Dominion Gas Launches £2million New Technology
18 June 2009
Aberdeen-based oilfield services company Dominion Gas has invested more than £2million into the development of ground-breaking technology aimed at giving the company a competitive edge in the oilfield services sector.
The Portable Gas Trans-fill System (PGTS) is essentially a gas filling plant packaged in moveable 20ft ISO containers and has been designed to support the firm's oil and gas clients anywhere in the world.
“In simple terms we are taking a gas filling plant to the client's site, as opposed to moving large numbers of gas cylinders to a permanent site,” said Russel Davies, Dominion's projects director.
At present, when large volumes of gas mixtures are required in a remote location, gas must be prepared and bottled under high pressure at the firm's nearest gas plant. The mixture must then be transported to the desired location which is both costly and potentially hazardous.
The new system comprises a set of containerised modules which when connected together allow for empty cylinders to be filled with compressed gas mixtures.
Mr Davies adds: “We believe that the PGTS is the first system of its kind in the world. The system is designed to operate both on and offshore in the harshest of environments and will allow us to deliver a better, more flexible service to our clients – we are very excited about this new system which we hope will be the first of many.”
A patent is pending on the product which will be manufactured in the UK by Surrey based specialist gas processing firm IGAS, a long time business partner of Dominion Gas. The system is expected to be operational in Ghana, West Africa in late June 2009.
Doug Crighton managing director of Dominion Gas said: “The PGTS will play a central role in Dominion Gas' ongoing plans for global expansion. The technology will allow us to establish a presence in a new location extremely quickly without having to take on the risks associated with investing in permanent equipment and infrastructure straight away.”
Dominion Gas is Scotland's only independent oil field service company supplying the full range of diving, welding, industrial, laboratory, test and calibration gases. The firm recently expanded its products and services into the liquid, cryogenic, chemical and acid tank business with the acquisition of Argon Isotanks in November 2008.
Dominion Gas has a turnover in excess of £22 million and currently employs 85 staff worldwide with offices in Baku, Singapore, West Africa, Norway and corporate headquarters in Aberdeen Scotland.
