Technology breakthrough boosts North Sea oil future
Michael Gray (25/09/2014)
Reblogged from Business for Scotland
A team at Heriott Watt University are celebrating another break-through in North Sea extraction technology. Professor Mehran Sohrabi, at the centre for enhanced oil recovery, has announced progress in gas injection technology and ‘low salinity water injection’. When combined, these new forms of extraction can add decades onto the lives of existing and future North Sea oil and gas fields.
The Professor said, “This is a massive leap forward, especially in an offshore setting. The process is relatively inexpensive, meaning the costs for enhanced oil recovery could fall dramatically while yields could rise.
“It’s also cleaner as you’re removing the need for potentially toxic chemicals.”
This is the latest in a series of positive developments for the North Sea industry.
Business for Scotland previously reported on other technological developments in early July. This was before increased attention to the expansion of the Clair Ridge field West of Shetland. The new operations are set to last decades. Oil and Gas people, Sir Professor Donald Mackay and business group N56 all stated that the industry was in vibrant health for future decades.
The additional income from offshore oil will run into the tens of billions, with some estimating that it will rise to hundreds of billions of pounds. The devolution of offshore revenue will be a crucial part of any proposal on further powers for Scotland.
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