ACOA has contributed $400,000 towards the
expansion and development of offshore oil and gas structural
testing facilities at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
The announcement was made Oct. 30 by Gerry Byrne, minister
of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
and Newfoundland and Labrador’s representative in
the Federal Cabinet.
“AOCA’s investment in Memorial’s research
infrastructure is important to the future growth of our
province’s oil and gas industry,” he said. “This
expansion project will allow researchers and engineers to
conduct tests under conditions that more closely mimic the
rigors of our unique offshore environment. This in turn
will allow them to develop materials and structures that
meet industry needs.”
“Memorial University already has some of the best
structural test equipment available anywhere,” said
Dr. Axel Meisen, president and vice-chancellor at Memorial.
“This project will allow us to further improve our
research capabilities, enabling us to develop innovative
designs of structures that are better suited to the harsh
environment experienced by our province’s offshore
oil and gas operations.”
The Structural Test Facility is a three-pronged project
of the Ocean Engineering Research Centre (OERC) in the Faculty
of Engineering and Applied Science. OERC will design and
construct a structural test frame that will enable researchers
to test load levels on marine structures at pressures several
times larger than current capacity.
As well, improvements to the material testing capabilities
of the cold room will allow researchers to investigate the
impact of high-pressure ice zones on material strength,
a capability that will be unique in Canada.
The third component of the project will entail the implementation
of a high-speed data/video link to the C-Core’s Centrifuge,
allowing researchers to view the facility virtually and
in real-time.
Funding is being provided through the non-commercial component
of ACOA’s Business Development Program, which supports
the promotion of entrepreneurship, trade, marketing and
education through industry, community, youth and business
associations.
