*Market assessment conducted internally by MicroSilicon.

A unique platform technology to support the ongoing Energy Transition

The production and transportation of oil requires a lot of pipes—and if you know anything about pipes, you know that they get clogged up all too easily. The oil that powers our trains, planes and automobiles is found deep in the ground, extracted from rock and moved up to the surface, where it’s transported to a refinery and then sent to consumers in the form of plastic, gasoline, jet fuel, etc. 

One of the biggest challenges in managing the movement of this oil is a heavy component called asphaltene, “the cholesterol of oil,” that can clog pipes to the point of completely stopping production. The oil industry’s use of harsh chemicals against asphaltene has produced mostly lackluster results, leaving the problem unsolved for nearly 60 years. Enter MicroSilicon.

Our patented technology leverages quantum chemistry, AI and machine learning to implement real-time chemical spectroscopy and advanced micro-sensors for industrial process monitoring. MicroSilicon's proprietary platform technology sets the stage to more accurately control the volume of necessary chemicals, thereby improving operational efficiency and reducing the environmental effects these chemicals cause. Optimizing drainage with digital flow assurance means drilling fewer wells and squeezing more energy out of existing facilities.

While the global energy ecosystem is growing cleaner and greener, oil and gas will remain a critical resource for decades to come. In order to succeed in this enormous and essential transition, it’s crucial to change the paradigm of energy extraction.  

MicroSilicon has created a completely different approach to managing operational efficiency within oilfields, potentially presenting an enormous, immediate and impactful opportunity to increase sustainability while improving costs and supply. Our mission is to play a critical role in making traditional energy production safer, cheaper and more sustainable by drastically cutting the cost of chemicals used in the oil industry and significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with oil production. 

As the Energy Transition advances, we’ll continue to expand our platform’s applications to support non-traditional sources such as offshore wind. We’ve got patents on every single new problem we’ve solved—16 and counting—resulting in a unique and highly proprietary system including our licenses from Rice University, service and dataset that grows and improves over time.

Billions are being spent annually on asphaltene mitigation

Asphaltene deposition costs roughly $2.5B annually*—of which the current solutions are largely costly and ineffective. Within pipelines, asphaltene acts much like cholesterol does in your arteries. If the asphaltene becomes unstable, it aggressively deposits inside pumps and tubing, potentially shutting down production and increasing remediation costs. This recurring issue affects markets around the world (source), with oil and gas operators spending billions each year in attempts to mitigate asphaltene buildup in their wells and pipelines. 

*Figure calculated by Global Industry Analysts in the 2021 report, 'Global Asphaltene and Paraffin Inhibitors Industry'

The accumulating asphaltene can plug the wellbore tubing, valves, separators, etc. obstructing the pipelines. Repair costs range from $300K to $20M offshore. A well producing a daily volume of 5,000 barrels can stand to lose $500K per day when shut down. Past measures to prevent these losses and inefficiencies have fallen far short due to an inability to measure asphaltene levels in real time.

Despite renewable energy advancements, traditional fossil fuels will remain crucial for decades to come. In 2021, renewable energy sources accounted for about 12.2% of total U.S. energy consumption and about 20.1% of electricity generation (source); by 2050, renewables are projected to account for only 42% of total energy (source). 

While the world prepares for the energy of tomorrow, MicroSilicon has developed a solution that oil and gas operators need today.

A proprietary platform leveraging quantum science improves operational efficiency

MicroSilicon combines advanced sensors, data analytics and AI software to more accurately target & dose chemicals, thereby increasing production, reducing waste & costly repairs, extending the life of assets and improving efficiency & sustainability.

Our award-winning Quantum RF Asphaltene Analyzer*, installed in flowlines from reservoir to refineries, is used for permanent online monitoring and prediction of asphaltene deposition onset. 

The raw data uses a combination of GHz radio-frequencies and a large magnetic field to produce the information needed to manage and control the asphaltene deposition. Our Quantum Vision software* then converts the raw data into actionable information for the operator of the oilfield. The Vision software connects with the sensor to provide key insights that allow the operator to replace large and expensive equipment traditionally used to monitor buildup or damage. On top of this, we anticipate a predictive benefit, as the Vision software leverages data to identify when a well is likely to fail.

*Mark of MicroSilicon 

MicroSilicon’s proprietary platform drives recurring revenue through a Solution a Service (SaaS) business model with the capacity to expand to additional services and solutions on the same core platform. Our multi-unit, multi-year contracts are subscription-based and incorporate analytics, interpretation and consulting, allowing us to build long-term relationships with customers. 

Our expansion strategy involves partnering with smaller, local companies to create attractive in-country value; leveraging our existing relationships for choice opportunities in select areas, markets and verticals; and partnering with established, deeply knowledgeable players within respective verticals. 

With one of our biggest customers, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), we’re looking to maximize value from every barrel to deliver the greatest possible return while meeting the world’s growing demand for energy efficiency. In numbers, this means enabling ADNOC to increase production by 30,000 bpd (~$1B/year) by resolving the issues related to asphaltene build-up. ADNOC has forecasted that our technology will save them as much as $19M over 5 years while reducing chemical costs by up to 20%.

In the short term, we’ll be solving asphaltene problems for operators in traditional wells while also forming partnerships with operators looking to increase oil production by injecting CO2. Across the next 5-10 years we plan to expand into mapping chemical fingerprints against the injection sweep, unlocking serious revenue opportunities well beyond our current $2.7B* addressable market.

*Market assessment conducted internally by MicroSilicon.

MicroSilicon is one of the first movers in the largely unexplored digital flow assurance market

The total addressable market for digital flow assurance is an estimated $2.7B*, with the biggest applications for MicroSilicon’s technology in the Middle East, Gulf of Mexico and Central America—regions which correlate with booming oil exploration and production.

*Market assessment conducted internally by MicroSilicon.

*Market assessment conducted internally by MicroSilicon.

With our ongoing contracts with major oil producers in the Middle East and Offshore Gulf of Mexico, we believe we are already punching above our weight in terms of accessing global markets. We expect this momentum will only increase as we expand our footprint to cover Central America and Brazil, and we make further hardware and software extensions to improve production and efficiency.

Our customers have told us that we have no direct competitors*, an advantage that is further strengthened by our unique proprietary technology, cumulative experience and growing patent portfolio - a list consisting of 16 granted and licensed patents with more patents currently pending. From here, our differentiation will only continue to increase over time, setting us up for further opportunity and success. 

*Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other customers and is not a guarantee of future performance or success.

$1.6M in paid pilot projects with several of the world's top oil producers, with another $1M in our pipeline

MicroSilicon’s Quantum RF Asphaltene Analyzer was launched in 2018 and successfully commercialized in 2021. To date, more than $1.6M has been generated through paid pilot projects with several of the world’s top oil producers, including contracts with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).  

Following an 18-month inline prototype pilot in West Texas, we raised $1M to engineer and manufacture fully QHSE-certified units that have since completed two pilots in the Middle East and another in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19, we've had no canceled projects and all of our pilots have received customer funding. 

Our innovative work has led to a number of awards, grants and recognitions. MicroSilicon was awarded Breakthrough Research of The Year at ADIPEC 2021 and the 2021 iChemE Research Project Award, and was a finalist at the 2021 S&P Global Energy Awards, as well as 2018 & 2021 World Oil Awards. We also received a highly competitive $225K Phase I NSF/SBIR Award, as well as $500K from the Department of Energy specifically for fracture mapping.

Repeat customer orders will propel us towards multi-unit, multi-year service agreements with more of the world’s largest energy companies, with a continued focus on the Middle East, Gulf of Mexico and Central America. We believe we can extend the idea of chemical fingerprinting to not just one well but the entire reservoir, an approach that has already been proven on two CO2-injection pilot tests in the US. 

We’re in the process of developing additional technology, including fracture mapping technology and cement monitoring technology, both of which we plan to pilot in 2023. All of this will enable us to explore industrial applications beyond flow assurance.

Together we can make traditional energy cleaner

While the economy remains reliant on oil and gas, MicroSilicon is uniquely positioned to bridge the critical energy gap as Energy Transition evolves.

We believe MicroSilicon is poised to become a leader and trusted source on the use of real-time digital spectroscopy in challenging industrial environments beyond oil and gas. The use of big data is transforming today’s management of chemical challenges while optimizing energy production and reducing usage of environmentally harmful chemicals. We are providing a critical, in-demand service that improves operations and sustainability in one of the world’s most energy-intensive industries. Our potential for win-win impact is huge, and we’d love you to join us in bringing this impact to life.