Caltec Wins Another Prestigious Award

February 2005

A jet pump solution which harnesses waste energy to increase gas production has scooped top prize at EEEGR's second annual Innovation Awards.

Caltec's Wellcom Energy Recovery System increased production from BP's Inde platform and satellite wells owned by Shell by enough to supply the energy needs for millions of people. And it repaid its £2 million installation costs in just seven days. The system, which has achieved similar results on other installations, is now being rolled out around the world but its performance so far was enough to win the trophy this year. The jet pump solution beat off strong competition to win the prestigious award. John Balch, chairman of the judges, said Bedfordshire-based Caltec's entry was "an impressive use of energy that is otherwise wasted to create enhanced production and a real economic benefit".

EEEGR chief executive John Best said the event at Norwich's Hilton Hotel had been a tremendous success. He said,

"I'm delighted with today's winner because part of its role is to develop brown-field sites and it's important that we can help by bringing that to the fore".

Caltec managing director David Turley was delighted to take top prize. He said,

"In today's era of ageing and marginal oil and gas fields, where everything was driven by economics, there is a great need for cost-effective technologies capable of boosting production"

"We need to find these solutions otherwise we'll end up like the coal mines - shut down before their time and the remaining reserves left in the ground, which will have a big economic cost around the globe"

"Our jet pump not only results in a significant increase in production, it increases total recovery by extending the life of the wells and it's low-cost, low-maintenance and has no reliability problems."

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