Hi Innovation pipeline: technology transfer in the oil industry.

Hi Innovation pipeline: technology transfer in the oil industry.

The oil and gas sector is using technology 

transfer to solve its most pressing problems:

Whether you call it oil money, or the more recent term petro-dollars, the hydrocarbon sector has long been a by-word for wealth. Countries with oil revenues are rich, and oil and gas companies have resources aplenty. It’s easy to assume that, with all that black gold (and whatever the equivalent term is for natural gas) flowing in, they can find the funds to do pretty much whatever they like.

In the dream of oil executives, perhaps; but not in the real world. In fact, finances in the oil and gas sector are squeezed as hard as they are everywhere else. ‘Oil wells can cost as much as half a billion pounds each to drill, and only a quarter of them are successful,’ explained Prof Ann Muggeridge, holder of the Total Chair in Petroleum Engineering at Imperial College London: in this sense, she added, ‘successful’ just means that the well contains oil or gas and says nothing about how much there might be or even whether it would be profitable to extract it. ‘So companies have to be very choosy about what they spend their finite resources on.’

In recent years, this has hit research and development particularly hard. Whereas 25 to 30 years ago, the major companies all operated large central laboratories and research departments that handled all their technological requirements, these have gradually been eroded in the cause of cost control. The result of this is that oil and gas companies are now major players in the area of technology transfer, casting around for research streams and technologies that might prove useful to them and bringing them into their portfolios.

- "The important thing for us is to have technologies that make us distinctive,.." Bob Sorrell, BP.

Each company has its own way of doing this, but BP’s vice-president of public partnerships, Bob Sorrell, explained that, in general, companies will have a suite of technologies that they consider to be core to their competitiveness and will tend to use their own research facilities to develop these specialities, and will depend on technology transfer for subjects outside these areas. ‘The important thing for us is to have technologies that make us distinctive; we talk about “technology at the point of competition”,’ he said. 

BP’s computing centre in Houston now has a capacity of a little more than one petaflop, making it one of the world’s fastest civil supercomputers.

In BP’s case these specialities include seismic studies and particularly imaging derived from seismic data. ‘We have an entire building in Houston that houses a supercomputer and a whole team dedicated to interpreting the data it produces,’ Sorrell said; this is focused on actually finding oil in geological formations. Downstream, the company is concerned with operating its assets in refining and petrochemicals, and assessing their structural integrity; the company invests significant resources into corrosion monitoring, for example. Also firmly in-house is the development of fuel and lubricant formulations, which produce the range of commercial products that carry the BP name or that of its lubricants brand, Castrol.

But even within the sphere of seismic imaging, the company might find it needs some help, Muggeridge said. As a subsurface specialist, Muggeridge’s area of expertise is how the oil behaves within the porous rocks of the reservoir itself; once it gets into the wellbore, as she said, ‘it’s someone else’s problem’. But the reservoir doesn’t just act like a wet sponge absorbing and releasing oil easily; it interacts with the hydrocarbons and other substances injected into the reservoir in complex ways. ‘The tools we use to predict the performance of the reservoir are quite complicated numerical programmes, and for things such as modelling the flow in the reservoir we would like to be able to use parallel computing. The equations that describe fluid flow are non-linear and closely coupled, and parallel computing is the best way to solve those, but the commercial software that people use is not very easily parallelisable; so one of the things we’re bringing in ideas from outside on is how to better parallelise computational flow dynamics codes.’

One example of this is in modelling the interfaces between different rock strata inside the reservoir. ‘In the oil industry we tend to think of things in finite volumes; everything’s broken down into discrete boxes; but in aerospace, for example, they’re quite happy to model surfaces using triangles and other polygons to get as close to the real shape as possible,’ Muggeridge said. ‘That hasn’t really come into the oil industry yet; but the shapes in the reservoir are curvy and awkward, so that’s definitely a place where technology transfer would be a way to progress.’

The oil and gas industry has also called for help in extracting oil, Muggeridge said. One example would be the BP project Brightwater in the 1990s, where the company wanted to improve recovery in reservoirs where the rocks had different permeability. ‘They’d inject water, but it would follow the path of least resistance into the more permeable rock and leave the oil in the lower permeability regions.’ BP approached several chemical companies, and eventually formed an alliance with Chevron and Nalco, with the latter company developing an additive that would ensure the water bypassed permeable rocks. ‘What was needed was some kind of additive that could be injected with the water, and would migrate a small distance from the well bore and then set, so that it didn’t damage the ability to inject. They decided it would be best be triggered by temperature, as seawater — which is what they were injecting — is cold and it warms up in the well. So what Nalco devised was a polymer that coils up on itself when it’s cold, but when it reaches a trigger temperature it bursts open like popcorn and blocks off those more permeable routes, so the water is forced into the less-porous strata and displaces the oil.’

The catalytic reformer No.3 at the Kwinana refinery in Western Australia.

Chemical firms are important technology-transfer partners for the oil industry, partly because they speak the same technological language. But also, as oil reserves become more difficult to extract from wells that have been exploited for some years, it becomes economic for industry to inject ‘something more complex than water’ to get it out, as Muggeridge puts it.

‘The existing additives tend to work at a specific conditions of temperature, salinity or mineralogy, so, increasingly, oil companies are going to their chemicals partners and are asking for additives that work at higher temperatures, higher salinities and in carbonate-containing rocks that are reactive, and if they can have something more environmentally friendly than polyacrylamide gels.’ If this can increase the extraction rate from 40 per cent of the reservoir contents to 45 per cent, it’s well worth the investment.

Sometimes, the research that proves key to an oil company’s technology isn’t so obvious. Bob Sorrell explained that after 27 years in the industry, he finds that talking to people who aren’t connected with it can unlock new approaches to problems in unexpected directions. ‘One example is barnacles on ships, which is a big problem; they stick to the hull and it then takes more fuel to propel the ship. We used to paint the hull with tributyl tin, which stopped them attaching, but that’s now banned,’ he explained.

Studies on barnacles has helped drive the development of new coatings.

‘So a group of scientists in Sweden looked at the larvae of acorn barnacles to find out why they attach in the first place; it turned out to be that the larvae could sense a change in their chemical environment, and you could use a polymer that wasn’t toxic but blocked that chemical change to stop them attaching. We were interested in that, because we operate a fleet of tankers, but there was more to it than that, because the next piece of work these scientists did was to look at deposition of proteins on prostheses, and then to look at build-up of materials on surfaces. And this brought us on to our own issues, such as the build-up of deposits that can cause blockages in production systems. We could apply the same thinking on how the deposits start to build in the barnacles as to blockages in upstream and even in automotive with build-up of deposits on fuel injectors and other parts of engines, and understanding in fundamental science can really help you there.’

Biological insights such as this could be increasingly important to the sector, and in even more direct ways. Companies are beginning to investigate a technique called microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), which, as the name implies, uses microorganisms rather than chemicals, or pressure from water or CO₂ in the reservoir to encourage flow into the well bore. MEOR works by using the microorganisms to change the interaction between oil and rock, but although it was first discovered in the 1920s, it has not fulfilled expectations, according to Muggeridge. ‘We just haven’t understood enough about how bugs behave and grow under conditions of high temperature and in a chemical-rich environment, but in the past few decades there has been such huge growth in knowledge of biotechnology and the genetics of these organisms that we might 

be able to finally exploit this technology.’

According to Sorrell, there are three reasons an oil company might choose to turn to technology transfer to solve a problem. ‘The first is that just by looking at the problem that you’re facing, you may just by talking to someone from a different sector get a fresh perspective on how to solve it. Second, someone may have solved the problem already. And third, it make sense to work in emerging areas, such as graphene, it makes much more sense for a group of companies to work together to understand what the applications are for this new area of science.’ BP is trying to broaden its reach into academic research by issuing open calls for research grants, he added.

But Muggeridge said that such decisions tend to be made on the basis of the specific problems that a company is facing at a particular time, such as getting oil or gas out of a specific well or group of wells in similar geology if they aren’t performing up to expectations. ’In my experience, the industry tends to be focused on its immediate performance and it isn’t very good at looking forward to long-term technology needs, although there are of course exceptions such as carbon capture and storage.’

One of the ways BP accesses technologies to transfer into its portfolio is via the International Centre for Advanced Materials (ICAM) of which Sorrell is associate director. Based at a ‘hub’ at Manchester University and with ‘spokes’ at Cambridge, Imperial and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, it is ‘an essential part of BP’s innovation ecosystem’, Sorrell explained. ‘We call it an ecosystem because we believe we can achieve much more in partnership with others than we could on our own; we can leverage expertise more effectively through academic partnerships and joint ventures. We also have a corporate venturing model where we take equity stakes in small companies and get a position on the board, so we can observe technology development in those companies and understand how that’s developing in the market they work in, and that’s a very powerful way of understanding how they operate.’

In my experience, the industry tends to be focused on its immediate performance and it isn’t very good at looking forward to long-term technology needs, Prof Ann Muggeridge, Imperial College.

The desire of oil companies to engage across the sciences indicates one of the reasons that the oil industry has such a strong influence in academia. Its ability to fund research is one reason, although it tends to look at relatively small- to medium-term projects. But another reason is the sheer breadth of the science base it touches. It offers scientists an enormous range of challenging topics to study. An this may be why, despite the growing controversy over fossil-fuel investment, Bob Sorrell sees no unease within the scientific community about seeking funding or involvement in the oil industry. ‘It continues to be a mutually beneficial relationship,’ he said, ‘and for us, an increasingly vital one.’

HiWind economics more compelling than eve.

HiWind economics more compelling than eve.

Wind power, not shale gas, was the biggest single cause of the fall in US carbon emissions from coal use. The European Union also highlights why wind is becoming an increasingly smarter energy option over “cheaper” sources.

By Katherine Steiner-Dicks

The findings, based on figures by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), contradict the established narrative that touted shale gas as the biggest single factor in bringing down US emissions in recent years, says Greenpeace.

The new analysis, which was published in part by Greenpeace and Energydesk, comes in the wake of a major international study recently published illustrating a global shale boom will not reduce emissions, and may lead to an increase in emissions of up to 11 per cent by 2050.

The US shale industry has been widely credited for reducing the country’s reliance on coal and slashing carbon pollution from the power sector. But research by Greenpeace energy and climate analyst Lauri Myllyvirta suggests that shale gas played a much smaller role than previously thought.

Between 2007 and 2013 the US saw the largest fall in coal usage ever experienced by any country, with renewables, energy efficiency and shale gas together picking up the slack. Switching away from coal led to lower emissions from the power sector, which has largely been attributed to fracking.

Surge in renewable:

The Energydesk analysis shows instead that most of the power vacuum left by coal (56%) was filled by a big surge in renewables and efficiency over the same period, with the rest being covered by gas-fired generation.

But a closer look shows that the reduction of CO2 emissions that the contribution of fracking is overshadowed by that of clean technologies and efficiency measures. Of the 16 per cent fall in US carbon emissions since 2007, only around a third (30%) came from switching from coal to gas, for the simple reason that natural gas still emits CO2.

By contrast, 40 per cent came from the switch from coal to renewables and the remaining 30 per cent from improved efficiency. Increased generation from wind power plants alone was responsible for 32 per cent of the drop - a slightly larger contribution than that made by gas, according to the reports.

The Greenpeace analysis only looks at emissions from burning the fuel to generate electricity and does not take account for the methane leakage from shale gas, which would further diminish shale gas’ contribution to emissions reduction, according to media reports.

A recent analysis by Bernstein research suggests US coal use will fall by a further 25 per cent by 2020, again partially driven by renewables growth.

The steady decrease of US emissions, however, has been reversed in these last 18 months following a price-driven increase in coal burn, and also a resurgence in crude oil production (up 31% in last two years). But with a significant number of coal plants due to retire in 2015, this return to rising emissions may turn out to be short-lived.

Fracking v. clean energy:

Commenting on the findings, Greenpeace energy analyst Lauri Myllyvirta said: “The supposed climate benefits of fracking have been a big selling point for the shale lobby, but this myth has now been cut down to size by compelling new evidence.

“Our analysis shows that it was the clean tech boom, not the fracking rush, that slashed the bulk of carbon emissions from the US power sector. And this even before considering the impact of fugitive methane emissions, one the most dangerous greenhouse gases on the planet.

“Ahead of a crunch year for global negotiations on a new climate deal, all the evidence points to clean technologies and smarter energy use as the most effective solutions to tackle climate change. Our political leaders will do well to remember this.” 

Wind: comparatively a lower cost energy:

Separate analysis reports are also highlighting how wind energy is one of the lowest cost options for reducing carbon emissions, but some have attempted to take another analysis out of context to argue that this is not the case, said a news brief by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

The recent positive news about wind energy includes a from Wall Street investment firm Lazard, which confirms that wind energy’s recent cost declines have made it the lowest cost option for reducing emissions.

In fact, said the AWEA report, Lazard’s results indicate that wind’s cost is lower than all other new generation options, making wind a win-win for consumers and the environment by giving wind a negative cost of reducing emissions. Additional positive news comes from a draft EU report (source: The Guardian) that shows that wind is the lowest cost energy source once the public health and environmental costs of other energy sources are accounted for.

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy confirms that wind’s costs, as reflected in signed utility wind purchase contracts, have fallen by more than half over the last five years. Moreover, the report finds that over the life of a project, wind is by far the lowest cost option once expected increases in the price of fossil fuels are taken into account.

“Undeterred by these findings, some have misrepresented a rough estimate prepared by the Midwest grid operator (MISO) of the potential costs of complying with EPA’s pending Clean Power Plan to limit emissions of carbon dioxide from existing power plants,” said AWEA.

“Some anti-wind groups have taken the results out of context, ignoring important caveats in the draft in an effort to attack wind energy. MISO has acknowledged the limitations of its initial analysis and has stopped presenting those results because others have taken the numbers out of context, but that has not stopped some anti-wind groups from continuing to misrepresent the results.”

As a result, AWEA has expressed that it is “compelled to set the record straight” by correcting the cost estimate to account for a number of critical limitations in the estimation method, including several that MISO has acknowledged have a significant impact on the estimate.

“These corrections bring wind’s calculated cost of emissions reductions down by a factor of 5 from the initial estimate. MISO has not yet released the full details of its methodology, so there would likely be additional corrections to the estimate if those details were known,” said AWEA.

The fact that utilities in MISO are signing wind purchase contracts at costs below the cost of competing generation proves that wind actually has a very low or even negative cost of reducing emissions, the AWEA has expressed.

Price stability:

Moreover, expected increases and volatility in the price of competing fuels make it even clearer that wind energy is the lowest cost generation option for reducing emissions in the long term, as shown in the chart below from DOE’s report.

President and CEO of Xcel Energy’s Northern States Power David Sparby is seeing the cost competitiveness of wind compared to other energy sources.

When he announced 600 MW of new wind purchase contracts by explaining that “Wind prices are extremely competitive right now, offering lower costs than other possible resources, like natural gas plants. These projects offer a great hedge against rising and often volatile fuel prices.”

According to MidAmerican Energy, the investor-owned utility controlled by Warren Buffett, its plans for a 1,050 MW wind farm in Iowa has its customer benefits: “The expansion is planned to be built at no net cost to the company’s customers and will help stabilize electric rates over the long term by providing a rate reduction totalling $10m per year by 2017, commencing with a $3.3m reduction in 2015.”

Europe wind sector sees steady investor 

appetite:

The total cost of energy production, which factors in externalities such as air quality, climate change and human toxicity among others, shows that coal is more expensive than the highest retail electricity price in the EU. A recent EU report puts the figure of external costs of the EU's energy mix in 2012 at between EUR150bn and EUR310bn.

Justin Wilkes, deputy chief executive officer of the European Wind Energy Association has said that renewables are regularly denigrated for being too expensive and a drain on the taxpayer. “Not only does the Commission's report show the alarming cost of coal but it also presents onshore wind as both cheaper and more environmentally-friendly," said Wilkes.

Onshore and offshore wind technologies also have room for significant cost reduction. Coal on the other hand is a fully mature technology and is unlikely to reduce costs any further.

Wilkes added: "We are heavily subsidising the dirtiest form of electricity generation while proponents use coal’s supposed affordability as a justification for its continued use. The irony is that coal is the most expensive form of energy in the European Union. This report shows that we should use the 2030 climate and energy package as a foundation for increasing the use of wind energy in Europe to improve our competitiveness, security and environment."

Investors agree:

Glennmont Partners, one of Europe’s largest fund managers focusing exclusively on investment in clean energy infrastructure, has signed an acquisition agreement with Sorgenia to build two wind farms in one of the strongest wind resource locations in France.

The acquisition comprises of two wind farm sites of 16 MW and 6 MW located in the Haute Normandie and Nord Pas de Calais regions in France respectively. The sites are located in one of the strongest wind resource areas of the country.

The two projects are ready to be built, having obtained all building permits and secured all land leases for 40 years. Power Purchase Agreements with EDF have been signed for both projects, which will benefit from the French Feed-In Tariff for 15 years.

“Long term, non-recourse project financing to fund the construction and operations of the wind farms has also been signed with leading lenders,” said the clean energy investor.

Currently the fund is managing in excess of 115MW of onshore wind farms in France, Ireland and the UK.

Francesco Cacciabue, Partner and Chief Financial Officer of Glennmont, said: “The 22 MW portfolio of new projects is a highly attractive investment opportunity. This investment complements our existing portfolio of wind and solar in France and offers investors access to substantial and visible returns, in line with our investment philosophy.”

“This is the first deal we have announced since closing our fully subscribed second fund last month. We have a strong pipeline of opportunities and we will continue to build on our momentum with other new investments in the coming months,” he added.

Partnering to expand:

Partnering in the renewable energy industry is also taking place in Europe. For example, Juwi, a renewable energy project developer based in Wörrstadt, Germany has a new partner: Mannheim-based MVV , which has agreed to acquire a 50.1 percent majority shareholding interest in juwi AG via a capital increase.

The transaction is expected to close no later than December 31, 2014. The two companies agreed to keep the financial and organizational details of the transaction confidential.

For juwi, the new strategic partnership is an important milestone that will strengthen and enhance its core business of project development, construction and operations & maintenance.

Listed energy player MVV Energie AG, which has annual revenues in the region of EUR4bn plans to further expand its commitment in the renewable energy sector through this new investment.

For Fred Jung and Matthias Willenbacher, the co-founders of juwi, the transaction represents a major building block for sustainable growth in the juwi Group: “We are delighted to be teaming up with Mannheim-based MVV Energie AG, which is already extremely active in the field of renewable energies and is now interested in the sustainable and strategic expansion of this commitment together with us.”

For MVV Energie AG, the partnership with juwi represents the systematic evolution of its strategic orientation: “The ongoing transformation of energy supply structures in Germany centers on an efficient and environmentally-friendly combination of renewable and conventional energies as pillars in the energy system of the future”, said Dr. Georg Müller, Chief Executive of MVV.

Stephan Hansen, the juwi Executive Board member responsible for international business said that outside of Europe demand for wind energy remains strong: “In a global context there is enormous potential for the efficient use of renewable energy, particularly wind and solar energy. In light of our outstanding accomplishments as a project development and EPC partner on almost every continent we want to harness these opportunities and continuously expand our international business.”

Apart from the new partner, the stable and profitable core business in Germany is helping the juwi Group with realignment. By the end of September, juwi had already realised over twenty wind projects this year throughout Germany with a total capacity of approximately 200 megawatt.

The company has also reported that several other projects with a total capacity of nearly 100 megawatt are currently at the construction stage leading to the conclusion that wind power is still in demand and showing that its cost effectiveness is increasingly matching its equally attractive low carbon status.

Hi Locally Established! Local Events, Our Local Domain Egypt!

Hi Locally Established! Local Events, Our Local Domain Egypt!

Main Event; Egypt Food Tech Expo 2014!!.

The International Exhibition for Food Technology and Packaging "Food 

Tech 2014" will take place from August 8 - 10, 2014.

The food processing industry is one of the key economic sectors in Egypt, 

contributing employment, and value added and export activity.

The food processing industry is also characterized by its high potential.

 The domestic food-processing sector is growing and has attracted 

increasing investment in recent years.

Visitors of the event include:

- Buyers for large-scale food processing companies.

- Buyers for small and medium food processing companies.

- Buyers for catering chains.

- Restaurant and hotel managers.

- Travel catering buyers.

- Food industry - Producers of raw materials.

- Service suppliers.

- National and foreign trade press and media

For more information, please visit:

Click the Link Here.

To contact the organizers, please visit:

Click The Link Here.

Main Event; Egypt Shop Fair 2014!!.

The 3rd International Exhibition for Equipment shops, supermarkets,

 stores and shopping centers will take place from August 8 - 10, 2014.

Rapidly and successfully developing retail and wholesale business in egypt 

makes specialized exhibitions of commercial equipment are specially

 popular. 

The exhibition will include: equipment and furniture for shops, 

supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and bakeries, hotel equipment, shop 

equipment, storage equipment, refrigerators and freezers and much 

more.

The International Exhibition "egy shop" is the first business event in 

egypt, 

which reflects the real situation in the market and assists in developing the 

industry.

To contact the organizers, please visit:

Click The Link Here.

Main Event; Cairo Energy 2014!!.

Cairo Energy Oil & Gas International Conference & Exhibition will be held 

between 6th and 9th September 2014.

Cairo Energy Oil & Gas International Conference & Exhibition, organized 

by 

Pyramids International Group, will be held between 6th and 9th 

September 2014 at Cairo International Convention Center.

Event will be a unique meeting platform in Egypt which is a major transit 

point for oil and LNG from the Persian Gulf to Europe. 

Egypt, on the other 

hand, is the largest non-OPEC oil producer in Africa and the second 

largest 

dry natural gas producer on the continent.

Event will serve the further development of the industry and bring 

together the most crucial actors of the sector. 

Cairo Energy will not only 

be highlighted through the deals and contracts to be concluded by key 

buyers and decision makers of the industry, but it will also turn out to be 

the preferred choice of the manufacturers to showcase their newest 

products due to the high reputation of the event in the Egypt energy 

industry. 

Therefore, the event will be a key component of the promotional 

campaigns of numerous companies in the sector.

This Event, through its Conference, will enable all professionals from the 

Energy Sector to share their expertise, exchange ideas and experiences, 

update their knowledge and skills and discuss the latest progress and 

challenges facing the Industry as well as, of course, networking and 

relational development.Cairo Energy Exhibition will also serve to 

alternative energy to bring together the newest and hottest products 

manufacturers related with solar and wind energy. 

Egypt has one of the most efficient winds of the world and Egypt is 

privileged to have 3000 hours of sunlight per year.

For more information, please visit:

Click The Link Here.

Where Did We Find This Blog Post Information? Check Out 

Egypt Business Directory, Your Local Guide In Egypt To Local Business 

News, Events, Organizational Information & Much More, View & Visit 

Hammam Industries & Co. Egypt Company Profile Located & Published 

On 

Egypts Top Listing Directory;

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You May Wish To Subscribe Directly To The Egypt Business Directory & 

Receive The Latest Information & Developments News & Updates!!.

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Hi Magnitude News! Siemens to Deliver the World's Largest Subsea Pipeline Heating Power System.!

Hi Magnitude News! Siemens to Deliver the World's Largest Subsea Pipeline Heating Power System.!

Siemens Energy has received an order to deliver customized direct electrical heating (DEH) power supply systems for ten subsea flow lines, with an option for two additional systems. 

Customer is BP Exploration Limited and all the systems are to be deployed on BP-operated Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea. 

Delivery of the equipment is scheduled for end of 2015. 

Siemens scope of supply for the Shah Deniz Stage 2 development project includes the delivery of customized topside DEH power supply systems to be used on ten subsea flow lines to prevent hydrate formation during planned and unplanned process shutdown. 

Deepwater natural gas reservoirs and low temperatures induce hydrate formation, which can cause flow assurance challenges such as flow line blockage or reduced capacity. 

The DEH power systems from Siemens will contribute to a consistent flow of hydrocarbons despite challenging fluid characteristics and temperature conditions at the seabed. The respective modules of the systems contain power components as well as a unique control and protection system for the topside equipment and subsea DEH cables. 

They will provide power for the heating of pipelines when required by the operations and will be installed on the platform deck. 

The order includes full-load testing of the containerized systems that simulates real-life conditions to verify the integrity and full functionality of the system before shipment to Azerbaijan. This is key in order to ensure the reliability and availability required for this type of critical equipment. 

"Siemens is an established supplier of DEH systems and Subsea Solutions. With this contract award in the prolific Shah Deniz field, we will strengthen our position in the growing market for direct electrical heating," said Mario Azar, CEO of the Siemens Energy Sector's Oil and Gas Solutions Business Unit.