bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Field-Proven Approach to Decreasing Survey Times During Connections While Drilling
Authors: Hempel Markus , Helle Nils , Shah Ibrahim Asghar , Fuhrwerk Martin , Quach Anh Vu
Published: March 2023

Reducing connection time while drilling has been a critical task in any drilling operation to reduce both the rig costs and the risks of wellbore instability. One way of reducing the connection time is to decrease the survey times. This paper shows a novel way to accomplish this by using a two-fold approach: an enhanced bottom-hole assembly (BHA) start-up procedure and secondly, a modified algorithm on the mud-pulse telemetry (MPT) uplink decoding software.

The enhanced measurement-while-drilling (MWD) BHA start-up procedure focuses on various process steps during the flow-off and flow-on phases. Start-up is, historically, a sequential process. The enhanced start-up procedure uses parallelized discovery of components (nodes) in the BHA, accelerated directional survey calculation, and dynamic rather than static timing of handshaking between nodes.

The MPT uplink (the communication of downhole information to surface) decoding improvement focuses on identifying delays in the signal processing chain. The detection of the MPT uplink synchronization sequence with an enhanced correlation approach shows the biggest potential in delay reduction.

The latest fleet of MWD BHAs contain an implementation of the new approach, successfully deployed for multiple customer wells in the US, Saudi Arabia, China and Mexico. These wells cover multiple well types, e.g. unconventional, hard rock and high-temperature. In total, deployment of BHAs containing the new approach in over 125 wells achieved an average of 25% reduction in survey times. These deployments have not shown compromised survey quality or decoding capabilities. Rather, the robustness of the synchronization sequence permits, in some cases, going on-bottom and drilling before synchronizing the uplink. Specifically, this has given customers the potential to drill miles-a-day wells more frequently.

An additional advantage of the reduced latency in the MPT uplink is that all MWD or logging-while-drilling (LWD) data is available earlier rather than later, thus allowing more timely decisions and in the end reducing risk.
Safe, Robust and Efficient Through Tubing Abandonment
Authors: Van Riet Egbert , Lucas Alex , Roijmans Roel , Keultjes Wout , Agnew Alistair , Benmesbah Mohamed Oukil , Houghton-Evans Simon , Evans-Guthrie Caroline , Potze Robert Jan , Keenan Jim , Meng Meng
Published: March 2023

There is a growing need for robust and efficient abandonment approaches with many oil and gas reservoirs nearing their economic lifetime. The Through-Tubing Abandonment (TTA) approach can deliver safe, robust and efficient isolation and reduced environmental footprint in keeping with ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’ (ALARP) principles. This paper provides guidance on how to select TTA candidate wells, including wells with gauge cables present in the permanent isolation interval, and provides operational advice to obtain a quality abandonment.

The industry has been abandoning wells via through tubing cementing methods for decades which has resulted in significant progress in the understanding of the applicability of the methodology and commensurate development of suitable technologies to deliver reliable long-term isolation. This paper will present the latest on selection criteria to screen wells for TTA. It will further propose cement placement and verification methods, necessary barrier lengths and risk-based decision making on the acceptability of gauge cables as part of the final permanent well barrier element.

The recent insights in TTA technologies and their use are described. These include demonstrated technologies such as expanding cement and vibration tools to enhance cement placement and options to log and verify the isolations. Testing results on cement sealing with gauge cables incorporated in the cemented annulus are also presented. Furthermore, promising emerging technologies such as methods to centralize the tubing to improve cement placement will be described.

Recent TTA applications in Europe, onshore and offshore, are presented as examples to illustrate current industry experience and the viability and reliability of such approaches.

A generally accepted, safe, robust and reliable approach towards TTA in keeping with ALARP principles common to the industry is pursued within this paper in order to enable acceptance and growth of TTA and associated technologies, and thereby further enable the wider application of rigless abandonment across the industry.
IADC Dull Code Upgrade: Photometric Classification and Quantification of the New Dull Codes
Authors: Gjertsen Ole , Mushinski Ryan , Wolfram Preston , Leisey Jeffrey , Bandi Mani , Santana Roberta , Andreasen Gregory , Pastusek Paul , Daechsel Dustin
Published: March 2023

In the world of drilling, the drill bit dull condition contains our best forensic evidence of the drilling assembly's interaction with the formation. Dull grading forensics is the first place to look to identify drilling dysfunction yet commonly overlooked or misunderstood by operators. The drill bit dull condition can be leveraged to learn about the formation, drilling dynamics and drilling practices (Watson et. al. 2022).

The IADC bit dull grading classification system received its most recent revision in 1992 and currently consists of an average inner and outer dull grade severity, rated from 0 – 8 with a major and other dull characteristic along with a reason pulled. These grades can be used to make critical operational and bit design decisions to overcome drilling challenges thereby improving performance and allowing drilling teams to drill consistently further and faster.

The oil and gas industry is becoming more reliant on digitally enabled applications to improve performance through big data, machine learning and automation, but at the time of this paper, the critical IADC dull grading system has remained the same. It is still a crude and subjective characterization of the complex drill bit dull condition.

A key challenge with the current classification system and industry standard grading technique is that it is highly dependent on the person grading the bit. Personal subjectivity and lack of training can result in key forensic evidence being overlooked that otherwise could have aided in understanding the root cause of drilling dysfunction.

A cross disciplinary committee of subject matter experts (SME's) from operators, drill bit providers, cutter manufacturers, and digital solution providers have convened to define and introduce a new standard dull grading system as replacement for the current outdated IADC dull grading. The new dull grading system will allow for an objective cutter-by-cutter dull grading to be stored with relevant drilling data with reduced subjectivity and enhanced accuracy.

With recent advancements in mobile phone hardware and applications, a solution was developed that delivers high quality, cutter-by-cutter dull grading automatically and connecting with drilling meta data from a drilling records database containing over 1.8 million well records with over 5 million bottom-hole assembly (BHA) runs. It leverages videos with machine learning combined with an algorithm to deliver cutter specific, major dull characteristics of a scanned bit. This high quality photographic digital dull information is incorporated into workflows allowing for rapid improvement in cutting structure and cutter development lifecycle timelines leading to rapid improvements in drilling performance for operators.
An Innovative Workflow for Real-Time Torque and Drag Monitoring
Authors: Sun Kewen , Mu Chao , Yu Tao , Paterson Graeme
Published: March 2023

Abnormal torque and drag (T & D), which commonly includes overpull, underpull, and high-torque load, are indications of excess frictional effects between the drillstring and the wellbore walls. Numerous conditions can cause these effects, including tight hole, differential sticking, poor hole cleaning, key seats, etc. Failure to observe these anomalies will cause excessive wear on the drillstring and can eventually lead to severe stuck pipe conditions. A new workflow for monitoring T & D is presented in this paper. This workflow, developed for a real-time monitoring system, allows for monitoring various types of data from multiple sources to be received without delay, aligned, and synchronized.

The workflow requires standard surface measurements and contextual data, which are available on most wells. Three main segments with respect to the computation phase are included in the workflow. These segments include T & D measurement points statistics, T & D modelling and calibration, and abnormal T & D alarms. The measurement points are selected from relevant operations and summarize the statistics at different granularities to meet the different objectives, such as the classical broomstick plot or alarm triggering. A hybrid T & D modelling framework was designed to predict the hook load and surface torque accordingly. This framework combines the mathematical capability of a stiff-string model using a finite element method and the experience acquired from obtaining the drilling data. As a result, the physical model can be automatically calibrated and driven by real-time data to compensate the hook load offset due to uncertain variables or inaccurate inputs. An alarm-triggering logic can be developed to capture anomalies based on a comparison between the measured and predicted values.

The new workflow is fully automatic without a need for manual calibration and fixed thresholds. Furthermore, the workflow adjusts itself according to real-time observations, which makes it adaptive to the changing conditions of the well being drilled. The efficiency and reliability of the anomaly detection heavily rely on the input data quality in the perspective of stream computation. In this paper, two case studies are presented containing the results produced by streaming actual well data in a time series manner. The case studies demonstrate the usability and reasonableness obtained by the user when handling the actual operation scenarios.

The work presented in this paper was developed to meet the increase in digital transformation by the oil and gas industry and demonstrates the best use of data for drilling optimization.
Quantifying the Sealing Performance of Plug and Abandonment (P&A) Cement Systems under Downhole Conditions
Authors: Roijmans Roel FH , Wolterbeek Timotheus KT , Cornelissen Erik K , Keultjes Wout JG
Published: March 2023

Micro-annuli are an important cause of post-abandonment seepage along abandonment plugs set in wells. Autogenous cement shrinkage, occurring when the cement sets, is a contributing factor to the formation of such flaws. Cement shrinkage and its potentially deleterious effects can be mitigated by using a properly designed and placed expanding cement system.

Reliable evaluation of cement plugs’ sealing performance requires testing under elevated temperature and pressure conditions representative for downhole conditions. In this contribution, two lab setups designed for this purpose are described, namely: i) small-scale tests on 2″ plugs and ii) large-scale tests on 8″ plugs. In both setups, plugs are cured and tested under downhole conditions inside sections of steel pipe. These pipes are equipped with lateral pressure-temperature sensors, which allow the recording of stresses that develop on the cement-steel interface when a hydrating cement plug is trying to expand. Using this industry-leading equipment, a strong positive correlation was found between the amount of interface stress build-up and the sealing performance of the set cement plug against gas flow. This demonstrates that cement systems which expand effectively under downhole conditions can reduce post P&A seepage risks.

While providing valuable insight, the 2″ and 8″ plug setups are labor intensive to operate and hence impractical to use in field labs for cement slurry verification. Unfortunately, standard industry methodologies to verify the effectiveness of the cement expansion additives does not take into account in-situ well conditions. To allow the industry to still evaluate cement plug sealing performance with low complexity, while maintaining reliability, a conventional ultrasonic cement analyzer (UCA) was modified to enable simultaneous measurement of interface stress development. Similar to the 2″ and 8″ plug sealing evaluation setups, this modified UCA vessel was equipped with a lateral pressure-temperature sensor, in order to monitor interface stress between the cement and vessel wall with time.

For this contribution, multiple cement slurries were cured and evaluated in the 2″ and 8″ plug evaluation setups, as well as in this newly developed "modified UCA vessel". Strong correlations were found among the stress build-ups in all three setups. This enables the modified UCA test results to be used as a proxy for sealing performance of P&A cement plugs under downhole conditions.
Proven Well Stabilization Technology for Trouble-Free Drilling and Cost Savings in Pressurized Permeable Formations
Authors: Quiroz Broca Genaro , Maldonado Reinaldo , Rockwood Jené
Published: March 2023

Case studies have shown the benefits of applying a unique wellbore stabilization technology to solve lost circulation events occurring in varying pressurize, permeable, and fragile formations. Leveraging this technology can increase successful drilling in geologically complex areas while avoiding conventional solutions that are both costly and and, in some cases, do not solve the causes of non-productive time.

A unique wellbore stabilization technology has been proven effective in offshore wells in areas that are known to present small vugs, natural fissures, formation failure, wellbore erosion, and the associated drilling problems of lost circulation, poor cementing quality, problems running pipe, etc. When compared with the cost and operational lack of success offered by conventional "solutions" versus the relative low-cost and operational successes of the unique wellbore stabilization technology, the choice is clear – where use is appropriate, the stabilization technology has provided a greater success rate and trouble-free drilling operations at a lower cost than traditional solutions.

The unique wellbore stabilization product is designed to address microfractures (as small as 3 µm) up to much larger fractures (3,000 µm). The product can be added to oil-based or water-based fluids at functional levels without adversely impacting the fluid rheology. Once in the drilling fluid, the stabilization product forms a pressure-sensitive layer on the formation wall to isolate the drilling fluid from the wellbore and stop fluid invasion that leads to formation failure, uncontrollable lost circulation, and well control issues. Once drilling is completed, the drop in pressure differential of the wellbore fluid allows the protective particles in the drilling fluid to lift off with the initiation of production. In the Campeche wells, one early study showed a 36% reduction in drilling time and 24% reduction in cost.

This paper discusses the various options explored and detail the technical analysis that preceded the application of the wellbore stability technology. Case studies are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the fluid technology in drilling three wells which encountered variable pressure regimes, from the highly pressurized Paleocene at around 5,000 m to underlying low-pressure sandstones. These three wells and their offsets represent the successful application of this low-invasion technology in major drilling basins where lost circulation events would normally incur major operational expenses and non-productive time (NPT).
Combining Best-in-Class Surveying Measurements to Provide the Most Accurate Wellbore Position
Authors: ElGizawy Mahmoud , Lowdon Ross , Aklestad Darren , Strain Paul , Boyce Fraser
Published: March 2023

A survey program is designed for every well drilled to meet the well objective of penetrating the target reservoir and avoiding colliding with other offset wells. The selection of the wellbore survey tools within the survey program is limited in number and accuracy by the current surveying technologies available in the industry. This article demonstrates how a higher level of accuracy can be achieved to meet challenging well objectives when the accuracy of the most accurate wellbore surveying technology individually is not sufficient.

This highest level of wellbore positioning accuracy to date is achieved by combing two wellbore positions of the same wellbore trajectory. The first wellbore position is calculated using the latest technology of magnetic Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) Definitive Dynamic Surveys (DDS). The accuracy of the MWD DDS has been enhanced by correcting potential error sources such as misalignment of the survey package from the borehole, drill-string magnetic interference and limited global geomagnetic reference and accelerometer sensor accuracy. Further, the MWD DDS inclination accuracy is improved using an independent inclination measurement from the Rotary Steerable System (RSS). Hence the first position is derived from magnetic MWD DDS after applying In-Field Referencing (IFR), Multi-Station Analysis (MSA), Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) sag correction (SAG), and Dual-Inclination (DI) corrections. A Second wellbore position is calculated using the latest technology in Gyro-measurement-While-Drilling (GWD).

The results and comparisons of multiple runs are presented. The highest accuracy of wellbore positioning had been proven in successful case studies by penetrating a very small reservoir target on an extended reach well that was unfeasible using either the most accurate enhanced MWD DDS or the latest GWD technology. The presented case study shows how the wellbore objectives of penetrating the tight target reservoir had been confirmed by Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) images and interpretation of the subsurface team. This gave the highest accuracy of the wellbore position accuracy to date while drilling assured placing the well with higher confidence to maximize reservoir production without colliding with nearby offset wells.

In reservoir sections, the wellbore survey accuracy limits boreholes' lateral and true vertical depth spacing, constraining reservoir production. In the top and intermediate sections, wellbore survey accuracy limits how close the well can be drilled in the proximity of other offset wells. This directly impacts the complexity of the directional work and the cost per drilled foot. This technique unlocks the potential to improve the wellbore positioning accuracy significantly. It demonstrates the highest wellbore positioning accuracy achieved to date when compared to the latest magnetic MWD surveys after correcting all known errors compared to the GWD.
System Integration Test (SIT) of Technology Enabling Through-Tubing Rig-Less Plug and Abandonment
Authors: Kverneland Johan , Drevillon Pierre-Marie , Tomczak Daniel , Gardner Dave
Published: March 2023

A System Integration Test (SIT), designed to investigate the performance of technology enabling through-tubing rig-less plug and abandonment is described. A key objective of this SIT was to verify and de-risk tools and techniques prior to their potential deployment in an offshore target well.

A deepwater well, located offshore Brazil, was used as the basis for the design of the SIT program. The objective of the well operation was to permanently isolate the production tubing and the A-annulus in which a flatpack containing 2x chemical injection lines and 1x electrical line is present. To ensure the flatpack would not provide a leakage pathway it had to be cut into pieces prior to cementing the A-annulus.

A completion string mimicking the main features of the well was designed utilizing 10 ¾in. casing, 6-5/8in. tubing with a flatpack and a restriction created by the downhole safety valve (DHSV). The completion was installed inside a large diameter test well and thereafter the technologies to be verified were deployed using wireline and rigless coiled tubing interventions.

After installation of the test well completion, the performance of various technologies was investigated through the following operations:

Flatpack detection with four different e-line ultrasonic & electro-magnetic tools Flatpack ablation with custom designed oriented shaped charges utilizing two different gun designs run on wireline Through tubing cement placement utilizing a Perf, Wash & Cement technique deployed on coiled tubing Coiled tubing cement mill out using a motor, bit and underreamer able to pass the DHSV and remove the cement plug from the tubing Evaluation of the annular barrier quality using a cement bond logging tool Recovery of the well completion, keeping the A-annulus barrier intact for subsequent inspection at surface and comparison to the log results

The performance of state-of-the-art technologies that can enable rig-less through-tubing plug and abandonment (P&A) utilizing wireline and coiled tubing interventions have been investigated and de-risked through an SIT executed in a test well completion mimicking an actual offshore deepwater well.
A Unified Model for Shale Barriers
Authors: Aadnøy Bernt S. , Kristiansen Tron G. , Belayneh Mesfin A.
Published: March 2023

Cement as barrier material have weaknesses because of inherent shrinkage and lack of robustness over time. In recent years shale barriers have become a likely alternative to cement in many instances. Shale is a natural material with an indefinite lifetime. There are, however, many aspects around using shale as well barriers, related for example to activation and qualification.

This paper presents a unified approach from an operational perspective. Firstly the relevant models for shale barrier formation are established. Then the loading required to establish a shale barrier will be defined both from a well pressure perspective and a thermal heating perspective. A mechanistic elastic-plastic model for shale deformation will be derived and coupled to the wellbore situation. Hydration of the shale also help establishing the barrier.

Several field cases are presented starting at defining potential shale barrier intervals from UCS logs coupled with an elastoplastic model to define barrier extent. The result is presented as a log showing radius to virgin formation. High MSE and drillability is another parameter identifying weak rocks. A drillability log will also be shown and correlated with the shale barrier extent from the UCS. Finally, after casing is set high end cement bond logs are used to confirm the barriers. The paper presents the field application, defining the optimal log and wellbore pressure conditions to establish an effective shale barrier.
Field Test Results for Real-time ROP Optimization Using Machine Learning and Downhole Vibration Monitoring - A Case Study
Authors: Robertson Ryan , Deans Aidan , Singh Kriti , Braga Daniel , Kamyab Mohammedreza , Cheatham Curtis , Borges Tatiana
Published: March 2023

A case study for a real-time field test of a machine learning (ML) ROP prediction and optimization algorithm and a vendor-neutral vibration monitoring system is presented for ten wells in Northeastern British Columbia, Canada. A novel auto-calibration feature adjusts the ML model in real-time to account for prediction bias. The paper is of interest to operators and service companies seeking to accelerate uptake of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by rig personnel.

A ten-well campaign in three target formations was drilled from one rig in the lateral sections to test the ML ROP prediction/optimization system. During the first two laterals, the operator office engineers visited the rig to train the rig team and gain their buy-in. For the remaining wells, tests were run in real-time advisory mode. Field test objectives were to develop trust in the ML model, validate real-time vibration monitoring tool with real-time downhole vibration data, and obtain feedback from the rig and office on functionality to accelerate uptake of AI.

Initially, the ML ROP model passed all success criteria in two of three formations, or four of six wells. One formation failed the ROP accuracy criterion because the predicted ROP was consistently too high, but the ML model accurately captured the variance. This led to the development of a novel automated calibration procedure that adjusts the "bias" of the machine learning ROP prediction in a manner like calibrating physics-based models (such as torque and drag hookload) using a calibration factor calculated in real-time by comparing predictions with actual ROP values. This enhancement enables meeting accuracy acceptance criteria and has opened the door for a broader application of the method in other formations and basins. To date the model has been successfully deployed for the lateral section and for bottomhole assemblies (BHAs) with a positive displacement motor.

The vibration monitoring system successfully provided real-time data to the operator at the rig and office that is generally available only to the MWD provider in real time, which enables the operator to gain new insights for situational awareness and decision making.

Feedback from rig personnel was very valuable and included new functionality, such as their ability to change parameter limits in the ROP system, which has been implemented and successfully used by the operator.
Data-Driven Machine Learning Modeling of Mineral/CO2/Brine Wettability Prediction: Implications for CO2 Geo-Storage
Authors: Tariq Zeeshan , Ali Muhammad , Yan Bicheng , Sun Shuyu , Khan Mohammad , Yekeen Nurudeen , Hoteit Hussein
Published: March 2023

CO2 wettability and the reservoir rock-fluid interfacial interactions are crucial parameters for successful CO2 geological sequestration. This study implemented the feed-forward neural network to model the wettability behavior in a ternary system of rock minerals (quartz and mica), CO2, and brine under different operating conditions. To gain higher accuracy of the machine learning models, a sufficient dataset was utilized that was recorded by conducting a large number of laboratory experiments under a realistic pressure range, 0 – 25 MPa and the temperatures range, 298 – 343 K. The mica substrates were used as a proxy for the caprock, and quartz substrates were used a proxy for the reservoir rock. Different graphical exploratory data analysis techniques, such as heatmaps, violin plots, and pairplots were used to analyze the experimental dataset. To improve the generalization capabilities of the machine learning models k-fold cross-validation method, and grid search optimization approaches were implemented. The machine learning models were trained to predict the receding and advancing contact angles of mineral/CO2/brine systems. Both statistical evaluation and graphical analyses were performed to show the reliability and performance of the developed models. The results showed that the implemented ML model accurately predicted the wettability behavior under various operating conditions. The training and testing average absolute percent relative errors (AAPE) and R2 of the FFNN model for mica and quartz were 0.981 and 0.972, respectively. The results confirm the accuracy performance of the ML algorithms. Finally, the investigation of feature importance indicated that pressure had the utmost influence on the contact angles of the minerals/CO2/brine system. The geological conditions profoundly affect rock minerals wetting characteristics, thus CO2 geo-storage capacities. The literature severely lacks advanced information and new methods for characterizing the wettability of mineral/CO2/brine systems at geo-storage conditions. Thus, the ML model's outcomes can be beneficial for precisely predicting the CO2 geo-storage capacities and containment security for the feasibility of large-scale geo-sequestration projects.
New Numerical Method for Sand Production Propensity Estimation
Authors: Subbiah Surej Kumar , Mohamad-Hussein Assef , Samsuri Ariffin , Jaafar Mohd Zaidi , Chen Ying Ru , Pearce Andrew , Ranjan Kumar Rajeev , Paramanathan Rajendra Nath , de Groot Lex
Published: March 2023

The sandstone reservoir rock failure during production may lead to sand production issues and may impact the economics of field development strategy, especially deep-water operation. The lifting cost can be higher as the issue can lead to metal-erosion, well integrity and oil/gas leakage. In the absence of a sand control mechanism (screenless-completions), the production rates often reduced to bound the severity of sanding and its consequences. In nutshell, the wrong decision for the type of completion prior to drilling and production may risk the financial feasibility of the field. Therefore, an accurate prediction of sand production volume/rates is essential during the well planning. Having this information upfront will able the operators to select the best sand-management plan for the well and field economically (best productivity and highest ultimate recovery while keeping the operating cost low. This paper reviews the ingredients required for sand propensity modeling, not limited to onset sanding drawdown but also the sand propensity (volume). A new proposed modeling technique for sand production propensity will be discussed. The new innovative modelling techniques (fully coupled with fluid dynamics) is powered by a new constitutive elastoplastic and damage model. The newly developed failure criteria give better insight for rock mechanical behavior honoring pre and post-failure stages enabling the usage for sand production analysis to estimate the sanding propensity which includes stress stabilization. Validation and comparison between laboratory testing and numerical modeling for sand production volume presented using the newly developed modeling techniques namely perforation cavity geometry stabilization and grid cell removal.
Research of Polymeric Surfactant as Multifunctional Monocomponent Oil Displacement Agent in EOR
Authors: Su Zhiqing , Xu Hui , Li Yingcheng , Sun Hui , Jin Jun , Wang Bin , Ma Aiqing , He Xiujuan , Sha Ou
Published: March 2023

SP (Surfactant-Polymer) flooding is one of the most common methods in Enhance Oil Recovery (EOR). However, chromatographic separation underground limits its efficiency due to the enormous difference in molecular size between polymer and surfactant.

A single-component oil displacement agent, polymeric surfactant (PolyS), was studied to solve the chromatographic separation. Properties were investigated under the reservoir conditions, including viscosity, interfacial activity, injectivity, adsorption, and core flooding.

With the increase of the active functional group content, the viscosity decreased, while the oil-water interfacial activity increased. The viscosity of PolyS was higher than 10mPa∙s, and interfacial tension (IFT) was lower than 3×10-2 mN/m at 2500 mg/L PolyS in the brine with a salinity of 66560 mg/L at 72°C. The middle phase emulsion was formed when mixing crude oil and PolyS solution, indicating that PolyS had better capability to emulsify crude oil than commercial polyacrylamide (PAM). Furthermore, the adsorption amount of PolyS on silica with diameter of 100-150 μm was 1.16 mg/m2.

PolyS can be easily injected into sandpack with different permeabilities from 300 mD to 1000 mD. The oil displacement results showed that an improved oil recovery of 26.15% OOIP was achieved with an injection of 0.3 PV PolyS solution containing a 2.04 mol% active functional group, which had both low IFT and high viscosity. As a comparison, only 20% OOIP was obtained for commercial PAM.
The Application of Scale Inhibitors for Downhole Capillary Injection Under Ultra High Temperature
Authors: Shen Dong , Stewart Jonathan , Chao Kung-Po , Cook Stuart
Published: March 2023

Scale inhibitors have been widely used in oil and gas production as well as oil processing plants to control the formation of mineral scales. However, most scale inhibitors tend to lose efficiency as scaling temperatures above 400°F due to the thermal degradation of the chemicals. A customer in the Middle East reviewed their scale management strategy for a steam flood project with application temperatures up to 450°F and requested a suitable scale inhibitor for downhole capillary injection to prevent the formation of calcium carbonate and calcium sulphate scales.

Several scale inhibitor products were selected for scaling inhibition tests based upon known high temperature stability. Dynamic tube-blocking test results indicated that three selective inhibitor products were able to mitigate the formation of calcium scales at 450°F effectively. These three products are fully compatible with the formation waters up to 10,000 ppm and were selected for further thermal stability and corrosion tests. Product A and B had good general corrosivity results, but product B was considered to fail the capillary approval test as there was extensive solid generation/phase separation observed after the thermal aging process at 450°F. Product C was also considered unsuitable as it showed aggressive corrosion rates.

In conclusion, Product A is recommended for downhole capillary application in this steam flood project based upon the test results in this study and its previous successful downhole capillary application in the field at 400°F. Due to the high application temperature, special precautions may be necessary for preservation of the capillary string.
A Methodology to Evaluate Video Analytics for Drilling Safety Operation using Machine Learning
Authors: Alkaabi Sultan , AlAzri Ahmed , AlZakwani Saud , Altamimi Fadhil
Published: March 2023

In Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) mission that committed to empower employees with the needed capabilities and fuel innovation, efficiency and more importantly achieve and sustain a 100% Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), by transforming the way of handling HSE events by moving from reactive to proactive approach. Drilling operations represent a challenging environment due to human factors that prone focusing on operations mainly instead of safety of Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE). Surveillance cameras are installed in various locations in rig floor and contribute to security and safety. However, the current methods of video analytic in floor rigs are weak in the long-term sequence of nodes with missing and abnormal error value such nighttime, low illumination which causes poor images. In a proof-of-concept exercise, PDO has been provided the AI Solution to overcome all above limitation to develop AI Models based on drilling operation on rig floor. Consequently, this paper presents machine learning pipeline that is validated and evaluated the vendors Video AI detection of HSE violations of PPE and restricted zone access on the rig floor that shared video dataset. The pipeline can be described in two parts. Due to the complexity of the use case that usually difficult to be managed in-house, we propose a method to bring different algorithms solutions from different vendors where the evaluation is managed in-house. In this, we present a framework for video analytic evaluating safety operation drilling in floor rigs. This framework contains the data of video source that collected, annotations guidelines to support necessary data quantities for the best machine learning approaches, performance metrics, and tools that containing scoring baseline models to be able compute amazing performance output regarding annotated ground truth data. The benefit of this study was to address some challenges of video object analytic and tracking beyond evaluation framework that enables a significant comparison of Machine learning models, provides AI vendors with sufficient data for the exploration the automatic modeling approaches, encourages the incorporation evaluation the techniques with process development, and contributes valuable oil and gas drilling that will demonstrate very useful to Computer Vision (CV) research for next years.
Tumor growth ameliorates cardiac dysfunction
Authors: Awwad Lama , Shofti Rona , Haas Tali , Aronheim Ami
Published: March 2023

Heart failure and cancer are the most deadly diseases worldwide. Murine models for cardiac remodeling and heart failure demonstrate that cardiac dysfunction promotes cancer progression and metastasis spread. Yet, no information is available on whether and how tumor progression affects cardiac remodeling. Here, we examined cardiac remodeling following transverse aortic constriction in the presence or absence of proliferating cancer cells. We show that tumor-bearing mice display reduced cardiac hypertrophy, lower fibrosis and improved cardiac contractile function. We further identify tumor-dependent M1-to-M2 polarization in the cardiac macrophage population as a mediator of the beneficial tumor effect on the heart. Harnessing cancer paradigms that are involved in tumor-dependent improved cardiac outcome may provide novel therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases.
Effectiveness of a screening tool to assess prevention and rehabilitation needs of 45 to 59 years old in primary care – study protocol of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (PReHa45)
Authors: Burchardi Jennifer Marie , Spyra Karla , Brünger Martin
Published: March 2023

Background: For years it has been stated that the need for prevention and rehabilitation is not always identified early enough. Although many individuals have regular contact with a general practitioner (GP), this access path for applying for a prevention or rehabilitation service has not been fully exploited. The important role of GPs in supporting the intention to apply is highlighted in the research. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the “check-up 45+” to support GPs both in identifying the need for prevention and rehabilitation services and in submitting applications.
Methods: The study is designed as a two-arm, pragmatic 1:1 randomised controlled study (RCT), which will be conducted in about 20 general practices in the German states of Berlin and Brandenburg. Patients (n=1,654) aged from 45 to 59 years will be recruited by medical assistants. In addition to usual care, both study groups will receive a questionnaire covering socio-economic and occupational variables to be filled out immediately in the waiting room. The intervention group passes through the “check-up 45+”. This includes the completion of the “screening 45+” that aims to assess the need for prevention and rehabilitation services. Medical assistants will immediately evaluate this 2-page screening tool. If a need is identified and confirmed by the GP, information and application documents will be handed over. Moreover, the application process for rehabilitation services is simplified.
Primary outcome is the proportion of applications for prevention or rehabilitation services financed by the German Pension Insurance. Administrative data will be provided for this purpose. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of approved applications and completed services. In addition, the proportion of persons with a need for prevention or rehabilitation according to the “check-up 45+” will be examined. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted and content-analysed to determine the practicability and acceptance of the “check-up 45+” by the relevant stakeholders.
Discussion: Prevention and rehabilitation need is insufficiently identified and addressed so far. This study will determine the effectiveness and of the “check-up 45+” in primary care.
Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00028303, 03.03.2022).
Benefits of brain dual-energy CT imaging in detecting intracranial hemorrhage in noncontrast brain CT scans
Authors: Chiewvit Pipat , Ratanakarn Kanyaphak , Piyapittayanan Siriwan , Ngamsombat Chanon , Chakorn Tipa
Published: March 2023

Background — Noncontrast brain computed tomography (CT) scans are the gold standard for diagnosing intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). However, the scans have some evaluation limitations, especially in cases of interfering bony artifacts, and overlapping hypoattenuating calcifications and hemorrhages. Material decomposition dual-energy CT (DECT) can separate materials based on atomic numbers. We compare the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of material decomposition noncontrast DECT of the brain with stimulated conventional 120 kVp-single energy CT (sSECT) imaging for ICH diagnosis. Methods — This retrospective study was conducted at a single center. Three neuroradiologists separately and blindly reviewed the postprocessing images of 111 patients with 215 lesions. DECT acquisitions generated the images. They were in the form of: ♦ sSECT images, ♦ blood-subtracted calcium, nonoverlay images (“blood [calcium] nonoverlay” images), ♦ blood-subtracted calcium, overlay images with rainbow and grayscale color-coding (“blood [calcium] overlay” images), and ♦ combined sSECT and blood-subtracted calcium, overlay images (“combined sSECT + blood (calcium) overlay” images). Results — Compared with the sSECT images, the blood (calcium) overlay images had better accuracy (99.6%), sensitivity (99.5%), and specificity (100%) for ICH diagnosis. The blood (calcium) overlay images also provided better observer confidence (a 94.06% certain diagnosis) than the sSECT images (P < 0.05). The blood (calcium) overlay images and combined images had very good interrater reliability, whereas the reliability of the sSECT images was poor. Conclusions — Material decomposition DECT—as either blood (calcium) overlay images or combined sSECT + blood (calcium) overlay images—has a high ICH diagnostic ability in noncontrast brain CT imaging.
Characteristics and burden of diabetic ketoacidosis in diabetic patients in the period of COVID-19 outbreak in Ethiopia
Authors: Debela Dejene Tolossa , Assefa Dawit Getachew , Kedir Mariya Mubarik , Desu Gadissa
Published: March 2023

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and the burden of DKA cases during the period of the COVID-19 outbreak in Ethiopia.
Methods: An institutional-based retrospective chart review study was conducted. 178 randomly selected patients’ medical charts were included. Data were collected from medical records in the period between October 2020 to July 2022. To investigate the association between the dependent and independent variable, binary and multivariable logistic regression were done with statistically significant at P ≤0.05.
Results: A total of 178 medical records were reviewed. The mean (±SD) age of the patients was 41.3 (±13.2) years and 45% of patients had type 2 diabetes. Acute diabetic complications were documented in 25.8% of patients where DKA was the commonest (16.3%). Nearly half of the DKA patients (n=13, 44.8%) were presented with poly-symptoms at the time of diagnosis. Furthermore, missing drug (31%) was the most frequent precipitating factor followed by community-acquired pneumonia (21%), and multiple factors (17%). Besides, patients in the DKA group had a higher mean length of hospital stay (3 days versus 2.6 days).
Conclusion: The poly-symptoms were the common clinical features of DKA at the time of presentation. Pneumonia and a history of missing drugs were identified as leading precipitating factors of DKA. Even though the DKA complication is low in this research, diabetes health education at the community and institutional level, routine screening for diabetes at health centers, and treating the infections early are strongly recommended.
An early life observational cohort in China: Bone And MicroBiOme Onset (BAMBOO) study
Authors: Wang Jing , Jiang Chang , Wang Shuo , Feng Lingyan , Zhang Yu , Guo Yuanyuan , Liu Gongshu , Li Xi , Zhang Guohong , Zhu Xiaowei , Ren Fangyi , Guan Lingyao , Chen Jiayu , Gao Ya , Chen Mo , Darwish Noura , Mottaz Sara Colombo , Horcajada Marie Noelle , Bonnet Nicolas , Dogra Shaillay Kumar , Wang Dantong
Published: March 2023

Background: Early childhood growth and development is critical for long term health. Emerging science spotlights the significance of optimal gut microbiome and bone development during this period. The aim of the Bone And MicroBiOme Onset (BAMBOO) study is to determine age-appropriate trajectories for microbiome maturation and bone development, and to identify the influence of dietary factors in the process. This paper is to describe the rationale and study design, and reports study progress.
Methods: BAMBOO is an ongoing prospective observational cohort study conducted in Tianjin, China. Children who meet the following requirements are invited to participate in this study: 1) full-term gestational birth (≥ 37 and ≤ 42 weeks); 2) singleton; and 3) signed informed consent by infant’s parents (or his/her legally accepted representative) and agree to fulfill the requirements of the study protocol. The exclusion criteria include pregnancy complication (such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes), bowel disease, or currently participating or having participated in another clinical trial within 4 weeks prior to the start of this cohort. The study is composed of two groups of children: Group 1 includes children from birth to 12 months of age; group 2 includes children from 6 to 36 months of age. Questionnaires are used at different timepoints to collect information on infant feeding practice, medical history, concomitant medication, adverse events/serious adverse events and development benchmarks. Concurrent anthropometric measurements include length/height, weight, and bone measurements. Children’s dietary intake data are collected using 3-day-food diaries. Biological samples (stool, urine, and breastmilk) are also collected at different timepoints.
Discussion: Recruitment of Bamboo started in September 2021 and is still ongoing. Data quality assessment and method validation have been conducted using early available samples. This study will provide unprecedented insights on early life microbiome maturation and bone development in Chinese infants and toddlers, and the impact of diet. The results may contribute to evidence-based policy making and inform nutrition healthcare programs for infants and toddlers aiming to benefit long-term health.
Trial registration No.: ChiCTR2100049972 (August 16th, 2021)