bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maximizing Ultimate Platform Recovery By Unlocking Unconventional Gas Reserves And Implementing A New Geologically Driven Drilling Strategy Arthit Offshore Gas Field, North Malay Basin, Gulf Of Thailand
Authors: Ionnikoff Yarick , Sirimongkolkitti Awirut , Sudibyo Totok , Pinyo Komon , Suyacom Kasinee , Kongkanoi Chompunoot , Suriyo Kullanan , Pukdeewuht Kannika , Yaekhajohn Anuphum
Published: May 2016

This reference is for an abstract only. A full paper was not submitted for this conference.

As the Arthit development team was reviewing the Arthit field in-place volume and production data, a new way of looking at the hydrocarbon traps emerged that helped understanding the hydrocarbon distribution and well performance whilst at the same time offered a new way to optimally develop the field's resources.

Integrating all geological, geophysical and petrophysical data with production information suggested that most of Arthit accumulations were located into combined structural-stratigraphic traps. Based on their structural configuration, those traps could be grouped into further categories that show distinct reservoir and fluid distributions in the various geological units. From then a trap style based resource assessment method was designed and fully integrated with the overall asset development workflow. When combined with reservoir geometry and direction statistics, a simple analysis of the trap configuration and orientation allows for a straight ranking of each prospect and also offers ways to de-risk development platforms and assists in optimizing the project economics by helping to define the optimal well spacing needed to maximize the gas resources. This concept has been recently successfully tested by Arthit development and infill wells in 2010.

This new way of looking and quantifying at the traps resulted in a net increase in gas resource of approximately 30% by unlocking combined traps volumes and it is strongly believed that more such prospective resources can be discovered in other fields within the Gulf of Thailand since the reservoirs often share similarities, such as narrow compartments, short stacked hydrocarbon columns and discrete reservoir bodies with poor connectivity.

This new workflow makes intensive use of the 3D integrated visualization, mapping and well planning software as it helped to significantly shorten turn-around time from prospect mapping, conceptual well planning to post-drill analysis. It has enabled a close cross-discipline co-operation and is being proactively pushed as a standard in PTTEP.
Mathematical modeling of fines fixation in the sandstone cores soaked by MgO nanofluid
Authors: Habibi Ali , Ahmadi Milad , Bastami Alireza , Pourafshari Peyman , Ayatollahi Shahab
Published: May 2016

Formation damage in oil reservoirs as a result of fines migration is a major reason for productivity decline. Fines loosely attached to the pore surface are in the equilibrium with the pore fluids. These particles start to flow when the equilibrium state is disturbed which, may end up in permeability reduction in porous media. Different solutions have been suggested to prevent detachment of fines from surface such as acidizing, ionic clay stabilizer, polymers and etc.

Nanofluids containing metal oxide nanoparticles show specific properties. They have various applications including catalysis, waste remediation, additives in refractory and paint products. Our previous published works showed that MgO nanoparticle could be used as the best adsorbent of the fines in s synthetic porous media. In this work, Unit Bed Element (UBE) model and material balance were proposed to describe the effect of nanoparticles presence on fines fixation. UBE model relates dimensionless parameters of surface forces to fines removal efficiency of porous media. Material balance modeling provides an estimation of effluent fines concentration based on the injected fluid flow rate. Also the main mechanism for this fixation has been studied by surface forces analysis.

Results show that soaking the core for 24 hours with 0.1% wt MgO nanofluid and water injection with 800 cc /hour could fix the fines which could used in particles release rate calculation in porous media. UBE and material balance modeling showed that the experimental results are trustable.

Introduction

Fines migration is a challenging problem in the production from oil reservoirs. Fines are feeble particles present in the porous media, which can detach and move easily due to fluid flow. Flow of suspension causes formation damage because of filtering at pore-level in the porous media (Muecke, 1979; Vaidya, et al, 1990; Civan, et al, 2007). Colloidal and hydrodynamic forces are found to be responsible for the fines detachment and their release from the pore surfaces. London Van der Waals attraction, double layer and Born repulsion and hydrodynamic forces are the dominant forces in the detachment of fines from porous media (Khilar, et al, 1998; Schramm, et al, 1996; Ahmadi et al, 2011). Hibbeler et al, (2003) provide an excellent review on the practical recipes to reduce fines migration.
The Practice and Evolution of Torque and Drag Reduction: Theory and Field Results
Authors: McCormick John Edward , Evans Chad D. , Le Joe , Chiu TzuFang
Published: May 2016

Introduction

In the past two decades, drilling extended reach wells (ERWs) has become commonplace in the petroleum industry as companies seek to drill deeper and further to optimize the oil and gas production in the target field. ERWs are defined as wells that have two times more horizontal stepout than true vertical depth. Drilling longer horizontal sections allows more area of the reservoir to be exposed as well as less surface area disruption. As a result, with the global trend moving toward drilling ERWs, engineers can no longer ignore the high torque and drag forces expected in the well. There are numerous methods and tools engineers have developed to lower torque and drag forces and ultimately allow the drill string to drill to total depth (TD). However, only a few have proven to be a worthwhile investment.

An early high-visibility, large scale ERW drilled was the Wytch Farm project conducted by BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd in 1993. The company originally considered creating an artificial offshore island; however, it was neither economical nor environmentally friendly. Instead, they drilled 10.1 km or 33,136 ft horizontally from an onshore platform to the target of interest. The well was known as the longest ERW drilled at the time. It is notable that back then, without knowing as much about torque and drag as we do today, they were able to control the torque and drag within the limitations of the drilling components. The mechanisms they used that allowed them to drill such a hole included a combination of hole cleaning improvements and mechanical friction reduction. This paper focuses on the different torque and drag reduction methods utilized in the past and how individual methods have proven to be worthwhile for engineers to use. The methods that are discussed in this paper include wellpath design, light weight string components, lubricants, hole cleaning, co-polymer beads, and mechanical friction reduction tools.

History Of Torque & Drag

In the past, engineers rarely encountered torque and drag problems simply because the wells drilled were not as challenging as the wells drilled today. As "easy to drill" conventional oil and gas wells have diminished, engineers are drilling wells and sidetracks that are more complicated and deeper than ever before. This results in higher torque and drag forces during downhole operations. Since the Wytch Farm well was successfully drilled in 1993, operating companies have challenged the limitations of the tubulars, the rigs, and the personnel in hopes of discovering reserves that were not accessible in the past. This use of onshore extended reach drilling (ERD) to avoid the creation of offshore islands has been repeated many times, including well known wells in Sakhalin Island.
Potential Unconventional Oil and Gas Resource Accumulations, Onshore Thailand
Authors: Schenk Christopher J.
Published: May 2016

This reference is for an abstract only. A full paper was not submitted for this conference.

The U.S. Geological Survey has assessed undiscovered, technically recoverable shale gas, shale oil, tight gas, and coalbed gas resources in more than 140 unconventional hydrocarbon accumulations in the United States. The geologic and engineering attributes of these U.S. unconventional plays are used in the present study as geologic analogs to define potential resource plays in onshore Thailand basins. Tight gas and shale gas accumulations might exist in Triassic sandstones and mudstones of the Khorat Plateau Province, and shale oil and possibly shale gas might occur in the extensional structures in the Thai Cenozoic Basins Province. Coalbed gas does not appear to be a viable resource in northern Thailand at present.

Introduction

A goal of the Energy Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to assess the potential for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in both conventional and unconventional accumulations in the United States and in priority basins worldwide. As part of this process, the undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in Thailand were assessed recently (Schenk and others, 2010). This report summarizes the geologic definition of potential unconventional oil and gas resources in two onshore geologic provinces in Thailand—Khorat Plateau Province and Thai Cenozoic Basins Province (fig. 1). Unconventional resources are identified for onshore rather than offshore areas given the marginal economics associated with many of these oil and gas accumulations.
Integrated Approach to Quantify L80 Tubing Corrosion for High-rate Sour Gas Wells
Authors: Sun Wei , Ling Shiun , Reddy Ramani V. , Pacheco Jorge , Asmann Marcus , Nor Nazri M. , Kersey Michael Scott , Morshidi Leozarin Bin , Nisbet Robert Smith
Published: May 2016

The ability to optimise the use of carbon steel in sour service presents many economic advantages, including minimizing the use of expensive corrosion resistant alloys, enabling optimised large bore completions, and eliminating additional offshore facilities. An integrated approach to corrosion modeling and testing has been developed to reliably extend the application of carbon steel. Key elements of this integrated approach include:rigorously establish tubular environmental conditions,accurately simulate environmental conditions (acid gas concentrations (CO2/H2S), water cut, and water composition) in the laboratory,mathematically extrapolate laboratory weight loss and pitting to predict tubing life, andvalidate tubing life predictions with field caliper data.

This paper describes the application of the integrated approach to evaluate L80 tubular corrosion and predict tubing life for a range of acid gas (CO2/H2S) concentrations. The paper also discusses the corrosion mechanisms and validation of predicted corrosion with field caliper data.
Using Research-vetted, Actionable Leading Indicators to DRIVE Safety Performance and Operational Excellence
Authors: Stough Joseph , Wichienrut Watana
Published: May 2016

This paper will review the leading indicator research findings drawn from analyzing a large Energy industry data set. The source of research includes QHSEmanagement system practices and data spanning over 100 countries involving some global industry leading companies such as ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Chevron, OMV, and multiple others.

From the analytical research and careful review with industry QHSE executives and Subject Matter Experts, the factors that were found to best predict the Safety outcome performance of an organization included measurements of (a) proactive event reporting (Reporting Culture), (b) the discipline and consistency in execution of QHSE processes, (c) the timeliness in closure of important corrective / preventive actions, and finally (d) the responsiveness of supervisors and line managers.

In each of these key areas, solid performance can be attributed to the tone set by leadership and the influential day-to-day behavior of field supervision and line management. So, throughout this paper we will emphasize how engaging these leaders is imperative to improving the above factors and driving QHSE outcome performance.

This paper will also review some actionable leading metrics which can be calculated to measure the factors that have been found to be uniquely strong in organizations who continue to sustain top-level Safety lagging performance. We will review some creative solutions to reach out to front-line workers and leaders to engage them directly in the process of continuously improving these factors.

And finally, we will outline a sample process for implementing practical, "actionable" leading metrics in each key area to drive line manager / leadership behavior and ultimately improve QHSE performance outcomes.

Background: Researching world-wide Energy data set to find Safety leading indicators

The companies involved in the research project provided their data on a scale that spans thousands of operating facilities in over 100 countries. Engaged in this initiative are world-wide operations from multiple Energy companies which have world-class QHSE performance… as well as leading companies in Oil Field Services, Chemicals, Manufacturing, and other industries where managing operational risks is a material concern.

Although most of the companies referenced in this study deploy unique company-specific programs for managing QHSE performance, they share one thing in common. Each of them is applying a common technology solution to collect and analyze data from a myriad of "risk reduction" events such as incident investigations, near miss reports, management system audits, risk assessments, assurance reviews, behavioral observations, field-level inspection programs, hazard analysis, and many other processes. As depicted in the below diagram, the intended scope of this database is to be the organization's collection of all events that result in risk reduction actions.
Rejuvenating Field Production through Horizontal Wells in Unfavourable Mobility and Strong Aquifer Environment - A Case History
Authors: Junchang Dong , Mohammed Ahmed Abdalla , Tewari Raj Deo , Fenghan Bai , Saeed Ismail
Published: May 2016

This reference is for an abstract only. A full paper was not submitted for this conference.

Maximization of recovery from multilayered, viscous and highly heterogeneous oil fields is a challenging task for operators. Heglig oil field is located in Muglad basin of Sudan wherein oil accumulation is found in multiple layers of late cretaceous deposits. The formations are heterogeneous, unconsolidated with higher viscosity and strong aquifer support. Some formations are tighter too. Field was initially developed with commingly completed vertical wells with a wider well spacing. ESP and PCP are in application for lifting the oil. Current development & production strategies and concepts implemented in the field resulted into exponential rise of water cut which reached to 90% within 10 years of production. This behavior is resulting into sharp decline of oil production and causing significant bypassed oil.

This paper discusses about the midcourse correction and modification of the exploitation strategy of the field by changing the completion strategy and targeting the bypassed oil by placing the horizontal wells of optimal drainhole lengths. Accordingly, reservoir re-development plan adopted drilling of horizontal wells with suitable artificial lift techniques as one of the IOR option for maximizing well productivity in this viscous oil field.

Updated static and dynamic models generated for diagnosing the bypassing of oil and saturation distribution for identifying the suitability of the locations. More than a dozen horizontal wells were drilled during rejuvenation phase which contributed remarkably in oil production, generally 2–3 folds compared to current vertical wells production. Controlled well production limiting to 1000 bopd/well by optimizing the drawdown and pump off take resulted into sustained production from the wells and controlling water cut below 40% after a year of production. The paper also illustrates how integration of different disciplines with focused efforts led to successful rejuvenation of the viscous oil field with proper well placement and sand & water control.
Deepwater Infrastructure Integrity Assurance - State of the Art
Authors: Lee Young-woong , Gerretsen Jan Hendrik , Figueroa Humberto , Raghu Damodaran
Published: May 2016

This paper provides an overview of the Deepwater Integrity Assurance program being developed by Shell for ensuring integrity and reliability of deepwater facilities at minimum technical and commercial risks through a prognostic and holistic suite of tools and techniques. The strategy and workflow processes for design and implementation of the program are described with focus on four major areas shown in Figure 1:

1) Riser Integrity Assurance (RIA) - developing a toolkit to inspect and monitor critical components of risers during the operations phase and ultimately recommending the operational strategies to assure the riser system integrity is maintained cost effectively, operationally safe and reliably,

2) Floating Structure Integrity Assurance (FSIA) - developing intelligent prognostic health management systems to accurately predict deterioration levels and estimate remaining useful life of floating structures,

3) Ultralight Material Application (UMA) - facilitating deepwater development by utilizing and identifying right integrity management technology with high fidelity for lightweight materials, such as high strength steel and composite. A fundamental understanding is required for these 'materials of the future' to ensure appropriate design guidelines and a lifecycle integrity assurance,

4) Subsea System Integrity Assurance (SSIA) - developing a non-intrusive screening tool to enable continuous monitoring of wall thickness of subsea pipelines.

A long term outlook for the above main areas is maturation of the core technologies (see Figure 2) to achieve and maintain excellence in asset integrity through a systematic approach focusing on realizing 'Our assets are safe and we know it' and supporting extended life assessments for ageing facilities, whilst enabling less manning of offshore structures in the future. This will allow operators to assess the real time condition of their integrated deepwater production system and determine cost effective methods to maximize systems integrity.

The principles and experiences outlined in this paper will be of direct interest to professionals interested and engaged in improving both the safety and the performance of deepwater facilities for oil and gas production.
Advanced Seismic Characterization As A Direct Input For Reservoir Modeling
Authors: Anquelle Lorette
Published: May 2016

This reference is for an abstract only. A full paper was not submitted for this conference.

With the increasing quality of seismic data, especially in deep-offshore turbiditic environments, seismic attributes are now systematically used to identify reservoirs and characterize their heterogeneities. From pre-stack inversion and training on well data, supervised classification techniques provide volume attributes which attempt to quantitatively reproduce petrophysical properties or geological facies variations within the reservoirs. However the effective integration of those results in the geomodel building is not fully achieved. This is partly due to technical challenges inherent to seismic data themselves, such as limited vertical resolution, noise, and ambiguous discrimination between fluid and reservoir properties…. But lack of time, experience and specific methodology are also key issues.

Through the past years and progressive learning from operational field case studies, we have developed workflows which allow the use of in-house attributes such as Pseudo-Vclay and litho-fluid facies as a 3D constraint for facies modeling, after upscaling within the reservoir grid. Because some facies are difficult to discriminate between each-other from seismic data alone, specific rules are built taking into account different constraints such as the location in the environment of deposition, an adequate combination of different seismic attributes, some cut-off values on attributes, etc.

The resulting workflows always require specific data analysis, intermediate controls and computations, and, above all, a high level of integration with the geological understanding. The final result provides a more robust geomodel in-filling between and beyond the calibration wells and offers a more solid base for 4D seismic information valorization.

Through illustrations on real cases in deep-offshore West Africa and in different operational contexts (pre-development and producing field), we will point out that there is no way for press button methods ; the success of the approach is highly depending on the degree of integration between advanced seismic techniques and geological input.
A New Generation Associative Polymer Extends Temperature Stability Of Deepwater Drilling Fluid
Authors: Schlemmer Robert P. , Phoon Gary
Published: May 2016

Specialty drilling fluids, described by mud companies as rheologically flat, constant, or continuous, were introduced for drilling in deepwater less than 10 years ago. As used, the terms describe a rheological profile which is relatively flat or continuous only when compared to that of a conventional non-aqueous fluid. These specialty fluids have been shown to reduce plastic viscosity by 50–70% at seabed temperature and provide more consistent yield point, 6, and 3 rpm rheological values across a broad range of temperature. The properties are maintained primarily by use of temperature sensitive associative polymers.

First generation associative polymers are efficient but have limited temperature stability. Controlled 16 hour dynamic exposure shows that the temperature stability of the highest quality associative polymer in use by most mud companies is less than 210°F. This modest temperature stability and resulting thermal degradation of the polymer and mud properties has begun to limit application in hot wells. It has been claimed that early generation polymers can be used when bottom hole temperature exceeds 250°F However, it has been necessary in some cases, before logging or completing a well, to spot 50–100 barrels of drilling fluid supplemented with organoclay as a "pill" in the open hole. This is needed if thermal damage and loss of rheological properties are expected to occur due to extended exposure to bottom hole temperature beyond the thermal stability of the associative polymer selected.

When a deeper higher angle well with bottom hole temperature of 250–350°F is considered, the probability for rapid thermal degradation increases and a more stable polymer chemistry is preferred. In 2010 a second generation associative polymer with claimed temperature stability of 350°F was introduced for use in the field.

Laboratory tests confirm significantly improved temperature performance by the novel second generation associative polymer. Field experience has shown that the new polymer is essentially interchangeable with an earlier version without significant change in rheological properties at lower temperature. A detailed study and discussion documents how the new second generation polymer compares to the original polymer in terms of indicative cost, performance, and potential for application in hotter environments.
Reservoir in Fractured Granite Basement (Fgb): Unconventional or Conventional?
Authors: Giao Pham Huy , Trung Bui Duc , Minh Nguyen Hai
Published: May 2016

This reference is for an abstract only. A full paper was not submitted for this conference.

Reservoirs in fractured basement are few in number and so far have contributed only a small percentage to the world production of oil and gas. Those from the fractured granite basement (FGRB) are even much fewer, and many of them were incidentally found by an unplanned exploration work. Therefore, it is not unusual to consider them as some unconventional reservoirs. But in Vietnam, where 90% of the national oil production comes from the fractured granite basement one would rather consider them as a conventional reservoir. In any case characterization of fractured granite reservoir is more difficult than that of clastic reservoirs. On top of that, experiences and literatures on this type of reservoir are not so much published and available.

In this poster a review of reservoirs in fractured granite basement is presented. The main information, including the occurrence depth, geographic locations, production, geological age etc. are summarized and tabulated. A distribution map of the studied reservoirs was digitally constructed. In particular, a more detailed description of the Fractured Granite Basment (FGB) reservoirs in Vietnam including the White Tiger field is presented.

There is no doubt that fractured granite basement reservoirs will play a more and more important role in future E&P in the region and all over the world. The paper is expected to bring a useful review that is of interest for those will be or are dealing with exploration and production of reservoirs in fractured granite basement.
Successful Application of Novel Organic-Solvent-Mud-Acid Stimulation Approach for Unlocking Productions and Optimising Field Watercut in the Temana Offshore Brownfield
Authors: Wee K.H.T. , Jadid M.B. , Bakar G. , Mohamad W.A.W. , Mainuri Z.M.
Published: May 2016

One of the key successes in optimising a mature offshore oil producing field with water drive mechanism is to actively unlock additional oil production from reservoirs that have not experienced water breakthrough while maintaining gross production from reservoirs that have started producing water. This can be achieved by drilling more infill wells to create additional oil drainage points; however this is a very capital intensive investment. The other approach is to perform stimulation jobs on existing wells (both idle and producing) as part of production enhancement activities to increase well productivities which are comparatively more cost effective. With the increase in well productivities, these wells can be produced at lower drawdown which can delay water breakthrough.

This paper describes a holistic approach from understanding well inflow productivity problem due to severe downhole asphaltene or wax deposition issues, formulating the right organic-solvent-mud-acid chemical recipe for the well stimulation jobs, selecting the appropriate well candidates, and optimizing offshore stimulation job execution to ensure good chance of success. The stimulation campaign for 3 wells was carried out between Dec 2009 and Jan 2010 and was proven to be very successful. The cost per job was reduced by 30% compared to previous stimulation job, oil production for all wells increased (including a well which is closed in for 10 years), and up to date, water production has not been observed. Finally, a post job detailed technical analysis was conducted to allow a better understanding on the chemical recipe performances for optimization of future stimulation jobs.
Combustion Front Expanding Characteristic and Risk Analysis of THAI Process
Authors: Jinzhong Liang , Wenlong Guan , Yongbin Wu , Bojun Wang , Jihong Huang
Published: May 2016

Toe-to-Heel-Air-Injection (THAI™) is an in-situ combustion process that is used for the recovery of bitumen and heavy oil. It combines a horizontal production well with a vertical air injection well placed at the toe. The drainage mechanism of THAI is similar to SAGD of the vertical - horizontal well pattern. However, it is much more difficult to control the THAI process compared with SAGD as gas flow and liquid flow coexist in the horizontal well for THAI. The start-up and the combustion front expanding characteristic of THAI require critical attention, in order to ensure optimal process operation. The temperature profiles and post-mortem pictures of the sandpack during 3-D combustion cell tests performed on Z Block heavy oil are presented in this paper. The processes and the results of 3-D experiments indicate that high temperature ignition, at least 500 degrees C is essential for startup of THAI. Then the combustion front is growing in size and expanding downwards, and the high temperature ensures that the utilization factor oxidation is high. After the combustion front propagates beyond the 'toe' position, the temperature burning zone, deposition of coke around horizontal well, air injection rate and production rate are key factors for stable propagation of the combustion front. Experimental results also indicate that the combustion front will break through along horizontal wellbore in case of high temperature and high oxygen concentration in the horizontal well because of improper regulation of injection and production. After combustion front breakthrough, a considerable bypassed oil area will be left in the reservoir which results in low recovery efficiency. In the same time, the combustion front breakthrough along horizontal well may also lead to damage of the wellbore by means of high temperature oxidation(combustion) which will result in considerable engineering risk. In order to solve this problem supervision and control measures are researched. It can be helpful for successful planning and implementation of the field pilot testing.
Perforating Multiple Sands with Long Interval Separations Pushes the Limit in Completion Efficiency
Authors: Iyengunwena Ricky , Otutu Friday , Yahaya Ibrahim , Ene Emeka , Yorkor Wisdom , Fagbami Debo
Published: May 2016

The normal perforation practice in the industry is usually to carry outmultiple trips to perforate intervals above 200ft part either by wireline or by Tubing conveyed Perforation. Such Techniques only adds to increased cost and time to the completion time. This also adds some form of inefficiency of the perforation tunnels due to damage of the near wellbore from completion fluids and pressure surges between the two perforation runs. This paper highlights an approach to deploying a single trip multi-zone TCP system. The strategy is based on a multi firing system that allows for selective loading and firing of guns for several intervals without using the continuous gun spacers. This paper described in detail the innovative technique of perforating multiple intervals in a single run. This technique was recently applied successfully in an oil well in Nigeria. The pay-zones were 700ft apart. The initial consideration was to either use the Wireline conveyed perforation technique or using the Tubing conveyed perforation method in multiple runs. These methods would have been costly and time consuming. The paper focused on three major technical contributions to the oil and gas industry. Firstly, it documents successful application of multiple guns in a single run. Secondly, it describes the design considerations involved as well as the calculation required to safely design the multiple gun run in one trip. Thirdly, it identifies a technique of perforating multiple zones without exposing the earlier perforations to risk of formation damage by shooting the entire interval in one go. This technique ensures the objectives of the perforation were safely met and that no matter how far apart pay zonesare, a single run is possible. This achievement saved both cost and time for the company and adding more value to completion efficiency. The key areas of concern when designing the perforating technique were being able to correlate the lower zone at depth with the RA marker 800ft above the lower gun assembly and the combined detonation pressures. Both of these factors were carefully handled by strapping all components thoroughly, using known length of drillpipe pup joints and use of time delay multi firing system respectively. Perforation design is now an integral, customized element of Completion planning; it addresses the efficiency and optimization of the Completion process of a well, with a focus on enhancing Positive Net Present Value of Operators' investment especially at the completion stage, all these done considering the peculiarity of the well. This paper describes a field proven technique deployed to perforate multiple zones in a single trip in hole using drill pipe to space out the different zones. This technique is made possible by utilizing Sequential Multi-Fire system with bottom line of cost savings and efficient operations.
Pre-Heating Circulation Design for Dual Horizontal Well SAGD in the Medium-Deep Extra Heavy Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Yang L.Q. , Wang H.Y. , Gao Y.R.
Published: May 2016

Du 84 block in Liaohe oilfield is an extra heavy oil reservoir, which has a depth of 705 to 708 meters, average pay thickness of 50 to 90 meters, The current oil recovery using Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) has reached 31%. Two SAGD pilots using dual horizontal wells have been constructed to test the follow-up process as the way to further improve the ultimate recovery factor. To establish the uniform heating along the new drilled horizontal wells in the partial depleted reservoir after CSS, the preheating circulation is applied during the initial stage of the pilot test. The challenge is that returning fluids from the circulation is difficult to lift to the surface due to low pressure in the formation (4–5 MPa). The presence of formation dip, which causes a relatively large projected horizontal separation (4–5 m) between the wells, further increases the difficulties for achieving uniform pre-heating. This paper presents the results from numerical simulation and reservoir engineering analysis. The downhole tubing design and operating parameters for pre-heating dual SAGD wells using circulation are determined for achieving uniform communication along the horizontal sections.
Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Tetrazolyl Pyrazole Amides
Authors: Hu Jun , Wang Jikui , Zhou Taoyu , Xu Yanhua
Published: May 2016

A rapid and efficient microwave-assisted synthesis N-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) derivatives of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide is described. These tetrazole pyrazole amides have interesting bacteriocidal, pesticidal, herbicidal and antimicrobial activities. They were identified by IR and 1H NMR elemental analyses. The target compounds were obtained in a shorter reaction time compared to conventional heating methods.
Advancing a comprehensive cancer care agenda for children and their families: Institute of Medicine Workshop highlights and next steps
Authors: Kirch Rebecca , Reaman Gregory , Feudtner Chris , Wiener Lori , Schwartz Lisa A. , Sung Lillian , Wolfe Joanne
Published: May 2016

This article highlights key findings from the “Comprehensive Cancer Care for Children and Their Families” March 2015 joint workshop by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the American Cancer Society. This initiative convened more than 100 family members, clinician investigators, advocates, and members of the public to discuss emerging evidence and care models and to determine the next steps for optimizing quality‐of‐life outcomes and well‐being for children and families during pediatric cancer treatment, after treatment completion, and across the life spectrum. Participants affirmed the triple aim of pediatric oncology that strives for every child with cancer to be cured; provides high‐quality palliative and psychosocial supportive, restorative, and rehabilitative care to children and families throughout the illness course and survivorship; and assures receipt of high‐quality end‐of‐life care for patients with advancing disease. Workshop outcomes emphasized the need for new pediatric cancer drug development and identified critical opportunities to prioritize palliative care and psychosocial support as an integral part of pediatric cancer research and treatment, including the necessity for adequately resourcing these supportive services to minimize suffering and distress, effectively address quality‐of‐life needs for children and families at all stages of illness, and mitigate the long‐term health risks associated with childhood cancer and its treatment. Next steps include dismantling existing silos and enhancing collaboration between clinical investigators, disease‐directed specialists, and supportive care services; expanding the use of patient‐reported and parent‐reported outcomes; effectively integrating palliative and psychosocial care; and clinical communication skills development. CA Cancer J Clin 2016;66:398–407. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
A Study of N-terminal pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide as a Predictor of Adverse Outcome of STEMI
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Zakir , Siddique Md Abu , Parveen Tanjima , Mahmood Manzoor , Siddika Khandaker Aisha , Mahmud Sohel , Osmany Dmmf , Bari Nasimul
Published: May 2016

Background: Mortality risk is quite variable among fibrinolytic treated ST elevation myocardial infarction patients. Careful and early risk evaluation of each patient is therefore important. Until now, the most evaluated biomarker has been troponin I on admission, which gives strong prognostic information. NT pro BNP has shown reasonable promise in predicting the adverse outcome of STEMI. This research will provide the information regarding its efficacy as a predictor of adverse outcome following STEMI. Objective: To assess the prognostic value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in fibrinolytic treated ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Method: This short term prospective study was done in Cardiology dept. of BSMMU. We valuated 115 patients of STEMI admitted within 12 hours and receiving thrombolytic therapy. Venous blood sample was collected for NT pro BNP before starting fibrinolytic therapy. Additional clinical data was recorded including detailed complications of STEMI. Results: Out of 115 patients of STEMI 32.2% patient had adverse outcome among them 9.6% patients died, heart failure 13.0%, cardiogenic shock 7.8%, VT & VF 5.2%, acute MR 2.6%, VSR 0.9%, CHB 2.6% and 67.8% patient had no adverse outcome. According to association between hospital outcomes with N-terminal pro BNP level, it was observed that the mean Nterminal pro BNP level was higher in adverse outcome group. Based on the receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves N-Terminal Pro BNP level gave a cut off value ?480.0 pg/ml, with 88.5% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity for prediction of complications and similarly N-terminal pro BNP level gave a cut off value ?725.5 pg/ml, with 72.7% sensitivity and 93.3% specificity for prediction of mortality. Conclusion: N-Terminal Pro BNP level was highly sensitive and very much effective in the evaluation of adverse outcome of fibrinolytic treated ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).University Heart Journal Vol. 11, No. 1, January 2015; 13-17
Coronary Procedures by Left vs. Right Transradial Approach in Bangladeshi Diabetic Population
Authors: Khan Saidur Rahman , Kabir CM Shaheen
Published: May 2016

Background: Radial arterial approach is the usual option for coronary procedures in our hospital. Our aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of left radial approach (LRA) compared with right radial approach (RRA) for coronary procedures.Methods: This study is a single centre, single operator randomized study. Only diabetic patients more than 18 years old with bilateral normal allens test requiring coronary procedures (CAG and PCI) were included in this study. Study period was since January, 2011 to February, 2012. Primary PCI were excluded from this study. The patients were randomized to LRA or RRA arm for coronary procedures. Primary endpoint for diagnostic CAG was contrast volume and fluroscopy time and secondary endpoint was the prevalence of high grade subclavian tortuosity and number of diagnostic catheters used. Size of the conventional guide catheter (5 or 6 F) was compared in both arms irrespective of left or right coronary PCI.Results: Total 512 diabetic patients were enrolled for CAG and equally divided into LRA (256 patients) or RRA (256 patients) arms. Total 290 PCI was performed (145 LRA and 145 RRA). In CAG, LRA arm showed significantly lower fluroscopy time (p = 0.006) and contrast volume (p= 0.005) though more use of double diagnostic catheter (5 F TIG and JR) was present in LRA group. In PCI, RRA arm needed signicantly more 5 F guide catheter (p=0.001). Subclavian tortuosity were more observed in female RRA group.Conclusions: In diabetic population, CAG by left radial approach was superior to right in terms of amount of contrast and fluroscopy time. Subclavian tortuousity was more observed in right and especially more in female. In PCI, 6 F conventional guide catheters were commonly used in both approache though 5 F guide catheter were used more in right radial approach due to extreme subclavian tortuousity and diffuse disease. Dedicated sheathless guide catheter may resolve this issue.University Heart Journal Vol. 11, No. 1, January 2015; 26-29
The Trace of Time: A Critique of Vitalism
Authors: Hägglund Martin
Published: May 2016

This article develops Derrida's logic of the trace in relation to the concept of time and the revival of various forms of vitalism. Through a critical interrogation of Bergson's notion of duration, I show how the logic of the trace articulates an originary co-implication of time and space, which also entails a co-implication of the animate and the inanimate, the event and the machine. Refuting any vitalist conception of life, the deconstructive logic of the trace allows one to reckon with the philosophical implications of Darwinism.
Post-Translational Modifications of RelB NF-κB Subunit and Associated Functions
Authors: Baud Véronique , Collares Davi
Published: May 2016

The family of NF-κB transcription factors plays a key role in diverse biological processes, such as inflammatory and immune responses, cell survival and tumor development. Beyond the classical NF-κB activation pathway, a second NF-κB pathway has more recently been uncovered, the so-called alternative NF-κB activation pathway. It has been shown that this pathway mainly controls the activity of RelB, a member of the NF-κB family. Post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination and SUMOylation, have recently emerged as a strategy for the fine-tuned regulation of NF-κB. Our review discusses recent progress in the understanding of RelB regulation by post-translational modifications and the associated functions in normal and pathological conditions.
The Establishment of an Assay to Measure DNA Polymerase-Catalyzed Repair of UVB-Induced DNA Damage in Skin Cells and Screening of DNA Polymerase Enhancers from Medicinal Plants
Authors: Ikeoka Sawako , Nakahara Tatsuo , Iwahashi Hiroyasu , Mizushina Yoshiyuki
Published: May 2016

An in vitro assay method was established to measure the activity of cellular DNA polymerases (Pols) in cultured normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) by modifying Pol inhibitor activity. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation enhanced the activity of Pols, especially DNA repair-related Pols, in the cell extracts of NHEKs. The optimal ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure dose and culture time to upregulate Pols activity was 100 mJ/cm2 and 4-h incubation, respectively. We screened eight extracts of medicinal plants for enhancement of UVB-exposed cellular Pols activity using NHEKs, and found that rose myrtle was the strongest Pols enhancer. A Pols’ enhancement compound was purified from an 80% ethanol extract of rose myrtle, and piceatannol was isolated by spectroscopic analysis. Induction of Pol activity involved synergy between UVB irradiation and rose myrtle extract and/or piceatannol. Both the extract and piceatannol reduced UVB-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer production, and prevented UVB-induced cytotoxicity. These results indicate that rose myrtle extract and piceatannol, its component, are potential photo-protective candidates for UV-induced skin damage.
New Cembrane-Type Diterpenoids from the South China Sea Soft Coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi
Authors: Tang Gui-Hua , Sun Zhang-Hua , Zou Yi-Hong , Yin Sheng
Published: May 2016

Chemical investigation on the soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi collected from the Xisha Islands of the South China Sea have led to the isolation of eight cembranoids including five new ones, sarcophytonoxides A–E (1–5). The structures of new cembranoids (1–5) were determined by spectroscopic analysis and comparison of the NMR data with those of related analogues. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1–8 against human ovarian cancer cell line A2780 were also evaluated.
Calcium Homeostasis and Muscle Energy Metabolism Are Modified in HspB1-Null Mice
Authors: Picard Brigitte , Kammoun Malek , Gagaoua Mohammed , Barboiron Christiane , Meunier Bruno , Chambon Christophe , Cassar-Malek Isabelle
Published: May 2016

Hsp27—encoded by HspB1—is a member of the small heat shock proteins (sHsp, 12–43 kDa (kilodalton)) family. This protein is constitutively present in a wide variety of tissues and in many cell lines. The abundance of Hsp27 is highest in skeletal muscle, indicating a crucial role for muscle physiology. The protein identified as a beef tenderness biomarker was found at a crucial hub in a functional network involved in beef tenderness. The aim of this study was to analyze the proteins impacted by the targeted invalidation of HspB1 in the Tibialis anterior muscle of the mouse. Comparative proteomics using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed 22 spots that were differentially abundant between HspB1-null mice and their controls that could be identified by mass spectrometry. Eighteen spots were more abundant in the muscle of the mutant mice, and four were less abundant. The proteins impacted by the absence of Hsp27 belonged mainly to calcium homeostasis (Srl and Calsq1), contraction (TnnT3), energy metabolism (Tpi1, Mdh1, PdhB, Ckm, Pygm, ApoA1) and the Hsp proteins family (HspA9). These data suggest a crucial role for these proteins in meat tenderization. The information gained by this study could also be helpful to predict the side effects of Hsp27 depletion in muscle development and pathologies linked to small Hsps.
Impact of Religious Affiliation on Ethical Values of Spanish Environmental Activists
Authors: Chuvieco Emilio , Burgui Mario
Published: May 2016

We analyzed the impact of religious affiliation on the ethical and environmental values of Spanish environmental activists, based on an internet survey and a working seminar held with representatives of major environmental non-government organizations (ENGO) of Spain. Respondents’ religious affiliations were significantly different compared with those of Spanish society in general, with a much higher proportion of Buddhists, agnostics and atheists and a lower proportion of Catholics. Strict environmental values of ENGOs activists did not show significant differences between the religious groups, which imply that religious beliefs did not impact actual environmental values. However, they did have a significant influence on the activists’ opinions on other bioethical issues. We found that Catholics and believers of other religions were more in favor than agnostics and atheists of introducing ethical limits on abortion, euthanasia or human embryo manipulation.