bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survival of Older Patients With Cancer in the Veterans Health Administration Versus Fee-for-Service Medicare
Authors: Landrum Mary Beth , Keating Nancy L. , Lamont Elizabeth B. , Bozeman Samuel R. , Krasnow Steven H. , Shulman Lawrence , Brown Jennifer R. , Earle Craig C. , Rabin Michael , McNeil Barbara J.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides high-quality preventive chronic care and cancer care, but few studies have documented improved patient outcomes that result from this high-quality care. We compared the survival rates of older patients with cancer in the VHA and fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare and examined whether differences in the stage at diagnosis, receipt of guideline-recommended therapies, and unmeasured characteristics explain survival differences.

Patients and Methods

We used propensity-score methods to compare all-cause and cancer-specific survival rates for men older than age 65 years who were diagnosed or received their first course of treatment for colorectal, lung, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma in VHA hospitals from 2001 to 2004 to similar FFS-Medicare enrollees diagnosed in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) areas in the same time frame. We examined the role of unmeasured factors by using sensitivity analyses.

Results

VHA patients versus similar FFS SEER-Medicare patients had higher survival rates of colon cancer (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.93) and non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC; HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.88 to 0.95) and similar survival rates of rectal cancer (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.16), small-cell lung cancer (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.05), diffuse large–B-cell lymphoma (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.18), and multiple myeloma (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.03). The diagnosis of VHA patients at earlier stages explained much of the survival advantages for colon cancer and NSCLC. Sensitivity analyses suggested that additional adjustment for the severity of comorbid disease or performance status could have substantial effects on estimated differences.

Conclusion

The survival rate for older men with cancer in the VHA was better than or equivalent to the survival rate for similar FFS-Medicare beneficiaries. The VHA provision of high-quality care, particularly preventive care, can result in improved patient outcomes.
Headless Capitalism: Affect as Free-Market Episteme
Authors: Reber Dierdra
Published: March 2012

This essay seeks to explain the persistent representation of affect and the senses in the cultural narrative of globalization. The author proposes that we are currently witnessing an epistemic shift from reason to affect, a shift that may be traced to the birth of free-market capitalism in the age of revolution (though it has only become fully hegemonic in the post-Soviet period of neoliberal globalization). This gave rise, she argues, to a new cultural discourse in which horizontal capital flow replaced vertical monarchical fiat as the principal vehicle for the definition of social order and the limits of knowledge. Through analyses of eighteenth- and twenty-first-century cultural texts, she posits that this new cultural discourse, germane to free-market capitalism, is best understood as epistemically governed by the affective concept of a “headless” feeling soma self-regulated by homeostatic principle—that is, a harmonious and nonrational self-governance—and no longer by a thinking mind governed by reason in a vertical relationship with a subject-body. If the current cultural moment of global capital and media has been repeatedly characterized as “posttheory,” then this essay identifies a new social logic that has become visible but not yet critically apprehended in the era of unchallenged globalization. The author proposes a way to read that logic as ciphered in contemporary cultural media as an emotional aesthetics of social protagonism and politics.
On Homosexual Reproduction
Authors: Rohy Valerie
Published: March 2012

Addressing the ways in which etiology, the science of causes, has come to dominate discussions of gay and lesbian politics, this essay examines traces of evolutionary theory in recent right-wing rhetoric against gay marriage from such organizations as the Family Research Council, as well as in ostensibly pro-gay claims that homosexuality is not acquired but biologically determined. Invoking Darwin, antigay groups claim that same-sex marriage will lead to human extinction because it does not serve the propagation of the species. However, this insistence on homosexual sterility is in fact driven by a fear of queer increase. This essay proposes that antigay rhetoric tacitly construes same-sex desire as a meme, a unit of cultural meaning believed to recur and mutate like a gene. In this phobic view of gay etiology, then, homosexuality is a dangerous idea that proliferates more successfully than heterosexual reproduction. In response, queer communities increasingly claim that homosexuality is immutable and essential, citing scientists’ theories of biological determinism to support the more colloquial notion that they are born gay. Many such theories, however, share the evolutionary and reproductive language used by the religious Right, seeking to prove homosexuality both memetically and genetically sterile. Reading popular publications on biological causes of homosexuality, this article shows how “born gay” and “gay gene” discourses produce their own vulgar Darwinism, echoing the voices they would oppose.
A Runx2-HDAC1 co-repressor complex regulates rRNA gene expression by modulating UBF acetylation
Authors: Ali Sayed A. , Dobson Jason R. , Lian Jane B. , Stein Janet L. , van Wijnen Andre J. , Zaidi Sayyed K. , Stein Gary S.
Published: March 2012

The osteogenic and oncogenic transcription factor Runx2 downregulates expression of RNA Pol I-mediated rRNA genes and changes histone modifications associated with the rDNA repeat. However, the mechanisms by which Runx2 suppresses rRNA transcription are not well understood. Runx2 co-factors such as histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a key role in chromatin remodeling and regulation of gene transcription. Here we show that Runx2 recruits HDAC1 to the rDNA repeats in osseous cells. This recruitment alters the histone modifications associated with active rRNA genes and causes deacetylation of Upstream Binding Factor (UBF). Downregulation of Runx2 expression reduces localization of HDAC1 at the nucleolar periphery and also decreases HDAC1 association with UBF. Functionally, depletion of HDAC1 relieves Runx2-mediated rRNA gene repression concomitant with increased cell proliferation and global protein synthesis in osseous cells. Our findings collectively identify a Runx2-HDAC1 dependent mechanism for the regulation of rRNA genes and suggest plasticity to Runx2-mediated epigenetic control through selective mitotic exclusion of co-regulatory factors.
Breast cancer presenting as subclavian/axillary deep vein thrombosis and upper limb lymphoedema
Authors: Kruger SJ
Published: March 2012

This case report describes the delayed diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer following initial presentation with a subclavian/axillary deep vein thrombus. The relationship of thrombosis and cancer is discussed and the typical presentation of inflammatory breast cancer described. Understanding the relationship between thromboembolism and cancer is crucial to support the early diagnosis of breast cancer, which can present insidiously. The literature is reviewed, highlighting the improving prognosis of this rare condition and the current preferred treatment modalities.
Faecaloma in ano
Authors: Jalil O , Jones H , Stephenson BM , Williams GL
Published: March 2012

Introduction

Faecal concretions or faecalomas (’stone of faeces’) are symptomatic of many well-recognised colorectal conditions. Faecalomas are usually located in the colon or rectum and associated with disorders of colorectal transit. We describe an unusual case of ’faecaloma in ano’ secondary to a chronic fissure in ano. A 67-year-old woman with a 10-year history of chronic constipation and intermittent anal discomfort presented with a painless perianal lump of similar duration.

Methods

The patient’s case notes were reviewed and a literature search was carried out.

Results

Examination under anaesthesia, sigmoidoscopy and anoscopy did not reveal any mucosal abnormality or an internal opening or any connection with the perianal lump. The mass was enucleated after incising the skin, leaving behind a cavity completely separate from the anal canal and sphincters. Histology revealed inspissated faecal material with evidence of calcification.

Conclusions

Chronic fissures may be complicated by sepsis and, rarely, a ’fissure fistula’ may develop. We suspect that this was the underlying pathogenesis of this ’faecaloma in ano’. The term faecaloma in ano befits the clinical picture.
Reconstruction for basal cell carcinoma in an anatomical region where the sun does not shine: an attractive option!
Authors: Lohana P , Creagh T
Published: March 2012

Basal cell carcinoma is one of the common skin malignancies but it is rarely found in sun-protected areas. The soft tissue reconstruction at the perianal region can be challenging and a variety of options are described in the literature. The keystone design perforator island flap is an excellent and attractive option for soft tissue reconstruction. We present a case of perianal basal cell carcinoma that was reconstructed with a unilateral keystone flap.
Parastomal hernia causing gastric emphysema
Authors: Ilyas C , Young AL , Lewis M , Suppia A , Gerotfeke R , Perry EP
Published: March 2012

We report a case of a parastomal hernia in which the stomach became incarcerated. This is an unusual yet serious complication of parastomal hernias.
Gastrogastric herniation: an unusual complication following greater curve plication for the treatment of morbid obesity
Authors: Hii MW , Clarke NE , Hopkins GH
Published: March 2012

Greater curve plication is an emerging procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity. A median weight loss of up to 61% at one year has been reported in initial reports. Thus far, operative morbidity is low and there is no reported mortality. We present a case of gastric herniation after greater curve plication. Severe nausea and vomiting occurred in our patient with an excessively tight greater curve plication. Two gastric hernias developed through the plication suture. Surgical reduction of these hernias and revision of the original procedure was required. We recommend that greater curve plication is performed over a bougie and that two rows of closely spaced interrupted sutures are used to secure the plication.
An unusual case of desmoid tumour presenting as haemorrhagic shock
Authors: Georgiades C , Vallianou N , Argyrakos T , Aristodimou A , Kolovelonis G , Sioula E
Published: March 2012

We report the case of a 22-year-old patient who presented to the emergency department with epigastric pain and vomiting. Haematological studies showed a rapid decrease in haemoglobin levels from 13.6g/dl to 4.9g/dl. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed the presence of fluid around the spleen and the patient was immediately referred for surgery. An intra-abdominal desmoid tumour presenting as a hemorrhagic shock has not previously been described. Given the relatively benign course of the disease and the young age at presentation, this clinical entity should not be overlooked as it has the potential to invade vessels and therefore be fatal.
An unusual presentation of late oesophagojejunal anastomotic leak after total D2 gastrectomy
Authors: Verma AR , Patel VM , Mikhail S , Zacharakis E
Published: March 2012

Oesophagojejunal anastomotic leak usually presents in the early post-operative period with abdominal pain and sepsis. We report a case of late anastomotic leak presenting as epigastric pain with hyperamylasaemia and discuss the differential diagnosis.
Clinical Leadership Development in Surgery: Building for the Future
Authors: Birnie AM , Hobkirk M , Fawcett D
Published: March 2012

Leadership is now a priority for the NHS. Established in 2009, the NHS National Leadership Council has a vision of an 'NHS with outstanding leadership and leadership development at every level to ensure high-quality care for all'. In June 2011 'clinical advice and leadership' was one of the four core themes of the NHS listening exercise, which resulted in the NHS Future Forum recommending that the 'NHS Commissioning Board should have substantial multi-professional clinical leadership embedded within it including visible leadership for key groups' and that NHS organisations 'should ensure that appropriate leadership development and support are in place'.
Main title RCS welcomes DH intervention on releasing clinicians for national work
Authors: Worrall Matthew
Published: March 2012

Allowing frontline doctors the time to teach, examine and support the development of national quality standards is vital for the health service and has come under extreme pressure in recent years. Against this backdrop, a letter signed by the medical leadership of all four UK health services is strongly welcomed by the Royal College of Surgeons.
Ethical fashion and the exploitation of nonhuman animals
Authors: Sorenson John
Published: March 2012

Fashion theorists have largely ignored ethical concerns about the industry's exploitation of nonhuman animals. While critical theory and political economy approaches stress the centrality of animal exploitation to global capitalism, an animal rights perspective critiques the fashion
industry's use of nonhuman animals as a 'theatre of cruelty' which turns them from living beings to mere products, or raw materials. Adopting these perspectives, the article provides a brief survey of some key issues, and examines the resurgence of fur sales and fur industry rhetorics. The
evidence and the arguments presented illustrate why a critical approach to ethical issues in fashion and beauty cannot exclude nonhuman animals.
Aesthetic (dis)orders: Styling principles in fashion modelling
Authors: Soley-Beltran Patrícia
Published: March 2012

Building on previous research on the cultural history of models, this article explores a variety of ethical issues concerning modelling. The study of the social construction of beauty and models' social personas, as well as the codes underlying visual representation in fashion advertising,
raises ethical issues concerning the promotion of extreme beauty ideals of perfection, the need to fit a very narrow range of definitions of these ideals, and the adverse effects on the models themselves. Based on qualitative data obtained from in-depth interviews with former fashion models
and agents, as well as on some auto-ethnographical reflections, I address these ethical questions. More specifically, I examine how these expectations affect the way in which models experience their bodies, their ways of feeling, and how they critically reflect on their modelling career, body
self-perception and the performance of beauty. By exploring the forms of symbolic violence that shape the experience of being a model, I highlight an aspect of ethical fashion that is frequently overlooked.
Fashion World – models and backstages
Authors: Tawil Miriam
Published: March 2012

The ethics of encouraging young girls to aspire to unrealistic and idealized models of femininity exemplified by the 'fashion model' has been discussed both in academic and public debate. What is less known is how the beauty system moulds and affects the models themselves. Those models
who appear as the epitome of glamour also have a shady side away from the limelight where different ethical dilemmas loom large. As a psychoanalyst, I know about the human cost paid by the very individuals who are commodified into objects of desire.
EXHIBITION REVIEW
Authors: Myzelev Alla
Published: March 2012

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, June 17–October 2, 2011
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Crane Diana , Sherlock Alexandra
Published: March 2012

The Myth of the Ethical Consumer, Timothy M. Devinney, Pat Auger and Giana M. Eckhardt (2010) Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, (240 pp.), ISBN 978-0-521-74755-4, PB, £16.49, ISBN-13: 978-0521766944, HB, £55.Globalizing Responsibility: The Political Rationalities
of Ethical Consumption, Clive Barnett, Paul Cloke, Nick Clarke and Alice Malpass (2011) Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, (325 pp.), ISBN 978-1-4051-4557-2, PB, £16.49, ISBN: 978-1-4051-4558-9 HB, £55.Shoes: A History from Sandals to Sneakers, Giorgio Riello and Peter McNeil (eds),
2011 London: Berg, (448 pp.), ISBN 9780857850386, PB, £19.99
Comme il faut – where ethics is not just a brand image but a brand essence. Reflections of the CEO
Authors: Goldfiner Sybil
Published: March 2012

Comme il faut is an Israeli high-end fashion house of women's fashion that was established in 1987 by Carole Godin and Sybil Goldfiner. It has developed a business model that combines traditional business management, the purpose of which is to generate revenue and continuous growth,
with management on the basis of feminist values and a responsibility to contribute to the creation of a better world, a more just world, for women and for all. This mission runs through all aspects of the company's operation: in terms of production it consists of designing clothes that respect
women's bodies and that fit a wide range of bodies, producing high-quality clothes to last with the finest quality materials, and of paying living wages to workers who make them locally. In terms of the company's relationships with its stakeholders, it is run as a flat shared (and non-hierarchical)
structure. Its management assures that suppliers are not squeezed to subsistence level, that employees receive a share of the company's profits, and that the premises are run in an environmentally friendly way. In terms of retail – the company's discourse is anti-hegemonic in that it
produces images and messages that subvert the industry's standard that builds on a seduction model that is tailored to the patriarchal gaze. This is complemented by social activism initiatives that are regularly pursued and that reflect the company's commitment to an ethical feminist outlook.
'The Giving List' in the UK newspaper The Guardian, which orders FTSE 100 companies by the percentage of pre-tax profits contributed to charitable causes, showed in 2004 and 2006 that the charitable contributions of FTSE's 100 companies (including gifts in kind, staff time devoted to charitable
causes and related management costs) averaged around 1% of pre-tax profits, with the highest spenders (e.g. GlaxoSmithKline and the Cooperative group) spending 2.41% and 5% of pre-tax profit, respectively. In contrast, comme il faut, a household name in Israeli fashion but not a global player,
invests 10% of its profits. Finally, the collective spirit of the fashion house is reinforced by the design model that employs house designers, but does not build a personality cult of the celebrity designer. As the CEO of the company – I explain how the company developed and raise important
ethical issues about the possibility of having a fashion business with a committed feminist agenda.
EXHIBITION REVIEWS
Authors: Damgaard Kristoffer , Sakr Yasir
Published: March 2012

'BAYT AL-AQQAD - A HOUSE IN DAMASCUS', THE DAVID COLLECTION, COPENHAGEN, UNTIL AUGUST 7, 2011

'OUT OF PLACE', DARAT AL-FUNUN – THE KHALID SHOMAN FOUNDATION, AMMAN, JUNE 7–SEPTEMBER 29, 2011
Head Trips: An Intertextual Analysis of Later Architecture and Sculpture Under Saddam Hussein
Authors: Simonowitz David
Published: March 2012

In Iraq at the end of the twentieth century, Saddam Hussein commissioned many monuments imbued with formal and epigraphic references to distant structures and cities and to important historical figures. This intertextual networking of architecture, sculpture and personae was part of
a concerted effort to bolster late Bacathist cultural-political discourses with powerful visual rhetoric. Some of the most indica-tive examples of this practice were produced in the last decade of his regime and were misidentified or destroyed shortly after the US invasion of 2003.
The essay scrutinizes two sets of busts on palaces in Baghdad, and, after unravelling the meanings of their formal elements, uses these as comparative references to clarify the significance of other contemporary examples of Saddam's patronage and expand on others' analyses of earlier works
as well. The examination of these monuments illustrates how Saddam sought to use cultural patronage as a means to create trans-temporal and trans-national narratives in order to stabilize his regime domestically and secure support from abroad. These conflations of historical and mythological
references in sculpture and architecture could nevertheless prove susceptible to misinterpretation or be used for purposes unintended by the patron.
Towards systematics of calcite biocrystals: insight from the inside
Authors: Schmahl Wolfgang W. , Griesshaber Erika , Kelm Klemens , Ball Alexander , Goetz Andreas , Xu Dayin , Kreitmeier Lisa , Jordan Guntram
Published: March 2012

Biocrystals of calcite are frequent as they are employed by many phylae of organisms in shells, eggshells, teeth, spines or sensoric apparatus. The calcite phase in these materials occurs in a range of constitutions, from polycrystalline fabrics to “single-crystals”. We demonstrate systematics of calcite biocrystal architectures, from the hybrid composite mesocrystal fibres of brachiopod and mollusc shells, via the submillimeter-sized hybrid composite crystal aggregates formed by mesocrystal fibres with both morphological co-orientation and lattice co-oriäentation, to more complex purpose-oriented multiplex äcomposite crystals of echinoderm teeth, which feature a high degree of single-crystal-like 3D orientational correlation of microstructural elements of different morphology and composition. These systematics rely on observations by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and TEM.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the uterine cervix
Authors: Nagy Péter Sámuel , Tóth Zoltán , Gőcze Péter , Ádám László
Published: March 2012

This report presents the history of a 35-year-old patient with adenoid cystic cervical cancer stage IIIB. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the uterine cervix is a rare disease with poor prognosis. Following irradiation therapy, the patient was declared tumor free, and 20 years after diagnosis and treatment, she has no pathological signs or symptoms. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 435–437.
Atom-Probe Tomographic Studies of Thin Films and Multilayers
Authors: Larson David J. , Cerezo Alfred , Juraszek Jean , Hono Kazuhiro , Schmitz Guido
Published: March 2012

This article reviews investigations of the growth and reactions within thin metal and oxide films using atom-probe tomography. Included in this review are (1) studies of interfacial and growth reactions in magnetoresistive metallic, metal/oxide, and magnetic magnetostrictive multilayers; (2) comparison of selected portions of these results to simulated film growth using molecular dynamics; and (3) study of the origin of room-temperature ferromagnetism in dilute magnetic semiconductors. Information of this type is useful in order to understand the formation and thermal evolution of thin films (and to compare to theory and modeling) and, ultimately, to permit further optimization of devices based on thin films.
First-principles transition state study of oxygen reduction reaction on Pt (111) surface modified by subsurface transition metals
Authors: Duan Zhiyao , Datta Aditi , Wang Guofeng
Published: March 2012

We have performed first-principles density functional theory calculations to investigate how subsurface 3d transition metals M (M = Ni, Co, Fe, Ti, or V) affect the energetics and mechanisms of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the outermost Pt mono-surface layer of Pt/M (111) surfaces. We found that the alteration of the ORR mechanism pathway can explain the activity enhancement for ORR on the Pt/M (111) surfaces.
Graphene Composite Materials for Supercapacitor Electrodes
Authors: Lake John , Tanaka Zuki , Chen Bin
Published: March 2012

This study presents a materials development of composite electrode materials of graphene oxide (GO) and transition metal oxide nanostructures. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films were obtained by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) onto a conductive substrate. Co3O4 and MnO2 nanostructures were synthesized to form composites with rGO. Graphene materials, with high electrical conductivity, high specific surface area and excellent mechanical properties are ideal for a host of electrical applications. The properties of metal oxides like Co3O4 and MnO2 has allowed for increased energy density, while rGO increases charge storage and transport in the electrical double layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Graphene and metal oxide composites offer increased energy density and capacitance compared with traditional double layer supercapacitors.
Gasochromic and electrical properties of Pt-nanoparticle-dispersed tungsten oxide thin films prepared by a sol-gel process
Authors: Yamaguchi Yuki , Nishio Keishi , Kineri Tohru
Published: March 2012

It is well known that tungsten tri-oxide (WO3) exhibits electrochromic and gasochromic properties. When Pt-nanoparticle-dispersed tungsten oxide (Pt-WO3) is exposed to hydrogen gas, the optical and electrical properties of the Pt-WO3 change drastically. Consequently, it is expected that thin films of WO3 can be applied as hydrogen gas leakage sensors. In this study, thin films of Pt-WO3 were prepared on glass substrates using a sol-gel process. The optical and electrical properties of the films were evaluated. Amorphous and crystalline WO3 were easily obtained by changing the heat-treatment temperature. The ion diffusion coefficient of the film depended on the WO3 structure (i.e., whether it was amorphous or crystalline) because the density of amorphous WO3 is lower than that of crystalline WO3. Films with low crystallinity were found to have superior chromic properties to both those with high crystallinity and amorphous films. Thin films of Pt-WO3 prepared at 673K showed the largest change in optical transmittance and electrical conductivity when exposed to H2 gas compared with thin films prepared at other temperatures. When this film was exposed to 100% H2 gas, the normalized transmittance decreased rapidly (in less than 0.2 sec) from 100% to almost 50%. The optical absorbance of the film was dependent on the H2 gas concentration (mixed with N2 gas) in the range from 0.1 to 5% and the relationship between them was linear. The relationship between the electrical conductivity and hydrogen gas concentration (mixed with N2 gas) in the range from 100 to 10000ppm was also linear.
Technical visit: BDS visit to Germany – 11–14 May 2011
Authors: Hinks Jonathan
Published: March 2012

A party of 11 people from BDS visited northern Germany from 11 to 14 May 2011 at the invitation of the Ruhr Dams Association, the Saxony Dams Administration and the German National Committee on Large Dams.
Can You Protect Your Motor Without Sacrificing Performance?
Authors: Guidroz Blair , Barton Steven
Published: March 2012

Achieving balance between performance and longevity of drilling motors is a constant struggle. Operating above recommended parameters delivers higher Rates of Penetration (ROP) but can be too aggressive, causing accelerated component wear and potentially, premature failure. Conservative operation decreases the component wear but can be detrimental to drilling performance. A novel approach to controlling motor performance allows operators to operate at specified limits while preventing load spikes that damage motors.

Stalling is a problem that affects bearing loading, occasionally leading to driveshaft torsional failure, but more commonly causing power section damage in the stator, reported as chunking. Chunking occurs when the elastomer in the stator has reached the fatigue limit and small pieces break free of the profile. The output performance of the power section decreases as the effective area of power section is reduced and it becomes less efficient. Reduction in output performance decreases ROP and operators will typically push motors harder to maintain ROP, further accelerating the time to failure.

An innovative internal device prevents premature failure by limiting the amount of differential pressure applied across the motor. Excess pressure is relieved by porting fluid through the center of the rotor, bypassing the power section inlet. Rotational speed decreases as flow into the power section is decreased. The pre-determined relief point is adjustable to optimize motor performance for specific applications. Preventing motor damage delivers longer drilling hours with reduced unplanned trips.

Field testing of the device has resulted in a significant reduction in motor component damage. ROP improved and was consistent through the drilling program with the controlled and steady operation of the device. Cost per foot decreased as longer intervals were drilled per motor. This device gives operators a new tool to optimize motor performance.
Exploration to Production in 2 Years: A Contracting Strategy Case Study
Authors: Passos Vinicius , McCallum George , Dubey Sharad , Lindsay Gordon
Published: March 2012

The IEA tells us that hydrocarbon fuels will continue to dominate the global energy mix with coal, oil and natural gas supplying almost 80% of primary energy needs. The consequent higher costs of new supply and the challenges of matching supply and demand are not likely to decrease.

Brazil is one of emerging areas offering a cushion to this demand-supply gap. Typically the offshore exploration efforts in Brazil were led by NOC and IOCs. This changed in July 2007 with the creation of a new Independent Brazilian O&G Company. The company acquired 21 exploration blocks in November 2007 and increased its portfolio to 29 blocks by March 2009. The challenge of exploiting the blocks was achieved by setting ambitious, time bound, exploration and production goals and delivering against those goals.

A conventional contracting strategy would have required a large in house team, with relevant technical expertise and multiple service contracts. It would have led the company to recruit heavily and to develop multiple internal processes and procedures prior to being able to start operations. However, the time frame set by the company to deliver the goals required a different approach. The company clearly needed to multiply its talents through rapid access to resources, people and technology in a technology intensive industry.

The company chose an outsourcing strategy pillared on project management, and worked wherever practicable and appropriate to minimize the number of contractors. The majority of the exploration work was contracted to two major contractors, one integrated oilfield service provider and one drilling contractor. This gave the company access a large pool of petro-technical experts, mature processes and a wide portfolio of technologies in a short period of time.

This paper looks at how this strategy allowed the company to successfully achieve its goals and increase value to its stakeholders. It also looks at the issues encountered and how they were productively turned around.
Innovative Well Completions Meet the Challenges of Producing High Wax Crude in a Giant Onshore Field in India
Authors: Kumar Vipin , McKenzie Tim , Singh Ratan , Wenk Andrew , Chandra Santosh
Published: March 2012

The Mangala field located in the sparsely populated, remote, undeveloped Thar Desert of NW India, is the country’s largest onshore producing oilfield. The field development includes 100 production (11 horizontal) and 50 plus water-injection wells, all directionally drilled from wellpads. The oil is waxy, low GOR crude, with a pour point above 40 Deg C. Wells are producing up to 12,000 bopd.

Completion design challenges included; high CO2 content, high wax appearance temperature, high pour point, high viscosities, possible emulsions, sand production and the need for artificial lift. Hot water was selected as the field wide medium for maintaining flow assurance. A completion design was developed, which allows hot water circulation inside the production annulus with a coiled tubing string run with the production tubing to maintain temperatures above pour point. The hot water supply is also used to provide power fluid to the annulus for jet pumping. Some wells have ESPs installed.

Specialized rig setup and well head systems were designed to allow simultaneous deployment of production tubing, heater string, chemical and instrument lines, and ESP cables. The wellhead design ensures that barrier policies are maintained throughout the well construction. Simultaneous running of all completion components warranted a specially designed tubing running system and CT deployment system built into the completion rig. Jet pump power fluid exposes the completion to high loads which also made the completion design quite challenging.

This paper describes the successful design and deployment of these innovative completions and wellhead systems. To date more than 100 completions have been deployed successfully and are delivering ~125,000 bopd. All this has been achieved with excellent HSE performance (~970 days of LTI free operation) on the completion rig.
Performance Drilling- Innovative Concepts Improve Benchmarking and Optimization Processes
Authors: Mensa-Wilmot Graham , Yimpoonsap Pakarang
Published: March 2012

Performance drilling1, 2(PD), acknowledged as an enabler to performance improvement and drilling cost reduction, needs to be executed with specific inputs and guidelines. Benchmarking plays a critical role in the PD process. For PD to be effective, benchmarking must ensure that data evaluations and comparisons are conducted under similar conditions.

To achieve this goal, three innovative performance drilling concepts – formation drillability3 (FI), drilling index4 (DI) and performance drilling evaluation (PDE), have been developed to improve the benchmarking process. In comparison to the industry’s current methods, the new concepts look at data analysis and interpretation differently. These new concepts establish a "total" benchmarking process. Rock mechanics data, as well as drilling data, are analyzed through a normalization process based on pre–determined project objectives. The objectives are identified, ranked, and given weighting constants, based on their contributions to project success and cost reductions.

FI normalizes and compares rock mechanics effects for all wells being analyzed, through calculation of dimensionless parameters. DI assigns weighted factors to project objectives, normalizes drilling parameters, compares drilling efficiency levels for all bits, and calculates dimensionless evaluaton parameters. PDE, a final dimensionless parameter, captures the effects of FI and DI on the benchmarking process. As a result, and through use of these concepts, benchmarking processes are executed under similar conditions.

Consequently benchmarking, acknowledged as a critical part of the PD process, assumes its rightful dominance in the decision making process. This paper will discuss the process as well as results from projects that have been executed with these principles. A software package, developed to speed up the evaluation and decision making processes, will also be presented. The contributions of these concepts on the PD process will be clearly established.
Near Field Developments with an Upgraded Brown-Field Platform Rig: Sharing the Learning from a Three-Well Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) Program
Authors: Mota Miguel O. , King Gregory W. , O'Donnell William D. , Hewit Kerr , Dumont Paul A.
Published: March 2012

This paper will summarize the concept selection, concept definition, and modifications for a two-stage upgrade of a 35-yr old platform rig on a production platform to extend the drilling radius from 15 to 25 kft (Cutt 2007), the maximum working pressure (MWP) from 5 to 10 ksi, and how combined projects enabled the development of new fields which could not support subsea infrastructure.

The paper will highlight the lessons learned at each stage of the upgrade and the drilling programs, focusing on how the legacy limitations of the original rig design and inherited constraints of 200% well slot utilization were mitigated to enable the drilling of a next generation of wells. The upgrade of the rig in two separate projects allowed the lessons learned from the first extended reach drilling (ERD) upgrade (Cutt 2007) to be applied to the second 10-ksi upgrade. This approach also allowed different approaches to be taken to achieve improved results.

The drilling of redrilled wells on an old platform through depleted reservoirs constrained many aspects of well design; most specifically, casing sizes and maximum mud weights through intervals of reactive shale and depleted sands (Bennett et al, 1998). The company has global experience in new field developments with world class ERD wells (Elks et al, 2002; Walker 2008; Armstrong et al, 2011; McDermott et al, 2005; Viktorin et al, 2006; Elsborg et al, 2005; Woodfine et al, 2011) and the different approaches for new wells and redrilled wells will be compared.

The paper will show how the challenges of ERD operations to 25 kft in a 6-in. hole size were overcome and will comprehensively address how some risk mitigations introduced new risks, with specific emphasis on managing an operation where the extreme requirements did not allow any fallback contingencies in the event of a problem.
Scaled Tortuosity Index: Quantification of Borehole Undulations in terms of Hole Curvature, Clearance and Pipe Stiffness
Authors: Brands S. , Lowdon R.
Published: March 2012

Wellbore tortuosity is a potential source of friction, which can lead to problems while running casing and completions. Describing a smooth trajectory qualitatively as one with the least amount of bends is easy. However, quantitative tortuosity indices based on survey trajectory data alone have shortcomings that make comparisons and interpretation very difficult:

Their computational results depend on the survey interval (averaging effect). While 90-ft surveys hide important wellpath features, short spacing surveys might yield alarmingly high tortuosity, which does not reflect the curvature of the pipe in the borehole. Varying stiffness of the pipe and clearance between the pipe and borehole can have different levels of negative consequences with the same survey data. Stiffness and clearance have a direct impact on physical bending moments and sideforces, which drive frictional losses when moving pipe in an out of a borehole. The scale of the wellbore undulations relative to the clearances is relevant to be able to distinguish relatively benign undulations from tortuosity that limits wellbore construction.

In formulating a scaled tortuosity index we have taken into account that actual hole curvature is not the curvature of the pipe in that hole, which is governed by stiffness and clearance. The main driver for the index is the bending moment profile along the pipe as it is positioned in the wellbore. The proposed index describes the total amount of required elastic energy (originating from these bending moments) to bend all the components in the string in all the required configurations to move it to total depth. The index is linked to nominal hole and casing sizes, (i.e. 7in casing in 8.5in hole) to make it applicable and comparable. Hence this concept is different from the existing dimensionless wellbore energy index.
Newbuild Construction Cycles - An Evolving Paradigm
Authors: Hope Iain , Livingston Scott , Ogg Jeremy
Published: March 2012

Since the last newbuild cycle of the late 90’s, the deepwater construction paradigm has evolved significantly, altering the way the key participants in the process interact. The shipyard and drilling contractor are all still instrumental in getting a deepwater rig built, but the relationships governing execution, particularly project management, has changed. Due to the nature of rig building contracts, the role of the drilling contractor is now more removed from the hub of the project management process. This presents a challenge for the drilling contractor, who receives a complex vessel, having had minimal input into its design from an operational needs perspective.

Current trends and lessons learned from the recent newbuild trend will be discussed, specifically focusing on the handover of turnkey rigs to drilling contractors. Recommendations founded in recent field performance feedback will be made with reference to key behaviors and operating plans and these strategies will assist drilling contractors with defining key roles and responsibilities in their new environment.

The solutions offered will include specific examples and practices which have led to successful shipyard deliveries in the past, and how these lessons can be applied forward in constructing tomorrow’s newbuilds. The paper will focus on where the new risks can be identified while providing methods for a drilling contractor to apply their valuable knowledge and experience, the object being to ensure the most efficient way of providing these new highly complex rigs to meet the needs of both the drilling contractor and drilling customer. Specifically, industry workforce, automation and its complexity, newbuild package quality, worldwide equipment sourcing, and the merits of turnkey builder furnished equipment (BFE) contract management versus owner furnished equipment (OFE) will be examined.
Improved Stability of Invert Emulsion Fluids
Authors: Zanten Ryan Van , Miller Jeff J. , Baker Chris
Published: March 2012

Clay-free invert emulsion fluids (IEF) can offer reduced potential for barite sag, improved rate of penetration, low equivalent circulating density and substantial decreases in surge/swab pressures. The unique properties of these fluids are achieved by omitting organophilic clay used to stabilize emulsions in conventional IEFs, and instead relying upon robust emulsifiers, colloidal solids and shear. Clay-free IEFs are generally built using a “seed” fluid that has been exposed to high shear levels by travelling through the bit. High shear helps form an extremely stable emulsion, allowing the seed mud to help stabilize fresh built fluid at the liquid mud plant. Occasionally a fluid may need to be built without using seed mud. Unless properly mixed, these fluids may exhibit lower stability, leading to top oil separation and barite sag.

This paper details an extensive investigation into the effects that emulsifier concentration, addition of colloidal fines and shear have on the stability of laboratory, mixing plant, and field-tested invert emulsion drilling fluids. Fluid stability is intricately linked to emulsion stability, which is directly related to the shear history of the whole fluid, the viscosity of the external phase, the emulsifier type and colloidal solids loading. Optimizing these properties can lead to more stable fluids that exhibit stronger gels and lower sag tendencies. Therefore, a mud built “from scratch” should be exposed to high shear, contain the appropriate amount of emulsifier and if possible, contain a small loading of colloidal fines. A series of field cases demonstrates how these modifications have led to improved fluids that remain stable from initial mix to delivery at the wellsite and commencement of drilling.
Slotted Liner for Continuously Acid Jetting Stimulation
Authors: Kofoed Sara Sparre , Marketz Franz , Krabbenhøft Jørgen
Published: March 2012

Appraisal and development of thin chalk reservoirs in the Danish Sector of the North Sea requires wells providing maximum reservoir contact and completions designs so that wells can be stimulated to maximize well productivity. Completion liners for pin-point matrix acid stimulations of long horizontal wellbore sections have been designed, manufactured and tested. The objective of the work was to identify a liner design with maximum inflow area but sufficient strength to withstand installation loads as is required if rotating the liner to target depth.

This paper describes the results from finite element analyses of different slotted and some pre-drilled liner designs. Staggered patterns were selected following recommendation from manufacturers. Based on the results from the finite element analysis designs was chosen. Liner joints were manufactured and tested to verify the designs. Both slotted and pre-drill liner designs were verified.
High-Angle Gyro-While-Drilling Technology Delivers An Economical Solution To Accurate Wellbore Placement And Collision Avoidance In High-Density Multilateral Pad Drilling In The Canadian Oil Sands
Authors: Brown Kevin M. , Beattie Keith A. , Kohut Cory
Published: March 2012

Cenovus Energy initiated an aggressive infill drilling program early in 2011 in its Pelican Lake polymer/water flood project in northeast Alberta. By mid-year, the company had drilled 52 injection and producing wells, and drilling is scheduled to continue at the same pace through year-end.

Pelican Lake employs a two-phase drilling program from 18-well pads: batch-drilling the intermediate hole sections to approximately 425m MD at 70° of inclination; using follow-up rigs to drill the horizontal sections of over 2,000m in the Wabiskaw formation. Wellbore collisions in the intermediate phase and landing the wells accurately prior to horizontal drilling are critical concerns. Highly accurate gyroscopic surveying techniques are required throughout the project considering the close well spacing and congestion of existing wells.

Early in 2011, the company tested a new gyro-while-drilling (GWD) system, capable of accurate performance up to 70° of inclination versus the 20° to 40° of previous models. If successful, the higher operational range would facilitate collision avoidance and accurate well placement in one operation with real-time data, potentially enhancing both the economics and the feasibility of the drilling program.

Since accurate well placement was so critical—some well passes would be as close as 4 meters—the company developed a plan to evaluate the new tool: first, by surveying previously surveyed wells and comparing the results; and, second, by running back-up gyro surveys on wireline during drilling. GWD performance exceeded expectations, both in the initial tests and in the drilling operations—to the extent that the back-up surveys were eliminated, with the GWD data accepted as the definitive wellbore survey.

This paper will provide the results of the initial tests and analyze GWD performance during drilling with statistics compiled from 36 wells. The savings from eliminating the back-up surveys will be presented along with other benefits and observations.
Colorado Drill Cuttings Injection Pilot Results
Authors: Kunze Kenneth R. , Romero Edgar E. , Duck Steven
Published: March 2012

From December 2007 through April 2011, the operator conducted a two-phase drill cuttings injection pilot at the Piceance Field in Western Colorado in an effort to reduce the environmental footprint of drilling operations. This was the first subsurface injection of drill cuttings in Colorado and utilized a lost circulation zone in the Wasatch G formation as the injection interval.

The first phase of the pilot was to assess the technical feasibility and formation response to injection. During this phase, water-based mud and drill cuttings from four wells were injected into a fifth well that was temporarily suspended at the intermediate casing and perforated in the Wasatch G formation. Over 40,000 bbl of fluid were injected under vacuum conditions with confirmed confinement to the target zone.

Based on the injection results, the pilot progressed to a second phase to assess the logistical requirements of transporting cuttings from multiple drilling locations to a central processing and injection site. The injection well selected had experienced lost returns in the Wasatch G when originally drilled and was completed as a dedicated injector. The pilot processed cuttings from three active rigs, and demonstrated capacity to process cuttings from over six rigs.

The operator proved injection as a technically feasible option for drilling waste disposal during full-field development at Piceance.