bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Journey of Hydraulic Fracturing Improvement to Increase Oil Recovery from Sandstone Formation in Rimau Block
Authors: Priyantoro Tri A. , Prakoso Noke F. , Kahfie Rizky M.
Published: May 2012

A hydraulic fracturing stimulation campaign has been successfully conducted in Rimau block. The stimulation was applied in tight KTLS sandstone formation with permeability within the range of 5-10 mD and also conducted in medium permeability multilayer LTAF sandstone (>10 mD) to bypass nearby wellbore damage.

The purpose of this paper is to share best practices and lessons learnt from the hydraulic fracturing campaign, which commenced in 2003. The campaign was divided into three stages, with the aim of continuous improvement. The first stage was conducted in 2003, when a trial with a generalized design was conducted. Later, the second stage was conducted during the period 2004-2009, when a hydraulic fracturing campaign with improved design was carried out. Finally, the third stage was conducted from 2010-onwards, when the campaign was improved by emphasizing operational excellence and technological diversification.

Beginning with Stage 1, hydraulic fracturing was performed in 13 wells in KTLS using typical fracturing design. An increase in production from each characteristic of formation was observed. Following the success story of Stage 1, a campaign was conducted in Stage 2 by proposing a plan of development for 50 wells to generate an optimization of the fracturing design. Stage 3 consisted of performing further optimization through technology diversification to overcome pressure depletion and operational collaborations. Furthermore, fracturing was also applied to higher permeability sandstone formations to bypass nearby wellbore damage.

The continuous improvement during all stages resulted in an increase in oil recovery of 10 to 25% in tight formation and 30% in higher permeability formation, with an oil gain ranging from 80-500 BOPD and a typical yearly decline of 40%. In the future, hydraulic fracturing will be applied to face further challenging conditions, such as tight gas, tight oil and shale gas.
Simulation and Visualization of Near-Well Flow
Authors: Valsecchi Pietro , McDuff Darren , Chang Dar-Lon , Huang Hao , Burdette Jason , Long Ted , Karmonik Christof
Published: May 2012

The ability to understand and optimize the exact circumstances by which fluids enter the wellbore is increasingly crucial to achieving effective and economic production. The well completion, the connection to the reservoir, must be designed and operated in accordance with the true physics of the near well flow environment. The ability to visualize such flows, then parameterize and extrapolate the results with realistic simulation models, affords a powerful advantage in creating well completions that are simple to install, reliable to operate, and, of course, deliver all the flow the reservoir is capable of yielding. This paper illustrates the use of advanced visualization in this process. Two examples are presented, featuring detailed images of flow through complex sand control completions hardware (gravel pack) and of flow through wormholes in acid-stimulated carbonate rock.

For the first case, a new approach is presented for the non-invasive visualization of flow patterns in a modeled a gravel pack completion using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a whole-body clinical 3-Tesla scanner. Advanced MRI pulse sequences for structural imaging and for flow visualization were utilized to measure flow velocities in the gravel pack model. Its geometry was then visualized by three-dimensional surface reconstruction methods and the highly resolved three-dimensional velocity field allowed for the calculation of flow streamlines through the entire completion. Thus, the effect of each component of the completion can be fully characterized and a redesign of the completion hardware targeting flow optimization can be envisioned. Beyond the importance of opening a novel window on the fluid dynamics research of completion hardware, this application also demonstrates a successful technological synergy between the energy industry and the medical research, as well as a recognition of the value of the Pumps and Pipes workshop with the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, under which this interdisciplinary collaboration was originated.

For the second case, a combination of experimental, imaging, and computational modeling techniques is employed to better understand the structures and fluid flow impacts of wormhole networks formed during carbonate matrix acidizing. Large-scale acidizing experiments have been conducted on quarried carbonate rock samples including variation of several system characteristics such as completion type, saturating fluid, rock type, and acid injection rate. Here, a subset of these experiments are referenced to explain the process of obtaining detailed digital visualization of the internal void space structure formed during acidizing. The discussion then extends to utilization of this digital image data for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of fluid flow associated with the wormhole networks.
Study of Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitor Removal Efficiency by Physical and Chemical Processes
Authors: Hussain Altaf , Gharfeh Samir , Adham Samer
Published: May 2012

Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors (KHI) is added to the produced fluids in oil and gas fields. Hydrate formation is a major flow assurance issue and the petroleum industry spends millions of dollars annually in this area. Kinetic inhibitors act as anti-nucleator and delay the formation of gas hydrates. The advantages of these chemicals that they are more economical and added at a low dosage without disturbing the pipeline flow. Globally, different proprietary KHI compounds are used in various locations. One specific KHI was used in the present work. Considering that produced water containing KHI may have negative impact on the environment during discharge, efficient treatment solutions to remove KHI are needed. The objective of the present laboratory investigation is to address the various treatment methods, namely membrane process and advanced oxidation process for removal of KHI. These treatment processes have huge potential to be implemented in the oil & gas industry for environmental sustainability.

Membrane processes based on Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF) and Reverse osmosis (RO) were investigated using synthetic produced water containing KHI. The experiments were carried out using a bench scale membrane unit. The removal efficiency of KHI was found to be greater than 99%, 99%, and 83% for RO, NF & UF membrane, respectively.

The chemical process based on ozonation was also investigated. The ozone effectively degraded 75% of KHI polymer with ozone dosage of 0.73 g/h. The extent of oxidation of KHI is dosage/time dependent. To the author's knowledge, this is the first work reported in the literature regarding KHI removal by membrane technology and advanced oxidation.
Integrated Production Operation Solution applied in Brown Oil Fields - AIATG Asset PEMEX
Authors: Diaz G.. , Mena E.. , Mota M.. , Yañez J.. , Castrejon R.. , Lombardo L..
Published: May 2012

This paper presents the advances in the Integrated Production Operation Solution applied in Brown Fields from Activo Terciario del Golfo (AIATG) Asset PEMEX, located in The north-east of Mexico. AIATG has about 3377 wells, 2112 are producing, 948 of them in natural flow, 1164 in different artificial lift methods, and the remaining are closed. The total production is about 65004 BPD of oil and 149 MMFCD.

Operational issues like, lack of well test event, poor well test by well, facilities constrains, production measured in conjunction with others sources, in combination with dispersion data the problems create a not trusty environment to detect abnormal conditions and events that impact directly in the production.

In order to improve this process, AIATG has raised a new approach which allows consolidate the operational data base, to implement workflows for capturing from different sources daily production and operational data along the entire production network and facilities, and which will include engineering and smart validation rules and alarms notification across web environment, which this will permit to act in advance before a potential issue become in production loses.

Additional features for trend analysis, visualization and management of key performance indicators will be integrated with engineering workflows, which the automatic recognition of issues and behavior of wells using calculated rates at the well level and their reconciled production compared to the measurement at the gathering station level. With this automatic workflow we can then identify any condition that has drastically affected well productivity.
Conquering Complexity And Human-Centred Design
Authors: Dennant Andrew , Perry Dale
Published: May 2012

All of our lives are becoming more complex. We are expected to deliver more, more quickly, and more accurately, and technology is claimed to be the enabler for us to achieve this. Nowhere is this truer than in the process industries, where there are additional pressures such as increasingly large plants and retiring workforces. The authors believe that the key to meeting ever-raising expectations is to reduce complexity, and that this can be done in two major ways. First of all, Process Operators must implement modern technologies that are inherently simpler. And Secondly, Vendors must design the complexity out of their devices and user interfaces.

Plants are getting larger all the time. What would have been a complex a few years ago is not a single plant. And a plant that would once have produced a single product is now expected to produce a variety of products to a variety of quality specifications. At the same time the expertise that has learned how to run the process, to understand root causes of production problems; the people who can look at a few indicators or simply listen to a pipe or column and understand conditions, is retiring at an increasing rate. They are being replaced by the "Google Generation" – a generation of graduates who believe that anything can be learned in ten minutes via the internet. These people do not understand the complex interactions between control loops and process conditions and, in many cases, do not even understand the fundamentals of process automation. Why learn how a PID works and how to tune it when there are function blocks and auto tuning routines that can do it for you? And even when new workers are hired, there tend to be fewer of them than there were before. Why is this? Because we rely more and more on technology to optimise our plants, to replace the tribal knowledge that is being lost to retirement, and provide us with insight that allows us to tighten up our control loops for quality or optimization purposes. And there's nothing wrong with that. So long as the vendors make sure that the technology really delivers that optimisation and insight.

The answer is to reduce complexity in the first place, so that we spend less time doing complicated work that adds no value. The way to do this is to apply the right technology to the problem in hand, and we will go through three examples of how technology can help with this. The next thing to do is to remember that we are people first, and people who have specific tasks to perform. Therefore we must ensure that the tools we have to perform a given job are aimed at simplifying the tasks that make up that job. We must wrest control of the user interface from the engineers and hand it to the ergonomists.
Flawless Turnaround
Authors: Roebers Jacob
Published: May 2012

Flawless Turnaround© complements existing optimisation elements (such as: scope & schedule optimisation and Turnaround Assurance Reviews) and facilitates continuous Quality delivery improvement by bringing increased rigour and emphasis to both, the operations and maintenance function. It is a fully integrated and proactive method designed to reduce the occurrence of all potential turnaround flaws.

The main elements are: SystemisationSystemisation is the process of breaking down the asset in smaller pieces. This process goes deeper than breaking down to a unit based approach, which is quite common in the industry. The unit will be cut in smaller pieces (systems). The systems will be identified prior to the event and all systems will become part of the integrated Turnaround schedule. System handover (from operations to maintenance and v.v.) will become part of the fully integrated schedule, that includes all activities; operations, maintenance execution and projects.FlawlistingTo help the organisation capture potential flaws that might take place during the execution of the Turnaround, a strict process will be put in place to try and prevent these flaws from happening. Specific Key success areas, e.g. Tightness and Cleanliness, will be identified prior to the event and focal points will be assigned for these areas. The focal points then take a leading role to identify and capture possible flaws and find mitigating actions to prevent these flaws.Rigorous Quality Assurance ProgrammeTo ensure that the execution of the work has been done ‘right first time’ a comprehensive QA/QC process will be put in place. This process will be a joint activity, both by client as well as the contractor. Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs) will be developed with proper hold and witness points.

Flawless Turnaround© is a programme designed to help you achieve sustainable steady-state performance safely, quickly and within budget.
Evaluation of Membrane Processes for Acid Gas Treatment
Authors: Jahn J.. , van den Bos W. A. , van den Broeke L. J.
Published: May 2012

An overview is given of different membrane processes that are used for acid gas removal from natural gas. The main characteristics of selective membranes and membrane contactors for gas separation involving mixtures with acid gases are discussed.

The removal of carbon dioxide from gaseous streams and solvents at elevated pressures is relevant for a number of applications. This includes processes like pre-combustion capture, with the main focus on the separation of CO2 and H2 mixtures, and natural gas treatment, where CO2 is removed from CH4.

A comparison is made between the CO2 flux obtained for different types of membrane processes. A comparison is made between values for the CO2 flux obtained for the regeneration of absorption liquid diethanolamine (DEA) using a gas-liquid membrane and values for the CO2 reported in the literature for selective membranes.

Experimental results for the regeneration of a chemical absorption liquid loaded with CO2 using a gas-liquid membrane contactor are presented. The absorption liquid DEA has been loaded with pure CO2 for three different CO2 pressures. The CO2 flux from the pressurized liquid phase to the gas phase has been determined for different pressures at the gas side of the membrane contactor.
Acid Placement: An Effective VES System to Stimulate High-Temperature Carbonate Formations
Authors: Gomaa Ahmed M. , Cutler Jennifer , Qu Qi , Cawiezel Kay E.
Published: May 2012

The gelling performance of VES acid systems dramatically weakens at high temperature. Therefore, these fluids are typically limited to placement in relatively low-temperature carbonate formations. This study was conducted to introduce a new VES system that can gel and maintain useful viscosity up to 300F.

The new surfactant system is completely compatible with HCl, brine, and even high iron contamination. Rheological studies defined the operational temperature limit where viscosity was sufficient for the new VES system to be used successfully as diversion agent. It was found that initial acid concentration and the degree of acid neutralization were critical parameters affecting the new VES system diversion performance at elevated temperatures.

The effects of four corrosion inhibitors were examined. One is recommended for use with this system because it minimizes negative effects on the operational temperature range. Also, it enhances the values of elastic modulus, which enhances the VES system's diversion performance.

Coreflood studies using limestone and dolomite cores confirmed that the new VES system increased differential pressure sufficiently to achieve diversion. For limestone cores, the pressure drop increased by a factor of 10 during VES acid injection; for dolomite cores, the pressure drop increased by a factor of 100. The pressure drop changed in a cycling manner, where the crest and trough of each cycle increased with time. Cycling of the pressure drop indicates that the acid was able to change its direction inside the core. Coreflood testing also indicated that there is no need for a breaker, as 18% permeability enhancement was observed with CaCl2 brine flowback. This paper will discuss the results obtained and recommend the conditions under which the new system is most likely to be successful in the field.
Material Selection for Threaded Instrument Fittings in Topside Offshore Service in the Arabian Gulf
Authors: Barker Peter A , Bech Hans H
Published: May 2012

Austenitic Stainless steel UNS S31600 is used for instrumentation items on topside production facilities worldwide. Stress corrosion cracking and chloride pitting have caused failures of such items and solutions to prevent leaks and material failures must be found. This paper will detail inspection results, failure analysis, including measurement of stress and strain induced by tapered fittings and make recommendations for material selection and remedial actions.
New Test for Material Resistance against Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion
Authors: Jensen Jeppe , Sorensen Ketil Bernt , Juhler Susanne , Lundgaard Thomas
Published: May 2012

A material test for microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is presented. This laboratory based test evaluates the material resistance to MIC caused by corrosive, methane-producing microorganisms. Material testing and corrosion modeling is a natural and important step to ensure material integrity during oil production. Currently, good models for physical and chemical parameters exist, but MIC remains very hard to predict in spite of many years of research, and failures continue to occur prematurely.

MIC can to some degree be mitigated by biocide treatment. However, the effect can be limited because responsible microorganisms are part of a protective biofilm of the metal surface. Parts of the biofilms often survive even the best biocide program, and the surviving microorganisms will quickly re-establish their activity in the system. Metal alloys react differently to these biofilms, and the choice of material is a crucial parameter in minimizing MIC.

Biofilms formed by methane-producing microorganisms are known to cause MIC. These microorganisms are not detected in standard monitoring tests, such as bottle incubations, widely used by the industry. However, several recent studies employing Molecular Microbiology Methods (MMM) have shown that these microorganisms are numerous, widespread, and highly corrosive in off- as well as on-shore oil fields. The new material test described in this paper uses methane-producing microorganisms to test the MIC resistance of metal alloys. This enables petroleum companies to choose a suitable material for an environment with high MIC potential and to predict the corrosion rate at close to in situ conditions.
Sustainable Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels Based on Biofixation of Carbon Dioxide by Microalgae
Authors: van den Bos W. A. , Jahn J.. , van den Broeke L. J.
Published: May 2012

For the further development of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) an integrated approach is needed to optimize the full chain from capture, via transport to application. It is to be expected that in the near future carbon dioxide will be one of the largest commodities. Besides storage as the main option to discard the captured CO2 more sustainable option are emerging where CO2 is used as a feedstock.

A number of options for CO2 utilization are evaluated, and one of the most promising options, biofixation of CO2 by microalgae, is discussed in detail. One of the main aspects of mirco-algae is the scale-ability, both small-scale and relatively large-scale applications can be envisaged. Results for the growth of different microalgae in the presence of CO2 and the extraction of valuable components from the algae biomass are presented.
Study of Particle Straining Effect on Produced Water Management and Injectivity Enhancement
Authors: Aji K.. , You Z.. , Badalyan A.. , Bedrikovetsky P..
Published: May 2012

Theoretical and laboratory studies are performed aiming at the development of a predictive model for transport and retention of particles from produced water and crude oil/gas based on grain size distribution and particle sizes only. The particle capture by straining is thoroughly investigated. In the laboratory, injections of different sized particles suspended in fluid with different salinity and pH values have been carried out into the newly designed porous media holder with single-layer grains and into the column packed engineering porous media. The retained particles are filmed using microscope; their breakthrough concentrations are measured by particle counter. A new mathematical model accounting for pore connectivity and triangular pore throat shape is derived and applied to the experimental conditions. Agreement between test data and modelling results supports application of the model to the evaluation of straining effect on the produced water management and injectivity enhancement.
Optimizing Hydraulic Fracturing Design for Shale Gas Production through Numerical Simulations
Authors: Li Y.. , Wei C.. , Qin G.. , Lu Y.. , Luo K..
Published: May 2012

Hydraulic fracturing stimulation is one of the key technologies for shale gas development. The recent advances in micro-seismic data acquisition and processing suggest that hydraulic fracturing stimulation has often resulted in complex fracture network due to the pre-existing natural fractures. Modeling hydraulic fracturing processes needs to couple in-situ stress response and flow of engineered fluid that includes water, proppant and other chemicals. Moreover, the high Reynolds number indicates that the flow in the hydraulic fracturing processes is either in transition or turbulent flow regime. Consequently, the resulting mathematical model is complex and needs to be numerically solved.

In this paper, we have developed a hydraulic fracturing model considering the in-situ stress response to turbulent flow process. The mixed finite element method is employed for numerical solution of the resulting system of coupled nonlinear partial different equations. The proposed model has been validated with bi-wing hydraulic fracture model through regression tests. The preliminary numerical results show the significant differences in hydraulic fracture growth in comparison with the models that assume laminar flow in hydraulic fracturing processes. We have also integrated proposed hydraulic fracturing model into a numerical reservoir simulator and are currently conducting field-scale numerical simulation studies. The preliminary results also suggest that the proposed model is also capable of modeling the interactions between the hydraulic fracture and pre-existing natural fractures based on initial fracture mapping.

The proposed model provides an opportunity to optimize hydraulic fracturing stimulation design through numerical simulations, which is vital in unconventional reservoir production.
Application of IPM Modeling for Production Surveillance, Allocation and Optimization
Authors: Orioha Herbert , Gruba Chris , Muoneke Gabriel , Ezuka Ifeanyi
Published: May 2012

In order to make effective decisions for oil field management, well and reservoir surveillance data needs to be utilized to better understand how the subsurface and surface systems in a field interact. This can be done at the reservoir, well and surface facility level, but is most effective when considering the entire production or injection system. IPM (Integrated Production Modeling) is now being used more often and, has demonstrated its usefulness in many oil and gas field applications.

The use of integrated production modeling methodologies for improving production, identifying and eliminating bottlenecks and improving production allocation for wells from multiple reservoirs from both onshore and offshore oil fields are presented. Methods for coupling the surface and subsurface are reviewed and its usefulness for identifying bottlenecks at both the well and surface facility level are demonstrated. Field examples are presented where issues were identified and overcome by operational means and, found to increase production. Prioritization of wells and production intervals can also be incorporated to improve production/system uptime and field life.

The use of artificial lift for oil wells and additional compression for gas wells can be effectively modeled by reasonably calibrated IPM models. Without proper calibration, these models can yield results that lead to inadequate decisions that have a significant impact on project economics. The use of IPM models as a tool to better allocate field production data has proved to be very reliable and has resulted in better field management. This approach requires both reservoir and surface facility information gathered on a regular basis in order to be reliable and accurate. Reservoir, well and surface models require occasional calibration or updates of inflow type curves. Application of these methods are discussed and presented for some field cases for oil reservoirs some under waterflood and others with active water drive.
Modeling of Proppant Embedment: Elastic Deformation and Creep Deformation
Authors: Guo Jianchun , Liu Yuxuan
Published: May 2012

Unconventional reservoir has become the hotspot of development in petroleum industry. In shale reservoir, some fracture is only propped by a monolayer 100mesh proppant. Fracture width is very small and under the condition of low rock hardness and high effective closure stress, the fracture will heal after a period of time, especially after the rock has been exposed to the fracturing fluids, causing weakening of the rock frame. In these reservoirs, proppant embedment becomes more serious. This paper purposes two embedment mechanisms, elastic deformation and creep deformation, and develops the corresponding models by combining simplified physical processes with elastic theory. Then with time integral, pressure dependent embedment depth is achieved. This paper provides a more reasonable method for calculating embedment. For fracturing engineer, it will give them a way to know how worse the matter will be. Finally, the model could couple with fracture propagation model and production prediction model to get a better result.

According to the results of analysis in the paper, in shale formation, proppant will cause creep deformation of rock, which will decrease fracture width with time. Optimization of fracturing fluid and treatment procedure are required to reduce the influence of creep deformation. Poisson's Ratio do have an effect on proppant embedment but very little. The mechanisms described in the paper provide a new understanding about embedment. It provides us a tool to determine how much the degree will be.
Propellant Treatment to Clean Out Gravel-Pack Wells
Authors: Hamdan V. H. , Jumaat M. S. , Samsu M.. , Trebolle R..
Published: May 2012

A mature offshore field in Malaysia consists of wells that are over 20 years old and completed with dual-strings and multiple packers to produce from different sand layers. Due to the unconsolidated formation, most of the wells were completed with a gravel pack. After many years of production, the water cut has increased and fines migration has gradually plugged the gravel packs and screens. This has resulted in closing in these wells, leaving stranded potential oil behind. Continuing to produce through the plugged screens would require higher drawdown, which in turn induces greater sanding from the nearby reservoir rock and higher water cut. However, working over these wells was often noneconomical.

Initially, several wells were treated with acid but were reported to produce sand after the treatment. This was attributed to screen damage and gravel-pack failure requiring costly repair. Additionally, the acid used to remove the plugging caused by the fines migration weakened the matrix, increasing the sanding tendency.

This paper presents a case history of propellent stimulation treatment performed in two wells at this field. The gravel-packed wells were rejuvenated by applying a propellent treatment instead of acid treatments to clean the plugging in the gravel packs and screens over selected intervals that are known to be oil-bearing. Zones that could be producing water because of movement of the oil/water-contact can be left untreated so that the plugging in the screens helps in delaying water production.

Propellant has been used in the oil industry for many years, but its application has been mainly for minifracturing of consolidated rock in standard cased and perforated wells. Its application to clean gravel pack is not well known and knowledge in this domain is limited. As such, the case study started with candidate selection and proceeded through the proposed solution, conceptual job design, execution, and finally the results of the application.
A New Approach of Applying Analytical Inflow Model for Horizontal Well Performance of Non-Fully Penetrated Wells
Authors: Lin Jiajing , Zhu Ding
Published: May 2012

Horizontal wells and multilateral wells have been applied in conventional and unconventional resource to improve recovery of hydrocarbon by increasing the contact of wellbores with reservoirs. In order to estimate production rate, many analytical models have been developed in the past years. One of the commonly used models is the Babu and Odeh's model which introduces a concept of partial penetration skin factor to transfer an analytical model for vertical wells to horizontal well mode. The partial penetration skin, SR, which accounts for the deviation of production for a partially-penetrated well in a reservoir (more likely in horizontal well scenarios) from a fully-penetrated well, is estimated by a correlation based on the reservoir simulation results. The correlation is one of the key elements in the Babu and Odeh's model, and it made the model flexible and convenient to use. The limit of the correlation is that the error of the calculation is increasing as the ratio of wellbore length to reservoir dimension decreases. Meanwhile, to consider the influence of permeability heterogeneity and wellbore pressure drop on well performance in these models, a segment approach is also commonly used for a horizontal well which divides the entire wellbore into smaller piece while calculating the pressure and flow relationship. When a well is segmented, the segmented well length is most likely lower than the limit of the partial penetration skin correlation applies. This raises a question of how the partial penetration skin should be distributed for different segments. The conventional method is to only apply the SR to the toe and heel segments when segment a wellbore, since the centered segments are considered fully-penetrated. This sometimes results in unreasonably low flow rate in these two segments compared to the segments in the middle. The toe and the heel segments should have high flow rate because of the larger drainage area contacted at these segments compared with the center segments in partial-penetrated wells. A new approach to distribute the partial penetration skin is needed to solve this problem.

In this work, we discuss several approaches to reasonably distribute the total partial penetration skin over different segments. A new approaches is proposed to take into account of the effect of contact area, location of segments, as well as the drainage area on inflow performance. The result shows a more reasonable flow rate distribution for different segments of the new approach when compared with reservoir simulation results. This modification to the conventional approach for the segmented horizontal inflow model makes the analytical model more reasonable and applicable. Examples in the paper illustrate how to use the new approach to estimate horizontal well inflow performance.
An Innovative Integrated Asset Modeling for an Offshore-Onshore Field Development. Tomoporo Field Case
Authors: Pérez Fernando , Tillero Edwin , Pérez Ender , Nino Pedro , Rojas José , Araujo Juan , Marrocchi Milciades , Montero Marisabel , Piña Maikely
Published: May 2012

A reliable future development plan of an oilfield would require that all of the elements in the petroleum system are modeled in an integrated manner if a timely response, a more realistic economical evaluation, and risk analysis are needed for better decisions making.

The main goal for future development of Tomoporo field is to change the traditional focus (petroleum system elements by separated) by enabling to multidisciplinary team members to take advantage of their expertises within a collaborative environment based on interaction among petroleum system components.

The Tomoporo field's hydrocarbon reserves have been largely developed in offshore, but barely in onshore. It has been planned to increase production twice through new producing wells in onshore area which presents several limitations for handling production. Also a plan for pressure support, and improved oil recovery have been considered by implementing a waterflooding project.

This paper shows an innovative integrated asset methodology, applied for forecasting scenarios where reservoir, surface network, geographic location aspects, economy, risk, and uncertainty analysis were considered. The evaluation of forecasting scenarios was performed by implementing an integrated asset modeling (IAM) where all of simulation scenarios were coupled with a surface network model. Such network modeling included itself three integration levels to address complexity of surface facility needed for future offshore-onshore field development. In addition, an innovative link from reservoir-surface network models to the economic model was developed for a fully assisted asset modeling, resulting in faster and more reliable scenarios evaluation.

The IAM for Tomoporo field provided valuable information for all team members of the production stream, maximizing benefits from decision making based on a fully coupled asset model. This integrated approach determined that greater recovery factor and less reservoir pressure drop are achieved if an onshore flow station is added for new onshore wells in spite of existing capabilities in offshore surface facilities.

The IAM approach triggered warnings about future needs (investment, expenses), and also to be alert in minimizing bottlenecks in order to ensure no violation of surface capacity constraints. In addition, it allowed to define operating limits of water injection plants, enabling that optimum operation conditions are set, and the added value of the Tomoporo field development be maximized.
Thinking Mobility
Authors: Augé Marc
Published: May 2012

The nomads traditionally studied by ethnographers have a sense of place and territory, a sense of time and of return. This nomadism is thus different from the metaphorical nomadism of our current mobility; that is, “overmodern” (surmoderne) mobility. The meaning of “over” in the adjective “overmodern” or “supermodern” has to be read in the sense that it has in Freud’s and Althusser’s expression “overdetermination,” where it indicates the profusion of causes in a particular phenomenon that complicates the analysis of its effects. Overmodern mobility expresses itself in the movements of population (migrations, tourism, professional mobility), in immediate general communication and in the traffic of products, images, and information. It corresponds to the paradox of a world where we can, at least in theory, make everything without moving and while moving all the time.
Airports as Urban Narratives
Authors: Roseau Nathalie
Published: May 2012

This article focuses on the process of the design of airports and how in particular the urban context has shaped their specific histories. Far from being merely pure technical or functional equipment, they have been mirrors for contemporary expectations, just as they informed the modern urban imaginary. According to this perspective, an urban history of airports can be traced from the first aerodromes dedicated to large urban publics to the development of spectacular airports driven by the massive recent routinization of air transport so intricately bound up with globalization. Based on research on specific cases of the design and building of New York and Paris airports, this article aims to resist the temptations to dehistoricize the airport topic, and to introduce a narrative mode of thinking about these specific and concrete spaces.
When Bicycles Become both Attitude and Form
Authors: Dematté Rosanna
Published: May 2012

From June 17 to August 21, 2011 the University of Innsbruck (Austria) hosted the group exhibition “L’Italia alla finestra: Außen- und Innensichen” (Italy at window: Outside and outside views), commemorating the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. The bilingual title focuses on the necessity to consider a country from several perspectives. Seven artists from Italy and Austria, belonging to different generations, were invited to the baroque cellars of the Imperial Palace of Innsbruck to give their perspective and present their work.
L'art de l'automobile, chefs-d'œuvre de la collection Ralph Lauren
Authors: Smith Paul
Published: May 2012

Collecting old cars, like a cocaine habit, seems to be one of nature’s ways of telling you you are making too much money. Think of Pink Floyd’s drummer Nick Mason and his private collection of Ferraris. Think of the American pharmaceutical heir Josiah K. Lilly III and his vintage automobiles displayed in an imitation Shaker barn-house at a heritage park on Cape Cod. Or remember Hans and Fritz Schlumpf, Alsatian textile magnates unable to resist another Bugatti. Indeed, the brothers’ passion helped lead their firm into bankruptcy and their collection––more than 500 vehicles, including 150 Bugattis––ended up as France’s national motorcar museum, the Cité de l’Automobile, opened at Mulhouse in 1982.
Vietnamese Cinema on the Move
Authors: Ponsavady Stéphanie
Published: May 2012

“Where can I see this Vietnamese movie?” Try sitting on board a Vietnamese Airlines jet to Hanoi. In Vietnam, movie theaters have been replaced by multiplexes showing the latest American blockbusters. Foreigners are most likely to encounter Vietnamese cinema for the first time on the move, as they travel to the country, by selecting the World Cinema category of their in-flight entertainment system. Watching a Vietnamese movie will both distract them from the long-haul and give them a taste of their destination culture as they make their way there. Twice the displacement, experiencing Vietnamese cinema has become a vehicle for representations of mobility and an integral part of contemporary travel practices. This review will consider a variety of ways the mutual relationship between cinematic figurations of movement and processes of mobility have shaped Vietnamese cinema.
Effect of Some Biopolymers on the Rheological Behavior of Surimi Gel
Authors: Sarker Md. Zaidul Islam , Elgadir M. Abd , Ferdosh Sahena , Akanda Md. Jahurul Haque , Manap Mohd Yazid Abdul , Noda Takahiro
Published: May 2012

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selected biopolymers on the rheological properties of surimi. In our paper, we highlight the functional properties and rheological aspects of some starch mixtures used in surimi. However, the influence of some other ingredients, such as cryoprotectants, mannans, and hydroxylpropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), on the rheological properties of surimi is also described. The outcome reveals that storage modulus increased with the addition of higher levels of starch. Moreover, the increasing starch level increased the breaking force, deformation, and gel strength of surimi as a result of the absorption of water by starch granules in the mixture to make the surimi more rigid. On the other hand, the addition of cryoprotectants, mannans, and HPMC improved the rheological properties of surimi. The data obtained in this paper could be beneficial particularly to the scientists who deal with food processing field.
Breakdown of the Blood-Ocular Barrier as a Strategy for the Systemic Use of Nanosystems
Authors: Occhiutto Marcelo L. , Freitas Fatima R. , Maranhao Raul C. , Costa Vital P.
Published: May 2012

Several drug delivery systems have been proposed to overcome physiological barriers, improving ocular bioavailability. Systemic routes are seldom used due to the blood-ocular barrier. Novel drug delivery systems based on nanotechnology techniques have been developed to overcome ocular physiological barriers. This non-systematic review suggests the utilization of a transitory blood-ocular breakdown to allow the access of drugs by nanotechnology drug delivery systems via the systemic route. We discuss the possible ways to cause the breakdown of the blood-ocular barrier: acute inflammation caused by intraocular surgery, induced ocular hypotony, and the use of inflammatory mediators. The suitability of use of the systemic route and its toxic effects are also discussed in this article.
An Automated Technique for Generating Georectified Mosaics from Ultra-High Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery, Based on Structure from Motion (SfM) Point Clouds
Authors: Turner Darren , Lucieer Arko , Watson Christopher
Published: May 2012

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are an exciting new remote sensing tool capable of acquiring high resolution spatial data. Remote sensing with UAVs has the potential to provide imagery at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. The small footprint of UAV imagery, however, makes it necessary to develop automated techniques to geometrically rectify and mosaic the imagery such that larger areas can be monitored. In this paper, we present a technique for geometric correction and mosaicking of UAV photography using feature matching and Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques. Images are processed to create three dimensional point clouds, initially in an arbitrary model space. The point clouds are transformed into a real-world coordinate system using either a direct georeferencing technique that uses estimated camera positions or via a Ground Control Point (GCP) technique that uses automatically identified GCPs within the point cloud. The point cloud is then used to generate a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) required for rectification of the images. Subsequent georeferenced images are then joined together to form a mosaic of the study area. The absolute spatial accuracy of the direct technique was found to be 65–120 cm whilst the GCP technique achieves an accuracy of approximately 10–15 cm.
Improving the Precision of Tree Counting by Combining Tree Detection with Crown Delineation and Classification on Homogeneity Guided Smoothed High Resolution (50 cm) Multispectral Airborne Digital Data
Authors: Katoh Masato , Gougeon François A.
Published: May 2012

A method of counting the number of coniferous trees by species within forest compartments was developed by combining an individual tree crown delineation technique with a treetop detection technique, using high spatial resolution optical sensor data. When this method was verified against field data from the Shinshu University Campus Forest composed of various cover types, the accuracy for the total number of trees per stand was higher than 84%. This shows improvements over the individual tree crown delineation technique alone which had accuracies lower than 62%, or the treetop detection technique alone which had accuracies lower than 78%. However, the accuracy of the number of trees classified by species was less than 84%. The total number of trees by species per stand was improved with exclusion of the understory species and ranged from 45.2% to 93.8% for Chamaecyparis obtusa and C. pisifera and from 37.9% to 98.1% for broad-leaved trees because many of these were understory species. The better overall results are attributable primarily to the overestimation of Pinus densiflora, Larix kaempferi and broad-leaved trees compensating for the underestimation of C. obtusa and C. pisifera. Practical forest management can be enhanced by registering the output resulting from this technology in a forest geographical information system database. This approach is mostly useful for conifer plantations containing medium to old age trees, which have a higher timber value.
Fabrication and Characteristics of an nc-Si/c-Si Heterojunction MOSFETs Pressure Sensor
Authors: Zhao Xiaofeng , Wen Dianzhong , Li Gang
Published: May 2012

A novel nc-Si/c-Si heterojunction MOSFETs pressure sensor is proposed in this paper, with four p-MOSFETs with nc-Si/c-Si heterojunction as source and drain. The four p-MOSFETs are designed and fabricated on a square silicon membrane by CMOS process and MEMS technology where channel resistances of the four nc-Si/c-Si heterojunction MOSFETs form a Wheatstone bridge. When the additional pressure is P, the nc-Si/c-Si heterojunction MOSFETs pressure sensor can measure this additional pressure P. The experimental results show that when the supply voltage is 3 V, length-width (L:W) ratio is 2:1, and the silicon membrane thickness is 75 μm, the full scale output voltage of the pressure sensor is 15.50 mV at room temperature, and pressure sensitivity is 0.097 mV/kPa. When the supply voltage and L:W ratio are the same as the above, and the silicon membrane thickness is 45 μm, the full scale output voltage is 43.05 mV, and pressure sensitivity is 2.153 mV/kPa. Therefore, the sensor has higher sensitivity and good temperature characteristics compared to the traditional piezoresistive pressure sensor.
Key Performance Characteristics of Organic Shrimp Aquaculture in Southwest Bangladesh
Authors: Paul Brojo Gopal , Vogl Christian Reinhard
Published: May 2012

In Bangladesh, black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon; Fabricius, 1798) aquaculture has come to be one of the most important sectors in both the rural and national economies. Likewise, organic shrimp aquaculture has emerged as an alternative farming enterprise for farmers especially in the southwestern districts of Bangladesh. The present study aims to show key performance characteristics of organic shrimp farmers and farming in a prototypical shrimp farming area in Bangladesh. Data was collected in 2009 from organic shrimp farmers in the Kaligonj and Shyamnagar sub-districts through questionnaire interviews, transect walks and focus group discussions. The mean productivity of organic shrimp farming in the area is 320 kg ha−1 yr−1 (ranging from 120 to 711 kg ha−1year−1). Organic farmers are more likely to have a higher monthly income and less aquaculture experience. Moreover, suitable landholdings and classified labor distribution have been found to play an important role in the development of organic shrimp aquaculture. The most common assets of organic shrimp aquaculture are high yield, low production cost, available post larvae and high market prices. Small business farmers are likely to earn more income benefits from organic shrimp aquaculture than their larger-scale counterparts. Finally, the paper suggests that more research is needed to stimulate the success of organic shrimp aquaculture.