石油巨头正在引领可再生能源革命

据美国油价网报道，被疫情影响加速的能源革命正在改变油气行业核心的DNA。  

在最近的一次采访中，英国光纤传感器供应公司Silixa——一家为石油和天然气行业以及其它行业提供光纤数据解决方案的公司——首席执行官格林· 威廉姆斯披露了一些新兴的认识，即石油和天然气行业能够对可再生能源领域作出强有力的贡献。

威廉姆斯说，“许多人和整个国家都依赖于独立油气公司(IOC)及其供应商的繁荣和福祉，但他们仍被不公平地视为气候变化和可再生能源革命的罪魁祸首。 事实上，他们已经全面参与了向可再生能源行业转型的巨大事业。 所以，他们非但不是敌人，反而越来越成为气候变化和可再生能源革命的推动者。

记者：您如何看待疫情大流行后油气市场的现状以及未来的前景?  

威廉姆斯：我们目前看到全球油气勘探活动出现了大幅反弹。 此外，从中期来看，基本面看起来很强劲，到2022年底，全球需求水平将恢复到疫情前的水平。 COVID - 19期间存在严重的投资不足，我认为这将导致在2022年重新增加支出。  

对我们来说，石油和天然气仍将是一个有吸引力的燃料，作为我们在欧佩克中东地区运营的客户，大型海上水域和美国页岩行业的投资水平都将提高，这将为Silixa公司带来更多的机会。 

此外，运营商还需要满足他们的环境、社会和治理（ESG）要求。 我们2021年看到的一个特点是减少了范围1的排放。  

我们最近推出了一种干预系统，与常规技术相比，井中获取数据的时间显著缩短至几个小时。 因此，我们的范围1排放减少了，这是因为我们不需要地面上的发电厂运行几天，而是一次只需要运行几个小时。 如果我们是通过井完整性问题来处理易变的排放问题，那么可以通过识别泄漏源来快速解决问题，使客户能够快速进行他们的调解。

我们还看到数字化的加速发展，例如，无需专家在世界各地飞行，就可以对井旁作业进行监督。 新冠肺炎疫情大流行期间建立的数字技术和解决方案的进步，将为一些快速移动的服务提供商提供一个强大的增长平台。

记者：公众形象在多大程度上反映出独立石油公司及其供应商的实际行动方向?

威廉姆斯：尽管油气公司及其供应商通过使命宣言、标识和公司颜色选择等方式将自己打造成绿色企业，但如果没有表达和强调真正的承诺，那么重新打造绿色品牌可能毫无意义。 

然而，油气公司的品牌越来越多地反映出理念和业务实践的根本变化。 例如，英国石油公司已经重新定位了可再生能源目标和明确的脱碳路线图。 另一个例子是法国道达尔公司，这家法国石油巨头经历了彻底的品牌重塑，成为了道达尔能源公司，突显出该公司是一家广泛的能源供应商，而不仅仅是石油和天然气供应商。

独立石油公司已经在很多方面接受了能源转型，像埃克森美孚公司这样的石油巨头已经确定了多个碳捕获使用(CCU)项目。 一些国家可能在采用能源转型方面进展缓慢，但现在正在加速对话，对碳捕获和储存中心作出非常坚定的承诺。 

2021年，我们注意到主要独立石油公司有了更强的使命感，这反映了他们对股东的压力以及世界范围内正在发生的事情的反应。

记者：脱碳，可再生能源和可转移技能 

威廉姆斯：以前投入油气勘探作业的资金现在进入了可再生能源市场，主要是通过获得许可证和从海上天然气到海上风能的过渡，但主要是在新领域的运营。 一些大公司一直在为能够进入可再生能源市场支付额外费用，我希望这对他们有好处。

在油气行业，如何进入地下是众所周知的：如何钻井，如何确保井的安全，如何监控井运行。 所有这些都可以转化为二氧化碳的捕获和储存。 海上风能部门在这一过程中将能够利用海底供应商的技术实践和能力。 

然而，对于那些提供通用产品的海上供应商来说，这将是一个挑战，因为随着时间的推移，完井数量会越来越少，修井作业也会越来越少。 因此，如果一些通用产品提供商没有任何突出的、被认为是同类中最好的产品，它们就会陷入困境。 

至于Silixa，我们处于有利地位。 现在，我们大约有一半的销售额来自于油气以外的业务。 我们发现，我们的油气解决方案正在被迅速应用于采矿、碳捕获和储存以及地热领域，而我们的投资和行动却很少。 所以我对新领域的发展非常乐观。

记者：Silixa如何适应新能源的常态?  

威廉姆斯：一段时间以来，新能源一直是一项基础广泛的业务。 有些人认为我们是一家石油和天然气服务公司，但我们在此之外还有很多关系，提供非常广泛的服务。 幸运的是，我们拥有一个多学科的团队，他们已经能说新兴领域的语言。

我们有5个业务部门，其中3个部门面向石油和天然气，2个部门分别面向采矿和更广泛的环境基础设施领域。 在这些部门中，我们有一个替代能源团体和一个地球科学团体，以应对世界上正在出现的各种压力，如气候变化和人口增长。

我们对地下领域的了解将是安全和经济地储存二氧化碳和复杂地热系统成功的关键。 多年来，我们对地下领域的了解和技术的应用，使我们的所有业务部门都拥有经验丰富的地球物理学家和地质技术人员。 

一个与我们的碳储存、地热知识和可转移技术相关的例子是Silixa公司的光分布式光导纤维传感技术。 这一技术的独特之处在于，它可以测量我们所说的远场，这使得这种技术能够跟踪系统内和近场流体的运动。 这使我们能够了解系统何时处于最佳状态。

记者：你能举一些这方面转移的具体例子吗?  

威廉姆斯：像人们的可转移技能一样，可转移技术能够迅速而适当地应用。 给我们信心的成功之一就是我们已经在把我们的一些油气流量计量解决方案转移到采矿业中所享受到乐趣的成功，在这种转移中，我们能够帮助我们的客户了解大型网络中的流动和转移，并帮助他们实现避免水和能源使用的ESG目标。  

作为早期大量成功的一个结果，我们正在做一次重大投资来建设一个国际团队，因为我们相信我们久经考验的技术将帮助克服ESG以及在提供铜和镍等贱金属方面面临的技术挑战，这在能源转型过程中至关重要。 所以，我们的技术中有很多非常特别的元素，尤其是我们快速应用成熟技术的能力，以应对能源转型的挑战，而这些技术现在是我们对抗全球气候变暖所迫切需要的。  

李峻 编译自 美国油价网

原文如下：

Big Oil Is Leading The Charge In The Renewable Revolution

The energy revolution, accelerated by the pandemic, is changing the DNA of the oil and gas industry at its core.

In a recent interview Glynn Williams, CEO of Silixa — a company that provides fiber optic-powered data solutions for the oil and gas sector (as well as several others) — reveals something of the emerging recognition that the oil and gas industry can make a strong contribution to the renewables sector:

“Many people and entire states depend on the prosperity and well-being of independent oil and gas companies (IOCs) and their suppliers, but they are still being cast unfairly as the villains of climate change and the renewables revolution. In reality, they have been fully engaged in the huge undertaking of transitioning their businesses and practices toward the renewables sector. So, far from being its enemies, they are increasingly its facilitators.”

What is your view on the current state of the oil and gas market in the wake of a pandemic and what are the prospects for the future?

We are currently seeing a big bounce-back in activity despite continued disruption being foreseen for the remainder of the year. Moreover, in the medium term the fundamentals look strong with pre-pandemic demand levels returning at the end of 2022. There has been significant underinvestment during the COVID period and that will, I feel, lead to a return of increased spending in 2022.

For us, oil and gas will remain an attractive segment in which to operate as our customers in the OPEC Middle East, the big water offshore and the U.S. shale sectors will all make improved levels of investment, which will then lead to further opportunities for Silixa.

Other opportunities will arise out of operators’ need to meet their ESG requirements. A feature we have seen this year has been reducing scope-one emissions.

We have recently launched an intervention system with the time in the well acquiring data significantly reduced to a matter of hours versus conventional techniques. So, our scope-one emissions are reduced because we don’t require generating plants at surface operations for days but only hours at a time. If we are dealing with issues of fugitive emissions through well integrity problems, they can be quickly resolved by identifying the source of the leak, enabling the customer to do their mediation quickly.

What we are also seeing is an acceleration of digitalization allowing, for example, supervision of well-side operations without the need to fly specialists around the world. The advance of digital technology and solutions established during the pandemic will be a strong platform for growth for some of the faster-moving service providers.

How much does public image reflect the actual direction of travel of IOCs and their suppliers?

Although oil & gas companies and their suppliers are branding themselves as green through mission statements, logos and corporate color choices, rebranding can be pointless where it doesn’t express and underline real commitment.

However, oil & gas company branding increasingly reflects fundamental changes in philosophy and business practices. For example, BP has repositioned with solid renewable energy targets and a defined roadmap to decarbonization. Another example is Total, which has undergone a complete rebranding becoming TotalEnergies, highlighting the company as a broad energy supplier rather than just oil and gas.

In many ways IOCs have embraced the energy transition, and companies like ExxonMobil have identified multiple carbon capture usage (CCU) projects. Some may have been slow in adopting energy transition, but are now accelerating the dialogue, making very strong commitments to carbon capture and storage hubs.

This year we have noticed a greater sense of purpose among the major IOCs, reflecting a response to shareholder pressures and what’s happening in the wider world.

Decarbonization, renewables and transferable skills

Investment that was going into exploration work previously is now going into renewables markets, largely by acquiring licenses and the transition from off-shore gas to off-shore wind, but mainly in operating in new areas. Some large companies have been paying premiums to access renewables markets, I hope it works out for them.

How to access the subsurface is very well known in the oil & gas industries: how to drill wells, how to make sure they are secure, how to monitor them. All of that is very transferable into CO2 capture and storage. The offshore wind energy sector will be able to exploit the practices of the technologies and competencies of the subsea providers.

However, it will be challenging for those in the offshore supply sector who are offering generic products because there will be fewer wells completed and progressively less intervention over time. So some of the generic providers will struggle if they don’t have anything that stands out and is considered best-in-class.

As for Silixa, we are well-positioned. Roughly half of our sales are now being generated outside of oil & gas. We are finding that our oil & gas solutions are now being rapidly adopted for use in mining, carbon capture & storage and geothermal sectors with little investment or actuation on our part. So I am very optimistic about what is playing out in new areas.

How does Silixa fit into the new energy normal?

It has been a broadly-based business for some while. Some identify with us as an oil & gas services business, but we have a lot of relationships outside that with a very broad offering. We are fortunate in having a multi-disciplinary team that already speaks the language of the emerging sectors.

We have five business units, three of them facing oil & gas and two of which are facing respectively mining and the broader area of environmental infrastructure. Within those, we have an alternative energy group, and an earth science group addressing the emerging pressures on the world, such as climate change and increasing populations. 

Our knowledge of the subsurface domain will be key to the safe and economic storage of CO2 and success of complex geothermal systems. This understanding of the subsurface domain and application of the technology over many years has resulted in all parts of our business well populated with experienced geophysicists and geotechnical staff.

A case in point relating to our carbon storage and geothermal knowledge and transferable technologies is in the company’s optically distributed fiber optic sensing. This is unique in that the technology can make measurements of what we call the far-field, which enables it to track the movements of fluids within the system and in the near-field. This enables us to understand when the system is in optimum conditions.

Can you give any specific examples of transference in this area?

Transferable technology, like people’s transferable skills, can be applied quickly and appropriately. One of the successes that gives us confidence looking forward is the success we have already enjoyed in transferring some of our oil and gas flow metering solutions to the mining sector where we can help our customers understand flow and movement within large networks and help achieve their ESG objectives avoiding water and energy use.

As a result of considerable early success, we are making a significant investment in building an international team as we believe our proven technologies will assist in overcoming ESG and technical challenges in the provision of base metals such as copper and nickel, which are vital in the energy transition picture. So, there are many elements to our technology that are very special, particularly our ability to quickly apply proven techniques to the challenges of energy transition that are now so urgently needed to combat global warming.