R&D Onshore

In the continuing quest of designing and building modern, cost-effective and sustainable new investments for Saipem’s customers world-wide, the technology innovation in the Saipem business onshore pursues two basic directions:

Development of unique proprietary process technologies and related know-how in selected lines of the oil & gas production and derivatives chain.

Fostering a high level of general technical expertise, by applying most modern third party state-of-the-art technologies to Saipem’s new projects.

In the pursuit of the above objectives, over the last years Saipem can claim several achievements:

Continuing performance improvements to its Snamprogetti^TM urea technology, licensed to date to 116 units world-wide, as well as the ongoing development of integrated ammonia-urea complexes, based on a combination of Haldor Topsøe A/S and Snamprogetti^TM technologies.

This development has led to date to the design and construction of 21 large and efficient complexes, including the world’s largest single train (3,600 t/d) in operation and three largest plants currently in design and construction, based on single trains of 3,850 t/d.

Active R&D programs aim to develop a 5,000 t/d single train concept, to reduce the urea process environmental emissions and to develop and/or apply additional new materials to further reduce the impact of corrosion.

The invention and development of the synthesis routes to oxygenates as chemicals and primarily as octane boosters for gasoline, namely MTBE, ETBE and more recently Iso-Octane, applied to date in 41 licensed plants world-wide.

In cooperation with the Dow Chemical Company, the successful development and demonstration on a semi-commercial scale of ASM, a new Advanced Styrene Monometer synthesis process, which can produce the styrene monomer directly from ethane as well as from ethylene.

The continuing development of advanced pipeline design, construction and welding techniques, in order to improve throughput capacities and reduce design and operating costs.

The consolidation of LNG liquefaction technology design tools to support Saipem’s role as lead EPC contractor, with a special focus on the ongoing GNL3Z project for Sonatrach in Algeria.

The development, together with Eni R&M, of several innovative technologies: ENSOLVEX, to remediate soil and sediments polluted by organics; CO₂ removal from refinery streams via microalgae, which can be later processed to produce a biofuel.

Application development, via exclusive cooperation agreements, of novel technologies for polluted soil and groundwater remediation, as well as for the removal of organic compounds.

The development of a technology to store large quantities of sulphur in the solid phase (on behalf of Eni E&P), as well as the invention of a new proprietary sulphur management approach, which will allow much safer emissions free and more practical sulphur blocks cutting and transportation.