Within the oil and gas industry, real time, continuous, on site mass spectrometry is currently unavailable and batch analysis can cost hundreds of pounds per sample with a one to four week turnaround.

MIMMS has a number of application points both upstream and downstream of separators, injection pumps and/or dehydrators. It will allow trace levels of oil-in-water to be detected and quantified in real time, maximising oil production and recovery and minimising loss and contamination.

The technology uses miniature mass spectrometry to allow monitoring of oil-in-water to an extremely high sensitivity. It allows trace levels of oil-in-water to be detected and quantified thus maximising oil production/recovery and minimising loss /contamination. MIMMS is capable of rapidly detecting and quantifying trace organics such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds including benzene, toluene and trichloroethane) and dissolved gases in aqueous solutions at sub part per million levels.

After successfully completing a full matrix of field trials this technology has now been licensed to Advanced Sensors Ltd to commercialise.

The MIMMS technology will allow maximised hydrocarbon recovery from UK reservoirs and minimise contamination.