HOUSTON — ProSep is to supply four ProMix units to a national oil company based in the Middle East, the company said Tuesday.

“The ProMix technology generates homogeneous and moderate shear force to the dispersed phase across the cross section of the main flow, providing a narrow uniform droplet size distribution, significantly increasing interfacial contact area, enhancing mass transfer between different flows, and meanwhile preventing formation of an emulsion,” said Yi Liu, senior process engineer chief for ProSep.

This technology will enable the client to reduce chemical consumption up to 25% compared to conventional technologies, while maintaining optimal separation performance at its gas oil separation plant. Through ProSep’s technology, the client will benefit from optimized performance, reduced chemical consumption and significant operational savings.

“In the current low oil-price environment we are pleased that our differentiated ProMix technology provides a unique solution to our clients, one that has been proven to reduce chemical consumption between 20-50%,” said Ryan McPherson, ProSep general manager – Middle East. “When combined with a rigorous techno-economic analysis which articulates tangible savings and a high Internal Rate of Return (IRR), greater than 35%, we look forward to working alongside other major clients in the region and elsewhere in the world to reduce their cost and increase operational efficiency.”

By Greg Hallahan, Ryan McPherson, Mahesh Konduru

(ProSep) Throughout history, pioneers and inventors, after spending countless hours developing an innovative product, have faced resistance in developing and communicating the benefits of their products to a diverse audience. The result, usually, is a delay in bringing the product to market, slow adoption by clients, or in some unfortunate instances, “death” of the product. Products in all industries have suffered from this resistance and continue to do so today.

As we enter into the second quarter of 2016, oil producers and oilfield service companies are under tremendous pressure to integrate efficient practices and to return to profitability.  Products that are capable of introducing immediate efficiencies, while achieving an attractive rate of return and positive net present value, can assist these companies in returning to profitability now, while providing lasting gains when market forces and volatility subside.

ProSep has, in its 11 year history, provided best in class products to the Oil and Gas Upstream segment with specific focus on process separation solutions. Process separation solutions refers to the upstream business where the fluids, in gas and liquid phase, produced from the well need to be “cleaned up” before transported in pipelines, trucks, stored or re-used.

Technologies for separating liquids (oil and water) and gas (natural gas) have existed for decades with different degrees of innovation added over time. The Oil and Gas industry is notorious for slow adoption of new technology, where risk-aversion with significant amount of capital investment and profits at stake is common, especially concerning technology switches. Additionally, convincing multiple parties within the decision making group, from operators and engineering managers to procurement managers and executives, to switch to a new technology is difficult when each member of the group has a different role and responsibility to the company. This often makes it hard to gain consensus to switch technologies from conventional to the new and innovative.

ProSep has solved this technology switch difficulty with its proven proprietary product line of mixers and produced water treatment. ProSep provides a rigorous techno-economic analysis that articulates concisely the Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for its mixers and produced water products to every client. This analysis will allow clients to vary assumptions specific to their application, allowing NPV and IRR calculations over a range that meets the client’s requirements.

ProSep’s proprietary products include:

ProMix

This mechanical mixing device replaces injection quills and static mixers, in order to reduce demulsifier chemical usage by 20-50%. In oil separation applications in the upstream segment, ProMix can generate greater than 50% IRR and significantly positive NPV, often with a return on investment in less than a year. Major clients in the North Sea, Middle East, and Latin America has purchased and deployed ProMix products. ProMix can be effectively deployed in the downstream segment as well where clients are currently spending significant amounts of capital on chemical usage.

A ProMix was recently proposed to an operator in the Middle East region with the following specifications and metrics:

ProSalt

The removal and reduction of salt from oil is not only a statutory mandate, but also required for transportation and refining. In most oil and gas separation processes, lowering salt content requires a significant amount of a precious resource: fresh water. Depending on the geography of the site, the value of fresh water can vary from expensive to priceless. Pipeline operators and refiners also place value on crude with low salt content. ProSalt lowers fresh water usage ranging from a 20% to 60% reduction as compared to conventional mixing systems, and often saves customers millions of gallons per year in fresh water injection for desalting vessels. The IRR on a ProSalt ranges from 15-30% on water and energy savings alone with a materially positive NPV depending on the specific application.

ProSalt was awarded the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) “2009 Spotlight on New Technology Award” recognizing innovative technologies significantly impacting offshore exploration and production. ProSep has successfully deployed numerous ProSalt units with Statoil, Saudi Aramco, and PEMEX.

ProDry

Processing of natural gas at the production or collection site involves removal of water (dehydration). The presence of vapor phase water in natural gas restricts the amount that can be processed and transported. In addition, capital expenditure is required in the form of tri-ethylene-glycol (TEG) systems to remove water from natural gas. ProDry is ideal for debottlenecking retrofit applications allowing for 15-25% of additional natural gas to be processed and sold, depending on specific conditions; ProDry also reduces the capital expenditure needed to upgrade existing TEG systems to meet additional production capacity. An IRR of 25% with significantly positive NPV can be achieved with the deployment of a ProDry mixer.

ProBlend

ProBlend was developed to combine two crude process streams of differing density/viscosity to meet a required density (API) or viscosity. Based on ProSep’s proprietary mixer technology ProMix, ProBlend provides even pre-distribution of heavy or high viscosity oil into light or low viscosity oil. This blend of crudes is further mixed in ProSep’s modulating mixer design, creating a homogenous blend that is significantly easier to transport than heavy, viscous crude, and simpler to treat in dehydrating and desalting applications. In South America and Canada transportation of heavy crude is expensive. In Venezuela’s Oronoco region and Colombia’s Llanos basin, naptha is sometimes injected to facilitate the transportation of the heavier crude through pipeline. Deploying a ProBlend in these instances would lower transportation cost or naptha (chemical) usage by 10-40% thus driving a positive NPV and high IRR to operators. ProSep has successfully deployed ProBlend units with PEMEX.

Osorb

ProSep’s proprietary media Osorb has unique capabilities, including the abilities to be regenerated and selectively remove water soluble organics. Because of these capabilities, Osorb has availed itself to a multitude of specialized applications, including removal of BTEX from produced water treatment and oil removal from EOR water streams. Osorb has shown the capability to provide IRR of 35% and positive NPV for a specific application in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, a 750 BPD unit is currently in operation in the Middle East.

This article was published in the World Oil “Thriving In The Downturn” Newsletter, dated April 19, 2016.

Houston-headquartered ProSep, the oil, gas and water treatment specialist, has been awarded a new contract by Statoil. The agreement, which commences in February 2016, will see the company supply its proprietary ProSalt mixer technology to Statoil’s Gudrun platform in the Norwegian North Sea.

The ProSalt mixer enables efficient utilisation of wash water and chemicals as well as improved oil-in-water separation compared to static mixers. The technology will be designed and commissioned for the Gudrun platform to provide a reliable and robust solution within a rapid timeframe. ProSalt’s internal design and material selection will improve its reliability against erosion and corrosion.

Statoil selected ProSalt for the Gudrun platform because of its technical reliability and ability to modulate with changing process conditions. The operator will likely be injecting wash water into the production line towards the end of 2016 based on existing production profiles, and ProSalt’s improved mixing efficiency over static mixers will enable Statoil to meet salt requirement (PTB).

“ProSep’s long-standing relationship with Statoil is a testament to the benefits of our technology,” says Mike Smith, Managing Director – Europe, ProSep. “This is the second deployment of this specific mixer type in the North Sea and we expect to see more operators in the region looking for reliable cost-effective solutions that can save not only OPEX, but scarce offshore resources, such as wash water and power requirements.”

ProSep has recently hired a sales manager in Stavanger, Norway, to cultivate operator relationships and drive its growth in the region. ProSep’s portfolio of proprietary mixing technologies includes ProMix, ProSalt, ProBlend, ProScav, and ProDry. To date over 100 mixers have been deployed worldwide.

Houston-headquartered ProSep, the oil, gas and water process separations technology company, has appointed Jacek Kacperski as Norway Sales Manager. Based in Stavanger, Kacperski joins the company with over a decade’s experience in oilfield services, including sales roles with TDW Offshore and Siemens AS.

ProSep recently renewed its focus on its suite of proprietary technologies – including mixers – which offer operators a cost-effective and reliable solution for reducing chemical consumption, maximising hydrocarbon recovery and process optimisation. Norwegian companies continue to champion best-in-class technology and in this new commodity price environment Kacperski will work hand-in-hand with local operators to drive the development of new and existing opportunities.

Patrick McCarthy, CEO of ProSep, says: “We are excited to welcome Jacek to the team. His knowledge of the local market coupled with his impressive track record make him the ideal person to lead our Norwegian operations. The development and early deployment of ProSep’s mixing technologies trace their roots to Norway and we believe that in the current environment, technologies like ours can play a significant role in enabling operators to optimise their offshore operations.”

Kacperski adds: “ProSep’s portfolio of patented technology is really impressive and I am very proud to become a part of this enthusiastic, innovative and results-driven team. I look forward to strengthening the company’s position as a trusted technology partner in the Norwegian market by offering solutions that can genuinely improve operational efficiencies.”

Houston-headquartered ProSep, the oil, gas and produced water treatment specialist, has entered the final stage of its ITF joint industry project (JIP) with Qatar Petroleum and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).

ProSep is putting a full scale Osorb® Media unit through a two-phase field trial in PDO’s Marmul oil field, 200 kilometers northeast of Salalah in Oman, to demonstrate the media’s water treatment and regeneration capabilities. Osorb Media is a regenerable organosilica that adsorbs free, dispersed, and water soluble hydrocarbons, as well as many oilfield chemicals from produced water.

Ryan McPherson, General Manager, Middle East for ProSep said: “This project represents a significant step in the evolution and development of Osorb Media. To be part of a JIP with two national oil companies in the Middle East has been a tremendous experience, with all parties truly collaborating towards a shared goal.  The ability to regenerate the media in-situ is fundamental to full-scale technology implementation.  I am looking forward to a successful trial that will enable us to create a regeneration process that is both economically and operationally practical for operators.”

Spent Osorb Media can be regenerated using a variety of techniques and resources and operators often have different options available for this process. The two phases of the project will compare regeneration methods through a rigorous test schedule to ensure that regeneration process options are created that are both economically and operationally practical for all operators.

Wail Saif Salim Al-Harrasi, Corporate Technology Advisor at PDO said: “This JIP is of great importance to PDO as it has the potential to resolve some of the challenges associated with EOR activities, such as de-oiling of polymer contaminated water and enabling the reuse of spent polymer, which in turn reduces the overall cost of EOR.”

Keith Mackie, Director of Strategic Projects and International Development at ITF also noted: “We are delighted to see another ITF project coming to fruition. The development of an offshore capable unit for oil-in-water removal and media regeneration will deliver real benefits to the industry, both in terms of environmental impact and cost.”

The unit will be in country by the end of the year, and the trial is scheduled to begin in January 2016 with completion by end of Q1.

ProSep, the oil, gas and produced water treatment specialist, has announced an internal restructure and strategic reorganisation as the company seeks to strengthen its position amidst ongoing industry challenges.

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ProSep, the oil, gas, and water treatment specialist, has signed a collaboration agreement with Generon IGS, an industry-leading provider of comprehensive gas separation and compression solutions, to develop and commercialize a state-of-the-art line of CO₂ separation membrane products. Continue reading →

At the start of 2015, ProSep was contracted to engineer, design, and manufacture a thermal electrostatic treater for the Singue Plant in Ecuador. The Singue field, operated by Gente Oil, is expected to reach 10,000 barrels of oil per day by the end of 2015, with the plan to also build a 32km pipeline to transport the oil.   The 10′ ID x 32′-04@ T/T thermal electrostatic treater was designed to dehydrate the produced crude oil, at a flow rate of 3.3 MMSCFD / 15,000 BOPD / 5,000 BWPD.

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Against a backdrop of reduced oil prices and high costs, Neil Poxon, CEO of ProSep looks at the spur to innovation created by a low-price environment and what it means for the global oil and gas industry worldwide.

On May 25, 1961, President Kennedy announced to Congress that America would land a man on the moon and return him to Earth before the end of the decade. Eight years and two months later, Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Apollo Lunar Module and made his famous giant leap for mankind.

The average R&D cycle in space exploration might have slowed since then, but it’s still around three to four years. In contrast, typical R&D cycles in the oil and gas industry are between 15 and 17 years.

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Houston-headquartered ProSep, the oil, gas and water treatment specialist, has been awarded a contract with Pemex to supply its ProBlend™ mixer technology. The six-month project – awarded through ProSep’s in-country agent AGA Process, S.A de C.V – will see the company supply proprietary equipment to blend two crude process streams on-board a platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

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