ITF Members Offer Funds To Technology Developers

14 October 2011

Up to 100% funding is available from ITF for technology developers that can provide innovative solutions to drilling, well intervention and subsea challenges.

Deadlines for proposal submission are fast approaching for the three areas, following the identification of key priorities at a series of Technology Challenge Workshops (TCWs) by ITF members earlier this year.

Neil Poxon, managing director, ITF, said, "Finding new and innovative ways of drilling is a top priority of research and development for oil and gas operators around the world. Improving efficiencies in this area is crucial for the industry as it faces increasingly testing frontiers of exploration.

"Similarly, with sustained high oil prices, more marginal wells are proving to be economically viable so novel technologies are required to increase oil recovery through various forms of intervention," he added.

The drilling call is an open invitation for organizations to submit high quality proposals for research, development and/or field trials of potential solutions in the areas of: improved well control; improved blowout response; formation support while drilling; zonal isolation of reservoir sections; improved information recovery from the drillstring while drilling; and improved pressure and temperature sensors for high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) wells and heavy oil.

The well intervention call involves: pressure-control equipment; in-line monitoring for gas leaks, hydrates and system pressure loss; improved tree design; and annulus intervention technologies.

Other technology solutions that are identified in the call include: a downhole camera that can 'see' in any wellbore fluid environment; improved, cased-hole logging tools; a sand control solution that can be retrofitted; and improved intervention planning tools.

For the subsea call, specific areas of interest are: subsea power; flow assurance; subsea separation; temperature management; pipeline integrity management and cost reduction; low-cost intervention; and specific Australian regional challenges.

"I would urge interested companies developing new subsea technologies to get in touch as our members are currently very interested in funding new projects in this field. We work right across the oil and gas spectrum from subsurface to production, drilling and wells and are constantly on the search for new technologies that address our members' priorities. Our door is always open to novel ideas," Poxon emphasized.

The deadline for both the well-intervention and subsea-technologies proposals is Oct. 13. For the drilling call, the deadline is Nov. 1. Information is available by calling the ITF office in Aberdeen on +44 (0)1224 222410.