Directa Plus enters development deal with Sartec

Graphene-based products producer and supplier Directa Plus has entered into an agreement with Sartec to jointly develop a commercial-scale industrial system, based on the company's Grafysorber product, for treating oil-contaminated produced water in the oil and gas industry, it announced on Wednesday.

The AIM-traded company described Sartec as a provider of industrial engineering to the oil, energy and environment sectors, adding that it is part of the Saras Group, the Italian listed company with a current market capitalisation of approximately €1.6bn.

It said the agreement followed initial joint research over the last eight months - the proof-of-concept phase - during which extensive tests on the company's Grafysorber product as well as the effectiveness of the continuous process equipment were successfully carried out.

The ongoing tests reportedly continued to demonstrate Grafysorber's ability to outperform existing technologies in treating oil-contaminated produced water.

In the second quarter of 2018, Sartec would commence building an industrial pilot plant, with Directa Plus providing support and expertise regarding Grafysorber.

“We are delighted to have signed this agreement with one of the leading oil & gas groups in Europe,” said Directa Plus CEO Giulio Cesareo.

“This partnership represents a true technological convergence of our respective capabilities and expertise in pursuit of a common goal.”

Cesareo said Grafysorber offered a “transformational solution” for the oil and gas industry in treating produced water.

“The development of this new continuous process by Sartec is the ideal solution to bridge the gap between our unique Grafysorber product and its application in a huge market.

“We are excited about the prospects for this project and look forward to reporting our progress.”