Platform Free Oil and Gas 

Artist interpretation of sea-bed oil and gas operations. Image courtesy CSIRO Petroleum Resources

Two Perth based scientists are working to bring together a team capable of developing radical technologies to extract offshore oil and gas without the use of a traditional production platform.

As part of the Wealth from Oceans Flagship Blue GDP theme, scientists Dr Mayela Rivero and Dr Edson Nakagawa of CSIRO Petroleum Resources have begun work to explore these new sea-bed based technologies, which they hope will deliver transformational benefits to Australia’s oil and gas industry.

“If the processing of the hydrocarbons and other associated fluids could be made totally subsea and down-hole, then platforms and surface facilities could become structures of the past,” says Dr Nakagawa.

With the cost of the platforms currently absorbing about a third of production costs over the life of a field, it is expected that the availability of this sea-bed technology would bring around 50 to 75 percent reductions in capital investment for the development of an offshore gas field.

While it may sound almost impossible to locate so much large and complex infrastructure on the seabed or down hole, Dr Nakagawa says it’s more a case of innovative and reliable miniaturisation. He adds that far from going out on a limb, CSIRO is one of a number of organisations working on this concept. An audit is now being made by Dr Rivero of current developments and available technologies. 

The successful innovation and implementation of this subsurface processing technology would revolutionise the oil and gas industry. This has the potential to impact radically the energy scenario in Australia, accelerating opportunities for industries and ultimately reducing the price of these precious resources to consumers.  

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The Wealth from Oceans Flagship is a CSIRO initiative and part of the National Research Flagships program that aims to deliver scientific solutions to advance Australia's most important national objectives. One of the largest scientific initiatives ever mounted in Australia, it aligns closely with the Federal Government's National Research Priorities. The initiative brings together our national research resources to deliver breakthroughs in fields ranging from healthcare to light metals and the environment.