Follow Us:

Cleaning Up the Oil and Gas Sector with Solvent-Free Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids)

The oil industry uses tremendous volumes of cleaning solvents every year. These solvents cause severe environmental damage. By shifting to eco-friendly Smartchem (Intelligent fluids), petroleum players can make a solid contribution to the sustainability agenda.

post

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the world's most significant weaknesses, from a delicate health system to worrying social inequality. However, amid all the chaos, its relationship with one pervasive problem was surprisingly positive. As widespread lockdowns led to industrial closure and an instantaneous pause in vehicular travel, air quality gradually improved worldwide.

From China's busy Hubei to industrial northern Italy, pollution levels plummeted by up to 30% from normal levels. Moreover, because of skies clearing in India, people reported seeing the Himalayas from their homes for the first time. Meanwhile, studies revealed a remarkable reduction in waste leaking into oceans, thanks to reduced industrial activity and beach closures.

Although the pandemic has done a lot more harm than good, it has shown the world a glimpse of how things would be if pollution levels were lower than usual. So, with recovery underway, businesses across numerous industries anticipate bouncing back with robust "green" strategies for energy, raw materials, and supplies. Even sectors like oil and gas, which have caused major damage over the years, are hoping to contribute to a more sustainable post-pandemic future.

The oil sector is not going anywhere soon, but it can be cleaner

Renewable energy adoption is in high gear, thanks to mounting calls for sustainability and increasingly cheaper production. Despite the pandemic, renewables capacity jumped by more than 45% in 2020, in what the International Energy Agency (IEA) called an "unprecedented boom" for wind and solar. Now, industry analysts estimate that renewable energy will be the world's primary energy source by 2040.

However, nobody is seeing oil going anywhere any time soon. By 2040, the world's energy demand will have grown by 30%, which means fossil fuels will remain key players. In fact, an IEA report indicates that oil demand will likely continue rising well into the 2030s before plateauing in the 2040s.

So, while it is preferable to think of an oil-free future, the gloomy reality is that future is still a long way away. Instead of merely waiting for renewables to catch up and become a reasonable replacement, the world can take a more proactive approach to sustainable energy by addressing the environmental concerns of oil and gas today.

Replacing chemical cleaning solvents in oil and gas

Like all industries, oil relies heavily on cleaning agents to keep workplaces clean and machines running smoothly. However, oil drilling operations and refineries use tremendous amounts of cleaning products, primarily chemical solvents. Common cleaning substances like Acetone, MEK, and Toluene cause severe air pollution when they evaporate during usage. They also cause massive damage to waterways and land resources when they rinse down the drain or are collected and poured in dumping grounds.

The oil and gas sector has responded haphazardly to concerns like oil leaks and BTEX compounds from refineries, but it can take a step in the right direction by replacing solvents with more eco-friendly cleaning agents. After all, thanks to innovative companies like Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids), the cleaning market now has "green" industrial cleaning products that can do the job even better than chemical solvents.

Eco-friendly industrial cleaning agents are a welcome transformation for the oil and gas sector because they are safer for the environment and staff. Moreover, unlike traditional cleaning, which results in harmful waste that must be disposed of with specialized, costly techniques, "green" cleaning generates by-products that are already safe for the environment and can therefore be directly reintroduced to nature.

Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) is cleaning up the petroleum sector

While the oil and gas sector has had greener cleaning alternatives for a while, none have been effective enough to convince industry players to shift from mainstream solvents. Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) saw the gap and developed the product that will finally transition petroleum industry cleaning to the future.

Today, Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) has an impressive portfolio of green products for oil and gas settings. These cleaning agents are effective, cost-friendly alternatives to harmful solvent-based cleaners and degreasers. They remove sludge, mud, flux, cutting fluids, oils, greases, and petroleum residues, among other impurities, leaving surfaces spotless and equipment running smoothly and efficiently.

Innovative cleaning with Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids)

Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) are based on a patented technology that combines gentle ingredients with special phase fluids to remove persistent contaminants on surfaces like machines, devices, and PPE in a gentle way.

While chemical solvents remove contaminants by reacting with them, Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) do the job by gently sipping into the impurities and dislodging them from the surface. Thanks to a highly dynamic molecular structure, Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) can penetrate, fragment, and eventually lift off the most stubborn layers, leaving the surface underneath smooth and clean.

As a result, cleaning is done without damaging even solvent-sensitive surfaces. Moreover, the only by-products of this process are the impurities dislodged from the surface, and water, which forms when the Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) passes through the contaminant and the cleaning agents adhere to the contaminant's molecules to remove them.

A new era of solvent-free industrial cleaning

Cleaning solvents for sectors like oil and gas have been significant contributors to environmental degradation over the years. Fortunately, thanks to innovation, these industries now have alternatives they cannot ignore. By developing eco-friendly products that free surfaces, machines, and components from stubborn residues without damaging the environment, Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) is contributing to a cleaner oil sector, one drop at a time. With Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids), oil and gas industries can finally begin making inroads towards sustainable, efficient cleaning.

Intelligent Fluids GmbH is a deep-tech company designing unique, next-level cleaning products for a solvent-free future. Our patented technology is the much-anticipated response to the long-standing ecological challenges of our time. Now, Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids) is inviting the public to join the cause for eco-friendly cleaning by participating in our upcoming Smartchem (SMAC) ICO.

Read through the SMAC overview to learn more about Smartchem (Intelligent Fluids') impact in green industrial cleaning and how you can become part of the change.