3YOURMIND and RusselSmith promote 3D printing in the Nigerian oil sector

3YOURMIND, an additive manufacturing company, is partnering with RusselSmith, the first industrial additive manufacturing provider in West Africa, to optimize the identification, digitization and manufacturing of parts for the oil and gas industry.

RusselSmith, based in Lagos, Nigeria, is the only company certified by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to use non-metallic additive manufacturing solutions in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, has one of the most efficient energy sectors in the region and is home to numerous major oil and gas companies.

The industry faces the challenge of maintaining older equipment, especially with the difficulty of sourcing obsolete spare parts. RusselSmith addresses this problem by producing required parts locally to optimize uptime and reduce costs.

Using 3YOURMIND’s part identification software, RusselSmith identifies suitable parts for additive manufacturing applications in the oil and gas industry. After determining technical compatibility and economic feasibility, RusselSmith optimizes the parts for 3D printing. The optimized parts are then integrated into a digital inventory, which simplifies pricing, delivery and order fulfillment.

“There is significant potential for improving operational efficiency in the oil and gas industry through the additive manufacturing of legacy parts, and it all starts from being able to identify viable parts across the industry and determine the most efficient ways to manufacture such parts additively.” says Kayode Adeleke, CEO of RusselSmith. “We are pleased to partner with 3YOURMIND to improve our solutions, and we look forward to making a positive impact in the region together.”

“This partnership with RusselSmith aligns with 3YOURMIND’s vision to serve the needs of the energy sector by making it easier to identify and produce critical components to sustain equipment,” says Jos Burger, Executive Chairman at 3YOURMIND. “RusselSmith provides astounding expertise in additive manufacturing and oil and gas, and we’re very pleased to enter the region with such a strong local partner.”

The partnership between 3YOURMIND and RusselSmith promises to significantly improve efficiency in the Nigerian oil and gas industry through the use of 3D printing technology. In the long term, this could help to ensure the maintenance and availability of equipment in a critical industry.