Understanding Airborne Contaminant Risks In Offshore Oil and Gas Environments
Kris Osborne
5Mins
Offshore is the growth engine of the global oil and gas industry. Having accounted for a clear majority of new extraction projects in 2024, these marine environments are poised to play an ever more vital role in meeting international energy demand as the industry transitions to a lower-carbon future.
In practical terms, delivering on this promise depends on the ability of offshore environments to run efficiently and effectively, which in turn depends on the humble – yet critical – gas turbine. Often referred to as the beating heart of offshore oil and gas operations, gas turbines function as both a power source and the mechanical drive for essential systems.
But while they might be well understood in terms of the benefits they deliver, less consideration is typically given to the pressures and demands that turbines are exposed to throughout their lifecycle. Specifically, attention is rarely applied to the impact that incredibly harsh marine environments can have on factors such as operational efficiency and maintenance frequency, which themselves have important implications for costs in the short, medium and long term.
In this article, we provide an overview of the various airborne contaminants that can negatively affect gas turbines in offshore environments, zeroing in on three main areas of risk. In doing so, we aim to help engineers develop their understanding of these contaminants and put in place strategies that ensure gas turbines, and constituent components such as filters, are optimised in terms of productivity and cost effectiveness.