Oceanit is attending the 49th annual Pipeline Simulation Interest Group (PSIG) 2018 Conference in Deer Valley, UT.   Oceanit Director of Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Vinod Veedu is in attendance to discuss all subjects related to fluid pipeline systems with the world’s leading experts. The Conference is held May 16-18 and highlights the latest in pipeline simulation technology.

PSIG was formed in 1969 with a mission to facilitate the exchange of information and advance the state of the art in pipeline modeling, simulation, and optimization. The three-day conference is attended by over 170 professionals representing major gas companies, oil companies, specialized consultants, and universities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

At the 2018 conference, presentations will be held on topics such as, ‘A Comprehensive Model for Predicting Efficiency of Drag-Reducing-Agents (DRA) in Liquid Pipelines’ and ‘Real-Time Sand Deposition Prediction in Multiphase Flow,’ two issues that DragX can directly address.

‘A Comprehensive Model for Predicting Efficiency of DRA in Liquid Pipelines’ was presented by Wei Zeng and introduced a mathematical model for predicting the efficiency of DRAs.  His model correlates drag reduction as a function of pipe diameter, fluid viscosity, DRA type & concentration, and Reynolds number. The presentation showed approaches for processing field test data and developing a comprehensive model. Results of the model predictions vs. the actual data was also provided.

You can visit the PSIG Conference blog to read more about the daily presentations.

Oceanit attended the 50th annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, TX. The conference, which ran from April 30-May 3, was held at the NRG Park in Houston and was attended by Oceanit’s CEO & Founder Dr. Patrick Sullivan along with Dr. Vinod Veedu and Dr. Jacob Pollock who presented on several Oceanit technologies.

Energy professionals meet at the OTC event each year to exchange ideas and knowledge on the scientific advancements and technical breakthroughs in offshore resources and environmental matters. Over 60,000 professionals from the energy and technology sectors attended the 2018 OTC. In recent years, Oceanit has developed applications for our breakthrough technologies in artificial intelligence, smart materials, and nanotechnology coatings within the energy sector – technologies that can make current resource recovery and energy production safer, cleaner, smarter, and far more efficient.

At OTC 2018, Dr. Pollock presented posters with Oceanit’s partners at Shell International E&P on ‘Acoustically Responsive Cement for Enhanced Well Integrity’ and ‘In-Field Applicable Coatings for Corrosion and Biofouling Control in Marine Environments.’ Dr. Sullivan participated in a panel session on Disruptive Innovation and Agile Technology Maturation. In addition, Dr. Pollock hosted a keynote presentation on Oceanit’s artificial intelligence development titled, ‘Machine Learning for Improved Directional Drilling.’

Oceanit’s ‘acoustically-responsive smart well cement’ was created to make offshore oil recovery safer than it has been in the past while reducing the risk of leaks. The bond between pipe and cement is crucial to the safety of offshore recovery, but often the acoustic tools used to measure uniformity of the cement filler cannot always provide a complete picture because of cement composition. Oceanit engineered a particulate filler that acts as an ‘acoustic band gap filter and contrast agent’ at specific frequencies, which makes acoustic logging far more accurate. This, in turn, ensures pipe safety can be measured and informs repair action or eliminates unnecessary action. Shell presented alongside Oceanit to demonstrate how this solution is being utilized in-field.

Corrosion and biofouling control is an important consideration for offshore resource structures. Corrosion rates for steel can easily exceed 10 mils per year when exposed to seawater and brine air if left unprotected. Meanwhile, barnacles and other bio-growth which attach in tidal zones can similarly induce heavy, accelerated microbiological pitting corrosion. These factors lead to constant maintenance of critical assets and often proves a logistical nightmare with the limited accessibility, remote locations, and the huge expense of any service interruptions. At the OTC, Oceanit demonstrated how our nanocomposite surface treatments can provide corrosion prevention and fouling-repelling properties to metal infrastructure while also being hydro- and oleophobic.

Dr. Pollock held a keynote presentation on ‘Machine Learning for Improved Directional Drilling,’ in which he described Oceanit’s development of an artificial intelligence system which ingests historical and simulation data to make slide drilling more efficient. The neural network that Oceanit has developed could replicate the decisions of expert directional drillers. Reinforcement learning was successfully used to improve the AI’s performance, particularly for conditions not previously considered. Since Oceanit’s AI algorithm has demonstrated competence in historical and simulated scenarios, it will be further tested as a real-time advisory system for control of directional drilling operations, making them safer and more efficient.

Oceanit was happy to share our ‘Mind to Market’ approach to disruptive innovation with the attendees of OTC 2018. We are excited to continue working to evolve our technologies with the energy sector to improve how we produce energy for the planet.