MicroSilicon Shares Research Award with ADNOC at ADIPEC 2021
Implementation and Roll-Out of the Quantum RF Asphaltene Analyzer Received the Breakthrough Research Award
ABU DHABI, UAE, Nov 16, 2021 — ADNOC and Microsilicon awarded Breakthrough Research of the year at ADIPEC conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Breakthough Research award celebrates the importance of scientific research and innovation, promoting a better use of energy sources, and encouraging a new generation of researchers to achieve success in their work. It was announced as part of a larger award ceremony affiliated with the ADIPEC 2021 conference. Winners were selected from 709 entries from 54 different countries.
MicroSilicon was launched as a spin-off from Rice University in Houston, Texas with the goal of creating an Internet-of-Things platform for digital flow assurance with particular application to asphaltene deposition. The original project at Rice was funded with significant support from ADNOC with a goal to tailor sensor technology to the unique asphaltene challenges in its Middle Easter reservoirs. Subsequent research by MicroSilicon demonstrated that they could precisely measure the total mass of crude-oil components as they flowed through the system, with excellent match against traditional gravimetric techniques such as SARA. This led to the launch of the Quantum-RF product line with subsequent pilot tests in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the world.
The proprietary components of the Quantum-RF Asphaltene Analyzer streamline the detection and quantification of the asphaltene percentage within well fluids, as well as providing ancillary information important to chemical management such as real-time dielectric and conductivity measurement (e.g. for gas/water/oil ratios and for onboard diagnostics). The system dramatically reduces analysis time compared to traditional gravimetric techniques and for the first time makes it feasible to monitor an entire field in real-time. Multiple operators have indicated that they are seeing cost-saving potential.
ADNOC and MicroSilicon have jointly published a number of papers on the roll-out of the Quantum RF Asphaltene Analyzer, including:
Interpretation Challenges and Solutions for Real-Time Asphaltene Paramagnetic Sensing at the Wellhead
A Chemical IoT System for Flow Assurance - From Single-Well Applications to Field Implementation
Asphaltene Studies in On-Shore Abu Dhabi Fields, Part IV: Development of a Surface Sensor
For more information on the Quantum RF system,
visit www.microsiliconinc.com/QuantumRF.
CEO Omar Kulbrandstad and ADNOC Ali Rahawi were interviewed at ADIPEC shortly upon receiving the award:
ADIPEC Interview.
For more information on ADIPEC Award selection process, visit:
Awards
About MicroSilicon
MicroSilicon is the world's innovation leader for real-time fluid characterization using electromagnetic and
quantum chemical technology at the wellhead and for which they won, or have been nominated for, multiple industry awards, including Rice
Alliance Startup, SPE ATCE Best-in-Show, World Oil (twice) and Texas A&M New Ventures Competition.