ial to develop andcommercialize indigenous technologies in India.Research institution (academic, corporate) andIndustries and supportive Government policies canplay important role in commercial izat ion of

Higee contactors, which have beenused even for deaeration of seawater in off shore installations.Pressure Swing Adsorption, whichrequired an elaborate simulationand modelling, brought out a sea-change in making pure N2,removal of CO2 even in fertilizerplants, are only some examples.Here multi-component adsorptionthermodynamics was important.Recent examples have beenrecovery of argon, neon and evenkrypton and helium, he said.

A paradigm shift came throughreaction-separation concepts andan outstanding example has beenreact ive dist i l lat ion which hasplayed a vital role in making MTBEin multi-mill ion tons per annumand that too with the use of CationicIon Exchange Resin catalyst, Prof.Sharma said. Reactive extraction,Reactive adsorption etc are otherexamples. Similarly membraneseparations are playing a big rolein the removal of CO2 from naturalgas and even solvent removal inmaking lubes. Hollow fibre basedmembranes have made a majorimpact in desalination which hasbeen important in coastalrefineries, he added. He pointedout at the major impact of polymerscience and engineering. Newconcepts like divided wall columnsfor dist i l lat ion have al lowed

reduction in energy and capitalcost. Cycl ic dist i l lat ion is yetanother strategy, he added.

Supercrit ical systems havebeen in vogue sometimes withoutapparent realization eg propaneextraction in lube/asphalts, makingof LDPE etc. He mentioned howthermodynamics has played a role.Let us not forget the phenomenonof retrograde condensat ion/vaporizat ion as twists inthermodynamics, he said.

Deemulsification in productionof crude oil and other areas requiresa deep knowledge of interfacialsciences Prof. Sharma said.

In the most recent pastchallenges have come throughinterdisciplinary work in fracking forshale gas which has changed theworld scenario. Rheology has playeda role. Pet coke gasification providesmany challenges and crossdisciplinary work will be required torecover Ni/V from the slag.

Attempts are being made toactivate CO2 via dry reforming of

methane, direct conversion toMethanol/DME/Methane. There is aconcerted attempt to use CO2/CO+H2 mixture for conversion viabiotechnological route. The kind ofcollaborations that are requiredmay be seen, he said. The directconversion of methane to Methanol/aromatics poses many challengeseven methane direct conversion toEthylene is envisaged.

A real challenge will come in‘harvesting’ natural gas hydrates.

New ways for sulphurutilization will have to be found.Recycle of used plast ics wi l lcont inue to at tract at tent ion.Integrat ion of biomass basedchemicals and petrochemicalswi l l be an emerging area,according to Prof. Sharma.

The advent of electric cars willhave an impact on transportationfuels and advance action will berequired. Here the development ofLi-based batteries which are moreeff ic ient and stable wi l l berequired, he pointed out.

processes for petroleum refining and petrochemicals

“A real challenge will come in ‘harvesting’natural gas hydrates. New ways for sulphur

utilization will also have to be found. Recycleof used plastics will continue to attract attention.Integration of biomass based chemicals and

petrochemicals will be an emerging area”

indigenous technologies.As a relatively new term coined, translational

research is presently gaining center stage in India dueto the current emphasis of the government to Invent,Innovate and Make in India initiative. In this context atwo day symposium was organized by CSIR-IndianInstitute of Petroleum (IIP) on “Translational Researchfor Global Competitiveness of Hydrocarbon Industry”sponsored by ONGC, GAIL, HPCL-Mittal Energy

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India is the 4th largest processorof crude oi l with 22 refineriesprocessing close to 235 MMTPA ofcrude oil. We export more than 70MMTPA of petroleum products.Today, India is an acknowledgedhub of petroleum refining,petrochemicals and other specialtyproducts. All of this is based onimported technologies. It is hightime that India promotes its owntechnologies to manufacturepetroleum products andpetrochemicals and export thesetechnologies and licenses them tocompanies abroad, according to Dr.M.O. Garg, former Director General,CSIR and former Director, IIP.

India also has a very largetechnical base in terms of highlyskilled manpower as well as largenumber of academic institutions atthe level of IIT etc as well as astrong system of nationallaboratories. Also the industrieshave state-of-the-art researchlaboratories. In spite of such

EXPERT VIEWS: ‘How does India loose if indigenousfacilities available in the country andthe highly ski l led technicalmanpower, i t is extremelyunfortunate that we still keep onimporting technology from abroad,he said. Dr. Garg stressed, it isabout time that the governmentcreates policies and providesintervention in order to facilitatecommercialization of indigenoustechnologies, products andtechnical services. It is suggestedthat appropriate incentives need tobe provided to the industry in termsof tax free import of equipments aswell as exemption of excise duty onequipments which are used tocommercial ize an indigenoustechnologies. It is also suggestedthat a high power committee chairedby the Secretary, Ministry ofPetroleum and Natural Gas may beconstituted in order to oversee theneed for import of any technologythat is being done by the oil industryand to suggest how to avoid thesame by commercial izingindigenous technology in case thereis an opportunity. The committeeshould also direct OIDB to createan escrow or a HEDGE fund to coverthe perceived risk to newtechnologies which the industrymight like to commercialize. Suchfunds have been created in the pastand should again be revived acrossall sectors, Dr. Garg said.

Non support of indigenoustechnologies can be fatal for theeconomy in the long term, and canalso render the Indian hydrocarbonindustry obsolete. Further, it will killthe innovation system of the country,he cautioned.

It is also important to discussthe fall out of not encouragingcommercialization of indigenoustechnologies and repeated importof foreign technologies. Althoughthe oil industry might debate theneed to import technologies toremain competitive at a world level;it is important to realize that thiswould cripple slowly and finally,permanently the research base ofthe country, Dr. Garg emphasised.In the absence of support from theindustry, the scientist will take analternative route to glory in terms ofpubl ishing their research andthereby proving how good they areindividually. The research that theywould publish will be picked up bycompanies abroad who will thenconvert them to a technology andthe same would be exported backto India for which we will have topay huge license fees. This alsodestroys the team spirit and a teameffort, which is required to developa technology.

Development andcommercialization of technologiesalso encourages the developers to

Dr. M.O. Garg

Limited and NRL on August 8-9, 2016 at Dehradun toencourage collaboration between academic/researchinstitutions and industry to get new talent and successin the area of research which is necessary to developinnovative and world-class technologies.

As a live example of Make in India initiative thehost of the symposium CSIR- IIP displayed its researchstrengths in the downstream hydrocarbon sector andchemical sciences during the two day meet. The

participating industry organizations and companieslike ONGC, Reliance Industries, Shell, IndianOil,Bharat Petroleum, Numilagarh Refinery, EngineersIndia Limited, HMEL, GAIL, MECON, Technip andothers dwelt upon new ideas for hydrocarbon industryand actively explored collaborative programmes forcarrying out translational research for making Indianhydrocarbon industry globally competitive.

Talking to Chief Editor, DEW, Dr.M.O.Garg,

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protect their invention by takingpatents in India and around theworld. All developed economiesand the companies in sucheconomies, such as SHELL,EXXONMOBIL, UOP, AXENS, IFP,CHEVRON, LUMMUS etc have ahuge portfolio of patents worldwide.They also aggressively protect theirintellectual property, many a times,even with litigation, in case theydiscover infringement of their IPR.IPRs or patents is a true indicationof the country’s wealth in today’seconomy. Repeated import oftechnologies will systematicallyend this effort by the researchorganizations, he said.

It has been seen in the pastDr. Garg said, that in some sectorsof the economy, namely: Defence,Nuclear, and Space, there hasbeen technology denial and thesesectors have strived to expand theirown research base to overcomesuch a barrier and the successstories are several and known toeverybody. Time is not very far whenIndia may be denied cutting edgetechnologies in the energy sectoras well, particularly, those, whichare green and can replace fossilfuels effectively and sustainably.This may happen perhaps in thenext few decades from now, but, bythat time we would have alreadycrippled our R&D infrastructure and

reduce to a technical paperpublication machine. It is aboutt ime that we do not al low ourresearch institution particularly theone in the corporate research labsand the national laboratories to de-generate. This, therefore needs astrong intervent ion by thegovernment to support andencourage indigenoustechnologies, he said.

Finally, I would like to add Dr.Garg said, that strong support toindigenous technology by theindustry wi l l encourage thedevelopers to br ing new and

innovative technologies at a fasterpace to the market place withoutthe fear of being rejected for onereason or the other. This, in turn,wil l create a strong innovationsystem in the country and developand support the completeresearch infrastructure, which weso dearly lack. It may be mentionedthat in the energy industry, it isextremely difficult to predict futuretechnology innovat ions; acomprehensive innovation basedtechnology supply ecosystem isthus absolutely essential to survivearound the year 2050 and beyond.

“Non support of indigenous technologiescan be fatal for the economy in the long

term, and can also render the Indianhydrocarbon industry obsolete. Further, it will

kill the innovation system of the country”

technologies/processes are not encouraged’ - Dr. Garg

Scientist-H, former Director General, CSIR and formerDirector, IIP emphasized, “IIP has since its inceptionalways worked and focused on translational research,converting laboratory data to technology package toengineering and finally implementation.”

Most recently he informed, three of IIP’s pathbreaking research was successfully commercializedagainst tough international competition in a single year.The technologies commercialized are Wax De-oiling

technology by Numaligarh Refinery Limited, Assam;the first of its kind in the world, technology for producingBenzene free Gasoline by Reliance Industries Limitedand Soaker Internal Visbreaking technology by India’sFortune 500 Company Indian Oil Corporation Limitedand Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.

While the three technologies stand apart in theirclass, the Wax De-oiling technology to produce paraffinwax and Microcrystalline Wax (MCW) from two waxy

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petroleum streams namely MVGO and HVGO hasopened up opportunity for India to export high qualitywax. This indigenously developed Solvent De-oilingtechnology is a great success under the ‘Make in India’programme propelled by the Indian government,stressed Dr.Garg who and his team of scientists owescredit of the development of the technology.

Dr.Garg went on to say that IIP is proud of the factthat today every refinery in India has been beneficiaryof either a technology or a product or service providedby the institute hence it has transferred novel, state-of-the-art technologies for commercial exploitation.

With participation of senior researchers from R&DCentre’s and academic institutions, officers in techno-managerial posts in petrochemical, oil and gasindustries, the symposium was also attended byeminent personal i t ies from India and abroad.Scientists and engineers from India, USA andAustralia converged at the Meet. The event wasinaugurated by the doyen of Indian oil and gas industryDr.S.J.Chopra former, Chairman & Managing Director,Engineers India Limited, former Chief of Centre forHigh Technology, Government of India and presentlyChancellor, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies.

Dr. Chopra is a hard-core scientistwho has a special interest forresearch and development relatedto oi l , gas and engineeringindustry.

Among other dignitaries whograced the event were Prof. Paul AWebley, Director, Peter Cook Centrefor Carbon Capture and StorageResearch and Co2CRC CaptureProgramme Manager, University ofMelbourne, Australia, Mr. D M Katre,Area President-DTA, RelianceIndustries Limited, Dr. SanjeevKatt i , Senior Vice President,Reliance Industries Limited, Dr. RAgarwal of Purdue University, USA,Dr. Jim Patel from CSIRO, AustraliaDr. L Narasimhan, GeneralManager-Projects & Technology,Centre for Novel Catalytic Materials,Shell Technology Centre, Mr.Shekhar R Balvalli, Senior VicePresident, Onshore BusinessDevelopment, Technip India, Dr.

S.S.Kashyap, General Manager, Institute of DrillingTechnology, ONGC.

In his welcome address Dr. S M Nanoti, Head,Ref ining Technology Divis ion, CSIR-I IP andsymposium chair said the subject of the symposiumholds relevance as importance is now being given tobasic research which has the potential to evolve intopath breaking innovat ions having pract icalapplications in industry and society.

Dr.Nanoti elaborated translational research canmake hydrocarbon industry globally competitive.Describing the mission laid down by the Prime Ministerto encourage Make in India and in order to achieve thegoal the essential requirement is to developindigenous technologies. CSIR -IIP he said has beenfollowing this mantra since last forty years and hasdeveloped several technologies in collaboration withengineering companies like Engineers India Limitedand oil industry partners like Bharat Petroleum,Hindustan Petroleum, Reliance Industries,Numilagarh Refinery and GAIL India which aresuccessfully commercialized in hydrocarbon industryto the extent that we are proud to say that almost everyrefinery in India are using our technologies or products

Dr. S M Nanoti, Head, Refining Technology Division and Chief Scientist, CSIR-IIP

“For development of technologies, IIPs strategyis to involve engineering and user industry since

conception stage. This helps in developingtechnologies which perfectly match with theirrequirement and therefore industries do not

have any hesitation in commercializing. This isthe best example of translation research”

- Dr. S M Nanoti

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or services, he stressed.For development of

technologies IIPs strategy is toinvolve engineering and userindustry since conception stage.This helps in developingtechnologies which perfectly matchwith their requirement andtherefore industries do not haveany hesitation in commercializingi t , he added. This is the bestexample of translational research,research which will not stop atpaper presentation stage but willultimately culminate in the form oftechnology, he stressed.

Dr.Nanot i remarked, theformer Director General, CSIR DrR.A.Mashelkar had once asked thescientists during his regime thatforget old adage “publ ish orperish” but give thrust to “patentpublish and prosper”. In the era oftranslational research, the sloganof Dr. Mashelkar needsmodification and should be ”patent, publish, produceand flourish” he stressed.

Dr. Nanoti pointed out that Dr.Girish Sahani,present Director General, Council of Scientific andIndustrial Research also advocates translationalresearch in all forums and has directed all CSIR labsto work towards translational research. Dr. Sahanihas asked all CSIR R & D labs of India to follow thispath to develop indigenous technologies those thatare not only ready for commercialization in India butare ready to be licensed globally, Dr. Nanoti informed.

Thus translational research path will definitelylead to realize the fruits of Make in India and the themeof the conference Dr.Nanoti added.

Hai l ing act ing Director, I IP Dr RamVishwakarma’s wide and varied research experienceDr.Nanoti said Dr Vishwakarma has provided a newoutlook to IIPs hydrocarbons research with the aim toconvert chal lenges to opportuni t ies throughtranslational research. On Dr M.O. Garg's contributionto research and IIP, Dr.Nanoti termed him as achampion of translational research.

According high priority to translational researchChief Guest, Dr.S.J.Chopra, Chancellor, University of

Petroleum & Energy Studies and former Chairman &Managing Director, Engineers India Limited laidstress on the need for close collaboration betweenacademic and research inst i tut ions. With thegovernment showing renewed interest in establishingstrong bonds between academia and industry in thecountry, these collaborations will not only result ingood resource utilization but will also helps in skilldevelopment, innovat ion and entrepreneurialventures, he added.

Having had the chance of working with theindustry, corporate world, research and developmentand now with the academia, Dr. Chopra shared hiswisdom with the attendees of the symposium bytouching many facets of the energy economics.

The Indian economy he said in the recent pasthas shown that it has the resilience to grow at 8 to 9per cent. If this is the growth the country aims theexpanding energy deficit needs to be controlled, hestressed. Given India's growing energy demands andlimited domestic fossil fuel reserves with 75 percentcrude oil imports, the country has to draw an ambitiousplans to narrow the demand-supply gap, he added.

While mentioning that the expenditure on crude

Dr. S.J. Chopra, Chancellor, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies

“The Indian economy is poised to grow at 8 to9%. If this is the growth the country aims the

expanding energy deficit needs to be controlled.Science is the engine of growth of a country

and is crucial to revitalise the economy. So anysqueeze on research and development

funding will be at the country’s own peril”- Dr. S.J. Chopra

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oil import has slid by 45% from $113 billion in 2014-15 India's crude oil import bill has nearly halved toUSD 64 billion in 2015-16 fiscal as global oil pricesslumped to multi-year lows. However, India stillimported around 202.1 million tonnes of crude oil inthe last fiscal year which needs to be checked.

Dr. Chopra suggested India needs to be strongin geo-politics front specially so when the economicand geo-political centre of gravity of the world hasagain shifted towards the Asia-Pacific region. Weneed to define a new positive and create a brighter,innovat ive and updated narrat ive of Indiainternationally in the way we conduct our relations.

The government has taken firm steps in this directionbut more needs to be done he said.

On India’s progress, he mentioned while Indiais progressing very rapidly in the field of science andtechnology and slowly entering into the 'high risk highgain' type research work there is a need for conduciveenvironment for scientif ic research to develop.Science is the engine of growth of a country and iscrucial to revitalise the economy. So any squeeze onresearch and development funding will be at thecountry’s own peril, he stressed.

The upstream E&P sector is a key component ofnational energy security, he therefore urged India to

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‘Mini DME to bring stranded gases to the energy market’What are some of the innovations in CarbonCapture and Storage research by Peter CookCentre, Australia?The Peter Cook Centre for Carbon Capture andStorage (CCS) Research is a world class researchcentre at the University of Melbourne. In today’spolitical climate, carbon policy is uncertain. There isgeneral acceptance that deep cuts in CO2emissions will be required of society in general, butinevitably with a major focus on major carbon emitterssuch those related to fossil fuels, power generationand energy-intensive industries. The Peter CookCentre is a multidisciplinary research centre whichcrosses traditional discipline boundaries to provideaccess to expertise in carbon mitigation technologyand address the legal, social and economic issuesthat will be critical to reducing greenhouse gasemissions in the future.

The Carbon Storage Program within the Centreis focused on the study and assessment of potentialCO2 storage sites through the provision of research,technical review and advice.

In carbon capture and storage the major issueis the cost involved in the capture. More than 70percent cost of capturing and storage is of theequipment/technology. So we have developedinnovative technologies like better membranes,solvents, adsorbents and cryogenics/hydrates for

Prof. Paul A Webley, Director, Peter Cook Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage Research,University of Melbourne, Australia talks to Arun Kr. Singhal, Chief Editor, DEW Journal

capture of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Can you briefly throw light on advances inAdsorption technology?The program canters on the three technologies i.esolvent systems, membranes and adsorption all ofwhich have application in specific areas. The solventsystem is designed to capture 90 per cent of CO2emissions from large-scale emission sources.

Our membrane researchers are developing newmaterials and systems for CO2 separation. Themembrane is polymer membrane. The Novelty of thisis to recover CO2 at high pressure.

Our adsorbents materials and process teamsare developing and refining a rapid screening tool forpost-combustion capture of CO2.

Our teams have looked at cooling emissionsfrom industrial processes to a point where the CO2is frozen, which can then be removed, contained andeventually transported for carbon storage. Initiallaboratory trials have been successfully completed.

One of the main advances in adsorbents in CCSand more generally in the oil and gas industry is beable to create adsorbents with just the right pore sizes,just the molecules you want to access the system.The molecules you don’t want, don’t access thesystem. It’s molecular engineering.

Your Centre is also into natural gas CO2 removal.How?See increasingly oil and gas companies face gas

“We are going to soon build a Mini DMEpilot plant at IIP before commercializing it”


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fields that contain a lot of CO2 which may in somecases be as high as 60 percent. In the past it wasjust capped due to very expensive process to removeCO2. With new technology that is available now it ispossible to remove and re-inject (store) the CO2 atthe offshore well site and transport the natural gasto shore.

In the capture technology, a membrane or anabsorbent are placed at the offshore well. The gaswhen passed through the membrane/technology,CO2 is removed and subsequently re-compressedand re-injected into the subsurface.

Which countries have implemented this?Presently it has been implemented in the Gorgunproject, Australia. The injection of reservoir carbondioxide wil l reduce greenhouse gas emissionsattr ibutable to the wider Gorgon Project byapproximately 40 per cent.

Probably in the next year we will be injecting thatCO2 back into the formation.

You have interests with IIP on the mini DimethylEther (DME) project? What’s that?Mini DME is a custom designed solution to bringstranded gases to the energy market which is a realgrand challenge for any organization.

DME is a clean and economical alternative fuelwhich can be produced from various resources asnatural gas, coal or bio mass gas through syngas.DME holds promise as a fuel that can assist in thetransition to a low carbon emission future.

In “Mini-DME” project we are attempting to designan intensified DME system to bring natural gas inremote on and/or offshore reserves to energy market.

The project objective is to develop a small scale,mobile plant for DME production that can be locatedon a rig or containerized for transport betweendif ferent si tes in remote locat ions. The plantcomprises three processes, namely; natural gas tosyngas, syngas to methanol, and methanol to DME.

The project is funded by Australia-India StrategicResearch Fund (AISRF).

Has this been implemented yet?No, this has not been implemented yet. It’s a brandnew concept with lots of innovations in it. We aregoing to soon build a pilot plant at IIP beforecommercializing it.

L to R: Arun Kr. Singhal, Chief Editor, DEW Journal with Prof. Paul AWebley, Director, Peter Cook Centre for Carbon Capture and StorageResearch, University of Melbourne, Australia

“Increasingly oil and gas companies facegas fields that contain a lot of CO2 which

may in some cases be as high as 60percent. With new technology that is

available now it is possible to remove andre-inject (store) the CO2 at the offshore wellsite and transport the natural gas to shore”

accelerate her exploration campaigns. According toDr. Chopra exploration is the first step in E&Pbusiness; if the first step is right, then the chances ofgetting the next steps right are higher. Explorationbeing a high-stakes activity, there is therefore a needfor an appropriate technical solutions for achievinggreater success in our explorat ion efforts, heemphasised.

He even emphasised the need for a fresh look atthe oil and gas sector to bring in investments,technological upgradation and development of humanresources.

On the pipeline infrastructure in the country,

Dr.Chopra said, although India has emerged as aglobal refinery hub with massive investments but lackof sufficient pipeline network hurts the country, thisneeds to be addressed soon, he urged.

Throwing light from an international perspectiveDr.Paul A. Webley,Professor, The University ofMelbourne Director, Peter Cook Centre for CCS CleanEnergy Laboratory talked about advances inAdsorption technology for the oil and gas industry.

Prof.Webley covered the current application ofAdsorption in oil & gas; advances in Adsorptionscience & engineering; current pilot studies and futurepotential.


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On the opportunities for Adsorption Technologyin oil and gas industry, he said these are bulk CO2rejection in natural gas; CH4/N2 Separation; CO2/CH4 biogas separation; CO2 capture from H2PSAtail gas; Helium recovery and CO2/ethylene etc.

Prof Webley also discussed large scale projectsrelated to carbon storage and sequestration. He madea special mention about CO2CRC Otway ProjectAustralia's first demonstration of the deep geologicalstorage or geo-sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2),the most common greenhouse gas.

The current projects he emphasised are CO2/CH4 separation at high pressure at field installation;

CO2 Removal from Synthesis gas produced duringcoal to H2; CH4/N2 separat ion at cryogeniccondit ions; Mini-DME Project; Electrical SwingAdsorption (with SINTEF); “Non Adsorption” Projectslike precipitating solvent for CO2 removal fromindustrial gases and encapsulated solvents as“disruptive” technology

On the future potential, Prof Webley said thereare a large number of small molecule separationspossible with adsorption which otherwise avoids theneed for cryogenic processes. Advances in materialswill continue subject to higher selectivity and materialswhich are st imul i responsive. On advances in

IH2 process is a game-changingtechnology invented by GasTechnology Institute, a not-for-profit organisation based in DesPlaines, USA, and being scaled-up and commercialised by CRICatalyst Company, USA. CRI is awholly-owned subsidiary of RoyalDutch Shell. Catalyst inventions forthe IH2 process and many processimprovements as well, have beencarr ied out by the R&D teamworking at Shel l Technology

Riches of Research: IH2 technology takes only minutes

Centre Bengaluru (STC-B).Significant investments in R&Dinfrastructure have been made byCRI at STC-B to support the scale-up of this process. CRI has alsocreated a centre of expertise for IH2process at STC-B, investing intalented skill pool of scientists andengineers avai lable in Indiaaccording Dr. C.S. LaxmiNarasimhan, General Manager-Products & Technology, Shel lTechnology Centre.

As an innovative technology toconvert waste to fuels scientists atShel l Technology Centre, Dr.Narasimhan and Dr. Vikrant Urade,Process Researcher say IH2technology can convert anybiomass or sorted municipal solidwaste (MSW) feedstock intofungible hydrocarbons bycontacting the feedstock with hot,hydrogen-rich gas, in the presenceof a catalyst. This technology can

be successful ly scaled up toconvert the large biomass andMSW reserves available in India,which are currently being burntwithout any meaningful energyrecovery. IH2 technology has thepotential to recover approximately72% of the energy content in thefeedstock. This energy recovery isamong the highest for variousbiomass conversion technologiesavailable on the market. It also hasa potent ial to achieve GHGreductions from 65% to about 86%,depending upon the feedstock, thescale and configuration of the IH2process plant, and the use patternof various by-products.

It is learnt, IH2 process canutilize a broad range of feedstocks,including mixed feeds, and producepure hydrocarbon fuels or blendstocks. The hydrocarbons from IH2process conform to the fuel qualityspecifications of petrol, jet fuel and

Dr. M.O. Garg

Dr. C.S. Laxmi Narasimhan

Dr. Vikrant Urade

IH2 technology can convert any biomass orsorted municipal solid waste (MSW)

feedstock into fungible hydrocarbons bycontacting the feedstock with hot, hydrogen-

rich gas, in the presence of a catalyst

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processes and system he said this will continue likeadvanced manufacturing (eg 3D printing). This is justl imited only by our imagination (and t ime), hestressed.

As a befitting example to India’s ‘Make in India’initiative, Dr.C.S.Laxmi Narasimhan, FRSC, GeneralManager-Products & Technology, Centre for NovelCata ly t ic Mater ia ls , Shel l Technology Centredisclosed of an innovative technology “IH2” for wasteto fuel conversion. This it is learnt is a continuousself-sufficient process under development by GasTechnology Institute (GTI) of Des Plaines, IL USAand Shell to which Shell have acquired exclusive

license rights.Besides being a breakthrough technology, IH2

process will help provide farmers, municipalities andthe energy sector with a cost effective means to meetgrowing energy demands with local resources;reduce overall dependence on imported energy; meetpolicy obligations; create jobs, stimulate domesticinvestment; create distributed rural fuel productionor…; convert biomass to l iquids for centralizedupgrading; monetize urban/rural wastes and reducecarbon footprint. This novel technology he said willresult in significant reduction in foreign exchangeoutgo for the country and ensure energy security.

to achieve what nature requires millions of years todiesel. The technology is scalable,with nameplate capacities rangingfrom 40 TPD to about 3000 TPD ondry, ash-free basis. The process iseconomically attractive. Pilot scalefully continuous operation spanningover 6000 hours has been carried out,and the process is now entering aphase of accelerated demonstrationand commercialisation.

The total amount of agriculturalresidues available in India isestimated to be about 200 milliontons per year. The total amount ofmunicipal solid waste generated isabout 60 mill ion tons per year.Converting the MSW and agriculturalresidues to hydrocarbon fuels willnot only help in reducing India’spetroleum import bill, but will alsohelp clean-up India’s towns andvillages by reducing surface wasteand residue accumulation, spur thedomestic manufacturing industry,create jobs and stimulate localeconomy. It can thus contribute toboth the Swachh Bharat Mission andthe Make in India initiatives of theGovernment of India. This will resultin significant reduction in foreignexchange outgo for the country andensure energy security Dr.Narasimhan stressed.

A photograph showing clear and water-white fuels and aqueous by-product of the IH2 process.From left: gasoline, diesel and aqueous product

A schematic illustrating the IH2 process scheme

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Dr. Narasimhan stressed IH2 willbe a boon for the world as the newenergy future by 2050 will witnessr is ing energy demand, supplypressure, climate change issues. Headded while the energy demand willdouble by 2050 we need to halve CO2levels. On the future energy - 2050landscape, he pointed out fossil fueland nuclear energy will provide 70percent while the rest 30 percent willbe met by renewables.

Dr. Jim Patel a research scientistat the CSIRO who has been leading an Australia-IndiaStrategic Research Fund project discussed the ONinitiative and Dimethyl ether (DME) as an alternativefuel. DME is a colourless gas used as an aerosolpropellant for things such as hairspray, but enginemanufacturers and other companies have beenexploring its potential as an alternative transport fuel.This is because DME is compatible with compressionignition engines, requiring only minor modifications. Itmirrors the performance of diesel and, under the rightconditions, has a much cleaner emissions profile,producing virtually no particulate matter or soot.

Dr. Patel who is investigating the small scaleproduction of DME said, “DME is often referred to asa chicken-and-egg problem.”

“There is little incentive to develop applicationsfor DME when it isn’t widely available and while thereare no applications, there is little incentive to supply,”he said.

Dr. Patel emphasised the main challenge forproducing renewable DME from CO2 will be theeconomics of buying renewable power to makehydrogen and sourcing enough CO2 feedstock.

He suggests it might be more affordable toinitially produce a proportion of DME from renewablesources and gradually increase this.

Dr.Patel said there are positive signs DME couldbe gaining traction internationally.

Volvo has begun developing DME-poweredengines for heavy trucks in North America and itssubsidiary, Mack, is running a demonstration withmunicipal sanitation trucks in New York City.

Last year Ford Motor Company began workingwith the German government to develop and test theworld’s first production passenger car to run on DME.

“Due to its potential for reduced particulate

emissions, DME should be amongstthe al ternat ive fuels underconsideration for use,” said Dr.Patel.

Dr.Patel also talked about ON –Austral ia ’s nat ional innovat ionaccelerator, powered by CSIRO.

Elaborat ing ON, Dr. Patelment ioned, Innovat iON providesopportunities to learn new skills, takecommercial risk and be supported,recognised and rewarded for i t ;Col laborat iON creates moreintersections and mobility between

science, business and start-ups; bringing in globalmarket vision and networks while CommercialisatiONprovides new, agile models and clear pathways forour customers, investors and entrepreneurs toengage, invest in and create new value from scienceand technology.

CSIRO ON Innovation and Entrepreneurshipprogram was launched in July 2015 to help addressAustralia’s transitioning economy. While traditionalindustries will continue to play an important role in ourfuture, we have a significant opportunity to help shapethe foundations of Australia’s future industries throughthe translation of our great science and technology.ON is our Innovation and Entrepreneurship program,helping to equip our research teams with the skillsand knowledge to innovate better and faster, Dr.Patelinformed.

We are passionate about unlocking the sci-techinnovation that will shape our future, Dr.Patel asserted.

About Lean Launch Pad (LLP) he said it is a part-time CSIRO program aimed at helping our researchteams validates “problem-solution fit” via customerdiscovery. This program boosts the entrepreneurialskills of participants and enables them to have deep,meaningful engagements with industry. Teams havethis program with meaningful evidence as to whetherthey are solving a valuable problem or not. It alsoserves as a platform to prepare teams for progressioninto ON Accelerate.

ON Prime, he said is a new, part-time, open-eligibility pre-accelerator program similar to LLP thatwill help researcher teams validate a fit between theiridea and a real world problem via customer discovery.This program boosts the entrepreneurial skills ofpart ic ipants and enables them to have deepengagements with industry. Teams leave this

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Dr. Jim Patel


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program withm e a n i n g f u levidence as towhether they aresolving avaluable problemor not. I t a lsoserves as aplatform toprepare teams forprogression intoON Accelerate.Eligibility for ON Prime is open to teams from CSIRO,other Commonwealth owned PFRAs and AustralianUniversities, he added.

ON Accelerate he stated is a highly structured andintensive full time program that helps researchersdevelop and test a commercial model to deliver valueand achieve impact. In ON Accelerate teams are alsogiven intensive coaching around effective, businessplanning, pitching and networking. The programconcludes in a public ‘Demo Night’ where each teamis showcased to industry – including MultinationalCorporations, large Australian enterprises and SMEs,Government, investors and Universities. ON Accelerateis a nationally available experience offered at leastonce a year and eligibility for ON Accelerate is open toteams from CSIRO, other Commonwealth ownedPFRAs and Australian Universities.

Mr. Shekhar R. Balvalli, Senior Vice President –Onshore Business Development, Technip India - atechnology based EPC contractor in the field ofRefinery, Petrochemicals, Fertilizers and Oil & Gasshared his thoughts on Make in India in reference toconcepts to commercial operat ions. As anengineering company, Technip India has theexperience and track record and cansupport R&D institutions/academia tocommercialize technology & market itworldwide as part of the ‘Make in India’campaign, Mr. Balvalli stressed.

Mr. Balval l i emphasized thesuccess of concept to commercialoperat ions involves three majorstakeholders whose involvement at theright time in a time bound manner isimportant. The three stakeholders aref i rst , R&D inst i tut ions / wings &academia – who are involved in R&D /

concept testing; secondly operating companies / endusers- involved in product development businessanalysis while third is engineering / technologycompanies involved in scale up, implementation &marketing. The synchronizing of these three is a keyfactor to bring a concept to commercialization. Also,important is that product development should beaimed to complete globally and not just in Indianmarket, he added.

A chemical engineer Mr. Balval l i has wideexperience of over three decades in process design,engineering and Business Development in theRefinery, Petrochemicals, Fertilisers and Oil & Gassector including LNG Regasification Terminals aswell as in Syn Gas/Hydrogen Plants, Modular plantsand Fired Heaters.

On his company's strengths he informed hiscompany was involved in the basic design anddetailed engineering of the Benzene Recovery Unitfor Reliance Industries Limited at Jamnagar usingIndian Inst i tute of Petroleum/RIL TechnologyInformation Package and simulation inputs. Thescale up, he said was done considering operability,safety and environment, reliability and maintainability.

The unit has been successful lycommissioned and productspecifications met, he said.

Technip India has also fabricated andtested in India, proprietary equipmentfor the Technip Group for its Ethylene,Hydrogen etc technologies, heinformed.

As addit ional examples ofcommercialization of technologiesMr.Balvalli made reference of Techniprole in Indmax Unit of Indian Oi lCorporat ion Limited, Guwahat i ,

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Mr. Shekhar R. Balvalli


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Technip India, he added was also involved in the basicdesign of the Gas Concentration Section and also forpyridine/picoline extraction for a private client. Hiscompany was ear l ier also instrumental indevelopment of Pinch Technology, working withLinhoff March and using this technology for variousprojects in India, Mr. Balvalli stressed.

Earlier welcoming the experts at the symposium

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Dr. R A Vishwakarma, Director, CSIR-IIP stressed, theinstitute has always been in the forefront in developingand commercializing cutting edge technologies. Rightfrom 1970s he said it have shown how a three waycollaboration between a CSIR laboratory, engineeringcompanies and the industry successfully exists withfocus on translational research converting lab data totechnology information package to engineering and

During a brainstorming sessionand a high powered paneldiscussion participated by expertsof the industry and academia allunanimously called for increasingneed for bio-resources as asource in the oil and gas industryand the need to look at converting“waste to products”. While therewere a flury of comments andsuggest ions by the industry’sparticipants related to the growingexpectations on the future role ofinternationally renowned CSIR-IIP,it was expressed that IIP shouldfocus perhaps on two or threemajor areas and not dilute its finiteresources. The energy scenario ofthe world being changed with the

‘Waste to Products’ can immensely contribute towardsadvent of cheap shale gas and withthe present “age of gas” – shouldthe IIP be focussing on this areawas a question prominently raisedbefore the panel.

The panel comprised of Dr.Jim Patel from CSIRO, Australia,Mr. Shekhar R Balvalli, Senior VicePresident, Onshore BusinessDevelopment, Technip India, Dr.Sanjeev Katt i , Senior VicePresident, Rel iance Industr iesLimited, Dr. Ram Vishwakarma,Director, CSIR-IIP, Prof. Paul AWebley, Director, Peter Cook Centrefor Carbon Capture and StorageResearch and Co2CRC CaptureProgramme Manager, University ofMelbourne, Australia, Dr. M.O. Garg,former DG, CSIR and formerDirector, IIP, Mr. D M Katre, AreaPresident-DTA, Rel ianceIndustries Limited, Dr. S M Nanoti,Head, Ref ining TechnologyDivision, CSIR-IIP and Dr. D.T.Gokak from Bharat Petroleum R&DCentre

A unique suggest ion thatemerged during the paneldiscussion was related toaddressing synergies in thebiotech/pharmaceutical and oil andgas industry to exploreopportunities in this space. On therole of disruptive technologies – itwas acknowledged that this isimportant but the point was madethat the oil and gas industry is

conservative and cannot respondas quickly to changes as otherindustries for inherent reasons.Unlike the IT industry in which a newsmart phone or software app isintroduced on an almost monthlybasis, the oil and gas industry islocked into very large capitalinvestments which span decades.Also, considerable pi lot scaletest ing is required beforedemonstration can be undertaken.The sum of all these steps meansat least 10 years is needed beforeproducts/processes can appear inindustry.

Another important dimensionpondered by the experts was relatedto considerable duplication ofresearch work conducted atcorporate, government, anduniversity laboratories. A thoughtwas expressed on a “Team India”approach to conducting researchinto strategic areas of interest andrelevance to the oil and gas industry.Cleary the issues of protection ofintel lectual property loomsignif icantly when cooperativeresearch is done but this is not aninsurmountable problem. It was feltthat the efficiencies gained by notduplicating work are significantenough to consider a morestreamlined approach to R&D in thisfield.

The other issues the paneltook up related to the following:

Recommendations of the highpowered panel of experts

chaired by Prof. Paul A Webley,Director, Peter Cook Centre forCCS Research, University of

Melbourne, Australia

Prof. Paul A Webley


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“Swachh Bharat” mission and “Make in India” initiativeWaste/Pollution/EnvironmentalMany of the issues raised by thepanel were related to dealing withreducing waste, recycling or re-using byproducts/waste, reducingemissions, and meet ing morestringent environmental targets.Specific issues/comments were:• Euro 6 specifications – refineries

are currently unsure how they willmeet this impending requirement.R&D centres need to helprefineries meet this challenge.

• Vapour emissions recovery fromtank filling.

• Improvement of burner efficiency• How to dispose of waste/sludge

in tanks? These are hazardousmaterials and require carefulhandl ing and processing.Disposing of sludge is one of themajor problems in ref ineryoperation

• Can wastes from hydrocarbon

industry be used in the biotechindustry?

• How to reduce CO2 emissions,especially from hydrogen plants

• Target to reduce energyconsumption in refineries – whattechnologies are available forlower energy use in industry?

• We currently use toxic chemicals(eg Chlor ine) – how can wereduce or el iminate toxicchemical use in the process.

• Waste water treatment – how toimprove this?

Improved Process TechnologyThe continual quest for improvedprocess technology was raisedand certainly this will always be thecase. Whether for reduction ofpol lut ion or improvement ofoperability and profitability of theplants needs to continue to look forand develop better technologyemphasised. R&D centres should

lead the way in this endeavour itwas felt.

Specific items raised were:• Hydrogen plant operat ion –

ref iner ies are increasinglydemanding more hydrogen. Howcan we improve hydrogen plantoperation?

• What new products can we make?• Can we develop better catalysts?• Corrosion is a major issue in

cost and operability – yet it hasbeen largely ignored in R&Dresearch efforts. We need toexamine this

• Can we hybridize technologies?Can two operations be betterthan one?

• Can we further value add to ourexisting products?

• How can we make old “sick”plants relevant again? How dowe revitalize them?

• Why do we need to shut down

Experts at the panel discussion: L to R - Dr. Jim Patel from CSIRO, Australia, Mr. Shekhar R Balvalli, Senior Vice President, Onshore BusinessDevelopment, Technip India, Dr. Sanjeev Katti, Senior Vice President, Reliance Industries Limited, Dr. Ram Vishwakarma, Director, CSIR-IIP,Prof. Paul A Webley, Director, Peter Cook Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage Research and Co2CRC Capture Programme Manager,University of Melbourne, Australia, Dr. M.O. Garg, former DG, CSIR and former Director, IIP, Mr. D M Katre, Area President-DTA, RelianceIndustries Limited, Dr. S M Nanoti, Head, Refining Technology Division, CSIR-IIP and Dr. D.T. Gokak from Bharat Petroleum R&D Centre

A question prominently raised before the panel was that IIP should not only conduct high qualityresearch but be an advocate for improved government policy in the space of hydrocarbonprocessing. For example, the institute should advise on appropriate fuel standards etc.

finally implementation. He complimented CSIR-IIPscientists for bringing the institute on high peaks ofsuccess with international recognition. With pride hementioned, every year a new feather is added to theinstitute’s cap solely due to the institute’s scientificendeavours.

Dr. Rakesh Agrawal, Professor at School ofChemical Engineering, Purdue University spoke

about US energy efficiencyimprovement and processintensif ication for multi-component dist i l lat ion.The major areas coveredby him in his presentationwere introduct ion to asystematic method to Dr. Rakesh Agrawal


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plants for inspect ion andmaintenance? Why cant we keepthem running? What technologycan be developed to al lowcontinuous inspection of plantsto avoid or reduce cost lyshutdowns?

BiotechnologyThe role of the synergy betweenbiotechnology and the hydrocarbonindustry was prominent lydiscussed. The hydrocarbonindustry looks to remove sulfur,oxygen, etc from molecules whilebiotech industry continually strivesto add these. There is obviouscomplementarity between the twoindustries.

Specific issues raised were:• The bioref inery looms as a

competitor to the traditional wayof making hydrocarbons –should I IP be playing muchstronger into this space? Thisgoes beyond biofuels.

• We should not forget that fossilfuels are the result ofbiochemistry – we have much tolearn from biochemistry andbiochemical pathways to informhydrocarbon processing

• Pharmaceutical intermediatescan be made from hydrocarbonindustry

• What wastes from thehydrocarbon industry can beused in the biotech industry?

Information technologyThe growth in computer and IT andprocessing as well as the “internet

of things” wil l have enormousimpact on the hydrocarbon industry.The abil i ty to collect, process,interpret and act on very large datasets coming from sensorsthroughout the plant, integrated withdynamic simulations of the plantand updates on the plants “health”will revolutionize the way we run thehydrocarbon business in the future.Specif ic issues / commentsraised were:• “Big data” collection, mining, and

interpreting will be essential inthe plants of the future

• Improved sensors andinformation processing wi l lsignificantly improve safety andoperational efficiency as well asminimize shutdowns and offspec performance

• Speed of response – we need torespond much faster toincidents, requests, etc. How canwe do this? Informationprocessing and automation is atthe heart of this. Compare thenumber of plant personnel at amodern refinery compared to thatat a refinery 50 years ago.

SafetyAs always, the need to strive forimproved safety and zero incidentswas emphasised. Inherently safedesign and improved automationwill help to achieve this but cultural

change is also needed in theworkforce. Specific issues raisedwere:• Can we completely eliminate the

use of toxic chemicals to achievecertain goals? For example, canwe substitute for chlorine, etc?

• How can we harness therevolution in IT to completelyel iminate incidents andaccidents?

Alternative Energy/ FuelsThe need to look beyond 1-5 yearsis imperative if the hydrocarbonindustry is to survive. What fuels willthere be in the future? If we electrifyour consumer transport system willrefineries defocus on producingpetroleum fuels and focus on non-fuel chemical production?• Do we need to look at DME as a

potential future fuel to replace/complement LPG?

• What about biofuels? Do weneed to focus on this area at IIP?

Government PolicyThe panel felt, Council of Scientificand Industrial Research - IndianInstitute of Petroleum (IIP) shouldnot only conduct high qual i ty,relevant research but should alsobe an advocate for improvedgovernment policy in the space ofhydrocarbon processing. Forexample, the IIP should advise onappropriate fuel standards etc.

Synergy between biotechnology and thehydrocarbon industry can really pay

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generate configurations with regular as well as fewercolumns; developed an optimization algorithm forquick screening of the regular column configurations;introduced more operable dividing wall columns forregulating vapor flow on either side of a verticalpartition; and suggested a generalized framework forsimultaneous thermal coupling and heat & massintegration between distillation columns.

In his talk titled "Translational research at IndianInstitute of Petroleum-A new star on the horizon ofReliance Industries Limited" Dr.D.M.Katre, AreaPresident-DTA, Jamnagar Manufacturing Division,Reliance Industries Limited commended CSIR-IIPscient ists and special ly Dr.M.O.Garg andDr.S.M.Nanoti under whose supervision and guidancethe path breaking technology to produce Benzene free


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Siemens has acquired a majority stake (85%) in Materials SolutionsLtd., one of the world leaders in Additive Manufacturing (AM) processing

and production. The remaining 15% will be held by the founder of thecompany Carl Brancher. Materials Solutions in Worcester is a pioneer inthe use of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology for the manufacture ofhigh-performance metal parts. A specialty of the company is makingturbomachinery parts, particularly high temperature applications for gasturbines where accuracy, surface finish and the highest quality of thematerials is critical to ensure operational performance of the parts in service.In August 2015, Siemens Venture Capital acquired a minority stake (14%)in the company that currently employs more than 20 highly qualifiedengineers. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

“With the acquisition of Materials Solutions, we are able to secure world-leading expertise in materials and AM process development with focus onhigh-temperature super alloys,” said Willi Meixner, CEO of Siemens Powerand Gas Division.

Founded in 2006, Materials Solutions has proven applications in highdemanding fields such as aerospace, power generation and motor sports.

Since the rise of Additive Manufacturing, Siemens has been investing inthe technology and is now driving towards industrialization andcommercialization. Siemens has been using its internal competence in AdditiveManufacturing including the support of Corporate Technology to help meet thecustomers’ needs. Siemens extensively uses AM technology for rapid prototypingand has introduced serial production solutions for rapid manufacturing of smallfuel mixers and for rapid repair of burner tips for mid-size gas turbines. Siemensin Finspång, Sweden, already started using Additive Manufacturing technologyin 2009 and opened a production facility for metal 3D printed components inFebruary 2016. This investment was the first step in the company's plans formass manufacture and repair of metal parts with Additive Manufacturing. Thefirst 3D printed burner component for a Siemens heavy-duty gas turbine is insuccessful commercial operation in a power plant in Brno, Czech Republic.

Additive Manufacturing is a process thatbuilds parts layer-by-layer from sliced CADmodels to form solid objects. Also known as‘3D Printing’ it has for some time been buildingdesign ver i f icat ion prototypes. Recentadvancements in the technology haveenhanced the potent ial of Addit iveManufactur ing for ful ly manufacturedproduct ion parts. Fiber lasers are nowavailable with enough power to melt highperformance metal alloys to manufacture gasturbine or jet engine parts.

Siemens strengthens footprintin Additive Manufacturing

gasoline commissioned atRel iance Industr iesJamnagar Refinery.

Dr.Katre added, I IP'sdr ive in technologydevelopment is exemplary.He also made a mention ofhow I IP came forward tojoint ly work with RIL ondeveloping the process ofremoval of Benzene fromgasol ine which is a pathbreaking technology. Hetermed, the commissioningof this world-classtechnology as a splendidexample of “Make in India.

Ment ioning theuniqueness of the technology,Dr.Katre said it is the first ofits kind in the world based ona thermally and chemicallystable and tunable solventsystem discovered to handlereact ive impuri t ies ladencomplex feedstocks such asFCC gasol ine. Thetechnology does not requireany energy intensive and highexpenditure feed pre-processing steps l ikeselective hydrogenation orhydro-desulfurisation.

He also talked about theinnovative Indian Institute ofPetroleum Thoxcat-EScatalyst . Dr.Katre said,Reliance Industries Limitedis working more closely onmany issues for the futuregrowth and assured ofremaining global lycompetent with the help of IIP.

Earlier Dr. Sanjeev Katti,Senior Vice President,Rel iance Industr ies Ltd.delivered a presentation ondesalination at the JamnagarRefinery.

3D-printed burner heads: MaterialsSolutions manufactures Siemensburner heads.dewjournal.com dewjournal.com

Special Report


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Pipeline IntegrityManagement System

need of the hour: Experts

Dr B. Mohanty, Member (BM), Petroleum & Natural GasRegulatory Board (PNGRB), Government of India stressedupon the importance of pipeline integrity management systemwhile Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak, Director (Projects), GAIL thelargest state-owned natural gas processing and distributioncompany in India informed about the paradigm shift in pipelineintegrity management and pipeline safety and securityinitiatives by his company at the first National Conferencecum Exhibition on Pipeline Integrity Management Systemorganised by Resonance Energy and supported by DEWJournal besides many oil and gas companies

The importance of safety and longevity ofpipelines has grown since India is movingtowards creating a National Gas Grid addingaround 16000 km of natural gas and 9000 km ofproduct pipelines crossing 60,000 km in the nextfew years with mix of very old and new pipelinesintegrated network across the country. A report:

I ndian Hydrocarbon sector ispoised for fast paced growth with

a number of initiatives taken byGovernment. The country has10000 km of crude pipeline, morethan 11000 km of product pipelinesand about 15,500 km of gaspipelines. As the country movestowards creating a National GasGrid for Transmission andDistribution, adding addition of16000 km of natural gas pipelineand another 9000 km of productpipelines, the pipeline growth inIndia would cross 60,000 km of oiland gas pipelines in the next fewyears with mix of very old and newones integrated network across thecountry. Similarly the City GasNetwork is operative in 52 GAs andanother 52 GAs authorized byPetroleum & Natural GasRegulatory Board (PNGRB) are atthe implementation stage.Maintenance and Safety would bethe key to ensure longevity andefficiency of these pipeline systems.

Keeping this in view,Resonance Energy organised thef i rst Nat ional Conference cumExhibit ion on Pipeline IntegrityManagement System (PIMS) on July28-29, 2016 in New Delhi. Theconference sessions special lyfocussed on practical aspects ofPIMS with both Indian andInternational speakers sharingtheir experiences with theparticipants. The objective was to

Dr B. Mohanty, Member Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board, Government of India

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help participants gain practicalinsights and implement thosepract ices in their Pipel ineOperat ions, Management andSafety. The key themes of theConference included:• Pipeline as built Data-Capturing & Analysis• Stress Analysis of Pipeline system• Pipeline Integrity Management System• Statutory and Regulatory Compliances• Pipeline Protection, Security and Surveillance• Pipeline O&M and Safety• Panel Discussion cum Stakeholders’ Forum

The PIMS Conference, the first of its kind at anational level with international outlook, received anoverwhelming response from the industry. 35speakers from India, Russia, Israel, Korea and Dubaiparticipated in the conference and shared theirexperience and insights with theaudience. There were sevenexhibitors from the oil and gasindustry who showcased theirproducts and services. More than100 delegates from 40 companiesin India and abroad participated inthe conference. The conferencewas sponsored by ONGC, GAIL,IGL, HMEL, Digi tal Globe/Samvridhi, SKP Projects and AlliedEngineers, while it was promotedby DEW Journal as Media Partner.

The Inaugural key notes weredelivered by Dr B. Mohanty, MemberPNGRB and Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak,Director (Projects), GAIL. DrMohanty emphasized theimportance of PIMS in the contextof safety and longevity of pipelineswhile Dr Karnatak covered a wide canvas of thevarious initiatives undertaken by GAIL in the areas ofPIMS and Pipel ine Safety and Securi ty whi lesimultaneously stressing the importance ofleadership and human resources in building theefficiency and safety culture in the organisation. Hisidea of Traditional – Connected – Smart – SustainableEnterprises was well received by the audience.

Dr. Karnatak ment ioned of safety of teammembers, stakeholders and general public; creatingsafety awareness among stakeholders; accidental

third party damages & attempts of pilferage; internalcorrosion including MIC; external corrosion ofpipelines; pipeline exposures; ensuring statutorycompliances; RoU encroachment; gas reconciliation;minimizing transmission losses & unaccounted gasand efficiency in pipeline transportation as the majorchallenges in pipeline integrity management.

He also spoke about the governance mechanismfor implementing (S2OMES) TE-An innovat ivetechnique for Pipeline Integrity Management devisedby GAIL. The (S2OMES) TE-Innovative Techniquestands for ‘S’afety, Round the Clock ‘S’ecurity, Efficient

‘O’perat ion, Best ‘M’aintenance Pract ices,‘E’nvironment Management, ‘S’ takeholderManagement, State of art ‘T’echnology and ‘E’ducationand Learning.

During the inaugural sessions, Mr Alok Gurtu fromRGTIL and Mr Bhudev Singh from IGL also addressedthe audience. Dr. B.S.Negi, former Member, PNGRBand Founder, Energy Quest elaborated on thevastness of the subject of PIMS and how theprogramme has been structured to cover all the keyaspects of PIMS valuable to the participants.

Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak, Director (Projects), GAIL Limited

• General awareness about Pipeline for Life concept• PIMS Tools and their application• Provision and compliance of Regularity requirement• Skill development program and capacity building for PIMS.

Take away from the conference

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The key aspects of PIMS deliberated during theconference were :i) Picking up data from Route Survey, Punch list

liquidation, GIS/GPS Mapping, pre-commissioningand HOTO from construction team to O&M team

ii) Pipe Book encompassing pipeline informationSystem and procedure- covering detai ls ofPipelines from bare l ine pipe to mechanicalcompletion, as built Pipeline.

iii) PIMS as per PNGRB Regulation covering all kindof threats , Risk perception and analysis using

A view of the distinguished audience at the Conference

Dr B.S. Negi, former Member, Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board, Government of India

The subjects coveredwere offshore

pipeline, risers, SPMsystem, platformsupport structure,

onshore transmission& distribution

pipelines to CGDnetwork. The central

theme was to create arobust Pipeline

integrity ManagementSystem for sustaining

“Pipeline for Life”The Technical sessions were well structured and

practically oriented and elicited lot of interest andquestions. Some of the key highlights of the technicalsessions and stakeholders’ forum are detailed below.

The subjects covered in the conference werefrom offshore pipeline, risers, SPM system, platformsupport structure, onshore transmission &distribution pipelines to CGD network.

The central theme of the event was to create arobust Pipeline integrity Management System forsustaining “Pipeline for Life”

probabi l ist ic model, Riskmitigation tools,

iv) Role of third party inspection forconformity with PNGRMRegulations.

v) Monitor ing & Inspect ion ofpipel ine health employingvarious kind of tools such asCathodic Protection, pipelineSurveillance (patrolling, PIDS),ILI (instrumented pig survey)and Integrity assessment fornon piggable using differenttools, Hydrostatic testing, directassessment of pipe wal lthickness.

vi) Risk based pipel inemaintenance and RLA (residuallife assessment)

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vii) Managing pipeline emergencyThe technical session also

focussed on innovative coatingsdeveloped indigeniously in Indiaunder the “Make in India” initiative.

Speaking on the ocassion Mr.Bharat H. Dadia founding DirectorDooal l Corpro India Pvt. Ltdmanufacturing high performanceprotective coating systems focusedon his company’s extensiveexpert ise in NANO enhancedcoat ings. “Most of our highperformance coatings are modifiedwith NANO addit ives, whichenhance the performance of thecoat ings beyond the pr ice-performance curve” heemphasised.

Our complete range offer endto end solutions in industrial protective coatingindustry and we are present at every price point inthis domain, Mr.Dadia added.

Mr.Dadia said NANO coating; air drying type,developed by his company for the radiator industry isextensively used as an OEM coating by renownedcompanies l ike Cummins India. This coat ingprovides corrosion resistance to difficult substrateslike Aluminium, Brass and Copper at minimal DFT(less than 10 microns) without hampering the heatdissipation process.

We have even developed anant i-st ick paint for Rel ianceIndustr ies Ltd he added. Thiscoating had adhesion with thesubstrate but did not allow anythingto adhere over it and thus solvedthe problem of rubber sticking ontheir conveyor belts. Our coatingsare also approved for a project ofRel iance Petroleum Ltd.Jamnagar, he said.

We have also developed asuper-special paint with very highemissivity for ISRO, Mr.Dadia said.

Dooall Corpro has even beenawarded a very reputed R & Dproject by the second largest cablemanufacturing company in the

world to develop a FLAME RETARDANT coating forPE cables, Mr.Dadia disclosed.

Most of our clients in the chemical industry, whoare combating aggressive corrosion, suffered frompoor performance of previously used maintenancecoatings. After approaching us they have shifted toour Modpoxy series of primer and DL-PU series oftop coats as their maintenance coating he said.

Deploying this paint system has ensuredeconomical, user-friendly and long term protection of

Mr. Bharat H. Dadia (extreme right) founding director Dooall Corpro India Pvt. Ltd and otherexperts during the Conference

Experts at the technical session

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chemical plants. This system achieves 300 micron DFT in 3 coats, thussaving considerably on labour charges and ensuring expeditious paintingwork completion, Mr. Dadia informed. Our periodic audits and PBGshave gone a long way in not only earning the trust of our new clients butalso ensuring immaculate execution of the painting job, he said.

On the price advantage of Dooall products Mr Dadia said, thecompany has successfully managed to price its products below thecompeti t ion with added advantage of del ightful del iveries andcustomized specifications. What’s more the company even offerscustomized offerings and services. It offers audit and reconciliationreports during the course of the painting work and a performance bankguarantee at the end of the painting job, Mr.Dadia informed while duringa tête-à-tête with DEW Journal subsequent to his presentation. Atechnocrat with an extensive experience in polymers and coatings,Mr.Dadia’s US experience of almost a decade has lead him to apply hisextensive research to various applications in Dooall products whichstand as a live example of “Make in India”.

“Our technological capability, quality led ethos and moderate size,make us an ideal case for customized vendor development by largecompanies consuming substantial paints to avail of best solutions forcorrosion with personalized quick services at a lower price point”,Mr.Dadia stessed.

On the ocassion the Resonance Energy Learning Centre (RELC)programme was also formally launched. The RELC programmes areplanned to be offered at RELC centres as well as at clients premises,covering the areas of CGD, PIMS, safety and soft skills.

The products and services showcased at the exhibition highlightedthe latest technologies and developments in the industry. The exhibitorswere ASME, Lin-Scan, NDT Global, TesTex, CSR Impex, V K Vikram andResonance Energy Learning Centre.

The Resonance Energy Learning Centre programme booklet formally released by Dr. Karnatak

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As operations technology (OT)leverages the Industrial Internet

of Things (IIoT) with sensors onoperating equipment and assetsproducing an enormous volume ofbig data, there is a need forimproved security, informationsharing and data management.This, in turn, is driving anunprecedented convergence with IT.However, organizations arestruggling to make use of the datafrom their OT and IT systems,causing them to miss opportunitiesto improve asset performance. Thisis due, in part, to the fact that thedigital engineering modelsdeveloped during the engineeringphase of capital projects, are typicallynot playing a role in operations.

What if owner-operators coulduse these models in operations?Imagine how a digital engineering

Connecting IT with OT and ET forAsset Performance Modeling

Anne-Marie WaltersGlobal Marketing Director

Bentley Systems

“It is helpful to think of digital engineering information as the digital DNA for infrastructureassets – down to every nut, bolt and screw. Just as doctors can analyze human DNA toanticipate health issues and personalize healthcare for better health outcomes,companies can harness the digital DNA of their assets to personalize asset maintenancefor better TOTEX, maximized uptime and more.”

Bhupinder SinghChief Product OfficerBentley Systems

model-the engineering technologyor ET of an asset-could helpoperat ions and maintenancepeople forecast problems, dobetter planning, and improveperformance. It is now possible forcompanies to converge their IT, OTand ET – and seamlessly integrateprocess and information f lowsbetween them – to enable as setperformance modeling to deliveractionable intelligence for decisionsupport through an immersiveenvironment for visual operations.

The Digital Engineering ModelFor many years, engineeringdepartments have been usingadvanced modeling and simulationapplications that focus on theprocess of design and constructionof an infrastructure asset –a plant,bridge, highway, railway or utility

network – in a way that improvesproject delivery and assetperformance. Better project deliveryenables companies to optimizeCAPEX–through both the depth ofinformation modeling and thebreadth of information mobility forcollaboration during design andconstruction. There’s a staggeringamount of information related toassets– detai led componentspecif ications, precise geo-location, configurationmanagement, fabrication details,cost information, predicted lifetimes,recommended maintenance andrepair information. Today’sengineering technology makes itpossible to bring al l of thisinformation together within thefederated digital engineeringmodel, making it possible to track,access, and share with others

Engineering


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collaborating on the project (seeFigure 1). The technology alsoenables engineers to modelprojects in a 3D virtual setting fordesign integration and constructionwork packaging, so that when theproject is actually constructed in thereal world, the project teams andstakeholders are able to minimizeunforeseen situations and keep theproject on track.

Ideally, all of this informationflows between applications andproject teams for better projectdelivery, which is the key to betterCAPEX, and f lows through tooperat ions and maintenancesystems across the entire assetlifecycle, which is key to reducingOPEX. For example, whencompanies can integrate the 3Dmodels for each discipline involvedin a project, it improves informationmobi l i ty. Discipl ines can moreeffectively communicate criticaldesign detai ls for operat ions,detect clashes earlier in the designphase and before constructionstarts, share updates during theengineering and construct ionphases, and hand over accurateand complete information toensure successful start-up andongoing operations.

The Beginning of IT/ET/OTConvergenceThe Industrial Internet of Things(IIoT) is driving a convergencebetween operational technology andinformation technology. Digitalengineering models can acceleratethis convergence and add the visualrepresentation of the real worldneeded to aid decision making; thiscan have far-reaching impacts onthe safety, productivity, efficiency andoperations of industries worldwide.

For example, consider how

South Australia Water is currentlyusing predict ive and real- t imeoperational analytics to forecastwater demand and improvecustomer service while reducingoperat ional costs. To create ademand forecast ing tool , theyneeded to pull information fromboth the operational and IT sidesof the organization in real-time.Bent ley’s predict ive analyt icssoftware was chosen as theoperational intelligence platformdue to its real-time ability to connectand capture data from a widevariety of sources, ability to performcompl icated calculat ions andanalysis, and i ts impressivevisualization capabilit ies. Real-t ime monitored sensor data isbrought in from the reservoirs,water treatment plants, valves, flowmeters, and pumps spread acrossthe extensive pipeline network.This operational data is combinedin real time with climate, energy,cost, and population data and is

displayed on dashboards. Bringingthese data sources together hasresulted in huge benefits, includingimproved performance, enhancedunderstanding ofinterrelat ionships, and betterdecision-making and moreaccurate predictions of short- andlong-term demand.

South Austral ia Water alsointegrated a demand optimizationtool that is used to optimize theavailability and the movement ofclean water around the network todemand areas quickly and efficiently.It calculates how to deliver the waterby calculating costs and determiningwhich pumping stations to use,which pumps are needed, and soon. Built-in analytics take the outputof the demand forecasting tool todevelop a live hydraulic model thatdetermines water pressures andflows throughout the network. Usingthis digital engineering model,South Australia Water can activelyoptimize water supply and reliabilityto its customers. Customers enjoyimproved water security, andresponse times to problems, suchas broken water mains, have beenreduced by 90 percent.

Tying together IT, OT, and ETalso allows the company to takeadvantage of lower forward marketpricing for electricity. They can usean energy portfolio managementspot-market power price tool todetermine the optimal timing forpump operations on five pipelines,as well as when to purchase powerin highly volati le markets. Theimpact on OPEX can be significant-a savings of AUD 3 million per year.

Making the Leap to AssetPerformance ModelingTaking the convergence of IT, OT,and ET one step further, it’s now

Fig.1 Digital engineering models bring togethercritical information in a virtual 3D environment.

Fig.2 Asset performance monitoring bringstogether IT and OT with big data analytics.

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possible to enable real-time assetperformance modeling, whichensures that assets are safe,reliable, and efficient over theiroperating l i fe. For example,Bentley’s asset performancemanagement software enablescompanies to develop bothoperational and asset strategies forimproving reliability and maintainingasset performance and predictableproduction. Using a common dataenvironment (CDE), companies cancollect, consolidate, and analyzedata and turn it into actionableintell igence. The software alsohelps ensure regulatory complianceand is al igned with assetmanagement standards, includingPAS 55 and ISO 55001. At the sametime, it applies leading informationmodeling and informationmanagement technologies to assetoperations and maintenance, andwhen combined with informationdelivered at handover from projects,provides a complete l i fecycleinformation management solutionfor owner-operators. This enablesowner-operators to optimizeprocesses for the day-to-dayrunning of assets, balancing capitaland operational costs andmaximizing production capability.

Many companies are already ontheir way to using these solutions,thanks to widespread adoption ofcondition monitoring technologies.As shown in Figure 3, monitoringassets requires integration of IT andOT systems, as well as big dataanalytics to discern patterns in dataand automate or recommendoptimal responses to them.

To move to asset performancemodeling, 3Ddigital engineeringmodels across all disciplines areintegrated with the IT and OTsystems used for asset

performance monitor ing (seeFigure 3). As the operating baselinefor infrastructure assets, digitalengineering models bring togetherschematics; engineeringanalyses; network models; 3Dmodels; functional components,catalogs, and specifications, asshown in Figure 3.

It is helpful to think of digitalengineering information as thedigital DNA for infrastructure assets– down to every nut, bolt, and screw.Just as doctors can analyze humanDNA to anticipate health issues andpersonalize healthcare for betterhealth outcomes, companies canharness the digital DNA of theirassets to personal ize assetmaintenance for better TOTEX,maximized uptime and more.

For example, companies canmanage the performance of theirassets far more effectively whenthey have digi tal engineeringmodels that intel l igent ly br ingtogether all infrastructure data.When IT and OT systems connectwith this ET data, teams can viewthe asset performance history, seeall failure alerts, geo-coordinate tothe exact positioning within theinfrastructure asset, and drill downinto the 3D digital engineeringmodel to determine the cause ofthe alarm. Then they can refer tothe manufacturer’s degradation

data, access maintenance andrepair data information, and takecorrective action – all in seconds.

Harnessing the Power ofContinuous SurveyingHaving an accurate frame ofreference – for example, capturingprecisely located photographs andvideos and comparing these overtime – allows companies to bringtogether OT, IT, and ET to supportasset performance modeling. New,photogrammetr ic surveyingmethods allow systems to keepthese frames of reference up todate. For example, Bent ley’sContext Capture software is beingused to turn digital photographyfrom UAVs and close up groundshots into accurate as-operated 3Dmodels of infrastructure assets.Rather than producing a pointcloud, the software generates ahighly accurate 3D reality mesh thatcan be brought directly into a 3Dengineering environment, and geo-coordinated for precise real-worldlocation, to design in context orcompare the digital engineeringmodel with the real i ty mesh-highlighting differences betweenthe digital design and the actualconditions.

The 3D real i ty mesh canprovide the d ig i ta l f rame ofreference aligning all IT, OT, andET data wi th the real wor ld.Specific components of the realitymesh can be hyper l inked tore levant documents andschemat ics, h is tor ica lperformance data, and real-timeasset moni tor ing dashboards.When events occur or alerts aretriggered, users can navigate theirassets through the 3D mesh andthen dr i l l down to re latedmaintenance and repair manuals

Fig.3 Asset performance modeling integrates3D models with IT and OT systems used tomodel asset performance.

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and more (see Fig.4). The entireexperience is immersive, highlyaccurate, and based on the latestdata.

Engineering in ContextThese same technologies alsoallow designers to engineer – andreengineer – in context. Forexample, when making the decisionto repair, replace or remove, ratherthan starting from scratch or usingan exist ing design model, theengineer or designer can use thecontinuously surveyed model of theplant or asset as the accurate, 3Drepresentation for the decision.They can walk through the modelvirtually and explore the options foradding or replacing with newequipment right in the context of the3D reali ty mesh. Once theengineering is approved andconstruction or replacement begins,the same continuous surveyingtechnique can continuouslygenerate a new 3D reality mesh totrack progress and finally create thenew point of reference for IT, OT, andET. Everyone involved can instantlysee condit ions change asconstruction progresses – andonce work is complete, owner-

Bhupinder Singh joined Bentley in 1994 and was appointed to chiefproduct officer in 2016. His team is responsible for the development,sales, and user success of Bentley’s industry-leading softwaresolutions for advancing infrastructure. His prior roles at Bentley includesenior vice president of Bentley Software, senior vice president of thePlatform Products Group, and managing director of sales for BentleySouth Asia. Bhupinder holds a master’s degree in computer sciencefrom Rutgers University and a master’s degree in structural engineeringfrom Vanderbilt University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in civilengineering from the IIT, New Delhi, and a certificate in managementfrom the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Anne-Marie Walters joined Bentley in 2004 as a global marketingdirector. In this capacity she is responsible for the marketing andpositioning of Bentley’s solutions and products that address the needsof the Process, Power, and Enterprise arena.

Ms. Walters, who is a chartered chemical engineer, representsBentley on the board of the Construction Industry Institute and is alsoheavily engaged in the activities of FIATECH. She is a founding memberof the Process Industries STEP Consortium (PISTEP) committee.

about the author

operators can continuously monitorand model assets to assessconditions, drill down into alerts andissues, take informed action, andoptimize asset performance.

Seamless Integration ofProcesses and InformationWe are at an incredibly excitingconvergence in the world of assetmanagement. The ability to work ina comprehensive modeling

environment, leveragingContext Capture and 3Dreali ty meshtechnologies, andconnecting with theIndustrial Internet ofThings through assetmanagement andpredictive analyticssoftware, companies canconverge their informationtechnology, operationaltechnology andengineering technology–and seamlessly integrateprocesses and

information flows between them.The next generation of engineers–digital natives–will no doubt findways to exploit this convergence inunprecedented ways. We canrealize immediate benefits today, byusing these technologies to makemore informed decisions regardingwhen to repair, retire, or replaceassets so that they are safer, morereliable, and maximally efficient overtheir operating life.

Fig.4 Users can utilize 3D meshes as an immersive environment for visual operations.

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Anirbid SircarSchool ofPetroleumTechnology,PDPU

Kriti YadavSchool ofPetroleumTechnology,PDPU

A review on Organic Rankine Cycle:Application to geothermal energy

Shreya SahajpalCentre ofExcellence forGeothermalEnergy, PDPU

This paper is an attempt to understand the Organic Rankine Cycle in application with lowenthalpy geothermal energy. Difference in the basic Rankine cycle and Organic Rankinecycle has been discussed in this paper along with its thermodynamic processes. TheOrganic Rankine Cycle is being used widely in the world in application with geothermalenergy for the power generation. There are various types of Organic Rankine Cycle likeSub critical Organic Rankine Cycle, Trans- Critical Organic Rankine cycle and supercritical Organic Rankine Cycle which have been classified on the basis of their type offluid and pressure condition. The particular parts and functions of part have also beendescribed in this like Turbine, Expander, Heat exchanger, Feed Pump etc.

In order to assure the production of electricity without creating any kind ofenvironmental pollution, new kind of energy conversion technology is required which isviable as well as renewable. Now a day’s many such kind of renewable energy arepresent like solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy and etc. Among all this typeof energy low enthalpy heat source energy is very important.

Since 1980’s the technology of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is well known forpower generation by using low enthalpy heat source. Organic Rankine Cycle powerplants have been used for various purposes like power generation from geothermalenergy, waste heat recovery and for application of combined heat and power. Manyadvantages have been shown by this technology over the conventional steam Rankinecycle which makes this conventional cycle more profitable and useful with a finiteelectrical output power. Because of the heat source temperature limitation and due tono constraint in regarding vapour quality the optimization of ORC is different from thesteam cycle.

The authors provide an overview of the present state of energy and the importanceof renewable energy. The technology of ORC has been described in detailed and italso exposes the application of each part of the ORC in it. The modelling as well asthe issues like fluid selection, optimization or control of the cycles are reviewedthoroughly.Key Words: Exchanger, Feed Pump, Geothermal Energy, Heat, Organic Rankine Cycle,Thermodynamics, Turbine.

Renewable Energy

This paper is an attempt to understand the Organic RankineCycle in application with low enthalpy geothermal energy


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INTRODUCTIONIn modern society the demand forthe energy has been increased andas we know that the fossil fuelswhich are the major sources ofenergy are not renewable resourcesand the fuels l ike coal, oil andnatural gas; provided the energy thatpowers the world economy andcommon man’s life style. Based onthe current consumption of thesefuels has affected the globalenvironment that have simulatedthe scientists to search thealternative sources of energy. Mostof these studies have explored thepossibility of utilizing renewableenergy (e.g. solar, wind, hydro andgeothermal) or recovering the wasteheat from industrial process. Oneof the most important example oflow grade heat source is thegeothermal energy (thermal energyunder the earth’s crust), whosetemperature varies from 60oC to200oC (Yamamoto T. et al., 2001).This type of energy could be usedfor direct heating power generation(Basaran A. and Ozegener L., 2013).

COMPARISON WITH THETHERMODYNAMIC CYCLEThe constraint of performance fora power generation process hasbeen governed by the second lawof thermodynamics. The mostuseful tool for def ining themaximum theoret icalpower output for a givenheat source, and at a givene n v i r o n m e n t a ltemperature is ‘Energy’.The exergetic efficiency isthe ratio of plant output tothe maximum theoreticaloutput at the plantcondit ions, the mostimportant tool for thecomparison between

cycles have been provided by theexergy and the exergetic efficiency(DiPippo R., 2004).

The exergy can be expressedas:

e = h – ho – To (S – So) (DiPippo- 2004) .....Eq (1)

Where,“e” is the specific exergy“h” is the enthalpy“T” is the temperature, and“S” is the specific entropy

The subscript “o” is referred forthe ambient (dead state)temperature.

The maximum power outputcan be obtained theoretically fromthe given f lu id for the givensurroundings as a result of a fluidflowing at a certain mass flow rate,multiplying the specific exergy bythe mass flow rate.

Due to the losses orirreversibility in the cycle and thepower, plant is always lower thanthe maximum conceptual value asdefined above. The main lossesare caused due to the l imitedtemperature of the input heat to thesystem i.e. the heating fluid cannotbe cooled below the ambienttemperature. The majorirreversibility in the binary powerplant process is due to thedif ference in temperature andenthalpy between the heating fluid

and the working fluid. Another formof loss is the difference in enthalpybetween the cooling media and theworking fluid in the cold section ofthe process i.e. condenser. The netgenerated output as compared tomaximum available exergy can bereduced by the mechanical andelectrical losses.

The ratio between the plant netpower and the exergy of the hotsource can be defined as the overallexergetic efficiency of the powerplant and it can be expressed as:

Wnetnex = .....Eq (2)

me

Where,nex = overall exergetic efficiencym = the heat source fluid mass

flowWnet = Net power generated by

the plantA Q/T (Heat rejected from the

heating f luid vs. Temperature)i l lustration can well signify theirreversibility of a binary process onthe hot side, specif ical ly thetemperature difference between theheating fluid and the working fluid.Fig. 1 is a typical Q/T diagramshowing a liquid type heat sourceheating of the working fluid a simpleORC containing a pre-heater andvaporiser. The irreversibility of theconversion process is representedby the marked parts between the two

curves and the proximitybetween them is goodindicators of the processefficiency (Elovic A., 1994).

INDIAN AND WORLDSCENARIO FOR ORCAmong 90 countries withgeothermal resources only79 of them are havingquant i f ied records forgeothermal utilization andFig.1 Thermodynamic Cycle of ORC (Modified after Kaplan U., 2007)

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only 24 countr ies canproduce electricity throughgeothermal sources. Thegeothermal energy is usedindirect ly most ly forelectricity generation whichis about 67 TWh/year in2010 (Bertain R., 2010)While directly it has beenused about 122 TWh/yearin 2010 (Lund J.W. et al.,2010). The figure 2 belowshows the comparison betweenthe instal led capacity and theenergy produced on the differentcontinents by geothermal energy.

The largest electr ic i typroducing capacity systems areinstalled in USA which is about2850 MWe in 2005 (US InformationAgency) and in the Philippines ofabout 1909 MWe in 2001 (HuttrerG.W., 2001). With the lower valuesin other countries, this electricitycan be produced by di f ferentsystems by using geothermalenergy l ike Dry Steam Powerstation, Flash steam power station,Binary cycle power stations and themost important Organic RankineCycle. The Organic Rankine cycleis the modern technique which iswidely used to convert thegeothermal energy into electricity.

In many countries of the worldOrganic Rankine Cycle has beeninstalled successfully as shown inFig. 3. However most of part existsin USA, Germany, Italy, andCanada while the othersingle units exist in theSwazi land, Austral ia,Finland, Russia, Romania,India and Morocco. Ormat,Turboden, ABB and TasEnergy are some suppliersof the Organic Rankinecycle equipment. For someof the industries like oil and

gas, biomass, energy, packaging,cement and glass industry theseunits are used for the recuperationof waste heat (ht tp: / /www.kgraenergy.com/projects/worldwide-orc- instal lat ions) inrecent years several OrganicRankine Cycle have been installedby two active Swedish companies,Opcon AB and Entrans. Anadvanced technology has beendeveloped by the company OpconAB which is known as OpconPowerBox, this technology ismainly used to extract the electricalpower from the waste heat.re

In India the hot springs presentin the country has beencategorised into seven majorcategories i.e. Himalayan province,Sohana province, Cambay Basin,Son Narmada lineament belt, WestCoast province, Godavari basin andMahanadi basin (MNRE,2008).From the potential point of view theHimalayan bel t is the most

important region forgeothermal energy. A totalof 340 hot spr ings arereported in India and theGeological Survey of Indiahas carr ied out theinvestigation by drilling insome f ie lds l ike Pugavalley, Ladakh, Manikaran,Tapoban etc. in Himalayanfoothi l ls, Tatapani inChhatt isgarh and along

the west coast area of the country(GSI, 2008).

TYPES OF ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLEOn the basis of the fourthermodynamic processes l ikecompression, heat addit ion,expansion and heat rejection, theOrganic Rankine cycle has beencategorised into three categories(Nouman J., 2012).1. Sub critical Organic RankineCycle: In this type of cycle the fourthermodynamic processes occurat pressure lower than the criticalpressure for the working fluid.2. Trans-critical Rankine Cycle: Itis a cycle in which the heat additionprocess is occurred at a pressurehigher than the critical pressure forthe working fluid. The process ofheat rejection occurs mainly at apressure lower than the criticalprocess for working fluid while inthe case of compression andexpansion process they occurs

between the two pressurelevels.3. Supercritical OrganicRankine Cycle: In this cyclethe four processes occurat pressures higher thanthe critical pressures forthe working fluid.

BASIC DESIGN FOR ORCThe four major uses of

Fig.2 Installed Geothermal Capacity for electricity generation & Directuse by continent (Modified after Bertain R.,2012, Lund J.W.et.al., 2011)

Fig.3 Worldwide Installation of ORC (Nouman J., 2012).

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Organic Rankine cycleincludes: waste heatrecovery, biomasscombustion plants,geothermal power plantand the solar thermal plant.The basic differencebetween the tradit ionalsteam Rankine cycle andORC is the use of theorganic fluids in ORC likeammonia, pentane or a halocarbon.The extraction of energy from a lowertemperature resource at a higherefficiency than conventional steamcycle technology is allowed by theapplication of organic working fluid(Macian V, et al., 2013).

ORC system performs thefollowing processes; in turbine(state 1) as shown in Fig. 4 a highpressure vapour is entered. amechanical energy recoveredthrough controlled expansion ofhigh pressure vapour in a turbine istransferred in the form ofelectrical energy through anelectrical generator. In state2 a low pressure vapourleaves the turbine andenters to the condenserwhere the process ofcondensation is going ondue to the heat rejectedfrom the working fluid. As alow- pressure, slightly subcooled liquid the workingfluid leaves the condenser(state point 3). A pressureof liquid is raised by a pumpto state point 3 and is feedto an evaporator. Topreheat, evaporate andsuperheat the working fluidthe heat is extracted from awaste heat source, thusmodifying high pressureliquid into high pressurevapour (state point 1) ready

to enter the turbine again (Brasz L.J.,Bilbow W. M., 2004).

COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN FOR ORCThe comprehensive design of ORCevaluates the detailed design andinvestigates that how each part canbe fitted into the system. The overallbehaviour of the system is affectedby var ious components of thesystem, which includes:1. Turbine2. Heat Exchangers3. Feed Pump

TurbineThe major purpose of anyturbine is to convert thepotent ial energy of thepressurized gasses intothe rotat ional k inet icenergy. To rotate its internalpart the stream of very highpressure vapour of theorganic fluids expands inthe turbine as shown in

Fig. 5. To convert the rotationalkinetic energy into electricity a rotoris connected by a shaft to thegenerator. A steady state operationis assumed and the expansion isconsidered to be adiabatic.

The turbine efficiency mainlydepends on the factors such asblade profiles, fluid properties andthe manufacturing characteristicslike surface roughness, clearances,etc. (Macchi E., 1977) However,according to the analysisdeveloped in it can be stated that

the efficiency of an axial flowturbine stage of goodaerodynamic design ismostly determined by theparameters like it isentropicheat coefficient, specificspeed, size parameter andits volumetric expansionration based on theirsimilarity rules (Macchi E.and Perdichizzi A.,1981).The isentropicefficiency of any turbinewhich is mainly given by themanufacturer, generatedpower can be calculated as(DiPippo R., 2008).

Wgen = mwf(h1–h2)= mwfnt(h1–h2)

Where form the idealisentropic turbine the state2 corresponds to exhaust.In organic Rankine cycle

Fig.4 Schematic of Basic ORC system (Modified after Brasz L.J.,Bilbow W. M., 2004).

Fig.5 Radial turbine using an automotive turbocharger (Meyer, 2013)

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basical ly two types ofturbines are used (a) ScrollExpander, (b) RadialTurbine. Among this twobasic types of turbine theORC turbines are currentlydynamic in the vast majoritycases while the screw orthe scroll expanders are inthe stage of pre-commercial or market-introduction. The Turbo –expanders of current commercialORC system covers the powercapacity of about 100 kWM toSeveral MWM, expansion ratio ofapproximately from 5 to 100 and theinlet temperature of about 120 to350oC. Whi le thevolumetr ic expanderswhich are derived from therefr igerant compressorcan be enrolled only in thelow temperature and lowcapacity power systems(1– 100 kWM). An exceptionis the 1MWE screwexpander which has beenestabl ished recent ly inNew Mexico in a lowtemperature geothermalpower plant (Coutsikos P.et al . , 1995). A Scrol lexpander uses theexpansion of a vapourpocket through twoconcentr ic scrol ls toproduce shaft rotation. Ithas a fixed volumetric ratiowith two involutes curvesoriented in di f ferent indif ferent direct ions and180o out of phase asshown in Fig.6. Scrol lexpanders serveadequately but with a trade-off between convenienceand eff ic iency as theefficiency is lower than the

corresponding compressorefficiency (Orosz M et al., 2009).

The expanders of ORC aredifferent from the other machinesthat are expanding steam (GhoshP. and Taraphdar T., 1998), air or

the other gases due to thedense vapour propertieswhich deviates largelyfrom ideal gas behaviourthus affecting the designand a lso because thesound is much lower thanin l ight gases or steam(Colonna P. and Silva P.,2003)

Heat ExchangersBasical ly two types of heatexchangers are required in ORCone is the evaporator and the otheris condenser. In the case of theprimary type of heat exchanger/evaporator it can be of once through

type(Van Der Waals J.D.,1988),or the shell and tubetype which is having itsworking fluid always in itsshell side(Gross J. andSadowski G., 2001) [asshown in the Fig. 7(a) and7(b)]. This primary type ofheat exchanger is basicallyused for the full sized ORCsystems. Due to somemanufacturing limitationsa scaled down version ofshel l and tube heatexchanger is not possibleto manufacture. While theplate type heat exchangersare used for bothcondenser as well as theevaporator, i t basical lyallows a dense solution forliquid to liquid transfer.

Feed Pump (Fig. 8)The major purpose of afeed pump in ORC isconstant supply of a liquidto the evaporator. Thepump selection is basedon the other configurationsused in the ORC.

Fig.6 Expansion through a scroll expander (Orali, 2010)

Fig.7 (a) Shell and tube heat exchangers; (b) Plate Heat Exchangers(Meyer, 2013)

Fig.8 Feed Pump for ORC (https://www.sulzer.com)

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PLUNGER PUMP: Aplunger pump is areciprocat ing posi t ivedisplacement pump whichhas been used to meet thepressure and the f lowrequirements. Thepressure requirement ofORC system can be meetby maintaining the low flowrate by this reciprocatingpump.CAVITATION: The majorissue of any ORC systemis cavitation as the slightly cooledworking fluid which is living thecondenser and it evaporates if thepump suction is large, in this casethe auxiliary sub- coolers are usedto reduce the occurrence.

WORKING FLUIDS FOR ORCThe table- 1 is representing thevarious characteristics of workingfluids which are necessary for thepotential of Organic Rankine cyclelike the flammability of the fluid itscritical temperature and criticalpressure. Cri t ical temperaturebasically describes the efficiencyof ORC; the ORC with higher criticaltemperature fluids shows highercycle efficiency. The properties ofthese fluids were obtained from theapproximation based reference(Kontomaris, 2010).

ACKNOWLEDGMENTAuthors acknowledge here thesupport provided by School ofPetroleum Technology and Centreof Excel lence for GeothermalEnergy, Pandit DeendayalPetroleum Universi ty, Gujarat,India, for carrying out the researchand development activities in thearea of geothermal exploration andalso helped in publishing the paperin this field.

REFERENCES1. Basaran A. and Ozgener L.,

“Investigation of the effect ofdi f ferent refr igerants onperformances of binarygeothermal power plants”,Energy Conversion andManagement, 2013, Vol. 76, pp.483-498.

2. Bertain R., , “GeothermalPower Generat ion in theWorld, 2005- 2010 UpdateReport”, Proceedings WorldGeothermal Congress 2010,Bail, Indonesia, 25- 29 April.

3. Bertain R., , “GeothermalPower Generat ion in theWorld: 2005- 2010 UpdateReport”, Geothermics, 2012,Vol. 41, pp. 1-29.

4. BRASZ L.J. and BILBOW W.M.,“Ranking of Working Fluids ForOrganic Rankine CycleApplications”, Presented inInternational Refrigeration andAir Conditioning Conference atPurdue, 2004, paper 722, http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/iracc/722.

5. Colona P. and Silva P., “Densegas thermodynamic propertiesof single and multi-componentf luids for f luid dynamicssimulations”, ASME J. FluidsEng., 2009,Vol.125,pp.414-427.

6. Coutsikos P., Kalospiros N.S.,

Vol. 33, pp. 565- 586.8. DiPippo R., “Geothermal Power

Plants: Principles, Applications,Case studies andEnvironmental Impact”, 2008,Elsevier, Oxford 2nd Edition.

9. Elovic A., “Advances in BinaryOrganic Rankine Cycletechnology”, GeothermalResources Counci lTransactions, 1994, Vol. 18.

10. Ghosh P. and Taraphdar T.,“Prediction of vapour- liquidequilibria of binary systemsusing PRSV equation of stateand Wong0 sandler mixingrules”, Chemical EngineeringJournal, 1998, Vol.70 (1),pp.15- 24.

11. Gross J. and Sadowski G.,“Perturbed- chain SAFT: Anequation of state based on aperturbation theory for chainmolecules”, Ind. Eng. Chem.Res., 2001, Vol. 40(4), pp.1244-1.

12. GSI, “Geothermal EnergyResources and its Potential inIndia”, Geological Survey ofIndia Report, 2008.

13. Huttree G.W., “The Status ofWorld Geothermal PowerGeneration 1995-2000”, Geo-thermics, 2001,Vol.30,pp.1-27.

14. Kaplan U., “Organic Rankine

Table-1. Flammability, critical temperature and criticalpressures of the various fluids used for analysis(Kontomaris, 2010)Working Flammable Critical CriticalFluid [-] [-] Temp.[oC] Press.[MPa]Pentane Yes 196.55 3.37R245fa No 154.01 3.65R134a No 101.06 4.06R1234ze Moderately 109.37 3.64R1234yf Moderately 94.70 3.38R123 No 183.68 3.66*DR- 2 No 171.30 2.90C6Fk No 168.66 1.87Toluene Yes 318.60 4.13D4 Moderately 313.34 1.33D5 Moderately 346.08 1.16

*They may vary quite a bit from a standard calculation procedure.

and Tassios D.P.,“Capabi l i t ies andl imitat ions of theWongsandler mixingrules”, Fluid phaseEquilibria, 1995, Vol.108(1-2), pp. 59- 78.

7. DiPippo R., “SecondLaw Assessment ofBinary plantsgenerating power fromlow- temperaturegeothermal f lu id,Geothermics, 2004,


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Dr. Anirbid Sircar is the Director of School of Petroleum Technology,PDPU and Head- Centre of Excellence for Geothermal Energy (CEGE).Dr. Sircar has about 20 years of industrial and academic experience.Dr. Sircar graduated from IIT Kharagpur and did his Master of Technologyand Ph.D from ISM Dhanbad on Reservoir Tomography. His researchinterest includes Petroleum Exploration, Geothermal Energy, ReservoirTomography, City Gas Distribution and Shale Gas exploration. He is areviewer in many reputed journals. He has been associated with reputedorganizat ions and industr ies as a Management and TechnicalConsultant. He has published over forty papers in National andInternational journals. He has guided 14 M. Tech thesis and successfullycompleted 2 PhD programs.

Ms. Shreya Sahajpal is a Chemical Engineer with an M.Tech. Degree inChemical Process & Plant Design from Nirma University, Ahmedabad.She joined School of Petroleum Technology in August 2014. Ms. Sahajpalhas worked for 2 years as a Process Engineer with Larsen & Toubro Ltd.in HMD – Engineering & Design, Hydrocarbon Mid & Downstream Unit.She has been associated with CEGE as a Consultant and ResearchScientist at the centre. She is the Convener of the centre at present.

Ms. Kriti Yadav is pursuing her Ph.D in Geothermal Energy from Centreof Excellence for Geothermal Energy (CEGE), Pandit DeendayalPetroleum University. She posses Masters Degree in Geology fromPatna University. Her area of research includes geothermal explorationactivities using Refraction seismic in Dholera region.

about the author

2013, Vol. 104(0), pp. 758- 771,21. Meyer D., wong C., Engel F. and

Dr. Krumdieck S., “Design andBuild of a 1 Kilowatt OrganicRankine Cycle PowerGenerator”, Proceedings 35th

New Zealand GeothermalWorkshop, 17- 20 November2013.

22. MNRE, “Report on powergeneration from geothermalenergy at Puga, J&K. Ministryof New and RenewableEnergy”, 2008,Government ofIndia, report of expert group.

23. Nouman J., “Comparat ivestudies and Analysis ofWorking f lu ids for OrganicRankine Cycle”, Master ofScience Thesis, KTH School ofIndustr ia l Engineering andManagement, 2012, pp. 1- 175.

24. Oral l i E., “Conversion of aScrol l Compressor to anExpander for Organic RankineCycle: Modeling and Analysis”,MASc. MR71355, University ofOntario Institute of Technology(Canada), Canada 2010.

25. Orosz M, Mueller A. Quoilin S.and Hemond H., “Small scalesolar ORC system fordistributed power”, 2009,Proc.of the solar Paces Conference.

26. Van Der Waals J.D., “On theContinuity of the gaseous andliquid states” 1988, Vol. 14.North Holland reprinted.

27. https://www.sulzer.com28. Yamamoto T., Furuhata T., Arai

N. and Mori K., “Design andTesting of the Organic RankineCycle”, Energy, 2001,Vol. 26(3),pp. 239- 251.

Cycle Conf igurat ions”,Proceedings EuropeanGeothermal Congress, 2007,Unterhaching, Germany 30May- June 1.

15. Kontomaris K., “A Low GWPReplacement for HCFC- 123 inCentrifugal Chillers: DR- 2”,Proceedings to UNEP/ASHRAEConference entitled “Road toClimate Friendly Chil lers:Moving Beyond CFCs andHCFCs”, on September 30-October 1, 2010 in Cairo, Egypt.

16. Lund J.W., Freeston D.H. andBoyd T.L., “Direct Utilization ofGeothermal Energy 2010Worldwide Review”,Proceedings WorldGeothermal Congress 2010,Bail, Indonesia, 25- 29 April.

17. Lund J.W., Freeston D.H. andBoyd T.L., “Direct Utilisation ofGeothermal Energy 2010Worldwide Review”,Geothermics, 2011, Vol. 40, pp.159-180.

18. Macchi E. and Perdichizzi A.,“Efficiency Prediction for AxialFlow Turbines Operating withNon- Conventional WorkingFluids”, ASME Transactions,Journal of Engineering forpower, 1981,Vol. 103, pp. 712-724.

19. Macchi E., “Design Criteria forTurbines Operating with Fluidshaving low- speed of sound”,Lecture series 100, on ‘ClosedCycle Gas Turbines’ , VonKarman Inst i tute for f lu idDynamics, 1977.

20. Macian V., Serrano J. R., DolzV., and Sanchez J. , “Methodology to design abottoming Rankine Cycle, as awaste energy recoveringsystem in vehicles, study in aHDD engine”, Applied Energy,

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SURFACTANT EOR INCARBONATE RESERVOIRSThe average recovery factor bothsandstone and carbonatereservoirs is about 35%. Theaverage recovery factor insandstone reservoir is higher thanin carbonates. Therefore, theaverage recovery factor incarbonate reservoirs is below 35%.Carbonate rocks typically have acomplex texture and pore networkresulting from their depositionalhistory and later diagenesis.Heterogeneity may exist at al lscales, i.e., in pores, grains, andtextures. The porosit ies ofcarbonate rocks are three types : (1)connected porosity which is existingporosity between the carbonategains, (2) vugs which areunconnected pores resulting fromthe dissolution of calcite by waterduring diagenesis, and (3) fractureporosity which is caused bystresses fol lowing deposit ion.Diagenesis can create stylolitestructures which form horizontalflow barriers. Fractures can beresponsible for water breakthrough,gas coning, and drilling problemssuch as heavy mud losses and stuckpipe. In addition to the variations inporosity, wettability is a furtherheterogeneous characteristic incarbonates. The great majority ofsandstone reservoirs are probablywater-wet. However, the aging ofcarbonate rocks containing waterand oil turns initially water-wet rocksinto mixed-wet or even oil-wet. This

Enhanced Oil Recovery - III

S.L. Sahformer Chief Engineer, ONGC

means that oil can adhere to thesurface of carbonate rock and it istherefore harder to produce.

One important mechanismusing surfactants in carbonatereservoirs is to change wettabilityfrom oil-wet to more water-wet.Wettabil i ty alteration has beenformulated with surfactantadsorpt ion, and relat ivepermeabilities and capillary curvesare modified based on the degreeof wettabi l i ty alteration. Eithersurfactant diffusion process orsurfactant induced gravity drainageprocess through wettabi l i tyal terat ion and IFT ( interfacialtension) reduction low. Therefore,upscaling the laboratory scale tothe f ie ld scale becomes veryimportant. Wettability alterationresults in spontaneous imbibitionof water into oil containing matrix,thus dr iv ing oi l out of matr ix.Cat ionics and nonionics workbased on this mechanism. Cationicsurfactants form ion-pairs withadsorbed organic carboxylates ofcrude oil and stabilise them intothe oil thereby changing the rocksurface to water-wet (Adibhatla andMohanty, 2008). Acidizing is acommon pract ice in carbonate

reservoirs which is used to removeoxidised products of iron ( ironsulf ide). For alkal is, sodiumtripolyphosphate (STPP) was usedin laboratory tests for theCretaceous Upper Edwardsreservoir (central Texas). STPPwas proposed to minimize divalentprecipitation, alter wettability, andgenerate emulsion. Sodiumcarbonate was used in chemicalEOR research in carbonate cores.The main function was to reducesurfactant adsorpt ion. Sodiummetaborate was also proposed tominimize divalent precipitat ion(Flaaten et.al., 2010). Cationics,anionics, and nonionics were allused in research for chemical EORin carbonate reservoirs (ShengJames J., 2013).

FIELD CASES (Sheng James J.,2013)1. The Mauddu Carbonate inBahrain : This reservoir was themain oil producing reservoir in theBahrain oilfield. The Mauddud zonewas a 100ft thick, low dip, andheterogenous limestone reservoir.It was moderate soft to hard, fine tomedium grained, fossi l i ferous,detritel, clean, oil-wet limestone

The third of the four parts of the article

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with limited fractures and vugs. Theacid number of oil was 0.23 to 0.64.The residual oi l saturation leftbehind gas and water fronts rangedfrom 20% to 70%. The residual oilsaturations was about 43%. Thewater cut was about 98 to 99%. Withchemical treatment it would bepossible to strip more oil from theMauddud rock. It was decided totreat the area with a combinationof alkaline and surfactants (AS)(Zubari and Sivakumar, 2003).2. The Yates Field in Texas: Thisfield was discovered in 1962. TheYates San Andres reservoir is anatural ly f ractured dolomiteformation. This field had cumulativeproduction greater than 1.3 billionbbl of oil with 300 API. This reservoirwas a 400 f t th ick and matr ixporosity and permeability were 15%and 100 mD, respectively. The oilviscosity was 6 cP and the reservoirtemperature was 280C. Thesurfactant used in the Yates pilotwas 0.3 to 0.4% nonionic ethoxyalcohol and 0.35% Stepan CS-460anionic ethoxy sulfate. Some pilotwells showed an increase in oilproduction over 30 bbl/day.3. The Cottonwood Creek Field inWyoming: This is a dolomite classII reservoir. The reservoir thicknessvaried from 20 to 100 ft, and theaverage porosity and permeabilitywere 10% and 16 mD, respectively.This reservoir produced a sourcrude oil of 270API. ContinentalResources init iated single-wellsurfactant stimulation treatment inCottonwood Creek in August 1999.Oil recovery increase in CottonwoodCreek was attributed to Wettabilityalteration and not to a reduction IFT.4. The Baturaja Formation in theSemoga Field in Indonesia: Thisfield was discovered in 1996 and islocated in the Rimau block in the

South Sumatera. This field consistsof three prospect formations : (1)Telisa formation (tight sandstone),(2) Baturaja formation (carbonate),and (3) Talang Akar formation(sandstone). The Baturajaformation is a carbonate reservoirwith a proven volume of about317,856 acre-ft (77 ft. net pay). Theproduction began in 1997 and oilproduction peaked at 36,200 barrelsoil per day (BOPD) in November2001. A laboratory study showed thatthe Baturaja formation was oil-wet.This surfactant st imulationdecreased water cut by about 8%,with an increased cumulative oilproduction of about 5800 barrel overa period of 3 months.5. Cretaceous Upper EdwardsReservoir (Central Texas): Thisfield was discovered in 1922. Thewater cut was 99%. The reservoirwas oi l -wet. The averagepermeabi l i ty was 75mD. Thereservoir temperature was 420C,the acid number was 0.34, and thecrude viscosity was 3 cP. Theinject ion scheme was 0.1 PVfreshwater, 0.1 PV ASP, 0.2 PVpolymer. The ASP flood recoveredapproximately 45% of the residualoil after waterflooding.

WATER BASED EOR INCARBONATES AND SANDSTONESDuring million of years, a chemicalequilibrium between the crude oil,the brine, and the rock (CBR) hasbeen established, which includesall the components of the oi lreservoir. The distribution of oil andwater in the porous system in linkedto the wetting properties of the CBRsystem, i.e., the contact between therock surface and the two fluids, oiland brine. The wetting properties ofa given CBR system have stronglyinfluenced on the two-phase fluid

flow in the porous medium, becausethey disctate the capillary pressure,Pc, and the relative permeabilitiesof oil,kro, and water,krw. Most of theoil reservoirs are today waterflooded in order to improve oilrecovery. Water flooding has beencharacterised as a secondary oilrecovery process since no specialenhanced oi l-recovery (EOR)chemicals were injected. It hasbeen verified that injected water,which is different in compositioncompared to the initial formationwater, can disturb the establishedchemical equilibrium of the CBRsystem. During the process toestablish a new chemicalequilibrium, the wetting propertieswill also be changed, which mayresult in improved oil recovery.Injection of formation water is asecondary recovery process, butinjection of water with a differentcomposit ion, than the init ialformation brine, may changewetting properties and thus acts asa tert iary recovery process.Wettabil i ty alteration by waterinjection may in some cases besensit ive to the reservoirtemperature.

More than 50 percent of theknown petroleum reserves aretrapped in carbonate reservoirs, i.e.,limestone, chalk, and dolomite. Theformation water may be of highsalinity, and it is usually rich in Ca2+.On average, the oil recovery fromcarbonates is well below 30 percentdue to low water wetness, naturalfractures, low permeability, andinhomogenous rock properties. Atrelevant reservoir conditions, thecarbonate surface is posit ivelycharged. The carboxylic material incrude oil, as determined by acidnumber (AN), is the most importantwetting parameter for carbonate


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CBR system. The imbibition rateand oi l recovery decreaseddramatically as the AN of the oilincreased. The chemical propertiesof the carboxylic material in thecrude oil also affect the wettingproperties (Fathi et.al., 2011). Thebasic components in the crude oil,quantified by the base number (BN),play a minor role as wett ingparameter. The increase in a basicmaterial improved the waterwetness of chalk containing oil witha given AN. High-temperaturecarbonate reservoirs appeared tobe more water-wet compared to lowtemperature reservoirs. The AN ofthe crude oil appears to decreaseas the reservoir temperatureincreases due to increaseddecarboxylation of the acid materialat high temperatures. As thepressure decreases toward thebubble point of the oil, the solubilityof asphaltenes in the crude oildecreases and they may precipitateand adsorb onto the rock. Thepresence of sulfate in the formationwater wil l increase the waterwetness of the system. A sandstoneis composed of many differentminerals. Minerals of the silica typeare negatively charged at therelevant pH range of the formationwater. The clay minerals are moststrongly adsorbed by polarcomponents from the crude oil.Clays are chemically unique due tothe presence of permanentnegative charges, and the claystherefore act as cation exchangers.Both basic and acidic material canadsorb onto the clay surface andmake the clay preferential oil-wet.“Smart water” can be made byadjusting/optimizing the ioncomposition of the injected fluid insuch a way that the change in theequilibrium of the initial CBR system

wil l modify the init ial wett ingconditions. Therefore, the oil is moreeasily displaced from the porousnetwork. The smartest water shouldbe injected from the start of thewater flooding process.

FIELD CASES (Sheng James J.,2013)1. Ekofish Field North Sea,Norwegian sector : This is fracturedchalk reservoir. It has been floodedwith SW (smart water) for about 25years with a tremendous success.The prognoses today are slightlyabove 50 percent of OOIP. The highreservoir temperature in the Ekofish,1300C, is excellent for SW to act asa wettabil i ty modif ier, and theinjected SW can imbibe from thefactures into the matrix blocks andboth oil and initial formation waterwill be displaced into the fracturesand transported through thefracture system to the producer. Theother fractured chalk field in theNorth Sea, the Valhall field, has areservoir temperature of 900C. TheValhall field is much less water-wetthan the Ekofish field. Injection ofSW into the Valhall field has started,it has improved the oil recoverysignificantly compared to formationwater. The SW increased the oilrecovery to 0.31 PV, which isincrease in oi l recovery of 40percent. Great success has alsobeen reported by injecting SW intonon-fractured limestone reservoirs.In order to observe a low salinityEOR effect in carbonate, the matrixmust contain anhydrite.2. Sandstones fields : BP has thegreatest experience in applying thelow salinity technique in thesefields. The Omar f ield in Syriashowed a change in wettability fromoil-wet to a water-wet system in asecondary low salinity water flood,

leading to an associatedincremental oil recovery of 10 to 15percent of the stock tank oil (STO)initially in place.3. Statoil Snorre Pilot Field : Statoilperformed a low salinity single wellpilot test in the Snorre field in 2010.The low content of organic acid inthe Snorre oil could be one factorthat contributed to the small lowsalinity EOR effect. The pH of theproduced water was 10. Theflooding sequence was : FW, SW,and 500 ppm NaCl as the lowsalinity fluid. The oil recovery by FWwas slightly above 51 percent ofOOIP, and i t increased to 55percent by SW, but no increase inoil recovery was noticed by the lowsaline water or by increasing theflooding rate 2 and 4 times. Furtherinspection of the composition of therock minerals confirmed that thecore material from the Snorre fieldcontained significant amounts ofplagioclase, i.e., 6 to 35 wt. percent.Plagioclase is a polysilicate, andalbite with the chemical structureNaAlSi3O8. The presence of reactivePlagioclase minerals has abuffering effect on the formationbrine, and the equilibrium pH willbe above 7, which decreaseadsorption of basic and acidiccomponents from the crude oil ontothe clay minerals. Due to therelatively high pH of the formationwater, the clay minerals will actquite water-wet, and the potentialfor observing low salinity effectsbecomes small.

IMPLEMENTING A CHEMICAL EORPROJECTThe specific surface equipment andfacilities are required by the variouschemical EOR processes, i .e.,polymer-argumented water-f looding, alkal ine-surfactant-

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polymer (ASP) f looding,surfactant polymer flooding. Theinjection facilities are modifiedfor water injection scheme, i.e.,certain chemical handling,processing, and meteringsystems are integrated with theprimary waterf lood waterprocessing, storage andinjection faci l i t ies. Thechemical EOR facilities designerneeds a clear definition from theoperator of the fol lowingperformance and operatingparameters to enable him toproperly size the plant and to takeinto considerations the variouslogistical and operational factorsthat are inherent in the operationsof a waterflood facil ity and thechemical processing systems. Theyare given below :1. Injection fluid formula or recipe2. Chemical packaging and

logistics3. Cumulative daily injection for

nominal design4. Individual IW daily injection rate

range5. Wellhead injection pressure,

maximum design6. Quantities of IWs7. Injection system scheme8. Water source and quality9. Geological location and

weather conditions, includingseismic zone classification andlocal building code, air quality,and permitting requirements.

10. Electrical and control fieldinterfaces with exist ingut i l i ty service and f ieldautomations.Since chemical handling,

processing and meteringsystem are specific to eachchemical that makes up theinjected f luid’s recipe, thefaci l i ty’s process f low

conventional waterflow injectionlayout. Control and automationof the polymer system isinterlocked with the injectionsystem for automatic start, stop,and rate control of the polymermother solution metering pump.The polymer handling,dispersion, batching, andhydration processes are

automatically controlled based ondemand from the mother solutionmetering pump. The optimummother solution to dilute water ratiois in the 1:3 range. Commercialpolymer hydration systems producemother solutions in ranges upto10,000 ppm or 1 wt percent. Mostpolymer floods are design for arange of 500 to 3000 ppm finalsolution polymer concentration.

The surfactant componentsand the associated metering pumpsystem integrated with the injectionsystem for automation andproportion rate control that ensuresthat the designed SP (surfactant-polymer) recipe is continuouslymaintained even if the injection ratechanges during daily operations.See Fig.22. General ly, SPprograms require simultaneousinject ion of the surfactant andpolymer components within aspecified recipe with the surfactantport ion being relat ively lowerconcentration compared to thepolymer. The alkaline solution isused as the dilution stream for the

polymer mother solution. SeeFig.23. Metering of the sodaash to the dissolving tank isprovided through gravimetricscrewfeeder that is paced bythe proport ional controlsystem. An alkaline solution iseither created from sodiumhydroxide stock liquid or bydissolving sodium carbonate

schematic must be tailored for thatproject mode. Furthermore, somechemical injection schemes requiredifferent injected fluid recipes atprogressive stage during theprogram. Thus, the injection facilitymust be designed to accommodatethese various ranges of processand injection rates, with and withoutsome of the individual chemicalcomponents. As a basic principle,each facility design is anchoredaround a conventional waterfloodinjection process flow, and thevarious chemical systems areintegrated with the main injectionfacility to form the overall chemicalEOR injection plant, e.g., a basicwaterflood injection facil i ty wil linclude water treatment andstorage, water charge or boosterpump, final solution filtration, high-pressure posit ive-displacementinjection pump, and control. Fig. 21shows the block diagram of a typicalpolymer flood process flow diagram(PFD). The polymer handling,processing, and metering systemis simply integrated with a

Fig.21 A typical polymer flood process flow diagram (AfterJohn M.Putnam, 2013).

Fig.22 A typical surfactant-polymer flood process flowdiagram (After John M. Putnam, 2013).


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into solut ion. The NaOH ismetered into the dilution waterstream by a posi t ivedisplacement pump upstreamof the polymer mother solutioninject ion point. Typicaldownhole alkal ineconcentrations range from 0.5to 3 wt. percent. Combining theprimary process f low ofalkal ine, surfactant, polymerbecomes ASP flooding. ASP alsoimpl ies the order of chemicalintroduction to create the f inaldownhole fluid. If the alkaline hasbeen created using the batchmethod, the metered concentratealkal ine be introduced to thedilution water stream, followed bysurfactant, and f inal ly by thepolymer mother solution. In thecase of a large field, the ASP projectmay be designed to in jectprogressively into patternsthroughout the field’s acreage.This method al lows theoperator to manage the ASPproject with a lower capitalinvestment and a lower dailyoperational cost. Pretreatingprocess and injection water tominimum standards is oftenrequired. AP and ASP projectsrequire removal of calcium andmagnesium hardness to verylow levels (less than 17 ppm)to prevent precipitation of theseions due to the high pHsolution. Softening low TDSfresh water can beaccompl ished withconvent ional ion exchangesofteners. The logist ics ofhandling and storing the EORchemical stock reagents arethe primary operational factorsrequir ing an increase ofmanpower (Sheng James J.,2013). Liquid stock surfactant

products are typically delivered inbulk and stored in a tank farm.Alkal ine agent handl ing,processing and metering are alsoimportant. Industry codes andstandards dictate the materials ofconstruction for piping, fittings andvalves depending upon theproject ion locat ion andclassification of service.

STEAM FLOODING (SF)Almost all steam flood projectswere conducted in sandstone

reservoirs, except a few casesin carbonate or natural lyfractured reservoirs. The rule isto choose a flood pattern thatcan provide good sweepefficiency and more producersto achieve high rates. Five-spot,inverted seven-spot, andinverted nin-spot patterns wereused in SF (steam flooding). In

very viscous oil reservoirs, invertednine-spot pattern was more oftenused in Chinese projects. Invertedfive-spot pattern was most oftenused. See Fig. 24. The steaminjection rate should be as high aspossible and is limited by fracturepressure. The actual field datashowed an average well injectionrate of 1000 bbl/d, and the injectionpressure is 959 psi. In a thickerreservoir, the injection rate andsteam quality could be lower. In athin reservoir, the injection rate and

steam quality must be high.The product ion should behigher than the injection rate ina reservoir, because thereduced pressure leads tohigher steam-specific volume,and water flashed to vapour. Inthe case of very high oi lv iscosi ty, steam soak isperformed before SF. Thisprovides performance datawhich help to design thesubsequent SF. The cumulativesteam injection during steamdrive is about 1.2 to 1.5 PV (Liu,1997). The recovery factor andOSR (oil-steam ratio) at the 50percent probability are 46.5percent and 0.195, respectively.See Figs.25 and 26.Production wells are normallycompleted over the ent i reproduction interval. The exactcompletion intervals shoulddepend on detailed reservoir

Oil & Gas

Fig.23 An alkaline-polymer flood process flow diagram(After John M. Putnam, 2013).

Fig.24 Five-spot patterns converted into inverted seven-spot and nine-spot patterns (After Sheng, 2013).

Fig.25 Oil recovery factor from actual data (After JamesJ.Sheng,2013).



and flow conditions, especiallyreservoir thickness, ratio of verticalto horizontal permeabil i ty, wellspacing, injection and productionrates, whether there is a horizontalshale barrier, etc. To reduce thermalexpansion effect, prestressedcasings should be used. Casingsizes are larger than 7 inch. Mostused casings are N80 to P110casing of 9.19 and 10.36mm. Toimprove thermal stability 30 to 40percent silica flour can be added inthe cement (Zhang, 2006). Thermal-resistant tubings could be type-IIItubing, hydrogen-resistant tubing,and vacuum tubings. Annulusshould be f i l led with helium ornitrogen to reduce wellbore heatloss. Pumps used in lifting heavyoils are generally rod pumps. A lotof water is needed in a steaminjection project. Generally, the ratioof water needed to the oil producedis 4 to 5. Water treatment includessodium exchanger to reducehardness, and equipment to addchemicals and to remove oxygen.Water quality for boilers is given inTable 4. Injection wellheadtemperature, pressure and injectionrate are measured daily. Thedownhole stream quali ty ismeasured half yearly. For productionwells, liquid rate and oil rate aremeasured continuously for 4 to 8hour once a weak. The tubing headpressure, casing pressure, and thetemperature of produced oil are

measured once a weak. Thedynamic liquid level is measuredonce a month (Zhang, 2006).

FIELD CASES (Sheng James J.,2013)1. Kern River in California: KernRiver was a large heavy oil field 5miles northeast of Bakerfield, CA.The original oil in place (OOIP) washigher than 4 bi l l ion bbls. Thereservoir was shallow andconsisted of an alternativesequence of unconsolidated sandswith interbedded silts and clays. Theporosity and permeability ranged 28to 35 percent and 1 to 5D,respectively. The oil viscosities wereon the order of 4000m Pa.s at thereservoir temperature of 700F. Thereservoir pressure was low (100psig). At 2500F, the viscosity wasreduced to 15m Pa.s. Firstdownhole heaters were used, andthen hotwater was injected. In 1964,the hot water project was convertedto a stream-drive projected andexpanded to 47 injectors. Five basictypes of completion were used : (1)punched liners, (2) slotted liners, (3)selected perforated cementedcasing, (4) inner liners, and (5)gravel-packed liners. Steam floodperformance showed poor verticalsweep efficiency. Two methodswere used to improve steam profile:(1) mechanical restriction of theproduction interval and adding foamdiverters in the injected system.

2. Duri Steam Flood (DSF) Projectin Indonesia : This the largeststeam flood project in the world.Duri was the second largest fieldin the Indonesia, producing about200,000 BOPD by steam flood. Thereservoir depth was 600 ft with anet pay of 109 ft. The porosity andpermeability were 36 percent and1550 mD, respect ively. Thereservoir temperature was 1000F.The oil viscosity at the reservoirtemperature was 157 cP. The APIgravity of oil was 23. 15.5-acre five-spot and nine-spot patternsmaximized oi l recovery andimproved economics.3. WASP in West Coalinga Field,CA: A WASP (water-alternating-steam-process) f ie ld test wasimplemented in July 1988 withalternat ing slugs of water andsteam, each injected over fourmonths. Oil production remainedconstant through the first WASPcycle and increased during thesecond cycle. Sales oil increasedas a result of saving generator fuelduring the water leg of each WASPcycle, resulting in improved proejcteconomics.4. Karamay Field, China: There werefour pi lot areas which wereconverted into SF in 1987 to 1990. Ahigh steam quality and reasonablesteam injection velocity arenecessary conditions for success.Measures should be taken to stopor reduce breakthrough in the soakperiod. Time to convert soak tosteam flood is important. For abetter steam flood performance, theconversion should be made beforethe end of the third cycle.5. Qi-40 Block in Laohe, China: AnSF pilot was conducted in the Qi-40block in Laohe Field. The averageporosity was 25 percent andpermeabil i ty was 1.49D. The

Fig.26 Cumulative OSR from actual data (After JamesJ.Sheng,2013).

Table-4. Water quality for bodies(After James J.Sheng, 2013).Suspended solids (ppm) <2Hardness (ppm) <0.1pH 7.5–11Oil (ppm) <2Dissolved oxygen (ppm) <0.05Iron (ppm) <0.05Copper (ppm) <5Silicon dioxide (ppm) <50Sodium (ppm) <10


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average oil column was 605mand the net-to-gross ratio was0.484. The reservoir depth was910 to 1045m. The originalreservoir pressure was 8 to 10MPa, and the reservoirtemperature was 36.80C at850m. The block had beenunder steam soak since June1987. Before SF, oil saturationwas 0.57, and the recovery factorwas 24 percent. Four inverted nine-spot pattern of a well distance of70m were initially steam soaked inJanuary 1998, and converted to SFin October 1998. There were 4injectors, 21 producers and 2observation wells. Until the end of2003, the cumulative OSR was 0.21,the SF recovery factor was 40.3percent, and the total recovery factorincluding steam soak was 64.3percent. For low-rate wells, moreperforations were added or somechemical st imulation measureswere taken. For high-potential wells,larger pump were installed. Forsteam-channeling wells, profile-modification measures were taken.

CYCLIC STEAM STIMULATIONIn cyclic steam stimulation (CSS),steam is injected into a productionwell for a period. Then the well isshut in and allowed to soak bysteam for some period before itreturns to production. The initial oilrate is high because of high initialoil saturation, high increasedreservoir pressure, and loweredoil viscosity. As the oil saturationbecome lower, the reservoirpressure becomes lower andthe oil viscosity becomes higherdue to heat losses to thesurrounding rock and fluids, oilrate declines. At some point,another cycle of steam injectionis initiated. Such cycle may be

oil zone and water or gas zone.Well completion intervals needto be optimised. Wells shouldbe drilled in the oil zone first andthen expanded toward the edgewater zone. In the existence ofbottom aquifer, perforationshould be above the waterzone. Steam injection periodcould be a few days to a few

weeks. See Fig.27. If soak time istoo short, more heat is accumulatednear the wellbore and wil l beproduced when the well is open. Ifsoak time is too long, heat loss tooverburden and underburden will behigh and the production t imebecomes longer. However, if thereservoir has sufficient pressure, along soak period may be desirablein order to increase the thermalefficiency of the process (Farouq Ali,1974). An average soak time of 6.25days should be enough. Theaverage production time is 180days. The well total injection percycle (CWE) from actual f ieldprojects with the average of 10,800bbls of CWE. The average injectionpressure is 900 psi. The amount ofsteam injection is typically 80 to 160tonnes/m of oil column, with thehigher side for thinner reservoir andthe lower side for a thicker reservoir.The amount of steam injectedincreases with the cycle number by10 to 15 percent. On average, threesimulation cycle have been used.

See Fig.28.Wells should be

completed in the bottom half ofthe oil layer. If there is bottomaquifer, the completion shouldbe away from the aquifer forsome distance. In a steam soakprocess, completion in thebottom part may help improvethe subsequent steam floodperformance. For the reservoir

repeated several times or manytimes. If reservoir oil viscosity is 50to 150 mPa.s, water-flooding iscarried out first followed by steamflooding. If the viscosity is 150-10,000 mPa.s, steam flooding isdirectly applied becausewaterflooding may not be effective.CSS followed by steam flooding willbe more effective. When thereservoir oil viscosity is 10,000 to50,000 mPa.s, CSS is needed.Subsequent steam flooding iscarried out if favourable reservoirconditions are met. When the oilviscosity is about 50,000 mPa.s,special production techniques areneeded, such as fracturing,horizontal wells, and addingchemicals. For a mult i layerreservoir, the steam injection shouldbe started from the bottom layer andmoved up so that the top layers arepreheated. At a proper time, steamsoak is converted to steam flooding.For a reservoir with gas cap or edgeor bottom aquifer, the pressurebalance is controlled between the

Oil & Gas

Fig.27 Injection time in actual CSS projects (After JamesJ.Sheng, 2013).

Fig.28 Number of cycles in actual CSS projects(AfterJames J.Sheng, 2013).



depth of 300 to 400m, ordinarytubing can be used with packersand nitrogen filled in the annulus. Ifthe depth is above 400m, insulatedtubing and heat-resistance packersare needed. If the depth is 800 to1600m, high quality insulated tubingand packers must be used withnitrogen filled in the annulus. Theincremental oil recovery and OSR(oil-steam-ratio) at the 50 percentprobability are 8775 bbls and 0.43,respectively. During steam injection,injection wellhead temperature,pressure, steam quali ty, andinjection rate are measured. Thesteam quality at the exit of a boilerand the wellbore should be higherthan 75 percent and 40 percent,respectively. During soak period,pressure and temperature ofproduced fluid are measured. Thewater cut and temperature aremonitored. During production,production rate, wellhead pressure,casing pressure, and thetemperature are monitored. Thedynamic liquid level is measuredonce a week in the beginning. Fieldsamples are taken and anaysed for30 percent wells in the first cycleand 15 percent wells in the secondcycle. Water cut, sand content, andchloride ion content are monitored(Zhang, 2006).

FIELD CASES (Sheng James J.,2013)1. Cold Lake in Alberta, Canada:This is the largest CSS project inoil sands. Cold Lake was one ofthe four major Alberta oil sandsdeposits. It contained an estimated160 billion barrels of low gravity(10.20 API) and high viscous oil(100,000m Pa.s at 130C reservoirtemperature). The reservoir depthwas from 300 to 600m. Theformation porosity was 37 percent

and the permeability was 3000mD.The reservoir thickness were onthe order of 33m. In October 1969,a bottom water 5-spot steam floodwas initiated. The flood containedone central producer, four steaminjectors, and four conf iningproducers, all of which were opento the bottom water. 20 percentbitumen recovery, well productionrate of 80bbl/day over an averageof 6 years life, and 0.4 OSR wereobtained.2. Midway Sunset in California:The potter sands were the primaryproducing zones in the northernend of the Midway-Sunset field.Dips ranged from about 400 at thewest to 200 at the east and trendednorth to east. Common reservoirproperties in these leases werelow-gravity crude (11.5 to 130 API),fairly steep dips, and high lateralpermeabi l i ty between wel llocations. The first steam drivebegan in August 1967. CSS wastested in this f ie ld. More than19,000 steam cycles wereperformed in 1500 wells. The firstcyclic well produced 10 bbl/day atthe 39th cycle and with cyclic peaksin the 100bbl/day range. A steaminejction schedule was set up withsteam rates increased from about8000 to 12,000 bbl/year per well.As a resul t , o i l product ionincreased from 15 to 24 bbl/day perwell. The key thermal-efficiencyindicator, OSR, remained between0.53 to 0.83 bbl/bbl.3. Du 66 Block in the LiaoShuguang Field, China: The Du 66Block was in the Liao Shuguangfield. The block had many thinlayers. It had an oil-bearing area of4.9 km2 with original oil in place(OOIP) of 39.4 million tonnes. Thereservoir depth was 800 to 1200m.The average reservoir thickness


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was 42.1m, average permeability780mD, and average porosity 25percent. The reservoir had about 30clay interbeds. The oil viscosity was300 to 2000 mPa.s. The reservoirtemperature was in the range of 47to 540C. The measured pressurewas 9.69 to 11.04 mPa. InSeptember 1991, a steam floodingpilot was initiated. In June 2003,the Du 66 block had 538 wells with428 wells open, 36 hot water orsteam flooding wells with 24 wellsopen, and 10 observation wells.The water cut was 62.6 percent, therecovery factor was 19.76 percent,and the cumulative OSR was 0.64.The average oi l rate was 1.5tonnes/day. The average reservoirpressure was 1.2 mPa. Theaverage cycles were 8. The Du 66block was in the late stage of cyclicsteam injection. Pilot zone shouldthat 55.14 percent recovery factorfor steam flooding, 49.4 percent forintermittent steam injection, and49.8 percent for steam flooding for4 years fol lowed by coldwaterflooding. Several productiontechniques have been

Oil & Gas

Continued in September 2016 issue...dewjournal.com

implemented.4. Jin 45 Block in LiaoheHuanxiling Field, China: The Jin 45block had an act ive edge andbottom aquifer. Its area was 9.05km2. The reservoir depth as 890 to1180m. The average porosity andpermeability were 29 percent and800 mD, respectively. There weretwo groups of layers which had twoseparate water-oil contact : 1020-1060 and 1120-1160m. Thereservoir temperature was 44.6 to500C, and the ini t ia l reservoirpressure was 10mPa. The oi lviscosity at 500C was 486 to 7696mPa.s. On the average, themaximum cycles of a single wellwere 6 to 7, and the CSS lastedabout 5 years.5. Gaosheng Field, China: This fieldin Liaohe, China, had gas cap. Thegas-oil level was 1510m, the oil-water level was 1690m, and thereservoir depth was 1500 to 1800m.The developed area was 14.5 km2.In the horizontal direction, there wereseven blocks among which theblocks 3,246 and 3618 were themainly oil-bearing blocks. In the

vertical direction, there are eightlayers. Among these layers, layersL1 to L4 were gas-bearing layers,L5, L6 and L7 were the main oillayers (88 percent oil in place), andL8 was the aquifer layer. Thereservoir thickness was 67.7m onaverage. The porosity was 22 to 26percent and the air permeability was1000 to 2300 mD. The reservoirtemperature at 1600m was 600Cand the initial reservoir pressurewas 16.1 mPa. The oil viscosity insitu was 74 to 605 mPa.s. Startingin September 1982, CSS was testedand found successful. The back-produced water was only 7.8percent of the injected. Slow low flowback was caused by high content ofclay (7 to 10 percent). Surfactantsand chemicals to prevent clayswelling were added in the steam.Adding nitrogen in the stream alsohelped water production. Adding thinfilm spreading agents also helped.To stop gas cap breakthrough,several wells were dri l led toproduce gas under a controlledmode.

City Gas DistributionAn Indian Perspective

Authors:Dr. Anirbid Sircar, PDPU

Ms. Shreya Sahajpal, PDPUMr. Umang Modi, Gujarat Gas Limited

Limited edition. Book your copy todayto avail early bird discount of 25 percent.

Price per copy Rs.1500

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Companies are increasingly focused on costmanagement as a key priority to maintain their

margins, given the current low oil price environment.Increasingly, firms are also more cautious aboutventuring into new capital-intensive, billion-dollarexploration projects, and have chosen instead to findnew ways to improve work flow processes in existingoil and gas fields.

The Asia Pacific region continues to be a brightspot in terms of sales and demand for those in theenergy industry. The rise in urban populations andconsumer spending in the region is hard to ignore.According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the globalurban consumer class will grow by 1 billion peopleby 2025, with the middle class making up 50 per centof the total population; this growth will happenpredominantly in developing countries in Asia.(Dobbs,R., Remes, J., Manyika, J., Roxburgh, C., Smit, S.,Schaer, F., 2012)

Population growth and increases in expenditurein the transportation sector are significant drivers ofenergy consumption. To meet this growing demandfor energy, energy producers must ensure theirexisting oil fields and refineries are highly efficient tomaximize production and supply. This includesstreamlining and improving their processes with theuse of technology.

Importance of technologicalinvestments in the industryWith the fourth industr ia lrevolution, or Industry 4.0, theenergy sector has beenincreasingly invest ing intechno log i ca l l y -advancedequipment to improveproductivity and output. Thisautomation and digitization ofoi l and gas product ionincludes adopting Internet ofThings (IoT) applications,optimizing operations andimproving customer service. Insummary, these improvements

Expert Views

Population growth and increases inexpenditure in the transportation sector aresignificant drivers of energy consumption. Tomeet this growing demand for energy, energyproducers must ensure their existing oil fieldsand refineries are highly efficient to maximizeproduction and supply. This includesstreamlining and improving their processeswith the use of technology, Mr. Imtiaz Ahmedtakes a look at the impact of technologicaladvancements in the Asia Pacific Energy Sector

Imtiaz AhmedAsia Pacific Mobil SHC BrandManager, ExxonMobilLubricants Private Limited

The impact oftechnological

advancements inthe Asia PacificEnergy Sector


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add value to their product offerings and benefitcustomers and end-users.

Information-based IoT applications is gainingpopularity because they allow companies to collectand analyze vast amounts of data with ease. Insteadof just using technology to explore new oil and gasreserves, the data col lected is used to makeprocesses more product ive and cost-eff ic ient.(Slaughter, A., Bean, G., Mittal, A., 2015) Similarly,applying technological innovations to predictivemaintenance can help gather better data andimprove the process so that companies can boosttheir bottom line.

Oil Analysis in Oil & Gas ExplorationOne process that companies should invest in is usedoil analysis. Oil analysis plays a vital role in machinerymaintenance, as the health of the lubricants usedaffects the operat ionalefficiency and quality of the oiland gas output. While everypiece of machinery andequipment used by energyproducers affects businessperformance, properlubrication and maintenance iseven more important inprevent ing unscheduleddowntime and repair works.

Traditional oil analysis notonly requires high manpowerhours, it also results in thehigher l ikel ihood ofunscheduled downtime. If the

engineers are unfamiliar with the testing process,there could be a delay in generating the results, whichcould reduce the validity of the data and result inuntimely recommendations. Digitizing this processwill allow companies to receive oil testing results thatare accurate and timely, which aid decision-makingand ultimately improves efficiency.

Mobil ServSM Lubricant Analysis in Oil & GasMobil ServSM Lubricant Analysis (MSLA) is a newmobile-enabled used oil analysis platform that willbe launched in the Asia Pacific region this month.The new service replaces a paper-reliant approachwith a simple, intuit ive mobile-enabled serviceplatform that simplifies and reduces the number ofsteps involved in the used oil analysis process.

MSLA replaces ExxonMobil’s previous used oilanalysis platform, Signum Oil Analysis, and is

Oil analysis plays a vital role inmachinery maintenance, as the

health of the lubricants used affectsthe operational efficiency and qualityof the oil and gas output. Mobil ServSM

Lubricant Analysis. help customersoptimize their maintenance

programs, enhance equipmentperformance and ensure safety

Expert Views


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testament to the brand’s commitment to developcutting-edge services that push the boundaries ofefficiency and technology for customers.

With MSLA, oil and gas producers can reduce themanpower hours required in used oil analysis and inmaintenance services without compromising on thequality control. MSLA allowsthem to identify potentialissues that can be mitigatedwith minimal downtime, andimprove and extend overallmachine life.

MSLA is also applicablefor natural gas engine oilanalysis, where the servicemonitors oil condition anddetects for premature wear,coolant leaks and lubricationcontamination in the engineoi l . This is especial lyimportant for of fshoreexploration projects, whereMSLA’s integrated oi lanalysis systems allow oiland gas producers tooptimize their maintenance programs and improveequipment performance in a timely and efficientmanner.

Every time an oil sample is being processed withMSLA, the laboratory handles each bottle as a uniqueitem – each sample is coded, labeled, and trackedfrom start to finish. The results of the used oil samplehas directly benefited from ExxonMobil’s strongheritage of knowledge and hands-on applicationexpertise. Comments for each sample are provided,as required, to help identify potential problems, listpossible causes, and recommend follow-up actions.

By identifying potential issues with minimaldowntime, the manpower hours required for travel toremote areas is greatly reduced. In addition, theadditional t ime taken for used oil analysis andmaintenance services is saved. Customers cantherefore improve and extend the overall machine lifewithout compromising quality control.

For more than 150 years, ExxonMobil hasdelivered an extensive range of leading technicalservices to help customers opt imize theirmaintenance programs, enhance equipmentperformance and ensure safety. These have now been

Imtiaz Ahmed is the Asia Pacific MobilSHC BrandManager for ExxonMobil Lubricants Private Limited.

In his current capacity, Imtiaz is responsible fordeveloping and overseeing implementat ion ofindustrial marketing programs in line with globalstrategic plans. As part of his Asia Pacific Zonal role,he is directly responsible for the Mobil SHC brand, inaddition to handling the Energy sector portfolio.

With a total work experience of 13 years, Imtiaz isan experienced techno-commercial professional. Hisjourney started with a leading corrosion preventivesolutions company where he honed his skills gainingapplication expertise of the industry. This wasfollowed by a short stint in a multinational lubricantcompany’s newly launched metal fluids division.

Since joining ExxonMobil in 2008, Imtiaz has beentaken on a number of leadership roles of increasingresponsibility.

Imtiaz graduated as a Bachelor of Technology inChemical Engineering from Coimbatore Institute ofTechnology, Bharthair University and Post GraduateDiploma in Business Management (PGDBM) fromNew Delhi Institute of Management, New Delhi.

about the authordewjournal.com

Mobil ServSM Lubricant Analysisidentifies potential issues thatcan be mitigated with minimaldowntime, and improve andextend overall machine life

brought together under the Mobil ServSM brand todeliver these services to customers more efficiently.ReferencesDobbs, R., Remes, J., Manyika, J., Roxburgh, C., Smit,

S., Schaer, F. (2012, June). Urban world: Citiesand the rise of the consuming class. [Report]

Retrieved from: http://www.mckinsey.com/g l o b a l - t h e m e s /urbanizat ion/urban-world-cities-and-the-r i s e - o f - t h e -consuming-class

Slaughter, A., Bean, G.,Mit tal , A. (2015,August). Connectedbarrels: Transformingoil and gas strategieswith the Internet ofThings [Blog Post]Retrieved from: http://dupress.com/articles/internet-of-things-iot-i n - o i l - a n d - g a s -industry/

Expert Views


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What are the strengths, significance and status of Petrotech-2016?Over the years, PETROTECH series of international oil & gas conference & exhibition hasgathered momentum and emerged as a movement uniting the upstream, midstream anddownstream sectors. During the PETROTECH-2016 Conference, we have lined up a stringof sessions that will straddle areas of the entire hydrocarbon value chain, ranging frompetroleum technology, exploration, drilling & production, transportation, petrochemicals,

natural gas and alternative energy etc.The policy related issues along witheconomics of petroleum trade, humanresource development, research &development, information technology,Health, Safety and Environmentmanagement in the oil and gas sectorwill also be deliberated.

‘Who’s who of oil & gas industryThe PETROTECH International Oil & Gas Conferenceand Exhibition organized by Indian Oil Corporationunder the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum & NaturalGas, Government of India during December 5-7, 2016in New Delhi is a biennial platform for national andinternational experts in the oil & gas industry toexchange views and share knowledge, expertise andexperiences. With participation growing with everyevent the 12th edition PETROTECH-2016 will witnessthe convergence of the who’s who of the oil and gasindustry. Arun Kr. Singhal, Chief Editor, DEW Journaltalks to Mr.Verghese Cherian, Director (HR), IndianOil Corporation Limited; and Chairman, OrganizingCommittee, PETROTECH-2016 to know how thisedition of the event will help global oil companies toexplore and tap business opportunities in India, the‘happening spot’ for investments

Organised by

Under the aegis of

“PETROTECH-2016 is already attractingtechnologists, scientists, policy makers,

management experts, entrepreneurs,service providers and vendors fromcountries and companies worldwide”

Face to Face


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Mr.Verghese Cherian

Being a flagship event of the Indian hydrocarbon sector, it is a must-participate eitheras a delegate, exhibitor or a speaker. This mega event is strategically structured underthe aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India. Hence it is beingaimed to attract the attention of Governments, policy makers, industry leaders andacademia towards the challenge and opportunities for ensuring equitable, affordableand reliable energy to every human being on this planet.

As the prime showcase of India’shydrocarbon sector, the PETROTECH-2016 is already attract ingtechnologists, scient ists, pol icymakers, management experts,entrepreneurs, service providers andvendors from countr ies andcompanies worldwide.

“PETROTECH-2016 will cover the entiregamut of the oil and gas industry – upstream,

midstream and downstream – as well asrelated sectors such as alternative energy,

engineering and technology upgradation etc”

Event Preview

to converge at PETROTECH 2016’“To be inaugurated

by the Prime Ministerof India, there is a

high level MinisterialSession on

programme that isexpected to beattended by Oil/

Energy Ministers ofmore than 20

overseas countries atPETROTECH 2016”


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Who are the important persons fromthe oil industry expected to attendthe mega event?

There is a high level Ministerial Session on programme that is expected to be attended byoil / Energy Ministers of more than 20 overseas countries. They will address policy issuesrelated to commonality, harmonizing of inter-country cooperation which will pave a betterunderstanding of mutual dependence. We are expecting the presence of Oil / EnergyMinisters from several countries with whom India has active business engagement. Inaddition, there will be eminent thinkers and personalities in the global oil & Gas industry–both from Corporate as well as Governments – to be a part of India’s flagship oil & gasindustry event.

PETROTECH-2016 Conference is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister ofIndia in keeping with its stature and the importance of the event. The Minister of State forPetroleum & Natural Gas, who is the chief patron of the event, will inaugurate the Petrotech–2016 Exhibition.

The confirmations from prominent personalities of global hydrocarbon industriesare being received & it will be shortly made available on Petrotech 2016 website.

How will PETROTECH 2016 be different and discuss the virtues of uncertain Oil prices?With an interesting theme “Hydrocarbons to fuel the future: Choices & Challenges”PETROTECH 2016 is focussing attention on the continued role Hydrocarbons would playin the energy basket of the future – short and medium term, despite the increasing role ofalternate and renewable energy choices. Interesting topics that would be discussed would

cover a wide gamut of technologicalhappenings in upstream, midstreamand downstream areas. The Oil & GasSector has been a mixed bag with atale of contrasts over the past year.While it has been challenging times forexplorers, the refiners have had bettermargins. All stakeholders are workingon their strengths & opportunities to laya road-map to navigate this phase inwhich uncertainty remains a constant.Both, the exhibitors and sponsors arethus well aware of the immensepotential of this mega event.

Why should big companies in India &abroad support PETROTECH-2016?India being a booming economy & 4th

largest energy consumer in world hasfascinated many international playersacross the globe. They are keen toparticipate and partake in this newedition of PETROTECH as we are anemerging nation with strong demandsfor energy at all levels of our growth,be it the lowly farming sector or the

An exclusive Forum on Women in Hydrocarbon Sector: Connectwith women professionals in the industry, debate on topics andhear from distinguished speakers on women in the industrystraddling technical and leadership roles.

Women in Hydrocarbon Industry

Meet the hydrocarbon industry leaders of the future – Undergraduatestudents get an opportunity to interact with experienced professionalsto gain an insider’s perception into the petroleum industry.

Yuva Urja (Youth Forum)

“A parallel track on ‘Fuel Retailing’ will alsobe organised during PETROTECH 2016”

Face to Face


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bourgeoning industrial sector. As our economy flourishes,the country is set to witness an upswing in energy demand.The rising per capita income, the multifarious initiatives topromote economic growth, infrastructure development, andthe drive towards ‘Make in India’ are expected to boost India’senergy demand in a big way. The world is indeed taking noteand watching with interest as the discourse unfolds on arange of popular topics such as clean energy, rising energydemand, smart cities, etc. Solar energy is being projected ina big way across the globe and also in India, as this form ofenergy from the sun is both sustainable and infinite.

The PETROTECH has been unique in its approach whileubiquitous in i ts aim to provide cleaner, greener andsustainable energy solutions. Over the years, it has garneredan enviable reputation in the international circles as one ofthe coveted forums for the global hydrocarbon industry. Witha plethora topics and technical sessions, the 2016 editionwill sow the seeds of a vibrant future and engage theparticipants in a memorable and eventful Conference.

As an experienced and leading HR practitioner in India, whatare you looking into the ‘young people’ aspect duringPETROTECH-2016?

India’s oil and gas sector is facing amajor talent challenge from competingsectors that can, potentially affect itsability to operate and grow. l will beneeded to meet the rising skill demandsof Oil and Gas sector. With a view toincrease awareness of Engineeringgraduates of the challenges in the Oil &Gas Sector a special Youth Forum isbeing organised. It seeks to showcaseopportunities in the Oil & Gas Sector soas to encourage pursuing careers in the Hydrocarbon Sector. Wewill be inviting about 200 youth from all over the country to exposethem to this mega event both in the Vigyan Bhavan and Pragati Maidanso that they are updated with the latest happenings. IndianOil hasalso pledged to help the recently created Hydrocarbon Skill SectorCouncil (HSSC), set up by the government under its Skill Indiainitiative, has prepared a road map for training people in the sector. Itis estimated that in the next ten years that nearly 20 lakh skilledpersonnel would be required for engagement in the HydrocarbonSector. The HSSC has identified 134 roles pertaining to theupstream, midstream, downstream as well as construction andservices for the hydrocarbon sector. These issues would also attractattention at Petrotech 2016 so that the Industry would awaken to theneed for playing an active role in generating skills as well astechnological expertise for the needs of the Industry.

The Buyers-Sel lers Meet wi l l be heldconcurrently with the PETROTECH-2016Conference. Aimed as one of the largestgathering of major stakeholders of oil andgas industry, the Meet will provide a commonplatform to oil & gas Companies (bothupstream and downstream), technologyproviders, non-convent ional energycompanies, project management &engineering consultants, EPC contractorsand equipment/systems manufacturers todiscuss issues of mutual interest and sharethe latest developments in the field.

This wi l l be a unique businessopportunity for the seller companies toshowcase their latest products and servicesand to understand the future requirementsand expansion plans of buyers companies.The buyer companies wi l l have theopportuni ty to understand the latestequipment, systems and services availablein the market to sustain their growth.

Buyers-Sellers Meet

“IndianOilhas also

pledged tohelp therecentlycreated

HydrocarbonSkill SectorCouncil, set

up by thegovernment

under itsSkill Indiainitiative. It

has prepareda road mapfor training

people in thesector” dewjournal.com

Event Preview


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What has been the unique selling proposition of the LindenPointeDevelopment eCenter since its establishment?We are committed to regional economic development by promotinginnovation and entrepreneurship by building an ecosystem throughcommunity- based engagement and initiatives. Specific elementsthat make us unique:• Entrepreneurship Academy – an immersive, year-long program

for students from 7 local high schools to develop anentrepreneurial mindset, create a product/software/service andpitch to industry experts.

• VenturePointe – a multi-year collaborative program with Penn StateShenango to create a pipeline of entrepreneurs incubating onideas that have a social impact.

• Companies commercializing ideas in Advanced ManufacturingTechnologies.

• Business development programming that extends to regionalsmall business owners.

• OH-PENN for Business regional business plan competition forcollege students.

• Collaborations with regional economic development organizationslike SBDC, Chambers of Commerce, Penn North-West, etc.

• Establish ourselves as central resource for regional entrepreneurs.

You have recently taken over as the Executive Director of the Centre,

ECENTER@LINDENPOINTEMaking Startups Move!

eCenter@LindenPointea non-profit business

incubator based inHermitage,

Pennsylvania, USAprovides a host ofservices that aregeared toward

speeding up a startupsgrowth and success

A view of the eCenter@LindenPointe building in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, USA

Chief Editor, DEW Journal talks to Executive Director,LindenPointe Development eCentre, Pennsylvania, USA

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3(1) Open Coffee - a networking event for thecommunity where there are no speakers, no agenda,just great conversations on entrepreneurship andinnovation. (2) Another Open Coffee event. (3) Bringimminent speakers in the region to our entrepreneursas part of the eSpeaker Series.

Face to Face


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A startup accelerator is built to foster rapid growth of itsportfolio companies. It's a man-made perfect storm ofmentorship, access to technology, office space and aninnovative community, packed into a short time frame.

A business incubator in business speak is a companythat helps new and startup companies to develop byproviding services such as management training or officespace. Business incubators differ from research andtechnology parks in their dedication to startup and early-stage companies.

Accelerators "accelerate" growth of an existing company,while incubators "incubate" disruptive ideas with the hopeof building out a business model and company. So,accelerators focus on scal ing a business whileincubators are often more focused on innovation.

Incubator and acceleratorfor Startup entrepreneurs

“Our startups are fromdiverse fields. Sincethe eCenter was setup, several startups

have taken flight. Ourprograms have grown

exponentially. We evenincubate internationalstartups to come and

set up shop here”

what are your immediate priorities and long term thrust areas?We are focused on serving a rural, rust-belt community in WesternPennsylvania and are committed to a diversity of projects and teams.The eCenter@LindenPointe provides business developmentservices not only to teams within our accelerator but also to thelocal, underserved, small business community.

Ketaki Desai, PhD, Executive Director, LindenPointe Development eCentre

(1) Mark Rossi: 18 years old and the Founder ofEarthbound Crystals - a great success story. (2)Dolphin Tank, a pitch event for the high schoolstudents of the Entrepreneurship Academy. (3) OH-PENN for Business, a college business plancompetition hosted for PA and OH colleges.

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Exclusive to DEW


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The eCenter Board, along with several regionalstakeholders, conducted a Strategic Planning Meetingon January 16, 2016. The Strategic Planning Meetingidentified several areas of opportunity to pursue inorder to further our mission of regional economicdevelopment.

There were severalareas of consensusregarding the LDCs overalldirection:• To expand the LDCs role

to have more significantregional impact on smallbusiness innovation

• To expand the LDCscollaboration with and support ofregional stakeholders developmentcurricula, funding and mentoring.

• To expand the support servicescurrent eCenter tenants receive,including business

The four major areas ofopportuni t ies includeCOMMUNICATIONS, COMMUNITY,ECENTER SERVICES andFUNDING, and we have short-termand long-term goals in each of thekey categories that we will use tomeasure our success .

As the Executive Director ofthe eCenter, I am responsible forcreating the programming for ourstartups whether it is businessdevelopment curricula or a mentorprogram. I also work with my teamto create initiatives that help smallbusinesses in our region, whetherthese are workshops, speakerseries or networking events. SinceDecember our team has grownfrom one person to four, and werecent ly took over themanagement of theEntrepreneurship Academy – ouryear-long immersive program forhigh school seniors. I work withour Board to develop a 3-yearstrategy, as wel l as long-termfunding plan, including a timeline

for transitioning our incubator into an accelerator. Ialso spending a lot of t ime networking, raisingawareness about our work and building a culture ofcollaboration across the local and regional economicdevelopment agencies.

How many fledgling wingshave been strengthened bythe Centre who took to theskies?Since the eCenter was setup in 2012, several startupshave taken flight – we havecreated 45 jobs andcoached 43 companies.Some of the companies did

not succeed, but that is the natureof the startup world. I started as theExecutive Director in December2015, and since then one companyhas graduated and set up i tsbusiness locally, 5 new companieshave joined the eCenter, and wehave expanded our programsexponent ial ly. We have alsocreated a co-working space thatallows local entrepreneurs to workin an collaborative environment.

What are the broad areas forwhich start-ups usually approachyou? Are the startups mostly freshgraduates from universities?Our startups are from diverse fields–manufacturing, technology, energyconservation, social enterprise–welike to encourage entrepreneursfrom all fields, so long as they havea viable business plan. We do getsome teams from universities, butthat is def ini tely not the onlydemographic that we support.

Does the Centre also entertain outof country startups?Absolutely! We would love toincubate international startups,and are currently working with oneout of Toronto to come set up shophere.

Arun Kr. Singhal, Chief Editor, DEW Journal with Ketaki Desaiduring a visit to the Centre.

A view of the Centre infrastructure and a groupof Startups

Face to Face

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Solar Impulse has madehistory by completing thefirst ever round-the-worldfl ight powered only byenergy from the sun. Theplane landed at its startingpoint in Abu Dhabi at 04:05am local time, after a finalleg of 48 hours and 37minutes from Cairo.

“This is a truly historicachievement, withtremendous symbolicsignificance,” said ABBCEO, Ulrich Spiesshofer.“It demonstrates clearlythat with pioneering spiritand clean technologies,we can run the worldwithout consuming theearth. On behalf ofeveryone at ABB,congratulations toBertrand Piccard, André Borschberg, and the rest ofthe Solar Impulse team. We are extremely proud tohave been able to contribute to this remarkable project.”

ABB forged the innovation and technologyalliance with Solar Impulse because what the projecthas achieved in the air, ABB is doing on the ground,as a pioneer of power and automation technologiesfor 125 years in Switzerland.

"It's a historic first for renewableenergy and clean technologies, notonly for aviation", said Solar Impulsepilot, initiator and chairman BertrandPiccard, on arrival." By combiningstrengths, SolarImpulse and ABBwere able to showhow breakthroughinnovation can betransformed intocredible solutions,and how energycan be moree f f i c i e n t l yproduced, storedand used to createa cleaner world."

Solar Impulse co-founder, CEO and pilotAndré Borschbergconfirmed the value ofthis partnership: "Themission would not havebeen possible without theexpertise and support ofABB and otherorganizat ions thatcontributed to the project.As part of its innovationand technology alliancewith Solar Impulse, ABBprovided experts tosupport the mission,including engineers whoserved as embeddedmembers of the groundcrew throughout theround-the-world flight."

To attempt the round-the-world f l ight, Solar

Impulse had to confront many of the challenges thatABB is solving on the ground for its customers, suchas maximizing the power yield from solar cells,integrating renewable energy into the electricitydistribution systems, and improving energy efficiency.During its flight around the world, Solar Impulse madestopovers on four continents (Asia, North America,

Europe and Africa), and flew across twooceans (the Pacific and the Atlantic),as well as the Mediterranean Sea andthe Arabian Peninsula. On the way, itset several new aviation records,including that of the longest solo

duration for anairplane (117hours, 52 minutes)achieved by AndréBorschberg on theleg from Japan toHawaii, and the firstcrossing of theAtlantic Ocean in asolar airplaneachieved byBertrand Piccard.

Solar Impulse provesinnovation, technology and

pioneering mindset canaddress global challenges

ABB alliance partner Solar Impulse completesround-the-world flight with zero fuel, showingwe can run the world without consuming theearth. As a pioneering technology leader, ABB

is putting this message into practice

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