Oil and gas (O&G) technology is a field often ignored in many technological publications.

The majority of tech publications have been focusing on areas such as healthcare and communication.

While much of the attention in the O&G industry has been focused on price fluctuations and the impact on national and world economies, organizations across all sectors are advocating for environmentally friendly energy projects.

This could put the O&G sector at risk if it fails to adapt to the new trends. In this article, I focus on 5 trends and technologies in the O&G industry that you should care about.

1. Capacity to operate in remote environments

In the past, O&G exploration activities used to be based only in areas that were accessible.

However, the trend has currently changed with an increased number of companies venturing to previously inaccessible areas.

This trend has been enabled through the application of innovative methods such as offshore vessels and drilling rigs. These structures come equipped with modern telemedicine facilities which help to ensure an employees’ well-being in cases of emergencies in such remote places.

2. Increasing accessibility of inaccessible fields

Innovative methods of O&G extraction have been on the increase in recent years. For instance, BP has successfully used rock fracturing technology to increase extractions from 40% to 60%. This method is effective in accessing oil trapped in rocks which previously was inaccessible.

3. Capitalizing on fuel efficiency

Oil is extracted in the form of crude oil, which is a high-density hydrocarbon. As such, the product has high potential to pollute the environment. However, new technologies can be used to replace such oil with natural gas for use in the manufacturing systems. Through the use of innovations such as fracking technology, fossil fuel can be converted to natural gas which is less harmful to the environment. Other technologies are advocating for the replacement of petroleum with energy generated from garbage.

4. Digitizing oil fields

Digitizing oil fields has been a concept perceived as an impossibility in the O&G sector. Recently, major organizations have gone digital which has enabled effective information management and sharing. If the O&G industry wants to remain competitive, then it must consider going digital to enhance data tracking, measurement, and management. Digitizing oil fields will enable the O&G industry to detect and identify mechanical hitches the in production systems. Moreover, digitizing oil fields will provide companies the ability to collect and store data in the cloud for further analysis. This data can ultimately be leveraged in real time by operational centers looking to minimize downtime and optimize production. There are numerous technology vendors consulting with the industry towards this end, such as SAS, Cisco, Microsoft, and IBM to name a few. By having oil fields digitized, O&G companies will have an increased capacity to compare data from different product vendors.

5. Reduction in hydrocarbon pollution

With the increased climate change concerns globally, all organizations are under pressure to comply with hydrocarbon minimization. O&G companies can achieve this by focusing on the production of fuels with less hydrocarbon-based fuels. Also, the O&G industry can minimize pollution by minimizing water pollution related to the extraction of these natural resources.

AJen is part of the content and community team at Specialty Fuel Services – providers of emergency fuel continuation services, in locations affected by catastrophic events.

Recently, Swala oil and gas agreed to buy 40 % stake in the Orca exploration subsidiary firm Pan African Energy. But the Tanzania TPDC hold back the planned $ 130 sales until it satisfied with a deal.

Pan African energy was the first gas producer in Tanzania started operated Songo Songo gas field for a decade.

Shell-previously BG drilled two offshore exploration wells but they found no petroleum resources. Shell drilled Kitanga-1 in Block 1 and Bunju-1 in Block 4. They found good geology but encountered  no oil  or gas.

Read:  Why Tanzania Should Turn Natural Gas Into Diesel

Shell and its joint venture partners London-based Ophir energy and Sinagapore-based Pavilion energy, operates block 1 and block 4 offshore Tanzania and has discovered about 17 trillion cubic feet of gas in both blocks.

Meanwhile, the Norway-based firm partnered with Exxon Mobil has found 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas solely in block 2 offshore Tanzania.

Shell, Statoil and their joint venture upstream partner plant to build $30billion Liquefied natural gas plant to cool and export gas to the international market.

On the other hand, Tanzanians onshore upstream filed are divided into three segment include:

• Songo Songo field has been operated by Canada- based orca exploration under its subsidiary Mauritius –based firm Pan African energy started produced gas in 2004.
• Mnazi Bay field started producing gas in 2015 operated by Pertamina-owned Maurel & Prom partnered with Alberta-based Wentworth Resources and the state-owned oil company Tanzaniapetroleum development corporation have a stake in the field.
• Also, Kiliwani North field started in 2016 operated by Uk-independent oil and gas exploration firm, partnered  with Abu Dhabi-based RAK Gas, UK-based Solo Oil, %, Australia-based Bounty and Tanzania oil company TPDC.

Hussein.boffu@tanzaniapetroleum.com

+255655376543

,

Pipeline construction involves multiple steps. Understand the stages help to identify the roles your business can play in the proposed 3.5 billion dollar Uganda-Tanzania pipeline.

Here are the 18 phases of the construction of the East African Crude oil pipeline

1.Construction survey
The first step in the construction of the EACOP project is a civil survey. The survey team will locate facilities such as utility lines, the rights of ways, working spaces and sensitive resources to allow construction activities. Also, survey team might mark the areas for digging trench. This help construction crews to minimize the impact on the surrounding areas as they have a clear picture of the construction activities.

2.Clearing
This phase involves removing all obstacles that can hinder construction process along the pipeline route. It consists cuttings, burning or removal of trees crops vegetations along the construction corridor. Once the area is well cleared, it easy to get construction equipment to the site.Heavy machines such as bulldozers can be used during this activity.

Read.: 7 Opportunities in the Uganda-Tanzania Pipeline Project and How to Participate

3.Grading
The next activity in this construction of EACOP project is grading. This is the leveling of the ground so as to keep safe work and level surface operation for the pipeline construction crew and help heavy machine and huge construction equipment to smoothly operate along the pipeline route. Also since the EACOP passes via various topographies, leveling minimizes excessive pipes bending for example in the areas of steep slopes

4.Top Soil stripping
This activity will include removal of the topsoil from the construction corridor. And this will be done to preserve the original topsoil to its natural state. The topsoil will be protected and replaced once construction is completed.

5.Trenching
The next stage of the EACOP construction process is digging the trench. The top of EACOP to be buried to a minimum of 1.2 meters below the ground surface. During this trenching operation, the crews will use excavators to remove material from the trench

6.Stringing
Once trench operation is finished, the pipe segment will be placed in the dug trench. Trailers can be used to moves pipes from the storage yard to the trench or construction corridor

7.Bending
The EACOP will not go flat land along the route. To fit with topography changes along the pipeline route pipe needs to bend using specialized bent machines so as to fit with land topography

8.Line Up
In this stages of EACOP construction procedures, pipes will be line up one another in the construction corridor

9.Welding
The different sections of the steel pipes will be joined up to form a continuous length. Each joint will be expertly welded to prevent leakage. The proposed EACOP will undergo root bead welding and fill and cap welding

10. X-ray and welded Repair
Once the segment of the pipe is welded the welds will be checked to the x-rays and ultrasonic equipment. This is done to increase the integrity of the pipes. So it ensures welds are safe, secured and would not break. Qualified welders take x-rays of the pipe welds and once they identify any flaws the weld is repaired is cut out and they will make new welds

11.Weld coating
Once the welding is completed and tested, the next step is coating
In this stage, the surface of pipes will be coated so as t minimize and control corrosion risk of the pipes. Welds will be coated prior to being placed to the right of way where all construction activities occur. Before coating crew will make sure the pipes are clean by removing debris and all kinds of dirt that might interact with coatings

12.Coating Inspection
To ensure the surface of pipes are free from defects such as scratches, workers will use high voltage tools specialized equipment to detect any defect before the pipeline is get into the ground

14.Lowering-in
Is the process of getting pipe into the ground.
In this step, the welded pipe will be placed down in the trench. The specialized tracked construction equipment will lift the pipe and lower into the trench. During this phase, precaution is taken to ensure they no damage occurs to coating when they lower pipeline into the trench.

15.As-Built survey.
This survey performed over the course of the pipeline construction to record all changes happen as pipeline construction is in progress. This provides important information to know the level of completion the project reached. This helps to make any changes to ensure they meet construction schedule.

16.Pad and backfill
This activity will involve place back the excavated subsoil into the trench. You fill back the material back into the trench or hole you previously dug.This involves refilling the trench to cover pipeline with both top and subsoil. Topsoil removed during topsoil stripping phase and subsoil removed during trench digging will be placed back to cover the pipeline

17.As built survey
Again, survey team carried out the as-built survey is carried out after completion of the pipeline construction to identify whether the job is done well. Survey team record information what was actually constructed.

18. Clean up and remediation
The final stage of EACOP construction is clean up and remediation. This activity is done to turn the construction site as close to its original pre construction condition. Example of activity taking place at this stage is the removal of construction materials, remove from large rocks, perform final grading etc

+255655376543/+255678183677

Hussein.Boffu@tanzaniapetroleum.com

If you are skeptical, technology has made it possible to convert natural gas and coal into high-quality liquid transportation fuel such as diesel, kerosene, lubricants oil and jet fuel just to mention a few. This technology is known as Gas-To-Liquid (GTL).

Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) has been around for years. It enacted in the 1920s by the German scientists named Franz Fischer and Hans Trapsch when they had figure out the best way to convert coal into oil materials like diesel and kerosene.

The technology become the most important source of energy in German that provides fuel to keep transportation going in the country.

Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) worked dramatically not only with coal and natural gas, applying heat and pressure and convert natural gas into oil products such as diesel, engine oil and so on.

With no oil but huge quantities of natural gas assets, it is a reasonable option for Tanzania to give the gas-to-liquid technology a chance.

Tanzania does not produce oil, is a net importer of the oil-related product such as diesel, lubricant oil.

With huge gas reserves in the country (about 57 trillion cubic feet of gas gross recovered). Transforming natural gas into transportation fuel is the best way to sustain our oil-reliant way of life.

The gas-to-liquid process will help Tanzania to become self-sufficient and reduce or stop relying on importing the transportation fuel from the foreign country.

And use our natural gas rather than buying the fuel from other countries.

It will help Tanzanians, consumers, to buy cheap fuel at the pump.

Another reason to encourage the use of the gas-to-liquid process is the liquid fuels derived from the technology has fewer impurities such as sulfur and Nitrogen, than fuel made from crude oil. Because it derived from the cleanest fossil fuel-natural gas.

Tanzania should look up to South Africa.
Tanzania has to learn from South Africa and follow in its footsteps.

When state-owned south Africa coal, oil, and gas corp(ltd) created in the 1950s, South Africa had little oil, but great volume of coal. To come out ahead, they converted coal into liquid fuels that power cars. aircraft, and tankers.

Five years later, It was pumped the first coal derived from oil. Today, South Africa supply 29% of the country transportation fuel.

Also Read.    Tanzania’s Thirst For Gas

Many Multinational Oil Companies Are Looking At The Gas -To -Liquid Technology.

The gas-to- liquid process increases popularity day by the day. Many companies such as Exxon Mobil, BP, Conoco and Royal Dutch Shell Plc have examined the technology for quite some time. And they built gas-to-liquid plants in several regions.

In 2014, Shell signed an agreement to carry out a feasibility study for the gas-to-liquid plant in Mozambique.
And now Shell is constructing $19 gas-to-liquid plant in Qatar.

How The Gas-To-Liquid Technology Work.

Natural gas is extracted from the ground, afterward, they add oxygen to the extracted natural gas.
This form combination of hydrogen monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.
With the presence of catalyst often cobalt, it subjected to high pressure and temperature.

Cobalt is used as a catalyst to speed up the reaction.
This led to the production of wax. To turn into usable form wax processed at the refinery where heat and pressure is used to split the hydrocarbon into various oil-related products,

By Hussein Boffu

Hussein.boffu@tanzaniapetroleum.com

+255655376543

The best opportunity is the one that its time has come, the statement hold truth as the construction of the East African crude oil pipeline (EACOP) scheduled to start up this soon.
If you are service or equipment provider, you should watch EACOP project closely.

The fact is, many local companies are young and small, they may not have the capacity to execute high tech projects such as pipeline design, pipeline coating or even pipeline construction.
In most cases, many local services providers will come as subcontractors. So if plan to work as subcontractors and you unsure how to get started, I hope these guidelines will help you to get the foot in the door.

Here is the approach to get the subcontractor job in the EACOP project.

1.Identify Your business activity areas
The first step in getting a contract to provides goods or services in the Uganda- Tanzania crude oil pipeline project is figure out the kind of business activity areas you have competence and capacity to perform well.

The proposed pipeline offers thousands of business opportunities. To come out ahead you should decide a particular business area you want to venture into.

You can’t ask or bid for a very contract. You should identify a job you can do at the time. So resolve to be a jack of all trade at a time.
What do I mean? Well, let me start with these examples
• Let say you are a medical doctor or someone you are in the health sector.
So you can provide medical services. This is because injuries and illness need serious medical care during a pipeline construction.
The demand for medical services in the project is huge because each construction crew must have medical staff and ambulance.

Now is where you come in and provide health and medical services in the project because that is the business activity area you can do well at a professional standard
•
Now, let imagine you are some engaging with transportation sector. So since during pipeline construction heavy machines, pipes will come to the port of Tanga and Dar es Salaam. After arriving at the port material will be moved to the storage yard and construction site, Also there will be high traffic with people so opportunities to transport personnel also arise.

Read:  7 Opportunities in the Uganda-Tanzania Pipeline Project and How to Participate

Again, suppose you are in the construction sector. You can also sell building materials. Since new access roads to be constructed and existing ones to be extracted, so if construction is your area of competence you can eye for such business activity in the proposed pipeline project

Let say you have proven competence and capability in Information Technology or Information system, so in the proposed East Africa Crude Oil pipeline you can function best in the installation of fiber cable, high-speed internet.
•
If you can do bank and insurance jobs well you have opportunities to providing auditing services and life insurance services
• If you in petroleum product marketing you can fit in the supply of diesel, gasoline, lubricants and engine oil etc.

Read also   New Opportunities In The East African Crude Oil Pipeline(EACOP)

7 Opportunities in the Uganda-Tanzania Pipeline Project and How to Participate

2. Scout for bid in EACOP project
Once you determine a business activity, scouts and bid for jobs in activity area where you have demonstrated capability and capacity to perform well.

So look for the company that will win the pipeline construction and approaches them to register you as supplier or service providers in their supplier database.

This will help you to receive the request for the proposal (RFP) that will result in getting the job to provide goods and services.

Because engineering procurement construction (EPC) contractor will need subcontractor companies to help them in implementing the construction of the pipeline.

One of the services you can offer to the pipeline construction contractor is the manpower supplies based on their needs. For example, you can supply them with welders, pipe fitters, also you can offer them equipment used I construction work etc.

Dear reader  I would love to hear your thought on  How To Work As A Subcontractor In The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Project    . Let me know your thought by leaving your comment below.

Hussein.boffu@tanzaniapetroleum.com

+255655376543/+255678183677