bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Waste Recycling Initiatives in an Exploration and Production Company in Nigeria
Authors: Ozumba C. I. , Benebo T. E. T.
Published: December 2007

The Oil and Gas Exploration and Production activities in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria (West Africa) are mostly carried out by a number of multinational companies. The Niger Delta is largely underdeveloped and has limited basic infrastructure such as electricity and good roads. As a result of the large operational area (more than 31,000 square kilometers), these companies use large amounts of transportation equipment (helicopters, cars, buses, trucks, sea trucks, boats, etc.), generators, computers and personnel, etc. Their operations, therefore, result in the abundance of gaseous, liquid and solid wastes such as lube oils, papers, printer cartridges, food wastes, glass, batteries, tyres, associated gas, drill mud and cuttings, produced water etc.

In recent times, environmental management especially waste management has gained relevance in most of these companies in Nigeria as in other Exploration and Production companies worldwide. These companies currently make huge efforts to mitigate the associated impact of their discharges to the environment. These efforts have been geared towards putting in place systems that are suitable for minimizing the avoidable components and ensuring that final disposal or discharge conditions have very minimal potential impact on the environment.

As part of its efforts to manage solid wastes, the largest operating company in the Niger Delta has built an engineered dumpsite and a composting plant, in its Western operational division and Waste-Recycling Depots in both the Eastern and Western operating divisions. She is also currently engaged in efforts to build a modern Integrated Waste Management Facility and an engineered sanitary Landfill in both her Eastern and Western divisions respectively.

Market surveys conducted by this operator revealed that a market exists for some of the waste products. Agreements were thus reached with some Nigerian local industries for the re-cycling of the waste paper, printer cartridges, tyres, scrap metals, plastics and food waste while vendors are still being sourced for other waste streams. Cost savings and revenue generated by this company presently from waste recycling are estimated at over $100, 000 per year, though the emphasis remains on mitigation of the impact that would otherwise happen if the materials were not recycled.

This paper highlights the waste recycling initiatives in the largest operating company in the Niger Delta and the plans of this operator for waste management in the future.
Managing Risks During Organisational Changes
Authors: Heyerdahl R. , Schumacher R. , Dæshli I. , Hide A.
Published: December 2007

Re-organisations, mergers, acquisitions and even changing major suppliers often raise concerns about the impact that the changes in the organisation have on the health, safety and environmental performance of the business operations. Lately, the oil industry has been subject to significant changes such as mergers and major restructuring as a result of a more rapidly changing industry. An organisational change can influence all levels of an organisation, from the managing director level to the business unit and departmental level.

This paper describes the method used by BP Norway to manage the risks of organisational changes. The method makes use of the risk management paradigms of identification of problems and opportunities associated with the organisational change, evaluation of the causal mechanisms and the potential impacts, development of a prioritised plan, implementation of the plan and monitoring.

The method emphasises strong participation from the personnel involved in safety critical work processes, including contractors. Areas such as experience, competence, responsibility and procedures are discussed and potential risk addressed. The method has been effectively used to minimise the risk associated with a merger, changing shift patterns, changing sub-contractors as well as minor modifications to the organisational structure.
A Zero Harmful Discharge Strategy in Practice on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, a Driver for Continuous Improvement
Authors: Edvardsson Trym
Published: December 2007

Within 1st of March 2000 all operators on the Norwegian Shelf were required to present zero harmful discharge strategies for each individual oil/gas field.

This paper present presents the status of SEPNos (A/S Norske Shell E&P) implementation of a zero harmful discharge strategy for the Draugen field at the Norwegian Continental Shelf, following the requirements from the Norwegian environmental authorities (SFT). It describes the achievements so far related to produced water, sea water injection and drilling operations and our further plans/feasibility studies. The zero harmful discharge strategy is incorporated in SEPNos environmental management process for Draugen and is integrated in the companys HSE Objectieves and Strategies. The integration philosophy will probably result in an extra drive and synergistic effects between EMAS/ISO 14000, the Norwegian regulations and the zero discharge strategy
Baseline Health Assessment
Authors: Corcoran James
Published: December 2007

Host communities and governments are expecting greater involvement and measurable benefits from development projects. Many existing or potential oil and gas projects are at risk because of community issues. Early engagement and collaboration are important in securing the license to operate in the project area from host communities and governments.

Baseline health assessments are becoming an essential component of project planning to assess the health risks facing both the workforce and the community. They can also be an excellent start to developing a trusting and constructive relationship with host communities and governments. If well managed, these assessments can form the basis for negotiating realistic and sustainable health interventions that promote community ownership.

This paper focuses on the use of the Baseline Health Assessment as a tool for meaningful community engagement early in the life of a project and also how this process can assist in managing the expectations of host communities and governments.
Risk-Based Assessment (RBA) of a Gas/Oil Separation Plant
Authors: Smith Norman , BuTuwaibeh Omar I. , Cruz Ivan C. , Gahtani Moraya S.
Published: December 2007

Saudi Aramco operates a number of Gas/Oil Separation Plants (GOSPs) to support its production objectives. Current Test and Inspection (T & I) intervals are driven by time-based strategies to ensure mechanical integrity. A Risk-Based Assessment based on inspection-orientated criteria was applied to a typical GOSP as an aid to determine potential condition-based strategies, while maintaining, or improving current plant integrity and availability.

The methodology selected for this particular study was based on API Publication 581, Risk Based Inspection Base Resource Document, First Edition, May 2000 and was used in conjunction with the supporting software tools developed by the API sponsoring committee. Typical damage mechanisms prevalent in GOSPs were identified and assessed on the basis of their consequence and likelihood of failure, the outcome being represented in terms of a typical five by five risk matrix.

This paper discusses the four phases of the project outlined as: Pre-Assessment.Data Collection.Analysis and Inspection Planning.Final Reporting and Conclusions.

The potential benefits and limitations of the assessment are highlighted.
ISO 14001 Certification in an Onshore & Offshore Exploration & Production Company – Best Practices to Facilitate Initial Certification, Ensure Long Term Maintenance of a Complex Certificate, and Realize Early Benefits from Certification
Authors: Sauer G. L. , Kosiara M. , Heckman J. R.
Published: December 2007

Shell Exploration & Production Co. (SEPCo) began working on ISO 14001certification of its United States Exploration & Production business late in 1999. An early step in the process was aligning the certification strategy with how the organization manages environmental issues and where accountability for the registration is best placed. SEPCo's strategy was finalized in March 2000 and called for certification of all E&P operation under a single certificate by October, 2001.

A single certificate for all of SEPCo was a significant challenge because of numbers of staff across a wide variety of operations and geographical dispersion. Operations included in the certification include: Offshore Gulf of Mexico drilling and producing operations (5 tension leg platforms, 11 major fixed leg production facilities, 75 minor fixed leg production facilities), Onshore drilling and producing operations in 3 three different states (12 production facilities, 3 gas plants) as well as support services in 12 different states (offices, logistics, retained properties).

Achievement of certification over this broad spectrum of operations with total SEPCo and Contract staff of over 3000 was accomplished through the use of multiple training media to increase awareness regarding the requirements of ISO 14001. Training tools used in this effort included: a location-specific, web-based risk management database with integrated Computer Based Training, interactive dialog exercises, personal preparation worksheets, varied internal communication media, and ISO 14001 workbooks. Operations training execution was accomplished by a core team of three individuals but utilized a HSE operations network previously existing within the company. This train-the-trainer model allowed for cost effective training to all parts of the organization with the most intense focus on staff who control SEPCo's significant environmental aspects.

This varied list of training tools allowed SEPCo to achieve one of the largest single registrations to ISO 14001. The training suite is also a core component to SEPCo's strategy for maintaining certification in the future.
Assessment of Environmental Impacts from Drilling Muds and Cuttings Disposal, Offshore Brunei
Authors: SAYLE S. , SEYMOUR M. , HICKEY E.
Published: December 2007

In 2000–2001, an offshore survey and environmental assessment were conducted of drilling activities offshore Brunei (Adinin-Jacques Whitford1). A primary focus was to evaluate the environmental effects of disposal of oil based mud (OBM), ester-based synthetic mud (ESBM), and water based mud (WBM) in the tropical marine environment of the South China Sea.

A number of well sites were surveyed for each of the mud types, encompassing varying water depths (20 – 500 m) and time elapsed since drilling. Key parameters (e.g., hydrocarbons, esters, metals and redox) were examined at all sampling locations, depending on the drilling muds used. Side-scan sonar, detailed hydrographic imaging, sea bed video, current information, and benthic sampling results were also interpreted. A modified radial sampling pattern was used.

The study concluded that the magnitude and persistence of environmental effects from discharge of drilling muds and cuttings range, in order of severity, from OBM to ESBM to WBM. The study found that OBM and cuttings are toxic to marine life and can persist on the Brunei sea bed for over 13 years. Biophysical effects on the sea bed from both WBM and ESBM are similar, and result primarily from smothering of benthic organisms by sedimentation and anoxic conditions due to bacterial decomposition within the cuttings piles. WBM effects were, however, noted to be more widely dispersed (> 1200 m) and exhibited indications of faster benthos recovery (within 3 years) than ESBM (typically dispersed within 200 m).

The survey results and detailed habitat sensitivity mapping were used to prepare comprehensive site-specific guidelines for WBM and ESBM disposal offshore Brunei. Using a "receiving environment" approach, the guidelines specify detailed instructions for WBM and ESBM offshore disposal in each of seven management areas ranked according to environmental sensitivity.
The Benefit of Linking EIA to EMS – Methods and Processes
Authors: Sneddon A. D. , Hopkins D.
Published: December 2007

The key issue addressed in the paper is how concepts, methods and processes map between EIA and EMS to increase efficiency and avoid duplication of expenditure and effort. In many cases companies spend significant sums on EIA and this expenditure is often perceived to be a cost that does not result in any useful input to the process of active management required in post development. The challenge is how to link EIA and EMS processes to add value to the business. A principal theme developed in this paper is for a method of ranking or prioritising impacts and mitigation. This theme logically feeds into the process of active management driven by an EMS, by helping to identify the significant aspects (and impacts) within the scope of the EMS. The paper considers the development of a business method to ensure a seamless transfer of information and approach between two quite different processes, often managed by different client and consultancy teams. The paper considers the nature of the assessment method in a practical sense giving worked examples of how the mapping between EIA and EMS can be achieved.
A Socially Anchored Model to Increase Competitiveness of Oil and Gas Companies
Authors: O’Brien Dan
Published: December 2007

Recent research highlights the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in gaining and sustaining competitiveness. However, for years, CSR and business strategies have been treated as separate and distinct activities oil and gas companies. With the growing recognition of the complexity of firm competitiveness, some oil and gas companies have attempted to integrate their CSR and business strategies into a comprehensive framework that defines their competitive priorities and posture. This article proposes a model that makes this integration possible and profitable. The model focuses on anchoring the firm's core competencies to its CSR activities, thereby leading to the development of innovative products, processes, systems and strategies that enhance an oil and gas company's competitiveness. The article discusses the components of this model and their implications for improved competitiveness.
Developing a Safety Culture Should Start with Children
Authors: Lawrie Graeme
Published: December 2007

Developing a "safety culture" should start with children.

As many organizations direct their health, safety and environmental resources into creating and developing a "safety culture," they are finding that most people entering the job market have already acquired many "bad" habits and unsafe behaviors. The time required to correct unsafe habits and behaviors is, in fact, much longer than that needed to develop new safe habits and behaviors. Against this backdrop, organizations are beginning to realize that the best place to introduce a "culture of safety" is in our schools.

In Aberdeen, Scotland, and surrounding areas, where oil and gas is the major industry, initiatives are underway to teach children the concepts of safety, risk and hazard. These investments will reap dividends later, when young people entering the oil and gas industry are already familiar with safe practices.

One such initiative is Grampian Safe Team. Organized by Grampian Police, this event is supported and sponsored by many companies in the oil and gas sector. The event teaches 10- and 11-year-old children about everyday hazards in their own environment. They learn about hazards associated with electricity, domestic gas supplies, railway lines, roads and construction sites. In the construction site scenario, the children wear hard hats and walk on scaffolds. They are asked to identify as many hazards on the site as they can: paints, chemicals, machinery, cement, sharp objects, hand tools, etc.

Another initiative, Understanding Industry, gives 15- and 16-year-old teenagers an appreciation of the different activities that make a successful business, including finance, marketing, health and safety.

This paper will describe the different safety, risk and hazard programs for children and young people, identify the main objectives and the anticipated long-term benefits to industries in the region. This paper will share best practices and encourage debate on a topic that affects everyone in the industry.
Marine Habitat Mapping Using High Spatial Resolution Multispectral Satellite Data
Authors: Al-AbdulKader K. A. , Farrand W. H. , Blundell J. S.
Published: December 2007

The application of high spatial resolution and multi-sensor satellite was assessed to map the sensitive marine habitat of Tarut Bay in the western Arabian Gulf. The coastal zone of the Gulf is becoming more populated and industrialized with time, which requires an integrated monitoring approach to manage the valuable marine resources. In this study, Spectral Mixture Analysis (SMA) and a water depth removal model were applied to derive sea-bottom reflectance data. High spatial resolution Ikonos multispectral and panchromatic imagery are being integrated with SeaWiFS ocean coverage data to produce biotope maps for the project area. The image processing sequence includes linear spectral mixture analysis using the first four Ikonos bands, application of the water removal procedure, another stage of spectral mixture analysis, and then machine learning based feature extraction of marine ecosystem biotopes including coastal beaches, coastal vegetation, mud flats, rock flats, tidal channels, seagrass beds, subtidal sands, subtidal mud, and algal mats. Spectral Mixture Analysis models the recorded radiance from each pixel as a linear combination of endmember materials. The result is a set of fraction images that relate digital numbers to material abundance. Water attenuation coefficient k is being extracted from the SeaWiFS eight spectral bands for depth modeling over the study area. The goals of this study include: an assessment of the capability of high-resolution multispectral data and new remote sensing processing techniques for coastal monitoring, evaluation of the depth modeling algorithm for mitigating effects of the water column to map target features, development of a prototype geodatabase model for integrating diverse data about targets in a large enterprise database, and assessment of whether these techniques will lower the costs of expensive field data collection programs in the marine environment.
EIA for the Worlds' Northernmost LNG Plant, the Snohvit Project in an Environmental Sensitive Area at 71 °N.
Authors: Engebretsen Halvor , Nesse Steinar
Published: December 2007

The Snøhvit LNG project includes offshore development in the Barents Sea, pipelines to shore, remote operation of the production, onshore LNG plant, and shipment of products. Planning for the project has been going on for a decade, and the Project Plan was delivered to Norwegian authorities in September 2001.

Snøhvit has been optimised using both environmental and economic criteria. The project is unique in many respects. It is the worlds' northernmost LNG plant. It combines offshore production, remote operation from shore, and onshore processing with today's best available technology. For the local community Hammerfest region, an investment of 5 billion USD will have major effects. From an environmental perspective the project is also unique. It is the first project in the world where CO2 separated from the produced gas onshore are piped back offshore for re-injection to the ground. It is further the first development in the sensitive Barents Sea. The LNG plant is located in an area with important archaeological and cultural areas, near rich populations of natural resources and very active fisheries. Proper planning is therefore very important to ensure an environmental acceptable development.
Applying a New HSE Measurement System
Authors: Veley Carl D.
Published: December 2007

Conventional safety performance measurements can be grossly misleading because (1) they are susceptible to deceptive record keeping, and (2) they summarize the past and cannot reliably predict the future. A new system is being tested in a major oil company's Gulf of Mexico drilling operations. This system ignores the usual accident frequency and severity ratios, like the OSHA Recordable Rate or OSHA Lost Time, and employs closely defined standards for evaluating corrective actions from accident reports and other sources. Simple arithmetic then can produce a number ranging from zero to 300 that appears to be a reliable indicator of future safety performance. Testing is in progress to determine how well this system can forecast long-range safety performance for management purposes.
A Worldwide Learning Community—Connecting Disadvantaged Schools in Developing Countries to the World
Authors: Dunlop Johana , Crook Simone
Published: December 2007

Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development (SEED) operates through a Connectivity Grant Program, offering financial and technical assistance to connect disadvantaged schools in developing countries to the Internet. In addition, an educational Web site shares the knowledge and expertise of the company's scientists and engineers with 10- to 18-year-olds around the world. In just over 3 years, the SEED program has made the Internet available to approximately 50 organizations educating more than 87,000 children in 15 developing countries. The development of this worldwide learning community offers young people a tangible opportunity to participate in the economic and social advantages afforded by access to new knowledge and technologies. Through the ReSEED initiative, the larger community also benefits, as these schools share what they have learned with the communities in which they live.

We describe successful programs at Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and Faridabad, India, where SEED is making a positive impact on individual lives and the communities at large.
Trends in Risk Levels on the Norwegian Continental Shelf
Authors: Lauridsen Oyvind , Tuntland Oyvind , Ravnaas Einar
Published: December 2007

In cooperation with the Norwegian Petroleum industry and their organisations, the unions and professional disciplines the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has developed a method for measuring trends in the risk level on the continental shelf. The method takes its point of departure from two complementary evaluation processes. The registration, analysis and evaluation of data relating to defined situations of hazard and accidents and the performance of qualitative analyses and evaluations. The objectives of the project are: –To maintain an overview of unplanned events, accidents, injuries and work-related illness and to measure the impact of safety work in the petroleum activities–To help to highlight areas to which priority must be given to reduce risk.–To focus on the industry's own follow-up of trends.
Development of a Train the Trainer Program for Workers/Travelers at Risk for Malaria
Authors: Butcher Carol A.
Published: December 2007

Malaria occurs in most of the world, especially in tropical climates. Most of our expatriate population and business travelers depart from non-malarious areas to countries where malaria is prevalent and where they are exposed to the risk of malaria infection.

To address this problem, we studied and evaluated employees' current knowledge and behavioral practices to determine the "as-is" state. The "to-be" state was simple – zero malarial infections among employees.

To close the gap we developed a new methodology to malaria education to stimulate 100% compliance with drug prophylaxis and increased safe behaviors across our employee population. The training met with limited success. Although awareness was heightened and safe behavior improved, resistance to taking chemoprophylaxis continues.
Influenza Vaccination in an Oil Company: Costs and Benefits
Authors: Nicosia Vincenzo , Madera Angelo , Lesma Alessandro , Colombo Giorgio
Published: December 2007

To estimate costs and benefits of a preventive anti-influenza vaccination in a group of employees of Snamprogetti (an ENI-group company), in order to define a scheme of cost-benefit analysis to be used for other strategies of vaccination and in other contexts.
Environmental Social Responsibility: The Reality and Rewards of Corporate Citizenship
Authors: Edgar Jane , Colwell Lynn , Mitchell Simon
Published: December 2007

In the past 5 years, there has been a dramatic shift in how corporations view their role in society. Until recently, the role of environmental and social management was one of damage control and helping companies reverse the unintended effects of business decisions and actions. Now corporations are actually designating individuals with in-house responsibility for social and community outreach programs. In addition, companies are taking the step of publishing social and environmental reports for public consumption.

The contributions of social and environmental performance to the soft side of company value are generally accepted, but the link between this effort and financial performance has been a difficult thing to sell. Through integrated approaches to the environmental and social challenges we face, corporations and civil society are learning to better understand and value both the risks and opportunities these challenges present. The challenge of the triple bottom line is real: how can a company ensure economic growth, and deliver on the dual goals of social progress and environmental improvement?

In this paper we will examine environmental social responsibility and how companies are addressing this challenge both internally and externally. We will review real-life examples that have worked, and also those that failed and why. In addition, we will discuss the issues of value and financial performance in the context of the worth of proactive corporate environmental responsibility. Finally, we will look into the future to see what strategies might work best for meeting all stakeholder expectations and bringing about balanced shifts in corporate thinking on these issues.
New approaches to partnership in the implementation of the Tangguh LNG Project, Berau Bay, Papua
Authors: Davie Jim , Maryoto Erwin , Brosnan Catherine , Flassy Don , Burbridge Peter , Prarwirowijoto Panarto
Published: December 2007

The Tangguh LNG Project is implementing a Diversified Growth Strategy in partnership with Governments in Papua to manage the largest socio-economic changes in the region in recent times. The potential for an alternative approach results from changes in revenue disbursement in Indonesia associated with decentralization and Papuan Special Autonomy.
Emergency Relief Pits, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future
Authors: Rouse Stephen J.
Published: December 2007

Shell Exploration & Production Company (SEPCo) operates under the premise that while supplying the energy needs of the present generation, it must protect the environment so future generations are not hampered by our legacy. It is well documented that accidental releases of hydrocarbon materials do occur, resulting in soil and and/or groundwater contamination. It is incumbent upon the Industry to minimize releases of hydrocarbons for the protection of both human health and the environment. In 2000 SEPCo initiated an emergency relief-pit replacement program that will require five years and more than two million dollars to complete. The pits have a history of questionable integrity. SEPCo has removed 52 pits to date, 31% of the pits met cleanup standards and did not require remedial efforts to close, 50% required soil remediation before meeting cleanup criteria prior to closure, and 19% had impacted groundwater quality, which required remediation before closure could be obtained. Oil & Gas exploration and production are inextricably linked to the environment. Producers concerned about sustainable development will continuously evaluate their operations looking for opportunities to minimize releases of hydrocarbons to the environment. For SEPCo, one of these opportunities is replacing emergency relief-pits with emergency relief-tanks.
Environmental Reporting: Towards an E&P Industry's Report
Authors: Garland E.
Published: December 2007

The need for the Exploration and Production industry to report on its environmental performance has dramatically increased during the past decade. Many companies are already issuing such environmental reports, as are some national associations of operators, with respect to their own country. The reports adopt a wide range of perspectives. While some are purely factual and focus on operational data collection, others take the stakeholders' expectations as a point of departure and try to address their issues in a more global manner. So how far have we got at industry world-wide level?

Since 1994, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) has set up a task force to raise awareness amongst its members on environmental reporting and to tackle the specific issue of gathering worldwide performance data. In 1998, OGP issued guidelines for industry reporting and launched its first call for data on Environmental Performance Indicators (EPIs). The set of EPIs chosen were: emissions to the atmosphere; aqueous discharges; discharges of nonaqueous drilling fluids; spillage of hydrocarbons and of chemicals; energy consumption.

This first data collection (pertaining to the year 1998) revealed a number of major shortcomings in the information returned. The 1999 and 2000 data collections returned information of much better quality (in terms of credibility and reliability) and the industry is now confident that it has captured at least a sound basis for benchmarking these indicators. One of the objectives of the task force is now to issue a pertinent worldwide environmental report in the reasonably near future.
Developing Indicators to Assess the Main Ecological Impacts of Oil Industry in Colombia. Case study: Department of Huila
Authors: Elizabeth Leon V. , Daniel Vergara G.
Published: December 2007

The development of oil exploitation activities in Colombia carries the risk of severe environmental damages and social disruption. Since it exists a spatial high correlation between high biodiversity and hydrocarbon potentially- rich geologic formations, many of the areas targeted for oil development directly overlap with and can threat sensitive ecosystems.

The last three years, the oil industry along with the Colombian Government has undertaken the project "Environmental Land-Use for Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation" aimed at developing a whole set of environmental and socioeconomic parameters for the evaluation of new projects of the oil industry. These parameters or indicators will allow as well defining environmental constrains. One the main achievements of this research work is a methodology for the development a system of indicators. This paper presents the resulting preliminary indicators for the monitoring and quality assessment of tropical freshwaters. A region of Colombia, the Department of Huila (south East Colombia) was chosen as case study. Huila has rich water resources among them the Magdalena river; an important water source for domestic, agricultural and industrial use and ecologically rich waterway.

It was thus clearly important to establish a methodology for assessing the impacts of oil activities on rivers. However, the existing knowledge on Huila's rivers was extremely limited and consequently, no proven methodology existed so far. A major study was therefore necessary in order to establish the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the local river systems. The methodology developed is based on space/time relationships among the physical and chemical conditions of water bodies and their biology. Aquatic toxicity tests were performed in laboratory conditions as complementary information source on. This methodology could be equally applicable to the rest of Colombia and other tropical regions.
Borehole Seismic Air-Gun Sources: What's the Safe Distance from a Ship's Hull?
Authors: Tulett J. R. , Duncan G. A. , Thompson P. R.
Published: December 2007

When offshore borehole seismic surveys require the use of a supply ship or vessel to position an air-gun source, often the air-gun source is deployed over the side of the ship. For many years, this configuration has given concern to ship owners and captains. When conducting borehole seismic surveys, the air-gun source is fired several hundred times over the duration of the survey and there is a fear that the ship may be damaged.

Now that more powerful gun clusters and arrays are being used, these larger air-gun sources must be positioned further away from the ship's side.

An investigation was made of the excitation of the ship's hull caused by air-gun firing versus the excitation of the ship's hull under sailing conditions.

This paper shows how a set of safe distances can be formulated, so that gun shocks to the ship's hull when conducting borehole seismic surveys are no worse than hull shocks experienced when the ship is sailing under moderate sea conditions. Recommendations for safe air-gun deployment methods are presented, so that the safe distance can be maintained throughout the borehole seismic survey.
Electric Resistivity of Vuggy Fractured Media
Authors: Pérez-Rosales C. , Mercado-Díaz A. , Cruz-Hernández J. , Islas-Juárez R.
Published: December 2007

A theoretical and experimental study on electric resistivity of vuggy fractured media is presented. In order to have a rigorous control of the involved variables, a vuggy fractured medium is idealized by a cubic array of cubes having hemispherical cavities drilled in each cube face. In this model, the spaces between the cubes represent fractures and the hemispherical cavities represent vugs. The theoretical developments lead to a simple relationship expressing formation resistivity factor as the product of two factors, one depending on vug porosity and the other on fracture porosity. This formulation has been validated with experimental data obtained with a special resistivity cell. The proposed formulation can easily be generalized to be applicable to real rocks, and so it is a useful tool for interpretation of electric well logs of vuggy fractured formations.
Simulation of Asphaltene Precipitation in Fractured Reservoirs: A Case Study
Authors: Iwere F. O. , Apaydin O. G. , Moreno J. E. , Ventura R. Leon , Garcia J. L
Published: December 2007

Several factors, including the oil composition, reservoir pressure and temperature, and the properties of asphaltene, influence asphaltene precipitation from reservoir oil. Asphaltene starts to precipitate and plug the reservoir pore space under certain reservoir conditions, reducing flow capacity of the wells and the amount of recoverable oil. It is necessary to understand the mechanism of asphaltene precipitation and the resulting effects on well performance in order to build a representative forecasting model for reservoir management. The goal of this study is to model the effects of asphaltene precipitation on fluid flow and oil production from the vuggy, fractured reservoirs of the Taratunich Field.

Asphaltene precipitation has presented serious problems in the development of this field, which is located in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico. Asphaltene deposition has been reported both at the tubings and surface facilities. Special laboratory fluid and core studies and analysis of the well and reservoir performance data have been conducted in search of methods to mitigate or prevent this problem. Subsurface oil samples were collected for use in the laboratory analysis of the fluid to determine the composition, phase behavior and onset pressures of asphaltene and wax precipitation. Asphaltene was precipitated when the reservoir pressure declined below certain level. Laboratory flow tests were designed to measure also the rock flow capabilities as a function of pressure. Cores representing different rock types were used and different pressure levels were chosen spanning the range of asphaltene precipitation, which was determined from the fluid characterization study.

The analysis of the well and reservoir performance data revealed that lithology types and pore throat size play an important role in where asphaltene precipitates in the reservoirs. The results of the experiments showed that oil permeability decreases as the core pressure declines below the onset pressure of asphaltene precipitation. A dual porosity, single permeability (DPSP) numerical flow model was constructed with these experimental results, which were converted into tables of pore volume and transmissibility modifications. The reservoir simulator, Eclipse100, allowed the effects of asphaltene precipitation to be modeled through changes in pore volume and transmissibility with reservoir pressure. Since fracture system is the only conduit for fluid flow in DPSP flow models, the changes were applied to fracture system. The various experiments and their results, interpretation of the well and field performance data, as well as the construction of the simulation model are presented in this paper.
Managing a Multireservoir Field Using Single Cell Modeling - Dacion
Authors: Frorup M. , Carrasco D. , Forsyth G
Published: December 2007

Managing a field in a fluvial or delta environment is complicated due to the number of reservoir units. Many of these reservoir units are small and cannot justify significant studies. Because the data acquisition is limited at the reservoir level, the focus is on understanding uncertainties through a flexible approach allowing sensitivity studies. The Dacion field in the eastern part of Venezuela is one of such fields. This block contains more than 500 reservoir units with sizes from 200 Mstb and up.

The Dacion field came on production about 50 years ago. In the early years of development more than 300 wells were drilled and production reached a peak of 45000 bbl/D of oil in about 1958. After that the drilling slowed down and the field was operated on a rate maintenance basis. By 1997 the rate had fallen to approximately 11500 bbl/D. In 1998 the reactivation project was commenced by Lasmo Venezuela (ENI) and managed by PDVSA as part of the third Venezuelan licensing round. The project has so far more than tripled the production at takeover.

The planning approach was based on work done by Lasmo (ENI) in gas fields in Indonesia and modified to an oilfield. The basis of the approach is single cell simulation models for each of the individual units linked to a geological model for the definition of wellbore planning and estimation of productivity. This paper presents how this approach was applied in the Dacion block and how this links to reservoir simulation studies and facilities optimisation. Examples of individual reservoir models will be illustrated. The key in applying the simplified approach has been in understanding the fractional flow properties and being able to express these as type functions. The outcome is an approximate and flexible method to support management of fields with numerous small reservoirs.
Deepwater Improvements Using Real-Time Formation Evaluation
Authors: Lassoued Chaden , Dowla Najmud , Wendt Brett
Published: December 2007

In contrast to many parts of the United States that have significant production declines, the total Gulf of Mexico (GOM) production is on the increase thanks to technology advances that have allowed the industry to move into deeper water.

Deepwater drilling has many challenges to overcome, such as narrow pore-pressure/fracture-gradient relationships that require multiple casing runs. Wellbore instability, kicks, lost circulation and shallow-water flows are common during the drilling process. The depths of wells often reach 30,000 ft, resulting in high bottomhole pressures and temperatures that limit the options of measurements and mud-pulse telemetry. The drilling rigs required in this difficult environment are very expensive, and nondrilling times have a large impact on well or projects economics. Thus new technology was required to drill cost effectively in deep water.

Logging while drilling (LWD) tools have already presented great opportunities, yet we continue to push this new technology to its limits. In fact, a suite of nuclear (with retrievable source), acoustic, and electromagnetic tools have been simultaneously deployed in the drillstring to acquire real-time formation-evaluation data and pore pressure prediction information to help reach the desired depth.

Quick-answer products delivered on site, such as full borehole images and real-time Internet data transmission to the shore office, empowered a dispersed group of geologists, geophysicists, petrophysicists and drilling engineers to function as a team to promote efficiency.

This paper discusses the methods of using the data from azimuthal density, neutron, array compensated resistivity, and sonic tools that have enabled an operator to conduct a full formation-evaluation program. The field drilling program was based on the latest LWD technology enhancements such as dual-frequency resistivity measurements, blended-resistivity processing, 16-sector density, full-borehole imaging, and compressional transit time.

This paper also provides insight into the measurement while drilling (MWD) and LWD technology that has enabled data transmission from far-reaching depths. For example, fast telemetry settings, attaining 6 bps, allowed highly reliable data (2 samples per foot) to be recorded and sent uphole at an ROP of 100 ft/hr, synchronizing the frequency to further accommodate mud-attenuated signals in deeper wells.

High flow-rate capability (up to 2,500 gpm) in large boreholes combined with high pressure (up to 25,000 psi) gamma-ray, resistivity, density, and neutron (quad-combo) tools in deep, slim holes played an important role in keeping the flow of the information from downhole without interruption until the final drilling depth was reached.
Radioactive Marker Technique Applications to Evaluate Compaction in Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Authors: Macini P. , Mesini E.
Published: December 2007

Radioactive Marker Technique (RMT) is a systems to evaluate layer compaction and land subsidence due to underground fluid production, based on the periodic monitoring of the distance between markers inserted into the formation, or onto casing. RMT is designed for the in situ measurement of the uniaxial compressibility coefficient (Cm) of layers under depletion, which is crucial to implement mathematical models to forecast compaction and its effects on the earth surface. After a brief description of measurement principles, the paper describes some aspects of RMT interpretation. A review of the main features of modern tools is given, weak points of measurement procedures and interpretation techniques are underlined and statistical methods utilized to reduce errors of Cm computation are presented. The paper addresses also a new subject of discussion, i.e., the effect of casing on the deformation of the surrounding layers, that are to be quantified in order to obtain more realistic measurements. Researches in this direction must be carried out, in the attempt to clarify some still vague aspects of interpretation techniques, and to assure reliable measurements and clear criteria of RMT applications. In general, RMT-derived Cm's match with sufficient precision with the ones derived from surface subsidence observed at surface, but not with the ones measured in laboratory. Finally, an application in Northern Adriatic Sea is presented, where RMT helped to improve the quality of lab-measured Cm's, allowing for a more precise environmental impact assessment of a possible hydrocarbon development project in a very sensitive area. At last, the well-studied case of Groningen gas field, and other offshore North Sea and Gulf of Mexico applications are reported.
Reservoir Description Helps to Improve Stimulation Designs in Hot and Fissured Reservoirs in Mexico
Authors: Caldera J. A. , Centeno G. Tellez , Robles F. Cazares , Sobrino J. C. , Frass M. O.
Published: December 2007

Most of the reservoirs in Mexico are carbonate formations, which produce mainly from high conductivity fractures, the temperature of these fields generally goes above 140 C. Under this combined scenario of fissures and hot environments low rate acid injection generates a very fast mass transfer from acid to the rock, which yields very poor results in terms of production. Good results have been obtained on latest designs when injection rates have gone above frac pressure. The high rate mitigates the combined effect of the high proportion of rock surface area in the fissure to low volume of acid in the rock and the high temperature.

Special acid systems as emulsified systems; organics acid and high strength acid have been used to complement this practice with excellent results. Gelled especial system has helped to obtain a homogenous distribution of the acid in the open intervals.
Seismic Assessment Procedures for Drilling Structures on Offshore Platforms
Authors: Turner J. Ward , Effenberger Michael , Irick Jack
Published: December 2007

The objective of this paper is to provide guidance for the seismic assessment and design of drilling structures on offshore platforms. As a start, recommendations are provided on how to analytically model a drilling structure. Guidance is then given on special mass modeling considerations and how to assess the interaction between setback, mass, and hook loading conditions. Considerable discussion is provided on the aspects of performing a dynamic analysis and how to extract structural reactions. A procedure is provided to rationally develop a consistent set of deck reactions that can be used to assess the integrity of the supporting deck structure. Finally, operational guidance is provided for operating a drilling rig in regions subject to earthquakes.

The guidelines provided are intended to be a supplement to the requirements contained in API Specification 4F. These guidelines are not specification requirements, but do provide a recommended practice for performing seismic assessments and designs of drilling structures on offshore platforms and jackup rigs.
Robotic Controlled Drilling: A New Rotary Steerable Drilling System for the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Tetsuo Yonezawa , Cargill Edward J. , Gaynor Tom M. , Hardin J. R. , Hay Richard T. , Akio Ikeda , Kiyosawa Yoshihide
Published: December 2007

The paper reviews the development of a second-generation rotary steerable drilling tool. The principle of operation is a bendable shaft that points the bit in the opposite direction to the shaft bending direction. This tilting action is a departure from other rotary steerable device concepts that push the bit sideways to change the wellbore trajectory. Combining this tilting action with extended gage bit technology provides maximum effectiveness in torque and drag reduction while reducing vibration and further improving hole cleaning. Important to the tool development was basing the design on lessons learned by others thereby improving both performance and reliability. The paper also discusses the application of proven technology from outside the drilling industry. Core elements such as strain wave gearing transmissions and electrically operated clutches were developed initially for use in industrial robots. Other significant elements are examined such as the shaft design, rotary seal systems and anti-rotation devices to limit housing roll rate. The "steering system" was integrated with an existing MWD system to allow automated or manual control from surface using a bi-directional communication system. This is also discussed.