An important step in new technology development
Field-testing programs can serve several purposes depending on the clients’ needs:
- Submission of data to regulatory bodies for review / approval
- Bridging knowledge gap from lab-based programs
- Validation of results from scaled-down or physical modeling programs and experiments
- Value assessment of new technologies offered by vendors
- De-risking process changes
- “Proof of concept” to secure additional funding
The “complete picture” advantage
Coanda has a long running experience of providing field services for development, testing, validation, and implementation of new technologies and changes to the process flowsheet. Our clients greatly benefit from the “complete picture” that Coanda can provide by corroborating field data with results and observations from lab-based programs (where applicable).
Over the last 25 years we have supported several energy industry clients in executing 24/7 and multi-week field-testing campaigns. These projects typically begin with Coanda assisting clients in outlining a design basis and/or technical operating envelope for the field experiments.
This can involve scaling up previous laboratory experiments or scaling down commercial setups as necessary while ensuring applicability of the results to the commercial endgoal.
These efforts are often carried out in close consultation with client’s production and process engineering teams to minimize disturbance to plant operations and maximize data quality and applicability. We also work closely with our clients planning field logistics and preparing the required safety plans for approval from permit offices.
Turn-key fieldwork support
A Coanda fieldwork support team typically comprises of:
- a research scientist
- one or more research engineer(s)
- one or more technologist(s)
The research scientist maintains close communication with clients’ technology development (or R&D), production and process engineering teams, and provides daily update on the results and recommendations for a path forward.
Field-collected samples can be sent for further analysis to one of Coanda’s laboratories or third-party facilities as needed. The project typically concludes with a Coanda-prepared technical report or presentation as per the client’s requirements.
Notable projects:
- In-line dilution of a non-Newtonian slurry with varying feed properties (24/7 testing)
- Commissioning and start-up of a commercial scale tailing treatment project (24/7 testing)
- Several tailings flocculation and polymer mixing testing projects
- Pilot scale testing and data collection for regulatory approval of a novel tailing treatment technology (24/7 testing)
- Bitumen froth treatment projects
- Monitoring and optimization of flocculation performance using advanced PVM and FBRM instruments