bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contamination of the home environment by patients treated with Iodine-131: initial results.
Authors: Jacobson A P , Plato P A , Toeroek D
Published: November 2008

We have employed twin sodium iodide radiation detectors to analyze iodine-131 transfer from thyroid patients to their families. Unlike previous studies of this problem, we measured thyroid radioiodine activity directly and are able to detect as little as 92 pCi of iodine 131 in adult thyroids. As in previous studies, we have also measured direct radiation exposures of family members with wristband thermoluminescent dosimeters. Thus far, we have studied seven families with 17 persons. Eleven of these are children under age 16. Direct radiation exposure of family persons from proximity of these radioactive patients ranged from 0.17 to 126 mR per day (natural background radiation amounts to approximately 0.35 mR per day). The maximum activity of iodine-131 in family thyroids ranged from less than 92 pCi to as high as 110,000 pCi and resulted in thyroid dose equivalents of 4 to 1330 mrem. Based on recent estimates of thyroid cancer, the latter dose equivalent could possibly double the risk of thyroid malignancy in children over what is expected normally. Such a risk implies the addition of 10 induced cases to the 10 naturally occurring cases per million people per year.
Feasibility of the randomized response technique in rural Ethiopia.
Authors: Chow L P , Gruhn W , Chang W P
Published: November 2008

A multiple answer model of Randomized Response Technique (known as Hopkins RRT Model II) was tried in a rural area (Nekempte) in Ethiopia to estimate the incidence of induced abortion among currently married women of childbearing age. In the RRT adopted here, the question on abortion--sensitive as it is--was preceded by two innocuous "practice questions". Despite the very low literacy level of the women, nearly all of them cooperated. The RRT estimates in regard to the two innocuous "practice questions" were fairly reasonable, while the RRT estimate of the rate of induced abortion (35 per cent) was far higher than that derived from direct reporting. The differentials in abortion rates by age and parity were consistent with expectation. A post RRT survey indicated that more than one-half (58 per cent) of the women found RRT "easy" or "moderately easy" to understand, while nearly 80 per cent of them thought that there was no "trick" involved in it.
The misuse of 'less-hazardous' cigarettes and its detection: hole-blocking of ventilated filters.
Authors: Kozlowski L T , Frecker R C , Khouw V , Pope M A
Published: November 2008

Smokers of low-yield, ventilated-filter cigarettes sometimes defeat the purpose of the smoke-dilution holes by occluding them with fingers, lips, or tape. Blocking the holes is shown to have large effects on the delivery by these cigarettes of toxic products (nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide). Techniques for detecting this misuse of "less hazardous" cigarettes are discussed, with particular emphasis on the distinctive signs of hole-blocking which are left in the spent filters.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a review of major studies and a proposed uniform reporting system.
Authors: Eisenberg M S , Bergner L , Hearne T
Published: November 2008

The scientific literature from January 1970 to June 1979 was reviewed for articles reporting outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest treated by paramedic programs. Only articles appearing in refereed professional journals and reporting 25 or more attempted resuscitations were included. A total of 21 articles from 15 U.S. locations were found. Four separate case definitions were distinguished. Methods and reporting formats varied considerably. Few studies used an experimental or quasi-experimental design, or control or comparison groups. The range of attempted resuscitations varied from 26 to 1.106 patients. Patients admitted to hospital varied between 22 per cent and 65 per cent (mean 38 per cent, S.D. +/- 12.4 per cent). Patients discharged alive varied from 3.5 per cent to 31 per cent (mean 17.2 per cent, S.D. +/- 7.1 per cent). Post discharge survival was either not reported or reported in different formats. A simplified reporting format is proposed using factors known to be associated with successful resuscitation: 1) underlying heart disease etiology; 2) witnessed arrest; 3) cardiac rhythm of ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia; 4) hospital admission and discharge and, when possible, by time from collapse to initiation of CPR and definitive care. Uniform reporting of outcomes will improve comparability and accurate measurement of the impact of emergency programs on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Racial differences in blood pressure levels of adolescents.
Authors: Reed W L
Published: November 2008

Although essential hypertension is more prevalent among Black adults than White adults, results of an extensive high school blood pressure screening program reveal that this relationship does not obtain among adolescents. In fact, the blood pressure levels of White youths equal or exceed that of Black youths. This race effect still exists when age, sex, weight, and socioeconomic status are controlled.
Famine relief and imperial policy in early modern Morocco: the political functions of public health.
Authors: Meyers A R
Published: November 2008

There has been no systematic ethnology nor comparative history of public health. In fact, there has been a broad consensus that prior to the arrival of missionaries and colonial health authorities there was no indigenous public health. These assumptions apply to only some settings and do not reflect the general history of public health. The present study concerns public health in the first century of Alawi rule in Morocco, ca. 1670-1790. The early Alawi sultans undertook public health programs, most of which concerned the prevention and relief of mass starvation. Goals of the programs were consistent with other features of their public policies. Effectiveness of the programs was limited partly by technical and scientific factors, but more by political constraints, especially the sultans' higher priorities for political stability than public welfare and public health. These data provide important insights not only into Moroccan social and political history, but also into the more general problem of the political nature of public health.
The epidemiology of adolescent drug use in France and Israel.
Authors: Kandel D B , Adler I , Sudit M
Published: November 2008

Based on samples of adolescents residing in urban areas in France and in Israel, cross-cultural comparisons of adolescent use of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and illicit drugs are reported. Lifetime and current prevalences of use of all substances are higher in France than in Israel. The relative ranking of the prevalence of use of the various drugs is identical in the two countries, and is similar to that found in American samples. In both countries, drug use is more prevalent among males than females, and among older than younger adolescents. There are no differences among different socioeconomic groups. Religiosity affects the rates of use of all drugs in France, and the rates of non-alcoholic substances and the amounts of alcoholic beverages consumed in Israel. Differences in the prevalence of substance use across cultures and within a culture decrease as overall prevalence of use increases.
Potentials of local health surveys: a state-of-the-art summary.
Authors: Aday L A , Sellers C , Andersen R M
Published: November 2008

This paper provides a state-of-the-art summary of the potentials and limitations of local surveys for assessing health problems in local areas. The information they provide may be helpful for a variety of purposes such as measuring the need for services, planning programs to address these needs, and evaluating their impact. Particular advantages of surveys are that they: provide information on the needs of people who have not sought care; permit special studies of particular target groups; provide data on variables which are only available from "asking" people; enable information to be collected on a range of correlates and indicators of health care behavior; provide an opportunity for examining relationships among variables; and permit well-timed community estimates of the impact of experimental programs. Limitations include the validity and reliability of survey data, and the costs and other problems of survey implementation.
Recent trends in fatal poisoning by opiates in the United States.
Authors: Samkoff J S , Baker S P
Published: November 2008

Deaths in the United States classified as unintentional poisoning by drugs and medicaments fell from 14.7 per million population in 1975 to 8.8 in 1978, a 40 per cent decrease. Seventy-three per cent of this drop attributable to a reduction in deaths coded to opiates and intravenous narcotism. These two categories accounted for 38 per cent of all unintentional drug deaths in 1975 but only 15 per cent in 1978. There was no simultaneous increase in other drug-related deaths, including suicides, to account for the reduction in deaths coded to opiates. The highest mortality rates and the greatest variation in mortality during 1970-78 occurred in 20-29 year old non-White males. Racial and sex differences in opiate poisoning mortality, notable early in the decade, were greatly reduced by 1978 due to a relatively larger decline in mortality of males and non-Whites. Time trends in mortality from opiate poisoning appear to coincide with variations in the amount of heroin smuggled into the country.
A survey of personal habits, symptoms of illness, and histories of disease in man with and without vasectomies.
Authors: Petitti D B , Klein R , Kipp H , Kahn W , Siegelaub A B , Friedman G D
Published: November 2008

Using questionnaire information provided by 4.385 vasectomized and 13,155 matched, non-vasectomized men, we found no significant differences between them for a large number of symptoms and diseases, including those of the cardiovascular system. After taking into account differences in their martial status, past smoking habits, and physical activity at work, significant statistical associations of vasectomy with joint pain or swelling, back trouble, and a history of kidney or bladder infection persisted. Our data are inconsistent with the occurrence of large increases in the risks of many important diseases in vasectomized humans.
Indicators of response to a mass media CPR recruitment campaign.
Authors: Selby M L , Kautz J A , Moore T J , Gombeski W R , Ramirez A G , Farge E J , Forthofer R N
Published: November 2008

Respondents to a mass media cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) recruitment campaign in Harris County, Texas were more likely than non-respondents to be White, female, and under 45 years of age, to have had previous CPR training, experienced an incident in which knowledge of CPR might have been useful, or to have a friend or relative with a relevant medical history. The majority of the respondents were housewives, and professionals or technical workers, particularly in the health field. Findings can be used to identify audiences for future mass media CPR campaigns.
Women's drinking and drinking problems: patterns from a 1981 national survey.
Authors: Wilsnack R W , Wilsnack S C , Klassen A D
Published: November 2008

A 1981 national survey of women's drinking interviewed 917 women in the general population, stratified on the basis of screening interviews to include 500 moderate-to-heavy drinkers. The survey found no evidence of any major recent increase in women's drinking, and no evidence of unusually heavy drinking among working wives. Adverse drinking consequences and episodes of extreme drinking were most common among women aged 21-34; women who were unmarried, divorced or separated, or cohabiting; and women with frequent drinkers as spouses or companions. Alcohol-related behavior problems and symptoms of alcohol dependence were closely related to levels of alcohol consumption. Among women averaging one ounce or more of ethanol per day, 45 per cent had driven while intoxicated in the past year, and 36 per cent reported memory lapses while drinking. Women at this consumption level were also more likely to report experiences with depression (61 per cent). Women with extremely high consumption levels were more likely to have histories of obstetrical and gynecological problems. Some women with alcohol-related problems reported periods of temporary abstention, a pattern not studied heretofore.
Does participation in prenatal courses lead to heavier babies?
Authors: Robitaille Y , Kramer M S
Published: November 2008

In a prospective epidemiologic survey of 1,676 primiparous women delivering in four Montreal hospitals during an eight-month period, we studied the impact of prenatal courses on birthweight, maternal weight gain, and cigarette smoking. Women who participated in prenatal courses were older and of higher socioeconomic status and were less likely to be smokers than non-participants. After adjustment for these differences, newborns of course participants had similar mean birthweights compared to those of non-participants (3286 grams vs 3271 grams), and the difference for maternal weight gain was substantially reduced. Most of the reduction in cigarette consumption occurred during the first three months of pregnancy, even among later participants, suggesting that something other than prenatal courses influenced cigarette smoking reduction in course participants. We conclude that as far as the birthweight objective is concerned, the format and content of prenatal courses (as currently constituted in the Montreal region) require re-examination, and new ideas and interventions need to be developed and tested.
Mortality patterns of New York State Vietnam Veterans.
Authors: Lawrence C E , Reilly A A , Quickenton P , Greenwald P , Page W F , Kuntz A J
Published: November 2008

Mortality odds ratios (MORs) comparing veterans with Vietnam service who died in New York State to veterans of the Vietnam era with no Vietnam service were estimated (N = 1,496). The most elevated MORs and their confidence intervals were non-motor vehicular injuries of transport (MOR = 2.18, (1.19, 3.96)), other accidents and burns (MOR = 1.37, (0.95, 1.98)), and homicide (MOR = 1.59, (0.86, 2.94).
Supports, stressors, and depressive symptoms in low-income mothers of young children.
Authors: Hall L A , Williams C A , Greenberg R S
Published: November 2008

We investigated the association of social supports and stresses with depressive symptoms in a sample of 111 predominantly low-income mothers of young children. The prevalence of high depressive symptoms, as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression Scale (CES-D), was 48 per cent. Among unmarried women, everyday stressors were strongly associated with depressive symptoms, while life events were weakly related. Associations between these variables were not found for married women. Comparing the relative importance of two different types of support--the quality of primary intimate relationships, and the social network--only the quality of the husband-intimate relationship was associated with CES-D scores among married women, whereas the social network demonstrated a moderate, inverse association with CES-D scores among unemployed women.
Risk for cutaneous melanoma in recent Connecticut birth cohorts.
Authors: Roush G C , Schymura M J , Holford T R
Published: November 2008

Mortality trends suggest that increases in Connecticut incidence for cutaneous melanoma (CM) equal or under estimate increases for the entire country. One-sixth of CM in Connecticut occurs under age 35. In the 1955 birth cohort, modeled incidence rates per 100,000 age-adjusted to the 1960 US population are 38.2 in males and 28.9 in females. These estimated rates for CM rival those for colon cancer (now the third most common malignancy in the United States) and have special implications for young adults.
Psychosocial and behavioral factors differentiating past drinkers and life-long abstainers.
Authors: Eward A M , Wolfe R , Moll P , Harburg E
Published: November 2008

Studies of the health effects associated with alcohol consumption often use a single non-drinker category as a referent. In this community study (N = 1,672) from Tecumseh, Michigan, past drinkers (N = 191) and life-long abstainers (N = 215) differed substantially for certain behavioral and psychosocial factors. In addition, 65 per cent of the male and 36 per cent of the female non-drinkers were past drinkers. Our findings suggest that a single non-drinking category might lead to ambiguous inferences across studies.
The prevalence of bulimia among college students.
Authors: Zuckerman D M , Colby A , Ware N C , Lazerson J S
Published: November 2008

A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of bulimia and bulimic symptoms in a nonclinical sample of 907 college freshmen and seniors. Using criteria based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4 per cent of the women and 0.4 per cent of the men were classified as bulimic. Symptoms of bulimia, such as binge eating, purging behaviors, and extreme fear of gaining weight, were much more prevalent.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COLON TYPE OF BACTERIA FOUND IN FECES
Authors: Darling Chester A.
Published: November 2008

Science does not yet differentiate between B. coli from various animal sources. Water showing fecal contaminatin may not have been polluted by man, and may be free from typhoid, paratyphoid, dysentery, etc. Condemnation as well as approval, therefore, should always be very carefully considered.
It Doesn't Take Nostradamus
Authors: Stiglitz Joseph E.
Published: November 2008

Joseph Stiglitz reads his writings of two decades ago and is struck by how predictable the mortgage crisis was.
The Transfer of Ingested Plant and Enterobacterial Gene Fragments into Mice Bodies and Their Shift to the Livers of Suckling Mice Through Mother's Milk
Authors: Nakasuji Michiko , Koyama Syu , Takeuchi Shotaro , Mikami Osamu , Tanimura Nobuhiko , Nakajima Yasuyuki
Published: November 2008

The presence of common enterobacterial genes (wec E, F), the ubiquitous plant chloroplast gene of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL), maize intrinsic zein (Ze1) and recombinant cry1Ab genes in the gastrointestinal (GI) contents, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and visceral organs of mice and their progeny were examined by PCR. The wec E, F or rbcL were detected inconsistently in the PBMC, visceral organs, milk or liver of suckling mice, while Ze1 or cry1Ab were not detected. These results suggest that feed derived plant or enterobacterial DNAs were incompletely degraded in the GI tract, and part of them were absorbed into organs or milk as a source of transfer into suckling mice, but cry1Ab was not transferred. Detection of bacterial genes also suggested the influence of the immune system through stimulation of Toll-like receptor 9.
Nonsurgical Management of Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction With Orthoses and Resistive Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kulig Kornelia , Reischl Stephen F , Pomrantz Amy B , Burnfield Judith M , Mais-Requejo Susan , Thordarson David B , Smith Ronald W
Published: November 2008

Background and Purpose

Tibialis posterior tendinopathy can lead to debilitating dysfunction. This study examined the effectiveness of orthoses and resistance exercise in the early management of tibialis posterior tendinopathy.

Subjects

Thirty-six adults with stage I or II tibialis posterior tendinopathy participated in this study.

Methods

Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups to complete a 12-week program of: (1) orthoses wear and stretching (O group); (2) orthoses wear, stretching, and concentric progressive resistive exercise (OC group); or (3) orthoses wear, stretching, and eccentric progressive resistive exercise (OE group). Pre-intervention and post-intervention data (Foot Functional Index, distance traveled in the 5-Minute Walk Test, and pain immediately after the 5-Minute Walk Test) were collected.

Results

Foot Functional Index scores (total, pain, and disability) decreased in all groups after the intervention. The OE group demonstrated the most improvement in each subcategory, and the O group demonstrated the least improvement. Pain immediately after the 5-Minute Walk Test was significantly reduced across all groups after the intervention.

Discussion and Conclusion

People with early stages of tibialis posterior tendinopathy benefited from a program of orthoses wear and stretching. Eccentric and concentric progressive resistive exercises further reduced pain and improved perceptions of function.
The Potential of Compressed Natural Gas Transport in Asia
Authors: Wang Xiuli , Marongiu Porcu Matteo
Published: November 2008

Natural gas use is expected to increase dramatically in the world over the next two decades, especially in the two fastest growing countries in Asia: China and India. Japan is already greatly dependent on natural gas. In connecting sources with markets, natural gas is transported with two well-established technologies: 70 percent by pipeline and 30 percent by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Pipelines traversing land masses, when feasible, are the obvious option. However, offshore pipelines have a distance limit and a terrain restriction. LNG facilities (both the liquefaction process at the source and the re-gasification process at the receiving end) are expensive to construct and the entire process is complicated, costly, and energy wasteful. It is applicable for long haul sea distances and large volumes of gas.

Waterways-going compressed natural gas (CNG) is an alternative that many people have proposed in recent years but has not made a substantial head start for two reasons. First, the emphasis for investments worldwide has been primarily on LNG and, second, CNG vessel designs and projects have been envisioned to eke a bite out of the LNG pie, which is not necessarily a good approach.

CNG must make a substantial impact in shorter distances and smaller offshore markets which are not connected to large pipelines or baseload LNG accepting facilities. We show that for shorter distances (e.g., 1,000 km or 600 miles) LNG simply cannot compete with CNG. Even at longer distances (e.g., 2,000 km or 1,200 miles) CNG is still more attractive, assuming that offshore pipelines are not feasible. For smaller volumes, such as 1 to 2 Bcm/yr (35 to 70 Bcf/yr) CNG is the only solution to bring this energy source to many markets.

We scope Asian potential for CNG by connecting suitable source and market candidates. In this paper, a particular feasibility study of CNG transport in domestic Indonesia is performed. Results show that CNG is an excellent solution to transport Indonesian natural gas from fields such as Arun, Bontang, and Tangguh to domestic customers in the areas of Jakarta and Bali, especially from smaller reservoirs not currently considered as attractive for LNG. On the other hand, it does make sense to export LNG from Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesiato Japan, South Korea, and China.

Introduction

A significant portion of natural gas reserves worldwide is located relatively near population centers across bodies of water. In many cases, traditional natural gas transport methods such as pipelines or liquefied natural gas (LNG) are not feasible or are too expensive. A new application of an existing technology, CNG, provides a solution for shipping natural gas across water.
Paraffin Inhibitor Applications in Deepwater Offshore Developments
Authors: Jennings David Wayne , Newberry Michael Edward
Published: November 2008

Paraffin inhibitors can have a significant impact on crude oil production for some developments. Paraffin inhibitors are used for reducing wax deposition in flowlines and/or for improving the flow properties of waxy crude oils. The effectiveness of the paraffin treatment is dependent on the crude oil chemical composition, inhibitor chemistry, inhibitor dose rate, and the production conditions. The available choices of paraffin inhibitor formulations for a particular application are, however, often fixed by constraints related to delivery or injection of the product. For example, products for deepwater subsea umbilical injection must remain fluid and solids-free at all conditions of temperatures and pressures the products experience in their respective injection paths - from the storage tanks all the way through the umbilical and (if present) capillary injection lines.

This paper details the challenges associated with the delivery of paraffin inhibitor chemicals for deepwater offshore developments. The stability of paraffin inhibitor formulations depends on both pressure and temperature. Umbilical and capillary line failure is a major concern in the oil industry. Best practices to qualify products for umbilical and capillary injection have been rapidly evolving over the last 10 years. Recently high-pressure viscometry has been found to be beneficial for product qualification. In particular, high pressure viscosity measurements have proven to be invaluable for determining whether pressure related stability concerns may exist in formulations at cold deepwater temperatures. Instability in the polymer solution phase behavior of paraffin inhibitor formulations at high pressures and cold temperatures may be the reason behind some industry umbilical line failures.

Also discussed are contrasts between deepwater applications in subsea umbilical lines and in DVA dry-tree capillary lines as the constraints on the paraffin inhibitor can be very different.

Four recent case histories of different types of deepwater paraffin inhibitor applications are presented: two subsea umbilical applications, one DVA capillary application, and one application for a well test. The case histories discuss how the paraffin inhibitor applications fit into the overall wax strategy for the projects, constraints placed on the products by the injection conditions, and performance of the products.
Recent CSEM Learnings in Deepwater Borneo
Authors: Choo Matthew , Young Chester , Ling Chin Tiong , Beer James , Shiner Peter
Published: November 2008

Controlled Source Electromagnetic (CSEM) is an emerging technology with the potential to provide detailed resistivity images of the subsurface. Following a string of successes with the deployment of CSEM and drilling performance in DW Borneo in 2004, CSEM data was acquired over a number of similar structures in 2006. Proprietary inversion techniques indicated the possible presence of a shallow surface resistive body, while hinting at the presence of slightly elevated resistivities at depth. An exploration well campaign was carried out over the prospect late in 2006, but rather than encountering the expected hydrocarbon pay, the well encountered a near surface and resistive hydrate layer. Good quality but water-bearing reservoir was encountered at the target depth. This disappointment was the first CSEM negative test in the basin and vindicates the need for further development of processing and interpretation methodologies. This paper will present the key CSEM experiences in DW Borneo to date, highlighting on the pros and cons of a still promising and evolving technology in what is still a challenging area.
Bubut - A Near Field Exploration Success, Inboard Brunei
Authors: Ahmad Zulkifli , Hassan Erma-Suryani , Raghavan Krishnan , Donaldson Ian , Kooper Hans , Maier Gijs , Dean Michael , Tucker Charles Frederick , Glover Stephen
Published: November 2008

Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) recently discovered Bubut (BU), a significant gas accumulation in its mature heartland and close to liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. The current commercial focus on gas raised the significance of the deep gas-bearing sequence which was first identified in 1983. It took another 20+ years before the full potential of the Upper Miocene (TB3.1-TB3.3) sequence in this area became apparent as part of the evaluation of the deep high-pressure (HHP) play. Well Bubut-2 (BU-2) subsequently (re-)discovered significant gas volume in the deep stacked pay sequence. The gas discovery forms part of a phased Bubut-Danau development with FID planned for 2011.

BSP's successful implementation of Techlog module K-MOD to model poor-quality and missing log intervals in well BU-1 and the "Back-to-Basics" way of working, resulted in an exploration success story in Brunei. Well BU-2 was drilled mid-late 2007 principally to test the deeper and highly overpressured distal topset play in Bubut, and also to re-assess the hydrocarbon presence and reservoir quality of the sequence already penetrated by BU-1.

The Bubut prospect is a simple 3-way fault/dip closed structure with the prospective reservoir section consisting of multiple stacked reservoir-seal pairs. BU-2 is a vertical well located 7 km offshore in a water depth of 17.4 m (Fig. i). The well targeted three objective intervals (Fig. ii):- the highly overpressured (>18kPa/m) Deep B sands below 3450m ss,- the normal pressured Intermediate A sequence (~2600 - 3400m ss), and- the shallow L80 reservoirs (~1650m ss).

The reservoir architecture is made up of thin interbedded sandstones and shales of inner neritic origin and outer shelfal facies (latter mostly in the Deep B sequence). The reservoir sands are expected to have a large lateral extent.

BU-2 encountered gas in all three objectives and a total of some 190m net pay was logged (Fig. iii). Reservoir quality is best in the L80 with excellent porosities of 20–26%. Volumetric reward, however, is only modest due to the limited vertical relief at this level. The Intermediate A interval, estimated to contain about 90% of the total volumes, has relatively low average porosities of only 5 to 10%. Nevertheless, the NMR signature, as well as the RCI pressures and the successful recovery of 3 gas samples, all indicate the likely mobility of gas. Logging results from the highly overpressured Deep B sands indicate poor reservoir development with low (< 5%) porosities and (residual?) saturations.
The Challenges and Advantages of Openhole Completions in the Manati Gas Field
Authors: Calderon Agostinho , Aragao Atila Fernando Lima , Chagas Carlos Magno , Guimaraes De Carvalho Cesar Roberto , Barbedo Renato Pimentel
Published: November 2008

The offshore northeast Brazil Manati field is located in the Camamu Bay with water depths less than 50 m. The sandstone gas reservoirs in this field have net pays with a thickness greater than 300 m and an average true vertical depth (TVD) of 1,400 m.

The original development project for this field did not include sand control for the initially forecasted production rates. However, the possibility of expanding the gas production rates of each well to more than 1 MMm3/D increased the associated sand production risk and led to the need for evaluating the best sand-control solution while considering the cost/benefit ratio.

This paper explains why an openhole gravel-pack completion was the best option in spite of some challenges such as large vertical net pays and high hydrostatic pressures of the sodium formate-based reservoir, drill-in fluid, and the sodium-potassium formate completion brine.

Compared with other alternatives such as cased hole gravel-pack or frac-pack completions, the openhole gravel-pack option has several advantages such as eliminating the need to run a liner, which requires good cementing isolation at the top; eliminating the cost of perforating long intervals; reducing the number of operations; and saving more than 10 days of rig time.

Introduction

The Manati field is located in the southern portion of the Bahia state and approximately 10 km offshore, where water depth varies from 35 to 50 m.. This area is extremely environmental sensitive (Fig. 1)

The field was discovered in 2000, through a prospect based on the seismic interpretation The reservoir is constituted by the tabular fluvial sands of the Sergi Formation, caped by the shales of ItaÍpe Formation and sealed laterally at north and east by the shales of Morro do Barro Formation, which were deposited in the space created by the erosive unconformity of the Tinharé Canyon, of Rio da Serra age. At east and south, the Mutá fault (north-south) and yet another northeast-southwest fault seal the accumulation through the contact with the same shales of Morro do Barro Formation (Filho, 2005).

During the drilling of a pilot well, a 187-m free-gas reservoir was initially identified. Perforating other exploratory wells showed a gas/water contact at 1,570 m vertical depth and net pay from 230 to 370 m in a reservoir with very good petrophysics proprieties. The evaluation of those data increased the initial reserves forecast for the Manati field, making it the largest gas reservoir in the north-northeast Brazilian region.
Understanding the Plumbing in your Field - Application of Reservoir Connectivity Analysis to Improve Oil and Gas Recovery
Authors: Tioe Eric , Elias Mohd Rohani , Sarif Mohd Rizam , Vrolijk Peter
Published: November 2008

This paper describes the application, outcome and benefits of Reservoir Connectivity Analysis (RCA) in three producing fields within the ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc. (EMEPMI) operated area in the Malay Basin. The reservoirs within these fields typically have complex structural and stratigraphic relationships resulting in intricate reservoir plumbing that eventually influences the distribution of reservoir fluids and pressures. The RCA technique has been useful to help explain the plumbing resulting in scenarios that can yield drilling opportunities as well as in the placement and risking of drillwells. In addition, the technique also contributes to partially arresting the declining production trend and more importantly improves hydrocarbon recovery.

RCA is a work process that involves integration of diverse geologic and engineering data within a logical and rigorous framework to help predict formation fluid types, contacts and pressures in untested reservoir compartments. RCA provides a method for combining complex stratigraphic and structural models with fluid and pressure observations to define reservoir compartments and connections. Elsewhere within ExxonMobil, the approach serves as a technical basis for the understanding of geologic controls on known oil and gas distributions and contacts and their subsequent prediction. An important product of RCA is a series of consistent and permissible scenarios of non-unique field plumbing models.

In recent EMEPMI drilling programs, RCA results have been used to form the technical basis to identify additional drainage points and placement of drillwells, particularly in areas with limited well control, thus optimizing the field development plan. In the area of reservoir management, RCA provides a mechanism for rationalizing historical production behavior in mature reservoirs. The technique allows EMEPMI geoscientists to better understand and help explain the underlying technical reasons behind some of the anomalous production behavior as well as drillwell results. Results of the analyses also have been used as justification for improved/enhanced oil recovery plans that ultimately lead to the capture of additional reserves.

Despite its demanding and challenging work-flow, the benefits of RCA far outweigh the effort. The result is demonstrated in the three fields that went through a complete cycle of field-study, implementation of study results in drilling programs, and post-drill retrospective.
Integrated Genetic Analysis of Sediment Generation and Evolution to Predict Basin-Scale Clastic Reservoir/Seal Distribution and Character
Authors: Heins Bill , O'Grady Damian , Ardic Can
Published: November 2008

Description: Genetic history ultimately determines the geographic and stratigraphic distribution of clastic reservoirs, clastics seals, and their quality. A thorough accounting of sediments' life history, including sediment generation (where, from what kind of provenance lithotypes, under what environmental conditions), sediment transport (topographic gradients, transport mechanisms), and sediment deposition (basin bathymetry, depositional mechanisms), can delineate the most likely distribution and character of clastic sediments in the basin. ExxonMobil integrates formal workflows, extensive global databases, and patented software to ensure that appropriate genetic information is consistently incorporated during exploration to guide reservoir/seal play-element interpretation and risking.

Application: We have used this approach to identify plays and reduce exploration risk in basins where reservoir/seal distribution and quality are not well documented because the basin is remote or the interval is difficult to image or drill.

Results, Observations, Conclusions: Observations in modern environments, where genetic conditions are known, and drilling results in ancient environments, where genetic conditions have been reconstructed, verify that this analytic process successfully predicts the distribution of sediment character.

Significance: Remote basins or basin intervals that are difficult to image or drill have the least existing exploration information and require the greatest expense to acquire more information; therefore, uncertainty is always high. Integrated genetic analysis provides a relatively rapid and cost-effective way to maximize the value of existing information and reduce exploration uncertainty in the most data-challenged settings.

Introduction

The spatial distribution and physical characteristics of coarse-grained clastic reservoirs and of fine-grained clastic seals is a function of the entire genetic history of the sediments (1–6). The history includes:sediment generation -from what materials, and under what conditions, the sediments were produced;sediment transport - how far, and by what mechanism, the sediments were moved; andsediment deposition - by what processess, and in what geometry, the sediments were placed in their final resting spot.

In basins where the spatial distribution and physical characteristics of the sediments cannot be easily observed or reliably inferred, reconstructing possible genetic histories can provide testable hypotheses about the nature of the sediments that reduce exploration risk. We have developed a systematic approach to using genetic-history information for play-element prediction. The success of the predictions can be assessed to improve the quality of future predictions.
Geology Drives Technology - Application of Coil Tubing Underbalanced Drilling in the Cooper Basin, Australia
Authors: Telesford Arthur Linus , Cheong Sharon Kah Heng , Cotton Timothy Brett , Chipperfield Simon T.
Published: November 2008

Record breaking oil prices and the forecasted upward pressure on gas prices form an exciting future for Australia's hydrocarbon industry. This commercial back-drop is creating a heightened interest in new technologies capable of improving recovery factors and accelerating production particularly in brownfield environments.

One such technology is Coil Tubing Under Balanced Drilling (CTUBD). While CTUBD is not a new technology, it is largely unproven in deep, hot, hard-rock environments such as the Cooper Basin, Australia. This paper outlines the rationale for applying CTUBD in the Cooper Basin which is founded on a fundamental understanding of the geology. The value of CTUBD is based on reviewing incremental reserves from the following three sources; the benefits of lowering the reservoir abandonment pressure due to the addition of damage free wells,the acceleration of reserves from extended production tails into the current economic window andincremental reserves obtained from accessing previously un-drained sands.

A methodology for determining the value of CTUBD based on the first point is the focus of this paper.

Finally, the paper presents an in-depth review of a five well campaign in Field A, distilling the results into an improved candidate selection methodology that can be applied to future campaigns.

Introduction - Field A Development History

Field A is one of the largest and most mature gas fields in the South Australian Cooper Basin. The field was discovered in 1966 with first gas online in 1969. Base field production contains large 'tail gas' that would become reserves if it could be accelerated ahead of the plant economic limit. The potential 2P reserves contained in the "tail" is approximately 20Bcf. Acceleration of tail gas (ie economic capture) has been partly addressed with stage wise compressional upgrades commissioned in the mid 1980s, late and 1990s.

Field A currently has 33 active gas producers and has produced approximately 595Bcf (Figure 1). Initial well online rates have ranged between 5–15mmscf/d. The performance of high rate wells is thought to be attributed to the intersection of high permeability streaks which are evident from core within the target sands. Field wide static gradient and Pressure Build-Up surveys (PBUs) were performed over the period 1989 - 1991 which revealed that the pressure depletion across the field varied widely and that many wells were subjected to high near wellbore skin damage due to poor drilling and completion practices. Presently, reservoir pressures are observed to be between 650psia to 1000psia from an initial pressure of approximately 3400psia.
Optimizing Well Integrity Surveillance And Maintenance
Authors: Kairon Saadon Bin , Lane Thomas Matthew , Murrey Michael David
Published: November 2008

ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Malaysia Inc. (EMEPMI) operates 17 offshore oil and gas fields in the Malay Basin. EMEPMI performs well integrity operations and maintenance on 37 platforms involving 781 wells with 1215 completions (single and dual wells). There are about 350 wells on gas lift, 1215 surface controlled subsurface safety valves (SCSSV), with 6943 tree and wellhead valves. The fields produce approximately 150,000 bopd and 1.2 BCFD of gas.

In this mature asset, many wells were previously un-competitive or uneconomic to flow. In today's higher-price environment, all wells are being re-evaluated for their production contribution. This paper describes the issues and actions taken for these "moth-balled" idle wells to ensure that they comply with the EMEPMI well integrity surveillance and maintenance standards for offshore platform facilities. At the same time, the effort was broadened to check and ensure the integrity of all active completions. The EMEPMI well integrity surveillance and maintenance standards are based on API and industry standards, as well as the global ExxonMobil well integrity standards.
Brain edema after intracerebral hemorrhage in rats: the role of iron overload and aquaporin 4
Authors: Qing Wang Gai , Dong Yang Qi , Ping Tang Qing , Lai Li Guang , Fang Li Dong , Min Hu Wei , Xia Lian , Heng Pei Yu
Published: November 2008

Object

Brain edema formation following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) appears to be partly related to erythrocyte lysis and hemoglobin release. An increase of brain water content was associated with an increase of brain iron, which is an erythrocyte degradation product. Expression of AQP4 is highly modified in several brain disorders, and it can play a key role in cerebral edema formation. However, the question whether AQP4 is regulated by drugs lacks reliable evidence, and the interacting roles of iron overload and AQP4 in brain edema after ICH are unknown. The goal of this study was to clarify the relationship between iron overload and AQP4 expression and to characterize the effects of the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) on delayed brain edema after experimental ICH.

Methods

A total of 144 Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 250 and 300 g were used in this work. The animals were randomly divided into 4 groups. The ICH models (Group C) were generated by injecting 100 μl autologous blood stereotactically into the right caudate nucleus; surgical control rats (Group B) were generated in a similar fashion, by injecting 100 μl saline into the right caudate nucleus. Intervention models (Group D) were established by intraperitoneal injection of DFO into rats in the ICH group. Healthy rats (Group A) were used for normal control models. Brain water content, iron deposition, and AQP4 in perihematomal brain tissue were evaluated over the time course of the study (1, 3, 7, and 14 days) in each group.

Results

Iron deposition was found in the perihematomal zone as early as the 1st day after ICH, reaching a peak after 7 days and remaining at a high level thereafter for at least 14 days following ICH. Rat brain water content around the hematoma increased progressively over the time course, reached its peak at Day 3, and still was evident at Day 7 post-ICH. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that AQP4 was richly expressed over glial cell processes surrounding microvessels in the rat brain; there was upregulation of the AQP4 expression in perihematomal brain during the observation period, and it reached maximum at 3 to 7 days after ICH. The changes of brain water content were accompanied by an alteration of AQP4. The application of the iron chelator DFO significantly reduced iron overload, brain water content, and AQP4 level in the perihematomal area compared with the control group.

Conclusions

Iron overload and AQP4 may play a critical role in the formation of brain edema after ICH. In addition, AQP4 expression was affected by iron concentration. Importantly, treatment with DFO significantly reduced brain edema in rats and inhibited the AQP4 upregulation after ICH. Deferoxamine may be a potential therapeutic agent for treating ICH.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for trigeminal schwannoma: tumor control and functional preservation
Authors: Kano Hideyuki , Niranjan Ajay , Kondziolka Douglas , Flickinger John C. , Lunsford L. Dade
Published: November 2008

Object

To evaluate outcome predictors after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in patients with trigeminal schwannomas, the authors compared tumor control, functional preservation, and complications with tumor grade, tumor volume, patient age, and tumor imaging characteristics.

Methods

The records of 33 consecutive patients with trigeminal schwannoma treated via Gamma Knife surgery were retrospectively reviewed. The median patient age was 49.5 years (range 15.1–82.5 years). Eleven patients had undergone prior tumor resection. Two patients had neurofibromatosis Type 2. Lesions were classified as root type (6 tumors), ganglion type (17 tumors), and dumbbell type (10 tumors) based on their location. The median radiosurgery target volume was 4.2 cm3 (range 0.5–18.0 cm3), and the median dose to the tumor margin was 15.0 Gy (range 12–20 Gy).

Results

At an average of 6 years (range 7.2–147.9 months), the rate of progression-free survival (PFS) at 1, 5, and 10 years after SRS was 97.0, 82.0, and 82.0%, respectively. Factors associated with improved PFS included female sex, smaller tumor volume, and a root or ganglion tumor type. Neurological symptoms or signs improved in 11 (33.3%) of 33 patients and were unchanged in 19 (57.6%). Three patients (9.1%) had symptomatic disease progression. Patients who had not undergone a prior tumor resection were significantly more likely to show improvement in neurological symptoms or signs.

Conclusions

Stereotactic radiosurgery is an effective and minimally invasive management option in patients with residual or newly diagnosed trigeminal schwannomas. Predictors of a better treatment response included female sex, smaller tumor volume, root or ganglion tumor type, and the application of SRS as the primary treatment.