New facility expected to foster innovation, nurture business growth and promote greater collaboration with customers in the North Sea and beyond.
Solvay announces the opening of a new, advanced microbiology lab in Oldbury, U.K. to address the energy sector’s needs to expedite the analysis of problematic microbes in determining their impact on biofouling and corrosion.
Microbial contamination in underwater pipelines, topside equipment and oil reservoirs can cause the unintentional deterioration of metal and generation of toxic gases, which can impact every component at every stage in the life of an oil and gas field.
The lab will largely support Solvay’s premiere line of TOLCIDE® biocides, which for more than 40 years has provided fast-acting and powerful microbial control in applications for pipelines, drilling muds, completion fluids, well remediation, fracturing, water-floods, and industrial water treatment. Solvay offers numerous TOLCIDE® formulations, including ones specifically geared toward use in the North Sea’s challenging conditions.
“Solvay’s new microbiology lab will support local customers in the North Sea and beyond by providing immediate answers to their technical questions,” explained Renato De Paula, Business Development Manager and Lead Technical Advisor for Biocides. “It's not easy to transport samples containing microorganisms overseas for testing, so having this lab in the region will provide customers with the confidence that we can get the analysis done quickly.”
Representatives from Rawwater, a leader in oilfield reservoir souring forecasting and simulation, and problematic microbiology, attended the launch, and noted the importance of the facility as a strategic investment in the U.K.
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Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 21,000 employees in 63 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet roadmap crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering a better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of €10.1 billion in 2021. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels and Paris (SOLB). Learn more at www.solvay.com.