bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Risk Management: Using Intranet-Based Tools To Effectively Communicate Critical Risk Information From Bow Ties And Hazard & Risk Registers.
Authors: Pitblado R M , Tahilramani Ravi , Joseph Jean-Yves
Published: July 2010

In the process industry, operational safety is still a concern particularly when it comes to preventing major accidents like BP Texas City (2005) and Buncefield (2005). Critical safety systems or barriers are developed at the design stages of facilities or processes by using traditional risk assessments methods such as Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Studies and Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA). The drawings and paper reports generated are useful for initial risk communication and awareness, but work poorly for ongoing communication and information sharing necessary for successful operational safety. A HSE (Health, Safety, Health and Environment) and barrier management web-based tool (created in the SharePoint 2007 environment) was developed for a large gas production company to share hazard and risk registers, bow tie barriers and action plans in a convenient, user-friendly manner. Two versions have been developed: a pull version, where every user has the same interface and can use an intuitive web interface to extract barrier and risk information specific to them; and a push version, where the software recognizes the user and presents relevant information in a manner customized for the user's specific role in the organization.

Globally, an increasing number of upstream and downstream companies use bow ties for risk management purposes to generate large-scale diagrams, showing the threats and outcomes from their operations, the barriers in place, their owner and their effectiveness. A bow tie analysis is a barrier-based risk management approach which focuses on the critical activities necessary to prevent or mitigate threats from becoming major accidents. Enhanced, safe operation in the UK sector has shown that barrier management improves safety performance. Communicating the information from hazard and risk registers (HRR) and bow ties is essential to make sure that the full set of barriers in use and that these barriers are operational and meet effectiveness requirements. The bow tie format helps to ensure that the workforce, contractors and site management are all aware of their roles and responsibilities. HRRs and bow tie analysis are widely accepted in support of better operations safety management, but are often managed separately. Now they can be efficiently integrated into a web-based solution in the SharePoint 2007 environment.
From the Highlands to the Coast: Preliminary Results of the PERU LNG Archaeological Project
Authors: Gregory D. Lockard , Vexler David
Published: July 2010

The PERU LNG Archaeological Project is one of the largest archaeological projects in the history of Peru. As a result, a full description of the results of the Project is obviously beyond the scope of this paper. This task is further complicated by the fact that although the fieldwork is complete, the artifact analyses are only just beginning. Although the data that will eventually result from the Project are far from complete, adequate data now exist to summarize the settlement pattern of the Pipeline Project Area. Settlement pattern studies have been an integral part of archaeological investigations into the past lifeways of Andean societies ever since Gordon Willey published the results of his survey of the Viru Valley in 1953. Most of these settlement pattern investigations, however, only cover an environmentally circumscribed area such as a coastal river valley or intermontane valley. Andean archaeologists have been interested in comparing the settlement patterns of different elevation zones since at least 1968, when John Murra first presented his vertical archipelago model (see also Murra 1972). Few archaeological surveys, however, cover more than one or two of the Peru's eight "natural regions" as defined on the basis of elevation by Peruvian geographer Javier Pulgar Vidal in 1940 (see also Pulgar Vidal 1946). The Archaeological Project, on the other hand, has resulted in the investigation of every identifiable archaeological site, regardless of size and type, within a 50-meter-wide and 408-kilometer-long transect that crosses six of these natural regions (Figure 1). The Project will therefore result in unprecedented comparative data concerning the settlement pattern of Peru's various regions.
The Role of Participatory Environmental and Social Monitoring in Preventing Social Conflict
Authors: Casaretto Carolina , Prado Gabriel , Maguire Simon , Vexler David
Published: July 2010

The Peru LNG Project is located in the southern region of Peru and is comprised of a natural gas transportation pipeline system that traverses the Andean mountains to a liquefaction plant and marine terminal located on the Pacific coast. The 408 km pipeline traverses many diverse landscapes and ecosystems from the edge of the tropical rainforests to the high peaks of the Andes and finally down to the arid desert coastline.

As part of its Social Responsibility Program, the project has developed a Participatory Environmental and Social Monitoring Program (PESMP) to promote the active involvement of local stakeholders in the oversight of the performance of the Project. Local monitors have been trained to observe and register possible environmental and social impacts.

Once trained, the monitors are able to understand the Project's complexity and communicate informed opinions. They have become integrated into the Project, with the ability to influence the decision-making process. This has built trust and strengthened relationships between the Company, monitors, and the communities they represent.

The PESMP represents the first participatory monitoring program that has been carried out during the construction phase of a major oil and gas development project in Peru. The initiative has made a significant positive contribution to the social responsibility of the Company and has been well-received by the Project's affected communities. This paper describes the processes and activities undertaken during design and implementation of the PESMP, including the selection and training of the community monitors.
EcoUrucu Project: Enhancement of Eco-efficiency of E&P activities in Amazon Forest
Authors: Seabra P. N.
Published: July 2010

Before Petrobras started its commercial oil production in the middle of the Amazon forest, in 1988, a group of Brazilian scientists established the highest world-wide sustainability standards for all E&P activities in this sensitive ecosystem. However, due to importance of Amazonian biodiversity and the others environmental services provided by the forest, Petrobras’ Research Center (CENPES), together with Brazilian scientific institutes, started a five year project to improve the eco-efficiency of Urucu oil and gas production province (located about 680 km southwest of Manaus) activities called EcoUrucu. This project deals with wide broad of subjects such as: water resources, solid waste and wastewater management, energy efficiency, gas emissions, reforestation, biodiversity, and soil erosion control. EcoUrucu project started in 2006 with thirteen studies, and during its development three more were added. Some of them had already been finished with results like the publication of a book about Urucu biodiversity, process plant energy efficiency analysis, evaluation of wastewater system and reuse proposition, process modification to reduce water use on process, and the reduction of solid waste generated from the food service. Local hydrogeology assessment, improvement of local pavement quality, advance of reforestation techniques, and soil erosion vulnerability assessment are some of the studies on going. This paper presents some the results already achieved by these studies. One of the conclusions is that a proactive approach related to environmental issues is the better way to guarantee the sustainability of Petrobras E&P activities in the Amazonian Region.
Rollover Protection – A Meaningful & Effective Solution
Authors: Bozzini Susie , Jimenez Josh A. , Grzebieta Raphael , Friedman Donald
Published: July 2010

Rollover crashes remain over represented in land transportation around the world and in particular, the Oil and Gas industry, (OGP) when compared to other crash categories. The realities of this crash type is that within the USA alone it represents one in 33 car crashes each year, but it claims more than three of every ten lives lost on the nation's highways - 10,000 fatalities a year! As a crash type it is now responsible for more than a quarter of a million injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (NHTSA, 2009)

This alarming reality remains a very real exposure to land transportation safety within the OGP. In response, a variety of mitigation measures have been designed and installed worldwide. In the opinion of the authors, these traditional mitigation measures have become outdated and obsolete. Current research lends new insight into what causes injuries in rollovers and how to mitigate against those causes.

With the distinct lack of structural roof strength in most vehicles combined with the insubstantial crash performance criteria in vehicle roof design within the automotive industry, OEM's are not compelled to ensure that the structure of their production vehicles are reinforced suitably to maintain occupant survival space in a rollover crash. Unfortunately this results in the vast majority of vehicles used within the industry today requiring some form of roof reinforcement to ensure that occupants are protected during a rollover crash.

Within the OGP today, a wide variety of Roll Over Protection Systems (ROPS) structures (both internal and external) are usually designed, purchased, manufactured, installed and maintained locally and with very little (if any) expert consultation. This has resulted in a wide variety of designs emerging with an alarming variance in the "assumed" effectiveness of each. Couple this alarming trend with the risk of rendering the existing intrinsic safety features ineffectual on modern vehicles, such as side air bag curtains and seat belt pre-tensioners, has resulted in vehicles with inadequate crash safety performance.

This paper describes how roof crush intrusion and intrusion speed into the occupant compartment can be minimized to an inconsequential amount using innovative design to externally retrofitted roof strengthening systems based on an understanding of road crash data, empirical evidence, and innovative state of the art testing and analysis to provide effective external ROPS structures for the OGP.
The Assessment of Health, Safety and Environmental Risks of Nano-particles and How to Control Their Impacts
Authors: Nabhani N. , Tofighi Amir
Published: July 2010

Nanotechnology is the science of creating, using and manipulating objects which have at least one dimension in range of 0.1 to 100 nanometers. In other words, nanotechnology is reconstructing a substance using its individual atoms and arranging them in a way that is desirable for our purpose.

The main reason that nanotechnology has been attracting attentions is the unique properties that objects show when they are formed at nano-scale. These differing characteristics that nano-scale materials show compared to their nature-existing form is both useful in creating high quality products and dangerous when being in contact with body or spread in environment.

In order to control and lower the risk of such nano-scale particles, the main following three topics should be considered:

First of all, these materials would cause long term diseases that may show their effects on body years after being penetrated in human organs and since this science has become recently developed in industrial scale not enough information is available about their hazards on body. The second is that these particles can easily spread out in environment and remain in air, soil or water for very long time, besides their high ability to penetrate body skin and causing new kinds of diseases. The third one is that to protect body and environment against the danger of these particles, the protective barriers must be finer than these small objects and such defenses are hard to accomplish.

This paper will review, discuss and assess the risks that human and environment face as this new science develops at a high rate.
The Norwegian Lifeboat Project
Authors: Skæveland Rolf , Selnes Per Otto
Published: July 2010

During a full scale test of a freefall lifeboat on a permanent production installation offshore Norway in June 2005, weaknesses in the superstructure was experienced. The lifeboat had been type approved by Norwegian authorities, based on design and testing requirements in international codes. As a result of the discovery, The Norwegian Oil Industry Association - OLF, on behalf of its member companies, initiated a full investigation of all 16 freefall lifeboat types on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). During a four year programme of investigations, tests and analysis, several weaknesses have been disclosed. The outcome of the Norwegian Lifeboat project (LBP) has lead to proposed remedial actions for existing lifeboats and the development of a new standard for future freefall lifeboats. The project has been carried out in co-operation with unions, lifeboat manufacturers and authorities. It has been a unique life boat review project, and has reduced the risk of a potential evacuation situation offshore.

The result applies to design and operation of freefall lifeboats in offshore areas world wide.

The reports resulting from the project can mainly be divided into three topical groups; strength of superstructure and hull, impact on the human body from acceleration forces, and positive headway immediately after water entry. As regards existing freefall lifeboats, it has been necessary to reinforce the superstructure of 140 lifeboats and to develop new seats with 5-point seat belts. In certain weather conditions it is recommended to take operational precautions when there is a risk of excessive acceleration forces or a risk that existing boats do not have sufficient positive headway. A new navigational tool has also been developed. The results of the studies and tests carried out have been documented in a number of reports, available on request.

Additional project activities, not included in the initial scope, has been to study launching arrangements for evacuation means in general, as well as specific challenges for conventional launchable lifeboats. The main parts of the latter studies have been carried out within a project initiated by, and paid by, the Norwegian Ship owner Association. The results of the studies of the two additional areas, have been documented in separate reports.

The main Norwegian offshore unions have made important contributions throughout the project

The main project, as well as the part on launching arrangements, and additional studies on launchable lifeboats, has been financed by the oil & gas companies on the NCS.
Novel Surfactants that Attain Ultra-Low Interfacial Tension between Oil and High Salinity Formation Water without adding Alkali, Salts, Co-Surfactants, Alcohols and Solvents
Authors: Wang D. , Liu C. , Wu W. , Wang G.
Published: July 2010

ASP (alkali, surfactant, polymer) flooding has obtained good results in the field. However, it has serious “scale” and “emulsion” and “chromatographic separation” problems, and because of the reaction of alkali with the formation, it cannot be used at high temperature conditions. A relatively pure surfactant that attains ultra-low Interfacial Tension (IFT) between crude oil and formation water without adding alkali into the system needs to be developed.

A mechanism (or condition) for surfactants to form ultra-low IFT at low concentrations is put forward. According to this mechanism, the chemical structure of 5 series of surfactants is designed, more than 30 specific surfactants were synthesized, all the above surfactants types and most of the specific surfactants attained ultra-low IFT (less than 9X10−3mN/m) with the crude oil and formation water systems. In the above surfactants, a series of “Betaine Amphoteric Surfactants” (a relatively pure surfactant with only one or two effective molecular structures) are the most promising. The surfactant was comprehensively evaluated. Besides the make-up water, it does not require additional “alkali”, “salts”, “co-surfactants”, “alcohols” or “solvents” into the system; the IFT between the driving fluid and crude oil of many reservoirs can reach an ultra-low IFT value at concentrations of only 10 ∼ 3000ppm; it is tolerant to salinities up to 229,000ppm, divalent ions 21,000ppm, temperatures 98°C. Test on cores shows that the recoveries of flooding by SP (surfactant, polymer) systems using this surfactant are higher than that by ASP systems using alkyl-benzene-sulphonates as the surfactant and NaOH as the alkali, its total recovery can reach above 70% OOIP. Micro-visual oil displacement experiments show that this surfactant can also change the pore surface wettability and further increase the recovery.

The above results show that this is a very promising surfactant for chemical flooding, it can be used in very challenging reservoir conditions (very few reservoirs have conditions harsher than those listed above); the mechanism to achieve ultra-low IFT, which is put forward, is useful to the development of new surfactants for EOR and to chemical EOR itself; Surfactants that do not require alkali, co-surfactants, alcohols, salts and solvents in the system to attain ultra-low IFT should promote better understanding of the function of surfactants in chemical flooding.
The Influence of Visco-Elasticity on Micro Forces and Displacement Efficiency in Pores, Cores and in the Field
Authors: Wang D. , Xia H. , Yang S. , Wang G.
Published: July 2010

Normally, when analyzing Driving Forces to determine the Displacement Efficiency (ED) during flooding, only Viscous Forces (vμ), which are proportional to the Macro Pressure Gradient (dp/dl), are considered. Micro Forces in pores are not considered. The micro forces considered in this paper are: First, the Normal Force caused by the change in shape of the flow lines in pores; second, the kinetic force caused by the change in momentum, which is due to the change in flow lines in pores also. Both these two micro forces are caused by the change in flow lines, the larger the change in flow lines, the larger the two micro forces.

Analysis, calculations and experiments show that the Flow Lines in pores are different between Visco-Elastic Fluids and Newtonian Fluids. Flow lines in pores of visco-elastic fluids, compared to Newtonian fluids, look more like and “expanding” and “contracting” Piston Flow. The change in flow lines changes the micro Forces, these Micro forces act on locations that caused the flow lines to change, mainly the Protruding Portions of residual “oil blobs”. This enhanced Micro force causes the protruding portions of the “oil blobs’ to change shape and mobilize. The results of the calculated magnitude of the enhanced micro forces are shown in this paper. For visco-elastic fluids, micro forces in pores are much larger that that for Newtonian fluids and must be considered when analyzing the “Displacement Efficiency”.

Results on “Visualization Core Models” confirm the above calculations and analysis. The affect of ED by core flooding using visco-elastic fluids is shown. Due to this mechanism, “Very High Concentration Polymer Flooding” is being implemented in the field, the incremental recovery is nearly twice that of conventional polymer flooding.

Tests show that only the “First Normal Force Differential” (N1) and its corresponding “Weisenberg Number” (We) affect the shape of the flow lines, other elastic properties and the viscosity of the driving fluid do not affect flow lines, therefore they do not affect the ED either.

The above analysis of the affect of visco-elasticity on flow lines, micro forces and ED is new in the study of flow of fluids in porous media and in Reservoir engineering; It is of significant value to further understand the mechanism of increasing ED in porous media; Useful in designing, screening, developing and evaluating better chemical products, chemical floods and methods to further increase oil recovery; “High Concentration Polymer Flooding” that utilizes the high visco-elasticity of the driving fluid to increase ED is field trailed in a large scale (4 large field tests) and shows a very much higher incremental recovery over water flood and conventional polymer flood, this is a “New Flooding Method” that has high potentials.

The above also shows that this is a new mechanism for displacement by flooding in porous media with multiple phases in its pores.
Methodology for Oil Production-Loss Control in a Digital Oilfield Implementation
Authors: García Alejandro , Machado Leonardo , Singh Gagan , Martins Diego , de Sousa Paulo Sérgio , Herdeiro Marco
Published: July 2010

Measuring daily production losses requires that operators be aware of different events that may affect well performance. Operators normally have the responsibility of closing the gap between the platform-measured production and theoretical-production potential. Common actions to close this gap include transforming events into production downtime, distributing plant process inefficiencies among all wells, and identifying and allocating losses to underperforming wells. This process presents challenges related to accurately identifying the wells manifesting production loss events and in calculating and distributing the production losses among identified wells. These challenges normally cause misinterpretation and misallocation of production losses, consequently impacting the final analysis of operations. This paper presents the methodology and technology deployed in a production-loss control module of an intelligent-asset implementation.

The production-loss control module is implemented as a workflow that allows for the identification of events, loss calculation, and classification of results for analysis. Using graphical analysis of well-by-well plots of production and potential data, the operators are able to identify individual well or platform process anomalies, allowing them to clearly identify events that produce a gap between production and well potential. An algorithm to minimize effects of errors in production measurement and well potential variations is implemented. The workflow is concluded by classifying production-loss events based on the identification of the root cause and remedial actions.

The technology implements a process for the proper quantification and qualification of production losses and provides a reliable platform for analysis of historical results. This process supports remedial actions to be taken to minimize the recurrence of production losses, positively impacting the operational efficiency of the asset. This solution represents a good example to the industry in the integration of people, processes, and technology for an intelligent-asset implementation.
First Installation of 5 ESPs Offshore Romania - A Case Study and Lessons Learned
Authors: Camilleri L. A. , Banciu T , Ditoiu G , Petrom S. A.
Published: July 2010

Petrom operates offshore oil and gas fields on the continental shelf in the Black Sea in Romania. These mature fields were discovered in the late 1970s and early 1980s in sandstone reservoirs with average well depths of 5500ft to 7200 ft (1700m to 2200m). Until recently, production has been with both free flow and gas lift. Over the past three years, ESPs have been installed in five wells resulting in production increases. The paper reviews the ESP completion designs and focuses on the impact of real-time data on the run lives and uptimes achieved over the past 3 years. To analyze the well performance, a new technique based on the ESP torque equilibrium equation between the pump and motor was utilized to reconstruct a continuous rate versus time profile using real-time data. This provided greater resolution in rate measurement than that provided by traditional surface well testing, which proved instrumental in understanding the ESP behavior in these wells which exhibited low flowrates (typically less than 100 Sm3/d, i.e., 600 bbl/d) and high GORs. The authors explain how the technique is valid in both transient and steady state conditions and therefore calculates the instantaneous flowrate at any time when real-time data are available. This continuous "rate log" as opposed to episodic rate data from well testing enabled superposition technique to be used to monitor drainage area average reservoir pressure, to confirm the relationship between motor temperature and well rate, and to observe the effect of high GVF (Gas Void Fraction) through the ESP. In the future this methodology can be used for back allocation and a reduction in surface well testing. In addition to the interpretation of rate data, there are important lessons learnt on how to achieve high ESP uptimes in excess of 98% using real-time data alarms.
Recent Progress and Evaluation of ASP Flooding for EOR in Daqing Oil Field
Authors: Shutang Gao , Qiang Gao
Published: July 2010

Many ASP flooding method have been tested in Daqing oil field. After the success of polymer flooding in Daqing oil field, four alkaline- surfactant-polymer flooding pilot tests have been conducted in order to: increase oil recovery further and provide technical and practical experience for expanding the ASP pilot. From four ASP pilot test, the following conclusions can be made: ASP flooding pilot can form oil banks, greatly lower water cut, increase the oil production as well as the oil recovery. The incremental oil recovery was about 20% over water flooding.

To further confirm the effect of large well spacing on EOR, three ASP field test with a large well spacing (200 to 250 m) have been tested in Daqing oil field. The commercial pilot tests result shows that the ASP flooding can increase recovery 20% more than water flooding.

The paper collected 12 pilot test date of industrial surfactant flooding in China, It Has been evaluated that each pilot test successful or not cleanly. Also discussed problem. Emphasize indicated that design project of combination flood, surfactant kind, structure, slag design and size and a scale of production were developed key. Decreased cost were also important task. Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP) flood processes have been increasingly applied in the oil fields due to their high ultimate oil recovery. However, a major technical challenge is how to significantly reduce the amount and the cost of chemicals used such that ASP floods can become cost-effective as well. Field applications show that the concentrations of alkali, surfactant and polymer remain relatively high in the produced fluids of ASP floods. Thus, successful reuse of these chemicals can substantially reduce the capital cost and the environmental impact. Also re-injection of the produced chemicals is conducted for further enhancing oil recovery.

This paper have discuss problems of ASP flooding:

Emulsions occurred in some producers of the larger well spacing field test, the test shows that by using a specific kind of de-emulsifier commonly used in the field, the emulsions in the produced fluid are not to be broken because adding hard alkali.

This paper provides practice basis for the enlarging of ASP flooding..At present, most of ASP flooding are successful, But alkaline/com-oil carboxylates/polymer and foam/alkaline/surfactant/polymer flooding are not successful to be used to Daqing oilfield. The cost of chemicals (alkaline/surfactant/polymer) per barrel incremental oil is $11 to $15.The total cost of per barrel incremental oil is $15 to $30. The incremental recovery is 20% OOIP over water flooding.
Real Time Integration of ECD, Temperature, Well Stability and Geo/Pore Pressure Simulations during Drilling a Challenging HPHT Well
Authors: Rommetveit Rolv , Ødegård Inge , Nordstrand Christine , Bjørkevoll Knut S. , Cerasi Pierre , Helset Hans Martin , Borge Hans , Li Liming , Fjeldheim Mikkel , Håvardstein Stein T.
Published: July 2010

A very challenging HPHT well has been drilled utilizing an advanced ECD & Temperature, Well Stability and Geo Pressure Management System including real time simulations, early diagnosis of upcoming problems and real time simulations using state-of-the art models. The System uses all available real time drilling data (surface and downhole) in combination with real time modelling to monitor and optimize the drilling process. This information is used to visualize the wellbore as well as simulation results in 3D in real time. It has been implemented in Total E&P Norge TASC (Total Activities Support and Collaboration) Center in Norway. Among the System elements are:

An advanced and fast Integrated Drilling Simulator which is capable to model the different drilling sub-processes dynamically, and also the interaction between these sub-processes in real time. The Integrated Drilling Simulator is used for automatic forward-looking during drilling, and can be used for what-if evaluations as well. The transient flow & thermal wellbore model is coupled to the well stability model in real time, so that the updated well pressures and temperatures and drilling mud properties are used by the well stability model for RT predictions. A multi-purpose geo-pressure modelling tool which includes all significant processes relevant to pressure generation and dissipation is coupled to the integrated drilling simulator and can give updated pore pressure predictions during drilling. Methodology for diagnosis of the drilling state and conditions. This is obtained from comparing model predictions with measured data. Advisory technology for more optimal drilling. A Virtual Wellbore, with advanced visualization of the downhole process. A new generation visualization system designed to integrate all participants involved, will enable enhanced collaboration of all drilling and well activities in a global environment. Data flow and computer infrastructure

Among the challenges during planning and drilling of this well have been

Very small window between pore and fracture pressure. RT ECD simulations was performed with an advanced hydraulic and thermal wellbore model Increased probability for instabilities in the tight window. Was mitigated by RT stability modeling during drilling Uncertainties in pore pressure predictions. Was mitigated by updating predictions during drilling.

Experiences from the drilling as well as use of the decision support System will be summarized and presented.
Development and Adoption of Remote Assisted Operations Capabilities in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Chevis Marc , Weiss Christopher
Published: July 2010

The journey from concept to adoption of remote operations capabilities in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) has undergone significant evolution over the years. The effort to date has resulted in the full adoption of three Remote Control Rooms (RCRs) in New Orleans for remote assistance to their associated assets: the Brutus Tension Leg Platform (TLP), Ursa TLP and Perdido SPAR. A fourth RCR is slated to be operational in mid-2010 supporting the Auger TLP. A brief look back shows that factors such as broad stakeholder engagement and support, along with a dedicated project staff working to integrate technology, operations processes and people considerations contributed immensely to the project’s success. Furthermore, development of an operating model encompassing principles, policies, performance management, IT support and activity roles/responsibilities has been essential in adoption of the RCRs. At present, plans are under way to extend current RCR capabilities including bringing additional control and monitoring capabilities into the RCR, deferment reduction during hurricane events, and moving additional activities from the asset to a shore-based environment.

Figure 1 Perdido Remote Control Room in New Orleans
Remote Real Time Well Testing—Experience in the Grove Gas Field in the North Sea
Authors: Sikandar S. , Badr A. , Shumakov Y. , Theuveny B. , McMillon M. , Sarac S. , Fuentes A.
Published: July 2010

Accurate well test data acquired throughout an appropriately designed test program is critical to confidently characterize a reservoir. Achieving this requires the right DST string selection or completion and stimulation designs, surface test set up / facilities, and the ability to rapidly handle dynamic changes in flow regimes. Well testing is inherently complex due to the interaction between these various elements. "Successful failures" in well testing is unfortunately not uncommon and results from each element of a test performing as per standards, but losing focus on achieving the ultimate objectives. The remote participation in operations of expertise that designed the test is becoming increasingly important in achieving test objectives, in particular in geologically complex structures, low-deliverability formations, reservoirs with high flow rate wells, or environmentally challenging conditions.

Technological developments have enabled improved monitoring and controlling of advanced well testing equipment often now with multiple data acquisition systems. For increased accuracy in highly dynamic test environments, well tests are also performed using multiphase flow metering alongside separators specifically designed to increase handling and separation efficiencies with separate acquisition systems. Remotely located experts are now able to validate and evaluate data in real-time, 24/7, with flexibility to change acquisition and test programs to ensure that objectives are achieved.

Real-time access and remote connectivity were provided during gas condensate testing of three North Sea wells in the Grove field. This paper describes the value of real-time services where the test program required continuous data quality assurance and rapid real-time evaluation onshore. This paper also demonstrates how real-time collaboration of personnel at multiple sites was crucial in carrying out a successful pressure transient analysis and a complete interpretation, both of which helped achieve the test program objectives within the planned test duration.
Delivering Value by Continuous and Automated Production Monitoring and Optimization
Authors: Vilanova Jordi , Alvarez Cheo
Published: July 2010

The promise of an "Intelligent Energy" initiative is premised both on the availability of real-time data, and on improving real-time communications between the field and the office. However, acquiring, organizing, and making sense of real-time data for field production management poses a number of challenges for any individual surveillance engineer. For an asset team working collaboratively, the challenge of efficient and effective data monitoring and the performance of optimization workflows can be even more demanding. Many production workflows require an engineer to coordinate data flows between numerous, diverse, and frequently siloed systems and applications. Studies have shown that approximately 50-70% of an engineer’s time is spent finding, gathering, and managing data for use in these different applications1. This non-productive time can be drastically reduced by defining standard production workflows, by implementing an automated system to execute these prescribed workflows, and by ensuring that the data sources are well defined and accessible.

A well-designed, thoughtfully implemented, and automated workflow ensures that all the relevant data is available "at the fingertips" of each member of the asset team, reduces the likehood of input errors, and removes the burden of data management from engineering personnel. These automated workflows allow knowledge workers to focus on value-added engineering tasks. In addition, the design and implementation of automated and configurable workflows creates a transparency and consistency in work processes that can be customized to the unique needs of each asset.

This paper presents an asset-based collaborative project that includes:

Initial needs assessment Design of well data required for advanced surveillance Workflow design Implementation methodology Value realization review

The core enabling technology that allows these automated workflows is a vendor-neutral integration platform that dynamically links diverse data sources and software applications currently in use for production monitoring and optimization.
Case History – Steam Injection Monitoring with Optical–Fiber–Distributed Temperature Sensing
Authors: Batocchio Marcelo A. , Triques Adriana L. , Pereira Pinto Hardy L. , de Lima Luis A. , Souza Carlos F. , Izetti Ronaldo G.
Published: July 2010

This paper describes a project initiated by Petrobras to map the steam-front progress in a heavy-oil, steam-assisted field. A new Distributed Temperature Sensing system (DTS) that was provided by a major service/engineering company to monitor the distributed temperature along the well has been deployed in a pilot program in a 4-well field that has three producers and one continuous steam-injection well. The project goals were to obtain:

Proof of the performance capabilities of optical-fiber DTS in continuous injection wells for temperatures of approximately 300°C Mapping of the steam front in the reservoir to better understand the steam propagation so that injection efficiency can be increased Prediction and prevention of steam breakthrough.

The pilot forecasts selective injection in two zones using packers for isolation. Since there were no commercial packers available with feedthrough capabilities for deployment of hydraulic lines or optical fiber cables for steam injection, a new solution had to be devised to permit fiber installation at the injector.

Aspects considered for this project included the well selection for the pilot development, the performance capabilities of the system, and the solutions for fiber installation.
Hydrodynamic Trapping of CO2 Geosequestered in Saline Aquifers
Authors: Larkin Randall G. , Larkin R. G.
Published: July 2010

Deep saline aquifers are potential reservoirs for commercial scale CO2 geologic sequestration (GS) due to their large storage capacity and wide availability. These reservoirs are regional in scale with no conventional stratigraphic or structural traps. The fate of supercritical CO2 injected in saline aquifers depends on hydrodynamics and phase trapping. This paper examines hydrodynamic trapping, and the question of whether basinward flow of groundwater can counteract updip CO2 movement after injection ends, and render the gas immobile. After injection pressure dissipates, the important flow mechanisms are viscous flow of groundwater (imposed by compaction and gravity) and buoyant flow of CO2 (imposed by the density contrast between injected CO2 and the formation fluid).

Hydrodynamic trapping theory is reviewed and its application to GS is discussed. The same methods developed for oil and gas can be used to identify possible hydrodynamic traps for pools of CO2 post injection. Examples are given of deep basin aquifer dynamics and regional groundwater flow gradients as they relate to GS. In a dipping aquifer, groundwater flow and buoyant CO2 flow may be in the same direction (immature compacting basin) or the opposite direction (mature basin). The mature basin scenario is optimum for GS, as long-term updip CO2 movement will be reduced by saline aquifer flow. Analytic expressions are used to investigate trapping potential, and to estimate the rate of buoyant CO2 movement after injection ends in a mature basin example with groundwater flow down the dip. Key inputs such as hydraulic gradient, dip, and density contrast were varied to assess their relative influence. The results demonstrate that, post injection, it is possible for pooled CO2 to be hydrodynamically trapped under field conditions. CO2 could also be displaced downdip in aquifers with high hydraulic gradients (~ 0.02) and low dips (~ 0.25 degrees). In the more likely case of a low to average hydraulic gradient (~ 0.0004 to 0.003), and dip greater than ~ 0.25 degrees, buoyancy dominates, and the CO2 is generally displaced in the updip direction at rates of approximately one to one hundred feet per year. This can lead to significant displacement over the long time scales desired for GS. Therefore, in a mature basin, groundwater flow alone will usually be insufficient to counteract buoyancy, and phase trapping or hydrodynamic trapping will be needed to ultimately immobilize the CO2.
Organizational Structures in Collaborative Work Environments: The Return of the Matrix?
Authors: Guldemond E. , ten Have K. , Knoppe R.
Published: July 2010

After major petroleum companies successfully implemented the hardware, tools and applications in Collaborative Work Environments (CWE), human factor issues remain unsolved. Working in these Collaborative Work Environments cuts across traditional disciplinary and geographically dispersed boundaries. Less hierarchical reporting relationships and multi-disciplinary teams replace clear-cut single hierarchical reporting relationships and single-disciplinary teams. The new way of collaborative working calls for supporting organic organizational structure for the CWE. Most current organizational structures of operating units are divided into several divisions (for example oil, gas or geographical divisions). In turn, these divisions are organized into functional technical departments (for example Reservoir Engineers together in one department and Production Technologists in another department). Alignment of the overall traditional functional organizational structures of the operating unit with the more organic structure of the CWE is a real challenge. In the past, the petroleum industry had many different forms of organizational structure. To capture both functional requirements and the need to collaborate, they have returned to the matrix structure. We provide empirical results of several cases of Collaborative Work Environments (of different operating units) in the petroleum industry. We show both the issues faced and the path chosen by the operating units to align the overall organizational structure of the operating unit with the Collaborative Work Environment structure.
A Chemical Additive for Enhancing Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil
Authors: Srivastava P. , Debord J. , Stefan B.
Published: July 2010

This paper describes the development of a chemical steam additive to enhance thermal recovery of heavy oil. When applied, the chemical additive is carried along with the steam to the reservoir. In the reservoir, the chemical enhances production by increasing mobilization of the oil and enabling condensed water to carry a higher loading of oil. A lab-based coreflood setup was created to simulate the thermal recovery process by passing pressurized steam over an unconsolidated oilsand core sample. These lab-based test results establish the effectiveness of this steam additive to enhance heavy oil production at a dosage rate as low as 100 parts per million (PPM).
Implementation of Dynamic Well Testing Workflows in Saudi Aramco Intelligent Fields
Authors: Issaka M. B. , Al-Buraikan M. M.
Published: July 2010

In fulfillment of the Saudi Aramco Intelligent Field development initiative, more than 15,000 Permanent Measurement Systems (PMS) have been installed and are transmitting real-time data from both surface and subsurface to the corporate database. However, the full benefits of this investment can only be realized if systems and workflows are put in place to transform the massive amounts of data into actionable information to improve field development and performance.

This paper presents a holistic approach to the utilization of data from PMS to enable real-time field management and optimization. We show how Saudi Aramco is integrating this data into the current practices and workflows of well testing and reservoir characterization. Examples of real-time well testing workflows are presented.

The workflows take advantage of unplanned shut-ins to characterize the well and reservoir under dynamic conditions. The implementation encountered several challenges in the PMS data transmission, availability, sampling, standardization, storage, and retrieval, which are discussed. We also share our experience in resolving change management issues that arose from our attempt to synchronize the activities of various entities involved in the capture, transmission and transformation of PMS data.

The paper demonstrates how a major oil and gas company is leveraging high frequency data from Intelligent Fields to enable field management and optimization in real-time. Application of the workflows presented could result in significant cost savings, due to a reduction in the number of planned shut-ins for pressure buildup tests. In addition, the use of long production history data captured by PMS, enables the determination of not only reservoir boundaries and hydrocarbons in place, but also permeability and skin damage, which normally would require well shut-in, and consequently, loss of production from a few days to a few weeks.
Applying the Social Dimension to Business Challenges
Authors: Morrison J. , McKnight A. , Setrem M.
Published: July 2010

In common with many organizations in the industry, BG Group faces the challenge of how to identify colleagues with the most relevant expertise, how to learn the lessons of experience, and how to support BG Group’s global Integrated Operations initiative ((1) Collison & Parcell, 2004)). In earlier times ‘Knowledge Management’ focussed on capturing structured information and storing it in corporate repositories. But a wider set of collaboration possibilities and capabilities is needed to capture the abundance of ways in which people’s insights can be expressed and to cement new ways of working.

Through a programme of concept pilots, BG Group’s Global Advanced Technologies team has been working across the business to introduce a range of Web 2.0 social technologies. The fundamental building block of the social web is the individual’s person-profile, listing their experience and affiliations. From that rich description of the person, all else follows; person to person networking, the formation of online communities, access to specialized libraries through built-in wiki spaces, instant meetings from the desktop with video-conferencing support, individualized communication through blogs, targeted information feeds through RSS, and social search with shared book-marking of resources.

Now and in the future, people can benefit from finding out ‘who knows who’ or ‘who knows what’ and ‘what is significant’ - as expressed by their own collective intelligence. This paper will share success stories and feedback from the programme.
An Integrated Framework for SAGD Real-Time Optimization
Authors: Mohajer Mahyar , Damas Carlos , Berbin Silva Alexander Jose , Al-Kinani Andreas
Published: July 2010

Developing an automated framework for real-time optimization (RTO) of the Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process has significant potential because of the large number of parameters that must be monitored at a high frequency. However, the industry has not yet adopted a standard RTO framework for SAGD because of the intrinsic complexity of the process, the large number of parameters that must be monitored, harsh operating conditions, the lack of integration between various data acquisition systems, and the complex criteria required to optimize SAGD performance.

In this paper, a real-time monitoring workflow for SAGD is proposed that streams field data from multiple sources, including fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) directly into an engineering desktop application that has artificial intelligence (AI) and data mining capabilities. This system is used to derive advanced criteria to make decisions in a timely manner to improve the performance of the SAGD process.

It also demonstrates how subcool calculations can be effectively performed along the length of the horizontal well in real time and how the results are used to improve SAGD operation. Observations are compared "live" against simulated predictions from a multisegmented wellbore model that is fully coupled to a thermal/compositional reservoir simulator.