bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Obstacles To The Adoption Of The IAS/IFRS In Tunisia
Authors: Boumediene Salem Lotfi , Zarrouk Ridha , Tanazefti Ines
Published: May 2016

To guarantee the production of financial information that is useful for economic decision-making, most countries have a set of accounting standard used in preparing the financial statements. Indeed, the use of a common accounting language by all companies operating in the same economic space allows different users to monitor the activities of these entities in time and space and, therefore, take reasonable decisions. Thereby, the international accounting standards are a necessary to clarify the financial disclosure and make reading financial statements conform to a single repository easier. This strengthens the investor’s confidence, stimulates the financial market and ensures the best qualities that the financial information should be endowed. In deciding to adopt the international accounting standards IAS/IFRS, Tunisian authorities have launched a challenge to prompt a fast and adequate transition to a new accounting, financial, informational, organizational and internal control systems. However, this presents some obstacles related to the nature of the Tunisian economy which is characterized by a strong presence of small and medium companies, to the differences between the tax system and the accounting system, the conservative attitude of leaders and the high concentration of ownership. The results of our research analysis shows that the conservative attitude of managers and the lack of dynamic and efficient markets are the most important obstacles to adoption of IAS/IFRS in Tunisia according to the Tunisians Certified Public Accountants TCPAs). We detailed our analysis for the accounting, tax and economic obstacles. For the accounting, we found that the application of IAS 19, IAS 36 and IFRS 4 are the standards that cause more problems at the moment of their implementation according to the TCPAs. In addition, the deferred tax, the actuarial method and the treatment financial instruments are the most complex treatments in IAS/IFRS. Finally, the differences between the Tunisian accounting system and the international system are undoubtedly an important obstacle. Concerning the tax obstacles, we found that companies prepare their financial statements first in accordance with tax rules. In fact, the differences between the tax rules of the Tunisian accounting system and the IAS/IFRS are undoubtedly an obstacle to a better adoption of them. In addition, another obstacle is the readiness of tax administration for the adoption of the IAS/IFRS. Finally, for the economic obstacles, we found that the IAS/IFRS’ adoption and implementation costs and the costs related to their enforcement are the main economic obstacles.
Employee Ownership And Employee - Shareholders Satisfaction: An Analysis Of French Companies Listed On The SBF 250
Authors: Elouadi Sarah , Ben Noamene Tarek , Chaher Dorsaf
Published: May 2016

Our paper examines employees’ ownership as a mechanism that stimulates employee-shareholders’ efforts and encourages them to adopt positive working behavior. Nevertheless, the expected effects of employees’ ownership are not direct and need the inclusion of mediating variables. Our study proposes, then, to investigate the impact of employee ownership on organizational attitudes, analyzing, in particular, the influence of incentives. To this end, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey of employees of French companies listed on the SBF 250. Using structural equations modeling, we were able to conclude to the importance of the considered mediating variables.
Marketing Strategies Of Small Craft Producers In South Africa: Practices And Challenges
Authors: Makhitha KM
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this research paper was to investigate the practices and challenges of marketing strategies of craft producers in Gauteng, South Africa (SA). As craft producers lack access to market they are unable to market their products successfully and face major challenges in marketing their products. A survey was conducted among 244 craft producers in Gauteng, South Africa (SA) to determine the marketing strategy practices and the challenges they face when marketing their products. The findings have shown that craft producers introduce new products from time to time and constantly improve existing products. Craft producers believe that their products are unique and of higher quality. They face challenges with the lack of demand for their products and the fact that it is not easy for them to identify customers that want their products. Craft producers need to decide on who they want to target with their products, determine the needs and then formulate an appropriate marketing mix element strategy to reach the chosen target market.
The Determinants Of Foreign Location And Market-Entry Mode By Multinational Banks: A Simultaneous Approach
Authors: Belaounia Samia , Chtioui Tawhid , Nekhili Mehdi
Published: May 2016

The study aims to explain the determinants of banks’ choices of location of overseas activities and of market-entry mode (subsidiary, branch and representative office). Location of overseas activities and market-entry mode are considered as simultaneously determined. The determinants are based on the factors associated with the characteristics of the parent bank and host country. A 3SLS model is used to estimate these determinants. Based on sample of 63 banks from 18 countries in 2004, the results show that foreign location and market-entry mode are governed by the characteristics of both the host country and the parent bank. Our results also provide some answers about the impact of entry mode on location choice, and vice versa.
Reutilização de contêineres padrão ISO na construção de edifícios comerciais no sul do Brasil
Authors: Carbonari Luana Toralles , Barth Fernando
Published: May 2016

Os contêineres marítimos, padronizados pela International Standard Organization (ISO), têm sido reutilizados em diversos países, como forma de racionalizar e agilizar a construção de edifícios. Após o final do seu ciclo de vida, esses contêineres podem ser reutilizados na construção por ainda apresentarem elevada capacidade estrutural e grande resistência às intempéries. Essa reutilização exige adequações a esse novo uso. Neste contexto, busca-se avaliar os principais parâmetros construtivos representativos dessas transformações e das adequações que se mostraram necessárias em três edificações comerciais, situadas na região sul do Brasil. A caracterização e análise do sistema construtivo com contêineres foram realizadas a partir de levantamentos de documentação, fotografias e entrevistas com projetistas e construtores.  O preparo, a logística operacional e os procedimentos adotados nas transformações dos contêineres mostram-se eficazes e adequados para o seu uso nas três edificações comerciais analisadas. Os resultados obtidos mostram, em caráter indicativo, que os contêineres ISO, mediante rápidas transformações, aumentam a rapidez e a racionalização da construção. Por fim, esses contêineres, que apresentam grande potencial de uso na construção de edifícios, também podem reduzir os desperdícios e os impactos ambientais associados, fazendo com que esse sistema construtivo possa contribuir para edificações mais sustentáveis.
Inovação tecnológica na construção civil
Authors: Granja Ariovaldo Denis
Published: May 2016

Esta edição da Revista PARC Pesquisa em Arquitetura e Construção tem como principal tema a inovação tecnológica na construção civil. Em outros setores industriais, o termo inovação descreve um processo que se estende desde a criação de uma ideia até a inserção no mercado de um novo produto, processo ou serviço. No Brasil, o universo acadêmico e os setores privados e públicos têm reconhecido a importância da formulação de uma política de ciência, tecnologia e inovação para modernizar o setor da construção civil. Nesta edição cinco artigos têm seus focos em uma variedade de perspectivas relacionadas à inovação. Estes artigos trazem exemplos e também mecanismos de indução de inovação tecnológica voltados à indústria da construção civil.
Sítio arqueológico Octalles Marcondes Ferreira
Authors: Guimarães Cássia Aparecida
Published: May 2016

Neste trabalho foram utilizados os conceitos e métodos de estudo e escavação arqueológicos dentro de um espaço escolar: a Escola Estadual Octalles Marcondes Ferreira. O que se pretendeu foi reproduzir o ambiente de trabalho do arqueólogo para que os jovens estudantes pudessem ter contato com a prática da Arqueologia. Os alunos foram levados a criar hipóteses, pesquisar, escavar e, através dos materiais encontrados no sítio, responder o porquê de um determinado espaço na instituição de ensino não ser mais utilizado. Com este programa, em que se procurou fazer uso da arqueologia para explicar o abandono de um espaço da escola, os alunos puderam entender não apenas o procedimento de escavação, mas também sua motivação principal, que é encontrar explicações nos vestígios materiais que ajudem a desvendar o presente e/ou o passado.
Projeto experimental do trabalho arqueológico: “Arqueologia do lixo”
Authors: Moreira Marcos Rogério da Silva
Published: May 2016

Este artigo tem por objetivo divulgar a experimentação de técnicas e métodos aprendidos durante as aulas da disciplina Fundamentos da Prática Arqueológica, ministradas pela Prof. Dr. Carolina Kesser Barcellos Dias, para o curso de especialização em Arqueologia da Universidade de Santo Amaro, bem como as demais etapas que envolvem um projeto de investigação arqueológica. Para isso, tratei uma unidade residencial, tipo apartamento, como uma área de pesquisa e possível sítio arqueológico – aqui ora denominado sítio 7142 – e estabeleci como objetivo compreender os padrões de consumo e demais relações sociais que se possam inferir a partir da intervenção arqueológica, e dos resultados obtidos por meio da análise da cultura material. De acordo com esses objetivos, escolhi o método de prospecção superficial e coleta de material por amostragem, mais precisamente da área de serviço do apartamento. Observaram-se padrões associados à alimentação, descarte e deposição de material, comportamentos relacionados ao consumo. Apesar dos resultados serem efetivos, ainda não são conclusivos, pois podem ser realizadas outras inferências acerca dos materiais coletados.
O mistério dos objetos
Authors: Plens Cláudia Regina
Published: May 2016

Texto de encerramento do dossiê “Fundamentos da Prática Arqueológica: Ensaios”.
Características y relevancia del nuevo trabajo de las mujeres en núcleos urbanos de baja densidad empresarial: el caso de Palencia
Authors: Fernández Sanchidrián José Carlos
Published: May 2016

Una aproximación a la estructura productiva.

Una delimitación de las características de los Yacimientos de Empleo (YE) que pretenda ser comprensiva del conjunto de condiciones que le afectan, tiene necesariamente que atender al papel jugado por las mujeres, tanto en la parte de iniciativas a la hora de crear y mantener empresas, como cuando se contempla su contribución a las mismas como trabajadores por cuenta ajena.

En la estructura empresarial y de empleo de pequeñas ciudades, circunscritas a una baja densidad del tejido industrial, las mujeres ejercen y son actores del mercado de trabajo en un doble sentido: por una parte, siguiendo la razón de los tiempos, para sentirse parte integrante e incorporadas a la sociedad que les ha tocado vivir, y por otra, al encontrarse inmersas en un mercado de trabajo, de características dual y segmentario, en el que la formación técnica o profesional, no es ya garante de éxito de incorporación al mismo. Las dos situaciones lejos de ser confluentes, actúan como vectores que se contraponen, obteniendo como resultante una presión adicional, que obliga a buscar espacios que cumplan a la vez la condición de éxito económico y la de dirigirse hacia que no sean asignados apriorística y exclusivamente a los hombres.
Ortega y las mujeres. Dichos y hechos
Authors: Fernández Escalante Mairena
Published: May 2016

En España "no se piensa desde los 18 años más que en hacerse un colchón donde dormir lo más tranquilamente posible y casarse con una mujer muy ordenadita para que no gaste mucho y muy beata y muy ignorante y muy Doña Nada para no tener que inquietarse demasiado respecto a su fidelidad" José Ortega y Gasset

Diversas han sido las opiniones vertidas en relación con el punto de vista adoptado por Ortega y Gasset sobre las mujeres en sus textos. La flexibilidad del tema de análisis ha permitido su abordaje desde distintas disciplinas. En ocasionales aparece el pensador bajo el aura del rechazo debido a sus reflexiones y no pocas veces por lo provocativo de su lenguaje. Pensamos que una nueva lectura de sus escritos en comparación con los hechos que sus biógrafos nos relatan, así como la de algunos autores que han tratado el tema podrá ayudarnos a conocer los fundamentos sobre los que se sustentan.

Animadas con esta intención hemos profundizado con mirada antropológica en pasajes de la obra de Ortega ya que como dice M. A. Durán "este tema es recurrente en la obra de Ortega y la exposición de sus ideas presenta cierta dificultad no solo porque varían a lo largo del tiempo (sobre todo en el modo de expresarlo que es en su juventud más literario y florido) como porque lo hace de un modo relativamente disperso sin detenerse en ningún texto a resumirlo y sistematizarlo, así como en algunos de sus comportamientos y relaciones a fin de articular el nivel ideal o lo que dice, con lo que hizo o nivel real de interacción con las mujeres que le conocieron y las que con él colaboraron a lo largo de su trayectoria vital.
Facing the new cycle in the Armed Forces: the centers of military thoughts creation
Authors: Martínez Paricio Jesús Ignacio , Díaz Castro José Ramón
Published: May 2016

La función crea el órgano. Es la sabia ley de la naturaleza que garantiza que las especies puedan sobrevivir a los cambios fundamentales. Las organizaciones sociales eficaces aplican el mismo principio. Ante lo desconocido y lo por venir, se crean centros de pensamiento y de investigación que permita al mando, en este caso, disponer de información de calidad con la que anticipar el futuro, no tanto con el ánimo de acertar en un sentido virtual del término, asunto difícil en las ciencias sociales, como de prever escenario con el fin de optar entre ellos. Con el final del Muro de Berlín, la desaparición del Pacto de Varsovia y la quiebra de la Unión Soviética, los ejércitos de las sociedades modernas están encarando una crisis que va más allá de la reducción de sus plantillas, o a la disminución de los presupuestos militares con el fin de amortizar los beneficios que aporta la nueva etapa de la distensión. Los ejércitos de las sociedades avanzadas tienen que realizar una compleja tarea de adaptación de sus estructuras y organigramas para integrar las nuevas técnicas y sistemas para hacer frente a múltiples misiones. Si se quiere, éste es un cambio menor frente a otros a los que tiene que hacer frente. El ejército, siendo una institución netamente nacional, debe actuar cada vez más en organizaciones internacionales, y debe integrar lo nuevo en lo viejo, sin que ello le suponga romper con su tradición.
La religión y su lugar en la sociología
Authors: Cordero del Castillo Prisciliano
Published: May 2016

La religión como objeto de la sociología.

La religión, en su naturaleza y en sus manifestaciones, es un fenómeno tan complejo que no puede ser comprendido por una sola ciencia. Como expresión de un mensaje sobrenatural, la religión es objeto de la teología. La filosofía trata, por su parte, de profundizar en su naturaleza a través del razonamiento.

Las ciencias empíricas que estudian el hecho religioso se ocupan de aspectos concretos: su dinámica a lo largo de la historia (historia de las religiones), su influjo en el campo psíquico (psicología de la religión), sus aspectos sociales (sociología de la religión), etc. Uno de los pocos paradigmas sociológicos que cuenta con el consenso general de la mayoría de los sociólogos de la religión es considerar a ésta no en su esencia, sino en sus manifestaciones externas, como un hecho social. Hoy, después de los estudios de Max Weber sobre la ética protestante calvinista y el desarrollo del capitalismo, nadie duda que la religión sea configurada y condicionada por la sociedad, al mismo tiempo que ésta, la sociedad, es condicionada por la religión. En este mismo sentido se manifiesta Fernández Fernández, F. (1996:77) cuando dice que “el binomio ‘Religión-Sociedad’, hecho religioso y contexto social, se encuentra siempre interrelacionado y es, por su propia situación y configuración social, interdependiente”.
Sociedad y educación en las Leyes de Indias
Authors: García Benítez Antonio
Published: May 2016

En este artículo pretendo presentar un diseño de las investigaciones que estoy realizando, en base a la Legislación Indiana, desde una perspectiva sociohistórica de la Educación. En los más antiguos documentos legislativos (año 1503) ya vemos la preocupación por fundar escuelas, iniciándose una ingente legislación a través de Cédulas reales, Decretos, Órdenes, Reglamentos, Oficios e incluso Consultas y Pareceres que nos es preciso examinar y explicar. Los reyes españoles tuvieron más mimos para los súbditos americanos que para los peninsulares; no creo que hubiese ley que ordenara abrir escuelas en los pueblos peninsulares y si las hubo, muy pronto, para los que se iban formando en América.

Los estamentos sociales y los destinatarios de la educación.

Las fuentes históricas presentan la población de la América hispana, en el periodo colonial, escindida y estratificada en grupos sociales antagónicos y en categorías étnicas diferentes.
An Improved One-pot Method for the Synthesis of 1,5-Disubstituted Tetrazoles from Secondary amides using Titanium Tetrachloride (TiCl4)
Authors: Vedpathak S. G. , Kakade G. K. , Ingale V. S.
Published: May 2016

A novel protocol for the synthesis of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles from secondary amides has been developed using TiCl4 as a catalyst for first time. In the present protocol, the use of TiCl4 enhances the reactivity of sodium azide towards secondary amides. This methodology may be used efficiently for the synthesis of variety of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles.
Quality Management in Healthcare Services with Special References to Selected Hospitals in Pune
Authors: Vernekar Sachin S. , Sheykholeslam Shirin
Published: May 2016

Service Quality has been the focus of many studies in recent years. Previous studies mostly revealed that excellence in services is mostly based on the outcome measurements, and no linkage between internal processes. Based on the literature review and the limitation of applied model in this research (EFQM and SERVQUAL), this study offered an opportunity to investigate the internal elements of excellence. In addition, this study measured the impact of internal excellence elements on patients side externally.
This empirical research sought to investigate the Critical Excellence Factors (CEFs) that drive Excellence in selected hospitals in Pune. It measured patients’ perception for service quality and it’s relation to internal recognized CEFs.
The study combines the EFQM excellence model as an internal assessment tool, with the SERVQUAL gap model for external assessment instrument. Analyzing and contrasting the two sets of results allowed the authors to suggest an integrated model which will help to improve driving excellence in healthcare organizations.
Wavelength Allocation in Passive Optical Networks: A Survey
Authors: Gupta Aatisha , Kumar Ashok
Published: May 2016

In the preceding years, the research society and genuine users have enabled to increase the consideration of Passive Optical Networks. Several authors discussed the various wavelength allocation techniques for different layers. This paper provides a detailed study about all the existing wavelength allocation techniques and also explains about limitations available in the techniques. Wavelength allocation includes 1524-1544 nm in upstream direction and 1596-1602 nm in downstream direction. Finally, this paper concludes with insights for research techniques about wavelength allocation in Passive Optical Networks.
Energy 360: Invited Perspective: Another World’s First From The NCS: Subsea Gas Compression Is Here
Authors: Haldorsen Helge Hove , Ramberg Rune Mode
Published: May 2016

President's column

Steve Thurston, Chevron’s vice president of deepwater exploration and projects compares developing US Gulf of Mexico oil fields like Jack and St. Malo in 7,000 ft to the 1969 moon landing: “Except we are going to the moon every day!” It really is impressive to see how offshore and subsea technology have evolved over the years. Of the world’s current oil demand of approximately 93 million BOPD, some 27 million BOPD or 30% comes from offshore fields and the offshore contribution is expected to continue to grow according to Douglas-Westwood World Drilling & Production Market Forecast 2005-2021.

The Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) is among the front-runners in subsea technology developments and applications. It is like a giant “subsea and offshore 2.0 laboratory” for the rest of the offshore world.

According to Statoil, it has more than 500 subsea wells and is the world’s largest operator in water depths greater than 100 m.

The Troll-Oseberg Gas Injection subsea template installed in 1991 supplies gas subsea from Troll to Oseberg, 48 km away, making a gravity drainage recovery mechanism on Oseberg possible, resulting in a very high oil recovery factor.

Through more than 150 multibranched subsea wells (two to six branches per well), individual Troll oil province development wells can connect with nearly 45,000 ft of productive reservoir.

Subsea water separation and subsea reinjection units have been successfully used on the Troll oil and Tordis field developments. At the Tyrihans 10% additional recovery is achieved with injection of raw seawater from pumps on the seafloor.

Snøhvit and Ormen Lange are all-subsea offshore gas developments and send unprocessed wellstreams to shore 90 and 75 miles from shore, respectively.

Efficient subsea gas compression is the next challenge that the industry must face to continue subsea development. When an offshore gas field is developed 100% by a subsea development and the pressure falls because of production, compression will be needed at some point to maintain the production rate. But, there is no platform to put it on—unless you build one. What about installing subsea compression and skipping the platform altogether? Is this even possible? I posed questions to Statoil’s chief engineer in subsea technology, Rune Mode Ramberg, regarding the latest subsea compression developments on the NCS.
Maximize Recovery by Minimizing Production Delays and Shut-ins
Authors: Crafton James
Published: May 2016

Technology Update

The greatest challenge facing the oil and gas industry, particularly in this low-price environment, is to increase recovery rates. Experts in multiple disciplines across the industry are focusing on it because even a small improvement in recovery factors can make a major impact.

To meet this challenge, the industry must do more than look to new, stepchange technologies; it must question current practices. For example, the practice of delaying first production after the multistage fracture stimulation of wells is widely seen as a sound operating strategy. Additional shut-ins, whether intentional or unexpected, are a part of everyday well operations. However, a growing body of evidence shows a negative effect on wellbore connectivity with the reservoir.

A recent study examined more than 360 wells in six North American shale plays to determine the effect of production delay and shut-ins (Crafton and Noe 2013). The analyses showed that delaying production quickly damages wells, thus affecting wellbore connectivity and production. A similar result was found for shut-ins, with a strong correlation between the number of shut-ins and incurred damage.

One of the mechanisms causing this damage is the energy stored in the fluid/ fluid interfaces in the form of a capillary pressure difference. Historically, the pressure difference has been understood to be relatively small, but in shale plays, it can easily be of the same magnitude as the original reservoir pressure.

The study also examined the potential benefit of using a persistent interfacial tension management (pITM) nanofluid to mitigate these negative effects and found that in cases of production delay or shut-in, wells treated with pITM nanofluid showed improved connectivity and production compared with untreated wells. Therefore, the reduction of interfacial tension has the effect of reducing the amount of energy, or pressure drop, needed to allow flow to begin.

The Study Methodology

To determine the effect of production delay and shut-ins, two metrics were used to compare well performance. The first was the “apparent fracture length,” which describes the degree of connectivity between the wellbore and the reservoir. This value was normalized for proppant weight placed and determined based on flowback pressure and production data, using the reciprocal productivity index approach (Crafton 1997).
Automated Drilling Technologies Showing Promise
Authors: Jacobs Trent
Published: May 2016

Drilling Automation

For the past several years, automated drilling has promised to deliver major improvements in drilling performance. But the technology is facing new obstacles that might affect its progress and commercialization. Global oil prices and an ongoing gas glut have upturned the economics of automated projects, while in North America, human-operated drilling has improved substantially.

For Shell, those factors have caused it to scale back or cancel several projects in which automated drilling was to play a key role in the development of thousands of wells. This comes after years of headway the company was making with automated technology. In 2011, Drilling Contractor reported that the first generation of Shell’s automated control system had already shown a 70% improvement in rate of penetration (ROP) in areas where the company was testing the system. However, that figure is no longer relevant as human drillers in the US have narrowed the gap.

“What has happened is instead of competing against the average driller in an environment of high activity and scarcity, we are now competing against a pool of extremely talented and accomplished drillers,” said Mark Anderson, manager of drilling mechanics technologies at Shell. “Thus, the bar has been raised for the adoption of drilling automation-type technologies.”

Globally, however, there remains significant shortcomings in the capabilities and availability of rig crews, which underpin the need to deliver automation in the near future. Whether the goal is met rests on the shoulders of a small group of early adopters and innovators. If successful, their work will bring about a major departure from how drilling systems are designed and operated today by proving that, with data and algorithms in the driller’s seat, drilling can be made safer, more consistent, and ultimately cheaper by way of reducing nonproductive time (NPT).

Some experts foresee a generation of rigs that will operate mostly autonomously. Others predict that in the near future, it is more likely that rigs will be remotely controlled by drillers, geologists, and engineers working, not in the field, but in office buildings and on several wells at once. Some of the systems evolving now aim to turn drillers and rigs into something resembling today’s commercial airliners, whereby many functions of the airplane are automated with pilots able to take control if they need to.
The Road Map to Automation
Authors: Jacobs Trent
Published: May 2016

Drilling Automation

John de Wardt, president of De Wardt & Company and program manager of the Drilling Systems Automation Roadmap cross-industry initiative, has been working for the past few years with other experts to develop a comprehensive technology road map for automation.

He is also a board member of SPE’s Drilling Systems Automation Technical Section (DSATS), formed to drive the development of automated well construction technologies. Based on his work with these groups, he expects that a series of breakthroughs in the next few years will lead to a full embrace of automated drilling systems in the next decade.

“It is easy to look at it and say it is a nice pipe dream. But then when I discuss with people what is actually happening out there, I see data points that verify this is a realistic vision,” said de Wardt. The road map is a guide that companies in the industry may follow to go from automated components, or subsystems, such as bottomhole assemblies or weight on bit controllers, to a fully automated drilling system.

While it may be a slow piecemeal approach, de Wardt said such a plan is needed to coordinate the complex ecosystem of companies involved with well construction. The industry reality is that it takes an amalgamation of equipment manufacturers, rig contractors, and service companies to drill wells for operators. A few majors, such as Shell, national oil companies, and integrated project management companies that own rigs may have such prowess but they are the exceptions.

“I think it will go both ways because there will be some integrators that are going to see the value in doing it from the top down,” he said. “But independents are not going to go out and spend big on this; they are not going to go out and fund such a change like that.”

One stop on the road map involves standardization. Using the Internet as an example, de Wardt said different automated systems need a common protocol so they can “talk” to each other and a control system, regardless of who made them. For instance, the work that DSATS is undertaking and the application developed by NOV using an open platform.
When Talking Automation, Mind the Algorithms
Authors: Jacobs Trent
Published: May 2016

Drilling Automation

The word “automation” is a catchall for a detailed set of levels of control; 10 in fact. And each will be applied in a different way. As each system climbs the scale, one rung at a time, pushing it up will be increasingly accurate algorithms and computer models.

According to robotics pioneer Thomas Sheridan’s levels of automation, at the most base level, systems are simply advisers with no control whatsoever. Toward the middle of the scale, humans take on more of a supervisory role, or as some phrase it, “are kept in the loop.” The highest level involves automated systems that ask for no help from humans while doing their tasks, and actually ignore them, with the exception of override systems to initiate emergency shutdowns.

“Once we get to the point where there is full automation, there are going to be some exciting and radical new changes that take place,” said John Hedengren, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Brigham Young University, who leads a research team on drilling automation and works with SPE’s Drilling Systems Automation Technical Section (DSATS) on data quality assurance for automation.

Hedengren underscores his optimism for what is yet to come by citing Moore’s Law, which has astutely predicted the exponential improvements seen in computer processing over the past half century. In the last 15 years, Hedengren said computing speed has increased by 1,000 times, while in the same time span, some of the algorithms for drilling optimization have also improved by 1,000 times. “If you put those two together, it is actually a million times faster to run some of the same problems that we were running just 15 years ago,” he said.

For automation, it means what was impossible to do even 5 years ago is achievable today by the convergence of advanced computing technology and advanced measuring devices that feed drilling information into the models for constant readjustments.
Profits Possible at Low Oil Prices But Tough Changes Required
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: May 2016

Conference Review - HIS Energy CERAWeek in Houston, Texas, April 20-24, 2015

Low oil prices look like something the industry needs to get used to. “This will be with us for a while,” said Rex Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of ExxonMobil. While prices will swing up at times, he predicted a “difficult price environment for the next couple of years.”

The message was repeated over and over by the speakers at the annual IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston, which attracts executives from around the globe.

“You have to prepare for USD 60 and less,” said Stephen Chazen, president and CEO of Occidental Petroleum. To adapt to the new environment, “we cut costs by a third. Some projects are going away.” Companies will need to concentrate on reducing their breakeven costs permanently or “you will have tough times,” said Patrick Pouyanné, CEO and president of the executive committee for Total. For many, tough times are already here, with announced layoffs from the global oil and gas industry surpassing 100,000 by April, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The number of drilling rigs working in North America is less than half of what it was at the peak last year, but that does not necessarily mean oil production will decline. Continued low prices led natural gas producers to sharply increase their productivity, allowing them to produce far more with a fraction of the rigs once needed.

“A significant decline in rig activity did not diminish the growth in capacity” in natural gas, Tillerson said. “Will we see the same phenomenon in tight oil? I do not know, but that is why I believe this is a very resilient industry. I think people will be surprised.”

So far, the measures of drilling efficiency and well productivity in the US oil plays have improved at a rate that followed the path previously traveled by gas producers, he said.
Better Survey Management Makes Wells Safer and More Productive
Authors: Parshall Joel
Published: May 2016

Wellbore Positioning

Do you know where your wellbore is?

The question is not rhetorical, but one the SPE Wellbore Positioning Technical Section (WPTS) strives to ensure that well operators can answer with high accuracy. The ability to do so is central to safe drilling operations, optimum production, and maximum recovery of reserves. And knowing the answer depends on good wellbore survey management, a practice that frequently is deficient among drilling operations managers. It is a problem that the WPTS is trying to remedy.

Obtained by means of gyroscopic systems or magnetic systems such as measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools, a wellbore survey provides essential depth and directional data as a well is drilled. The use of data from properly designed surveys enables operators to ensure that a well will have a safe pathway to its target and avoid a collision with another wellbore. Survey information is also crucial in preparing to drill a relief well, should it be necessary.

In addition, surveys provide geoscience staff and government regulators with important data, play a significant role in forensic investigations, and aid in estimating reserves. Operators also sometimes obtain post-drilling surveys to achieve an enhanced accuracy of wellbore locational data.

Safety and Economic Benefits

Because the highest priority is to drill wells safely, conducting a wellbore survey is first and foremost a safety practice. However, the WPTS believes that many people in the industry fail to recognize the full economic benefit that good survey practice adds to drilling projects by reducing the uncertainty of achieving the intended well path. Thus, they underestimate the economic cost of inadequate survey practice.

The growth of pad drilling, in which multiple wells are drilled from the same location and spaced closer together, accentuates the need for good wellbore survey practice for safety and economic reasons.

“If you don’t know where your well is, how do you know what your reserves are?” asked Robert Wylie, product line director of Dynamic Drilling Solutions at National Oilwell Varco.

Reflecting this theme, Wylie moderated a WPTS topical luncheon titled “Why Did Your Reservoir Just Move?” at the 2014 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE). Good survey management drives increased value for wells, reservoirs, and companies, he said.
Q&A with Ahmad Al-Khowaiter, CTO, Saudi Aramco
Authors: Henni Abdelghani
Published: May 2016

Q&A

How important is technology to Saudi Aramco’s strategy?

The development and implementation of a globally competitive technology is very important to Saudi Aramco. We believe technology leadership drives continued and future success in the energy sector and is essential to achieving our aspirations to help solve global energy challenges and to stimulate the local knowledge economy.

We have laid the groundwork to create a sustainable competitive advantage through the introduction of a balanced portfolio of technically feasible and commercially viable technology options.

In upstream, the key research domains are reservoir engineering, computational modeling, drilling, production, geophysics, and geology. Research and development activities seek to increase incremental oil recovery from major reservoirs and increase the company’s resource base. Specific technology projects are directed toward increasing exploration probability, reducing finding costs, increasing production reliability, and enhancing cost efficiency.

In downstream, by which we mean everything that takes place above the ground, the key research domains are oil and gas treatment, oil upgrading, chemicals, and network integrity. The downstream research domains are all about maximizing the value from every barrel of oil we produce, which is achieved though innovation in process improvement and production efficiencies in downstream businesses such as chemicals and refining.

In addition, our strategic research domains of carbon management and fuel/ engine technology pursue the long-term sustainability of crude oil as the preferred energy source in the global marketplace.

What are the new technologies being pursued?

Our technology portfolio includes a number of cutting-edge innovations across a range of disciplines, including areas such as advanced materials, robotics, computational modeling, and others.

For example, researchers at our upstream research center are at the forefront of leveraging micro- and nanotechnologies to develop breakthrough technologies to increase oil and gas production.

Specific areas of interest include exploration, drilling, reservoir characterization, mapping and detecting various subsurface fluids, improved/enhanced oil recovery, and production.
Development of Improved High-Strength Coiled Tubing
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: May 2016

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 173639, “The Development of High-Strength Coiled Tubing With Improved Fatigue Performance and H2S Resistance,” by M. Valdez, C. Morales, R. Rolovic, SPE, and B. Reichert, SPE, Tenaris, prepared for the 2015 SPE Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 24–25 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Today, there is a need for higher-strength coiled-tubing (CT) grades with better resistance to severe environments and better fatigue performance in both the tube body and the bias weld. A complete redesign of CT technology and its manufacturing process has recently been carried out. Testing has shown that the fatigue life of the new CT grades exceeds that of currently available high-strength grades. Additionally, the bias-weld fatigue life has improved significantly. Sulfide-stress- cracking (SSC) resistance of the new CT grades is considerably better than that of conventional CT grades with the same strength.

Introduction

Significant changes in CT operating conditions have been driven by the adoption of multistage fracturing in long horizontal wells for shale oil and gas completions. In these, CT is used in well-completion operations, typically perforating the toe of the well, then milling zonal-isolation plugs used in fracturing, and then cleaning debris from the wellbore.

Stress and strain levels in the CT used for well-completion operations are typically much greater than those experienced in traditional intervention operations. These operating conditions have identified performance limitations of the CT as it is currently manufactured. One limitation is the yield strength of currently available CT grades. Another limitation is the reduced fatigue life of the bias welds relative to the adjacent base tube, particularly in high-strength-grade tubes. A third limitation is the resistance to SSC, which generally deteriorates as the strength of the tube increases. The objective of this new CT-technology development was to provide a higher-strength tube with better bias-weld performance and improved SSC resistance. This required a full metallurgical understanding of current CT materials and of the manufacturing process, in order to identify improvements. For a discussion of past and current CT technology, manufacturing, and validation methodology, please see the complete paper.
Microbial-Influenced-Corrosion-Related Coiled-Tubing Failures and Equipment Damage
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: May 2016

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 173658, “Microbial-Influenced-Corrosion-Related Coiled-Tubing Failures and Equipment Damage,” by Scott Sherman, SPE, Duane Brownlee, SPE, and Sarkis Kakadjian, SPE, Trican Well Service, prepared for the 2014 SPE Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 24–25 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Microbial-influenced corrosion (MIC) has been implicated in few corrosion-related challenges in the well-service industry in the past. Recently, however, the industry is observing an increase of MIC-related equipment damage. This upsurge of MIC coincides with a switch to unconventional water sources, including recycled water. This paper is an overview of premature coiled-tubing and other-well-servicing-equipment failures and pumping-equipment damage related to MIC.

Introduction

Recycled fracturing water has been found to contain high levels of bacteria, typically on the order of 106–109 colony-forming units (CFU) per mL. The bacteria can originate from essentially anywhere in the water-handling system: the water source, transportation, storage, pumps, or downhole. Tanks and pits used for storage of flowback water are ideal habitats for bacteria; typically, these are sessile environments; the water temperature is commonly 15–35°C; and organic compounds found in the water such as oil carryover, surfactants, or polymers can be ideal carbon and energy sources for many microbial species. Higher-than-normal bacteria populations and clear evidence of MIC have been identified from flowback water in the Eagle Ford, Marcellus, Haynesville, and Horne River shale plays.

MIC

Microbes do not have a significant impact on general metal corrosion. MIC, on the other hand, is localized. This is because microbes tend to locate themselves in out-of-the-way locations such as cracks and pits or under scale or other deposits, presumably because these places are less affected by the flow of passing fluids. Once one or more species have attached themselves to a surface, many more species follow suit. It is through this process that a biofilm is built. MIC occurs where the biofilm and the metal come into contact. Probably the most notorious and widely studied of the microbes implicit in MIC are sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and acid-producing bacteria, although iron-oxidizing bacteria, sulfate-reducing archaea, thiosulfate- reducing bacteria, nitrate-reducing bacteria, and methanogenic archaea are also known to be involved.
Visualization of Acid Treatments With 3D Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance Imaging
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: May 2016

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 168198, “The First Visualization of Acid Treatments on Carbonates With 3D Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance Imaging,” by M. Krebs, SPE, Clausthal University of Technology; B. Lungwitz, SPE, A. Souza, SPE, A. Pépin, SPE, S. Montoya, P. Schlicht, and A. Boyd, SPE, Schlumberger; and E. Vidoto, R. Polli, and T. Bonagamba, University of Sao Paulo, prepared for the 2014 SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, 26–28 February. The paper has been peer reviewed and is scheduled to appear in SPE Journal.

Core-flow tests are usually conducted to test and model stimulation treatments at laboratory scale, to predict the performance of such treatments in carbonate reservoirs. The visualization of wormholes created within core-flow tests requires novel technologies for evaluation and pathway-prediction purposes. Unfortunately, past visualization techniques were always associated with the destruction of the core sample. This paper describes the use of nuclear-magnetic-resonance imaging (NMRI) as a nondestructive visualization method in correlation with 3D rock imaging.

Introduction

The experiments described in the complete paper were conducted with different core samples such as Indiana limestone, Silurian dolomite, Winterset limestone, and carbonate outcrops. The core samples were selected according to their properties, which greatly differ for each type with respect to their origin. The core-flow tests or acidizing tests performed in this study serve the purpose of simulating field treatments at laboratory scale.

NMRI applies a gradient static magnetic field such that the strength of the field decreases with increasing distance away from the source. The Larmor frequency becomes dependent on the position of the nuclei, which will be associated with a single value of the gradient magnetic field. Hence, it is possible to locate the nuclei in a region radially around the source. More specifically, NMRI uses mostly pulsed gradient magnetic fields that belong to a group of linear gradient fields in order to link acquired signals to a specific volume element. Therefore, it is possible to locate the nuclei more exactly in the 3D space instead of only defining a region. The gradient fields are used for spatial encoding to acquire a location-dependent signal, and they are the slice-selection gradient, phase-encoding gradient, and frequency-encoding gradient.