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9 April 2018
Directa Plus plc
("Directa Plus" or the "Company")
Directa Plus completes successful Grafysorber® field test with OMV Petrom
Positive results in industrial decontamination of produced water at oil treatment plant
Directa Plus plc (AIM: DCTA), a leading producer and supplier of graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets, is pleased to announce the successful completion of industrial field testing of Grafysorber® at an oil treatment plant of OMV Petrom, a leading Romanian integrated oil and gas company and one of the largest in Southern Europe. The tests demonstrated that the deployment of Grafysorber® improved the quality of water used for the injection process (further details provided below). The parties will now work together on the second phase of trials to expand the tests to treat a further contaminant.
Giulio Cesareo, Chief Executive Officer of Directa Plus, said: "Working with a leading organisation such as OMV Petrom, and in an industrial setting, is a tremendous endorsement of the strength of our Grafysorber® solution and its potential. We believe Grafysorber® is a revolutionary material with a unique oil adsorption capability that has multiple environmental applications. We are delighted to progress to the next phase of testing with OMV Petrom and look forward to establishing a long relationship with them. This achievement further underpins the potential and importance of our recently-announced agreement with Sartec to develop innovative continuous process equipment to optimise Grafysorber® utilisation for the oil & gas industry."
The purpose of the field tests was to trial the ability of Directa Plus' Grafysorber®, which was used in a dedicated treatment facility on a site of OMV Petrom, to remove petroleum hydrocarbons from produced water so that it could be used as injection water. The field tests demonstrated positive results in the industrial decontamination of produced water. In particular, Grafysorber® was successful in significantly reducing the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the produced water to less than 0.5ppm.
Other features observed during the field tests included:
· High versatility: Grafysorber® performed well in both high and low TPH concentrations.
· High efficiency: The TPH concentration was quickly lowered to the desired value.
· Sustainability: Only a small amount of Grafysorber® was required to achieve the desired value. In addition, the used Grafysorber® proved to be reusable up to 4-5 times, which meant that no waste was generated during the test. This complements the eco-friendly nature of Grafysorber®, which is a 100% carbon material and does not contain any plastic.
· Full compatibility: Grafysorber® was able to be used alongside other additives to improve water clarification.
Enquiries
Directa Plus plc | |
Giulio Cesareo, CEO Razvan Popescu, COO | +39 02 36714458 |
Cantor Fitzgerald Europe (Nominated Adviser and Broker) | |
Marc Milmo, David Foreman (Corporate Finance) Alex Pollen (Sales) | +44 20 7894 7000 |
Luther Pendragon (Financial PR) | |
Harry Chathli, Claire Norbury, Alexis Gore | +44 20 7618 9100 |
About Directa Plus
Directa Plus is one of the largest producers and suppliers of graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets worldwide. By incorporating Directa Plus' unique graphene blends, identified by the G+ brand, its customers can enhance the performance of their end products without significantly increasing their cost. Directa Plus graphene-based products are natural, chemical-free, sustainably produced and tailored to specific customer requirements for commercial applications such as smart textiles, tyres, composite materials and environmental solutions.
Established in 2005, the Company has a patented technology process and a scalable and exportable manufacturing model. It produces graphene-based products at its own factory in Lomazzo, Italy, and can set up additional production at customer locations to reduce transport costs, waste and time-to-utilisation. Directa Plus partners with customers to enable them to offer the high-performance benefits of graphene in their own products.