bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modeling of CO2 Leakage from CCS into Overlying Formations - Quest CCS Monitoring Evaluation
Authors: Duer Jeff 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
Commercial-scale deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a viable greenhouse gas emissions reduction technology requires that the CO2 be confidently contained in geological formations with no risk of groundwater contamination. To ensure containment is adequately monitored, an evaluation of what a potential leak could look like and how it can be detected is required. This paper is an example from the Quest CCS operation in Alberta, Canada.
Quest commenced operation in August of 2015 at a rate of 1 MT/year into two injection wells. After two years of operations, the project’s rigorous monitoring program has demonstrated that the reservoir is behaving as expected and no leaks have been detected. However, hypothetical leak paths have been investigated and modeled. Four scales of models have been used to evaluate the risks associated with the hypothetical leak paths and therefore on containment: (1) Geological structural models - Regional Static Model, Field Dynamic Model, (2) Legacy well - Well Brine Leak Path Model (3) CO2 Leakage - Injection Well CO2 Leak Path Model, and (4) Leak detection - Cooking Lake Model. The results of the modelling were used in the evaluation of the Quest project proposal, the current operating strategy, and the measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV) plan.
The results of the leak path models demonstrate that the risk of a CO2 leakage from the Quest storage operation is very low. Regional modeling of the overburden confirmed that no leak pathways in the project area could be identified. Field level dynamic modelling demonstrated that injected CO2 is not expected to reach far field legacy wells, but the potential for elevated reservoir pressure displacing saline brine into usable ground water could be a risk if insufficient well count. The impact of a brine leak path was modeled and concluded to be negligible as the overlying under pressured cooking lake formation was concluded to be an effective pressure sink. As the injection wells have the highest pressures and concentrations of CO2 in the reservoir, despite excellent wellbore integrity, they are the most likely location for a theoretical CO2 leak path. It was both concluded that the buoyancy force was a very slow moving affect and that the cooking lake formation ultimately acts as a pressure sink. Therefore, the cooking lake was modeled to understand what pressure response could be expected and whether a leak into those formations could be detected. It was concluded that material leaks at the injection well would be differentiable from baseline pressure drift at the monitoring wells.
New Sand Screen Increases the Reliability of Sand Control in Water Injection Wells by Mitigating Common Failure Mechanisms
Authors: Charles Jack , Fipke Steven 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
The production of both fines and matrix sand into the well bore is a common problem in water injection wells due to transient pressure and flow events. Conventional sand control techniques do not manage these transient events effectively, and the reliability of the sand control can be compromised as a result.
In injection wells, a shutdown event results in a sudden stoppage of flow causing a surge which can result in powerful downhole pressure transient effects such as back-flow, cross-flow, and water-hammer. These effects can mobilize sand particles in the near-wellbore resulting in an influx of fine particles, screen plugging and erosion. Eventually, the accumulation of debris in the well can lower or block injection rates to the point where a water injector well must be repaired or replaced to maintain the injection volumes required for pressure maintenance and sweep in the reservoir.
A new, sand screen compatible completion was designed with an array of integral non-return valves (NRV) to address these challenges. This paper will present an overview of the product development with computation fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, flow-loop and laboratory testing. Design considerations of any potential adverse effects of the new non-return valves, such as plugging and erosion, were studied extensively in lab tests on a series of valve designs. Non-return valve completions could have the benefit of increasing injection volumes and extending the life-cycle of water injections wells.
Partial Processing: Produced Water Debottlenecking Unlocks Production on Offshore Thailand MOPU Platform
Authors: Rawlins C. H. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
An operator in the western Gulf of Thailand installed two water management Partial Processing systems on their D and E Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) platforms to increase oil production. Electric submergible pump (ESP) wells connect to each MOPU for primary gas-liquid separation. The produced liquids, at ~90% water cut, are piped to a dedicated Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) tanker for water separation and oil storage. The separated water is pumped back to the MOPU for re-injection disposal. High volumes of produced water created bottlenecks at the MOPU separator and the MOPU-FSO transfer lines (both directions), which then limited oil production. Additionally, substantial energy is spent on fluid heating to prevent wax formation in the flow lines to the FSO. Much of this heat is lost to the bulk water phase. In 2016, a Partial Processing system was retrofit on each MOPU process facility for bulk removal and treatment of produced water. Water removed at the production manifold is treated and transferred directly to the injection system, thus bypassing the primary separation, transfer piping, fluid heating, and FSO storage facilities. Water debottlenecking increases oil production by 80% and reduces the in-field transfer volume by 62%. This Partial Processing project is a step-change in field economics, allowing a three-month payback. Field layout, water cut issues, and the Partial Processing solution are detailed. Partial Processing has increased revenue and reduced operating costs at the facility.
Comparison of Shale Oil Production Forecasting using Empirical Methods and Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Suhag Anuj , Ranjith Rahul , Aminzadeh Fred 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
The objective of this work is to evaluate the efficacy of empirical models in forecasting oil production in shale reservoirs, bycomparing and analyzing their fit and effectiveness to our dataset. The following three modelswere considered: A Conventional Decline Curve Analysis (CDC), an Unconventional Rate Decline (URD) Approach, and a Logistics Growth Analysis (LGA) method. A comparative study is performed to evaluate the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for production forecasts and to reinforce the thinking that it is imperative to include physical parameters in mathematical models to predict accurateforecasts.
For this project, we used non-linear regression to fit empirical models to the dataset obtained from North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC). We evaluated the fit of modelswith the help of coefficient of determination. Physical parameters, such as porosity, saturation, shale volume, etc., and log data from sonic logs, gamma ray logs, etc., were selected as input to the ANN model andwere aided by Analysis of Variances (ANOVA).
Amongst the empirical models for shale play, URD method is the most commonly used since it is idealfor fractured reservoirs with extremely low permeability. URD model did fit the cumulative production profiles, but could not accurately fit the monthly production profile. The CRD approach was overallunsuccessful in generating accurate future production profiles. Values forecasted from the ANN show less than 10% error in estimation. The inclusion of physical parameters has proven to be extremely promising in the forecast production from fields that do not have sufficient history for statistical fitting.
Through aselection of physical properties from different sources, we have built an ANN model that fits with the production data in wells that have adiverse production history. Our work has shown the importance of including physical parameters into a process that was heretofore seen as a time series regression problem. In general, our new ANN-based method generated the best results.
Adaptive Homogenization for Upscaling Heterogeneous Porous Medium
Authors: Singh Gurpreet , Amanbek Yerlan , Wheeler Mary F. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
One of the major objectives in the development of upscaling approaches is to reduce the computational costs associated with solving fine scale flow and transport problems in heterogeneous porous media. This is due to the availability of reservoir rock property data at fine spatial scales, such as facies distributions, obtained from geological models and field data from well logs. The data sets from each of these sources are themselves at different spatial scales which further adds to the computational challenge. The upscaling approach must not only accommodate these disparate data sets but also capture the flow physics accurately while maintaining computational efficiency. We present a novel upscaling approach which draws upon previous developments of two-scale homogenization (Amaziane et al., 2006) to obtain coarse scale properties in addition to dynamic mesh refinement using an enhanced velocity mixed finite element method (EV MFEM) (Wheeler et al., 2002). A transient region is defined where changes in saturation/concentration are above a chosen threshold compared to a non-transient region where these are relatively small. Since most of the recovery technologies employed in oil and gas field operations involve flooding the subsurface porous medium; as in the case of water-flooding, chemical or gas enhanced oil recovery (EOR), these aforementioned transient regions are usually restricted to much smaller subdomains of the entire reservoir domain. The computational efficiency is achieved by using coarse scale parameters, from numerical homogenization, in the non-transient region. Furthermore, the solution accuracy is preserved by using fine scale information only in the transient region. The numerical results section shows that our adaptive homogenization approach closely captures fine scale flow and transport features while maintaining a computational speedup of approximately 4 times for a variety of permeability distributions extracted from the SPE 10 comparative upscaling project (Christie and Blunt, 2001).
Fresh Water Neutral: Managing Water Use and Giving Back to the Environment
Authors: Greaves R. , Hartstein R. , Lincicome D. , Beck P. , Boothe M. , Olson K. E. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
Southwestern Energy (SWN) is committed to offsetting our fresh water footprint by reducing fresh water use and replenishing any fresh water that is used, barrel for barrel, through conservation projects, i.e., "Fresh water Neutral". In 2013, thecompany launched the Energy Conserving Water (ECH2O®) initiative with the goal of becoming fresh water neutral in all operations within three years. SWN achieved this status in 2016 within each of the operating divisions across the company, thus meeting the program objective. This paper presents the challenges encountered and offers lessons learned.
The first step in the program was to create a small corporate team to investigate all aspects of the operational water life cycle, seeking to optimize fresh water use at similar economic returns compared with other projects. Successfully refining the approach to water management involved several key elements: 1) commitment from company leadership and support across all operations, 2) operational goals to progress the program, 3) accounting for all water used, 4) modification of completion designs, 5) increased use of alternative, non-fresh water, and 6) supporting research in groundwater protection and water treatment technologies.
Even though the process of optimizing water management aids in reducing fresh water needs, there continues to be a critical demand for the use of fresh water in operations. To offset this use, SWN has participated in conservation projects located in each operational area. The conservation projects are selected for the fresh water benefit they generate for the surrounding environment.
Becomingfresh water neutral in each operational division required several changes and improvements in everyday work practices. Over time, it also changed the mindset of water management across the company. Today fresh water use is viewed differently and there is an impetus to use alternative sources whenever economically and operationally feasible. Also, the conservation projects SWN has completed have created a sense of pride in our company's environmental approach and strengthened bonds with the communities where we work.
The continuing challenge is to remain fresh water neutral, while dealing with short-term changes that occur in operational pace and activity levels.
Modeling and Simulation of Transport Phenomena in Organic-Rich Marcellus Shale Rock Matrix
Authors: Goral Jan , Miskovic Ilija , Deo Milind 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
The growing worldwide energy demand has greatly stimulated the exploration and production of unconventional oil and gas resources. Because of the large amount of reserves, shale oil and gas is one of the most promising unconventional energy resources. Therefore, considerable efforts are being undertaken by many research programs to make this resource successfully and economically available. Understanding pore network evolution along with transport phenomena within shale rock matrix is an important issue. The constituents of shale rock matrix include organic matter, nonorganic matter, and pore network. It has been shown for shales that the majority of the pores are isolated from each other, with some evidence for certain pores to form individual systems not necessarily connected with each other. However, hydrocarbons could potentially diffuse through organic matter from one system to another, providing a potentially important production mechanism to supplement the more conventional pressure-driven flow through connected pore systems.
Here we present a comprehensive modeling and simulation framework, using digital rock physics (DRP), for diffusion flux analysis in organic-rich Marcellus shale rock matrix. First, three-dimensional (3D) models of the shale rock matrix are reconstructed from nano X-ray microscopy (nano-XRM) and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) images. Subsequently, the organic-matter-related and nonorganic-matter-related pores are separated from each other, which allow for the integrationof mineralogy and porosity for the most realistic transport phenomenamodeling and simulation in shale reservoir matrix. Second, anewly created 3D representation of the organic matter network is used as an input to model/simulate diffusion flux through the selected region of interest (ROI). Finally, the impact of obtained results on transport phenomena within shale is analyzed.
Results indicate that the organic-matter-related pore network strongly dominates over the nonorganic-related pore network within the investigated rock sample. This suggests a strong relationship between porosity and organic content. This creates possible flow pathway channels for the gas and/or liquid to migrate through organic matrix from one pore system to another. The size of the pore-organic matter systems and components, and the connectivity of thesesystems within the shale rock matrix, are key controls on the delivery of fluid from pore to fracture and then towellbore. Results presented in this study are aimed providing new insight into the effects of the matrix composition on transport phenomena in the example from the Marcellus Shale reservoir.
Balanced Scorecard and Strategic Map Applied to Portfolio Management
Authors: Luis Creus Fernando 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
In June 2014, the oil price began an unpredictable steep decline after more than three years of being over the barrier of the 100 USD/Barrel (Brent). By the end of that year, the commodity lost 43% of its market value, reaching at the beginning of 2016 a minimum value of 27.88 USD/Barrel (Brent). The purpose of this paper is not to explain the forces that determine the price of the crude oil, but the question is: How many companies were prepared in June 2014 to face a 75% reduction in the value of their projects? How many of them could be defined as resilient organizations, with the ability to "survive adversity and to thrive in a world of uncertainty?"1
There is a valuable bibliography related to Reservoir Management, defined as the process that "optimizes the interaction between data and decision making during the life cycle of a field".2 Nevertheless, this position assumes that the top management has already decided the group of projects to carry out. The first pillar is missing: how to build a portfolio that enables executives, given a specific scenario, to select the proper combination of projects and to truly execute the optimal strategy for the company. While Reservoir Management works on each project separately, Portfolio Management brings the systemic approach in "understanding and exploiting the interplay among both existing and potential projects"3
This paper put forward the Balanced Scorecard and the Strategic Map applied to Portfolio Management as the nexus between Portfolio and Reservoir Management, and as the tools that enable executives to select the best strategy to cushion market volatility and translate it into actions.
Novel Mathematical Models to predict Preformed Particle Gel Placement and Propagation through Fractures
Authors: Fakher Sherif , Bai Baojun , Imqam Abdulmohsin , Wang Yanling 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
Preformed particle gel (PPG) treatments have been widely used in the industry in order to improve conformance by overcoming reservoir heterogeneity. In this study, several correlations have been generated and validated experimentally in order to model millimeter gel particles’, also referred to as PPG, propagation and placement in fractures, open hole plates, and void spaces. Three Experimental setups were used in order to study the factors affecting gel propagation in fractures, channels modeled by open hole plates, and void spaces modeled using tubes. The setups were used in order to study the effect of flow rate, fracture width, and gel strength on the resistance factor, and the gel injection pressure gradient. From the results, the data analysis was conducted using statistical tools to deduce if the three experimental models where consistent, and if so, generate three mathematical models, Resistance Factor versus the Shear Rate, Pressure Gradient vs Flow rate, and, Pressure Gradient versus Fracture Width. A validation of each correlation was performed using data not used in the generation of the correlations. A high accuracy fit was obtained during the validation of each of the correlations. The gel strength was included in all the newly developed models since it affects the gel propagation. This makes them a significant tool in order to accurately predict the pressure gradient of the PPG while it is being injected by simply knowing the particles’ gel strength, the flow rate used to inject the particles, and the fracture width. Pressure gradients, obtained using this correlation, were also plotted with pressure gradients obtained from in-situ gel injection. The correlation predicted higher pressure gradients than those of the in-situ gel, which is true since the particles are solids, whereas the in-situ gel is injected as a fluid. The resistance factor model was also used to validate a previously generated model that was used in the UTGEL Simulator. Based on the validation of all the newly developed mathematical models, they can be used to predict the gel particles’ injection and propagation through fractures, channels, and void spaces with high accuracy. This is a large addition in terms of PPG treatment since no previous models could accurately predict the gel placement and propagation in these reservoir features. By proving the accuracy of the models using the lab results these correlations can save largely on time by directly predicting the gel injection pressure gradient and resistance factors, rather than having to perform extensive lab experiments. Also, the correlations can help in properly performing a PPG treatment, while avoiding complications such as pump failure and formation fracturing.
Empowering Technical Professionals with Effective Soft Skills Leads to A More Successful Business
Authors: Dalrymple Lori Rene , Dalrymple Eldon Dwyann 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
Soft skills are a collection of people management skills. In the current economic atmosphere of the oil and gas industry, technical skills alone are insufficient for career success. Engineering professionals tend to prioritize technical skills over soft skills, however, the demands of their jobs require effective leading, speaking, listening, communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution "soft skills". The industry has had to make some very difficult decisions in the last few years. Many companies have opted to hire or retain technical professionals with excellent soft skills, who are adaptable, effective communicators, who are adept at collaboration and team management.
Technical skills and Soft skills if combined, create a synergistic effect that enables the technical professional to effectively communicate their needs or strategies. Being able to effectively communicate through confident speaking, listening, feedback, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and effective interpersonal skills create a positive environment that is conducive to a successful outcome through collaboration. Increasing numbers of University Petroleum Engineering Programs are beginning to add "soft skills" to their curriculum because they recognize the human to human skill factor is crucial to overall technical career success.
With the rigorous demands of the engineering curriculum, it is difficult for academia to provide adequate training in soft skills. This is one of the reasons that SPE has initiated a Soft Skills Committee, offering Webinars, Workshops, ATCE Sessions, Journal Articles, and Papers, to provide crucial soft skills training in the industry and to direct technical professionals to other avenues of training to enhance their abilities, thereby increasing their effectiveness in their chosen technical careers.
With the loss of over 350,000 jobs in the recent industry downturn, this paper the results of quantitative and qualitative studies which provide insight into the importance of soft skills and how they relate to the success of technical professionals. Data will be provided through industry market trends, professional studies of soft skills for engineer’s career success, and surveys of industry management. It will be illustrated that the blending of technical knowledge with effective soft skills abilities can increase the overall success of the engineer, and the success of the company.
Keeping Qualification and Competence Simple
Authors: Nuttall Kent R. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract
Competency programs currently focus on behaviors. Behaviors are difficult to measure, and are not directly associated with achievement of desired business results. By basing the programs on accomplishments, or work outputs, that are tied directly to desired business results, qualification and competence programs are simpler to use, more aligned and less subjective, and thus liberate behavior for more innovation.