bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Stock Markets in Stimulating Innovation Processes
Authors: Mamedyarov Z.
Published: November 2020

The paper deals with the role of the stock market in innovative development, basically in case of the U. S. The author shows how the NASDAQ has provided tangible financial incentives for growth of high-tech industries, emphasizes the relationship between innovation and the financial sector, the importance of competition for capital in technological development. It is shown that the development of NASDAQ and increased competition of stock markets allowed high-tech U.S. companies to benefit from country’s strong financial sector and specialized market structures. The prerequisites for the successful emergence of biotech and ICT start-ups, as well as the venture market in the U.S. are still strongly connected with stock markets. However, the comparative analysis also revealed growing global competition from the Chinese stock markets. At the same time, in the last decade a new bubble is emerging on the U.S. stock market, which, as shown by the analysis of the median revenues of the major companies, differs from similar situations before the dot-com crisis and before the 2008–2009 crisis. Revenues of the largest companies in recent years have been growing along with their capitalization, which suggests that the bubble may take much longer to collapse than before. The author also shows the intensification of competition between stock exchanges and over-the-counter financing mechanisms for innovative companies: SME acquisitions by major corporations, intensification of mergers and acquisitions around the world. The role of mergers and acquisitions, which have become an alternative to IPOs, has become increasingly important over the past decade as a financing mechanism for innovative companies. In the last decade, the ICT-companies have dominated by market capitalization and gained sufficient market power to meet the demand for new developments and acquisitions of start-ups. This over-the-counter financing mechanism increases market uncertainty and may contribute to suboptimal solutions in the high-tech sector. However, the author found that the observed decline in U.S. IPOs is primarily affecting the ICT sector, while pharmaceutical and biotech companies continue to be actively listed.
The Green Discourse as a Type of New Left Populism
Authors: Bardin A. , Sigachev M.
Published: November 2020

The article is devoted to comparative political analysis of environmentalist political parties and movements in the member states of the European Union. The authors study European greens with reference to the new wave of left-wing populism that originated in 2010s, and analyze the main reasons for the growing influence of ecological and left-populist parties and movements in European societies. Case studies of a number of EU member states demonstrate close and multidimensional interdependence between the green and populist discourses. The authors outline the key factors that determine this interrelation and conclude that a general left-green discourse is emerging, based on a common commitment of the corresponding political parties and movements, as well as ecological non-governmental organizations, to a post-industrial, socio-ecological approach to world development. Moreover, this discourse is influenced by the COVID 19 pandemic, which dealt a huge blow to the global and most national economies and, most importantly, to vulnerable social groups. The current “corona crisis” will inevitably deepen the social inequality, which has always served as a breeding ground for populism. The closest example is the rise of populist movements, such as Syriza (Greece) and Podemos (Spain) in the aftermath of the 2008 international financial crisis. The post-crisis reality is likely to be marked by an increasing demand for socially oriented ecologism, with the left-green responding to this request. Therefore, one can expect a new wave of populism, exploiting the inability of many governments to provide effective response to the pandemic. This new wave is likely to be characterized by the convergence of eco-social discourse with left-wing populist and even left-wing radical discourse driven by a common commitment to post-capitalism. The crisis is also likely to attract attention of wider segments of population to global problems, including social and ecological ones. This, in turn, is likely to give an impetus to new models of development, such as “responsible development”, based on the orientation toward non-material production and consumption, intellectual and creative resources, and the use of nature-friendly technologies.
Conflict on the Armenia – Azerbaijan Border in July 2020
Authors:   Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Science, 23, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation, Fedorovskaya I.
Published: November 2020

In July 2020 military clashes took place at the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The escalation of tension just at the border of two countries and not in Nagorno-Karabakh assigns the conflict an interstate status. As a result, a hair-trigger situation can be on track in South Caucasus, because Armenia is a member of Collective Security Treaty Organization, and Azerbaijan is actively supported by Turkey.
The Policy of Donald Trump’s Administration in Central Asia
Authors:   Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Science, 23, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation, Ionova E.
Published: November 2020

Washington’s strategic course in Central Asia is primarily aimed at weakening China in the region, being an integral part of the anti-Chinese trend of Donald Trump's policy. At the same time, it pursues the goal of weakening the role of Russia, which is a constant of the US policy. Relations with the regional countries are actualized by the “Afghanistan factor” in connection with the impending withdrawal of the American contingent from the IRA. Uzbekistan is considered by Washington as an outpost of its policy in Central Asia, primarily in the Afghan direction. In Kazakhstan, the United States concentrat on promoting anti-Chinese sentiments. Despite the fact that relations with three other countries in the region remain on the periphery of Washington's policy, their development is envisaged by the framework of the C5 + 1 format.
Prevalence of Multidrug Resistance Tuberculosis
Authors: Bachani Parkash , Kumar Love , Kumar Naresh , Shaukat Faizan
Published: November 2020

Introduction Tuberculosis is common in Pakistan. Due to various factors including socioeconomic factors, compliance is poor to anti-tuberculosis drugs, leading to resistance. We aim to determine the prevalence of Multidrug resistance (MDR) tuberculosis in Pakistani population.Methods A prospective observational study was conducted from April 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, in the Pulmonology department of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Culture and sensitivity were assessed using a sputum sample or, in cases of an absent sputum sample, from Broncho alveolar lavage.ResultsApproximately 71.3% percent patients who had tuberculosis were found to be resistant to Isoniazid and around 48.6% did not respond to Rifampin. Multi-drug resistant was found in 29.4% participants.ConclusionMulti-drug resistance tuberculosis is very prevalent in Pakistan, which may increase burden on health care system and may lead to various complications of tuberculosis.
Seeing Invisible Light: 2-photon Microperimetry to Measure Visual Function
Authors: Mehta Urmi , Palczewska Grazyna , Lin Ken , Browne Andrew
Published: November 2020

Purpose: The accuracy of conventional visual function tests, which emit visible light, decreases in patients with corneal scars, cataracts, and vitreous hemorrhages. In contrast, infrared (IR) light exhibits greater tissue penetrance than visible light and is less susceptible to optical opacities. We therefore compared visual function results obtained using conventional visual function tests and infrared 2-photon microperimetry (2PM-IR) in a subject with a brunescent nuclear sclerotic and posterior subcapsular cataract before and after cataract surgery. Methods: Visual function testing using the cone contrast threshold (CCT) test, conventional microperimetry (cMP), visible light microperimetry from a novel device (2PM-Vis), and 2PM-IR were performed before and after cataract surgery. Results: Cone contrast threshold testing improved for the S-cone, M-cone, and L-cone by 111, 14, and 30. Retinal sensitivity assessed using cMP, 2PM-Vis, and 2PM-IR improved by 18 dB, 17.4 dB, and 3.4 dB, respectively. Conclusions and Importance: 2PM-IR, unlike conventional visual function tests, showed minimal variability in retinal sensitivity before and after surgery. Thus, IR visual stimulation introduces a paradigm shift for measuring visual function in the retina and posterior visual pathways by circumventing optical media opacities.
Effectiveness of Platelet Function Analysis-Guided Aspirin and/or Clopidogrel Therapy in Preventing Secondary Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yan Ann-Rong , Naunton Mark , Peterson Gregory M. , Cadenas Israel Fernandez , Mortazavi Reza
Published: November 2020

Background: Antiplatelet medications such as aspirin and clopidogrel are used following thrombotic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) to prevent a recurrent stroke. However, the antiplatelet treatments fail frequently, and patients experience recurrent stroke. One approach to lower the rates of recurrence, may be the individualized antiplatelet therapies (antiplatelet therapy modification (ATM)) based on the results of platelet function analysis (PFA). This review was undertaken to gather and analyse the evidence about the effectiveness of such approaches. Methods: We searched Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane databases to 7 January 2020. Results: Two observational studies involving 1136 patients were included. The overall effects of PFA-based ATM on recurrent strokes (OR 1.05; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.58), any bleeding risk (OR 1.39; 95% CI 0.92 to 2.10) or death hazard from any cause (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.62 to 2.29) were not significantly different from the standard antiplatelet therapy without ATM. Conclusions: The two studies showed opposite effects of PFA-guided ATM on the recurrent strokes in aspirin non-responders, leading to an insignificant difference in the subgroup meta-analysis (OR 1.59; 95% CI 0.07 to 33.77), while the rates of any bleeding events (OR 1.04; 95% CI 0.49 to 2.17) or death from any cause (OR 1.17; 95% CI 0.41 to 3.35) were not significantly different between aspirin non-responders with ATM and those without ATM. There is a need for large randomized controlled trials which account for potential confounders such as ischemic stroke subtypes, technical variations in the testing protocols, patient adherence to therapy, and pharmacogenetic differences.
What Is the Temperature? Modern Outlook on the Concept of Temperature
Authors: Bormashenko Edward
Published: November 2020

The meaning and evolution of the notion of “temperature” (which is a key concept for the condensed and gaseous matter theories) is addressed from the different points of view. The concept of temperature turns out to be much more fundamental than it is conventionally thought. In particular, the temperature may be introduced for the systems built of “small” number of particles and particles in rest. The Kelvin temperature scale may be introduced into the quantum and relativistic physics due to the fact, that the efficiency of the quantum and relativistic Carnot cycles coincides with that of the classical one. The relation of the temperature to the metrics of the configurational space describing the behavior of system built from non-interacting particles is demonstrated. The Landauer principle asserts that the temperature of the system is the only physical value defining the energy cost of isothermal erasing of the single bit of information. The role of the temperature the cosmic microwave background in the modern cosmology is discussed.
Updates and Advances in the Management of Lateral Meniscal Radial Tears
Authors: Lin James S. , Akers Allison , Miller Timothy L.
Published: November 2020

» Because of their increased mobility, lack of resistance to hoop stresses, and decreased blood supply, radial tears of the lateral meniscus are more troublesome to heal than vertical longitudinal tears.

» Given the success of meniscal root repairs, radial tears of the lateral meniscal body should be given strong consideration for repair because of a more reproducible ability to heal such lesions in young, active patients.

» Technique options that should be considered for the less common anterior radial tears of the lateral meniscus include outside-in repair, self-capturing suture-passing devices, and orthobiologic treatments to stimulate healing.

» Although a variety of suture techniques, including the double horizontal mattress and horizontal butterfly patterns, have demonstrated improvements in patient outcomes, evidence is still limited with regard to the ideal suture pattern for radial tears.
Value chain analysis of farmed shrimp sector in Tamil Nadu, south India
Authors: Umamaheswari T. , Rajakumar M. , Sugumar G. , Santhakumar R.
Published: November 2020

Shrimp farming in India has grown considerably and has emerged as a major commercial enterprise owing to the introduction of specific pathogen free (SPF) stocks of Penaeus vannamei. The complexity and limited transparency of the shrimp value chain, make it difficult for buyers to take action on cost optimisation. Against this background, a study on value chain analysis of farmed shrimp sector in Tamil Nadu was undertaken with the objectives of analysing different input market channels, inbound and outbound logistics, value chain management (VCM) practices being adopted in shrimp farming, key challenges and finally to suggest a cost effective value chain model for shrimp farmers. Four coastal Districts in Tamil Nadu,namely Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram and Cuddalore were selected for the study. From each District, 50 shrimp farmers registered with Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) were selected randomly with a total sample size of 200. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression and factor analysis were employed for data analysis. The annual per hectre yield andincome were estimated at 7.42 t and ₹64.23 lakhs, respectively. The overall distribution of inbound logistics revealed that almost all the inputs were transported through trucks, autorickshaws and motor cycles. The channels of distribution of various inputs were also documented. The overall farm gate price was estimated at ₹433.70 kg-1. Among the VCM practices, feed and feeding management contributed the highest (42.95%). The results of regression model (performed on cost contribution of value chain processes to final price) and factor analysis (frequency of performing VCM processes) concluded that the shrimp farmers regularly perform VCM operations such as feed and feeding management, energy usage, application of probiotics, chemicals and minerals, check tray monitoring and sampling, while they poorly practise VCM processes of waste water management, disinfection protocol, disease management and water quality management. Suitable recommendations for better yield and final price are also suggested.
Quality changes in Bombayduck Harpodon nehereus stored in slurry ice and flake ice: A comparative study
Authors: Jeyakumari A. , Ninan George , Narasimha Murthy L. , Visnuvinayagam S. , Parvathy U. , Ravishankar C. N.
Published: November 2020

The effect of slurry ice on quality changes of Bombayduck (Harpodon nehereus) was evaluated in comparison with conventional flake ice. Biochemical, microbiological and sensory analyses were carried out upto 16 days. Total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine (TMA) and pH were found to be lower in fish stored under slurry ice (SI). Similarly, lower peroxide value (PV) of 19.25±1.1 meq O2 kg-1 was recorded for SI on 16th day of storage, while fish stored in flake ice (FI) recorded PV of 20.15±0.9 meq.O2 kg-1on 13th day. TBA values were found to be higher in SI than FI. However, all the samples had TBA value within the limit of acceptability. Salt content ranged between 0.15-0.28% and 0.15- 2.2% in FI and SI respectively.Total plate count (TPC), psychrophilic bacterial count, Pseudomonas spp. and H2S producers showed an increasing trend during storage. In the present study, psychrophilic bacterial count served as a good microbiological quality indicator than TPC. Results revealed that slurry ice was able to control both enzymatic and microbial activity in fish during storage period as indicated by the extended shelf life of Bombayduck up to 15 days of storage as compared to 12days recorded for control samples.
Controls on dolomitization in extensional basins: An example from the Derbyshire Platform, U.K.
Authors: Breislin Catherine , Crowley Stephen , Banks Vanessa J. , Marshall Jim D. , Millar Ian L. , Riding James B. , Hollis Cathy
Published: November 2020

Fault-controlled dolomitization has been documented in Lower Carboniferous (Viséan) platform carbonates at various localities in the Pennine Basin and North Wales. The largest of these dolomite bodies (approx. 60 km2) occurs on the Derbyshire Platform, on the southern margin of the Pennine Basin. This study tests the hypothesis that dolomitization occurred at this locality during deposition, platform drowning, and the earliest stages of burial, coincident with the transition from a late syn-rift to post-rift regime. It also assesses the importance of syn-rift volcanism on dolomitization. Planar, fabric-retentive dolomite with single-phase (i.e., low temperature) fluid inclusions occurs along NW–SE and E–W oriented faults, and in platform margin facies and in proximity to the Masson Hill Volcanic Complex. Oxygen isotope data are consistent with dolomitization from seawater, but slightly depleted δ13C values reflect mixing with magmatic fluids. Volcanic activity is likely to have produced a thermal drive for fluid circulation on the platform margin, and post-depositional alteration of basalts by CO2-rich fluids could have led to alteration of olivine and release of magnesium to convecting seawater. Consequently, the large volume of dolostone on the southern margin of the Derbyshire Platform is attributed to the increased geothermal gradient and a localized increase in the Mg/Ca ratio of dolomitizing fluids at this locality, compared to elsewhere in the Pennine Basin. The results suggest that syn-rift carbonate platforms in volcanically active areas of rift basins have a greater potential for dolomitization from seawater than non-volcanic platforms in the same basin.
Assessment of Supercritical Injection of Co2 Using Huff-N-Puff Approach in a Complex Reservoir Environment-SPE-202209-MS
Authors: Alali Zainab , Pardo Tacha Cesar , Oluwa Jubril
Published: November 2020

Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection at supercritical conditions using the huff-n-puff process has been proven to be an effective resource to mitigate the production impairment generated by near wellbore condensate banking in rich gas condensate fields. This approach decreases the density of condensate and at the same time increases the density of the gas, thereby generating a reduction in the interfacial tension between the two co-existing phases. This study evaluates the impact of CO2 injection under the huff-and-puff process on gas recovery enhancement using reservoir simulation.

A compositional reservoir simulator was utilized to perform CO2 injection at supercritical conditions. Several sector models with local grid refinement (LGR) were constructed to evaluate the impact of CO2 injection at supercritical conditions (huff-n-puff) on the condensate banking in wells with rich gas condensate production. The evaluation considered numerous scenarios of injecting supercritical CO2 at different decreasing reservoir pressures in combination with sensitivities of CO2 injected volume, gas production rate, and soaking time duration.

The results indicated a significant reduction of condensate saturation around the wellbore leading to improvements in gas productivity. In addition, an optimum CO2 injection frequency required to maintain low condensate saturation in the near wellbore region was established. Overall, the results indicated that injecting CO2 at supercritical conditions in carbonate reservoirs has the potential to mitigate the condensate banking problem. A positive correlation between reservoir depletion status and gas recovery was also established from the study: optimum treatment results are obtained at condensate saturation above 20%, and at reservoir pressures below the dew point.

Condensate banking around the wellbore can significantly limit gas/condensate production and recovery. The injection of CO2 to overcome this problem has been more commonly used on sandstones while its use on carbonates is still under testing and development. This paper presents a reservoir simulation study using huff-n-puff CO2 injection in a carbonate reservoir to enhance well production and mitigate condensate formation around the wellbore region.
Simplified Front End Loading: A Route to Better Project Outcomes
Authors: Newman David , Begg Steve , Welsh Matthew
Published: November 2020

This paper aims to encourage Front End Loading (FEL) to be used more effectively to increase the likelihood of delivering better project outcomes. It introduces a simple and pragmatic approach to assessing FEL which can be carried out in-house.

Previous research has shown that, despite FEL being highly regarded, companies regularly sanction projects with insufficient levels of FEL. This has frequently resulted in projects not achieving the outcomes promised at the Final Investment Decision (FID) in terms of cost, time and production attained. This paper reviews reasons why FEL may not be used very effectively at present and proposes a solution to change this.

An alternative method of assessing FEL has been developed which: is decision-based; can be carried out internally; and provides clarity on the factors that drive good FEL. In addition to assessing the status of activities carried out in the phase, the decision-based approach emphasises value-creation by considering key factors that could influence an increase or decrease in Decision Quality and thus the value created by the final outcome.

The benchmarking and the decision-based approaches to FEL are very different. FEL benchmarking is external, objective, more bottom up; whereas the decision-based approach is internal, subjective and more top down. The benchmarking approach is more detailed, with a large number of individual activities assessed, and the progress on these aggregated to provide an overall benchmarking score. The decision-based approach is more of a big picture view.

FEL benchmarking is well proven and its use is advocated. The decision-based FEL approach is unproven, but it has benefits that are not available from benchmarking and avoids some of the disadvantages. It encourages consideration to be given to activities that may result in value being created or destroyed; e.g. ensuring there are sufficient and appropriate alternatives during the Select phase, and that the benefits of flexibility are taken into account. A further advantage of the decision-based approach is that working through the FEL tools as a project team leads to a better joint understanding of the project and improves team integration.

The two approaches consider FEL from different perspectives and have different benefits. They complement each other, and so the combination of the two approaches is more powerful than either on its own. It is suggested that the two approaches are worked in conjunction with each other to gain the benefits of both methods, provide a better understanding of FEL, and have a stronger basis for decision-making.

A new way of assessing FEL has been developed which uses a decision-based approach aimed at increasing the value of project outcomes. Separate tools are provided for the Concept Select and FID phases.
Fracture-Matrix Modelling of CO2 Enhanced Shale Gas Recovery in Compressible Shale
Authors: Berawala Dhruvit Satishchandra , Østebø Andersen Pål
Published: November 2020

With the current technology, only 3-10% of gas from tight shale is recovered economically through natural depletion, demonstrating a significant potential for enhanced shale gas recovery (ESGR). Experimental studies have demonstrated that shale kerogen/organic matter has a higher adsorption affinity for CO2 than methane, CH4. CO2 is preferentially adsorbed over CH4 with a ratio of up to 5:1. This paper examines CO2-ESGR in compressible shale during huff-and-puff injection to better understand the parameters controlling its feasibility and effectiveness. A mathematical model will be presented where the CO2-CH4 substitution mechanism is implemented in an injection-production setting representative of field implementation.

A single hydraulic fracture surrounded symmetrically by a shale matrix will be considered. During primary depletion, gas is produced from the shale to the fracture by pressure driven flow and gas desorption. The porosity and permeability of matrix reduces due to compressibility. Stopping production and then injecting CO2 through the fracture and into the shale leads to increase in pressure, causing both the preferential adsorption of CO2 over CH4 and the restoration of porosity and permeability. The shale matrix then releases more CH4 in favor of the more chemically sorptive CO2. Restarting production from the well then allows more CH4 gas to be produced. Experimental adsorption data were used to quantify the substitution parameters while typical field data were used for the operating and geometrical conditions. Additional investigated production mechanisms include gas diffusion and changes in apparent permeability and porosity due to compressibility (addressed in Section 2.3.2).

Through a series of simulations, it was found that for the example studied, diffusion contributes the most to the performance of CO2-ESGR. Compressibility significantly reduces the matrix porosity and permeability during primary depletion, giving a positive effect to gas recovery. During CO2 injection, matrix porosity and permeability mostly recovers depending on pressure increase in the reservoir. The gas production seemed little sensitive to fracture permeability. The pore radius, the diffusion coefficient and the rock compressibility, parameters related to flow in the matrix, all affected the performance of CO2-ESGR.
Forced Oil-Water Emulsion to Tackle Flow Assurance Issues in Heavy Oil Reservoir
Authors: Sajjad Farasdaq Muchibus , Nugroho Wisnu Agus , Chandra Steven , Panaiputra Harris Grenaldi , Nurlita Dian , Towidjojo Reynaldo Billy , Rahmawati Silvya Dewi , Vico Hendro , Wirawan Alvin
Published: November 2020

Flow assurance has been a major problem in the development of a heavy oil field. It is not common that this issue has a multiplier effect from reservoir up to processing facilities, reducing productivity and in turn, increasing financial burden. Many of oil and gas operators in Indonesia have spent a lot of capital to deal with managing complex reservoirs with severe flow assurance issues, namely high water cut, excessively viscous oil and its effect on fluid flow.

Y Field has been produced for thirty years and currently produces 2800 BOPD with fluctuations in flow rate. This field is characterized by extreme oil viscosity, up to 4000 cP at surface condition, which leads to high backpressure while delivering fluid to pipeline system. This viscous oil creates unstable flow, causing unfavorable flow-pattern; slug flow to annular flow. As a result, the water and oil are not coherently arrived at the same time at receiving facilities, leading to highly frequent occurrence of oil-water slug phenomenon. Chemical injection efforts do not show significant impact toward the production, therefore an alternative approach is generated to address the production problem.

A new approach is presented in this publication to reduce the occurrence of severe slugging phenomenon by performing water blending scheme during fluid transportation. The idea is based on a hypothesis that performing forced emulsion of brine and heavy oil promotes dispersion of oil into small droplets which can be carried out by injected water under relatively low velocity of fluid flow. This idea is quite interesting since it is simple to perform, by only directing produced water from water zones below hydrocarbon bearing zone or by reactivating high water cut wells to the pipeline system.

In order to increase the efficiency of forced emulsion process, we approximated the minimum acceptable water cut to develop sufficient emulsion viscosity to prevent exceeding backpressure. Based on simulation using commercial software, the result shows that water cut should be maintained above 80%. A lower water cut will lead to high backpressure which will delay arrival time of oil for more than one day behind the water arrival. This result infers that one of the available solutions to handle severe slugging is by modifying water cut profile during hydrocarbon transportation. This approach gives a new insight into marginal field optimization.
Next Generation Ceramic Sand Screens as Open Hole Completion Solution in High Rate Erosive and Corrosive Well Environment at Dvalin HPHT Field, Offshore Norway
Authors: Ritschel Robert , Storhaug Jens , Dahle Bjorn Olav , Meschke Frank , Barth Peter , Jackson Steven Richard , Gundemoni Bhargava Ram , Danielsen Trond Helge
Published: November 2020

The Dvalin gas field is located in the Norwegian sea on NCS and is operated by Wintershall DEA Norge. It is supported by two independent reservoir structures, Dvalin East and Dvalin West. The field was explored through wells 14S and 15S in 2010 and 2012, respectively. The field is characterized by dry gas, high CO2, high temperature (160 °C) and high pressure (SIWHP 620 bar). The targeted Garn sandstone has good reservoir quality, but with a high permeability contrast.

The field development was sanctioned in 2016 and calls for a 4 well solution through a centrally located subsea template, producing gas back to the host platform Heidrun TLP 15 km away. Water depth at location is 380 m and targeted reservoirs are at 4140 m MSL (East) and 4240 m MSL (West).

Production plateau rates are estimated to be approximately 106 MMscf/D (3 million std m3/d) per well where thin high-permeability zones within the Garn formation are expected to dominate the inflow. The lateral facies development is thought to be relatively homogenous throughout the field, thus S-shape wells falling off to vertical through the reservoir will ensure effective drainage.

Sand failure is expected after short time of production and would increase the risk of erosion causing severe damage to well jewelry and production facilities. It has been decided to integrate sand screens as a means of downhole sand control as part of the primary lower completion design. The sand screens will offer sand control, erosion resistance, hot spotting resistance as well as robustness towards a full hole collapse during reservoir pressure depletion. As the subsea completions are carried out from a mobile drilling unit in harsh environments, protection of the sand control filter media during installation is of utmost importance.

This paper will describe the selection process of sand control and qualification steps carried out to use ceramic screens as the stand-alone screen solution for successful deployment and integrity for the Dvalin field development
Transforming the Mindset to Drill Ultra ERD Wells With High Tortuosity
Authors: Goodin Barry , Selman Duane , Wroth Andy , Singam Chandrasekhar Kirthi , Wang Haifeng , Viandante Mauro , Cardozo Nieto Manuel Felipe , Liu Yang
Published: November 2020

This paper describes the extensive integrated engineering collaboration and optimization process to allow the operator to push the drilling and completion envelope to drill complex ultra extended reach drilling (ERD) wells in a mature field. The Wandoo field is located within WA-14L in the Carnarvon Basin, offshore Western Australia and is wholly owned and operated by Vermilion Oil & Gas Australia Pty Ltd (VOGA). Due to the shallow reservoir depth, extreme ERD profile and the high tortuosity requirement for the wells, significant challenges were identified during the planning stages of the campaign.

To optimize well placement, update geological information and reduce collision risk with nearby producing wells, the Reservoir Mapping While Drilling (RMWD) service was run in real-time. The primary objective of the service was to place the well in the optimum position within the reservoir, this included (1) provide early detection of moved oil water contact (MOWC) while approaching well crossings with minimum separation factor to reduce collision risk and geological uncertainties; (2) to steer azimuthally to optimize the placement of the well with respect to the field bounding fault and reduce the drilling risk associated with the intersection of the fault; and (3) to distinguish between the A3 Upper (A3U), A3 Lower (A3L), and B sands to optimize well placement.

These challenges were successfully overcome with extensive planning, integrated engineering designs, application of new state-of-the-art technology, good quality real-time data interpretation and a strong execution support from both rig site and town.

As the result of good collaborative teamwork in planning and execution, the two highly technically challenging wells were drilled and completed successfully and brought online for production. A number of drilling performance highlights captured during the execution phase were identified as having significantly contributed to the successful completion of the project.
CO2 And H2S Co-Removal From Natural Gas Using Membrane Contactor Technology
Authors: Mohd Tamidi Athirah , Yasin Nor Hafizah
Published: November 2020

Acid gas removal mainly CO2 and H2S from natural gas is an essential treatment process in the oil and gas industry to increase the heating value of sales gas, prevent corrosion of pipeline and process equipment’s and avoid crystallization during the liquefaction process (Ahmad et al., 2010). Among the popular acid gas removal technologies, the amine-based acid gas absorption process that relies on chemical absorption of acid gas into aqueous amine solution followed by thermal regeneration is one of the technologies that is widely used in the oil and gas industry for acid gas treatment (Brau et al., 2017; Yu et al., 2012; Tay et al., 2017). For amine-based acid gas removal technology, contactors play an important role to ensure efficient and economical separation processes. Membrane contactor technology is one of the promising alternatives to existing conventional contactors that provides a large surface area per unit volume, independent gas and liquid flow rate and ease of scale-up for the acid gas absorption process. In this study, the feasibility of using membrane contactor technology for CO2 and H2S co-removal at high pressure was investigated. The effect of operating parameters such as gas flow rate, liquid flow rate and amine concentration on CO2 and H2S removal performance using activated MDEA as liquid absorbent was conducted using the design of experiment approach. Results from experimental runs have shown that the H2S target outlet which is ≤50 ppm was achieved at all operating conditions but not for CO2 outlet. The target CO2 outlet which is 6.5 mol% was only achieved at experimental runs where the condition of gas flowrate is the lowest, liquid flowrate is the highest and amine concentration is the lowest. The results achieved have proven that there is a high potential to use membrane contactor technology for co-removal of CO2 and H2S from natural gas.
An Improved Methodology to Derive Optimal Steady-State Oil-Water Relative Permeability Relationships: Concurrent Deployment of the 2-Phase Modified Carman-Kozeny and the Modified Brooks-Corey Formulations
Authors: Behrenbruch Peter , Quoc Doan Truc , Triet Do Huu Minh , Duy Bui Khang , Kennaird Tony
Published: November 2020

A detailed comparison is made of the more recently developed phenomenological 2-phase Modified Carman-Kozeny (2pMCK) relative permeability formulation with that of the industry standard, the Modified Brooks-Corey (MBC) formulation. The purpose is to show the strengths and weaknesses of the two formulations and to demonstrate how their combined use can yield the most consistent overall result, the optimum choice as input to reservoir simulation.

A brief overview of the two relative permeability formulations is given first. Several laboratory data sets are reviewed by deploying the two models, validating the data and pinpointing potential problems. In some cases, both methods are used to extrapolate lab results to determine a more realistic residual oil saturation value and corresponding water relative permeability endpoint, particularly for samples involving fines movement. The apparent increased degree of curvature of the oil relative permeability is also often problematic and is typically related to pore-fill, requiring modification to laboratory defined relationships. A clear workflow is outlined on how to derive overall optimal results. Both methods show that if additional information such as independent wettability measurements are available, there is more confidence in final relationships derived. As evident, problems are typically associated with the second data point and the final one, start and finish of multi-phase flow measurements, necessitating adjustment in oil relative permeability curvature and the final endpoint data, residual oil saturation and associated water relative permeability. If the curvature of the oil relative permeability is excessive, MBC extrapolation is prone to failure. While the 2pMCK model does not show such shortcoming, the model cannot currently handle very large exponents. However, for most realistic situations, such limitation is not a problem. Another advantage of the 2pMCK model is its ability to pinpoint laboratory artefacts.

The concurrent use of the two relative permeability formulations gives a new perspective of relative permeability modelling and is particularly suitable for quality checking and analysing more challenging laboratory results. The approach has been computerised, allowing for ease of data handling, model comparison and consistency.
Engineered Fluid Design Helps Drilling the Longest Horizontal Section in Record Time – A Case Study from Turkey
Authors: Sheer Shahad , Karakaya Guray , Gadhiya Ketan , Addagalla Ajay , Kamel Mina
Published: November 2020

Drilling extended lateral sections to maximize reservoir exposure is key to optimizing field production and data recovery. However, it presents peculiar challenges not limited to hole-cleaning, wellbore stability, narrow drilling windows, and excessive torque and drag. Thus, customizing the fluid system to drill lateral sections requires information to understand the formation characteristics, including geomechanical data to determine the correct mud weight window, a precise selection of optimal fluid rheological properties, good inhibition, and lubricity, which are of foremost importance for extended-reach drilling (ERD) wells.

The reservoir section of the well presented in this paper was previously drilled unsuccessfully twice, as the targeted zone was not reached. During the drilling phase, a large amount of non-productive time (NPT) was observed due to stuck pipe incidents, hole collapse, and then, hole cleaning issues were encountered while drilling. Another critical concern is the narrow mud weight window range, which causes the formation to break when Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD) increases beyond the pore pressure or fracture pressure of the formation.

A new generation of High-Performance Non-Aqueous Based Mud (HPNBM) was engineered to drill these types of complicated, long horizontal intervals matching the drilling performance required to drill such sections and deliver a perfect gauge hole. This HPNBM provides high shear-thinning properties, an excellent low-end rheological profile, and rapid-set/easy break gels. This paper presents a successful well delivery of drilling the longest horizontal section in the country within a record amount of time. The previous attempts were carefully studied to identify the challenges associated during drilling and considered while designing this HPNBM. The high-performance non-aqueous based mud system proposed with stress caging technique was successful, economic, and drilled successfully with zero non-productive time (NPT) related to drilling fluids. Engineering software was utilized as hole cleaning is critical for drilling the horizontal sections to reach the targeted depth and run casing to the bottom.

This paper presents the longest horizontal section (4,200 ft) to be drilled to the targeted depth as planned in Turkey. A comprehensive analysis that includes the planning phase, application, techniques, and performance of the mud system will be presented.
Optimised Pumping Design for 100% Pack Efficiency in Open-Hole Gravel Packs: A Field Study from Offshore Republic of Congo
Authors: Hubert Thomas , Chembou Mike Tony , Dupouy Nicolas , Ilyasov Robert , Nkala Christian Moumboko , Reilly Brett
Published: November 2020

Achieving complete and efficient gravel packing is the primary objective when tasked to install an effective sand control completion. This paper describes the challenges faced during the selection, design, planning and execution phases of the open-hole horizontal gravel pack completions in the "L" field, offshore Republic of Congo. The open hole gravel packs (OHGPs) targeted the most prolific sand to ensure production objectives were achieved with the benefit of a gravel-pack completion.

The operator completed two OHGPs with alpha/beta technique for the sand face completion utilizing concentric annular pack screen (CAPS), wire-wrap screens, and a service tool permitting post-gravel pack filter cake clean-up treatments. The accurate selection, modeling, and evaluation of sand control techniques were crucial for completion and production optimization, as well as risk minimization. The service approach had traditionally leveraged upon industry rules of thumb and previous experience, but as the reservoir section length increased and completion configuration became more complex, the error margins tightened and the cost of failure increased such that a more robust design approach was needed.

This paper addresses several key factors that must be considered carefully when installing a successful gravel pack completion. The dynamic pressure management becomes critical to maintain the bottom hole pressures within a required range for the successful implementation of the gravel pack. Other factors include designing an optimal screen-wash pipe annulus ratio during alpha-beta wave packing, an optimal alpha wave height, and the use of multiple beta wave packing rates.

Results from the preliminary modelling of the gravel pack pumping provided an accurate estimation of the maximum and minimum anticipated pumping rates and pressures. These parameter estimates were generated for the workstring design scenarios and provided guidance for the planned pumping rate adjustment during the gravel packing execution phases. The gravel packed wells achieved pack efficiency greater than 100% based on an estimated 8.5-in. diameter OH. Post completion multi-rate tests concluded potential productivity exceeding the operator's expectations.

This paper describes the lessons learned and best practices developed for offshore Congo open-hole gravels packs, which have a very challenging well completion and reservoir scenario. Several proven completion practices are reviewed, with a critical examination of the application of these scenarios for future completion operations in this difficult operating environment. This applied methodology has made significant impact on future field development and increased the production expectations for the asset.
Novel Thru-Tubing Sand Control Solution: Defining the Operating Envelope
Authors: Barclay Amy , McKay Eilidh , Stewart Suzanne
Published: November 2020

In mature basins, sand issues can account for up to 10% of all shut-in wells either due to failure of the existing downhole sand control or onset of sand production caused by pressure depletion and/or water production. Existing remedial methodology to address sand management include allowing sand production and managing it at surface, managing production rate to minimise solids production, running an insert sand screen, applying consolidation treatment or performing a remedial gravel pack. All of these methods vary in complexity, cost, risk, longevity and effectiveness and have associated weaknesses often resulting in reduced production or in extreme cases, loss of surface containment due to erosion.

A novel remedial solution was developed to enable compliant sand free production to be restored effectively and efficiently and to be compatible with thru-tubing operations, including live well deployment and single trip sand clean out. This solution includes a new filtration mechanism using an Open Cell Matrix Polymer (OCMP) filter run compressed within a sleeve to allow passage through tight restrictions which then decompresses to be conformant with a significantly larger inner diameter (ID) of the area requiring sand control when the sleeve is removed. The system has additional functionality that allows sand in the wellbore to be cleaned out in the same trip. The inclusion of both new deployment and filtration mechanisms meant that existing testing and filtration sizing criteria could not be applied.

This paper describes the unique qualification program and development of new testing practices that were undertaken to qualify the solution and enable the operating envelope of this technology to be defined.