Insulation materials from WACKER CERAMICS open up new potentials in oil production

12-May-2003

Microporous insulation materials from WACKER ceramics have already established a strong presence in growth markets via diverse application fields ranging from auto manufacturing to construction. An entirely new usage showcases how these materials can make it feasible to exploit previously uneconomic oil reserves.

Cold seabed temperatures are a major obstacle to deep-sea oil drilling, because, over vast transport distances, conventional pipes allow the oil's temperature to drop too far, which increases its viscosity. This highly viscous oil can only be pumped with enormous cost and effort, thus making such oil production economically unfeasible.

Thanks to an innovative insulation material from WACKER CERAMICS, these technical and economic hurdles can now be overcome. The solution involves pipe-in-pipe technology in which the cavities of double-walled pipes are filled with nanoporous silica. WACKER CERAMICS teamed up with a supplier to Mobil Oil to successfully demonstrate the feasibility of extracting oil from the Gulf of Mexico's Nakika field at a depth of 2,300 meters (7,500 feet).

Nanoporous silica is an exceptionally efficient thermal insulator, with performance far superior to conventional insulation materials. Primarily responsible for its amazing insulation properties are the nano-size spherical particles, which only contact each other via spot bonds.

This application clearly shows that innovative insulation materials not only contribute to energy savings, but also make available previously unexploited energy sources. Current estimates peg global oil demand at 3.4 billion tons annually, suppliable from 140 billion tons of proven reserves extractable via conventional technology. An additional 100 billion tons of oil are believed to exist in arctic land masses or deep sea regions. Only by employing new technologies can we secure the additional oil supplies required to meet our future needs.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/22827/insulation-materials-from-wacker-ceramics-open-up-new-potentials-in-oil-production.html