The Materials Engineering Research Laboratory (MERL) and Applied Market Information (AMI) will jointly organize the 8th MERL Oilfield Engineering with Polymers 2012 global seminar, which will be held in London from October 23 to 25.
It provides an international forum for oilfield operators, contractors and their suppliers to meet and discuss the issues in the oil and gas production industry, includingthe creation of global standards, long-term reliability, qualification testing, development of new materials, the growing utilization of composite materials, operating in extreme environments such as arctic conditions and sour fluids and exposure to supercritical CO2.
Petrobras, a Brazilian multinational energy, will open the event by offering a review from the operator’s viewpoint and Baker Hughes, an oilfield services company, will deliver a presentation from the supplier’s perspective. Rod Martin, CEO of MERL, will provide the closing address at the London conference by delivering a review of functional assessment of polymers and developments in materials depending on the new industry conditions.
A wide range of elastomer materials are used in highly sensitive elements in oilfield engineering. DuPont is currently conducting a research on the performance of new fluoroelastomers in explosive decompression and ConocoPhilllips is involved in elastomer research and studies the effects of amine chemicals.
Polymer materials are used in metallic pipes to protect them from corrosion. Hence, Swagelining along with its suppliers Victrex, Solvay Specialty Polymers and Evonik, is exploring the potential of engineering plastic materials.
Bredero Shaw, based in Norway, has partnered with Borealis and Statoil to investigate the polypropylene foam insulation’s ageing performance. Composite plastic pipes are used extensively in oilfields. Technip is working at an innovative anti-hydrogen sulfide polymer layerfor pipes and GE Oil and Gas is analyzing the use of polymers as pressure barriers in flexible pipes.