There is a continued challenge within the oil and gas sector to find and produce energy to meet global energy demands, whilst facing the challenges of easy oil decline and difficult to explore resources in areas of limited accessibility. The top three drivers of research are improving operational efficiency, improving safety and reducing costs. These must also take into consideration tighter environmental and safety standards.

Some key areas of research include subsurface imaging; hydrocarbon production and reusing produced water; carbon capture and sequestration; well injection; water management; implications of nanotechnology; subsea production and development of remote technology for deepwater facilities. R&D claims have been made for activities undertaken during the exploration, appraisal, development (including front end engineering design (FEED)) and production phases of a project.

Below are some eligible R&D activities in the oil and gas industry.

Examples of Eligible R&D activities:

• Developing technologies to optimise wellbore position;
• Advancing extraction techniques e.g. fracturing technology;
• Extending the operation of mature oil fields and aging reservoirs through development of new technology;
• Developing new or improved detection method to identify and / or prevent cracking or corrosion oil pipelines;
• Extending processing techniques e.g. for lighter oils;
• Developing new technologies to increase production yield and throughput of midstream and downstream processing plants;
• Undertaking and interpreting geotechnical studies on a prospective site in challenging environmental location to enable design, development and construction of a new plant;
• Developing tools for modelling and simulation of different fields in varying conditions over life;
• Real-time troubleshooting and diagnosis offshore and remote environments;
• Developing technology for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) coupled with better imaging technologies to allow information on what’s going on near the seafloor to be seen by operators at the surface;
• Developing software to improve interpretation and performance of reservoirs at exploratory and development stages.

Braithwaite Technology Consultants Inc. can assist you in obtaining tax credits for scientific research and experimental development activities. Whether your work involves basic research, applied research, or experimental development, Braithwaite can take the uncertainty out of the filing process and get you the credit you deserve for your innovation.

For a detailed evaluation of the oil and gas industry, please contact the professionals at Braithwaite.