Scotland’s first dedicated facility to undertake fundamental materials testing and development for the oil and gas sector is to be established at the University of Aberdeen
The focal point of the Scottish Offshore Materials Centre, jointly run by the Departments of Engineering and Chemistry, will be a high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) facility based in the Engineering Department. Project managed by Dr. David Thompson, it will allow the testing of industrial materials including sealing elements, components of down-hole tools and reservoir-scale rock samples at temperatures up to 250 degrees Celsius and pressure of 2,000 atmospheres.
An advanced thermal analysis laboratory will be based in the Department of Chemistry, managed by Dr Corrie Imrie, which will allow scientists to examine changes to the chemistry of components as a result of stress during exposure to aggressive oil well fluids at high pressures and temperatures, and whether or not the chemical structure has been altered.
Welcomed enthusiastically by local oil and gas companies, the Centre has been made possible by a £775,000 grant from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.
Mr Mike Bowyer, Managing Director of PES Ltd, said: “This is a tremendous step forward, particularly for small to medium sized companies involved in the oil and gas industry. At the moment, when there are materials to test, there is no equivalent facility available in Scotland and many companies are faced with sending them out of the country. Now, we will have a dedicated, high quality facility here on our door-step in Aberdeen.”
Mr Bowyer added: “The advantages of this new Centre are tremendous. In the first place, we will be able to make major cost savings by testing materials, sealing elements, and reservoir-scale items in a laboratory situation which mimics exactly downhole conditions.
“In addition, working with scientists at the University, we will be able to use the testing facility to create and develop new materials and components, testing and refining them as we go along. In today’s world where technological advances are so rapid and key to the success of this sector, this Facility will give us a true edge as we compete more and more on the world stage.”
The Centre is also warmly welcomed by Sir Ian Wood, Chairman of Scottish Enterprise. “I am delighted that the University of Aberdeen is continuing its active support for the oil and gas sector by developing this vitally important facility. The project is very much a collaboration between the University and its industrial colleagues which harnesses the strengths of the University’s Departments of Engineering, Chemistry, Geology and Computing Science to ensure that industry needs are met
“I encourage companies in the sector to work with the University of Aberdeen in developing this exciting new facility.”
Many local companies are already linked to the University through successful TCS (Teaching Company Scheme). TCS Manager, Dr Duncan Anderson added: “Many companies benefit directly from the knowledge and expertise widely available throughout the University by coming on board via a Teaching Company Scheme.
This year alone, the University of Aberdeen has held government investment of over £1Million which has helped the transfer of knowledge from the University to the oil and gas sector. This is by far the largest value in terms of DTI funding ever to come to the sector via the TCS.
“The Scheme is an ideal vehicle to enable companies to undertake collaborative work with the new Materials Centre. In essence, we can help both SMEs and large companies tackle technological challenges for which they do not have the resource or technical expertise to tackle. In most cases, the Associate – usually a post-graduate – who worked with the company to complete the project concerned, has ended up working for them full-time.
“The relationship with the University also continues and becomes a longer-term, developmental relationship,” added Dr Anderson.