ITF - 2012 Priorities Unconventionals, Heavy Oil, Subsea, Downhole P+T

16 January 2012

Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF), the oil and gas organisation for getting companies to work together to develop technology, has announced its priorities for 2012 are unconventional reservoir characterisation, heavy oil, subsea (including subsea power, extra long tie-backs, produced water, separation and cleaning and replacement of valve actuators), and downhole pressure and temperature monitoring.

It can offer "up to 100 per cent funding" for the right solutions to "some of the industry's most pressing challenges".

ITF aims to secure around £50 million investment directly from its members over the next three years.

It will hold a series of workshops around the world during the year on its priority topics.

The first Technology Challenge Workshop on unconventional reservoir characterisation will take place in Aberdeen on 13 March.

Members will prepare a roadmap to define the issues ahead of a further workshop in Houston in June.

A global call for proposals will then be issued inviting technology developers to submit their innovative solutions.

ITF will also establish membership clusters in the Middle East, Australia, US and Europe to focus on the unique regional challenges and bring forward more specific Joint Industry Projects (JIPs).

'Members want to see game-changing technologies in a number of key areas and our workshop programme will kick off with unconventional reservoir characterisation which was voted as one of the top priorities," says Neil Poxon, managing director of ITF.