Research Partnerships - Development & Production

We support research projects looking at technologies and techniques that will enable us to develop new reserves that are not currently feasible and also to optimise existing production. Asset integrity is becoming increasingly important as some of our existing facilities grow older.

Examples include:

DISH: Deepwater Installation of Subsea Hardware

BMT Fluid Mechanics Ltd., Teddington
Development of techniques to install subsea equipment in water depths exceeding 2,000 metres

Submarine Grouted Tee Junction

Advantica Ltd., Aberdeen

The Grouted Tee is a pipeline junction that can be added to an active pipeline by clamps and the injection of a sealing epoxy grout. The existing pipeline is then drilled to allow connection, without halting hydrocarbon flow. Already proven on land, the technique is being modified to permit submarine use

FAST: Flow Assurance and Scale Team

Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
To understand and optimise the use of scale inhibitors to prevent deposition, build-up and blockage