NUMMER 09 I 7 DECEMBER OPINION Low oil prices are making the industry lean & mean


Oil-producing countries are having a difficult time and their heavy investments in new energy projects remain unprofit- able. Measures should be taken to compen- sate for the losses. Technology is the way forward.


WOUTER LAST


The historically low oil price is no longer news, but a fact. We are now at $41 per barrel of American oil. Last year, around this time, it was $103. For now, I see no recovery in sight. There are a number of reasons for this. The Middle East wants to uphold its produc- tion to protect its market price. The Ameri- cans continue to produce shale oil and gas, whereby, on the one hand they contribute to overproduction and on the other hand, to the reduced demand for oil. The Chinese economy is growing more slowly than before, which tempers consumption and therefore, demand.


Positive side to the job losses The impact of falling oil prices on the economy is becoming clearer. Shell has announced considerable austerity plans. The company anticipates no recovery in the oil price and says it must take measures to maintain profitability. Therefore, the company will significantly cut costs by selling assets and cutting 6,500 jobs. And it is not the only player in this market taking action. In total, 70,000 jobs disappeared, worldwide, in the oil industry.


Despite how sad it is for those workers concerned, I also see positive aspects to this development. Or, rather, it announces a


revolution in the industry. One that in my opinion should have taken place earlier, but which was not crucial enough until now. For years, oil and gas production was a very profitable business. Therefore, the producing companies felt little urgency to optimise their processes and to free up funds for innovation. Efficiency in these companies was not high on the agenda. Now that the oil price has fallen to a record low, the time has come to further the efficiency battle, which we could have previously done, and still can do.


I believe, going forward, that investment in innovation is the best way to save. While the crisis of the last few years is now history, it has leſt its mark. Back then, there was too much resting on laurels, which allowed us to be overtaken by events too suddenly. Now is the time for catching up and this is how:


1. EVERY OIL AND GAS FACTORY IS AN ICT COMPANY:


In the future, each plant in the energy industry will be controlled from a digital platform. Here, all the data on the site will be measured together in one dashboard. The system would then analyse the data and draw conclusions on which engineers on the shop floor can base their actions. Think of ‘actions’ not as physical work in the field, but as adjustments to the plants from afar. Mainte- nance should be condition-based and not malfunction-driven. This will save costs since you keep ahead of potentially bigger problems. According to a Gartner study from 2013, effective soſtware-based asset manage- ment can, within one year, result in technol- ogy cost savings of 30 percent. With a high


degree of automation, we also address the outflow of personnel and knowledge that many companies face. This becomes another cost saving because you can make do with less staff at a plant.


2. NEW EXTRACTION METHODS: 4. LNG METERING AND SAMPLING:


Oil fields are still being found, but their reserves can be difficult to exploit. Some organisations have become more adept at exploiting such reserves. In Texas, Norway’s Statoil, for example, is currently experiment- ing with sand of different gradations. It is spraying water and chemicals in the ground to loosen hard rock that is deep within the soil. It also varies the depth of wells in order to discern what level delivers the highest production. The engineers can control the valves remotely and can quickly adjust the flow. But does this represent cost savings or investment? As is so oſten the case, they go hand in hand. Statoil can now produce more with fewer rigs and the average cost of the drilling process has decreased from $ 4.5 million to 3.5 million by, for one, reducing the initial exploitation time from 21 to 17 days.


3. MEASUREMENT WHILE DRILLING:


With the Measurement While Drilling (MWD) method, data about the condition of the well is collected during the drilling for oil. Information about the composition of the stone that the drill encounters on its way down, along with the pressure in the well, is analysed real-time by engineers. Also, a three-dimensional graph can be made of the well, so that the drill is guided directly to


LNG is extremely popular, especially in countries that have no energy resources. LNG transport by ship is relatively easy. This would be beneficial to producers were it not that this sport is still so new and there are few or no industry standards, which leads to many losses in the loading and distribution process. What happens between the point of departure and arrival port is, in part, a blackbox. We have not fully penetrated the physical properties of the gas under low temperature. The measuring volume is not very accurate, and this also applies to the sampling. The margin of error can be as much as ten per cent. If measured quantities and qualities do not match, this can result in huge unexpected costs. I anticipate that there will be a lot of savings achieved in the future. The technology is in the works and Hint is also working with partners to develop the right measurement and analysis technology for LNG. We’re not there yet, but we’ll definitely get there.


Wouter Last is president and founder of Hint. The company has offices in Hattem, Houston, and Bahrain. In 1998, Hint started as a system integrator in the Oil & Gas, Petro(chemical), and Process Industries.


the reserve. This makes the drilling process more efficient and precise. During drilling, the process can be adjusted for maximum yield. No more ‘trial and error’ saves money. Hours of non-productive time can be eliminated and the risk of blow-outs is made smaller.


09


Drying container In collaboration with ELA, Pronomar devel- oped a drying container. If a customer sees no possibility to equip a room for drying, or if flexibility is needed to accommodate great numbers of employees operating in different parts of the world, they will welcome


the drying container with modular changing room. Whatever the solution opted for, the system will be ‘plug and play’. Any customer or shipyard will be able to easily assemble the parts delivered.


www.pronomar.com DROOGSYSTEEM VOOR WARME START


Pronomar levert comfort in offshore werkomstandigheden


OFF TO A COMFORTABLE AND DRY START


Pronomar provides comfort in offshore working conditions


Personal protective equipment is used day in day out, intensively, and in greatly varying temperature and weather condi- tions. And in the offshore industry, this gear oſten becomes wet. And cold. To start the next shiſt in comfortable attire, Pronomar is now supplying an ingenious drying system.


Clothes, shoes, helmets and gloves are to protect their wearer. PPE is used intensively, day in day out. In addition, many people have to work in varying temperatures and under dire weather conditions. The result: wet clothes and boots. Everyone knows the pleasant feeling of putting on dry and hygienic clothing when starting their shiſt. This requires more than just hanging a coat on a peg!


Drying “Correct and efficient drying of PPE not only raises the feeling of comfort for the wearer, it also prolongs the lifespan of expensive working gear”, Iris Wiebrens, Export Manager with Pronomar BV, explained.


Pronomar BV, located in Hendrik-Ido-Am- bacht, the Netherlands, supplies systems that will dry PPE the easy way. Thanks to these drying systems, clothes are dried from the inside out. Fast and effectively, without damaging the materials in any way. Pron- omar’s drying systems comprise a stainless steel frame across which the clothing is hung. A hot-air blower, circulating large quantities of warmed-up air, will blow this air into the clothing by way of nozzles. Correct mainte- nance, cleaning and drying of PPE will help maintain their protective function.


Hygiene


If clothing is worn every day, hygiene can be a problem. Not just the external factors, such as rain, damp and cold, may damage the clothing - perspiration may also be a hazard. Pronomar’s drying systems will remove 95 percent of unpleasant odours by professionally drying the clothes and will also prevent bacteria from growing in damp circumstances.


Persoonlijke beschermingsmiddelen worden dag in en dag uit intensief gebruikt in wisselende temperaturen en weersomstan- digheden. In de Offshore worden deze middelen daarbij vaak nat. Om de volgende dag of bij een volgende shiſt weer droog aan het werk te kunnen zorgen Pronomar droogsystemen voor een comfortabele start.


Jassen, broeken, schoenen, helmen of handschoenen moeten de drager beschermen. Deze PBM’s worden dag in en dag uit intensief gebruikt. Daarnaast zijn veel arbeidskrachten in wisselende temperaturen en weersomstan- digheden aan het werk, met als resultaat: natte kleding en laarzen. Iedereen kan zich voorstellen dat het prettig is als de kleding de volgende dag of in de volgende shiſt weer droog en hygiënisch aanvoelt. Hier is meer voor nodig dan het alleen ophangen van de kleding over een haakje!


Droging “Het juist en efficiënt drogen van de PBM’s zorgt niet alleen voor een verhoogd comfort voor de medewerkers, maar het verhoogt daarnaast ook de levensduur van de prijzige werkkleding”, aldus Iris Wiebrens, Export Manager bij Pronomar B.V. Pronomar B.V. , gevestigd in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, levert systemen die de PBM’s op een gemakkelijke manier drogen. Met deze droogsystemen wordt kleding van binnenuit gedroogd. Snel en effectief, zonder schade van droging aan de materialen. De droogsystemen van Pronomar bestaan uit een roestvrijstalen


framewerk waar de kleding overheen wordt gehangen. Door middel van een warme lucht blower wordt een grote hoeveelheid ver- warmde lucht door het rek gecirculeerd en vervolgens via nozzles de kleding in geblazen. Door de PBM’s goed te onderhouden, reinigen én te drogen, behouden zij langer hun beschermende functie.


Hygiëne Wanneer werkkleding iedere dag wordt gedragen, kan de hygiëne te wensen overla- ten. Niet alleen vanwege externe factoren zoals regen, vocht en kou, maar ook door transpiratie binnenin de kleding. De droog- systemen van Pronomar ontnemen al vijfennegentig procent van de onaangename geurtjes door de kleding professioneel te drogen en bacteriën geen kans te geven te groeien in vochtige of natte leefomgeving.


Droogcontainer In samenwerking met ELA is door Pronomar een droogcontainer ontwikkeld. Daar waar de klant geen mogelijkheid heeſt tot het inrichten van een interne ruimte voor droging, flexibiliteit nodig heeſt door een wisselende hoeveelheid medewerkers of opdrachten in verschillende werelddelen uitvoert biedt de droogcontainer met modulaire kleedruimte uitkomst. Welke keuze ook wordt gemaakt, het systeem is ‘plug and play’. De klant of werf kan het geleverde gemakkelijk monteren.


www.pronomar.com


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