Is the Oil & Gas Industry Ready for 3D Printing?

3D printing benefits and applications in the oil and gas industry

1. Faster product development and design flexibility 

One of the key benefits of 3D printing is its ability to speed up the product development process. Using additive manufacturing, product designers and engineers can visualise, develop and validate their designs quickly and cost efficiently.

This benefit can be leveraged by the oil and gas industry to better react to emerging market opportunities and evaluate any potential risks or faults at the design stage, prior to production.

Precedents in this area have already been set: in 2016, Dutch multinational Shell used 3D printing to successfully prototype a buoy for the Stones oil and gas drilling station in the Gulf of Mexico.

Using 3D printing to produce the miniature prototype, engineers were able to produce plastic versions of the prototype in the space of four weeks, in contrast to the months it would require with conventional manufacturing.

Engineers were also able to evaluate how to improve components and establish the most efficient assembly sequence before building the real-life buoy.

Another example is Siemens, which recently showed off its 3D printed burner for an industrial gas turbine. Thanks to the additive manufacturing process, the burner could be produced in one piece instead of being manufactured in 13 separate to be welded together.

This improvement in design will help extend the operational lifespan of the component and, ultimately, the gas turbine. Similarly, GE Oil & Gas have developed a burner for its NovaLT16 gas turbine, using additive manufacturing to reduce the development and validation stage by 50%.

3D printing will require oil and gas companies to rethink traditional approaches to design – with the added advantage of producing complex components with enhanced performance. However, the benefits of such a change are enormous: from shorter product development cycles to greater material savings. 

2. Economic low-volume production

While the oil and gas industry has been slow to embrace 3D printing for production, in this area, the technology holds great promise for the sector. Due to high tooling costs and the need for longer lead times, traditional manufacturing is typically unsuitable for low-volume production. Additive manufacturing can help to significantly reduce lead times (delivering parts in a matter of days instead of weeks for example) whilst lowering production costs.

For example, additive manufacturing can be used to manufacture smaller quantities of complex, specifically designed parts whilst making efficient use of materials. Siemens and Baker Hughes, a GE oilfield service company, believe 3D printing can revolutionise the production of numerous components, including pumps, turbomachinery, valves, and gas turbine nozzles. Both companies are already active in the additive production of high-value components.

3. Faster repair of high-value components

Scheduled or unplanned downtime due to equipment maintenance can be expensive, especially in remote or offshore rigs. Here too, 3D printing can make a difference.

Some additive technologies like Direct Energy Deposition can not only be used to manufacture complex and bespoke components but efficiently repair or remanufacture worn out equipment. Applying the technology to ageing or damaged components like shafts, valves, and pumps, can increase their lifespan and performance, thereby reducing overall running and maintenance costs.

4. Simplifying complex supply chains

Additive manufacturing could have a positive impact on supply chain management within the oil and gas industry. One key benefit is the shift towards digital inventories and on-demand production of spare parts.

In remote, offshore regions where the supply of replacement parts is limited or where logistical issues are likely to cause delays, the ability to produce parts at the point of need could help to significantly reduce the time and expense associated with sourcing replacement or spare parts.

Additionally, oil and gas operators currently maintain large inventories of spare parts to minimise unscheduled downtime in the event of part failure.

With additive manufacturing, many spare parts, for example for legacy equipment, can be reverse engineered to create a digital inventory for on-demand production, thereby reducing warehouse stock and storage costs.