bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Proppant Surface Treatment for Enhanced Performance and Improved Cleanup
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: January 2017

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 175537, “Novel Proppant Surface Treatment Yields Enhanced Multiphase- Flow Performance and Improved Hydraulic-Fracture Cleanup,” by Terry Palisch, Mark Chapman, and Joshua Leasure, SPE, Carbo Ceramics, prepared for the 2015 SPE Liquids-Rich Basins Conference—North America, Midland, Texas, USA, 2–3 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

This paper describes the development and testing of a new proppant designed to exhibit a neutrally wet surface. The modified surface does not have a preferential affinity for oil, gas, or water and therefore will not promote the preferential entrapment of any phase within the proppant pack. This proppant technology and the results described in this paper should be useful for completions, production, and the work of reservoir engineers dealing with hydraulically fractured wells, particularly in oil- and condensate-rich reservoirs that are particularly challenged by multiphase flow.

Introduction

A new proppant technology has been developed whereby a thin chemical coating is permanently applied to the ceramic proppant surface. The coating is very thin, approximately 0.13 Μm, or less than 1% of the thickness of the resin on a standard resin-coated proppant grain. The coating is applied to every grain, after the manufacture of the base substrate. It can be applied to any size and type of ceramic proppant, including low-, intermediate-, and highdensity ceramic proppant.

The key attribute of the coating is its ability to modify the surface wettability of the proppant grain to a neutral state. Because the coating is applied to every proppant grain, the entire proppant pack exhibits a neutral-wettability surface. When a surface is neutrally wet, the contact angle of the wetting fluid is 90°. For this contact angle, the capillary pressure in the proppant pack is eliminated. A visual test was performed to illustrate the impact of eliminating capillary forces in the presence of the new coating (Fig. 1). Tubes of the 40/80 low-density ceramic (LDC) proppant were assembled with screens at the bottom that would allow water to enter while keeping the proppant in place. When the tube containing uncoated standard proppant was placed in the water, the capillary forces in the proppant pack caused the water to be drawn up into the tube. However, when the same process was repeated with surface-modified proppant, the water level was not drawn up inside the tube.
Technology Focus: Offshore Drilling and Completion (April 2016)
Authors: Rylance Martin
Published: January 2017

Technology Focus

Cross-discipline solutions? Unified (oil) field theory? We will not expound on quantum theory here; we will discuss unified oil fields, cross-discipline integration, cooperation, and solution deployment. Well construction and operation is a serial piece of business, and, while different disciplines manage the various pieces of the business well, the decisions made at any stage can have implications later in the drilling, completion, and production phases of the well.

This is a timely subject for two reasons. First, with low oil prices, we need the maximum efficiency that we can achieve. Second, a potentially emerging challenge in completions is that a drilling solution may be affecting a completion solution. Across the globe, there is increasing evidence that the widespread use of stress cage (a very good drilling solution for depleted formations) may be affecting the ability to deploy fracturing and frac-pack solutions efficiently. The growing evidence consists of higher breakdown pressures, more near-wellbore friction loss, an increasing early-screenout frequency, and even long-term effects on productivity. While it looks as though this interaction has been identified early, it is now imperative that we work across all the disciplines involved—drilling, completions, and production—to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to ensure that the well can be drilled and completed efficiently.

Therefore, this month, I include a number of papers for further review that clearly demonstrate the highest levels of cross-discipline teamwork and that have developed solutions that improve efficiency across the scope of a well’s operations. These papers all relate to some extent to the deployment of more complex completions, requiring cabling, control lines, and flat packs. The success of these approaches can be achieved only in cooperative environments. Requiring alignment of a range of different subdisciplines and roles, positive outcomes rely heavily on ensuring that the process is fully integrated.

Many of us work in strong functional environments, where all too easily we can deploy solutions that have the potential for repercussions on other aspects of well design, construction, completion, and performance. It is always worth taking a moment during the planning phases of technology and solution deployment to consider the breadth of effects that your solution may have on others. JPT

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

SPE 176268 First Large-Bore Expandable-Liner-Hanger Deployment Offshore Gabon: Case Study by John McCormick, Halliburton, et al.

SPE/IADC 173060 Design, Qualification, QA/QC, and Operational Performance of Completion Fluid, Reservoir Drill-in Fluid, and Breaker—Tamar, Offshore Israel by John Healy, Healy Energy, et al.

OTC 26284 Successful Application of Drilling-Optimization Methodology and Integrated Solutions in a Presalt Well by Marcus Pinheiro, Halliburton, et al.
In-Well Dual Canned ESP Completion Test To Validate Safe Deployment in Deep Water
Authors: Wilson Adam
Published: January 2017

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper OTC 26002, “Testing In-Well Dual Canned ESP Completion System To Validate Safe Deployment in Deep Water: A Collaborative Effort To Understand Surface and Downhole Requirements,” by Kim Tijerina, Baker Hughes, and Carlos Pardo and Andy Hope, Chevron, prepared for the 2015 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 4-7 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Deepwater and ultradeepwater completions use numerous hydraulic control lines for control and actuation of downhole equipment. Incorporating a completion system with an in-well lift such as electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) increases the number of electrical lines needed. This paper discusses the planning and execution of a stack-up test (SUT) to determine whether a completion system incorporating a dual canned ESP system with multiple control lines can be deployed efficiently and safely in a deepwater, high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) environment.

Introduction

Lower Tertiary Play Characteristics and Challenges. Fields in the Lower Tertiary play, also known as the Paleogene, have low porosity (15–25%) and low permeability (<10 md), which reduce the amount of oil that can be recovered without assistance. In addition, Lower Tertiary water depths range from 5,000 ft to more than 10,000 ft; reservoirs are deeper than 26,000 ft; pressures range from 25,000 to 30,000 psi; and temperatures can be higher than 300°F, further complicating production. The Wilcox formation lies in the Lower Tertiary and is divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Wilcox on the basis of each section’s stratigraphy.

The Lower Tertiary formations can produce large volumes of oil and gas, assisted by high pressure within the formation. However, as the reservoir pressure depletes, adequate production rates cannot be maintained without effective reservoir-pressure maintenance or artificial lift. In shallow-water wells, gas lift assistance has been used and proved effective for production but requires a large gas supply and infrastructure to support production.

Another proven technique used for fluid-lift assistance is an ESP system, normally implemented when a well is worked over and recompleted.

Placing an in-well ESP artificial-lift system within the primary completion enhances production during the well-pressure- depletion period, preventing the need of at least one workover to install the ESP and preventing deferred production while waiting for a capable rig to perform the workover.

In 2009, considerations for in-well lift completions moved forward with conceptual development of a dual canned ESP system in collaboration with an operator. Although dual ESPs have been run before, the use of a dual canned ESP system in the Lower Wilcox requires a significant number of additional completion components that require additional control lines for their operation.
Re-Emergent Iran Brings Large Potential
Authors: Parshall Joel
Published: January 2017

The re-emergence of Iran as a full player in the global oil and gas market is a major development and would be so under any market conditions. In the current environment, the collapse of oil prices accentuates concern over market stability, the prospects for price recovery, and the implications of both issues for the global financial system. While the concerns are justified, the most important global dimensions of Iran’s return to the market have to do with the country’s long-term oil and gas potential.

The recently implemented Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)* lifts nuclear-related sanctions against Iran to restore the country’s access to world oil and gas markets and its freedom to seek international investment in its industry.

Imposed in December 2011 and the first half of 2012 in connection with Iranian nuclear activity, the sanctions placed restrictions on Iran’s central bank, Iranian imports, and the country’s access to international shipping insurance.

Dramatic Impact

As the sanctions took hold, Iran’s production of crude oil and noncrude liquids fell from 4.4 million B/D in 2011 to an average of 3.6 million B/D over the next 3 years. Crude oil production, which excludes noncrude liquids, fell from a previous 3.7 million B/D to an average of 2.8 million B/D under the sanctions. Crude oil exports were cut in half, falling from 2.2 million B/D to 1.1 million B/D. Many oil fields and wells had to be shut in. Development projects were halted or seriously delayed, and the financial consequences of the restrictions that stemmed from the sanctions cascaded through the Iranian economy.

The effects on Iran’s natural gas industry were not as great, as the country has been a limited gas exporter. Some project development activities were slowed or stalled by the sanctions. However, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) brought five new phases of the offshore South Pars gas field on stream over the past 2 years without help from foreign companies. South Pars in the Persian Gulf is the world’s largest gas field, and the new phases are expected to increase domestic gas supplies by about 40%.

On the oil side, Iran could realistically add 500,000 B/D of production to global markets this year, according to Homayoun Falakshahi, Middle East and North Africa upstream research analyst at Wood Mackenzie.
Energizing Worldwide Oil and Gas Deepwater Developments
Authors: Dekker Martijn , McEvilly Mike , Beattie Mike , Laws Bruce , Goodwin Deanna , Khurana Sandeep
Published: January 2017

Management

The precipitous drop in oil prices is putting higher-cost plays such as deepwater under the microscope. Key questions include: How will the industry energize deepwater developments to close the gap between cost and current commodity prices? What oil price is required to keep deepwater viable over the long term? These topics will undoubtedly be at the top of the mind for oil company executives over the months to come, and were the focus of a panel discussion at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) conference titled “Energizing Worldwide Oil and Gas Developments.” Also participating was Kassia Yanosek of McKinsey & Company, which provided break-even cost analyses and historical data on deepwater developments.

By reflecting on the past and looking at the current situation, the panelists explored scenarios on how deepwater breakeven prices can be brought down significantly.

The Past and Present

In the run-up to the oil price drop in late 2014, deepwater had spectacular investment and production growth. However, even then there were signs of increasingly challenging project economics. Global deepwater investment increased from USD 16 billion in 2003 to more than USD 70 billion in 2013 with production more than doubling in that time period to almost 6 million B/D, or 7% of the world’s total oil supply. However, toward the end of this period, there were buildups in costs and cycle times. In the USD 100/bbl price environment of 2012–2013, deepwater breakeven costs for green field projects ranged from USD 70/bbl in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM) to USD 75/bbl in West Africa, 2-3 times the costs in the previous decade. This was due primarily to three factors: increased geologic complexity (for example, the Paleogene in the GOM, and the pre-salt in Brazil and Angola), increased government take and local content requirements, and project cost escalations beyond supplier margin/ commodity costs (such as increased design complexity.)

In today’s “lower-for-longer” price environment, deepwater greenfield project economics are challenged, yielding dramatic cuts in investment. As of early 2016, approximately 35 billion BOE or approximately 6 million BOEPD of deepwater reserves and production, respectively, has been deferred. The good news is that in today’s price environment, project costs have been reduced across the board, primarily driven by supply chain margin compression. In regions with competitive supply chains, such as the GOM, breakeven costs for greenfield developments have decreased 20% on average to USD 50–60/bbl and ultradeepwater rig day rates have fallen 40% from the first quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2016.
Operators Begin Considering Pumps on Older Subsea Fields
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: January 2017

Spotting oil wells on land is easy, just look for the pump jacks. They are a common sight because about 90% of the oil wells on land are on some kind of artificial lift.

Don Underwood, director of subsea processing at FMC Technologies, cited that estimate to make the case that the same factors that make pumps standard equipment on land should increasingly apply to wellheads on the seabed. “If it is 90% onshore versus single digits under the ocean, there is growth potential,” he said.

Realizing that potential has long proved elusive, made more so by the deep funk now in the offshore oil business. But he and others selling pumps sound upbeat about calls from potential customers looking at ways to add oil output without the cost of drilling wells.

“The (oil) companies’ management is demanding gains to production … but they are not willing to go out and do enormous greenfield projects,” Underwood said.

“The subsea playing field changed a lot after the oil crisis,” said Sven Olson, a senior consultant for Leistritz Advanced Technologies, which sells pumps made by Leistritz, a German manufacturing company, for oil industry use. Rather than major new field investments, oil companies are looking to add barrels by taking better care of existing assets.

The two of them, who work for companies selling big, subsea pumps, use phrases like “enthused by the response we are getting,” “tipping point” for pump use, and Underwood went so far as to declare it a “golden age for subsea pumping.”

To put that in perspective, a major upswing in this sector would not require a lot of orders.

A 2016 survey of the market by Offshore magazine listed only 40 subsea boosting projects in the world, and 11 of those were classified as “abandoned/removed.” The number of working subsea systems that year rose to 17, with 12 projects at various stages of development, it said.

In comparison, there are about 5,000 subsea wells, according to a panel discussion at the 2016 Offshore Technology Conference.

The biggest cluster of new fields on the list is in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Development in ultradeep water, such as Chevron’s Jack/St. Malo, have been equipped with pumps from the start. The goal is to sustain high production in water 7,000-ft deep from fields 25 miles apart to a floating production unit located in between.

“We are using subsea boosting pumps at Jack/St. Malo, and other recent Lower Tertiary fields like Julia and Cascade- Chinook, also use subsea boosting,” said Stephen Thurston, vice president, Deepwater Exploration and Projects, Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company, adding “Folks are seeing the utility and value.”

Those deepwater new field developments were approved before oil prices plunged and exploration and production (E&P) budgets shrank.
New Multilayer Boundary-Detection Service in Bohai Bay, Northern China
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: January 2017

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 176442, “New Multilayer Boundary-Detection Service Employed in Complex and Mature Reservoir in Bohai Bay, Northern China,” by Xija Guo, Yong Jia, Kai Fan, Liuhe Yang, and Guoquan Zhao, CNOOC, and Kai Wu, Fei Wang, Cang Li, and Zhujun Gao, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2015 SPE/IATMI Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Nusa Dua, Indonesia, 20–22 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Bohai Bay is northern China’s largest offshore basin. Its predominant depositional environment is a shallow delta and a meandering river system complicated by faults, an arrangement that leads to fully developed interbed interference and high geological uncertainty when horizontal wells are drilled within the greenfield. As a solution to resulting challenges, a new multilayer boundary-detection service has been introduced. This paper illustrates a case study in which this technology was applied.

Introduction

In 1967, CNOOC began commercially operating the oil and gas resources of the Bohai Sea (Fig. 1). Since then, more than 100 production platforms have been put into operation in a 43 000-km2 exploration area, including both development projects on the greenfield and infill projects on the brownfield.

After long-term development and production, an increasing number of conventional reservoirs have a depleted hydrocarbon capacity and the field’s water cut has increased quickly. Thus, the CNOOC client began to focus on the complex marginal reservoir and the infill projects of the brownfield.

The focus of this paper is to help achieve the geological objectives and, furthermore, optimize production by use of the new multilayer boundary-detection service.

Background

General Geology. The Bohai Bay basin formed at the end of the Tertiary on a crystalline basement solidified from the Archeozoic to the Early-Middle Proterozoic. After deposition in the Middle to Late Proterozoic and the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic, a complex fluvial channel system was generated with features such as disconnected and isolated sand bodies, mingled structures between the hydrocarbon reservoir and aquifer, inconsistent properties both vertically and laterally, and fully developed heterogeneity. As of 1994, the Bohai Bay basin has been known to consist of 47 faulted depressions, in which 170 oil and gas fields have been found.
Upgrading Soft Skills During Boom and Bust Business Cycles
Authors: Eagleson Narandja Milanovich , Fattahi Behrooz , Howes Susan , Solomon Greg , Ben-Naceur Kamel
Published: January 2017

Talent & Technology

It is challenging for the oil and gas industry to survive and thrive despite continued low oil prices. How might individuals and companies prepare for a potential re-emergence of the boom cycle of our industry? During periods of low prices, companies focus on strategies to maintain profit margins, high-grading portfolios of assets, workforce, technology, and knowledge. In 2015, the SPE Soft Skills Committee (SSC) concentrated on soft skills during a downturn in our industry’s business cycle and SSC’s ongoing efforts to institutionalize soft skills within the SPE community (Milanovich-Eagleson et al. 2015). This article emphasizes the importance of soft skills in navigating the inevitable impact of systems and structures on human patterns of behavior.

Systems Dynamics View of Boom to Bust Business Cycle

The cyclical nature of business and the consequences of boom and bust is modeled by a game simulation developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1960s (Senge 1990; Sterman 1989; 1992). The lessons learned from the simulation (Senge 1990; 1994; Sterman 1989) include the use of soft skills to deliver superior business results.

Systems influence patterns of human behavior. Simulations generally compress time and space so that the participants can experience the impact of their own decisions and actions. “All you have to do is meet customer demand and order enough from your own supplier to keep your inventory low while avoiding costly backlogs” (Sterman 1989). The results demonstrate the influence of the system structures on human behavior and the predictable patterns of human thinking. “Though individual games differ quantitatively they always exhibit the same pattern of behavior” (Sterman 1989). System dynamics and mental model soft skills are essential for managing the downturn and the return of higher prices.
SAGD and Fiber-Optic Distributed Acoustic and Temperature Sensing
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: January 2017

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 180726, “SAGD Production Observations With Fiber-Optic Distributed Acoustic and Temperature Sensing,” by Warren MacPhail and James Kirkpatrick, Devon, and Ben Banack, Bryan Rapati, and Alex Ali Asfouri, Halliburton, prepared for the 2016 SPE Canada Heavy Oil Technical Conference, Calgary, 7–9 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Distributed temperature sensing (DTS) is the most common fiberoptic measurement used for steam-assisted- gravity-drainage (SAGD) reservoir monitoring. In 2013, Devon Canada installed DTS in the trial production well at its Jackfish 2 asset. DTS was installed parallel to existing standard instrumentation. In early 2015, a distributed-acoustic-sensing (DAS) fiber-optic line was added in parallel along with multimode optic fiber, allowing simultaneous logging of DTS and DAS. DAS helped to improve confidence in and extend the definition of wellbore effects observed with DTS.

Background

DTS with a fiber-optic cable has been established as a reliable and tested method for monitoring thermal wellbores in heavy-oil production. For its part, DAS has been established as a valuable diagnostic tool in unconventional reservoirs as a completion, stimulation, and production-monitoring tool. DAS interrogators turn a fiber-optic line into an array of thousands of virtual microphones, picking up acoustic signatures across a broad range of frequencies. In SAGD production, DAS has generated significant interest throughout the industry as a potential new reservoir- monitoring tool.
Quadlateral Success Story in a Heavy-Oil Reservoir
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: January 2017

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 180433, “Quadlateral Success Story in a Heavy-Oil Reservoir,” by E. Livingston, D. Lee, M. Werner, B. Tejo, K. Wibisono, and S. Redman, ConocoPhillips, and D. Callis and C. Bostick, Baker Hughes, prepared for the 2016 SPE Western Regional Meeting, Anchorage, 23–26 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

This paper documents the success story of the first quadlateral completion for an Alaskan operator by use of stacked, rotatable, Technical Advancement for Multilaterals Level-3 junction systems. This well is also the first in the world in which the junction system is stacked more than twice in a single well. This quadlateral completion design is the product of targeting multiple formation layers from a single wellbore by use of openhole horizontals with slotted liners. The rotatable, multilateral junction system accommodates the increased number of laterals necessary for continued economic exploitation of the West Sak heavy oil reservoir.

Introduction

The West Sak in the Kuparuk River Unit Drillsite 1D area is a 300-ft-thick Upper Cretaceous shallow marine sequence comprising very-fine-grained single and amalgamated hummocky cross-stratified sandstone beds.

The initial 1997 West Sak development drilling in this area consisted of all vertical producers. The thinner A4, A3, and A2 sands were targeted along with the D and B sands. These wells had fracpack completions for sand control and were supported by vertical water injectors. With the start of horizontal multilateral drilling in 2000, the focus shifted to the thicker D- and B-sand targets using sand-exclusion wire-wrapped screens. In 2004, the completion strategy changed from sand exclusion to sand management, for development to remain economically viable. The 1E and 1J projects used slotted liners and targeted the D, B, and, in some areas, the A sands from a single wellbore by use of dual- and trilateral completions.
Use of Life-Cycle Drilling-Simulation System on Challenging HP/HT Drilling Operation
Authors: Wilson Adam
Published: January 2017

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 178207, “Use of a Life-Cycle Drilling Simulation System on a Challenging HP/ HT Drilling Operation in the Norwegian Sea,” by Laurie Scott, Wintershall; Just Sverre Wessel, SPE, Maersk Training; and Josef Nabavi and Rolv Rommetveit, SPE, eDrilling Solutions, prepared for the 2016 SPE/IADC Middle East Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition, Abu Dhabi, 26–28 January. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

A life-cycle drilling-simulation system (LCDSS) was used during planning, training, and operation in support of a very challenging high-pressure/ high-temperature (HP/HT) drilling operation in the Norwegian Sea. The LCDSS consists of a total modeling system tailor-made for planning, advanced training, and real-time simulation and decision support. This paper presents the LCDSS and elaborates on the use of it in the preparation and training phase and the operational phase, including forecasting.

LCDSS

The LCDSS used in this work consists of advanced dynamic drilling models and diagnosis technology merged with 3D visualization into a virtual wellbore. The interactions between the various drilling models are seamless and are used in the whole drilling value chain—from planning through training and, subsequently, real-time operations with forecasting.

Work-Process Modifications

In order to set up the LCDSS delivery, it became apparent that the existing structure of communication and work processes had to adopt the delivery of this service. Therefore, a thorough evaluation had to be conducted in order to include the service into the operation properly.

The main challenge was to ensure that the operator was allowed access to relevant data when needed without interfering with everyday tasks. To achieve this, a strong communication line had to be established, to ensure that the communication worked optimally among rig, operator, and remote center.
Mitigating Drilling Dysfunction With a Drilling Advisory System
Authors: Wilson Adam
Published: January 2017

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper IPTC 18333, “Mitigating Drilling Dysfunction With a Drilling Advisory System: Results From Recent Field Applications,” by Gregory S. Payette, SPE, Darren Pais, SPE, Benjamin Spivey, SPE, and Lei Wang, SPE, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company; Jeffrey R. Bailey, SPE, and Paul Pastusek, SPE, ExxonMobil Development Company; and Michael Owens, XTO Energy, prepared for the 2015 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Doha, Qatar, 7–9 December. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

The ExxonMobil Drilling Advisory System (DAS) is a rig-based drilling-surveillance and -optimization platform that encourages regular drilloff tests, carefully monitors drilling performance, and provides recommendations for controllable drilling parameters to help improve the overall drilling process. Key technical components of the DAS include high-quality adaptive filtering algorithms for computing various drilling-system-performance measures, data-encapsulation/ dimensionality-reduction techniques, and reduced-order-modeling techniques that are ultimately used to generate recommendations for improved performance.

Introduction

Approximately a decade ago, the company initiated an internal program to pursue real-time rigsite mechanical-specific- energy (MSE) surveillance. MSE, a quantity initially developed and applied in the mining industry and subsequently applied to oilwell drilling, provides a measure of the energy required for a drilling assembly to drill through an interval of subterranean formation; and underefficient drilling conditions correlate with the compressive strength of the rock being drilled. It was quickly demonstrated that frequent drilloff tests using MSE trends to maximize drilling performance were an effective means of optimizing the drilling process. The basic idea was to use MSE trends to identify and respond to drilling-system- performance limiters such as bottomhole-assembly (BHA) whirl, bit balling, and stick/slip, with the ultimate goal of producing consistently better and longer bit runs. The initial program was deemed highly successful and since has become a key component of the rate-of-penetration (ROP) -optimization process.
E&P Notes (November 2016)
Authors: Jacobs Trent , Whitfield Stephen , Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: January 2017

E&P Notes

After Years of Development, Nanoparticle Drilling Fluid Ready

Trent Jacobs, JPT Senior Technology Writer

The challenge for nanotechnology-based drilling fluids is that in order to gain acceptance, they cannot simply match the industry’s conventional chemistries— they must outperform them.

Calgary-based nFluids believes it is among the first to answer that call. The 4-year-old firm is now in the early stages of commercializing its nanoparticle additive that it says is compatible with all types of drilling fluids.

Based on results from nine pilot wells and an independent study by the University of Missouri, the company reports that its nano-additive has achieved up to a 60% increase in wellbore strength, a 90% reduction in fluid losses, and a 50% reduction in friction during drilling— with the latter translating to a faster rate of penetration.

Anticipation, Uncertainty High for Upcoming Mexico Auctions

Stephen Whitfield, Staff Writer

The opening of Mexico’s oil and gas sector was a landmark moment in the industry, but despite the potential upside, the uncertainty and risk surrounding unfamiliar offshore territory in a volatile price market kept many potential investors at bay. Today, more than a year after the first auction of shallow-water blocks, operators have a better idea of what to expect from Mexican authorities, but there are still questions left to be answered with more public bids on the horizon, an expert said.

In a presentation held by the SPE Gulf Coast Section’s International Study Group, Loren Long discussed Talos Energy’s decision to bid on Mexican shallowwater leases, its experiences operating in the country, and his outlook on upcoming auctions. Long is the managing director for Talos’ Mexican operations.

Energy Research Funding the Next Generation

Stephen Rassenfoss, JPT Emerging Technology Senior Editor

When Tom Williams was hired as president of RPSEA, one of the first things he did was change the title of the technology development organization’s September conference. At the end of The Best of RPSEA 10 Years of Research, he added, “and Beyond.”

The decision was made shortly before the September gathering because he said the original made it sound “like a funeral. You are saying this is it.”

That was a worry because the organization had failed to find funding to replace the dwindling cash flow from a US Department of Energy (DOE) program that the US Congress had killed before it was scheduled to expire.

At the meeting Williams emphasized, “It is not it. We are a viable organization that will keep going.”
SPE Annual Conference Confronts the Future
Authors: Donnelly John , Rassenfoss Stephen , Jacobs Trent
Published: January 2017

Conference review

SPE held its first Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in the Middle East in September, as 7,500 industry professionals from 94 countries met to discuss topics under the theme of “E&P 2.0: Transforming and Shaping the Future.”

The event took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and drew senior speakers from operators, service companies, and academia.

The conference opened with addresses from the leading executives of two of the region’s oil giants. Amin H. Nasser, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Saudi Aramco, delivered the conference opening keynote address, and the welcome keynote speech was given by Abdul Munim Saif Al Kindy, director of exploration development and production for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Both Nasser and Al Kindy struck similar themes about the need for both the industry and their respective state oil companies to change strategy in light of the oil and gas sector’s current economic challenges.

Despite growth in alternative energy sources, hydrocarbons will supply the world’s energy needs for years to come, said Nasser. He called the current oil industry in recovery mode but still weak. “Despite recent oil price volatility, the market is reaching balance,” but likely will remain volatile in the near term, he said. Firms with both upstream and downstream businesses will remain in better shape, he added.

Nasser laid out Saudi Aramco’s four-point framework for the future, which has similar applications to the broader industry, he said. The plan focuses on resilience, innovation, managing talent, and collaboration. Noting that many smaller companies have filed for bankruptcy because they were overleveraged, he emphasized that a strong financial position, and diversity beyond just the upstream, will help companies survive in times such as these. It also allows for continued investment in technology and building capable human resources.
Improvements in Root-Cause Analysis of Drillstring Vibration
Authors: Wilson Adam
Published: January 2017

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper IADC/SPE 178819, “Improvements in the Root-Cause Analysis of Drillstring Vibration,” by Jeremy A. Greenwood, SPE, Halliburton, prepared for the 2016 IADC/ SPE Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, 1–3 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Drillstring vibration is a leading cause of downhole-tool failure and premature wear of downhole equipment. The main challenges faced during drilling include performing rapid analyses to determine the root cause of the vibration, clear identification of the active mechanism, and implementation of the appropriate corrective action quickly enough to prevent failure. This paper describes a comprehensive methodology created to identify root causes, vibration mechanisms, and methods to reduce or eliminate drillstring vibration.

Introduction

A bottomhole assembly (BHA) and drillstring have six degrees of freedom and three dominant modes of vibration: axial, lateral, and torsional. This movement is used to describe the different vibration mechanisms such as stick/slip; bit bounce; bit whirl; BHA whirl, both forward and backward; torsional resonance; bit chatter; modal coupling; and lateral shocks. Data are collected from downhole and surface sensors, as well as cuttings analyses, that measure modes and magnitudes of vibration, tension, compression, and bending within the BHA; drilling parameters; fluid properties; and lithology and rock properties. The methodology uses some or all of these factors to identify the root cause and is enhanced by the ability to summarize the distribution of vibration levels across a run, by histogram analysis, and by the ability to filter across time or depth ranges and filter further on the basis of rig-activity codes. A combination of factors generates or influences drillstring vibration, including the energy inputs of weight on bit and torque; bit type; BHA design and stabilization; lithology type; geological structures; bit/lithology interaction; borehole and BHA size; hole trajectory; back-reaming or rotating off-bottom; hole enlargement; the rig’s electrical system; and, on offshore floating vessels, rig heave.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEARCH METHOD FOR NON-LINEAR SHIFT REGISTERS USING HARDWARE, IMPLEMENTED ON FIELD PROGRAMMABLE GATE ARRAYS
Authors: Poluyanenko Nikolay
Published: January 2017

The nonlinear feedback shift registers of the second order inare considered, because based on them it can be developed a generator of stream ciphers with enhanced cryptographic strength. Feasibility of nonlinear feedback shift register search is analyzed. These registers form a maximal length sequence, using programmable logic devices. Performance evaluation of programmable logic devices in the generation of pseudo-random sequence by nonlinear feedback shift registers is given. Recommendations to increase this performance are given. The dependence of the maximum generation rate (clock frequency), programmable logic devices on the number of concurrent nonlinear registers is analyzed. A comparison of the generation rate of the sequences that are generated by nonlinear feedback shift registers is done using hardware and software. The author suggests, describes and explores the search method of nonlinear feedback shift registers, generating a sequence with a maximum period. As the main result are found non-linear 26, 27, 28 and 29 degrees polynomials.
The Interactive Whiteboard: Uses, Benefits, and Challenges. A survey of 11,683 Students and 1,131 Teachers | Le tableau blanc interactif : usages, avantages et défis. Une enquête auprès de 11 683 élèves et 1131 enseignants
Authors: Karsenti Thierry
Published: January 2017

Over the past five years, the interactive whiteboard (IWB) has been massively introduced into schools across the province of Quebec, Canada. This study explores how the IWB is being used, and the associated benefits and challenges. Data on 11,683 students (from 4th year elementary to grade 12) and 1,131 teachers were collected with five instruments: 1) a survey questionnaire for all students, 2) a survey questionnaire for all teachers, 3) individual interviews with teachers, 4) group interviews with teachers, and 5) group interviews with students. Far from calling into question the need to integrate technology into education, the results reveal that certain tools, such as the IWB, may be more complicated and time-consuming to integrate than others. However, despite teachers’ reports of technical problems, the IWB appears to have real educational potential.Au cours des dernières années les tableaux blancs interactifs (TBI) ont été massivement introduits dans les écoles du Québec (Canada). Cette étude explore comment cet outil numérique est utilisé, de même que les avantages et les défis qui y sont associés. Les données ont été recueillies auprès de 11 683 élèves (de la 4e à la 12e année) et 1 131 enseignants avec cinq outils de collecte de données: 1) un questionnaire d’enquête pour tous les élèves; 2) un questionnaire d’enquête pour tous les enseignants; 3) des entrevues individuelles avec des enseignants; 4) des entrevues de groupe avec des enseignants; 5) des entrevues de groupe avec des élèves. Loin de remettre en question l’intégration des technologies en éducation, les résultats de cette étude révèlent plutôt que certains outils, comme le TBI, peuvent parfois être plus complexes et chronophages à utiliser que d’autres. Néanmoins, même si plusieurs enseignants ont souligné les nombreux problèmes techniques, le TBI comporte un grand potentiel éducatif.
Philosophy as Verse-Performance: five poems and a formalist prospectus
Authors: Norris Christopher
Published: January 2017

This article consists of five poems and an introductory essay. The poems are intended on the one hand to make a case for the currently underrated virtues of poetic formalism, i.e., for the revival of rhyme and meter as aspects of poetic practice. On the other they argue for a distinctly philosophical mode of poetry that embraces the values of conceptual or rational discourse as against a romantic-modernist conception premised on the intrinsic superiority of lyric, metaphor, symbol, analogy, and suchlike touchstone values. These issues are laid out programmatically in the opening essay and developed in a more performative as well as formal way in the five poems.
A Distributed Heuristic Algorithm for Delay Constrained Energy Efficient Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Huynh Trong-Thua , Tran Cong-Hung , Dinh-Duc Anh-Vu
Published: January 2017

Besides energy restriction, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) should be able to provide bounded end-to-end delay when they are used to support real-time applications such as early forest fire alarm systems. In this paper, we investigate the problem of finding the least energy consumption route subject to a delay constraint with low computational complexity in such networks. Based on the distance-vector routing approach, which has less computational complexity and message overhead, we propose a distributed heuristic algorithm called Delay Constrained Energy Efficient Routing (DCEER) in order to minimize the total energy consumption while meeting the end-to-end delay requirement. DCEER only requires a moderate amount of information at each sensor node and does not suffer from the excessive running time. We prove that our proposed algorithm always finishes within a finite time and the computation complexity is only O(n), where n is a divisor of the number of sensor nodes. By mathematical proof and simulation, we verify that DCEER is suitable for large-scale WSNs because the number of messages exchanged between sensor nodes are represented by a polynomial function. Furthermore, we evaluate our proposal to compare its performance with related protocols.
A New Method of Argali (Ovis ammon) Capture using Horsemen and Drive-nets
Authors:   Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver CO 80205, USA,rramey@dmns.org,, Ramey I Rob Roy , Tserenbataa Tuya ,   Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 51, Mongolia,, Amgalanbaatar Sukhiin ,   Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 51, Mongolia,, Namshir Z. ,   Argali Wildlife Research Center, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Published: January 2017

Argali sheep (Ovis ammon) were live captured for radio-collaring using horsemen as the primarymeans to herd them into drive nets. Two adult argali ewes, one argali lamb, and one adult ibex ewe werecaptured by drive-netting in five days effort in Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve, Mongolia, in September2002. This represents the first use of this low tech, efficient, and low cost method for live capture ofargali.
FORMA URBANA E PROCESSOS SOCIOESPACIAIS: Reflexões sobre o Aglomerado Urbano de Macapá e Santana na Amazônia Setentrional Amapaense
Authors: Santos Romário Valente , Costa Santos Emmanuel Raimundo
Published: January 2017

A criação do estado do Amapá (1988), a constituição da Área de Livre Comércio de Macapá e Santana (1992), elevados índices de migração desde a década de 1980 e crescimento econômico no decorrer da primeira década do século XXI, colaboraram, entre outros, para promover alteração no ritmo de urbanização nessa porção do espaço amazônico. Foi a partir desse contexto político e socioeconômico, que as cidades de Macapá e Santana localizadas na margem esquerda da Foz do Amazonas, passaram a configurar como os principais centros urbanos da Amazônia Setentrional Amapaense (ASA). Praticamente conurbadas concentram atualmente 75% da população do Amapá e exercem influencia sobre o território desse estado e de alguns municípios paraenses. É nesse sentido que esse artigo objetiva discutir a dinâmica urbana de Macapá e Santana com ênfase na estruturação e reestruturação da cidade e do urbano, analisados a partir da perspectiva da teoria da polarização, do estruturalismo e da lógica de um aglomerado urbano, resultado, sobretudo, das complementaridades urbanas entre a capital de estado e a cidade portuária, considerando que essa sub-região não possui acesso rodoviário. Destaca-se enquanto técnica de pesquisa os trabalhos de campo e a produção cartográfica, que permitiu levantamento de dados diretos sobre o crescimento vertical de Macapá e aos loteamentos residenciais ao longo dos eixos de expansão, os quais foram espacializados na malha urbana e interurbana. Esses e outros processos socioespaciais tem produzido uma nova forma urbana das cidades em questão, marcada por mudanças e permanências, principalmente ligadas à nova dinâmica do capital na ASA. PALAVRAS-CHAVES | Aglomerado Urbano de Macapá e Santana, Forma Urbana, Processos socioespaciais, Reestruturação Urbana e Reestruturação da Cidade.
Transcaucasia: Towards a New Explosion?
Authors: Mukhanov V. M.
Published: January 2017

The article attempts to analyze the current situation in Transcaucasia and identify the main actors, factors of influence and forces that shape the processes of domestic development in a number of republics of the region. The author comes to the conclusion that the region is in a state of “cooldown”, after 25 years of almost continual instability which, in turn, was a source of numerous internal conflicts. However, broad analysis of internal situation in the states of Transcaucasia with the inclusion of foreign influences shows a more complex landscape. Major players, such as the US and Russia, avoid increasing their presence in the region, which opens a wideWINDOW of opportunities for regional powers, such as Turkey and Iran. Against the background of decreasing interest in Transcaucasia by the world leaders, the region is returning to its historical status as a periphery. This process is characterized by a reduction in the influence of foreign actors and a rise in the role of the factors that cause general instability. These include, first and foremost, unresolved conflicts, unstable political, social and economic situation at home and specific political behaviors displayed by local elites. The April war of 2016 in Nagorno-Karabakh indicates a violation of the status quo and may lead to a high probability of new clashes in the conflict zone. The war highlighted a complex set of problems faced by Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent years. In both countries, against a backdrop of degrading economies, there is a growing split between the government and the society, as well as tensions within the elites. Similar processes are on the rise in Georgia. The situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is somewhat different, as the two countries could be classified as periphery to a periphery, and thus are developing in isolation from the common Caucasian agenda. Nevertheless, these countries also show a complex set of internal contradictions which tend to break out from time to time. This is symptomatic of a serious challenge facing the region. The countries that emerged on the other side of the Caucasus Mountains since 1991 are still searching for optimal models of national development.