Tagged: Samik Mukherjee

The Importance of Green Energy- What Steps Are Companies Taking to Ensure Environmentally Conscious Practices?

Throughout his career in Upstream, Samik Mukherjee has acknowledged the importance of initiatives focused on lowering environmental impact within the industry. While some hold the misconception that creating and maintaining carbon-neutral facilities presents challenges that complicate its benefits to cost ratio, Samik and other experts in the field argue that such initiatives give industry leaders the ability to collaborate to optimize processes- using their resources in ways that are beneficial for both their businesses and the health of the environment.

Here, Samik Mukherjee explains the urgency of the clean energy transition as well as the steps that companies are taking to optimize their processes with the environment in mind.

What is the Importance of Clean Energy Transition?

Recently, there has been a large emphasis on clean energy transition and the benefits that investments into the process can have. Samik Mukherjee notes that clean energy transition involves adapting energy production that releases little to no greenhouse gases such as hydro, wind, solar, and nuclear power. Much of the urgency for companies to shift practices to prioritize clean energy comes from the Paris Agreement. Almost two-thirds of the world’s electricity is still created using fossil fuels, and companies will need to shift 80% of electricity production to low carbon sources to reach the Paris Agreement’s climate goals by 2050.

While commitment to clean energy has the benefit of helping maintain our environment, there are other cited reasons for companies adhering to the change as well. Clean energy sources can help lead the charge to improve public health in communities around the world, produce a variety of jobs and economic benefits for new and existing energy professionals, and help provide an inexhaustible source of energy.

What Steps are Companies Taking to Commit to Carbon-Neutral Upstream Facilities?

Samik notes that companies are taking several steps to ensure that carbon-neutral upstream facilities become the norm. Most collaborations involve research and design for carbon-neutral facilities in the natural gas and upstream oil markets. This is meant to demonstrate the scope of current upstream technology and discover which developments will be needed to make net-zero facilities a possibility soon. A proof of concept for carbon-neutral facilities produced by ongoing collaborations between industry leaders can be adapted to the scope of any project and region, which is crucial if these processes are to be widespread.

This year, there have been announcements that industry leaders are looking to improve upon the existing design of facilities for a more environmentally conscious process. In one example, facilities are leveraging proprietary designs that use electrolyzers for green hydrogen and oxygen production. Because storage and production capabilities are a priority of the project as well, the design also provides the flexibility to expand upon both processes.

Committing to the Future of Energy

Samik Mukherjee recognizes that- while it may take decades to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuel energy sources- it is a very worthwhile endeavor for companies to make investments into transitioning to clean energy. This will involve collaborations with other leaders in the space, pulling from research and proof of concepts from current projects, and committing to evolving methods and processes to prioritize clean energy.

Samik Mukherjee

Group Senior Vice President of Projects at McDermott International Samik Mukherjee Discusses Subsea Pipelines

Today, there are more than 3 million miles of subsea pipeline located within the Earth’s oceans. These pipelines deliver trillions of cubic feet of natural gases and petroleum products each year. In recent years, the offshore oil and gas industry has experienced exponential growth due to the many commercial benefits of subsea pipelines. McDermott International, a fully-integrated provider of construction and engineering solutions for the oil and gas industry, has long been the provider of choice for pipelay and field development services. McDermott International’s Group Senior Vice President of Projects Samik Mukherjee hopes to inform the public on the importance of subsea pipelines in the oil and gas industry. Below, Samik Mukherjee will answer some of the public’s most asked questions regarding subsea pipelines.

What are Subsea Pipelines

Subsea pipelines, otherwise known as submarine pipelines, are any pipe system that has been installed below a waterline. Subsea pipelines most often refer to a pipeline used by industries to transport natural gas or crude oil underwater. Subsea pipelines can consist of various designs depending on the material being transported. This variety of pipelines are known for their complex installation processes due to highly turbulent sea conditions, which can cause bending stresses. While many subsea pipelines are installed a few meters below the water’s surface, many companies choose to place their pipelines on the seabed, which can require advanced engineering techniques to install.

How Subsea Pipelines are Installed

Subsea pipelines are placed on the seabed by large floating platforms known as pipelaying vessels. While these floating platforms can accommodate hundred of workers, multiple pipelaying vessels are required during the pipe laying process. After monitoring the seabed and located any obstructions, special barges supply pipes to the pipelayingvessels, which are then unloaded and welded. Before anticorrosion coating is applied to the pipe joints, they must be ultrasonically tested for any defects or breaks. Pipes that have passed the review stage are then placed on a conveyer and loaded onto a special boom called a stinger. The stinger slowly lowers the pipe onto the seabed at an angle, where it is attached to the pipeline.

How Subsea Pipelines are Repaired

Subsea pipelines are notorious for their complex and sometimes costly repair procedures. The repair procedure of subsea pipelines greatly depends on the pipeline’s depth, placement, and corrosion level. If a damaged pipeline has been installed at water depths above 300 m, professional divers will be able to repair the damaged pipeline using conventional repair methods. Diverless repairs occur on subsea pipelines located below 300 meters, or 985 ft, and are often carried out by mechanical connectors.

Samik Mukherjee

Samik Mukherjee: Advisory Board Position at the University of Houston Bauer College of Business and the Latest McDermott International Press Release

In the two years since Samik Mukherjee began his Executive Committee Member position at McDermott International, the company has made great strides and announced several projects and studies expected to advance the energy and gas industry towards a greener and more efficient future. Within the past month, McDermott International made the announcement that their own CB&I Storage Solutions had been awarded a study to research liquid hydrogen storage expansion capabilities. Recently, Mr. Mukherjee has also accepted an Advisory Board Position at the University of Houston Bauer College of Business.

McDermott International Awarded Liquid Hydrogen Storage Study

Within the past month, McDermott International announced it’s own CB&I Storage Solutions business had been awarded a study to research different liquid hydrogen storage expansion capabilities in an effort to increase current capacity limits. McDermott International and CB&I Storage Solutions are well known throughout the hydrogen production field for their specialization in field-erected spherical cryogenic hydrogen storage and perhaps most well known for their partnership with NASA in building the world’s largest liquid hydrogen sphere. As Group Senior Vice President of projects for McDermott International, Samik Mukherjee is proud of this recent accomplishment and, as stated in the recent press release, stresses Hydrogen’s importance in creating a sustainably powered future. Within the press release, Samik Mukherjee is quoted as saying, “hydrogen, like wind and solar, plays a major role in decarbonization, and this study aims to unlock even greater potential in this field.” To read more about the McDermott International and CB&I Storage Solutions’ press release, click here.

Advisory Panel Position at University of Houston Bauer College of Business

In January 2021, Samik Mukherjee announced he would be starting an Advisory Panel position at the University of Houston Bauer College of Business. Samik Mukherjee’s background in international business, managing leadership teams through change and leadership development make him uniquely adapted for the University of Houston Bauer College of Business’s leadership programs, in which he will also offer council. Some of the University of Houston Bauer College of Business leadership programs include Emerging Leaders Academic Success Program, EMBA Leadership Track Program, as well as an MS in Management and Leadership and an MBA Leadership Development Certificate. To read more about Samik Mukherjee’s new Advisory Panel position at the University of Houston Bauer College of Business, click here.