Shell uses 3D printing in GoM

OE Staff
Monday, October 10, 2016

Supermajor Shell gives another look at how the company is using 3D printing technology.

Shell teams can produce scale prototypes of equipment destined for use in projects in a fraction of the usual time – from a huge buoy destined for the Gulf of Mexico, to a hinge that holds production equipment together on the seabed. 

Hands-on interaction with miniature 3D printed components allows teams to improve designs before they are made, and map out detailed plans for installation work in the construction yard that help reduce safety risks. Watch how 3D printing has been helping Shell deliver its Stones and Couloumb offshore projects more efficiently.

In this video, Shell says the company commissioned the Coulomb 3D print to convey to the engineers that they’re designing the hinge assemblies, and to the contractor the complexity of the structure that they’re trying to build. The process allowed Shell to predict the potential problems before getting into the fabrication state. 

Read more:

How Shell used 3D printing on its Stones development

Categories: Technology North America Gulf of Mexico

Related Stories

TVO Contracts 4C Global Consultancy to Support UK Clients

Industry Award for Sustainable Drilling Waste Solution

Talos Energy Shifts Management Team as Search for CEO Nears End

Current News

SouthCoast Wind gets final BOEM nod

Oil set for fourth week of gains on US sanctions

Rex Subsidiary Lime Petroleum AS Awarded New License in Norway

SLB Profits Top Analyst Expectations

Subscribe for OE Digital E‑News