bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel approach for using silica nanoparticles in a proppant pack to fixate coal fines
Authors: Awan Faisal Ur Rahman , Keshavarz Alireza , Akhondzadeh Hamed , Al-Anssari Sarmad , Iglauer Stefan
Published: May 2020

Hydraulic fracturing operations in coal seam gas reservoirs are highly prone to release coal fines. Coal fines inevitably cause mechanical pump failure and permeability damage as a result of their hydrophobicity, aggregation in the system and pore-throat blockage. One approach to affix these coal fines at their source, and to retard generation, is to introduce a nanoparticle-treated proppant pack. Thus, this research explores coal fines retention (known as adsorption) in a proppant pack using nanoparticles. In the study, the electrolytic environment, pH, flow rate, temperature and pressure were kept constant, while the variables were concentration of silica nanoparticles (0–0.1 wt%) and coal fines concentration (0.1–1 wt%). The objective was to identify silica nano-formulations that effectively fixate coal fine dispersions. Subsequently, the coal suspensions flowed through a glass-bead proppant pack treated with and without nanoparticles, and were then analysed via a particle counter. The quantitative results from particle counter analysis showed that the proppant pack with nanoparticle treatment strongly affected the fixation ability of coal fines. The proppant pack without nanoparticle treatment showed up to 30% adsorption and flowed through the proppant untreated, while proppant pack treated with nanoparticles showed up to 74% adsorption; hence, more exceptional affixation ability to the coal fines. Further, the results indicated that the zeta-potential of silica nanoparticles at higher salinity became unstable, i.e. approximately –20 mV; this low value helped the proppant pack treated with nanoparticles to attach coal fines to it. The ability of nanoparticles to adsorb coal fines is due to their highly active surface, and high specific surface area.
Evaluating the sources and impact of new east coast gas supply
Authors: Levy Daniel C.
Published: May 2020

Rystad Energy has conducted a well level supply side study for the Australian east coast gas market, quantifying the widely expected supply shortfall and its timing. This paper presents these findings, along with an economic and technical evaluation of new sources of supply relief and their potential impacts on the market balance. The study suggests the east coast has adequate gas supply to meet demand until 2024, with an average excess of 73 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per annum over this period. However, in 2025 the market will shift to under-supply, starting at 93 Bcf in 2025 and increasing to over half a trillion cubic feet by 2030. Sufficient supply in the short term does not warrant complacency. With the average duration between discovery and first gas for the region being 7.1 years since 1990, even if new (traditional) supply is discovered in 2020, the market will still be undersupplied for at least 3 years. We have identified the four most likely sources of supply relief for the market, each with their own merits, difficulties and development timelines. These new sources include the Beetaloo Sub-basin shales of the Northern Territory, undeveloped coal seam gas acreage, electrifying liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities to preserve in-field usage, and finally, LNG importation. A combination of at least two of these sources is required to balance the east coast gas market to 2030. Of the options, LNG importation is the most viable to stave off undersupply in the medium term (3 to 7 years). While Beetaloo Sub-basin shale gas appears the most viable option for secure, long-term supply relief.
Mapping traditional ecological knowledge of Sea Country to understand biodiversity and areas of cultural importance
Authors: Streten Claire , Davies Harriet , Galaiduk Ronen , Yuen Teresa Lui , Sheldon Peter
Published: May 2020

Understanding the values of traditional landowners is key to effective management of industrial developments. The Northern Territory (NT) coast and marine estate is host to significant oil and gas development, yet is relatively undisturbed and is rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage. Over 80% of the NT coastline is owned by Aboriginal Traditional Owners. There is an increasing push by Traditional Owners to formally recognise their connection to the marine environment and the deep traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) these strong connections cultivate. Documenting TEK provides an effective tool for communities to communicate with industry and government regarding ecologically and culturally important sites.
Chevron's journey in keeping diversity and inclusion on the agenda
Authors: Watts Christopher , Shaw Elizabeth
Published: May 2020

It is well recognised that diversity and inclusion is linked to strong organisational performance. For many organisations, diversity and inclusion has never been more important. At Chevron, diversity and inclusion are central to our organisational values, and getting it right is critical to our success. This paper provides an insight into Chevron Australia’s diversity and inclusion journey and outlines the work undertaken, some of which was in partnership with KPMG, that has made progress to embed diversity and inclusion and embody the Chevron Way.
Satellite monitoring of fugitive methane emissions from oil and gas facilities in Australia
Authors: Gauthier Jean-Francois
Published: May 2020

Since 2016, GHGSat has been operating the world’s first and only satellite specifically designed to monitor methane emissions from industrial facilities around the world. The lessons learned through the success of this demonstration satellite have been incorporated into the company’s next two satellites, the first of which was originally scheduled to launch in September 2019 but was delayed as a result of a rocket failure. The satellite’s technology is ideally suited to the oil and gas industry, particularly unconventional developments in which a high density of facilities can be present. This paper introduces the technology briefly and discusses the predictive analytics applications being developed to augment the efficacy of the satellites in detecting methane emissions. An example of successful application of the predictive analytics engine to detect a methane leak in the Delaware Basin in New Mexico is presented. Parallels are drawn between shale basins in the US and the Surat Basin in Australia, highlighting the applicability of the technology for the oil and gas industry in Australia.
Data driven update to industry Life-Saving Rules
Authors: Carvalho Mariana , Walker Kirsty , Adeogun Odunlami , Mark Melissa , Skår Olav
Published: May 2020

The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) is a global forum in which member companies identify and share best practices to achieve improvements in many areas including upstream safety. The IOGP first published Life-Saving Rules in 2010, having based the choice of topics covered and actions recommended on an analysis of 1484 fatal incident reports and 1173 high potential event reports collected through IOGP’s annual Safety Performance Indicators. In 2017, IOGP launched an initiative called Project Safira with the aim of eliminating fatalities; one of the work streams within this project was to refresh, simplify and reduce the number of industry Life-Saving Rules to encourage industry standardisation. An industry team of subject matter experts, health, safety and environment (HSE) and operations professionals conducted a comprehensive analysis of the latest 10 years of fatality data and streamlined the original 18 rules down to nine, while retaining the level of applicability in fatality prevention and incorporating the latest thinking on human performance and lessons learned from member companies’ experiences in implementation of similar programs. The Life-Saving Rules are not intended to replace company HSE management systems but rather to complement existing organisational processes and procedures. The rules provide simple actions, in the form of ‘I statements’ which can provide a final barrier that individuals have control over, using their own actions to prevent fatalities. From 2008 to 2017, 376 workers lost their lives in incidents that may have been prevented by following one of the new nine IOGP Life-Saving Rules.
Importance of ambient cure for high-temperature coatings
Authors: Ross Graeme
Published: May 2020

Due to increasing demand for energy around the world, the prevalence of global megaprojects within the oil and gas industry is increasing. Process pipes, valves and vessels may be manufactured and coated in China or Korea, where labour costs are comparatively low, before being transported to the final project location, such as Western Australia. During the transport and fabrication phase, coated steelwork may spend months or even years exposed to harsh offshore or coastal environments before going into service. This means coatings must be able to provide protection throughout an extensive construction phase, in addition to the in-service lifetime of the steel. This paper examines the demands on high temperature performance coatings both before and once in service. Test methodology and exposure data are reviewed with a focus on how modern aluminium pigmented silicone coatings provide a solution to the corrosion challenges faced in global megaprojects.
A hydrogen future?
Authors: Arnott James , Leibbrandt Nadia
Published: May 2020

Hydrogen is emerging as an alternate carrier of energy. It has the potential to play a key role in the decarbonisation of the energy sector. Governments around the world and in Australia are signalling interest in moving the hydrogen economy forward. Current efforts are focused on developing hydrogen visions and strategies, supported by investments and partnerships with industry to progress technology and unlock the barriers across the hydrogen value chain. KPMG has worked with CSIRO, ATCO Gas and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) in the development of a Hydrogen City tool (H2City Tool) (available for public download from the ARENA website). The H2City Tool assists users with screening communities that may be suitable for transitioning to a hydrogen-based energy future and provides two broad pathways: a hydrogen pathway and an electrification pathway, allowing a relative comparison to be made between these options. This abstract provides a summary of outcomes arising from analysis performed by KPMG using the H2City Tool, which illustrates the conditions and viability of several pathways to convert to a hydrogen-based energy future. These pathways were: Scenario 1 – converting a large metropolitan community to hydrogen; Scenario 2 – adopting hydrogen to fuel transport at scale; Scenario 3 – adopting hydrogen in electricity grid firming at scale; and Scenario 4 – adopting the concept of hydrogen hubs in regional Australia.
Deep net simulator (DNS): a new insight into reservoir simulation
Authors: Ghassemzadeh Shahdad , Gonzalez Perdomo Maria , Haghighi Manouchehr , Abbasnejad Ehsan
Published: May 2020

Reservoir simulation plays a vital role as a diagnostics tool to better understand and predict a reservoir’s behaviour. The primary purpose of running a reservoir simulation is to replicate reservoir performance under different production conditions; therefore, the development of a reliable and fast dynamic reservoir model is a priority for the industry. In each simulation, the reservoir is divided into millions of cells, with fluid and rock attributes assigned to each cell. Based on these attributes, flow equations are solved through numerical methods, resulting in an excessively long processing time. Given the recent progress in machine learning methods, this study aimed to further investigate the possibility of using deep learning in reservoir simulations. Throughout this paper, we used deep learning to build a data-driven simulator for both 1D oil and 2D gas reservoirs. In this approach, instead of solving fluid flow equations directly, a data-driven model instantly predicts the reservoir pressure using the same input data of a numerical simulator. Datasets were generated using a physics-based simulator. It was found that for the training and validation sets, the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was less than 15.1% and the correlation coefficient, R2, was more than 0.84 for the 1D oil reservoirs, while for the 2D gas reservoir MAPE < 0.84% and R2 ≈1. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis results confirmed that the proposed approach has promising potential (MAPE < 5%, R2 > 0.9). The results agreed that the deep learning based, data-driven model is reasonably accurate and trustworthy when compared with physics-derived models.
Process safety – learning the hard way
Authors: Cooper Steven , Meakins Casey
Published: May 2020

Did you hear about the leak at the gas plant last week in Tasmania? What about the high potential incident from the dropped object at the chemical plant in Queensland? What about the fuel depot that went up in flames in Victoria? And what about the tragic scaffolding accident in New South Wales? What do you mean you don’t have time and that you have a meeting to go to….? Learnings are everywhere, as is the pressure of business and operational expectations to have continued sharing of lessons learnt. When do you have the time, let alone your teams and operations have the time, to appreciate the lessons? We do many great things to manage hazards and solve others’ problems, yet how can we ensure that the lessons are actually being learnt? This paper shares the 25 years’ experience from a Process Safety Professional, highlighting learning successes and failures from operations and projects executed around the world as well as from direct teaching experiences concering the fundamentals of process safety. It touches on the responsibilities we all have as process safety professionals and what we can do to enhance learning opportunities for both engineering and non-engineering audiences alike.
Hydrogen innovation: discover development hotspots with patent landscaping
Authors: Baddeley Richard H.
Published: May 2020

Hydrogen will play a major role in the decarbonisation of the global economy. Energy companies are likely to extend interests in hydrogen exports and will need a credible hydrogen supply chain. Patent intensity, coupled with recent hydrogen production technology reviews and commercial activity by companies such as Kawasaki, provides support for forecasting a hydrogen supply chain that will include the following steps: Steam reforming of methane or coal, preferably methane, to produce hydrogen; hydrogen liquefaction (LH2) in preference to ammonia or liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) such as toluene (though this methodology has been trialled for Brunei produced hydrogen); shipping of LH2 to export markets; hydrogen gasification by end users. Given the 20 year lifecycle of patents, this forecast is anticipated to hold until 2030–40. The forecast does not exclude other technical options for hydrogen production and shipping but cost and technical risk will need to be minimised below the mature technologies of steam reforming and hydrogen liquefaction.
The role of the tax system in a greener future
Authors: O’Hare Janelle
Published: May 2020

Ahead of the commencement of action against climate change in 2020 under the Paris Agreement, COP24 saw nations come together to design the rule book for global emissions reductions. Australia also reinforced its commitment to the Paris Agreement and its emission reduction targets. Critical to this is the design of the rules for international trade in emissions permits or credits, which were due to be agreed in Madrid as part of the COP25 in December 2019. However, the participants failed to come to any consensus, getting caught up in technical issues such as the rules for carbon market mechanisms. Instead we wait for an intersessional meeting in Bonn in June 2020 and COP26 in Glasgow in November 2020. The tax policy approach and framework adopted in relation to the energy transition, including for example the introduction and tax treatment of any carbon price or emissions trading scheme, has the potential to either support or distort the ultimate objectives of the transition. So, what does the transition to a greener future mean for the tax mix and how it will it impact the revenues of government? What role does tax play in the energy transition? What are the current rules in Australia and how do they compare to other fiscal regimes globally? How can existing rules in Australia be adapted to best support the effective design of carbon pricing policies? What reforms are necessary?
A unique approach to community engagement: a GasFields Queensland Commission perspective
Authors: Cassidy Colin
Published: May 2020

The Queensland coal seam gas (CSG) industry provides a unique and valuable case study on coexistence and community engagement. The introduction of a new industry sector in the traditionally agricultural landscape, and its rapid expansion, created friction in the communities within which it operated. At the core of the Queensland Government’s response to the significant landholder and community concerns about the gas industry was the establishment of the GasFields Commission as an independent statutory body. The purpose of the Commission is to manage and improve the sustainable coexistence of landholders, regional communities and the onshore gas industry in Queensland. The Commission is not alone in this mission, but it is unique in being able to operate at ‘arm’s length’ from government to facilitate better stakeholder relationships, review the effectiveness of government entities in implementing regulatory frameworks and provide advice to government and stakeholders on coexistence matters and leading practice. The GasFields Commission operates as part of a bigger ecosystem of government regulators, local governments, judicial and other dispute resolution bodies, gas companies, peaks and advocacy groups, all undertaking community engagement. By adapting its communications and engagement approach to changing stakeholder needs as the CSG industry continues to mature over time and working collaboratively with other entities, the Commission has played, and continues to play, an important role in improving sustainable coexistence and continues to support Queensland’s CSG and agricultural sectors; two world-leading and important industry sectors that together drive thriving regional communities in Queensland.
An application and subsequent benefits of digitalisation to pipeline engineering using a 3D pipe-in-pipe bulkhead design project case study
Authors: Lim Nigel , Lim Lucas
Published: May 2020

Digitalisation of design processes is being rapidly accepted as a major step-change in engineering of pipelines and components. Incremental digitalisation of best engineering practice, analytical portions of industry codes and iterative optimisation tasks enable multiple advantages over typical project execution models. These include (a) maintaining flexibility throughout the design process to deal with changes particularly at critical interface points, (b) utilising computing power to drive an optimised solution, (c) cost and schedule advantages and (d) development of platforms to implement in future projects. These benefits are demonstrated by detailing an application of Genesis’s small-scale digitalisation strategy, as implemented on a pipe-in-pipe (PiP) bulkhead design in the Edvard Grieg Tie-Backs engineering, procurement, construction and installation development in the North Sea. The application of this strategy involved initial scoping and production of a design platform consisting of three Python modules. The platform enabled full parameterisation of a 3D end-bulkhead finite element analysis modelling process and post-processing criteria. The flexibility of this digitalisation strategy enabled simulations of (a) multiple material configurations, such as the application or removal of corrosion resistant cladding and (b) streamlined execution of highly iterative design processes. Through this platform, parallel execution of detail design and procurement was optimised, leading to achievement of material cost savings while minimising schedule and variation impact. This example of small-scale digitalisation establishes a philosophy for the future execution of PiP design and aligns both strategic and incremental steps towards a larger digitalisation initiative.
Technology road map for the low-carbon production of hydrocarbons
Authors: Anderson Clare
Published: May 2020

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2016, has the objective of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C to substantially reduce the effects of climate change. To achieve this objective, significant and unprecedented deep cuts in carbon emissions are required, as set out in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report on Global Warming of 1.5°C released in October 2018. To enable this ambitious target, global reductions in carbon emissions will need to be markedly reduced to an average of net zero by 2050 and, as such, will have profound effects on hydrocarbon (oil and gas) production in the coming decades. This paper presents a road map of opportunities for the reduction of carbon emissions from hydrocarbon production, specifically natural gas. It includes technologies for reducing carbon emissions from process streams and utility streams. A case study is used to illustrate the opportunities, along with a discussion on technology readiness for several options.
Improving CO2 storage and oil recovery by injecting alcohol-treated CO2
Authors: Saira  , Le-Hussain Furqan
Published: May 2020

Oil recovery and CO2 storage related to CO2 enhance oil recovery are dependent on CO2 miscibility. In case of a depleted oil reservoir, reservoir pressure is not sufficient to achieve miscible or near-miscible condition. This extended abstract presents numerical studies to delineate the effect of alcohol-treated CO2 injection on enhancing miscibility, CO2 storage and oil recovery at immiscible and near-miscible conditions. A compositional reservoir simulator from Computer Modelling Group Ltd. was used to examine the effect of alcohol-treated CO2 on the recovery mechanism. A SPE-5 3D model was used to simulate oil recovery and CO2 storage at field scale for two sets of fluid pairs: (1) pure CO2 and decane and (2) alcohol-treated CO2 and decane. Alcohol-treated CO2 consisted of a mixture of 4 wt% of ethanol and 96 wt% of CO2. All simulations were run at constant temperature (70°C), whereas pressures were determined using a pressure-volume-temperature simulator for immiscible (1400 psi) and near-miscible (1780 psi) conditions. Simulation results reveal that alcohol-treated CO2 injection is found superior to pure CO2 injection in oil recovery (5–9%) and CO2 storage efficiency (4–6%). It shows that alcohol-treated CO2 improves CO2 sweep efficiency. However, improvement in sweep efficiency with alcohol-treated CO2 is more pronounced at higher pressures, whereas improvement in displacement efficiency is more pronounced at lower pressures. The proposed methodology has potential to enhance the feasibility of CO2 sequestration in depleted oil reservoirs and improve both displacement and sweep efficiency of CO2.
Making upstream infrastructure collaboration happen
Authors: Tibi François , Lanagan Warrick , Merchant Whitney
Published: May 2020

Major upstream and midstream developments are required in Australia to sustainably address the east coast gas price challenge and enable a new wave of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Western Australia (WA) and the Northern Territory. Until now, each project in the WA offshore and Queensland coal seam gas systems has had its own midstream infrastructure, which is suboptimal for costs. Major players, including Chevron and Woodside, have expressed interest in a more optimal, shared ownership model, similar to others around the world. In the US Gulf of Mexico, pipeline owners established master limited partnerships to take advantage of tax benefits and to share cost with institutional investors. In Norway, high infrastructure costs led to government-mandated shared ownership. The momentum for change in Australia is gathering and includes increasing investor pressure on capital discipline for upstream companies, strong competition for final investment decisions across global LNG projects, stakeholder expectations to minimise the environmental footprint of energy projects, a strong appetite of infrastructure and pension funds for energy infrastructure assets and pipeline companies looking to expand their portfolios to realise synergies in view of increasing regulatory scrutiny and margin restrictions. This paper describes international benchmarks, identifies blockers and proposes action steps that will enable this crucial industry development.
Realising the value from next generation integrated operating centres (IOC)
Authors: Bernardini Christophe , Lyons Mike , Stewart Craig , Merchant Whitney
Published: May 2020

The oil and gas (O&G) industry has long been at the forefront of integrated operations centres (IOCs). A remote control room is often the starting point for an IOC. The control room is responsible for monitoring operations, reporting performance issues, and visualising information. In leading O&G players around the world, basic control room functionality has been enhanced by next generation IOCs that provide proactive support, including integrated planning, optimised decision models, automated procedures, and root cause analysis. This paper describes the features of advanced IOCs and their benefits: improved production (reduced production bottlenecks and increased facility runtime); enhanced organisational capability (increased process standardisation and optimised work processes); reduced risk exposure (e.g. hazardous areas and operator fatigue), reduced operational expenditure (15–25% in maintenance costs and 10–15% in logistics costs). In Australia, advanced IOC functionality and the associated benefits are yet to be widely observed. For an IOC to achieve its full potential, companies must start with a clear vision and business case for building the IOC, and how it will support the operating model. This paper details this and other recommendations that need to be considered, for example, changes to the organisation structure, ways of working, employment model, talent acquisition and development to capture value, and to develop a roadmap that delivers agility for future changes.
Using machine learning to enhance operator performance
Authors: Walker David
Published: May 2020

Machine learning is a powerful tool to analyse very large datasets. Although machine learning has been used for many years in other areas, such a social media, its value to process industry has only recently been realised. Operators interact with control systems in the same way people interact with social media and, as such, many of the algorithms that have been developed for modelling human interaction are applicable to industrial process operations. Recently, control systems companies have been developing analytical tools to leverage the vast amount of data collected in control systems over many years. These tools enable operations to understand the efficiency of their processes and procedures, identify gaps in their standard operating procedures and measure operator capability. This analysis assists in the improvement of procedures, highlights areas where further training is required and identifies opportunities for procedure automation. This has led to considerable improvements in operation performance, resulting in improved production and reduced downtime. This paper describes what machine learning is, how it can be applied to operation performance, the benefits this provides and possible applications in other areas of the industry.
Mercury partitioning in oil and gas production systems - design optimisation and risk mitigation through advanced simulation
Authors: Crafts Peter , Williams Mark
Published: May 2020

Operators are increasingly producing fields with challenging operational environments, including fluids with higher concentrations of mercury. Mercury is harmful to personnel and the environment and contaminates most of the production plant that it contacts through physical adsorption, potentially creating hazardous wastes through the operating lifetime and subsequent decommissioning. The assessment of mercury removal locations requires careful consideration at the design stage. Mercury exists in various chemical forms that readily partition between streams in the production process. Mercury partitioning simulations are an essential step in managing the operational, safety, environmental, production and decommissioning risks associated with mercury. Accurate assessment of mercury species during welltests is an essential step towards successful mercury risk management; providing the basis to model partitioning into vapour, liquid, aqueous and solid phases through production. Adsorption modelling is also necessary to understanding the propagation of mercury through offshore and onshore systems, identifying release points to the environment. Only once form, flow and accumulation locations are understood, can the adequate design of mercury removal facilities be confidently completed. Experience in thermodynamic modelling and verification through laboratory research and plant analysis is required to fully understand modelling limitations, capabilities and applications to proposed or existing infrastructure. Changes in inlet stream conditions may affect propagation of mercury through an operating plant thus the influence of predicted conditions through the full life of the field should be considered.
Creating a 3D image from 2D data using structurally conformable interpolation: a case study from the Beagle Sub-basin, NSW, Australia
Authors: Notiyal Subodh , Seesaha Victoria
Published: May 2020

2D seismic data still provides key information for companies evaluating new permits on offer or entering new basins. However, working on multi-vintage 2D data can be time-consuming for several reasons, including getting correct navigation, variability of physical parameters like amplitude, time and phase between different vintages, and then interpreting the 2D data itself, which often results in gridding artefacts. In a step change to the use of traditional 2D data, TGS has developed a methodology called ‘structurally conformable interpolation’ – also known as 2Dcubed. It is created using input data from available 2D migrated stacks and velocities from available vintages. The workflow includes survey matching of different vintages, data-driven geological model building to interpolate large distances between existing data, and a 3D post-stack migration to minimise the 2D migration artefacts. The merging of these datasets successfully creates a 3D migrated image from legacy 2D data, offering better structure and continuity while increasing confidence in its interpretation. Interpretation of a 3D volume is much more efficient than when using 2D data and is free from 2D artefacts. With this methodology TGS has completed a project covering a 40000km2 area in the Beagle Sub-basin, north-west Western Australia, using existing 2D data from over 42 different vintages. The resulting output ‘Beagle Cube’ interpolated 3D volume has been interpreted for major regional trends and structures. The results are very consistent with the original 2D data, but with better definition of major structures. Another study comparing the interpretation between the interpolated 3D volume and the real open-file 3D shows excellent preservation of the structural picture within the interpolated 3D volume, not at the same level as real 3D, but it gives greater confidence in the regional interpretation conducted within areas that do not have 3D coverage. This paper will address how the interpolation methodology works stage by stage, the results of the final product and how it assists in performing regional interpretation in a quick timeframe.
Software for quantitative prediction of hydrate blockage formation in gas condensate systems
Authors: Dhoorjaty Pradeep , Erickson Dale , Penmetsa Dileep
Published: May 2020

A new industry–university research and development program targets improved hydrate kinetic modelling in gas-dominant flows for application in engineering simulation. It is recognised that current industry hydrate blockage prediction models, based largely on experience with oil-dominant systems, may not be sufficiently accurate in gas-dominant systems. The availability of improved hydrate kinetics and transport models can enable safe field operations targeting hydrate management, rather than avoidance. This can yield significant savings in capital and operational expenditure.
Evaluation of the Petrel Sub-basin as a northern Australia CO2 store: future decarbonisation hub?
Authors: Stalker Linda , Dewhurst David , Zhang Yanhua , Schaubs Peter , Clennell Ben , Suhardiman Yohan , Maxwell Andrew , Masserano Franco , Boccuni Francesco , Toscano Claudio , Castano Daniele
Published: May 2020

The Northern Australia CO2 Store Project has extended investigations for safe, long-term containment of large volumes of CO2 (up to 100 million tonnes) to support liquefied natural gas and other industries in a decarbonised future. Most natural gas fields in the Petrel Sub-basin and the surrounding region have relatively high native CO2 content. This collaborative project improved storage characterisation, evaluated geomechanical risks and estimated engineering demands necessary to progress the concept to ‘prospect’ and ‘resource’. New data have significantly advanced the geological and structural understanding in the region, improving chrono- and litho-stratigraphic correlations, with new well ties across the basin. However, the re-mapping has thrown up new questions that require additional data (e.g. new stratigraphic wells, 3D seismic data) to address those knowledge gaps. Geomechanical modelling in the area has tested (to extreme levels) the potential impact of injection on faults in the area, further de-risking the likelihood of upward migration and leakage. The region could utilise an abundance of energy and feedstocks in the form of solar, natural gas, hydrogen and CO2 to become a future decarbonisation and industrial hub while managing major emissions with offshore CO2 storage.
Decommissioning and rehabilitation: what's tax got to do with it?
Authors: Wee Kenneth
Published: May 2020

The obligation to decommission oil and gas facilities and rehabilitate a petroleum operation area typically arises when a producer or titleholder wishes to exit the field or title. It is a costly but necessary condition and a consequence of being granted the right to extract the resource. The issue is not necessarily confined to the field life ending, but is also a pertinent consideration in an ownership transfer transaction that can happen at any stage of a project’s lifecycle. This is especially so given present regulatory uncertainty over a titleholder’s ongoing liability for any unsatisfied decommissioning responsibilities after transferring the title to another party. When considering decommissioning and rehabilitation options, strategies and timing, it is important to understand the Australian income tax and petroleum resource rent tax implications and their effect on the after-tax costs of undertaking those activities and the economics of the project as a whole. The Australian tax system makes general provision for decommissioning and rehabilitation (including environmental protection) costs to be tax-relieved. However, this paper demonstrates that there are several inefficiencies in the Australian tax regulations and in their administration, which can often restrict or impede the ability to obtain effective tax relief. A more responsive and progressive tax policy setting is urgently needed to better accommodate the evolving nature by which decommissioning obligations and risks associated with petroleum operations are managed by industry now and into the future.
Is there any room for gravity in petroleum exploration? Let's open the door again!
Authors: Shevchenko Sergey
Published: May 2020

The seismic method has been thriving in the oil and gas industry for decades. Technological progress in acquisition, processing and interpretation have made it practically the only geophysical method used for petroleum exploration. Unfortunately, gravity, as a pioneering geophysical method appears to have been completely forgotten in Australia’s oil and gas industry. Most of the gravity data in Australia were collected in the 1960s and 1970s. Only government agencies and a few exploration companies have conducted gravity surveys in petroleum basins since that time. Australia’s mostly flat terrain, economical aspects of the gravity method such as low cost and the ability to cover vast underexplored onshore basins in the country, all seem to be positive factors indicating that this method should be commonly used as a part of petroleum exploration. Given the petroleum industry is currently trying hard to make exploration more economically effective, this may be an opportunity to revive the gravity method in petroleum exploration.
Impact of downward releases on the risk profile in hydrocarbon process plants
Authors: Askari Fariba , Crowley Colin , Kord Hojat
Published: May 2020

Quantitative risk assessment (QRA) calculations for major hazard installations often involve consequence analysis calculations for thousands of events, and therefore, some simplifying assumptions are generally required. The simplifications are usually designed to make the analysis reasonably practicable and reduce the cost of the QRA. Nevertheless, the overall methodology and the applied parameters should be chosen conservatively to cover possible uncertainties. One of the key assumptions in many QRAs is the release direction, which is usually assumed to be horizontal. This is generally assumed to provide a conservative representation of all other possible release directions, which may occur vertically (upward or downward) or at an angle. A sensitivity analysis has been performed and presented in this paper to investigate how different release direction assumptions affect the results of consequence analysis, and eventually, QRA outcomes, i.e. individual and societal risk results. A high-pressure hydrocarbon system is considered as a case study and SNC-Lavalin’s (formerly Atkins) in-house QRA software, ‘RiskTool’, has been used to carry out the QRA modelling. The overall conclusion is that the assumption that all releases are horizontal may lead to a significant underprediction of risks for some types of high-pressure release events. This is because an unimpeded horizontal jet may entrain air, and hence, dilute much more rapidly than a jet that impinges on the ground or nearby obstacles.
Santos Energy Solutions: targeting a lower-carbon future and underpinning our sustainability
Authors: Wademan Fiona
Published: May 2020

Santos is actively working to reduce its carbon footprint and prepare for a lower-carbon future, including promoting the role of gas in this future. Santos has set a long-term aspiration to achieve net-zero emissions from its operations by 2050, and a target to reduce emissions across existing operations in the Cooper Basin and Queensland by 5% by 2025. The Energy Solutions team was created to support the delivery of these objectives. Energy Solutions completed a global technology review to identify technologies that would reduce emissions across Santos’ operations and grow gas demand. The review resulted in focus areas of solar, storage (battery, gas and other media), waste heat recovery, wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and solar thermal. Santos progressed to implementation and successful demonstration of emissions reduction in 2018 with a world-first installation of an autonomous solar- and battery-powered beam pump. The initial installation in the Cooper Basin is now being expanded to 56 pump conversions to solar and battery with the support of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Following this success, Santos increased scale with installation of a 2.12-MW solar array and associated infrastructure at the Port Bonython processing facility. In parallel, fuel efficiency opportunities were targeted through key equipment upgrades, including power generation at Devil Creek with new reciprocating gas engines and rationalisation of legacy compression and power generation infrastructure across the Cooper Basin. Another key focus of the team is the progression of CCS, with appraisal of reservoir targets and pre-front-end engineering design (FEED) studies completed in 2019. The success of these projects provides a robust platform to support the further and more complex emissions reduction project opportunities across Santos’ operations.
Lessons from 5 years of GISERA economic research
Authors: Measham Thomas G. , Marcos-Martinez Raymundo , Poruschi Lavinia , Fleming-Muñoz David
Published: May 2020

Scientifically robust analysis of trade-offs for onshore gas activity can inform the design of strategies for socially acceptable and efficient use of energy resources. Here, we present lessons from a portfolio of research spanning three States and different industry stages conducted as part of the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA). Considering the effects of onshore gas development on regional economies, an important lesson is to look at net changes, considering decreases as well as increases in economic activity. In Queensland, where competing claims about employment effects were raised in public debates, measuring reduced agricultural employment in addition to increases to the number of jobs in other sectors were crucial to providing a balanced analysis. Another lesson is to take a broad view of economic dimensions beyond employment and income. Our research shifted the public debate when we demonstrated that the construction phase in Queensland improved youth retention, gender balance and skill levels. Another lesson is that economic effects of gas development (positive or negative) can occur before stakeholders expect them. In New South Wales, we observed that the exploration phase had a significant positive effect on income (but not employment). A further lesson is that effects differ between domestic and export markets. Research from South Australia has demonstrated that the potential regional benefits of gas development substantially depend on meeting the energy needs of other local industries such as manufacturing. These lessons can inform public debate and policy settings and help balance different priorities such as energy needs, regional development and environmental sustainability.
Advancing technology in oil and gas: collaboration and comparison with the space sector
Authors: Crusan Jason
Published: May 2020

Woodside led the development of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry in Australia, operating 6% of global supply in 2019. From the first LNG plant in the southern hemisphere, to the largest ‘not-normally crewed’ offshore platform, innovation is part of Woodside’s DNA. Woodside was the first Australian oil and gas company to start working with global space agencies on remote operations challenges. Through exchanging people, knowledge, experiences and ideas, the collective impact of individual responses to these challenges is enhanced. From a direct, collaborative partnership with the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Australian Space Agency, to cross-sector collaborations such as the Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth, the company’s approach to innovation is to adopt an open way of problem solving that does not presume that all the answers are in one place, nor that all solutions have only one application. This paper reviews experiences in collaborative partnerships within and beyond the space sector, documenting insights into the key ingredients for impactful collaboration.
Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of SnRK2 gene family in mungbean (Vigna radiata) in response to drought stress
Authors: Fatima Annaira , Khan Muhammad Jadoon , Awan Hassaan Mehboob , Akhtar Malik Nadeem , Bibi Nazia , Sughra Kalsoom , Khan Muhammad Ramzan , Ahmad Raza , Ibrahim Muhammad , Hussain Jamshaid , Sadiq Irfan
Published: May 2020

Drought stress causes lower crop production globally. Plants have acquired many adaptations to overcome drought stress. Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R.Wilczek) is a legume crop widely cultivated in South, East and Southeast Asia. It is grown in high-temperature areas where drought is the main cause of reduced plant growth and productivity. Plants cope with drought stress by activating different signalling mechanisms. The sucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase 2 family (SnRK2s) is known to play vital roles in osmotic stress and in abscisic acid (ABA) signalling pathways by phosphorylating downstream targets. The genes encoding SnRK2s in mungbean and their detailed characterisation remain unexplored. We have conducted extensive genome-wide analysis for gene prediction, in silico gene analysis, evolutionary analysis and gene-expression profiling under drought-stress conditions by quantitative real-time PCR. Through genome-wide analysis, eight SnRK2 genes were predicted in the mungbean genome and were assigned the names VrSnRK2.1–VrSnRK2.8, according to their order on the chromosomes. The VrSnRK2 genes identified were classified into three clusters based on their phylogenetic relationship with those of Arabidopsis thaliana. Drought stress was imposed on 11-day-old mungbean plants by completely withholding water for 3 days. According to real-time qPCR data, the expression of most of the VrSnRK2 genes was induced by drought stress, indicating their role in the drought-stress response. One of the genes, namely SnRK2.6c, showed highest expression level (12-fold) under drought stress, possibly indicating a critical role under water-deficit conditions. These data provide important information about the VrSnRK2 gene family in mungbean. The results will help in future functional characterisation of VrSnRK2 genes.
Effects, tolerance mechanisms and management of salt stress in lucerne (Medicago sativa)
Authors: Al-Farsi Safaa Mohammed , Nawaz Ahmad , Anees-ur-Rehman  , Nadaf Saleem K. , Al-Sadi Abdullah M. , Siddique Kadambot H. M. , Farooq Muhammad
Published: May 2020

Lucerne (alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.) is a forage legume that is widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The main aim of this review was to highlight the effects of salt stress on the performance of lucerne and to suggest different tolerance mechanisms and management strategies for improving its yield under salt stress. Salt stress significantly affects seed germination, carbon fixation, light harvesting, biological N2 fixation, mineral uptake and assimilation and dry-matter accumulation in lucerne. Accumulation of osmolytes or compatible solutes such as proline, polyamines, trehalose and soluble sugars confers salt tolerance in lucerne. Maintenance of low Na+:K+ ratios, antioxidant enzyme activation, and hormonal regulation also help lucerne to withstand salt stress. The screening of diverse genotypes on the basis of germination indices, gas exchange, biomass production, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes might be useful for breeding salt-tolerant lucerne genotypes. Novel biotechnological tools and functional genomics used to identify salt-conferring genes and quantitative trait loci will help to improve salt tolerance. Use of rhizobial and non-rhizobial plant growth-promoting bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, exogenous application of osmoprotectants, and seed priming with brassinolide, gibberellic acid and salicylic acid may help to improve lucerne performance in saline environments.
Countability in Mbyá
Authors: Thomas Guillaume
Published: May 2020

This paper investigates the distribution of nouns in Mbyá (Tupi-Guarani), with respect to plural marking, numerals and quantifiers. The study reveals the existence of a robust grammatical distinction between a class of count nouns, which consists mostly of individual denoting nouns, and a class of mass nouns, which consists mostly of substance denoting nouns.