Technology for Now and the Future
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Shell TechXplorer Shell Digest - 2020 2020 TECHNOLOGY FOR NOW AND THE FUTURE Unmanned aerial systems bring business value Testing lubricants for heavy-duty biodiesel engines Advanced battery storage for a low-carbon future INTRODUCTION EXECUTIVE EDITORS Welcome to Shell TechXplorer Digest, a publication Evren Unsal and Gregory Greenwell that showcases the breadth and depth of scientifi c research and technology applications within Shell by presenting a selection of articles originally published BOARD OF ADVISORS in Shell TechXplorer. Selda Gunsel (TechXplorer Champion) Shell TechXplorer was created to report advances in the development and deployment of key technologies Mariela Araujo to as many interested people as possible within Shell. Commercial delivery subsurface Most of the articles are written by the Shell scientists, engineers and technicians who have worked on Jack Emmen these technologies. Technology for capital projects Shell TechXplorer is a strictly internal-only magazine, Caroline Hern however. Shell TechXplorer Digest, in contrast, provides Geoscience a medium through which the authors can communicate their achievements to a wider readership. Robert Mainwaring Downstream products Editorial services RSK Group Ltd, UK Ajay Mehta New Energies Editorial email address [email protected] Joe Powell Chemical engineering Design and layout MCW, Rotterdam Bhaskar Ramachandran Michael de Jong Integrated gas – engineering projects Anneke van der Heijden Downstream manufacturing Frans van der Vlugt Reservoir engineering About the colour coding The articles in this publication are grouped according to whether they contribute most to Shellʼs Core Upstream, Leading Transition or Emerging Power strategic themes. Core Upstream DEEP WATER SHALES CONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS Leading Transition INTEGRATED GAS OIL PRODUCTS CHEMICALS Cover image Shell’s diverse businesses have a portfolio of technologies Emerging Power across all stages of maturity, from basic research and development to commercial deployment. ELECTRIFICATION 2 Shell TechXplorer Digest | 2020 https://doi.org/10.52196/208316 Foreword INTRODUCTION EXECUTIVE EDITORS Welcome to Shell TechXplorer Digest, a publication Evren Unsal and Gregory Greenwell that showcases the breadth and depth of scientifi c research and technology applications within Shell by presenting a selection of articles originally published BOARD OF ADVISORS in Shell TechXplorer. Selda Gunsel (TechXplorer Champion) Shell TechXplorer was created to report advances in the development and deployment of key technologies Mariela Araujo to as many interested people as possible within Shell. Commercial delivery subsurface Most of the articles are written by the Shell scientists, engineers and technicians who have worked on Jack Emmen these technologies. Technology for capital projects Shell TechXplorer is a strictly internal-only magazine, Caroline Hern however. Shell TechXplorer Digest, in contrast, provides Geoscience Have you wondered what a medium through which the authors can communicate Shell has been up to lately their achievements to a wider readership. Robert Mainwaring Downstream products in the realm of technology? Editorial services RSK Group Ltd, UK Ajay Mehta New Energies Well, this publication will give you a glimpse of the answer. It contains a selection of technical Editorial email address articles written by specialists for nonspecialists, who often make the connections that spread [email protected] Joe Powell know-how within Shell. Yet, you will notice some non-Shell authors. This reflects how Chemical engineering accelerating the development and deployment of technology requires close collaboration Design and layout with outside parties – now more than ever. MCW, Rotterdam Bhaskar Ramachandran Michael de Jong Integrated gas – engineering projects Technical advances such as those that shorten a drilling rig’s idle time (p. 11) will continue as Anneke van der Heijden long as oil and gas are produced from wells. But other advances may soon make it possible for Downstream manufacturing offshore platforms to inject carbon dioxide into depleted reservoirs or to get their power from the electrical grid (p. 16), both of which could help to lower the emissions of upstream Frans van der Vlugt activities. The carbon footprints of downstream facilities can likewise be shrunk by using electric Reservoir engineering motors to drive compressors (p. 54); electric boilers to generate process steam (p. 65); and electric batteries to hold energy in reserve (p. 38). Self-cleaning filtration systems (p. 59) About the colour coding not only decrease the operating costs and emissions of facilities but also increase their uptime. The articles in this publication are grouped according to whether they contribute most to For motorists, we have formulated lubricants specifically for biodiesel engines (p. 39). And for Shellʼs Core Upstream, Leading Transition households and workplaces, we have been orchestrating complex ensembles of equipment that or Emerging Power strategic themes. variously generate, store, use and regulate heat and electricity (p. 81) (p. 69) (p. 73). With an eye to the more distant future, we have been looking at ways of extracting carbon dioxide from industrial flue gases and liquefying it for shipping to underground disposal sites (p. 44). At the same time, we have been developing ways to make a pair of tradable commodities – hydrogen and carbon – without any carbon dioxide emissions at all (p. 6)! Of course, digital technology can make virtually anything better: robots that tirelessly inspect equipment and assets (p. 22); cloud computing that constantly keeps track of flanged-pipe Core Upstream connections (p. 49); and image analysis that reveals exactly what is happening to fluids in the tortuous flow paths of rocks and catalysts (p. 28). DEEP WATER SHALES When the COVID pandemic wanes enough to make it safe for visitors to come to Shell CONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS premises again, I hope that they will pick up a copy of Shell TechXplorer Digest, just like you have. After all, it provides compelling examples of how Shell and its technology development Leading Transition partners are building on their collective strength to answer the calls for action on climate change even while providing more of the cleaner energy that the world needs. INTEGRATED GAS OIL PRODUCTS CHEMICALS Chad Holliday Cover image Chair of the Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc Shell’s diverse businesses have a portfolio of technologies Emerging Power across all stages of maturity, from basic research and development to commercial deployment. The graphic flags the starting page of a referenced article. If you are reading the foreword on screen, you can just click on the ELECTRIFICATION graphic to go there. 2 Shell TechXplorer Digest | 2020 Shell TechXplorer Digest | 2020 3 CONTENTS 3 FOREWORD REGULAR FEATURES 6 PATENTLY SPEAKING Old ideas for a new way to make hydrogen: It’s elementary A process for producing hydrogen and carbon products through the pyrolysis of methane using a molten-salt-based catalyst system shows great promise. 49 adVENTURE How to avoid all torque and no action Cumulus Digital Systems has taken the Shell TechWorks invented Smart Torque System for reliably making up flanged pipe connections to market. 85 XTERNAL CONNECT Shijin Shuai, professor in the School of Vehicle and Mobility at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, is impressed by the professionalism of the Shell staff at the Shell–Tsinghua University Joint Research Centre for Clean Mobility. 11 Drilling through faults: A detailed look at fault-related losses CORE Data from a drilling campaign in Malaysia reveal that mud loss severity is linked to the UPSTREAM downhole mud weight exceeding the reactivation pressure of the faults penetrated. 16 How Upstream can play a role in the energy transition In the Netherlands, Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij has begun projects for reducing emissions and investigating new lines of business involving carbon dioxide. 22 Up in the air: Getting value from unmanned aerial systems Unmanned aerial systems represent a robust asset inspection and aerial surveillance solution, but machine vision and advanced analytics will unlock their full value. 28 What happens in porous media during oil-phase emulsification? Shell scientists are making the most of advancing imaging technology to reveal what happens in a 3D porous medium during emulsification. 4 Shell TechXplorer Digest | 2020 34 Helping liquefied natural gas plants to cut their LEADING carbon footprints TRAN- Replacing the conventional spinning reserve of part-load gas turbine power generation SITION with a battery energy storage system is a valuable abatement opportunity. 39 Testing engine lubricants for heavy-duty biodiesel applications Oxidation, bearing and engine tests demonstrate that Shell Rimula R4 X exceeds the minimum performance requirements for engines running on high biocontent biodiesel fuels. 44 Building an open network for CO2 transport and storage Maritime transport is emerging as an essential link in the decarbonisation chain by moving liquid carbon dioxide from the source to a safe storage location. 54 Compressor drive electrification: A carbon dioxide abatement option The replacement of a steam turbine driving a compressor with a high-speed electric motor will give the Moerdijk chemical plant in the Netherlands significant annual carbon dioxide emission savings. 59 One solution for many challenges: Self-cleaning filtration Self-cleaning filtration