A unique new state-of-the-art centre for testing materials and instrumentation used in the Scottish offshore industry will be set up at the University of Aberdeen thanks to a major grant of £775,000.
Engineers and chemists from the University have joined forces to establish the Scottish Offshore Materials Support Facility aimed at serving the needs of Scotland’s developing companies within the oil and gas sector.
The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) made the award as part of a £10million financial package under its Research Development Grant scheme, which is announced today (Wednesday, May 26).
The focal point of the new centre will be a high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) facility based in the Engineering Department, which will be designed by Dr David Thompson. It will allow the testing of industrial materials, including sealing elements, components of down-hole tools and reservoir-scale rock samples at temperatures up to 250 degrees centigrade and pressures of 2,000 atmospheres.
Meanwhile, a supporting advanced thermal analysis laboratory will be based in the Department of Chemistry, which will allow the scientists to examine changes to the chemistry of components as a result of exposure to aggressive oil well fluids at high pressures and temperatures, and whether or not the chemistry has been damaged.
Local oil and gas manufacturers, many of them already linked to the University through successful Teaching Company Schemes (TCS), have expressed their need for expert support on their doorstep. Strategic research in the UK’s oil and gas sector is currently undertaken by mainly industry majors at laboratories in England and the US.
Dr Thompson, who led the proposal for the funding, said they would now be consulting with local companies with a view to getting the facility up and running within the next year.
“This project is very much a collaboration which draws together the strengths of the departments of engineering, chemistry and geology,” he said.
“The funding starts from August and our main priority now is to start consultation with our colleagues in industry to ensure we will meet their needs.”
Professor Jim Penman, Head of the Department of Engineering, said: “This is a tremendous achievement for the University and builds on our success with local industry through the DTI’s TCS programme.
“This is a critical time for the industry. They need to reduce their costs through the application of new technologies. We believe this new facility will help address this challenge.”
Professor Malcolm Ingram, of the Department of Chemistry, described the project as a ‘very promising’ development, which will strengthen links between the University and many Aberdeen-based oil companies.