Process Pilot Testing | SLB

Process Pilot Testing

Optimize and derisk process facility design

Process Optimization

Optimize oil, gas, and water processing and treatment

Our global network of expert engineers, technicians, and process design specialists work with you directly to help meet your goals and avoid processing bottlenecks. They can facilitate process technology selection to ensure efficient separation and treatment to maximize performance and reliability.

Using proprietary technologies at our state-of-the-art facilities, we can help you optimize oil processing, gas processing, and produced water processing.

Global network of processing and separation experts

We provide continuous processing improvement, testing, and design optimization under actual operating conditions; application piloting using source hydrocarbons; and training.

Workers on a sea water treatment module for HESS stampede project

Develop processes and upgrade with a five-stage methodology

Our stage-gate methodology for evaluating and validating process systems and technology comprises five stages: concept, testing, piloting, commissioning, and operation. This process accelerates the transition from idea to process facility while enhancing reliability and consistency of performance. Using the same methodology, we can also work with you to jointly develop customized processing technology.

Cost-effectively test parameters

A wide variety of operational conditions, treatment technologies, and production chemicals can be physically simulated to test parameters using several process simulation loops at our research and technology centers.

  • The hydrocarbon treatment unit facilitates electrostatic technology selection to optimize electrostatic oil dehydration and desalting.
  • The oil/water separation loop simulates induced gas flotation and cyclonic separation process evaluation for deoiling and dewatering.
  • The process simulation and test loop facilitates optimization of two-phase and three-phase gravity separation.
  • The produced water test rig evaluates oil-in-water separation and treatment using our propriety compact flotation unit technology. Effective and efficient compact flotation unit process evaluation is critical to identify processing parameters the first time.
  • Lastly, we evaluate acid gas membrane technology to ensure performance requirements will exceed customer expectations for performance and reliability.

Testing parameters is more cost effective than full-scale experiments or simulations and can identify risks that are best discovered and addressed in a laboratory setting. Parametric testing on conditions such as emulsion viscosity, high-temperature conductivity, and electrostatic susceptibility generates quantitative evidence that a system can succeed when implemented in the field on a full-scale basis.

Identify risks with laboratory services

A range of laboratory services—from analyzing fluid anomalies that impede separation of oil, water, and solids to measuring pH and salinity levels—provides the data that identify risks and increase an operation's success.

Evaluate offshore and subsea technology

Offshore and subsea exploration and production require focusing on and defining the different operating conditions in these demanding environments. Our specialists investigate system resonance, fluid forces, structural integrity, and process influences in diverse sea conditions. Proprietary testing capabilities help identify the technologies that best fit your specific requirements.

Workers in lab
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