EcoForm extends Range with Sodium Formate Granules
31 January 2003
Hydro Formates has added free-flowing sodium formate granules to its range of EcoForm formate brines, under the name EcoForm SF98.
'The granulated form of sodium formate provides a free-flowing product that allows faster and easier preparation of formate brines,' says John Downs, New Business Development Manager – Oil Field Chemicals, at Hydro Formates. 'Historically, preparation of brines from sodium formate powders has been difficult. Individual particles of powder can stick together during storage and fuse into a solid mass that is difficult to break up and hydrate in a brine-mixing tank. The EcoForm sodium formate granules are large particles with a surface that prevents caking. The result is an easy-to-handle product that remains free-flowing no matter how long it is stored before use.'
EcoForm SF98 will be available from stocking points in USA, UK and Norway as of February 2003.
Sodium formate has been used as a drilling and completion fluid, often in challenging environments such as the Barents Sea and Alaska, since its introduction by Shell in 1993.
EcoForm SF98 is the latest addition to the range of potassium formate brines, rebranded as EcoForm by Hydro Formates in October 2002. These formate brines are a solids-free, benign alternative to traditional fluids, and have been used in over 300 wells across the world. EcoForm accounts for over 80% of formate brines used by the oil and gas industry every year.
Hydro Formates AS is a 100% owned subsidiary of Hydro Pronova, a division within Norsk Hydro ASA. The Company is wholly dedicated to the production and supply of formate-based products that provide unique ecological solutions for industry. The Company’s head office is in Norway, with dedicated sales offices for the oil and gas industry in USA and the UK.
