Awarded Orders

RAL have purchased several Xentaur Hybrid Dewpoint Transmitters (HDT) for making critical moisture measurements in the Spallation Reaction, a process in which a light projectile (proton, neutron, or light nucleus) with the kinetic energy from several hundreds of MeV to several GeV interacts with a heavy nucleus (e.g., lead or tungsten) and causes the emission of a large number of hadrons (mostly neutrons) or fragments. These hadrons are assembled into beams that are directed toward an array of scientific instruments. Each of these instrument stations is uniquely calibrated to observe a different set of interactions between the neutron beam and the material or tissue sample the experiment is designed to analyze.

The HDT’s are being used to measure the dewpoint of compressed, cooled helium gas, which in turn chills the liquid hydrogen circuit in a coupled moderator. This moderator is used to slow down the fast neutrons which are produced by the spallation process.

The HDT uses a Hyper Thin Film HTFTM high capacitance aluminum oxide sensor with a measuring range of -100ºC to +20ºF (custom ranges available). The Xentaur dew point sensors provide a high degree of accuracy, speed of response and stability unavailable from instruments using conventional aluminum oxide or polymer sensors.

As a world leading petroleum additives company, Lubrizol are constantly developing breakthrough solutions for fuel efficiency, emissions, power restoration and compatibility with biodiesel blends. In order to determine the effects of certain fuel additives on the efficiency of Wartsila 9 cylinder, 4-stroke, diesel electric marine engines, Lubrizol require highly accurate metering of the fuel feed and return lines. Consequently, Lubrizol asked ABLE to supply four of their renowned Rheonik Coriolis Mass Flow Meters to quantify fuel consumption during at-sea trials. The proven tolerance of Rheonik’s patented Omega tube design to vibration and corrosive media makes it eminently suited to the demanding process conditions associated with the application in question.

The aim of the trial is to determine the positive effects of the fuel additives as follows:

• Control of liner lacquer and bore polishing
• Stable oil consumption
• Reduction of piston deposits
• Lowered smoke emissions
• Reduction in lube oil fouling

Rumaila is the largest producing oilfield in Iraq. Average daily production for 2015 was 1.34 million barrels per day (bpd), part of an ongoing trend that has seen daily production rise from around 950,000 bpd in 2010 when BP began work. Rumaila now delivers more than a third of Iraq’s oil.

FracTech Laboratories provide a suite of tests for Formation Damage evaluation including drilling induced core damage and remediation. To enhance these services, ABLE Instruments have supplied FracTech with a Canty Inflow Liquid Particle Analysis System. The Inflow will facilitate sample or continuous, microscopic non-destructive viewing and provide two-dimensional particle analysis when used in conjunction with the CantyVisionClientTM Software.

Particle analysis of core samples from an oil or gas well gives the most accurate insight into the porosity and permeability of the well formation. It also reveals the fluid saturation and grain density. All of these measurements help geologists, engineers and drillers better understand the conditions of the well and its potential productivity.

The SCP project was sanctioned for construction and operation as part of the Shah Deniz Stage 1 development in February 2003. The construction on the project was launched in 2004 and completed in the last quarter of 2006 with an investment of about $1bn.
The pipeline runs parallel and proximate to Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) crude oil pipeline. The SCP originates at the Sangachal Terminal, which is located approximately 45km south of Baku, and traverses Azerbaijan and Georgia before terminating at Erzurum in eastern Turkey. The lengths of Georgia’s and Turkey’s sections are 442km and 248km respectively.

The pipeline is buried throughout the route and is designed for an operational life of 30 years. It has a diameter of 42in and is designed to transmit 7bcm of gas annually. It is protected against corrosion by applying a combination of three-layer polyethylene (PE) coating system and an impressed current cathodic protection (CP) system.

In addition to the pipeline’s construction, the SCP project involved a number of above ground installations including two compressor stations (one each in Azerbaijan and Georgia), an intermediate pigging station (cleaning and inspection purposes) and 11 small block valves.

From April through to the end of September, the UK’s road resurfacing industry’s demands for Nynas’s products soars as weather conditions become most suitable for the application of bitumen and emulsion.

Nynas Bitumen’s core business is making bitumen emulsion and hot bitumen that has been modified either with polymers or oil to make harder wearing flexible products to satisfy specific requirements that are over and above straightforward bitumen. To capitalise on the changes taking place in the market and optimise its production assets, the plant went over to 24/7 production July 2007.

Another major factor in the upgrade was the implementation of an automated control system to control the filling of the storm tanks and speed up the drain down process. Monitors were installed in the local sewers so that the tanks would automatically drain down when the sewer levels were suitable for the storm flows to be returned to same.

The objective of the upgrade project was to reduce odour levels, characterised by the classic “rotten egg” smell of hydrogen sulphide, over which the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham had raised complaints. Work continued throughout 2015 with the performance of the automated control system being tested during storm conditions.

Whilst is was acknowledged that it would be impossible to eradicate all odour from a sewage pumping station, and one that forms a key operational part of London’s sewage processing network, the aim was to reduce them to single digit ppb levels, at which they are undetectable to the majority of humans. However, due to persistent technical problems with the automated cleaning system, odour complaints from the local population continue to be received, causing Hammersmith & Fulham Council to serve Thames Water with a recent legal notice of improvement.

In response Thames Water has said it had already invested more than £2.5m to improve the tank cleaning equipment to help reduce the odour, and it was always looking at ways to improve the network and would continue to do so and work with residents and the council.

Thames Water has identified Acton Storm Tanks as part of its proposed Thames Tideway Tunnel or “Super Sewer” which has recently been given the go-ahead.

In Amenas produces nine billion cubic metres of natural gas and 50,000 barrels of condensate per year. It accounts for the one tenth of Algeria’s gas output.

A compression project was launched at In Amenas in 2011, to maintain the plateau production. The project was scheduled to be completed in 2013. However, a terrorist attack on the In Amenas facility in the beginning of 2013 has significantly brought down the In Amenas production. The development projects planned for the gas production facility are also on hold due to security concerns.

The four primary gas fields
In Amenas Gas project comprises of the exploitation of four gas fields, namely Tiguentourine, Hassi Farida, Hassi Ouan Taredert and Hassi Ouan Abecheu in the Illizi Basin of the In Amenas region. The In Amenas fields cover an area of more than 2,750km². The initial natural gas reserves in these fields were estimated at 85 billion m³.

Development history of the Algerian gas project
Sonatrach signed a contract with US-based Amoco Corporation in 1998 to jointly develop the four In Amenas gas fields. BP took over Amoco Corporation in the same year and concluded a production-sharing contract (PSC) with Sonatrach for the In Amenas licence. In June 2003, BP entered into a farm-out agreement with Statoil, which bought 50% of BP’s interest in the In Amenas fields.

The $1.2bn first phase of the In Amenas Gas project focused on the development of the Tiguentourine gas field. ENAFOR, a subsidiary of Sonatas, was awarded a contract in 2002 to drill 12 development wells on the field.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth $745m for the production and processing facilities of In Amenas was awarded in the same year to a joint venture between Japanese Gas Corporation and Kellogg, Brown and Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton.

GE Oil & Gas supplied the gas turbines and auxiliary equipments for the In Amenas gas processing plant under a $70m contract awarded in 2003. The In Amenas facility was brought on stream in June 2006.

The gas produced at In Amenas is marketed by Sonatrach. BP and Statoil are reimbursed with the condensate and liquefied petroleum gas output of the facility.

Gas production infrastructure at In Amenas
The gas gathering system at In Amenas comprises of ten inch flow lines connected to manifold station with each manifold tied to four to six wells.

A total of 100km of intra-field pipelines (ranging from ten inch to 24 inch in diameter) were constructed at the In Amenas facility by LEAD, a company based in Syria.

The In Amenas gas treatment plant has a capacity to process 30 million m³ of gas a day. The plant consists of three parallel trains for gas processing and condensate stabilisation. The treatment plant is equipped with CO2 removal, mercury removal, molecular sieve dehydration, LPG recovery, residue gas re-compression and power generation facilities.

The production facility is connected to the Sonatrach distribution system at Ohanet through three 90km long export pipelines. The diameter of the pipeline carrying dry gas is 36in and the pipes carrying condensate and LPG have a diameter of 12 inch.

In Amenas gas project expansion plan
A $213m contract was awarded to Japanese Gas Corporation in May 2011, to deliver a compression project at In Amenas by 2013. The compression project includes the construction of two train inlet compressions to the existing processing plant, new slug catcher facility, a permanent accommodation camp and utility buildings.

The expansion project aims at improving the recovery of wet gas at In Amenas that will help maintain its production capacity of 30 million m³ per day for next 12 years.

Petrofac was awarded a three year contract for multidiscipline consultancy, design and procurement services in January 2013, as part of the development programme to further boost up the hydrocarbon production at In Amenas.

In Amenas siege / terror attack
The In Amenas gas facility was attacked by Islamist terrorists on 16 January 2013. The workers at the facility, including 48 foreign nationals, were taken hostage by the militants as part of the attack. The gas facility was put under seize by the Algerian security forces for four days. In the process, 40 hostages, including five Statoil employees and four BP employees, were killed.

The processing facility was also partly damaged during the fight between the security forces and the terrorists.

The In Amenas gas facility was shut after the attack. BP and Statoil have withdrawn their employees from the facility until the security situation is thoroughly reviewed.
Sonatrach started limited production from the facility in February 2013, by restarting just one production train on behalf of the joint venture partners. The other two production trains of the facility were damaged during the terror attack.

In the meantime, the expansion projects planned for the In Amenas gas facility have been kept on hold until strict security measures are established by the Algerian state. Any new production from the facility is unlikely until 2014.