Production Processing News

Hydrogen as fuel was in the spotlight during the last two weeks. The Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on February 10 looking at H challenges in the transportation, utility, industrial, commercial, and residential sectors.A week later, the US House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology held a hearing titled "H2Success: Research and Development to Advance a Clean Hydrogen Future."Also, of note, the US Department of Energy published two hydrogen RFIs - "requests for information." One on "Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing…

Novatek, the largest independent natural gas producer in Russia, started using a dedicated LNG transshipment tank at the Zeebrugge LNG terminal in Belgium.Novatek booked the tank’s capacity as part of a 20-year transshipment agreement between Yamal LNG’s unit Yamal Trade and Fluxys LNG.The dedicated LNG tank was built specifically for the transshipment needs of Yamal LNG with a capacity of 180,000 cubic meters, allowing the Project to transship up to 8 million tons of LNG per annum.“The LNG tank construction for Yamal LNG began in Zeebrugge in 2015 and its commissioning is a key milestone for the Project,” noted Lev Feodosyev, Novatek’s…

PAO Novatek announced that cumulative production at the Yarudeyskoye field owned by the Company’s subsidiary Yargeo, reached a milestone of 10 million tons of crude oil production since the commencement of operations.The field’s commercial production commenced in December 2015, and by January 2016, the field reached its full productive capacity, said a press release from the Russia's largest independent natural gas producer.The Yarudeyskoye field is the largest crude oil asset in the Company’s portfolio, and is characterized by unique geology, which combined with the application of state-of-the-art drilling and completion technologies allowed us to achieve the average production flow rate of more than 350 tons per day per well.

Russia's gas production and sales company PAO Novatek has created a transportation unit called Maritime Arctic Transport. "The Board of Directors of PAO Novatek  resolved on creating a transportation subsidiary called Maritime Arctic Transport LLC to manage and optimize transportation costs, build up the unique competencies of Arctic navigation and ensure centralized management of the Arctic fleet," said a press release from company. Novatek’s Chairman of the Management Board Leonid Mikhelson noted: “Novatek’s long-term development strategy envisages a significant growth in LNG production from the Company’s vast hydrocarbon resource base located on the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas in the Arctic zone of more than 55 million tons per annum by 2030.

The Russian natural gas producer, Novatek, has confirmed that it delivered its first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by the Yamal LNG project to India on 27 March. "The LNG was produced by the Yamal LNG project, led by the Russian company, and marks the first ever delivery of Russian Artic LNG to the country," said the company. The cargo was shipped through the company’s subsidiary, Novatek Gas and Power Asia. Novatek’s Deputy Chairman of its Management Board  Board Lev Feodosyev said: "One of our core priorities enumerated in the Company's Corporate Strategy up to 2030, is the expansion of the supply geography and the growth of our presence in the key Asian markets. The first cargo delivered to the growing Indian market is an important development step in this direction”.

Next generation economizers are being introduced by Ulmatec Pyro. This will carry on the history of 35 years of heat recovery from ship’s exhaust – a technology that’s still unknown for many in the marine industry. You can’t ignore waste energy recovery systems if you want to participate in discussions about efficient marine designs. That statement is based on the fact that most diesel engines on board a vessel still operate on an efficiency scale in the 30 percent range. The remaining 60-70 percent represents losses, converted into heat.

Russian energy firm Novatek  has announced that Yamal LNG has commenced producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the first LNG train, with the nameplate capacity of 5.5 million tons per annum. The first cargo loading is scheduled on 8 December 2017 at the Sabetta port using the first Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker named the “Christophe de Margerie”. The Chairman of Novatek's Management Board Leonid Mikhelson noted: "This event marks a milestone accomplishment for the Yamal LNG project. The commencement of LNG production begins a new chapter in our corporate history. Many contractors and suppliers from Russia and abroad were involved in this project. We have received great support from the Russian government in implementing this project.

ExxonMobil Research Qatar (EMRQ) today announced that ExxonMobil has awarded a global commercial license for Immersive 3D Operator Training Simulator technology to co-developer EON Reality Inc. The innovative technology incorporates ultra-realistic, multi-angle immersive virtual reality for training process operators and engineers in oil and gas production, processing and transportation facilities. The technology enables effective training to take place in a safe and controlled environment. The new technology also supports the development of simulators that combine dynamic process training and fully functional 3D models. These complex models include interactive 3D objects such as rotating valves…

GAIL India is all set to stop LNG imports at the Dabhol terminal in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra from this month as the onset of monsoon will make operations difficult without a breakwater, says a PTI report. The terminal cannot be operated during monsoon in absence of a breakwater which is a massive wall built out into the sea to protect a ship from the force of waves. The terminal will serve as a gateway for entry of natural gas to the southern and western parts of the country. The terminal is operated by RGPPL, a joint venture between GAIL and NTPC, as a major shareholder with the remaining equity being held by financial institutions. GAIL received the last liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment from Spain’s Gas Natural at Dabhol last week.

PPG Industries announced that it has renewed or updated 17 American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System (AIA/CES) registered programs covering architectural coatings, glass and paint. Six of the PPG course offerings focus on sustainability and their participants are eligible for Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) credit. They include: Cool Coatings for Metal Roofing; Glass Production, Processing and Performance; How Low-E Coatings Improve Building Performance; Protecting Surfaces from Corrosion; Paint Specification and the Effects of Green Building; and What Makes Paint Sustainable: VOCs and Beyond. Architects can take four courses online at Hanley Wood University: Architectural Applications for Liquid and Powder Fluoropolymer Coatings…

Stauff ACT clamps are a solution for the installation of pipework in applications where efficient protection against corrosion is essential. The development of crevice corrosion on pipelines – a known and documented problem in the oil and gas industry – can be prevented long-term. This solution also generates enormous savings potential, thanks to extended maintenance and service intervals. The combined usage of specially designed SIG safety locking plates and AF stacking bolts…

W&T Offshore provides information regarding incident on Ship Shoal 233 B Platform. At about 10:00 a.m. on the morning of September 26, 2012, a fire started on the W&T Ship Shoal 233 B Platform and was subsequently extinguished at 11:35 a.m. This production processing facility, which is operated by the Company, is located approximately 30 miles south of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, in 128 feet of water. To respond to this incident, the Company activated its emergency response plan, evacuated personnel and mobilized equipment and personnel to assess and address the incident.

There has been plenty of talk recently about the birth of a spot and short-term charter market for lng carriers. Indeed some LNGoperators have formed strategic alliances to prepare for these potentially new trades. However, R.S.Platou Shipbrokers of Norway believes that the volume of LNGtonnage currently on order could yet force some owners to work short-term deals by the end of this decade whether they like it or not. According to the broker’s statistics, some 60 new LNG carriers will have been ordered during this year and, by the end of November, the orderbook consisted of 104 vessels equivalent to about 80% of the existing fleet.

The Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") has issued proposed regulations under section 863 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), providing new rules for determining the source of income from activities conducted in international waters for purposes of U.S. income taxation. These new regulations come shortly after the release last year of regulations under Section 883 of the Code that significantly affected the exemption from U.S. income tax of income from the international operation of a vessel owned by a non-U.S. corporation. While the new regulations also apply to space activities and similar new regulations apply to communication activities, the new rules may have the most significant impact on both U.S.

LUX Assure launches chemical monitoring product after successful field trial with North Sea Operator. LUX Assure, a company specialising in the development of chemical monitoring technologies for the oil and gas industry, has launched its first product to market following a number of successful field trials with North Sea oil majors. The Aberdeen-based firm is forecasting £100,000 of sales in 2012, with an expected accessible global market of over £1million per year. OMMICA is…

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) announces that its associated company Smit Lamnalco has been awarded a 10-year contract with additional extension options by Esso Highland (a subsidiary of ExxonMobil) for providing terminal services at the Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas (PNG LNG) export terminal near Port Moresby. The total contract value is USD 120 million (Boskalis share USD 60 million) and services will commence mid-2014. The PNG LNG export terminal is part of a larger integrated LNG production, processing and liquefaction project which started following the discovery of three major gas field in Papua New Guinea. Both the offshore and onshore infrastructure is currently under construction and expected to be operational in 2014.

The Liberian Registry is offering tanker owners and operators a VOC Management Plan Review and Approval Service to help them achieve compliance with impending IMO legislation governing air pollution. By July 1, 2010, all tankers carrying crude oil will be required to implement and maintain on board an approved ship-specific VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) Plan, in accordance with Regulation 15.6 of the revised MARPOL Annex VI. The VOC Management plan is required in order to obtain a MARPOL International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) certificate. VOC emissions are air pollutants which need to be controlled in the global effort to reduce the harmful effects of atmospheric pollution.