bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linguistic Communication Channels Reveal Connections Between Texts: The New Testament and Greek Literature
Authors: Matricciani Emilio
Published: June 2023

We study two fundamental linguistic channels ‒ the Sentences and the Interpunctions channels ‒ and show they can reveal deeper connections between texts. The theory applied does not follow the actual paradigm of linguistic studies. As study‒case, we consider the Greek New Testament, with the purpose of determining mathematical connections between its texts and possible differences in writing style (mathematically defined) of writers, and in reading skill required to their readers. The analysis is based on deep‒language parameters and communication/information theory. To set the New Testament texts in the larger Greek Classical Literature, we consider texts written by Aesop, Polybius, Flavius Josephus and Plutarch. The results largely confirm what scholars have found about the New Testament texts giving, therefore, credibility to the theory. The gospel according to John is very similar to Fables written by Aesop. Surprisingly, the Epistle to the Hebrews and Apocalypse, are each other “photocopy” in the two linguistic channels, and not linked to all other texts. These two texts deserve further study by historians of the early Christian Church Literature at the level of meaning, readers and possible Old Testament texts which might have influenced them. The theory can guide scholars to study any literary corpus.
Experimental and Numerical Investigations on the Effect of Unconventional Oil Wells Lateral’s Undulating Amplitude on Transient Multiphase Flow Behavior
Authors: Khetib Youcef , Ling Kegang , Tang Clement , Aoun Ala Eddine , Fadairo Adesina , Ouadi Habib
Published: June 2023

The increasing popularity of unconventional wells has sparked a heightened interest in evaluating and predicting their production performance. With the use of extended reach well structures, these wells are able to generate and access larger reservoir volumes. Hence, it is crucial to understand how the well's lateral trajectory affects its transient production performance. The assessment of lateral trajectory undulating amplitude effect on the flow behavior is performed in the current study based on the experimental results obtained at the University of North Dakota, Undulated Two-Phase (UTP) Flow Loop, injecting air and water mixture through a variable undulating amplitude section followed by a vertical section. The experiments showed that the undulating amplitude increase induced lower translational velocity, frequency, and length, with a consistent slug acceleration through the system profile from the inlet to the vertical section and a decreasing frequency when the slugs travel through the vertical section. Measured data shows that an increase of the horizontal pressure losses and variability is expected with a higher undulation amplitude, translating the fact that larger instabilities are observed for higher amplitudes. The numerical simulation predicted lower translational velocity and frequency, higher slug’s lengths, and similar vertical pressure losses when compared to the experimental results.
Oleocanthal Ameliorates Metabolic and Behavior Phenotypes in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Yang Euitaek , Wang Junwei , Woodie Lauren N. , Greene Michael W. , Kaddoumi Amal
Published: June 2023

Aging is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD mouse models are frequently used to assess pathology, behavior, and memory in AD research. While the pathological characteristics of AD are well established, our understanding of the changes in the metabolic phenotypes with age and pathology is limited. In this work, we used the Promethion cage systems® to monitor changes in physiological metabolic and behavioral parameters with age and pathology in wild-type and 5xFAD mouse models. Then, we assessed whether these parameters could be altered by treatment with oleocanthal, a phenolic compound with neuroprotective properties. Findings demonstrated metabolic parameters such as body weight, food and water intake, energy expenditure, dehydration, and respiratory exchange rate, and the behavioral parameters of sleep patterns and anxiety-like behavior are altered by age and pathology. However, the effect of pathology on these parameters was significantly greater than normal aging, which could be linked to amyloid-β deposition and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. In addition, and for the first time, our findings suggest an inverse correlation between sleep hours and BBB breakdown. Treatment with oleocanthal improved the assessed parameters and reduced anxiety-like behavior symptoms and sleep disturbances. In conclusion, aging and AD are associated with metabolism and behavior changes, with the changes being greater with the latter, which were rectified by oleocanthal. In addition, our findings suggest that monitoring changes in metabolic and behavioral phenotypes could provide a valuable tool to assess disease severity and treatment efficacy in AD mouse models.
Pengembangan Modul Elektronik Interaktif Berbasis Exe-Learning dengan Pendekatan Saintifik pada Materi Gerak Melingkar Beraturan
Authors: Nurhayati Lintang , Budiharti Rini , Rahardjo Dwi Teguh
Published: June 2023

This study aims to describe the characteristics of Exe-Learning based electronic modules on physics material of Regular Circular Motion class X SMA and describe the assessment category of Exe-Learning based electronic modules on Regular Circular Motion material class X SMA by expert validators. The research model used in this research is Research and Development. The method used in this research is the development method with the ADDIE development model which is limited to three stages namely Analysis, design, and development. The data taken in the form of quantitative and qualitative data obtained from research subjects, namely expert validators, educators, and students. The data collection technique used a questionnaire technique. The data analysis used refers to the rating scale and interview by Sugiyono and the number line by Riduwan and Sunarto. The conclusion of this research is (1) the Exe-Learning-based electronic module on physics material for class X SMA regular circular motion has interactive characteristics in accordance with the scientific stages and consists of module cover, author biography, preface, table of contents, glossary, KI and KD, concept maps and competency maps, chapter 1 introduction, chapter 2 learning, evaluation, and closing, (2) based on expert assessments and the results of trials to students as research subjects, Exe-Learning-based electronic modules on physics material for class X SMA Regular Circular Motion based on material aspects, language aspects, and display aspects are categorized as at least good. After being tested to students, this module can be used in learning high school physics on the material of Regular Circular Motion.
The effect of beneficial microorganism as biofertilizer application in hydroponic-grown tomato
Authors: Setiawati Mieke Rochimi , Afrilandha Nandha , Hindersah Reginawanti , Suryatmana Pujawati , Fitriatin Betty Natalie , Kamaluddin Nadia Nuraniya
Published: June 2023

The use of N2-fixing bacteria and growth hormone-producing rhizobacteria delivers nitrogen, enhances nutrients absorption by plants, and reduces the usage of inorganic fertilizers. Implementing biofertilizer in the hydroponic system as a means to reduce application of synthetic nutrient is recently in interest due to economic, food safety, and sustainability factors. This study determines the effects of biofertilizer dose on tomato yields in the hydroponics system. A randomized block design was utilized that consisted of seven treatments, namely 100% inorganic fertilizer and 0% biofertilizer (control), and various doses of inorganic nutrient combined with 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% biofertilizer. The result illustrated that the application of biofertilizer augmented the population of endophytic bacteria, Azotobacter sp., Azospirillum sp., phosphate solubilizing bacteria, and nitrogen content. The distinct combination of biofertilizer did not alter the phosphorus and potassium content compared to control samples however resulted in superior tomato grade. The 50% inorganic fertilizer and 100% biofertilizer combination amplified the weight of the fruit by 36% compared to the control. This finding indicates that the application of biofertilizers in the hydroponic system for tomato plants is not only beneficial in minimizing the dosage of inorganic fertilizers but also enhancing the fruit quality.
A Comparison of Different Designs in Scoring of PISA 2009 Reading Open Ended Items According to Generalizability Theory
Authors: ALKAN Meral , DOĞAN Nuri
Published: June 2023

This study compares the different designs obtained through four raters’ scoring the open-ended items used in PISA 2009 reading literacy altogether or alternately according to the Generalizability Theory. The sample of the research was composed of 362 students (out of 4996 students participating in PISA 2009) who responded to the items of reading skills and who were scored by more than one rater. Two designs were created so as to be used in generalizability theory in the study. One of them was the crossed design symbolized as “s x i x r” (student x item x rater), in which students are scored by each rater in terms of the same skills. The second was the nested design symbolized as “(r:s) x i”, where each rater scored only a group of students and raters are nested in students and the items were crossed with these variables. On comparing the s x i x r design with (r:s) x i design, it was found that the relative and absolute error variances estimated for (r:s) x i design were smaller than those for s x i x r design and that therefore the G and Phi coefficients took on bigger values. On increasing the number of raters in both designs, the G and Phi coefficients also increased in the D study. While acceptable values of G and Phi coefficients were reached on reducing the number of raters by half in Booklet 2, raising the number of raters seemed more appropriate in Booklet 8.
The Effect of Local Wisdom Based Learning Media on Science Process Skills in Straight Motion Material
Authors: Orab Novita , Odja Abdul Haris , Supartin Supartin , Abdjul Tirtawaty
Published: June 2023

The purpose of the study was to determine the use of local wisdom-based learning media on science process skills in straight motion material in junior high school. This study used a two-group experimental design, namely between the experimental group and the control group. Sampling in this study used a random sampling technique to determine the class that would be the experimental group and the control group. The population in this study were all students of class VIII who collected 62 students consisting of 2 classes, namely class B and C of SMP Negeri I Marisa, Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo Province. The results obtained that the effect of learning using media based on local wisdom in terms of increasing the ability of students' science processes on the material of straight motion. This is indicated by the average value of the Post-test for both classes, namely the Experiment class of 85.34 and the control class of 64.73, in addition, based on the results of tcount of 6.60 which is greater than ttable, which is 2.80 meaning Ha is accepted and H0 is rejected and the significant value is obtained by 0.000 <0.005 so that it is obtained that the Local Wisdom-Based Media has an effect on the Science Process Ability of Students at SMP Negeri 1 Marisa.
Clasificador Catastral: complemento de QGIS para la clasificación de los usos del suelo urbano a nivel de parcela
Authors: Shurupov Nikolai , Molinero-Parejo Ramón , Rodríguez-Espinosa Víctor M. , Aguilera-Benavente Francisco
Published: June 2023

El conocimiento apropiado de la distribución espacial de los distintos tipos de usos del suelo es fundamental para su planificación y gestión, y para ello se requiere de fuentes de información de alto detalle. En este contexto se ha desarrollado el complemento Clasificador Catastral (CC) para QGIS, que tiene como finalidad el análisis de la información catastral para dar como resultado clasificaciones de uso de suelo con distinto nivel de detalle. CC permite realizar tres tipos de clasificaciones, desde una básica con 6 usos y una intermedia con 14, que incluye usos mixtos, hasta una avanzada, con tantos usos como el usuario defina. Para validar su funcionamiento se ha analizado la correspondencia de la clasificación resultante de un municipio de la Comunidad de Madrid con información catastral y trabajo de campo. Se observa que hay un alto grado de fidelidad con la realidad, a excepción de las zonas verdes, que requieren de fuentes de información adicionales.
Hurricanes Don’t Care About Your Flow Assurance Procedures: A Case History on How Facility Damage Provided a Natural Experiment to Validate Continuous Improvements in Paraffin Inhibitor Stability Qualification
Authors: Mazzeo Claudia , Garan Ron , Razavi Syed , Little Charles
Published: June 2023

The importance of understanding the conditions under which a product maintains stability and acceptable physical properties was highlighted in August of 2021 when Hurricane Ida disrupted operations across many Gulf of Mexico production facilities. The genesis of the storm was poorly forecasted (Beven et al. 2022) and the forecasted intensity and path of this storm dramatically shifted in the days before landfall. Transportation logistics constraints around these uncertainties resulted in operators not having full control over the timelines of evacuation and in some cases, needing to accelerate shut-in procedures to ensure the safety of evacuating personnel.

One instance of this scenario resulted in a facility being evacuated before the crew was able to initiate umbilical maintenance flushing or depressurization of a deepwater subsea paraffin inhibitor (PI) umbilical. Damage to the facility during the storm resulted in a loss of power and hydraulic control for several months in which the product was stagnant and subjected to the seafloor temperature of 4°C and approximately 4,500 psi. A total of 160 days elapsed between the unplanned shut-in and field restart. This unfortunate situation did, however, have a silver lining.

The PI in use on the facility had been developed and qualified under a series of tests developed and implemented between 2015 and 2018 which supplemented the recommendations of API 17TR5 and API 17TR6 with the aim of more effectively screening PI chemistries for stability under edge case field conditions. Until the shut-in caused by Hurricane Ida, none of the PI products developed under this augmented methodology had been exposed to conditions and durations extreme enough to fully validate the efficacy of the changes.

This paper describes the rationale behind the modifications made to the qualification process, specific recommendations related to the evaluation of time-dependent product gelation with an HP Viscometer and evaluation of thermal cycling impacts through a more severe dynamic flow loop, as well as a description of 2 case histories related to the product instability which initiated this project and the successful field test which validated its efficacy in the real world.
Cementing Geothermal Wells with Adapted Cementitious Materials: Formulation and Additives Selection
Authors: Cadix Arnaud , Hernandez Mario , Blaizot Dylan , Thant KyiPhay
Published: June 2023

Development of Geothermal reservoirs targeting steam production for electricity generation requires to implement specific subsurface infrastructure able to withstand aggressive conditions for extended number of years. Elevated temperature from 150°C to above 300°C are systematically encountered and the presence corrosive gases (carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide) brings on another challenge for the zonal isolation and asset integrity.

In order to ensure wells integrity cement sheath shall seal tightly rock and steel casing. As many studies demonstrated in the past, ordinary Portland cement would lose its mechanical performance and barrier properties when exposed to high temperatures and acidic environments. Thus, modified cements with adapted mineral compositions have been promoted for the specific use in Geothermal wells construction.

As based on different mineralogy, these blends present better chemical resistance and mechanical durability when compared to ordinary Portland cement. Therefore, organic additives such as retarder, fluid loss or gas migration control additives as well as suspension aids would have to be appropriately selected from their working mechanism to be used in Geothermal blends.

The scope of this study is investigate a set of additives, which would be "compatible" with Geothermal jobs and ensure good cement placement.

This paper summarizes first some key aspects of the Geothermal blends versus ordinary Portland cement in terms of physico-chemical behavior as well as a few primary additives instrumental to a successful cementing job.

Based on this background information, performance of the most promising candidates were assessed within our equipment temperature limitations with Geothermal blends using conventional API performance test protocols.

From this study, it was concluded that some fluid loss additives with working mechanism based on adsorption on mineral particles could suffer from competitive adsorption from high temperature retarders. On the other hand, structured copolymer with strongly adsorbing moieties show consistently satisfactory performance. In addition, styrene butadiene latexes with adapted stabilization packages can also represent good option to run HPHT cementing jobs in corrosive environments.
Field Application of a New Method for Bicarbonate Alkalinity Measurement
Authors: Liu Ya , Chao Kung-Po , Russek Jeffrey , Leontieff Andre
Published: June 2023

Accurate bicarbonate measurement is crucial in carbonate scales prediction. A common method for bicarbonate determination is through subtracting total alkalinity with carboxylates, but the measurement of carboxylates is time consuming and not applicable in the field. Since bicarbonate is hard to preserve in field brines, a field applicable method for bicarbonate detection was developed in a previous study. It was named the "head space method". The method is based on the head space pressure change due to carbon dioxide (CO2) releasing from test brine by adding strong acid to convert bicarbonate to CO2. This study is to further validate the method with synthetic and field brines and to investigate potential limitations. Based on the the tests of this study, the head space method can measure bicarbonate accurately without interference by the presence of carboxylates. In both synthetic and field brine analysis, the bicarbonates measured by head space method generally matched with the calculated bicarbonates through total alkalinity and total carboxylates. A case study further validated the accuracy of the head space method on bicarbonate determination. Moreover, this method is fast with low costs. Each sample analysis takes about 5 minutes. The capital cost of head space method equipment is less than 1,000 dollars. A limitation of the head space method identified that it is not applicable for high sulfide brines or brines with < 100 mg/L bicarbonate. Desipite the limitation, this low-cost bicarbonate detection method is fast, accurate, and applicable in the field, and able to provide instant bicarbonate monitoring in produced water in many cases.
Value-Added Decarbonatization via Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Cyclic Carbonates
Authors: Wang Xiaofeng , Carrasco Analette , Murugesan Sankaran , Blackwell Catherine , Ugono Onome , Nugent Douglas , Roberts Corby , Weers Jerry
Published: June 2023

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) represents one of the key contributors to decarbonization. CCUS hubs that take gases from industrial systems as chemical, power, gas producers, and oil refineries have become the energy industry’s preferred way to combat climate warming. Avenues to utilize the captured CO2 are becoming an attractive area of research. One promising route is through the production of high-value and sustainable products where it can be directly used as a raw material. This paper highlights the direct conversion of CO2 to valuable chemical products such as cyclic organic carbonates in route to sustainable solutions, less energy intensive manufacturing process and lower carbon footprint products. An efficient synthesis process that combines the use of a low-cost, nontoxic, single catalyst system under mild process conditions was developed. The resulting process reported herein was successfully scaled up to nearly quantitative conversion and > 98% purity. Reaction efficiency was achieved by optimizing parameters and can be extended to a variety of cyclic organic carbonates.
Geochemical Impact on Rock Wettability in Injection of High-Concentration Formate Solution for Enhanced Geologic Carbon Storage and Oil Recovery
Authors: Oyenowo Oluwafemi Precious , Wang Hao , Okuno Ryosuke , Mirzaei-Paiaman Abouzar , Sheng Kai
Published: June 2023

Aqueous formate (FM) solution has been studied for geologic carbon storage, in which highly concentrated FM solution as carbon-bearing water is injected into the target formation. The literature shows that aqueous FM solution may cause geochemical interactions with carbonate rocks, but no experimental data exist for high-concentration FM solutions. This paper presents a new set of data focused on core-scale wettability alteration of carbonate porous media with varying FM concentration (up to 30 wt%) in NaCl brine. Experimental data from Amott wettability tests and core floods with limestone cores were analyzed to mechanistically understand the wettability alteration observed in the experiments.

Static calcite dissolution tests showed that the degree of calcite dissolution increased with increasing FM concentration in the NaCl brine even with the initially neutral pH. For example, the calcium concentration in the 30-wt% FM case was 15.9 times greater than that in the NaCl brine case with the initial pH of 7.0. Furthermore, reducing the initial solution pH from 7.0 to 6.1 for the 30-wt% FM solution caused the calcium ion concentration to increase by a factor of 3.2. Geochemical modeling indicated that the increased calcite dissolution could be caused by the formation of calcium FM complexes that reduced the activity coefficient of the calcium ion and therefore, drove the calcite dissolution.

The 30-wt% FM solution with the initial pH of 6.1 yielded 4.7 times greater oil recovery than the NaCl brine case in the spontaneous imbibition. The resulting Amott index clearly indicated the wettability alteration to a water-wet state by the FM solution. The 30-wt% FM solution with the initial pH of 7.0 yielded only 30% greater oil recovery than the brine case in the spontaneous imbibition; however, it reached nearly the same amount of total oil recovery (spontaneous and forced) with the 30-wt% FM solution with the initial pH of 6.1. This is likely because the in-situ solution pH could be sufficiently lower than the calcite isoelectric point consistently during the forced imbibition, unlike under the static conditions during the spontaneous imbibition.

Increasing the FM concentration in the injection brine (pH 7.0) delayed the water breakthrough in core floods. Numerical history matching of the core flooding data showed that increasing the FM concentration in the injection brine rendered the initially oil-wet core to a more water-wet state as quantified by Lak and modified Lak wettability indices. Results in this research collectively suggest the importance of in-situ solution pH in wettability alteration by aqueous FM solution in carbonate media, in order to cause the rock surface to be positively charged in the presence of FM and calcium ions.
Fate and Transport of Sulfonated Polymeric Inhibitors in the Reservoir: Studied by Column Experiments With Calcite Media
Authors: Yao Xuanzhu , Wang Xin , Ko Saebom , Leschied Cianna , Shen Yu. Yi , Pimentel Daniel , Navarathna Chanaka , Ye Yuqing , Reiss Amit , Kan Amy T. , Tomson Mason B.
Published: June 2023

Sulfonated polymers are frequently used in the oil and gas industry to prevent inorganic scale damage, but studying their fate and transport in reservoirs has been difficult due to the challenges in analyzing them at effective concentrations. Recycling inhibitors in reservoirs necessitates inhibitors that do not adhere strongly to mineral surfaces, making polymeric inhibitors a promising option. This research aims to examine the sorption and transport of sulfonated polymeric inhibitors in calcite-packed columns using the Brine Chemistry Inhibitor (BCIn) technique, with the goal of recycling the inhibitors, specifically in the Permian basin.

The BCIn method was used in this study to determine concentrations of sulfonated inhibitors, which had been shown to be reliable for measuring polymeric inhibitors at near ppm levels. The study began with conducting batch experiments on barite and calcite salts to gain initial insights into the adsorption properties of inhibitors. Next, flow-through experiments were performed where sulfonated inhibitors were injected into a column packed with calcite, followed by a flow-back test. Different sulfonated polymeric inhibitors were tested under various temperatures in the lab’s synthetic brine matrices. The concentrations of sulfonates versus injected time were plotted to assess the retention of inhibitors on rock surfaces. A commonly used phosphonate scale inhibitor (DTPMP) was included for comparison of adsorption characteristics.

The experimental findings suggest that sulfonated polymeric inhibitors exhibit limited adsorption capacity but strong binding between inhibitor molecules and mineral surfaces. An inhibitor treatment scenario is proposed, where the first injection is used to saturate the surfaces of rocks, and subsequently, produced water containing low-concentration inhibitors can be recycled.

The research expands our understanding of sulfonated polymeric scale inhibitors’ fate and transport in reservoirs, overcoming the challenge of analyzing polymeric inhibitors at low concentrations. The results provide evidence supporting the potential of applying polymeric inhibitors via injection wells for safeguarding production.
A Novel AMD Nanosheet and Surfactant Synergy System to Increase Oil Production under Harsh Reservoir Conditions
Authors: Cao Dongqing , Han Ming , Fahmi Mohanad , Alsofi Abdulkareem
Published: June 2023

Amphiphilic molybdenum disulfide (AMD) nanosheet is a novel flake type nanomaterial for increasing oil production. It shows unique behaviors on oil/water interface as the flake nature compared with particulate nanomaterials. However, nanosheet solution in high salinity water at elevated temperature had poor compatibility, which limited the applications at harsh reservoir conditions. An improved nanosheet system synergetic with a cationic surfactant was developed and showed good compatibility improvement at 95°C and salinity as high as 57,670 mg/L. The interfacial tension (IFT) of the developed nanosheet and surfactant system with crude oil was not ultra-low, but it showed excellent interfacial activities in emulsification tests and phase behavior tests even at low concentrations. Nanosheet produced much stable emulsion than surfactant. Mixing nanosheet and surfactant increased emulsion stability. The hydrophilic and lipophilic balance of the nanosheet and surfactant system could be controlled by surfactant concentration. Winsor III type microemulsion was formed at nanosheet/surfactant concentration ratio of 1:2 to 1:8. For the performance in porous media, the surfactant component reduced the retention of nanosheet and decreased the plugging to the cores. Corelfooding tests in limestone and carbonate cores demonstrated the good incremental oil production performance of the nanosheet and surfactant system at 95 °C. Both oil bank at early stage of nanosheet injection and a long-lasted emulsified oil contributed to the oil production. The oil production performance of nanosheet/surfactant system was affected by both concentration and concentration ratio of the two components. A 50 mg/L nanosheet and 2000 mg/L surfactant formulation showed highest oil production after waterflooding compared with other combinations.
Demystifying Amine Inhibitor Chemistry
Authors: Khramov Dimitri , Panamarathupalayam Balakrishnan , Barmatov Evgeny
Published: June 2023

Amine shale inhibitors are an integral part of high-performance water based mud (HP WBM). There are many commercially available amines with similar claims regarding performance as shale inhibitors. Most performance comparisons are made relative to KCl-polymer muds, making the shale inhibitor differences very apparent. Unfortunately, a comparison between several good-performing inhibitors is rarely performed and reported. There are few systematic comparisons of amine shale inhibitors with each other based on their structure and conditions under which testing is performed. The relationship between amine structure and performance as an inhibitor is not well understood. This paper presents design of an experimental methodology to compare the effectiveness of 30+ amines as shale inhibitors under a broad range of testing conditions. Shale hydration, dispersion, and bulk hardness were measured after exposure to drilling fluids to determine which test parameter can most efficiently distinguish amines. Additionally, the adsorption or desorption of amines from a clay were measured to determine which amine is the strongest absorber. Statistical data treatment was applied to separate signal from the noise of measurements. The results of this investigation verified that amine inhibitors do not affect shale moisture content and shale dispersion is primarily affected by fluid viscosity. Furthermore, a bulk hardness test that measures cuttings hardness is a good differentiator of amine inhibitors. Supplementary functioning for amine inhibitors was confirmed with adsorption or desorption test that showed good correlation with a bulk hardness test. In summary, these measurements established a structure-activity relationship between the amines tested and determined that an effective shale inhibitor should contain more than 1 nitrogen atom/molecule. Additionally, linear structure is preferred over branched structure, and supplementary hydrophobic amines function better than hydrophilic amines provided the amine remains water soluble. Amines were further differentiated by their acid-base dissociation constant (pKa). The reason some amines perform in broader pH range than others is also presented. For the first time, a statistically validated study has been conducted to assess the results of different tests and to compare the effectiveness of different shale inhibitors. The results of these comparisons provided a way to understand the shale inhibition mechanism and develop better practices focused on developing next-generation aqueous fluid systems.
Successfully Optimizing Performance of Friction-Reducer Boosters for Slickwater and High-Viscosity Fluids
Authors: Kitchen Jarrett , Kakadjian Sarkis , Vu John , Hundt Nadia , Qin Qicon
Published: June 2023

Polyacrylamide-based friction reducers (FRs) and high-viscosity friction reducers (HVFRs) are designed to reduce friction losses in tubulars and improve proppant placement. Low-cost anionic FRs are suitable, and are often the standard, in mild-salinity environments. However, to perform in high-salinity environments, anionic FRs require one of the following: 1) an increase in polymer activity/concentration/molecular weight, or 2) the introduction of sulfonated/cationic monomers. This study presents the screening process of commercial boosters used to improve the performance of low-cost conventional FRs and HVFRs.

Conducted at room temperature, as well as the various bottomhole temperature conditions encountered in the Permian, Bakken, Haynesville and Eagle Ford shale plays, the study is designed to investigate the boosters’ effects on the performance on FRs, whether these FRs are in liquid or dry form, by introducing different nonionic or charged surfactant species. The study presents impact on drag reduction, yield viscosity and viscosity at different sweeps (including the ultralow shear rates encountered in the fractures). Further, the study tests viscoelasticity and creep behavior; this is to determine if the friction-reduction effect is due to faster dispersion or to improved hydration due to changes to colloidal distribution.

Impact of FR boosters is limited by the makeup of the boosters, as well as the delivery form of the FRs or HVFRs. The study team observed that, when conventional anionic FRs are delivered in the invert emulsion form, proppant transport properties improve with the addition of specific nonionic- and/or cationic-based surfactants.

Unlike traditional methods used to predict the impact on the performance of FR boosters, this new testing methodology more effectively predicts the impact of small tweaks in the booster's molecular structure, which reduced pumping pressure in this study by approximately 500 psi.
A Coupled Model of Phosphonate Scale Inhibitor Interactions with Carbonate Formations
Authors: Kalantari Meybodi Mahdi , Sorbie Ken S. , Vazquez Oscar , Jarrahian Khosro , Mackay Eric J.
Published: June 2023

In this study, a chemical model has been developed for the simulation of the scale inhibitor (SI) interactions with carbonate systems (calcite), where the aqueous phase may contain free calcium and magnesium ions. The resulting model couples together the equations of (i) the carbonate system, (ii) the speciation of the SI, modelled as a weak polyacid, HnA, (iii) the metal (Ca2+, Mg2+) binding – SI chelant interactions and (iv) the subsequent precipitation of SI-Ca-Mg complex. These reactions are considered in conjunction with the charge balance and mass balances for calcium, magnesium, scale inhibitor and "carbon" (i.e. the carbonate system aqeous components HCO3-, CO32- and CO2 and solid CaCO3). This full equation set, with suitable reduction, results in a system of 3 non-linear equations which can be solved by the Newton-Raphson method to find the final equilibrium state of the system.

The experimental results for the DETPMP/Calcite/Ca-Mg brine system from a previous study were used to check the reliability of the proposed model. The model calculates the equilibrium concentrations of all species (SI, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3-, CO32-, CO2, H+, and the components of the SI-Ca-Mg complexes etc.) based on their initial values and reaction constants, i.e. equilibrium constants, stability constants and solubility constants. The model can be applied either assuming a closed chemical system, or an open system and simuilation conditions were chosen in order to match the actual experiments which were matched. The model results show good quantitative agreement with the experimental results, although some assumptions must be made on the system input constants. To elucidate the precise effects that these various parameters are having in this very complex coupled system, an extensive sensitivity analysis was performed. This is especially important for uncertain parameters like stability constants of the complexes of scale inhibitor with calcium and magnesium, which are not reported in the literature.

In future, this model be coupled with the adsorption model (based on the isothermal adsorption curve) and the coupled model will be incorporated into a transport model to develop a complete coupled adsorption/precipitation squeeze treatments simulation model. To our knowledge, no such model currently exists.
The Impact of EOR Polymers on the Adsorption of Phosphonate Scale Inhibitors
Authors: Silva Célia , Beteta Alan , McIver Katherine , Sorbie Ken
Published: June 2023

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is critical to optimally produce existing reserves with a minimised carbon footprint. However, it is essential that the EOR process does not impact ongoing production chemistry treatments. Here, the focus is placed on the interactions between EOR polymers and scale inhibitors in terms of adsorption. The adsorption of both EOR polymer and scale inhibitor is assessed using static adsorption tests to understand and analyse the competitive adsorption between the two species. The study also clarifies some features of the adsorption kinetics of the EOR polymer used in this study, HPAM (partially hydrolysed poly acrylamide).

Static adsorption bottle tests were performed under conditions of fixed pH and mass/volume ratio (m/V); m = mass of substrate and V = volume of solution. In these experiments, HPAM and DETPMP were used as the polymer and as the scale inhibitor, respectively. The adsorption levels of HPAM and DETPMP were tested under a range of conditions, viz. adsorption was measured separately, in combination initially (at t = 0), and in sequential addition experiments (at t = t1). A series of experiments was carried out to construct the HPAM adsorption isotherm in order to have a better understanding of the results. All tests were conducted at 70°C as this is the typical upper temperature at which HPAM would be applied in the field and is a common mid-range temperature at which DETPMP would be used.

The main experiments were conducted for 72 hours with sampling every 24 hours. For the same concentration in North Sea seawater, it was possible to observe that the adsorption was constant over time for the DETPMP (i.e. at equilibrium). However, over this period the HPAM adsorption values increased with time indicating that the system was not at equilibrium. In combination experiments, HPAM appears to have a lower adsorption in the presence of DETPMP – or is kinetically retarded by DETPMP – regardless of the order in which the chemicals are combined. In order to better understand these observations, a detailed kinetic study of HPAM was performed, which showed that adsorption equilibrium was only reached after about 14 days.

This study suggests, that (i) competitive adsorption between DETPMP and HPAM can result in reduced HPAM adsorption (and possible kinetic modification), and (ii) that the adsorption of HPAM occurs kinetically slowly in terms of well production time scales. These results are amongst the first observations of this type in the literature, and they highlight the need for the industry to develop a better understanding of the competitive interactions between scale inhibitor treatments and EOR polymers. The implications of our experimental findings for field applications is highlighted in this paper.
Novel Environmentally Responsible Solvents for Sulfur Removal in Oil and Gas Applications
Authors: Ekoue-Kovi Kekeli , Murugesan Sankaran , Ugono Onome , Pinappu Sai , Weers Jerry
Published: June 2023

The removal of unreactive or non-acidic sulfur species to meet fuel specifications remains a challenge in the oil and gas industry. This is especially the case with the recent introduction of IMO 2020 restrictions in the use of marine fuels to those that have sulfur contents from 3.5% down to 0.5%. This has led refiners to seek alternative sulfur removal technologies that can be used in addition to the conventional desulfurization process. Formulations of cyclic organic carbonates (COCs) were developed in combinations with environmentally friendly lactones and glycol ethers and are shown to facilitate the removal of unreactive organosulfur compounds such as thiophenes, disulfides and mercaptans. This study utilizes different sulfur-containing hydrocarbon streams consisting of crude oil, heavy hydrocarbon (fuel oil), lighter hydrocarbon, naphtha from various refineries and field operations. Model hydrocarbon blends were prepared by dosing with different sulfur compounds and analyzed for sulfur removal efficiency using COC formulations. The use of sulfur containing heavy hydrocarbons from the field were also assessed to demonstrated that the sulfur removal was applicable to a wide range of hydrocarbons. Furthermore, a process for the recovery and reuse of solvent was developed to extend the lifetime of the solvent and reduce the cost of operations. The regenerated solvent shows extended efficiency and the process for its regeneration, recycle and reuse offers many advantages. The newly developed solvent formulation showed enhanced performance over caustic or other specialty chemistries by 30-100% depending on the nature of the sulfur species.
Use of Mutual Solvents to Improve Injectivity Prior to and During Waterflooding
Authors: Jordan Myles , Mackay Eric James , Al Hajri Ahmed
Published: June 2023

While Mutual Solvents have been widely used to improve contact surface area between rock and chemicals applied for scale inhibition or acid stimulation purposes during squeeze treatments, the literature does not identify study of their impact on injectivity enhancement for water injection wells.

This paper examines the impact of using solvents prior to water injection to displace otherwise residual oil from the near injector formation, and thereby improve injectivity while under matrix injection conditions. The work described includes both experimental studies - evaluating mutual solvents in sandstone core floods - and near-wellbore modelling to demonstrate the benefit and to explore the impact of chemical concentration and volume.

Experiments involved measuring effective brine permeability before and after application of a mutual solvent solution, vs water injection only, into cores at initial water saturation at both reservoir and room temperature.

A radial reactive transport model was used in which interpolation between relative permeability functions is dependent on the concentration of the solvent, as well as on salinity and temperature. The model also accounts for the impact of injection rate on the balance between viscous and capillary forces in the very near well formation. Sensitivity to solvent concentration, solvent volume, and the implication of application temperature for this waxy crude oil were investigated.

The consequence of mutual solvent injection is that the aqueous phase injected thereafter would have access to greater pore volume (oil saturation in core will be below normally defined Sor), and hence the effective permeability to the aqueous phase would be increased. Measurements identified 98% removal of oil at reservoir temperature with mutual solvent vs only 17% improvement in brine permeability with seawater alone. For the room temperature coreflood, emulating cooling of the near wellbore with water injection, the recovery of brine permeability was again better for the mutual solvent treatment.

Similarly, the modelling study identified that for a given injection pressure limit and under the reservoir conditions assumed, a 2.5 ft slug of 20% mutual solvent in water would improve injection rate within the first year of injection by over 11% leading to an incremental volume of water injected of over 1.26 MMstb.

This study highlights the potential for a simple chemical treatment to improve waterflood injection performance while under matrix flow conditions, with ensuing economic and environmental benefits of greater injection capacity without drilling additional wells.
Field Crystallization of MEA-Dithiazine: Identifying Materials, Leveraging H–Bonding Synthons, and Opportunities for Crystallization Inhibition
Authors: Everett Tom , Holtsclaw Jeremy , Schultheiss Nate
Published: June 2023

The operational production of crude oil inevitably involves the co-production of unwanted materials that must be resolved, e.g., produced brine, solids, gases, hydrogen sulfide, etc. Hydrogen sulfide is a particularly noxious and hazardous gas often encountered in oil production, and various methods, including chemical, engineering, or combinations thereof, have been developed to address the challenge. Despite the longevity of the H2S scavenging problem, practical and economical solutions for treating H2S are still sought by the industry.

MEA-triazine (1,3,5-tris(2-hydroxyethyl)hexahydro-s-triazine) is a routine chemical scavenging treatment for removing H2S in production operations. MEA-triazine readily reacts with H2S under field conditions to form MEA-dithiazine as a H2S scavenged product. Operationally, the resultant MEA-dithiazine is removed from the system and disposed of in an injection well. However, under certain conditions, the MEA-dithiazine is known to form crystalline masses that can result in significant fouling within piping, separators, and even static mixers.

Field crystallization of MEA-dithiazine was observed, and the material was collected. The crystals were unambiguously identified as the MEA-dithiazine dimer through single-crystal x-ray crystallography (Schultheiss et al., 2022). As an alternative to solvent or hot water washes to remove the problematic crystallized MEA-dithiazine, a concept was envisaged to leverage molecules that are disruptive to the H-bonding patterns that result in the crystallization of MEA-dithiazine. A series of hydrogen-bonding donor-acceptor small molecules, along with various polymeric materials, were identified and evaluated as disruptors to aid in mitigating field crystallization.

This initial study describes identifying and testing a series of small organic molecules and larger polymeric materials as network disruptors to inhibit MEA-dithiane crystallization. Identifying cost-effective molecules that can disrupt the H-bonding and prevent MEA-dithiazine crystallization holds promise to prevent MEA-dithiazine fouling in field operations. In addition, such a solution may provide a cost-effective alternative to labor-intensive solvent and hot water washes.
Temperature Activated Modified Natural Polymer for High Temperature Cement Slurry Rheology Control
Authors: B. Hernandez Mario , Cadix Arnaud , Zhang Shaopeng , Petrowsky Jeremy , Molina Jean , Parker Cameron
Published: June 2023

A well-known challenge in high-temperature well cementing is to prevent settling within cement slurries during placement. Many suspension additives lose their properties with temperature. However, increased loading of the suspension additives to offset the thinning would lead to unmixable slurries at the surface. Herein this paper discusses the use of a new Modified Natural Polymer (MNP) technology to address the high-temperature slurry stability challenge. This MNP was designed to aid in the suspension of solids and free water once the slurry reached an activation temperature. Below the activation point, the MNP shows a very limited impact on the slurry rheology. But once activated by temperature, the MNP can provide very effective slurry suspension even beyond the commonly seen high-temperature limit of natural polymers. MNP is also compatible with commonly used additives and has no other significant impact on the slurry properties besides suspension.

A series of tests have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of MNP in various sets of conditions. A comprehensive set of tests was conducted on a 16.4 ppg Class H design where the triggered activation of the MNP is critical for mixability at the surface. BP settling tests on this slurry design were conducted from 300 to 375°F with a significant reduction of top-to-bottom density variation. A high-precision rheology study is conducted with slurries containing MNP to develop a better insight into its working mechanism. It is here demonstrated that MNP suspension capability is developed through marginal interactions between the polymer and cement particles which makes it less impacting on other additives interactions and reduces the risk for antagonistic effects.