Tracerco to Deliver its Leading Technology on the Belbazem Offshore Block

Posted on 14 July 2022

World leading advanced nucleonic instrumentation technology provider - Tracerco, part of Johnson Matthey Plc - has been awarded a contract by a major EPC contractor to the onshore and offshore oil and gas industry to supply its innovative technology designed to make insight-driven data decisions. 

Awarded by the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) who also manage the full-field development, the contract will see Tracerco deliver its Profiler™ instrumentation to the Belbazem offshore block. 

Located approximately 120km north-west of Abu Dhabi, UAE, the Belbazem offshore block comprises three marginal offshore fields, Belbazem, Umm Al Salsal, and Umm Al Dholou. Expected to yield its first production in 2023 the offshore facilities will have a combined production capacity of 45,000 barrels per day of oil and 27 MMcf per day of associated gas. 

Tracerco’s Profiler™ is set to be installed by September this year into the slug catcher vessel, which provides a buffer volume to accommodate the intermittent high liquid flow in the form of a slug. Slug catchers, separators and storage vessels help to protect valuable production equipment from major bursts of liquid entering the gas stream.  

The Profiler™ will be custom designed to meet the requirements of the slug catcher and will measure the vertical distribution of multiple interfaces in real time and at high resolution. The slug catcher performs a very crude gas liquid separation and the liquids in the vessel can then be slowly drained to the downstream processing facilities at their designed flowrate to prevent overloading the plant. 

Designed to measure the interface distribution of materials in multiphase separation or storage vessels, Tracerco’s unique Profiler™ technology will be deployed into the slug catcher vessel on the offshore block, which is located between the outlet of the pipeline and the processing equipment. The instrument solution provides a window into the vessel, allowing operators to accurately measure and control the distribution of fluid. This low maintenance instrument can be used to prevent unplanned shutdowns, reduce chemical additive costs, optimise processes in real time, increase throughput and improve environmental compliance. 

Speaking about the contract award, Graham Barker, Product and Service Delivery Manager at Tracerco said: “We are delighted to have secured this contract for our leading technology that will be absolutely integral to ensuring the slug catcher at the Belbazem project continues to operate at its optimum performance, with data driven insight allowing it to do so.  

“This supply follows a long history of similar projects supplied to the region including Satah al-Razboot, Umm Lulu and Al-Nasr – this additional contract win for our innovative and low maintenance Profiler™ technology is further testament to its proven capabilities to increase production throughout, improve purity management and optimise acid recirculation.” 

Tracerco is a global oil and gas service company with over 60 years’ experience. With offices located across the world, the company is well recognised for delivering innovative technologies enabling its customers make informed decisions.   

Notes to Editors

Tracerco, part of Johnson Matthey plc, is a global oil and gas service company with over 60 years’ experience. With approximately 400 people in offices located across six continents, Tracerco is a global leader with local values. Tracerco provides companies all over the world with the insights they need to make informed decisions about their operations. Using innovative technology, it measures the unmeasurable, accesses the inaccessible and helps solve the impossible. Its expertise allows customers to operate more productively, effectively and safely. For further information about Tracerco visit: www.tracerco.com  

About Johnson Matthey 

Johnson Matthey is a global leader in sustainable technologies that enable a cleaner and healthier world. With over 200 years of sustained commitment to innovation and technological breakthroughs, we improve the performance, function and safety of our customers’ products. Our science has a global impact in areas such as low emission transport, pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and making the most efficient use of the planet’s natural resources. Today about 15,000 Johnson Matthey professionals collaborate with our network of customers and partners to make a real difference to the world around us. For more information, visit www.matthey.com 

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