bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leaving Home for College: Expectations for Selective Reconstruction of Self
Authors: Karp David A. , Holmstrom Lynda Lytle , Gray Paul S.
Published: January 2008

This paper describes how 23 primarily upper‐middle‐class high school seniors anticipated identity changes as they prepared to leave home for college. The transition from high school to college is a period of “liminality” during which students are structurally in between old and new statuses. We discuss how students anticipated change, planned to affirm certain of their identities, imagined creating new identities, and contemplated discovering unanticipated identities. Such interpretive effort must be understood in the context of the ambivalence they felt about leaving home and achieving independence. The data also provoke discussion of how social class membership might be implicated in people's ability to control identity change as they move through the life course.
The Work Sites of an American Interactionist: Anselm L. Strauss, 1917–1996
Authors: Baszanger Isabelle
Published: January 2008

This article offers a situated overview of the work of Anselm Strauss. Beginning from its intellectual genesis at the University of Chicago with Blumer and Hughes, Strauss's creation of a sociology of action through concepts of routine and nonroutine action, negotiated order, social worlds, arenas, properties and kinds of work, and trajectory are examined. Strauss's ideas about medicine and chronic illness, psychiatric institutions, death and dying, awareness contexts, biography and trajectory are discussed. His profoundly innovative contributions to research methods, including grounded theory and the integration of structural elements through his conditional matrix, are also detailed. In conclusion, the ways in which Strauss himself framed the critical space of an interactionist sociologist are laid out through new interview materials.
Science, Policy, and Controversy in the Cholesterol Arena
Authors: Garrety Karin
Published: January 2008

This article investigates the relationships between scientific knowledge and dietary policy in the cholesterol arena, a site of controversy for over 40 years. It draws on the concepts and methods of Anselm Strauss, especially social worlds/arenas theory, to analyze the negotiations and conflicts through which both scientific knowledge and public health policy were created. Science/policy interactions were shaped by shifting distributions of power and legitimacy among many interested social worlds. These shifts reflected changing cultural, commercial, and political conditions which, over the decades, favored the entrenchment of initially provisional and tentative dietary recommendations. The cultural foundations of policy interventions can be as salient as scientific research. They can also contribute to ongoing instability in controversial arenas.
Mutual Tuning of Multiple Trajectories
Authors: Timmermans Stefan
Published: January 2008

In this article, I offer a pragmatist conceptual framework to link the sociology of health and illness with the sociology of science and technology. Starting from an examination of the practice of doing medicine and science, I extend Anselm Strauss's trajectory concept to analyze the temporality and processual character of an evolving phenomenon in two important ways. First, I analyze how a single trajectory emerges out of the interaction of multiple trajectories and how emerging and existing trajectories shape each other with differential power. Second, in accord with recent writings in science and technology studies, agency is extended from humans to non‐humans. I discuss different origin and ending strategies of trajectories and the management of trajectories over time.
Bridging the Gap: On the Collaboration between Symbolic Interactionism and Distributed Artificial Intelligence in the Field of Multi‐Agent Systems Research
Authors: Strübing Jörg
Published: January 2008

This article discusses the relationship in the U.S. between current symbolic interactionism and computer sciences—specifically, distributed artificial intelligence (DAI). The general thesis is twofold. First, current interactionist approaches to organization, science, and technology show a special affinity to goals and problems of DAI research, and in research style, methods, and theoretical concepts, symbolic interactionism can provide useful suggestions in the design of DAI systems. Second, a good way to analyze the relationship between computer sciences and symbolic interactionism is reflexive of theoretical concepts provided by interactionist approaches. In this sense, DAI is a “going concern” which extends across various fields and intersecting social worlds connected through a set of conceptual “boundary objects.” It is concluded that the interaction between technology and sociological thought must go beyond a mere exchange of ideas. What is required is continual, hands‐on, trans‐disciplinary collaboration.
The Boundaries of Professionalization: The Case of North American Funeral Direction
Authors: Cahill Spencer E.
Published: January 2008

This article examines the relationship between occupational and individual professionalization through the example of funeral direction. It is based upon an ethnographic study of an accredited mortuary science program at a community college. It compares and contrasts the socialization of aspiring funeral directors in that program to previous case studies of socialization into other self‐styled professions. This analysis suggests that the success of occupational socialization in fostering a personal sense of professional distinction depends not so much on an occupation's professional prestige but upon its definitive claim to a distinctive occupational jurisdiction.
Whiteness as Stigma: Essentialist Identity Work by Mixed‐Race Women
Authors: Storrs Debbie
Published: January 2008

Historically, in both the social sciences and the general public, racial mixing has been stigmatized. This stigmatization was fueled by whites' desire to protect their racial privileges as well as the belief that hybridization between “pure” and superior white racial stocks and inferior non‐white stocks produces an inferior being. While this view has been challenged within the social sciences, the general public's sentiment toward racial mixing remains consistently negative. The low interracial marriage rate, particularly among blacks and whites, points to the lack of popular acceptance of racial mixing. This article reveals an unusual and creative reversal of the racial mixing problem by historically stigmatized mixed‐race women. The women in this study reject dominant patterns of stigma by reassigning stigma to their European ancestry. Given this reversal, women articulate and embrace non‐white identities. This article explains the reversal of the racial mixing problem as well as the identity work of women as they rearticulate the meaning of race and racial belonging within dominant racial logic. The identification of macro constraints and the illustration of individual agency in the negotiation of identity extends the symbolic interactionist perspective on identity formation.
Stigmatizing Indebtedness: Implications for Labeling Theory
Authors: Hayes Terrell A.
Published: January 2008

Given the low visibility of indebtedness and normative expectations regarding the use of credit and the accrual of debt, questions arise as to whether or not being unable to manage one's finances responsibly should necessarily lead a person to feel shame. Findings from a study, based on forty‐six interviews with members of Debtors Anonymous (DA), exploring the relevance of labeling theory to individual perceptions of one's indebtedness as shameful are presented. Shame is revealed to be a key element in the labeling process. How stigmatized labels arise in interaction, how such labels affect a person's thoughts, feelings, and actions, and how gender affects labeling experiences are discussed. Insights into the interconnections between labeling and shame show the labeling process to be considerably more complex than suggested in the original version of labeling theory.
The Partnership: The Horse‐Rider Relationship in Eventing
Authors: Wipper Audrey
Published: January 2008

This article examines the dimensions of a partnership in the sport of eventing. Riders use the term “partnership” to describe the kind of relationship they strive for with their horses. Compatibility as well as mutual respect, trust, confidence, and close communication are all essential components. Although the focus is on the processes involved in building partnerships, their weakening and/or breakdown is, to a lesser extent, explored since the opposite processes are involved. The development of a partnership with one particular horse over a three‐year period is also examined.
The Self in a World of Going Concerns
Authors: Gubrium Jaber F. , Holstein James A.
Published: January 2008

While commentators on the postmodern scene have dismissed or trivialized the personal self, it nonetheless remains a central experiential construct, articulating a sense of moral agency for everyday life. This article examines self‐construction in the context of a world of proliferating going concerns—social institutions—that increasingly shape the discursive contours of subjectivity. Both the negative and the positive sides of this development are examined, the analytic implications of which can move us in strikingly different directions. We conclude by offering suggestions for tying the study of the contemporary self to the variety of discursive environments and practices that set the conditions of possibility for who and what we are or could be.
Variation in the Probability that Male Coho Salmon Will Mature Early: Inferences from Hierarchical Models
Authors: Watters George M. , Bessey Cindy
Published: January 2008

We fitted hierarchical Bayesian models to coded wire tag data and studied the variation in the probability that male coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch released at 72 locations in 41 basins and 8 regions mature early. We used data from at least 10 cohorts at each location; therefore, our analysis was both spatially and temporally more extensive than those conducted previously. We accounted for variation in the log‐odds of early maturation with (1) mean smolt weight, (2) covariates (developed specifically for this paper) that indexed marine environmental conditions during the first few months after out‐migration, and (3) hierarchical means that identified each cohort's release location, basin, and region. There was posterior support for location‐specific effects of smolt size on the probability of early maturation across the geographic range of this species, but not for location‐specific marine environmental effects. Nevertheless, substantial residual variation remained from our final analysis; we argue that this variation can be attributed to environmental effects that were not detected here. The spatial variation in the probability of early maturation was dominated by region‐level differences in freshwater rearing conditions, as evidenced by positive relationships between mean smolt weight and the expected log‐odds of early maturation at all levels in the geographic hierarchy. We identified more than one such relationship, and the differences between the center and the edges of the geographic range are considered here. Ultimately, since we defined regions on the basis of existing evolutionarily significant units for coho salmon, our results further support the use of these units for management and conservation purposes.
Phylogenetic and Ecological Characteristics Associated with Thiaminase Activity in Laurentian Great Lakes Fishes
Authors: Riley Stephen C. , Evans Allison N.
Published: January 2008

Thiamine deficiency complex (TDC) causes mortality and sublethal effects in Great Lakes salmonines and results from low concentrations of egg thiamine that are thought to be caused by thiaminolytic enzymes (i.e., thiaminase) present in the diet. This complex has the potential to undermine efforts to restore lake trout Salvelinus namaycush and severely restrict salmonid production in the Great Lakes. Although thiaminase has been found in a variety of Great Lakes fishes, the ultimate source of thiaminase in Great Lakes fishes is currently unknown. We used logistic regression analysis to investigate relationships between thiaminase activity and phylogenetic or ecological characteristics of 39 Great Lakes fish species. The taxonomically more ancestral species were more likely to show thiaminase activity than the more derived species. Species that feed at lower trophic levels and occupy benthic habitats also appeared to be more likely to show thiaminase activity; these variables were correlated with taxonomy, which was the most important predictor of thiaminase activity. Further analyses of the relationship between quantitative measures of thiaminase activity and ecological characteristics of Great Lakes fish species would provide greater insight into potential sources and pathways of thiaminase in Great Lakes food webs.
Preparation and Use of Voucher Specimens for Documenting Research in Weed Science
Authors: Carter Richard , Bryson Charles T. , Darbyshire Stephen J.
Published: January 2008

Voucher specimens and herbarium collections provide the foundation for many aspects of research in the plant sciences. Available for study and verification by contemporary and future workers, voucher specimens promote reproducibility in scientific method because permanent records document identification, distribution, and interspecific and intraspecific variation of species. The utility and importance of voucher specimens and herbarium collections in supporting research in weed science are discussed, and the collection, preparation, documentation, storage, and shipment of voucher specimens are detailed.
Mechanical properties of 5-year-old concrete prepared with recycled aggregates obtained from three different sources
Authors: Kou S.-C. , Poon C.-S.
Published: January 2008

The current paper presents the findings of a long-term study on the mechanical properties of concrete prepared with recycled aggregate obtained from three different sources. The concrete mixtures were prepared with a cement content of 355 kg/m3 and water-to-cement (w/c) ratio of 0·55. The recycled aggregate was used as 0, 20, 50 and 100% replacements of natural aggregate. It was found that after 5 years of curing, the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of the concrete made with recycled aggregates decreased with an increase in recycled aggregate content. Starting from the curing age of 1 year, however, the splitting tensile strengths of the concrete prepared with 100% recycled aggregate were higher than that of the natural aggregate concrete. The gain in strength and elastic modulus over time of the concrete prepared with recycled aggregates derived from pure crushed concrete was higher than the corresponding natural aggregate and recycled aggregates derived from other construction and demolition wastes. This is attributed to the improvement in bonding between the new cement matrix and the old recycled aggregates.
Bond strength development between concretes of different ages
Authors: Beushausen H. , Alexander M. G.
Published: January 2008

The bond between substrate and overlay is often the main factor concerning the serviceability of a composite member consisting of concretes of different ages. In the current paper, existing bond strength test methods are discussed and fundamental influences on bond strength development and bond serviceability and durability are investigated. Two new experimental methods for the evaluation of interface shear strength are introduced, which have proved to be practical and indicative of fundamental bond mechanisms and factors influencing bond durability. Shear bond strength between substrate and overlay was found to be governed largely by mechanical and physical material properties of the overlay close to the interface. Bond strength development could be linked to the development of the compressive strength of the overlay. Interface texture was found to have a significant influence on the durability of bond strength. ‘Interface bond failure’ could, in most instances, be identified visually to have occurred in the overlay close to the interface. The term ‘interface failure’ commonly used for the discussion of bond characteristics therefore appears to be ambiguous.
Extreme Multistage Fracturing Improves Vertical Coverage and Well Performance in the Lost Hills Field
Authors: Hejl K. A. , Madding A. M. , Morea M. F. , Glatz C. W. , Luna J. , Minner W. A. , Singh T. , Stanley G. R.
Published: January 2008

In an attempt to improve production response, fracturing designs in the Lost Hills field went from a standard three-to six-stage design to an extreme 15-to 18-stage design to stimulate approximately 1,000 ft of net pay. The previous standard designs were becoming borderline economic, and if development was to continue, then either production response had to improve or costs had to be reduced. Previous emphasis was placed on reducing fracture-treatment costs by pumping fewer stages and lower proppant volumes, but the cumulative production response decreased as a result. Previous tests using an increased number of fracture stages did not improve economics because of the increased fracturing costs and minimal production increases. When a new coiled-tubing fracturing technique was implemented to perform multistage jobs at reduced costs and the stage count per well was increased, production response and economics improved. This paper will discuss the differences in job execution, analysis of vertical fracture coverage using surface and downhole tiltmeter data, and cumulative production response from the different designs tested. Both treatment and stage design with this fracturing technique are being refined further as the performance and statistical analysis of previous design changes are completed.
Semiautomatic Multiple Resolution Design for History Matching
Authors: Li Baoyan , Friedmann Francois
Published: January 2008

History matching is an inverse problem in which an engineer calibrates key geological/fluid-flow parameters by fitting a simulator's output to the real reservoir production history. It has no unique solution because of insufficient constraints. History-match solutions are obtained by searching for minima of an objective function below a preselected threshold value. Experimental design and response surface methodologies provide an efficient approach to build proxies of objective functions (OF) for history matching. The search for minima can then be easily performed on the proxies of OF as long as its accuracy is acceptable.

In this paper, we first introduce a novel experimental design methodology for semi-automatically selecting the sampling points, which are used to improve the accuracy of constructed proxies of the nonlinear OF. This method is based on derivatives of constructed proxies.

We propose an iterative procedure for history matching, applying this new design methodology. To obtain the global optima, the proxies of an OF are initially constructed on the global parameter space. They are iteratively improved until adequate accuracy is achieved. We locate subspaces in the vicinity of the optima regions using a clustering technique to improve the accuracy of the reconstructed OF in these subspaces.

We test this novel methodology and history-matching procedure with two waterflooded reservoir models. One model is the Imperial College fault model (Tavassoli et al. 2004). It contains a large bank of simulation runs. The other is a modified version of the SPE9 (Killough 1995) benchmark problem. We demonstrate the efficiency of this newly developed history-matching technique.
Laboratory Simulation of Liner Loading and Near-Wellbore Permeability Variation in Poorly Consolidated Sandstones
Authors: Khodaverdian M. F. , Abou-Sayed A. S. , Ramos R. , Guo Q. , McLennan J. D.
Published: January 2008

Flow experiments were performed on a ten-inch diameter by fifteen-inch long thick-walled cylindrical sample of poorly consolidated sandstone, with a 1.25-inch diameter borehole. The purpose was to evaluate the effect of changing stress regimes on near-wellbore permeability and liner loading. A one-inch diameter screened liner was installed in the wellbore to preclude sand production. The liner was instrumented with strain gages, in order to determine stresses resulting from borehole deformation during production. The cylindrical sample was instrumented with pore pressure probes, placed at different distances from the wellbore, in order to assess variation in formation permeability with evolving effective confining stresses and production regimes. The major conclusions of this experiment are as follows: if sand ablation does not occur and if an adequate annular space exists between the liner and the wellbore, load transfer to the liner is mitigated. If sand ablates and fills the annular gap, the complexity of the load transfer mechanism increases dramatically. This has been addressed elsewhere (Abou-Sayed et al., 1995; Willson and Abou-Sayed, 1998).Apparent dilatant behavior in the near-wellbore region leads to permeability increase.An intermediate interval experiences a reduction in permeability, due to stress transfer, following yielding of the inner zone, adjacent to the wellbore.
Low Density Slag/Mud Mix Slurries Applied in Changqing Oilfield for Sealing Long Annuli
Authors: Wu Dahua , Sun Fuquan , Peiyan _ , Yuan Menjia , Xie Wenhu , Han Xiangyi
Published: January 2008

The low density slag/mud-mix slurries within the range of 1 .20 1 .60g/cm3 have been successfully used in Changqing oilfield to seal over 230 oil and gas wells with low formation fracture pressure and long bare annulus to prevent casing strings from corrosion, wherein the qualified rate of well cementing is 100%, and the high qualified rate is 85%.

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Tests of Conversion into Steam Stimulation Following Water Flooding in Karamay Conglomerate Oilfield
Authors: Yang Ruiqi , Yang Shengzhen , Zou Zhengyin , Xhao Fuzhen , Muhetaer _
Published: January 2008

It is estimated that the ultimate oil recovery by waterflooding is not more than 25% in conglomerate III reservoir in Karamay oilfield due to high crude oil viscosity and poor development effect. Therefore, it is found that the development effect and oil recovery can be significantly improved by steam injection because this kind of conglomerate reservoir is characterized by shallow burial, relatively concentrated oil layers and good connectivity. Based on the thermal drive experiments in laboratory and numerical simulation, about 24% and 20% incremental oil recovery can be achieved by conversion into steamflood respectively. Excellent development effect has been gained with an average production of 951 tiwell within a stimulation cycle, daily production of 4.2t/d per well, cumulative OSR of 0.355, production rate of 3.5%, all of which have reached the designed indexes. It is proved that, for conglomerate reservoirs like type 111 in Karamay oilfield, conversion into steam stimulation at the late waterflooding stage is an effective way to improve its development effect.

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Downhole ESP & Surface Multiphase Pump - Cost Effective Lift Technology for Isolated and Marginal Offshore Field Development
Authors: Mali Prasanna V. , Singh Rajiv , De S. K. , Bhatta M. K.
Published: January 2008

Exploitation of isolated and marginal offshore field has always been a challenging task. Decision to exploit such type of field, often, hinges on selection of appropriate lift technology. The study is carried out to find suitable lift technology for exploiting one of the isolated and marginal offshore fields, located in Bombay Offshore, India. 10-year production profile data of the field envisages peak oil production rate of 4451.6 m3/d (28,000 bbl/D) from 7 wells. Nearest processing facility is 90 km away. Simulation results indicate that self-flow life of the field is very short, thus, necessitating artificial lift, since beginning. The study involves evaluation of various conventional and unconventional lift technologies, with reference to this field. The study concludes that the combination of downhole ESP and surface multiphase pump would be the cost effective lift technology for exploitation of this particular isolated and marginal offshore field.
Effect of Non-Uniform Loading on Conventional Casing Collapse Resistance
Authors: Pattillo P. D. , Last N. C. , Asbill W. T.
Published: January 2008

In various locations worldwide, casing designers are confronted with non-uniform cross-sectional loading due to contact with a mobile formation. The formation movement may be due to rock constitution (salt, swelling shale) or it may be tectonic in origin.

Typically, well design proceeds with the goal of combating the non-uniform load. If this load occurs slowly, adjustments to the tubular design may be minimal, as the cross-sectional ovalization can only occur at the same rate as the formation movement. Adopting such an approach, however, ignores the fact that ovalization of the cross section due to non-uniform loading may also lower its collapse resistance to more conventional loads such as pressure differential (e.g. external pore pressure minus internal fluid pressure).

This paper documents the results of numerical and experimental studies to determine the effect of non-uniform loading on the conventional collapse resistance of casing. The current work focuses on casing exposed to external fluid pressure and extreme point loading, as might be the case in a poorly cemented wellbore.

An introductory section sets forth the problem with a specific design scenario for a production casing string loaded simultaneously by imposed ovalization due to tectonic formation movement and collapse differential from the local fluid environment. The load is then simplified and solved numerically. The numerical results are first justified by physical argument, and then validated by full scale collapse testing. Finally, the distinction between manufactured and imposed ovality is reinforced by comparison of the results with conventional collapse equations.
Developing Brazil's Onshore E&P Oil Activities and Reducing the Country's Exposition to the Economic Cycles of the Global Oil Market
Authors: Zamith Regina , dos Santos Edmilson Moutinho
Published: January 2008

Brazil has been developeding strong offshore E&P oil activities. The objective of this paper is to propose alternative policies for Brazil to boost onshore activities, reducing its exposure to the economic cycles of the petroleum business. In particular, new contract mechanisms should allow for a more attractive splitting of risks between the country and investors; inducing favorably the latter's investment decisions.
Feeling the Pulse of Drill Cuttings Injection Wells—A Case Study of Simulation, Monitoring, and Verification in Alaska
Authors: Guo Quanxin , Abou-Sayed Ahmed S. , Engel Harold R.
Published: January 2008

In April 1998, a program for continuous deep disposal of drill cuttings and open pit materials was initiated on the North Slope of Alaska. This ongoing injection project is commonly referred to as GNI, or "Grind and Inject." Accumulated drilling cuttings and mud slurry are injected into a receptive Cretaceous soft sandstone in three wells: GNI-1, GNI-2, and GNI-3. Typical operations involve injecting slurry into one of the three wells continuously for a number of days and then switching injection to another well. The average injection rate is approximately 30,000 B/D. As of 30 September 2002, project injection has included 12.7×106 bbl of water, 30.9×106 bbl of slurry containing 2.0×106 tons or 2.2×106 cubic yards of excavated frozen reserve pit material and drilling solids, and 1.31×106 bbl of fluid from ongoing drilling operations.

Knowledge of the fate of the drilling and open-pit materials during injection is paramount to assure the safe containment of the disposed materials without harm to the environment. Numerical modeling, well testing (including step-rate and pressure-falloff testing), and logging surveys were performed periodically to assess the operational integrity of the disposal wells and to ensure the safe containment of the disposed waste slurry. The high-volume capacity of these injectors highlighted the mechanisms for slurry being accepted by multiple and branched fractures—part of the slurry went to previous fractures during subsequent batch injections.

This paper will detail how to integrate numerical simulations, well testing/monitoring, and operational data to estimate storage capacity and construct a clear representation of what was happening underground during this GNI operation. The work has implications on other large drilling-waste injection projects worldwide.
Comprehensive Transient Modeling of Sand Production in Horizontal Wellbores
Authors: Nouri Alireza , Vaziri Hans , Belhaj Hadi , Islam M. Rafiqul
Published: January 2008

Installing sand control in long horizontal wells is difficult and particularly challenging in offshore fields. It is, therefore, imperative to make decisions with regard to the most optimum completion type objectively and based on reliable assessment of the sanding potential and its severity over the life of the well for the intended production target. This paper introduces a predictive tool that forecasts not only the initiation of sanding, but also its rate and severity in real time.

A series of well-documented experiments on a large-size horizontal wellbore was simulated using a finite difference numerical model. The model accounts for the interaction between fluid flow and mechanical deformation of the medium, capturing various mechanisms of failure. The model allows capturing the episodic nature of sanding and the resulting changes in the geometry and formation consistency and behavior within the sand impacted regions. Sand detachment is simulated by removal of the elements that are deemed to have satisfied the criteria for sanding based on considerations of physics, material behaviour and laws of mechanics. The proposed numerical model is designed to account for many of the factors and mechanisms that are known to influence sanding in the field and as such can be used as a practical tool for predicting the frequency and severity of sand bursts and changes in operating conditions that can be considered for mitigating or managing such problems.

The model shows reasonable agreement with the experimental results in terms of borehole deformation and sanding rates. The model correctly predicted initiation of shear failure from the sides of the borehole and its propagation to the boundaries of the sample. It was further seen that the propagation of the shear failed zone resulting from sand production agreed well with the numerical pattern of failure growth upon removal of elements satisfying the sanding criteria. The approach and concepts used are considered suitable for application to field problems involving horizontal wells.
Analyses and Procedures for Kick Detection in Subsea Mudlift Drilling
Authors: Choe Jonggeun , Schubert Jerome J. , Juvkam-Wold Hans C.
Published: January 2008

In deepwater drilling, a conventional large-diameter riser requires drilling vessels with large weight and space capacities, large mud volume to circulate through a riser, and many casing points because of narrow gaps between pore and fracture pressures. A large number of casing points also require a larger wellhead and a larger marine riser. These problems are inter-related and intensify as the water depth increases. Although there are some successes to set a new drilling record on water depth, it is impractical to extrapolate current technology with a marine riser to 10,000 ft water depth.

Subsea mudlift drilling (SMD) is a term used to describe an unconventional technique using a relatively small diameter pipe as a mud-return line from the seafloor instead of a large-diameter marine riser. The scheme also balances internal and external pressures at the seafloor by reducing the internal pressure to make a dual pressure gradient possible. It has potential advantages of cost and time savings and rig upgrades for deepwater applications.

Kick detection and well control will not be hurdles for field applications of SMD. If the circulation rate is less than the maximum free-fall rate, there will be a time delay in kick detection. In this case, the circulation rate may need to be increased or a drill-string valve that provides a positive surface-pump pressure should be used. In case of transient U-tubing or fill up, other operations should be avoided for easy kick detection and well control, unless there is an accurate prediction and monitoring tool available.
Drilling Technology Mastery - Complementing Drilling Engineers' Knowledge Acquiring Process
Authors: Ismail Zulkarnain , Yusoff Noorazmah , Jusoh Kamri , Yakob Razak
Published: January 2008

Proposal

PCSB’s Drilling Technology Mastery program was initiated in August 2002. Conceptually, it was designed as a total competency development model for PCSB’s Drilling Engineering Department. The Program is built around a modular delivery format, and takes Engineers from a Foundation Level Certification, through an Advanced Certification, and finally Expert Level. The program combines core technical skills development, along with soft skills development. The result of this program delivers certified resources, delivering technical analysis and results in a more accurate and time-efficient manner. This allows for a greater confidence to PCSB in managing drilling risks, thus helping to manage the improvement overall safety of a project and also contributes to substantial reduction of overall project cost.

This paper takes as its example, the Foundation Level Certification process, and illustrates the roadmap that a Drilling Engineer follows in terms of a structured modular training program, supplemented with mentoring sessions and, finally challenged by the sitting of a certification. The certification has been jointly developed by PCSB and Landmark, and allows PCSB’s Drilling Engineers to be ranked against standard benchmarks which have been based upon a competency set required for the successful completion of PCSB’s standard operational process. While the objective of the program has been to accelerate the engineers’ development process, the Certification process ensures a measurable and guaranteed capability from a Drilling Engineer on successful completion of this program.

The program is complemented with an online skill matrix database; which allows management access a dashboard of their current resource pool, to allow more objective evaluation candidates for particular assignments. It also allows both managers and the resource pool a real time competency and tracking tool for developing career development plans.

This program is greatly supported by the implementation of an Integrated Well Planning Workflow. This defines the process of completing Drilling Engineering analyses from the planning stage to daily surveillance routines.
Thru-Tubing Zonal Isolation and Water Shut-Off Utilizing Coiled Tubing in the Java Sea: Operational Challenge & Treatment Strategy
Authors: Susilo Yoliandri , Wibowo Wahju , Tobing Budhira L. , Arbai Imam , Hendra Yasri S.
Published: January 2008

Almost all the wells in the Offshore North West Java (ONWJ) field penetrate multi-layer reservoirs. To accommodate reservoir management issues, most of these wells were therefore completed in multiple packer completions (dual or single string with multiple packer). As the field is getting mature, more wells are becoming wet and consequently more wells are dying due to water encroachment. Therefore, remedial actions to revive dead wells play an important role to maximize the revenue. To address this issue, thru-tubing cement squeeze and polymer squeeze using coiled tubing have proved to be efficient methods to reduce water production by isolating watered out zones in the ONWJ field.

However, the operation of this job can be more complicated when done in multiple packer completion or in dual completion cases, especially when the tubing has leaks in order to avoid the cement or polymer from penetrating other places or productive zones. In several cases, the condition of old tubing that has experienced deformation (buckling/ collapse) has made the task even more challenging. Therefore, treatment strategies must be designed carefully for successful cement/polymer placements into the target zone without affecting production from the other string or zones.

From 1999 to 2003, a total of 36 thru-tubing zonal isolation & water shut-off jobs utilizing coiled tubing were done with a high degree of success, although in many cases the tubing had leaks and mechanical problems. Several methods were used and modified to ensure proper cement or polymer placement. Through the use of the innovative "cement packer" technique and inflatable packer, the jobs were accomplished successfully. The coiled tubing has proven to be an effective solution to deal with well conditions in the ONWJ field.

This paper will also discuss three case histories, with each case representing different operational challenges.
Hydrajet-Fracturing Stimulation Process Proves Effective for Offshore Brazil Horizontal Wells
Authors: Surjaatmadja Jim B. , Willett Ron , McDaniel B. W. , Rosolen Marcos A. , Franco Marcus L.A. , dos Santos (ret) Fernando Canavarro Rodrigues , Fernandes Paulo Dore , Carneiro Fernando A.S. , De Lima Bonifacio B. , Cortes Mauricio
Published: January 2008

Cased cemented completions have not been the preferred horizontal well completion method in offshore Brazil. Lower-cost solutions such as uncemented, preperforated liners are often used in completing horizontal wells offshore and are usually very effective. Often, however, low producing rates necessitate stimulation treatments for many wells. For some wells, this was the case at initial completion, and for others would be after a year or more of production. Application of conventional stimulation technology has generally been either ineffective or not cost-effective for these lower-producing completions. This situation poses a challenge for the operator to find more effective solutions to continue developing some parts of these fields. Efforts to find a solution have included the re-evaluation of the more expensive cased cemented completion method to provide more effective options for stimulation treatments and attempts to find newer stimulation techniques that can be more effective with the lower-cost completion method using noncemented liners.

In the attempt to find an economical yet effective stimulation solution, the operator chose to implement a newly emerging technology: the hydrajet-fracturing process. Although this stimulation technique has a proven success rate in onshore applications, this was the first offshore application. The technique can be applied in either sandstone or carbonate formations, which are both commonplace in offshore Brazil fields. Therefore, stimulation plans in this field include fracture acidizing and propped fracture stimulations with high concentration of proppants [ceramic and/or curable resin-coated proppants (RCPs)].

This paper discusses results from the first few wells in the investigation.Additionally, comparison wells that were completed and evaluated with differentcompletion schemes are reviewed in depth.
Indonesia: Coalbed Methane Indicators and Basin Evaluation
Authors: Stevens Scott H. , Hadiyanto Hadiyanto
Published: January 2008

Indonesia has thick, low-rank coal deposits that are prospective for coalbedmethane (CBM) development but remain untested. Conventional oil and gas wellsthat drill through these coal seams experience gas kicks and blow outs, goodCBM indicators. We analyzed petroleum and coal mining data to perform acomprehensive assessment of Indonesia's CBM resources. We identified 12.7trillion m3 (450 Tcf) of prospective CBM resources within eleven onshore coalbasins. Full-cycle development costs in high-graded areas are estimated at$0.70/Mcf. These potential CBM reservoirs could be tested at low cost usingcoreholes or production "wells of opportunity."
Selective Placement of Fractures in Horizontal Wells in Offshore Brazil Demonstrates Effectiveness of Hydrajet Stimulation Process
Authors: Surjaatmadja Jim B. , Willett Ron , McDaniel B. W. , Rosolen Marcos Antonio , Franco Marcus Luis de A. , dos Santos Fernando Canavarro Rodrigues , Fernandes Paulo Dore , Carneiro Fernando A. S. , de Lima Bonifacio Bezerra , Cortes Mauricio
Published: January 2008

Cased cemented completions have not been the preferred horizontal-well completion method in offshore Brazil. Lower-cost solutions such as uncemented preperforated liners were often used in completing horizontal wells offshore and are usually very effective. Often, however, low producing rates mean stimulation treatments become necessary for many wells. The use of conventional stimulation technology has generally been ineffective for these completions, which posed a challenge for the operator to find an effective solution for continuing developments in some fields. These challenges included re-evaluating the more expensive cased cemented completions to allow more effective options for future stimulation, as well as trying to find newer stimulation techniques that can be effective with lower-cost completions (noncemented liners).

In the attempt to find an economical yet effective stimulation solution, the operator chose to implement a unique and relatively new hydrajet stimulation technique that has a proven success rate in onshore applications. The technique can be applied in either sandstone or carbonate formations, which are commonplace in this field; therefore, stimulation plans in this area will include fracture acidizing as well as propped fracture stimulations that use a high concentration of proppants or curable resin-coated proppants (RCP).

This paper discusses the early results of this investigation. Wells that were completed and evaluated using different completion schemes are reviewed.
Optimization of Riser Design and Drill Centers with a Coupled Reservoir and Facility Network Model for Deepwater Agbami
Authors: Narahara G. M. , Holbrook J. A. , Shippen M. , Erkal A.
Published: January 2008

The utilization of multiple wells connected at a subsea manifold provides the opportunity to reduce the number of risers and to reduce capital expense. The problem is the proper modeling of the reservoir well flow coupled with the combined flow into the facility network (manifolds, flowlines and risers), which is necessary to prevent under design resulting in flow rate bottlenecks or over design resulting in extra expenditures. This paper presents a tool and methodology for better modeling of the well to riser flow and the optimization of riser count and configuration.

Although reservoir models coupled with facility networks is not new, software enhancements provided the capability of including operation logic that could duplicate operations in the field. The reservoir model coupled with the facility network provided more reasonable and accurate modeling of multiphase rates and pressures as wells were combined into a single riser.

To optimize the riser count, operation logic was applied to maximize rate in the riser at all times against the erosional velocity limit. This in turn prevented over designing by placing more risers than needed to obtain the field facility capacities.

The utilization of the coupled model and operation logic allowed the optimization of the riser count for any particular reservoir model. The optimum riser count was then determined for 3 earth (geologic) models.
Application of Tracers in Oil-Based Drilling Mud for Obtaining High Quality Reservoir Fluid Samples
Authors: Gozalpour F. , Danesh A. , Todd A. C. , Tohidi B.
Published: January 2008

Oil-based drilling fluids are extensively used in drilling activities world-wide. During the drilling process, due to over-balance pressure in the mud column, the filtrate of oil-based mud invades the formation. This hydrocarbon-based filtrate mixes with the formation hydrocarbon, which can cause major difficulties in obtaining representative reservoir fluid sample. Despite the recent improvements in sampling, obtaining a contamination-free formation fluid is a major challenge, particularly in open hole wells.

Depending on the type and conditions of the reservoir, the oil-based mud filtrate is totally or partially miscible with the formation fluid. Oil-based mud filtrate completely dissolves in reservoir oil, therefore the captured sample contains the true reservoir oil with added filtrate. Gas condensate (lean gas condensate in particular) is often not fully miscible with mud filtrate. In this case, the mass exchange between gas condensate and mud filtrate makes the sample unrepresentative of the reservoir fluid.

In this study the impact of sample contamination with oil-based mud filtrate on different types of reservoir fluids, including gas condensate and volatile oil samples, is investigated. Two simple methods are suggested to retrieve the uncontaminated composition from a contaminated sample where mud filtrate is totally dissolved in the formation fluid (i.e. reservoir oil samples). A tracer-based technique is also developed to determine the composition of uncontaminated reservoir fluid sample from a sample contaminated with oil-based mud filtrate, particularly for those cases where the two fluids are partially miscible. The tracers are added to the drilling fluid with the additional cost to the drilling mud preparation being negligible. The capability of the developed techniques has been examined against deliberately contaminated samples under controlled conditions and contaminated field samples. The results indicate the reliability of the proposed methods.
Gel-Volume Optimization in Water Conformance Applying Risk and Uncertainty Analysis
Authors: Caicedo S. , Del Conte B. , Prado M.
Published: January 2008

Gels have been used successfully in water conformance. One of the keyfactors in the application of this technology is the volume of gel, which hasbeen estimated by several techniques: a) using a relationship between thevolume and the water rate, b) calculating it given a fixed volume per feet, orc) invading a chosen penetration radius.The present work shows a newapproach to estimate the optimum volume of gel considering uncertainties andrisks. The proposed approach considers a model for the expected water and oilproductivity indexes integrated with nodal and economical analysis. Clearly allthese three major steps depend on the volume of gel, whose optimum value is thegoal of this research, then an iterative method is required. Besides theproposed method used should consider the lack of accuracy in the inputparameters, some of them highly sensitive.Three real cases are analyzedin order to show the potential of this approach. The results aid to establishpriorities to answer the following questions: Where to focus the efforts inField data and research?, What is the accuracy required in the inputparameters?, How much would an activity improve the profit of the treatment?Even though the methodology and the software prototype considered only threewater production problems, the general idea can be easily applied in othercases such as channeling in water injection wells.