bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Os mágicos municipais: um fascinante museu onomástico
Authors: Eleazaro Clara Grimaldi
Published: August 2015

Neste estudo, pretende-se descrever e analisar o comportamento sintático dos advérbios de modo simples do português, procurando investigar, em especial, suas possibilidades de ocorrência em sentenças com verbos finitos, na voz ativa.
Da categoria gramatical pessoa
Authors: Rezende Antônio Martinez de
Published: August 2015

Essa dissertação discute o conceito de pessoa gramatical, com base na proposta de que pessoa é fenômeno de linguagem, não um fato de língua. Ao considerá-la assim, procura estabelecer suas características e ás implicações do seu conceito, através do comentário de termos que as gramáticas tradicionais relacionam à pessoa gramatical: pessoa do verbo, impessoalidade e sujeito, por exemplo.
Vicenzo
Authors: Picorelli Caterina Blacher
Published: August 2015

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Esvaiu-si
Authors: Oliveira Aline Sobreira de
Published: August 2015

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Miopia cancerígena
Authors: Reis Rafael M. G.
Published: August 2015

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Poemas
Authors: Costa Erick Gontijo
Published: August 2015

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Sexto Salmo ("Sixth Psalm")
Authors: Sexton Anne , Ribeiro Cíntia França
Published: August 2015

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Marido de aluguel
Authors: Santos Maria Angélica Amâncio
Published: August 2015

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Dois pontos
Authors: Rocha Marcus Vinícius de Melo
Published: August 2015

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Enquanto isso ("Meantime")
Authors: Pessoa Fernando , Campos Alex Sander Luiz
Published: August 2015

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Sabor da paixão
Authors: Fullan Danielle
Published: August 2015

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Prevalence of odontogenic deep neck space infections (DNSI): a retrospective analysis of 76 cases of DNSI
Authors: Kataria Gaurav , Saxena Aditi , Bhagat Sanjeev , Singh Baldev , Goyal Isha , Vijayvergia Saurabh , Sachdeva Parul
Published: August 2015

Background: Deep Neck Space Infections (DNSI) are serious diseases that involve several spaces of neck. Commonest sources of DNSI are dental and oropharyngeal infections. With widespread use of antibiotics, the prevalence of DNSI has been reduced but odontogenic DNSI are still common due to poor oral hygiene. Management mainly comprises of airway management, antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention. This study was conducted to find out the prevalence, distribution, presentation, sites involved, bacteriology and management of odontogenic DNSI.

Methods: This retrospective study was done from October 2010 to January 2013 and included 76 patients with DNSI. Then, etiological factors of DNSI were studied and prevalence of odontogenic DNSI was calculated. All parameters including age, sex, co-morbidities, presentation, site, bacteriology and interventions required in odontogenic DNSI cases were studied.

Results: Odontogenic infections were the most common etiological factor in DNSI, with a prevalence of 34.21% among DNSI. Toothace was commonest symptom, followed by neck swelling, pain and odynophagia. Submandibular space involvement (42.30%) was the most common clinical presentation of odontogenic DNSI patients, followed by Ludwig’s angina and masticator abscess.
Conclusions: DNSI are common and life threatening infections. For management, early diagnosis is essential. In developing countries majority of DNSI are of odontogenic origin. In our country lack of adequate nutrition, poor orodental hygiene, tobacco and beetle nut chewing and smoking has increased the prevalence of odontogenic DNSI. So, prevention of odontogenic DNSI can be achieved by making population aware of oral and dental hygiene and by conducting regular check-up camps at community level.
A rare case of Bezold’s abscess presenting as parapharyngeal abscess
Authors: Bihani Ameya , Dabholkar Jyoti P.
Published: August 2015

Bezold’s abscess is a very rare complication of unsafe chronic suppurative otitis media. The diagnosis of Bezold’s abscess is clinched by the presence of inflammation which is tracking down the anterior belly of digastrics and sternocleidomastoid. Surgery constituting incision and drainage of abscess with canal wall modified radical mastoidectomy is treatment of choice. We hereby present a case of 42 year male presenting with parapharyngeal abscess (Bezold’s abscess) which was secondary to unsafe chronic suppurative otitis media.
METACOGNIÇÃO ESTIMULA CARACTERÍSTICAS EMPREENDEDORAS? UMA ANÁLISE EM PROFISSIONAIS DE ADMINISTRAÇÃO
Authors: Lima Filho Raimundo Nonato , Bruni Adriano Leal
Published: August 2015

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a relação entre o nível metacognitivo e as características empreendedoras de profissionais de Administração por meio de três instrumentos psicométricos. Participaram do survey 851 profissionais cadastrados no Conselho Regional de Administração do Estado da Bahia. A hipótese desta pesquisa defendia que quanto maior fosse o nível de metacognição dos respondentes, maior seria o nível de suas características empreendedoras. A partir da Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (MEE), os resultados indicaram que maiores níveis de metacognição promovem maiores níveis de características empreendedoras, indicando que 42,79% das características empreendedoras podem ser explicadas pela perspectiva metacognitiva. As contribuições desta pesquisa não se restringem à perspectiva teórica e acadêmica, mas também aos contextos profissional, econômico e social, uma vez que este estudo promove a evolução da qualidade profissional e os impactos social e econômico se tornam uma consequência natural desse desenvolvimento. 

Palavras-chave: Metacognição. Características empreendedoras. Modelagem de Equações Estruturais. Qualidade profissional.
O EFEITO DO FORMATO DE APRESENTAÇÃO DE DESCONTO EM AMBIENTE CROWDING: UM ESTUDO EXPERIMENTAL
Authors: Aureliano-Silva Leonardo , Brandão Marcelo Moll , Strehlau Suzane , Pimenta Renato Ferreira
Published: August 2015

Neste artigo, analisou-se o efeito do formato de desconto na intenção de compra e percepção de qualidade do produto em ambiente crowding, com percepção de alta densidade de consumidores no ambiente de loja de varejo. No primeiro experimento, composto por 120 participantes, identificou-se efeito significativo entre formatos de desconto moeda versus percentual, com versus sem atributos do produto na intenção de compra e percepção de qualidade. No segundo experimento realizado com 59 participantes, identificou-se efeito significativo entre formatos de desconto moeda versus percentual, com atributos do produto em ambiente crowding. Em ambiente crowding, o anúncio com desconto em percentual aumentou a intenção de compra comparado ao desconto em moeda. Não se observou efeito sobre a percepção de qualidade do produto.

Palavras-chave: Varejo. Crowding. Promoção. Desconto. Atributos.
Developing Talent to Demand: Addressing the Skills Related Challenges Facing Oil and Gas Exploration in Frontier Markets
Authors: Strydom Adrian , Brown Fiona Cameron , Takolia Ebrahim
Published: August 2015

This presentation focuses on the skills related demand and challenges with specific reference to the West Coast of South Africa. The paper reflects on contextualising the oil and gas value chain with reference to South Africa, highlighting ‘blockages’ and ‘leaks’ in the ‘skills pipeline’ and putting forward recommendations for implementation. A SAOGA skills workshop and several research initiatives commissioned by stakeholders informs the paper.

The South African Oil and Gas value chain is unique and is broadly focused on Ship and Rig Repair and Fabrication (where skills are relatively readily available). Limited Oil and Gas exploration and production activities are currently evident locally, but growing interest in Oil and Gas exploration in the Southern African region promises to spill over to South Africa in many respects. This has implications for present and future skills demand in the region, related to Oil and Gas exploration. Future South African Oil and Gas exploration is evident from licenced exploration blocks as indicated by Petroleum Agency South Africa (PASA) maps.

The presentation will also focus on the extensive potential of Oil and Gas exploration and production on the continent and potential future scenarios.

Key systemic challenges and bottlenecks exist. While there is no specific project to address these, it is noted that the stakeholders consulted with each have spheres of influence. Potential solutions to the skills challenges are articulated in order to contribute to the development of a coherent and integrated skills development pipeline as envisaged in the South African Government's White Paper on Post School Education and Training.
A Blueprint for Maximising Economic Recovery
Authors: Hargreaves J.
Published: August 2015

For the majority of older oil and gas facilities, the production and processing environment has changed significantly since its early days, with increasing operational and maintenance overheads and obsolete control technology often threatening to bring lift costs above production revenues. As a result, Production and Operational Efficiency has significantly worsened in recent years with many of these assets performing well below optimum production, equating to approximately 500,000 barrels of lost production per day in the UKCS or £10bn/annum (based on Oil and Gas UK production availability figures)

Enquest's Thistle platform was one of these assets and was due to be decommissioned until the brave decision was taken to extend its life by putting in place the Late Life Extension Program (LLX).

Using groundbreaking Asset Life Extension techniques and methodologies, this old facility is in the process of being re-designed by simplifying the topsides which in turn, is leading to improved availability, increased production and reduced operating costs. A simplified, safer process in a controlled environment has been created whilst balancing the requirements of a capital budget, against reduced OPEX and process risk.

It is estimated that the modifications have added at least 15 years of safe, viable, profitable production to the Thistle's lifespan, a great example of deferring decommissioning and Maximising Economic Recovery.
Use Of Plasma-Based Tool For Plug And Abandonment
Authors: Gajdos Matus , Kristofic Tomas , Jankovic Slavomir , Horvath Gabriel , Kocis Igor
Published: August 2015

Plug and Abandonment (P&A) is the largest category in Decommissioning expenditures, representing 40-44 percent of the total investment that basically comes as mandatory cost with no expected return. If the well operator gets P&A inadequate, results may include water flows, gas or oil seeps from the seabed, or underground cross flow between formations with huge impact on environment and marine life. The objective of this paper is plasma-based technology for enhanced casing section milling addressing the P&A challenges.

According to some oilfield service providers, two main P&A challenges are as follows: Time and expense of casing milling - for example, Norwegian regulations call for cementing two 50-meter sections of casing above and below each hydrocarbon-bearing zone. Each section may take more than 10 days to mill and may generate four tons of swarf. The second challenge is swarf damaging blow out preventer (BOP) - Milling generates swarf, which then must be removed before cementing. However, swarf removal can damage the BOP. To avoid well integrity issues, BOP has to be dismantled, inspected and repaired at considerable expense.

The presented paper is focused on technology eliminating the P&A challenges. The core of the technology is based on plasma generator producing high temperature water steam plasma for rapid steel structural degradation. This approach brings a radical abandonment of the classic rotary approaches with connected tubes in long strings and generation of swarf which need to be removed. Besides elimination of aforementioned challenges, the technology advantages include also rigless operation since the system is designed for coiled tubing solution. This feature brings additional cost savings using Light Weight Intervention Vessel (LWIV). Moreover, fully automated coiled tubing goes hand in hand with enhanced safety of the operational staff.

Impact and potential of the technology is to change, simplify the process of P&A and therefore significantly cut the time of whole P&A. The technology is currently under development with expected commercialization within three-year period.
Understanding Variable Well Performance in a Chalk Reservoir
Authors: Kabir C. S. , Haftbaradaran R. , Asghari R. , Sastre J. P.
Published: August 2015

Analyzing well performance is a complex process that increases in difficulty when multiple reservoir-drive mechanisms are in play in the same reservoir. This paper explores an overpressured, compacting chalk reservoir with high porosity and high oil saturation at initial conditions. The diverse drive mechanisms, experienced through the long production history of Valhall field in Norway, are caused by different degrees of reservoir compaction across the field and the recent waterflood at the crest and northern areas of the field.

The purpose of this study is to illuminate the various drive mechanisms experienced in this field. The underlying objective is to understand widely varying Arps b-factors in decline-curve analysis (DCA) that support production forecasting and project evaluation. The performances of inactive wells with long production histories were used as analogs to analyze active wells. Other analytical tools were also used to augment overall understanding of a type well's performance, including rate-transient analysis (RTA) and capacitance-resistance modeling (CRM).

This study demonstrates that the proposed workflow for reservoir performance forecasting can be adopted in highly complex reservoirs with different rock mechanical properties, drive mechanisms, production scheduling, and field development strategies. Specifically, the workflow entails establishing energy support for individual wells using Arps b-factor with DCA; collapsing shut-in periods, if any, and using the cumulative production curve for DCA to retain solution objectivity; performing RTA to gauge pressure/rate coherence and system's linearity; and using CRM to establish injector-producer connectivity.
Overcoming the Perceived Risk of Multilateral Wells
Authors: Butler Ben , Grossmann Andreas , Parlin Joe , Sekhon Chet
Published: August 2015

Multilaterals are often cited as technology that can be implemented to maximize reservoir recovery rates. However, few operators have been willing to put multilaterals into practice. The most frequently cited reason for not considering multilaterals is risk. This paper presents a study of data from 22 years of actual multilateral well applications that demonstrate the reliability of the technology.

For the purpose of this study, failure has been defined as the loss of either the lateral or main bore or the loss of the junction (and therefore access to both legs). In the context of this study, reliability has been defined as the ability to successfully construct and complete the multilateral junction. Where failures have occurred, a study to determine root cause(s) has been undertaken. The records of one multilateral service provider have been analyzed from more than 800 actual multilateral installations to determine success and failure rates. The reliability of multilaterals has been compared to the reliability rates of other wellbore completion and construction technologies.

Multilateral technology (MLT), which was first implemented by Alexander Grigoryan in 1953, came into modern practice in the 1990s. Although it is not failure-free, the reliability of multilateral wells has improved remarkably during the past 22 years. This improvement in reliability has occurred as the complexities of multilateral installations have increased. This paper shows that successful completion rates of multilateral junctions have improved from slightly more than 87% for the period of 1995 to 1999 (with more than 100 junctions completed) to slightly more than 98% for the current five-year period (with more than 220 junctions completed). This improvement is the result of continuous planning, development of and adherence to procedures, management of change, communication, and continuous improvement.

This is the first known study of multilateral reliability that encompasses a large body of data over a significant time period. The results presented should enable operators to make fact-based decisions about the reliability of MLT and about whether or not this technology should be considered for implementation into resource development plans.
Designing and Testing ROVs for High Reliability
Authors: Dickson Andrew
Published: August 2015

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are complex systems that incorporate electronics, electromechanical assemblies, computing equipment and their associated software systems, structural assemblies, hydraulics, and a variety of commercial off-the-shelf components and accessories. ROVs operate in the most severe of environments, yet they must be highly reliable systems. One necessary element in the design and manufacture of a reliable ROV system is a rigorous qualification test program to prove the existence of a robust design. This paper discusses the design of the qualification test program for a new ROV product line, how it was executed, and how the test results were used to meet and exceed project reliability design goals.
Detailed Approach for the Assessment of Accumulated Wellhead Fatigue
Authors: Sunday Kingsley , Ward Phil , Griffin Cary , Lorenson Peter
Published: August 2015

This paper presents a case study of the use of an enhanced analytical approach, combined with the use of structural monitoring, as an enabling technique in the planning of sidetrack operations on a well in 110m water depth in the Northern North Sea.

Subsea wellheads are fatigue sensitive structures due to their exposure to dynamic loading transferred from connected riser systems. Intervention and workover operations over the life span of the well each contribute to the total fatigue damage accumulated in components that cannot be readily inspected. Accurate assessment of fatigue damage accumulation in ageing wells using advanced analytical techniques is often necessary to quantify the residual life of these components. The ability to reliably estimate this life can greatly affect the planning and viability of operations to enhance the productivity of ageing wells, particularly in the North Sea.

A simplified screening approach to wave and current fatigue assessment, typically applied to new-drill wells, with comparatively fatigue resistant hardware is unlikely to be sufficient to provide the level of confidence required when planning intervention operations on a brownfield development featuring less fatigue resistant hardware. Further sophistication, more involved than the typical approach, is necessary to avoid over-conservatism and to provide confidence to proceed with the planned operations. To thoroughly assess the fatigue accumulation in an ageing well, a detailed operational history including hindcast or measured weather data is usually sourced. The assessment is conducted to ensure that the actual operational conditions during periods when risers were connected are as accurately represented as possible. However, this may not be sufficient to bring the resulting fatigue damage within the allowable limits set using the traditional code-defined factor of safety approach. In this scenario further analytical methods are required.

The use of pre and post-failure analysis and the development of a monitoring strategy to maximise both the likelihood of identifying a fatigue failure during the operations and the ability to subsequently calibrate the analytical models are discussed. The applicability of these techniques to other operations and geographical locations is also described.
The Evolution of Completion Practices and Reservoir Stimulation Techniques in the North Sea
Authors: Bocaneala B. , Barrett C. , Holland B. , Langford M. E. , McIntosh K. , Nitters G. , Norris M. R. , Orski K.
Published: August 2015

The objective of this paper is to collate and share with the industry the technical knowledge on hydraulic fracturing and related completion practices accumulated from both operating and service companies throughout the North Sea. We will follow the evolution of completion technologies and hydraulic fracturing techniques from the early 1980s, when hydraulic fracturing offshore was in its infancy, to present-day modern practices.

Although the North Sea hydrocarbon production has been in decline for the last 15 years, technologies exist that can improve production and transform resources into reserves in reservoirs previously believed uneconomic. Horizontal wells and hydraulic fracturing are two complementary technologies that, when combined, can reduce, halt, or even reverse this declining trend.

The first hydraulic fracturing treatment in the North Sea was conducted over 40 years ago; since then, the stimulation techniques and completion technologies have advanced significantly. Throughout the years, there have been several milestones in the evolution of stimulated well completions, with the most significant being the transition from single-stage fracturing of vertical wells to multistage fracturing of horizontal wells in the drive for ever-greater reservoir contact. Recently, this combination of technologies made possible the development of small stranded fields otherwise considered noncommercial.

The introduction of resin-coated proppants to minimize solids flowback, the evolution of fracturing fluids to meet the stringent environmental regulations, and the introduction of dedicated multistage completions to increase operational efficiency are further enabling innovations discussed in this paper.

The latest advances such as proppant channel placement within the fracture, dissolvable completion equipment, and environmentally friendly seawater-based fracturing fluids, have already been introduced and promise significant future improvements to production and the completion cycle efficiency.

The North Sea has been, and remains, at the forefront of safety, environmental awareness, and leading technology within the oil and gas industry. This paper reviews the historic evolution of hydraulic fracturing and well completions with the aim to create a clearer vision of the future by building on the past. Through this, we hope to inspire the new generation to find innovative solutions and continue the long history of hydrocarbon production in the North Sea.
Design Methodology for the Structural Capacity and Shakedown Assessment of Bolted Joint Connections in Subsea Open Water Systems
Authors: Chen Weihang , Orlando Michele , Roberts Simon
Published: August 2015

In this paper, a design methodology is presented for analysing a non-gasketed bolted flange connector, for subsea applications where the flange is subject to various combinations of mechanical loading. The proposed methodology is aligned with the API 17G 2nd Edition [API 2006] and ISO 13628-7:05 [ISO 2005] standards and combines linear elastic and elastic-plastic analysis approaches to determine structural capacity and assess shakedown. Structural analysis using the finite element method (FEM) was carried out for a bolted flange connection of an open water bore selector (OWBS), subjected to internal pressure, bending and temperature. Stress linearisation and classification were used to evaluate the structural capacity of the bolts modelled using linear-elastic material. Global and local strain based criteria were used to evaluate the structural capacity of the flanges modelled with elastic-plastic material. Analysis results of the OWBS are detailed for a normal operating condition and show the importance of prying. The analysis is compared with a hydrostatic pressure test for FAT (factory acceptance test) and analysis results obtained from a shakedown analysis indicate that crack initiation is located on the outer surface of the flanges. The proposed methodology provides guidance to ensure correct and safe application of non-gasketed bolted flange connectors, in offshore environments. In particular, the methodology addresses bolt prying, which is critical for preventing full separation and thread failure in bolted flange connectors subjected to combined mechanical loads.
The Economic Dependencies of Infrastructure Assets in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS)
Authors: Acheampong T. , Kemp A. G. , Phimister E. , Stephen L.
Published: August 2015

The United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) is a mature region with around 42 billion barrels of oil equivalent produced since the late 1960s. The majority of the remaining estimated 15 billion barrels of oil equivalent reserves lie in more technical and challenging areas. To produce these reserves, access to existing infrastructure through subsea tiebacks for new and incremental projects or as new standalone development projects remain key to the future of UKCS and slowing the recent production decline. Currently, about 60 percent of all new fields in the UKCS are subsea tiebacks to existing infrastructure and there is an increasing interdependence for both production facilities and transportation infrastructure1. Many recent discoveries have been comparatively small and are not large enough to support their own infrastructure.

This paper attempts to answer this critical question: how does the separation of infrastructure and field ownership affect economic recovery in a mature oil basin? We explore how possible different ownership structures and access arrangements might affect the economic viability of the remaining UKCS reserves by applying a mixed integer-programming model to field data from the Northern North Sea. Specifically, we consider the impact of a changing tax regime in a way that is relevant and consistent with unbundling infrastructure provision through cost sharing arrangements and how this affects the long-term economics of hubs and their user fields. The model is used to maximize the net present value of regional production (the maximum economic exploitation of the region) by determining the optimal set of new developments, tiebacks from fields to hubs, and timings of hub and field shutdowns. The effects of the separation of infrastructure and field ownership are captured by individual field and infrastructure viability conditions constraints.
Novel Approach for Predicting Multiple Fractured Horizontal Wells Performance in Tight Reservoirs
Authors: MoradiDowlatabad Mojtaba , Jamiolahmady Mahmoud
Published: August 2015

Multiple fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs) are considered as the most effective stimulation technique to improve recovery from low permeability reservoirs particularly tight and shale assets. The understanding of the complex flow behaviour and predicting Productivity Index (PI) of these wells are vital for exploitation of such reservoirs. These data also affect the optimum hydraulic fracture design and the long term well performance.

The, analytical or semi analytical, models previously proposed cannot accurately describe the flow behaviour around MFHWs due to lack of capturing the complexity of the flow especially the fracture-to-fracture interference effects. The fine grid three dimensional (3D) simulation approach is also costly and cumbersome. In this work, we followed a novel approach to develop a new equation that can predict MFHWs performance under pseudo-steady state flow conditions in tight reservoirs.

An in-house programming code, which automatically creates batch files, reads input data and stores relevant output data for each simulation, was coupled with a fine grid 3D reservoir model to generate the required large data bank. For these simulations, the pertinent parameters (matrix permeability, number of fractures and fracture permeability, spacing, width, length and conductivity) were varied over wide practical ranges based on the full factorial experimental design method.

The overall as well as the individual impacts of the parameters on PI, as the output variable, were evaluated by various statistical analyses techniques, including Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, under different prevailing conditions. It is shown, for instance, that increasing the fracture width and permeability does not result in a significant monotonic increase in PI while changing fracture length, spacing and numbers influences PI greatly.

Moreover, a new expression is proposed that relates MFHWs-PI to PI of the horizontal well with a single fracture and to number of fractures and dimensionless fracture spacing parameters by applying the symbolic regression technique. The cross validation results show that the proposed equation is general, reliable and simple for prediction purposes because it benefits from limited and appropriate dimensionless numbers with excellent values of fitting indices.

This study expands our understanding of flow behaviour in tight reservoirs and provides an invaluable engineering tool that can facilitate simulation of flow around MFHWs and quickly predict their well performance. The new IPR equation can also be used for optimising MFHWs design.
Spectral Noise Logging Integrated with High-Precision Temperature Logging for a Multi-Well Leak Detection Survey in South Alberta
Authors: Aslanyan Arthur , Aslanyan Irina , Karantharath Radhakrishnan , Minakhmetova Roza , Kohzadi Hassan , Ghanavati Mohsen
Published: August 2015

Gas or fluid ingress into the cement channel and then up to the surface through the surface casing annulus is called Surface Casing Vent Flow (SCVF), which causes Sustained Annulus Pressure (SAP) as a common occurrence in the petroleum industry. Gas may also migrate to the surface outside the outermost casing string, which is often referred to as external Gas Migration (GM) or seepage. In some countries with shallow coal reserves, gas migration sometimes occurs in association with coalbed gas (CBG) development. Dewatering the coal seams or lowered water levels in coal, whether induced by drought or by domestic aquifer pumping, can result in the release of methane and other natural gases in coal (NGC). Hydrocarbon gases released into the atmosphere is an environmental concern. More importantly, leaking fluids may contaminate subsurface fresh-water reservoirs, resulting in a major catastrophe for the environment and human population.

According to the latest statistics, 6% of almost 270 000 operating and idle wells analysed in Alberta were found to contain leaks, 5.5% of them having SCVF and 0.5% gas migration [2]. Operators are bound by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) to identify and eliminate leaks and perform remedial operations as outlined in AER's rules and directives.

Even if a well is to be abandoned, the operators must precisely identify the location of the leak and its source to perform a successful plug-and-abandonment (P&A) operation. P&A activities are non-revenue generating activities. The right diagnostic technology is critical for correct leak source identification to eliminate the costs associated with numerous unsuccessful attempts.

The technique of Spectral Noise Logging (SNL) coupled with High Precision Temperature (HPT) Logging have extensively benefited oil industry outside Canada in accurately identifying fluid flow behind multiple casing pipe barriers and in locating leaks and their sources [3–5]. This paper describes two case histories for eight wells in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) in South Alberta region for two clients, where application of these techniques enabled gas leak source identification in a series of wells suffering from minute leak rates and also helped to discover some regional lateral flows and cross-flows.
Pipelines Making Safe, Offshore Treatment of Large Volume Fluids
Authors: Hastie Paddy
Published: August 2015

The UKCS is set to decommission over 3,000km of pipeline by 2023. As Operators submit their plans to regulatory bodies they face spiraling costs in order to make safe the industry's complex subsea infrastructure, estimated to represent 7% of the overall cost of field decommissioning. In order to overcome these challenges, the industry must evaluate how best to plan and execute projects in order to make a step change in decommissioning cost reduction.
Mission Command Project Management
Authors: Richardson Mark
Published: August 2015

This paper reviews existing project management delivery performance in the North Sea oil and gas industry and explores a successful alternative approach through Mission Command Project Management.

Poor project delivery has in recent years been a hallmark of the North Sea oil and gas industry. Studies show that the downward trend of project performance continues. Newspaper headlines signalling project delays and cost over-runs back up the statistics.

This failure to deliver projects in a timely and cost effective manner has had, and continues to have, a direct impact on investment and the opportunity to maximise reserves on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). Unless a new approach is employed then the continued trend towards; more centralised control, process driven systems and bureaucratic delivery models, in tandem with substandard project implementation will be a major contributor to the premature demise of the basin.

In the mid-80's the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was forced to re-think its strategy and adopted Mission Command as an approach. Its successful implementation revolutionised NATO's performance and this philosophy is now embedded in its modern warfare fighting competence. Mission Command has leadership and empowerment at its core and not the management of processes to drive projects to completion. The key principles of Mission Command are:

Unity of effort (across the organisation). Decentralisation (formal delegation/empowerment). Trust (mutual, deep and enduring). Timely and effective decision-making. Freedom (and speed) of action. Employment of initiative.

Mission Command is now gaining traction in the civilian project management community in concert with other concepts such as lean and agile project management, where its application has seen significant benefits. One North Sea Operator has now been employing Mission Command on all its projects over the last 4 years to great effect; out stripping its peers in terms of; safety, cost, schedule and quality of delivery. Mission Command Project Management is transformational in the art of project delivery and if more widely implemented could bring a renaissance to the North Sea. This paper highlights the failings of the present project management methodology, outlines the Mission Command approach and details its successful implementation by a North Sea Operator, thereby allowing others to employ this most efficient and effect delivery model.
Efficient Mitigation of Work Over Hazards – Do We Target the Actual Risks?
Authors: Morgan Rhodri , Nergaard Berg Kristin , Fredbo Maren
Published: August 2015

Typical workover operations involve the switching of subsea well barriers from permanent equipment to temporarily installed barrier systems. During workover activities additional operational hazards are introduced such as drive/drift off and compensator lockup which can have severe consequences including injury to personnel. To account for these operational hazards a workover system will have additional barriers. These barriers consist of instrumented and non-instrumented protective layers. The instrumented protective layers consist of safety instrumented systems (SIS).

The safety instrumented systems fitted to a workover system can vary. Most workover systems consist of three common safety instrumented functions (SIF); Process Shutdown (PSD), Emergency Shutdown (ESD) and Emergency Quick Disconnect (EQD). The non-instrumented protective layers are made up from mechanical barrier elements for example the weak links.

DNV GL on behalf of Statoil performed an analysis to better understand workover hazards and the barriers required to mitigate these. The aim of the work was to assess the effectiveness and suitability of the current safety barriers and to identify what additional functional requirements might be needed. This paper details the results of that work. A generic workover system formed the basis for the study. Hazards were defined through a hazard identification (HAZID) workshop and the effectiveness of the measures was evaluated through a Level of Protection Analysis (LOPA).

This paper documents the results of a study to establish whether the current barriers used during workover operations adequately mitigate the risks. Despite having dissimilar operational modes, it is often expected that the workover system barriers shall be suitable for all operational modes. The results of this study show that some of the barriers in workover operations are not as efficient as perceived, in particular the riser weak link designs and manually initiated EQD functions.
Development of a Safe and Fast Bite Locking Cam for Oil & Gas Applications
Authors: McGowan D. , Martinchich D. , Loose-Mitchell W. , Steen T. , RajeshKumar G.
Published: August 2015

Objectives/Scope

As subsea oil & gas drilling and production continues to progress into deeper waters the demand for fast, safe, efficient, reliable, and cost effective equipment will continue to grow. Cam locking devices provide an innovative method to meet these requirements in a variety of applications within the oil & gas industry such as, but not limited to, anti-rotation of casing, tubing and riser connectors, and for locking of valves, cylinders, BOP rams, and rigging equipment.

Methods, Procedures, Process

During the development phase of the bite style cam device Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was utilized to perform design optimization in conjunction with a unique design of experiments approach. The results of this study have been used to optimize the high order of design variables that define the geometry of a bite style cam locking device.

Results, Observations, Conclusions

A novel bite style cam device has been developed and applied to threaded connections that employs hardened teeth rather than friction, as in typical cam functions, to provide a locking load capacity. In contrast to solutions currently utilized for connector anti-rotation, the innovative cam design requires no special tooling, hammers, or dangerous explosives to install, making it much safer than solutions on the market today. Installation requires only the use of a simple hex wrench, significantly increasing rig efficiency and drastically reducing installation time, a vital criterion for equipment offshore. Novel/Additive Information: Overall, the bite style cam device has proven itself an ideal solution for subsea and offshore applications. Easy and quick installation and reduced loose parts provide improved value and performance.
MPD Technology Used to Deliver Challenging HPHT Drilling Campaign
Authors: Graham Robert , Geddes Martin , Harris Tim , Flaherty Dominic , Shuttleworth Nigel , McEwan Bruce , Nordin Noor , Cadd Michael , O'Grady John , French Pete , Sandell Richard , Jeffries Stuart
Published: August 2015

The Shearwater field is a deep, high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) reservoir located in the UK Central Graben of the North Sea. The current drilling campaign represents the first round of well re-entries into the field following a campaign of slot recoveries to facilitate sidetrack development opportunities.

A high level of reservoir depletion (> 8000 psi) has resulted in significant changes to the drilling envelope that has added complexity to the drilling practices required to successfully exploit the remaining reserves.

Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) Technology was pursued as an enabling technology to navigate within some very narrow margins in the first well of the redevelopment campaign. MPD was implemented in conjunction with drill-in liner and wellbore strengthening technologies to successfully deliver this first well and prove the techniques required to prolong field life.

To promote successful implementation of MPD in the target zone, the technology was employed in the previous hole section to gain experience with the equipment and procedures where pressure control was less critical.

MPD was used to control bottom hole pressure to manage background gas and facilitate changes to equivalent mud weight. It was further used to minimise the effects of loss/gain mechanisms and enable drilling through a tight margin between pore and fracture pressure while reducing the risk of borehole instability and losses. The technology was also used to determine appropriate mud weights for tripping and provide trip margin to avoid swabbing while tripping. In addition, MPD was used to facilitate cementing in tight margins.

This paper will highlight the multiple uses of MPD throughout the start-up of this current drilling campaign and key learnings enabling successful implementation of a new technology on the rig.
Thinking Out of the…Subsea Xmas Tree!
Authors: Razzouk Adnan
Published: August 2015

In the current climate of low oil prices and reduced revenue, Oil & Gas operators across the industry are being motivated to drive their costs down, which means –for many operators- a reduction in CAPEX and OPEX spend. Whilst operators are keen to reduce cost, maintaining production levels is required in order to remain profitable. Understandably, this has its own challenges, particularly when it comes to dealing with inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM).

This paper demonstrates a project example of how embracing the innovative thinking in dealing with common matters could help reduce IRM costs, whilst maintaining safe and steady operation. It is based on an ongoing project activity to proactively repair a subsea Xmas tree defect at the flowbase, the defect is located within the flowbase connector downstream the choke insert.

The paper explains the option select processes followed by the project team, and the innovative options that were assessed initially as opposed to the costly traditional option (that is simply replacing the Xmas Tree). The paper will briefly explain each of these options (6 in total), the technical challenges and the relative costs involved with each one of them.

The paper then explains in details the selected repair methodology which makes use of an innovative technology, used to direct the hydrocarbon out of the Xmas tree structure (from the choke insert location) to the existing flowline, thus permanently bypassing the flowbase and the defect in its entirety. It will demonstrate the opportunities exploited to improve system maintainability, operability and reduce future OPEX.

The paper will be an example of how innovative thinking is required in this current market condition, and how the use of existing and proven technologies- though in an innovative manner- and pushing the boundaries could help reduce CAPEX and OPEX for operators.
Cost Reducing Pipeline Decommissioning Technology
Authors: MacKenzie Hugh , Jones Callum
Published: August 2015

This paper is designed to present the challenges and obstacles faced in the use of a new technology for the plugging and de oiling of sections of unpiggable flowlines prior to decommissioning.

Conventional methods of decommissioning subsea pipeline infrastructure are inherently very expensive with the mobilization and operation of DSV (Dive Support Vessel), equipment and personnel.

In this case the only other viable option was to mobilise a DSV to hot tap the flowlines and circulate fluid from the platform before filling the line with cement. This operation would have incurred considerable expenditure so the operator sought a more cost effective solution.

The solution deployed utilised an ultra lightweight, minaturised coiled tubing system which was deployable from the platform lower decks with minimal laydown area required. The system had the ability to traverse multiple bends (360° total), de-oil the line and deliver an expandable cement to plug the pipeline in a single operation. This paper will outline this new approach and will identify how this new technology can positively impact project economics as well as environmental and safety implications. It will also highlight the engineering problems encountered and resolved during this project.

The innovative, unconventional approach to this project in the North Sea provides an alternative solution for operators to consider when planning pipeline decommissiong. The result of the operation will be outlined as well as the future of this new technology within the decommissioning sector.

Cost reduction is an important topic in the current economic climate and this paper will conclude that this technology provided a suitable solution to the operator and at a reduced cost when compared to conventional solutions. It will also demonstrate how collaboration between companies within the industry has paid dividends to all involved during this project in line with Oil & Gas UK Economic Report 2014.
Exploring Alternative Solutions to Maintenance and Fabrication When Hot Work is not Desirable or Permissible
Authors: Flanagan Kyle , Maillard Jérémie
Published: August 2015

This paper, produced for SPE Offshore Europe 2015, looks at the options available to the offshore fabric maintenance engineer when it is not possible or preferable to weld and discusses viable solutions using bonding or cold welding technologies. With the continuous corrosive attack of the environment, maintaining asset integrity offshore is a key challenge for operators looking to upgrade equipment or extend operation beyond the original design life. A crucial part of this process is ensuring the asset complies with all safety regulations, often requiring repair of the existing structure and new equipment installations. When carrying out such work, alternatives to welding or hot work offer significant advantages to the operator, for example, from a cost and scheduling perspective and for this reason cold bonding using advanced composite adhesives can often be considered.

The paper aims to provide relevant information and data for reference by detailing case histories, from the initial design stage to installation and on-going inspection. Examples include safety critical equipment, such as handrails and accommodation modules as well as structural reinforcement to roofing and decks. In addition to the design of the bonded structures and joints, the paper also details other aspects to consider such as ongoing inspection and fire safety. By presenting appropriate test data demonstrating performance criteria the paper will explore the capabilities of modern composites to offer a variety of solutions for cold welding equipment. With the inclusion of case histories and physical test data, the paper endeavours to provide advice and guidance on the best practise when designing and installing equipment using composite technologies.
Avoiding Costly Umbilical Repairs Through Utilization of a Subsea Hydraulic Power Unit
Authors: Milwertz Helge , Bostadløkken Espen
Published: August 2015

Failure of umbilicals such as leakage or blockage in the hydraulic lines can be a challenge during operation of subsea infrastructures such as Christmas trees. These failures cause loss of redundancy and, in worst case, the operator will lose control of important valve functions on the trees. In that instance, the operator is forced to shut down production to perform costly umbilical repair or replacement prior to resuming operation.

As an alternative to umbilical repair and replacement, Siemens has developed a compact subsea hydraulic power unit (SHPU) for installation close to the subsea tree. The unit is intended as a standardized part of the operators’ toolbox, and is connected to the tree by Subsea Instrumentation Interface Standardization (SIIS) level 2 interfaces. The SHPU will take available electrical power from the existing infrastructure at the well site, and store it in a battery based energy bank. When hydraulic power is needed for valve operations on the well system, it will be provided by a pump driven by an electrical motor. Installation and retrieval of the SHPU can be done using a typical inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) Vessel with a lift wire and remote operated vehicle (ROV) assistance.

The SHPU may also be used as a building block to develop long step-out developments in a cost-efficient way. By producing the hydraulic power locally at the seabed, it is possible to remove the hydraulic lines of the umbilical and thereby gain significant reductions in investments.