bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Accelerated Career Development for Upstream Digital Professionals Using Performance-Based Training
Authors: Lau Kenneth K. , Abdulkhaaliq Nashid 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Saudi Aramco has established the Upstream Professional Development Center(UPDC) to train its geoscientists and engineers to independently and proficiently conduct a wide range of exploration and production operations and its systems analysts in providing a collaborative environment for executing these operations. Its purpose is not to replace academic institutions but rather to complement them by introducing activity and performance-based training (PBT) programs. The objective is not only to improve theorganization's overall performance level but to raise the standards of its entire workforce as well.
This paper describes how UPDC's Upstream Computing job family designs, develops and delivers its courses for recently hired Upstream digital professionals(computer scientists and software engineers). It outlines how to effectively train them to acquire a fundamental understanding of a wide range of oil and gas exploration and production (Upstream) operations and to use this knowledge to support, maintain and develop an equally wide range of software applications used for facilitating everyday Upstream operations.
Saudi Aramco's systems analysts are loaned by their line organizations to UPDC to design and implement these courses based on their work experiences and best practices. To teach and/or re-enforce technical concepts, and for employees to gain appreciation of these practices, over 50% of class time is devoted to activities, assessments, reviews and discussions. For the advancement of mid-career digital professionals, performance-based curriculums (identified by Saudi Aramco as ?career professional curriculums?) are also being developed. An overview on how these curriculums are designed based on job outcome requirements will be outlined. UPDC instructors use advanced audiovisual, animation and simulation technologies for effective course delivery and promoting in-class activity participation.
Low BTU Gas Monetisation Technology Commercial Evaluation
Authors: Shabbir Ghulam 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Natural gas is normally composed of three types of group components; i.e., hydrocarbons, inert and sour components.
The natural gas hydrocarbon component consists of light straight chain hydrocarbons; i.e., methane, ethane, propane, butanes, pentane, etc. The inert component consists of nitrogen and water vapors whereas the sour component normally consists of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), mercaptans, carbonyl sulfide, etc.
The inert and sour components need to be removed to control the high heating value (HHV) of sales gas to a minimum of 930 BTU/SCF to meet the desired fuel gas specification and to keep sour gas content to a permissible limit in terms of health and safety regulations.
Gas purification and treatment technologies are required for removing the inert and sour gas components. Normally, a gas containing more than 20 mol% inert and sour gases is termed a sub quality natural gas (SQNG). This type of gas is normally a lean gas with less heavy hydrocarbon components and has a lower heating value. The inert and sour components need to be removed to meet the sales gas and fuel gas specifications.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has various undeveloped low BTU gas fields with significant gas reserves in the southern and northern part. Low BTU or "trash" gas monetization is required to meet the Kingdom's growing future gas demand, minimize crude oil burning and spare crude oil for export.
The Saudi Aramco Gas Operation department is responsible for future gas development as well as the operation and optimization of the existing gas plants. Due to the growth in energy demand in the kingdom, Saudi Aramco is considering and evaluating whether it should develop low BTU gases. In this regard, Saudi Aramco has undertaken several initiatives and carried out many technical and commercial studies to develop and monetize gas resources.
Applications of Bio and Nanotechnologies in the Oil and Gas Industry. Recent Progress
Authors: Hobbulovich Zaynullov Timur , Abdulaevna Magdova Lyubov 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
The efficiency of oil extraction from oil-containing reservoir is unsatisfactory all over the world. The average oil recovery among different countries is from 25 to 40%. Unrecoverable oil resources reaches up to 70% from the geological oil reserves. Besides it should be noted that major oil fields of the oil-producing country, including certainly Russia, move to the late stage of development, characterized by a passive increase in water cut and decrease of oil production. However, the oil reserves in the fields with water cut over 90% at the late stage are formidable. Therefore creating of new extracting technologies is an actual problem nowadays.
For example nanoparticles with noticeable alteration in optical, magnetic, and electrical properties compared to their bulk counterparts, are excellent tools for the development of sensors and the formation of imaging contrast agents. Nanosensors deployed in the pore space by means of «nanodust» can provide data on reservoir characterization, fluid-flow monitoring, and fluid-type recognition.
As for production nanomaterials-based solutions can contend with corrosive impurities, high temperatures and pressures, shock loads, abrasion, and other hostile environmental conditions. Drilling equipment and platforms can be made or coated with nanomaterials for improved corrosion-resistance, wear-resistance, shock-resistance, and enhanced thermal conductivity.
A Methodology for Rapidly Predicting and Minimising Solid Particle Erosion in Oil-Gas Equipment
Authors: Wong Chong Y. , Solnordal Christopher B. , Boulanger Joan 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Solid particle erosion in exploration and production equipment poses an inherent risk to all oil and gas facilities. As such, pre-emptive measures need to be employed to predict the longevity of these equipment. This paper presents a methodology to rapidly focus on the qualitative erosion hot-spots and to quantify the local erosion rate on a specific equipment both experimentally and numerically. A qualitative multilayer paint erosion modelling is first applied to the object of interest. This assumes that erosion of the paint surface is similar to the erosion rate trend of the target metal of interest. This is followed by quantitative surface profile measurements in the vicinity of the erosion hot-spots. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation of the particle flow path and subsequent impacts on the parent surface is conducted. However, prior to conducting the CFD simulations, an empirical erosion sub-model is required. This sub-model is obtained by fitting empirical curves to data obtained from physical erosion of cylinder-in-pipe samples. Once validation with experimental data is achieved, optimization can be made using computer-aided design and CFD to minimise or eliminate the erosion hot-spots. The present paper illustrates this technique via simple flow configurations commonly occurring in exploration equipment and production pipelines.
Successful Implementation of Zirconate Borate Based Dual Crosslinked Gel and Continuous Mixing System During Proppant Fracturing Treatment in a Complex High Temperature and High Pressure Sandstone Gas Reservoir in Saudi Arabia that Exceeded the Well Objective and Showed Substantial Increase in Operational Efficiency - A Case Study
Authors: Driweesh Saad M. , Al-Atwi Mohammed A. , Malik Ataur R. , Duarte Olarte Jorge E. , Leal Jauregui Jairo A. , Bolarinwa Simeon  O. 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
The success in a proppant fracture treatment depends on achieved effective fracture half-length and vertical proppant distribution. The desired fracture geometry can be challenging to achieve in deep and heterogeneous sandstone reservoirs in Saudi Arabia where temperature (up to 350 °F) and pressure are very high. Conventional borate based cross-linked polymer guar gel as a fracturing fluid — for high pressure high temperature (HPHT) reservoir in KSA — is outside of the optimum envelope as far as required rheology is concerned and exhibits extreme sensitivity to brine quality at bottom hole static temperature (BHST). A new fracturing fluid consisting of Carboxymethyl-Hydroxypropyl Guar (CMHPG) crosslinked with dual-crosslinker (Borate and Zirconate) has been found to be a more suitable fluid — than only borate based crosslinked fluid — for HPHT gas wells. This new fracturing fluid provides stable rheology under bottom-hole conditions, is compatible with reservoir fluids, and has excellent proppant-suspending and leak-off properties, while providing improved retained proppant permeability.
Most sandstone gas completed with cased-hole or Multi-Stage-Frac completions in Saudi Arabia require large size proppant fracture treatments. The base potassium chloride (KCl) brine and linear gel are batch-mixed prior to fracturing treatment. This batch mixing process is time consuming and takes up to 3 days per stage fracture treatment. A significant increase in operational efficiency and fracturing fluid quality was observed when all fracturing additives, including: solid polymer and liquid Organic Clay Stabilizer (OCS), a KCl substitute; were used on-the-fly in a HPHT gas well during proppant fracturing treatment, utilizing an advanced continuous mixing system. The advanced continuous mixer was a pumping and blending system that provided linear gel to the blender. The system continuously metered and simultaneously mixed dry polymer powder to produce a gel at desired concentration that was completely free from oil-based material. A total of eight additives were added on-the-fly, utilizing solids and liquid additive system mounted on advanced continuous mixing and blender units.
This paper provides details on lab testing, treatment design, field implementation, and treatment evaluation of a complex HPHT gas well in Saudi Arabia using the novel fracturing fluid system and state-of-art Continuous Mixing System.
A Multi-Well Performance Particle Gel Injection Evaluation Using a Sophisticated Simulator
Authors: Zhou W. , Wang Z. , Delshad M. , AVaravei A. , Wang X. , Zhang W. 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
All major pay zones in Xishugang oilfield in the eastern China had reached 90% or more water cut by the year of 2009. Studies have shown that a lot of bypass oil remaining in the reservoir and the question is what the effective approach is to improve the oil recovery after the over 30 years water flooding and over 4 years polymer flooding in the mid to high permeability fluvial deposited sandstone reservoir. After new temperature-resistant and salt-tolerant pre-cross linked swellable particle gel (PPG) injection into a few dozen wells as a field trial, we have used a sophisticated simulator to evaluate the injections, and used the calibrated model data to assist the PPG injection design optimizations including pumping rate, PPG loading concentration, lateral pressure gradient maintaining, and total pumping time for over a hundred wells. The results are very encouraging. An over half million tons oil production increment have been estimated since the PPG injection has been in place during last 2 years, and the general investment input and output ratio is over 4.5 has been achieved during the first two years of this operation.
Evolution and Application of Geoscience Technology to Integrated Reservoir Characterisation for Enhanced Heavy Oil Recovery - Cold Lake Field, Alberta, Canada
Authors: Elliott Andrew , Eastwood John , Magennis Lochlann 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
The Cold Lake heavy oil field in Western Canada was discovered in the late 1950's and contains approximately 5.3x109 m3 (33 billion barrels) of heavy crude bitumen. Commercial production utilizing Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) commenced in 1985. By the end of 2010 over 159x106 m3 (1 billion barrels) of bitumen had been produced. The Cold Lake Heavy Oil field currently produces approximately 24,000 m3/d (150,000 barrels per day).
The geological models and concepts that supported early production were based on well log and core data only. Early use of 2D seismic data showed limited utility for imaging the high net-to-gross reservoir. However, the advent of high-resolution 3D and 4D seismic in the early 1990's provided renewed interest in seismic data for imaging thermal processes. These early "4D" surveys were small in area but provided data critical for imaging the steam heated regions (thermal conformance) in the reservoir and managing follow-up drilling and completion strategies. Recent advances in 3D and 4D seismic processing and analysis now allow quantifiable estimations of thermal reservoir conformance to guide enhanced recovery methods and depletion planning.
A novel use of microseismic technology was developed in the mid 1990's to assist in the early detection of casing failures and fluid releases into the overlying shales and aquifers to mitigate environmental, safety and economic consequences. Since 1998 microseismic monitoring has been integrated into commercial operations and with our interpretation of depositional geometries to further our understanding of steam migration. Today, Cold Lake has more than 100 dedicated microseismic monitoring wells making it one of the largest microseismic monitoring networks in the oil and gas industry.
In the mid 2000's larger, high-frequency 3D seismic surveys were acquired for reservoir characterization. 3D seismic data are integrated field-wide with other data to build predictive geologic models and to assess recoverable bitumen volumes for multiple extraction technologies. These models enable maximum efficiency of resource development while reducing reliance on relatively expensive core data. Several enhancements to the recovery process are in the testing stage today to improve existing development or facilitate future developments in more challenging resource areas. Continued geoscience data collection and integration will drive efficient development of these new opportunities.
Integrating Fresh Methodologies, Technologies and Atypical Procedures Leads to Outstanding Production Enhancement Results in a Mature Field
Authors: Cavallaro Brandon , Shoreibah Ahmed , Stefanescu Dan Paul 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
The work completed was a comprehensive look into a mature gas field's intervention and production history to identify underachievement, redevelop the field management plan and implement successful remediation operations. The identification and characterization of skin was initially completed with physical inspection and slickline techniques. The decline curve analysis applied adapts to erratic declines from changing wellbore conditions, unreliable, or incomplete histories and provided accurate production forecasts. Pumping and coiled tubing techniques were used in the remediation work.
In 2003 an Association was formed to manage a mature Romanian gas field producing since 1970. Production skin was evident and in 2010 the first well failed due to halite formation; consequently, liquid and solid sampling tools were deployed within suspect wellbores. The damage was characterized (halite, calcite and water blockage), novel decline curve analyses detected underperformance by integrating cumulative production histories.
Twenty-two wells from one zone were initially assessed. All were damaged with some showing physical evidence of scale or salt, and a seven well pilot intervention campaign resulted in 38% peak incremental production. The outstanding results matched decline curve expectations and led to a full-field study, a campaign to intervene over half of the field based on that study, and possible expansion to all remaining wells in subsequent years. Technically, the innovative decline curve analysis proved crucial to discovering opportunities. Operationally, the optimized intervention procedures introduced were new to the basin and have been adopted by the Association partners in other assets.
A major limit on ultimate recovery from depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs is declining well productivity. Salt formation, scale deposition, and water loading restrict flow: reducing production rates and increasing operating costs due to remedial interventions. Therefore, economical skin management is an essential tool for extending field life, increasing profitability, and improving recovery factors from aging assets. Impressive results led to a strategic shift in local field production management and the techniques are useful worldwide in similar fields.
Characteristics and Origin of Microfracture in Lower Cretaceous Tight Sandstone from Kuqa Foreland Basin, NW China
Authors: Chun Liu , Qingxin Guo , Ronghu Zhang , Huiliang Zhang 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
The Kuqa basin, as a secondary tectonic unit of Tarim basin, located at the front of the south Tianshan Mountain, is a foreland basin formed in the Late Tertiary. The Lower Cretaceous Bashijiqike tight sandstone in the basin is an ultralowpermeability and low-porosity reservoir. Microfractures, such as intragranular microfractures, grain-edge microfractures, and transgranular microfractures, are abundant in the tight sandstones. Microfractures improve storage and permeability and impact distribution of natural gas. Microfractures have a wide range of sizes, shapes, and patterns, but most of them are opening-mode fractures. Microfractures reflect tectonic, overpressure, and diagenetic origins. Based on fluid inclusions, carbon-oxygen stable isotope analysis of fracture-filling cements (calcite and dolomite) and burial history, tectonic microfractures were determined to be formed before early Miocene and at the middle of Miocene. In the middle to late Himalayan movement, the tension microfractures closed and were filled with carbonate cements. Microfractures related to overpressure, being tension microfractures, are commonly filled with bitumen and were formed at the end of Miocene. The transition of stress state from compression to tension by overpressure is the reason that tension microfractures were formed in the compression setting. Diagenetic fractures were formed at the end of the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene. Under intense compaction, grain-crushing crackle fractures in quartz and cleavage fractures in feldspar formed intragranular microfractures. Some transgranular microfractures and grain-edge microfractures caused by diagenesis are along the bedding plane and parallel to the directional mineral grains.
Pitting Corrosion Failures of Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines
Authors: Mansoori Hamed , Mirzaee Reza , Mohammadi A. 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
This paper addresses frequent failures of natural gas transmission pipelines in one of the Iranian gas production fields. The three phase flowing fluid consists of 0.15 to 0.384 mole fraction of carbon dioxide with an average of 9 bbl/mmscf water cut. The material of 10-in flow lines are API 5L X65. Internal corrosion is mitigated by means of amine type corrosion inhibitor (CI). The fluid corrosivity, optimum concentration and injection rate of CI determined by means of polarization electrochemical tests and field data. Internal corrosion monitoring tools are including of weight loss corrosion coupons, electrical resistance(ER) probes and Iron counting in compliance with NACE standards. The occurred destructions differ in low and high off take gas wells. Having finished the pipeline construction, the free water left in some pipelines from hydrostatic test (a gap between hydrostatic test and pipeline operation) accelerated the initiation of corrosion process. During pipeline operation, the dissolved oxygen in diluted CI helps merging electrochemical cells under the deposits and this led to pitting corrosion. Generally, the deposit compositions are including Magnetite, Hematite, Wustite, Iron carbonate and Calcium carbonate. For high off take gas wells, erosion/corrosion phenomena observed in wellhead facilities. In such wells, the uniform corrosion is a consequence of deposit removing by higher velocity of the fluid. An intelligent pigging MFL was performed in one of the damaged flow lines in order to estimate the dimension of corrosion damages. Immediate actions are foam cleaning (chemical washing) to remove the deposits on the pipe wall and the possibility of using oxygen scavenger in the chemical injection packages in order to alleviate dissolved oxygen in Diluted CI.
Technical Master Classes - A New Approach to Knowledge Transfer
Authors: Gully Crystal , Feeley Missy 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Technical master classes are a new training concept designed to accelerate building expertise among geoscience, engineering and commercial professionals. The ExxonMobil master class concept emphasizes transferring knowledge and thinking processes from experts to practitioners through a training process that is a blend of mentoring and traditional technical training. Rather than only teaching factual knowledge and technical concepts which dominate traditional technical training classes, the master class learning experience simulates real technical situations so that the experts can coach practitioners' thinking through the complexities of an issue.
Application of Curvature Attributes in Prediction of a Carbonate Reservoir
Authors: Yuan Shihong , Wan Zhonghong , Bai Xuelian , Chen Maoshan , Han Ruidong 
Published: May 2016

Abstract
Seismic curvature attributes, as being second-order derivatives of seismic information, allow interpreters easily to map the structural deformation and subtle stratigraphic details that are not readily observable through seismic data or first-order derivatives such as the dip magnitude and the dip-azimuth attributes. The conventional computation of curvature measures may be termed as structural curvature, generated from lateral second-order derivatives of time-structure component of seismic data, and provides the information related to time structure. Likewise, amplitude curvature, as being lateral second-order derivatives of amplitude component of seismic data, contains the information about lateral change of seismic amplitude. In this paper, we apply the most-positive and most-negative amplitude curvature measures to characterize a carbonate reservoir in Tarim Basin, NW China through computing the first order derivatives of the inline and crossline components of the energy-weighted amplitude gradients. The most-positive amplitude curvature measure is very effective to represent the internal features of the channels and fractural-vuggy systems, while the most-negative amplitude curvature highlights the lineament details near the edges of the channels and fractural-vuggy systems. In addition, application of multispectral amplitude curvature computation to prediction of the carbonate reservoir shows that the long-wavelength amplitude curvature attributes depict the larger scale geological features as compared with the short-wavelength amplitude curvature measures which focus on the local details. In brief, integrated application of long- and short-wavelength computation of most-positive and most-negative amplitude curvature attributes exhibits the characteristics of the carbonate reservoir from different sides.