The Arctic is a harsh place. Sub-freezing temperatures, ice, and remoteness are just some of the factors that make it a very difficult location for oil and gas exploration and production. But even with these challenges, there is still a continuing push to develop projects in the arctic, as well as other unconventional locations like deepwater and ultra-deepwater environments. These environments have the potential to yield valuable untapped resources, but steep technical hurdles must first be overcome.
EWI’s latest eBook, The New Frontier of Oil & Gas Production – Ensuring Reliable Infrastructure, takes a look at some difficulties fabricators and producers face when developing structures for new and undeveloped environments. It highlights the importance of materials engineering, structural integrity, arc welding, and procedure qualification and testing for ensuring the reliability and safety of new infrastructure.