Statoil is a leading, global energy provider. Alongside its operations throughout the oil and gas supply chain, it is also working to develop new energy solutions with particular expertise in offshore wind. I work on the upstream oil and gas production side of the business as a Senior Specialist in Well Materials Technology, supporting the business with its needs for drilling and well completions. The drop in oil price in 2014 has led to a lot of changes in the oil industry and, for me, a shift in the focus of my work.
When the price of oil fell, oil and gas operators simply had to look at ways they could reduce production costs – not just by a few percent but as a real step-change. For my part, the material selection process is a big part of realizing the cost reductions we are looking for.
Materials for use in a well have historically been of very high specification. However, reviewing the actual needs of each well, analyzing fluids and looking at specific corrosiveness often means an alternative, less expensive material could be used without compromising reliability or adding health and safety concerns.
We have found, for example, occasions where 13%Cr martensitic stainless steels could be replaced by 3%Cr alloyed steel without affecting well performance – offering significant cost savings. Centro Sviluppo Materiali (CSM), part of the RINA Group’s consulting engineering, helps us to carry out testing on different alloys to understand where they can and cannot be used.
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