This next-generation seal builds on John Crane’s extensive expertise in industrial sealing. (Image source: John Crane)

John Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions and part of Smiths Group plc, has unveiled the Type 93AX Coaxial Separation Seal, a cutting-edge dry gas sealing solution designed to help customers reduce emissions, enhance equipment reliability, and lower operational costs.

This next-generation seal builds on John Crane’s extensive expertise in industrial sealing, offering a robust, fail-safe design that remains operational even under multiple failure scenarios.

Engineered with direct customer input, test data indicates the seal reduces nitrogen consumption by up to 80% compared to conventional radial separation seals, delivering significant efficiency and sustainability benefits.

3 ways the seal helps customers

Contamination is a major cause of dry gas seal failures, contributing significantly to unscheduled maintenance and equipment downtime.

The Type 93AX addresses this challenge by preventing oil ingress from the compressor bearing chamber, thereby minimising risks and supporting continuous, reliable operation.

According to Deloitte, unplanned downtime costs the global process industries an estimated US$50bn annually, with equipment failure accounting for 42% of such disruptions.

In energy and process applications, this translates to average losses of up to US$42mn per facility per year.

The Type 93AX mitigates these performance and financial risks by enhancing the reliability of the dry gas seal system and reducing demand on supporting infrastructure, such as nitrogen generators and air compressors.

The seal is also designed to operate effectively in three distinct scenarios, automatically adapting to failure situations to minimise disruption and contain gas or oil migration.

In standard operation, it provides non-contacting operation for positive oil ingress mitigation. If separation gas is lost, the seal maintains non-contacting operation and oil control.

In the event of a dry gas seal failure, it restricts process gas leakage during compressor shutdown at pressures up to 35 bar, while maintaining seal integrity up to 70 bar.

The Type 93AX also supports sustainability goals by reducing emissions and energy consumption. By cutting nitrogen use by up to 80%, according to test data, it lowers the demand on energy-intensive nitrogen generation systems, reducing both costs and environmental impact.

The International Energy Agency highlights that improving industrial efficiency could reduce global energy use by 12% by 2040, underscoring the significance of solutions like the Type 93AX in advancing operational and environmental objectives.

The company said that its innovations align with regional sustainability initiatives in the Middle East, such as the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy, the Make in the Emirates Initiative, and Saudi Vision 2030’s Saudi Green Initiative, which aim to reduce industrial carbon emissions by over 90% in some cases through public and private sector partnerships.

Mike Eason, Chief Technology Officer at John Crane, said, “Our customers told us they wanted a separation seal that increases safety, efficiency, and reliability. The Type 93AX delivers on these priorities.  It’s designed to keep working in real-world failure conditions to protect their most critical assets, and reduce environmental impact, while driving down OPEX and CAPEX.

“The new seal is compatible with John Crane’s dry gas seal portfolio and is supported by a global network of over 200 facilities, including manufacturing, sales, and services, and 13 global turbo service centers in more than 50 countries.  It can be sold as part of a bundled first-fit order or compressor upgrade or supplied as a stand-alone product to meet customer-specific requirements.”

The five-year contract is worth roughly £150mn. (Image source: ASCO)

ASCO has signed an important nine-figure deal with a major North Sea oil operator, cementing its position as the energy industry's leading logistics provider.

The substantial five-year contract, worth roughly £150mn, begins on July 1, 2025. The scope includes ASCO's full range of integrated logistics services, such as quayside operations, warehousing, materials management, marine gas oil, environmental services, aviation, customs, freight forwarding, and ship agency.

The award is a significant milestone for ASCO, as it represents one of the company's largest and most comprehensive logistics contracts in recent history. It demonstrates the industry's trust in ASCO's demonstrated capacity to provide mission-critical support for complex offshore operations in one of the world's most challenging energy environments.

This latest award follows a string of significant wins in the North Sea, with long-term contracts won in the UK and Norway alone for more than £450mn in 2025.

It also represents a broader industry trend towards integrated logistics solutions that simplify operations and boost efficiency. ASCO's approach, which combines digital innovation with a sustainability-driven model, has proven successful in assisting operators in managing complicated offshore supply chains while maintaining a strong focus on safety and environmental responsibility.

“This is a transformational contract for ASCO, both in scale and strategic importance,” said Mike Pettigrew, ASCO chief executive officer. “It validates our deep expertise in the North Sea, where we have been operating for almost 60 years, and our ability to deliver end-to-end logistics solutions that are safe, efficient and resilient.

“We’re increasingly being recognised as a trusted partner in the global energy supply chain and are proud to play such a pivotal role in enabling safe and efficient offshore activity, while continuing to lead the way in supply chain transformation.” 

The energy trilemma was the focus of discussion at the session. (Image source: AIEN International Summit)

At final session of the AIEN International Energy Summit, held in Istanbul from 10-12 June,  the trilemma of energy security, affordability, and sustainability was in the spotlight

The panel also debated whether profitability should be considered the fourth leg of the trilemma.

Moderator Jay Park KC, managing partner, Park Energy Advisory Ltd asked the panel what the current priorities were of the triangle, and if we were seeing a shift to one corner.

Yelda Guven, VP Policy, EMEA, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions said, “That’s the challenge – how do you make sure energy security and affordable energy can reach the growing population, but do it in a low carbon way? The industry knows how to reduce emissions but it needs support.”

Leonardo Sempertegui, general legal counsel, OPEC added, “While the perspective of security has been in everyone’s attention in recent years, it has been in the developing world for a long time. There is no way out of poverty without stable and abundant energy. At this point, thinking about reducing certain sources of energy with the objection of reaching an ‘artificial’ target – it is bringing some countries to a complicated position. What they need is development. So, this triangle has different legs in each jurisdiction.”

Carlos Bellorin, EVP Macro Research & Advisory, Welligence Energy Analytics agreed: ‘The corners of the triangle are always shifting. Security is currently a top priority to some countries due to ongoing turmoil around the world. Affordability affects everyone in the world. Sustainability hasn’t disappeared – we know a low carbon future is the way forward.’

Graham Kellas, SVP, Global Fiscal Research, Wood Mackenzie was asked how to balance sustainability in light of the growing demand for oil and gas. “10 years ago, the oil price had just crashed and there was the Paris agreement. We saw the level of total capital investment in energy supply rise in low carbon and renewables from one third to a half, while oil and gas came down. And then Covid happened and the momentum behind the sustainability bit of our triangle flipped to affordability. Then in the third phase, after February 2022 and the Russian invasion, it has turned to security. The level of investment into renewables has remained constant, but we have seen an uptick in oil and gas. Diversification is what is underplaying it, and we are not going to an end point with no fossil fuels being produced – there will always be a diverse range.”

At this point, a member of the audience asked if ‘profitability’ actually turned this into a ‘quadrilemma’.

“That’s spot on!’ said Kellas. “This is something that is sometimes lost in the conversation – the need for private companies to make a return for shareholders. There is a certain return you can make from risk-free bonds, so why would you invest in a new emerging project with all the risks attached? You can’t just tell companies that they must do “this or that” without acknowledging that shareholders need to see a return on their investment.”

Guven agreed. “This is what the public debate doesn’t cover enough! The private sector is beholden to shareholders. You have to have that return or no one will invest in the energy transition.”

Sempertegui slightly disagreed on the terminology. “I still think it is a trilemma. Profitability falls within sustainability, just not in terms of emissions. We have a system to sustain – we can’t just reverse 300-400 years of history. As long as we make policy based on facts and realities, we’re fine and going somewhere. When some actors think there is an ideology and have their own agenda, we are in a different scenario. So, I think it is a trilemma, but I appreciate these are semantics.”

The conferences will serve as national platforms for collaboration, thought leadership and knowledge-sharing. (Image source: Ministry of Oil)

Kuwait's Ministry of Oil is set to host two strategic conferences this September focusing on digital transformation and asset integrity/process safety

The 2nd Digital Transformation Kuwait Oil & Gas Conference will be held from 8–9 September 2025, followed by the inaugural Asset Integrity and Process Safety Kuwait Conference, taking place from 10–11 September 2025, both at the Jumeirah Messilah Hotel, Kuwait.

Supported by the Kuwait Oil Company and Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company, these official platforms will individually bring together over 500 senior decision-makers, 40+ expert speakers, and 50+ global and regional solution providers. Together, the conferences serve as a cornerstone for advancing Kuwait’s energy future, through digital innovation and world-class integrity and process safety standards.

Advancing Kuwait’s strategic energy vision

The 2nd edition of the Digital Transformation Kuwait Oil & Gas Conference builds on the success of its inaugural edition and will address Kuwait’s national agenda for energy digitalisation. Key themes include the deployment of artificial intelligence, automation, digital twin technology, predictive analytics, and cyber resilience across upstream, midstream, and downstream operations.

The inaugural Asset Integrity and Process Safety Kuwait Conference provides a dedicated platform for addressing integrity management, process safety practices, and operational reliability across critical energy infrastructure.

The Ministry of Oil, which leads national energy policy in alignment with Vision 2035, stated, “At the Ministry of Oil, we recognise that advancing digital transformation, asset integrity, and process safety is not only vital to the resilience of Kuwait’s energy infrastructure but also to the realisation of our long-term national development goals. These priorities underpin our efforts to build a future-ready oil and gas sector—one that is safe, efficient, and globally competitive.

“These conferences serve as national platforms for collaboration, thought leadership, and knowledge-sharing—bringing together global and regional experts, industry leaders, and government entities to chart a collective path toward smarter, safer, and more sustainable energy systems.”

Mohammad Al-Abdeljalil, Deputy CEO (Planning & Innovation), Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) commented, “KOC remains committed in its dedication to driving digital transformation across the energy cycle. The 2nd Kuwait Digital Transformation Oil & Gas Conference is more than an event, it is a demonstration of our leadership in adopting cutting-edge technologies and fostering collaboration that will define the future of Kuwait’s oil and gas industry.

Learn more at: www.kuwaitoilandgasdigitaltransformation.com | www.aipsmkuwait.com