bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Benefits of Single Platform Lifting Lead to Design, Construction of New Giant Ship
Authors: Wilson Adam 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Editorial Manager Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper OTC 23169, ’Building a Giant for Single Platform Lifts,’ by Edward P. Heerema, Allseas Group, prepared for the 2012 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 30 April-3 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2012 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.
The ship described here was designed and is being built for single lifting of topsides of offshore platforms up to 53,000 short tons and jackets up to 27,500 short tons. The vessel will have a wide slot at the bow that fits around platform substructures and will be equipped with a hydraulically operated topside-lifting system. For installing or removing platform jackets, it will have a system of two tilting lift beams at the stern. The building of the vessel and equipment is in progress; the vessel is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2013.
Introduction
The ship described here was designed and is being built for single lifting of top-sides of offshore platforms up to 53,000 short tons and jackets up to 27,500 short tons. The vessel will have a wide slot at the bow that fits around platform substructures and will be equipped with a hydraulically operated topside-lifting system. For installing or removing platform jackets, it will have a system of two tilting lift beams at the stern. The building of the vessel and equipment is in progress; the vessel is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2013.
Traditional Modular Lifting vs. Topside Floatovers
Installing large offshore platforms so far has generally been performed with crane vessels. Large topsides have to be installed module by module to ensure that the lifts remain within the capacity of the cranes. This can lead to considerable offshore hookup costs to complete the topside, which are greater than when performed on land. However, by single lifting the offshore hookup, costs can be reduced significantly. If a topside structure is completed on land and installed in one piece, the making of all the connections between elements or modules—structural, electrical, hydraulic and piping—is faster and less costly.
Removing a large topside by traditional crane vessels requires the topside to be removed module by module or by more time-consuming, hazardous, and expensive dismantling offshore in small pieces. When removing the topside in a modular way, every module must be cut loose from the surrounding modules, lift points must be reinstalled, and lift rigging must be attached. Platform walkways, escape routes, and safety plans must be adjusted several times during the removal process. Several make-safe campaigns are required offshore and onshore. At an early stage, the accommodation facilities will have to be removed because of their outside position and then will no longer be available to the dismantling crew.
North West Hutton Decommissioning - Major Challenge Turns to Major Success
Authors: Wilson Adam 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Editorial Manager Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 156827, ’North West Hutton Decommissioning - A Major Challenge, a Major Success,’ by Caroline White and Ged Adams, BP Exploration Operating Company, prepared for the 2012 SPE/APPEA International Conference on Health, Safety, and Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, Perth, Australia, 11-13 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Excellent health, safety, and environment (HSE) performance was maintained throughout the decommissioning and removal of the first major offshore UK installation of the North Sea, the North West Hutton (NWH) installation. The NWH installation was composed of an 18 000-t steel jacket support structure and 20 000 t of topside modules. The total offshore removal program was executed with approximately 900,000 man-hours, with no days-away-from-work cases or high-potential-safety incidents.
Introduction
The NWH installation (Fig. 1) was a large steel jacket installation 130 km north-east of the Shetland Islands in a water depth of 144 m. It was composed of a 18 000-t steel jacket support structure and 22 000 t of topside modules. At its peak, NWH produced a maximum of 86,500 BOPD.
Following cessation of production in January 2003, the NWH installation went into a phase of engineering down, which involved vessel cleaning and module separation in preparation for removal. The installation then went into a normally unmanned installation (NUI) mode for 4 years, during which time a decommissioning program was developed.
The decommissioning program was based on a comparative assessment of all decommissioning options, including some 50 external studies, a wide stake-holder consultation process, and review by an independent review group.
Knowledge Management
In order to capture existing information to support safe engineering design and removal, the following key activities were initiated:
A review was made of all incidents from previous North Sea decommissioning projects.
The project sought to retain key NWH operations personnel to support the installation in its NUI status and through the engineering design and offshore execution.
Access to installation data was challenging. The installation was installed in 1983, when there were no electronic data management systems. Installation as-built data were available, however, because engineering and ownership changes over its lifetime required comprehensive and accurate data. The data were critical for understanding the structural integrity and for development of the module weight reports. Where gaps in knowledge were identified, a detailed offshore survey program was initiated.
Charles Frederic Rand and Robert Earll McConnell: The Men Behind the Awards
Authors: Beckwith Robin 
Published: February 2015

SPE Awards
Charles Frederic Rand: A Life of Mining Achievement
Born in Canaan, Maine, on 7 August 1856, Charles Frederic Rand was to become, according to the Engineering and Mining Journal-Press (15 July 1922), “one of the leaders in all engineering movements for many years.” Although now little is known about his life, it is evident he was a skilled leader and a man of intense drive—a self-educated engineer, president of numerous companies through-out the world, and developer of iron, steel, and manganese mines and iron mining processes.
One can glean some idea of the nature of his achievements from the honors he received. In 1913, the Spanish government presented him with the Grand Cross of Knight Commander of the Orden de Isabel la Catolica (Order of Isabella the Catholic). Since it was established in 1815, this honor has been bestowed upon notable people outside Spain in recognition of services that benefit that country. In 1922, Rand also received the Croix de Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur [Chevalier (Knight) Cross of the Legion of Honor] from the French government. Normally reserved for French nationals, this honor can be conferred upon those outside France who have served the country or advanced its ideals.
The New York Times (NYT) cites, on 3 July 1921, a cable received by the American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME) headquarters noting Rand’s “election as honorary member of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain.” The NYT describes him as “one of the leaders of post-war [i.e., WWI] research in American industry.” It states further, “He is identified with the construction of railways and the opening and operation of iron mines in Cuba, besides being largely interested in mines of manganese and copper ores.”
Beginning his career in the railroad industry, Rand later turned to mining. By 1886, he was president and general manager of the Aurora, Ashland, Atlantic, Iron Belt, Superior, Palms, and Comet iron mining companies, representing oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller’s interests. He went on until 1902 to represent his principals’ interests in the Monte Cristo, Washington, and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, mining districts. Rand’s attention then turned also to steel and manganese.
A Long-Term View From Multiple Angles
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen 
Published: February 2015

SPE Technical Directors' 2014 Outlook
A condensed version of what is on the minds of SPE’s technical directors is: The industry needs multidisciplinary, data-driven ways to adapt to what is ahead, focus on what is critical for decision making, and take a long view as another generation takes over.
In other words, this group of six representing key industry disciplines has a lot of ideas. When SPE’s technical directors met in October 2013, they discussed two big ideas that may become group projects: better management of critical processes to ensure they are done safely, and caring for aging fields.
A discussion of whether managing aging fields is worthy of greater attention brought up the challenge of permanently plugging offshore wells not designed with current technology in mind, whether worn tubulars in old wells can withstand the stress of life-extending fracture treatments, and estimating how long a well is likely to be producing.
“It crosses disciplines. There are problems, and opportunities to get more out of fields, that cross the lines,” said Roland Moreau, SPE technical director for Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Responsibility, who has taken a personal interest in process safety.
Smarter, faster use of data is a common theme. David Curry, SPE technical director for Drilling and Completions, wants to see drilling systems that are wired to manage the data needed to observe what is ahead and intelligently respond to it. Olivier Houzé, SPE technical director for Reservoir Description and Dynamics, sees the need for better systems to highlight critical bits of information from all the data flowing in as more sensors are built into wells.
Shauna Noonan, SPE technical director for Production and Operations, is interested in better long-term production management of unconventional wells. Her concern overlaps Houzé’s work on predicting reservoir life for unconventional wells because “part of the plan is for retirement, but how do you do that when you do not know what the retirement age is?”
When it comes to petroleum engineering educators, the average retirement age is uncomfortably close for two-thirds of those in academia. The academic crew change comes at a time when there has been a surge in the number of students enrolled, putting stress on institutions that are struggling to keep up. Cindy Reece, SPE technical director for Management and Information, said SPE needs to actively foster new ideas and greater cooperation between academia and industry to ensure a quality education for future petroleum engineers. “When we look at what is needed in the future, what we have today is not sustainable,” Reece said.
Kuwait Unveils Upstream Opportunities
Authors: Henni Abdelghani 
Published: February 2015

The inaugural SPE Kuwait Oil and Gas Show and Conference (KOGS), held 7–10 October 2013 in Kuwait, attracted more than 3,000 delegates representing major oil and gas companies from all over the world.
The event, under the patronage of Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, carried the theme “The Power of Collaboration...People and Technology in the Oil and Gas Industry,”
Hosnia Hashim, KOGS conference program chairperson and vice president of operations at Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), said that the gathering allowed exploration and production professionals to network with colleagues from around the world and celebrate key successes in the industry. “For the first time ever in Kuwait,” she said, “we launched a technical event with outstanding participation, having received more than 520 papers, from 104 organizations and 69 universities, from 37 countries.”
In his opening remarks at the Conference Opening Ceremony, Kuwait Deputy Premier and Minister of Oil Mustafa Al-Shimali, reiterated Kuwait’s unflinching commitment, in its capacity as a main oil producer, to ensuring regular supplies to world markets. “This conference is timely and logical, as the Kuwait oil sector is undertaking plans to ensure that it meets and fulfills its international role as a reliable supplier. We have allocated billions of US dollars to reach production capacity of 4 million BOPD by 2020. An international exchange of technology and experience is critical to realizing these plans,” Al-Shamali said.
At the Executive Plenary Session, Nizar Al-Adsani, chief executive officer of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), aentation titled “Kuwait Experience: The Power of Collaboration, People, and Technology in the Oil and Gas Industry,” that the challenges ahead for his country are great. “The emergence for new competitors, changes in supply and demand dynamics, social and environmental pressures, and demographic shifts, are transforming and reshaping our industry,” he said.
Al-Adsani said that technology has been the driving force behind the industry’s continued ability to deliver increased oil and gas production safely, efficiently, and in an environmentally friendly manner, adding that he believes that the excellence required is only provided through the strength of human resources.
The CEO said that his company is proceeding with its ambitious plans to enhance KPC’s role in the international oil industry and to be more effective in supply security for the world’s energy, adding that KPC wants to focus on the upstream. “Achieving our crude oil production growth target of nearly 1 million BOPD by 2020, and maintaining it through 2030, depends on the successful implementation of advanced technology in both improved and enhanced oil recovery,” he said.
Technology Focus: Decommissioning and Abandonment (January 2014)
Authors: Thornton Win 
Published: February 2015

Technology Focus
Industry perceives decommissioning projects as more risky and uncertain than capital projects. Several recent decommissioning projects delivered in an immature marketplace seem to support this view. What can be done to change this perception and enable delivery of safe and cost-effective decommissioning projects?
I have always been a fan of this quote from Irving Fisher: “Risk varies inversely with knowledge.” I believe it can provide insight into a strategy that can improve the delivery of decommissioning projects. What can be done around decommissioning projects to gather knowledge of the asset to facilitate better planning and delivery and reduce the risk and uncertainty associated with decommissioning? The selected papers and additional reading listed here illustrate the use of knowledge to plan decommissioning more effectively and to understand the risks associated with selected end states. The following are a few thoughts on the use of knowledge to reduce risk and uncertainty in decommissioning:
Decommissioning differs from a capital project in that we know (or think we know) what the asset looks like. The critical uncertainty is the condition of that asset at end of life. What diagnostic information do we gather routinely over the life cycle that can provide clarity on the condition of that asset for decommissioning? Perhaps we need a key performance indicator analogous to front-end loading in capital projects that addresses the quality of our decommissioning and condition knowledge of that asset.
Identify the responsible party in an organization for gathering, distilling, and using asset knowledge for decommissioning. Asset information comes from various sources over the life cycle of the asset but needs a decommissioning set of eyes to identify and manage these risks. An analogy could be how we typically view and manage regulatory or asset-integrity information. This is an accountability that spans the life cycle of the asset through to decommissioning.
When planning the actual decommissioning work, identify and perform diagnostic work in cooperation with the supply chain as part of your market-engagement strategy. It is better to know the condition of what needs plugging and decommissioning than to find out halfway in. The unknowns become planned work activities instead of risks. This optimally is a cooperative effort between the owner and contractor to identify and manage uncertainties of the project, not just a set of contractual terms and conditions.
Share detailed experience, case studies, and lessons learned through professional forums such as SPE. JPT

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
IPTC 16945 Environmental Liabilities in the Oil and Gas Industry and Life-Cycle Management by Lian Zhao, Integrated Environments, et al.
OTC 24461 Advances in Autonomous Deepwater Inspection by D. McLeod, Lockheed Martin, et al.
SPE 161556 Axis of Success: A Unique Professional Plug-and-Abandonment Project in a Populated Town Area by Hazem Abdelsalam, ADCO, et al.
Tap into the Talent Pipeline: Number of New Graduates in Petroleum Engineering Increases, Opening Window of Opportunity for Addressing Talent Shortage
Authors: Holditch Stephen A. 
Published: February 2015

Guest editorial
During the last 3–5 years, one of the top priorities and challenges for the oil and gas industry has been trying to find the next generation of petroleum engineers, driven by the increasing demand for oil and gas and the aging workforce. And a related concern is how the industry will transfer the knowledge from its experienced professionals to the new entrants.
Responding to the looming “big crew change” that will result from the retirement of so many petroleum professionals in the next few years, universities have increased enrollment in petroleum engineering departments. US petroleum engineering departments are now producing more graduates than at any time in the last 20 years (Table 1, Fig. 1). Similarly, the number of graduates in petroleum engineering has increased worldwide. Petroleum engineering department heads at US universities have shared enrollment data that indicate total enrollment has leveled off. Many universities are capping enrollment as a result of restrictions on space and the number of professors who are teaching. We expect the number of total graduates in 2011 and beyond to hover around 1,000–1,200.
No one counted on a global economic recession that has caused many experienced professionals to postpone their retirement, delaying the long-anticipated “brain drain.” With lower revenues, companies have reduced or put a hold on recruiting new graduates.
The result is that the number of jobs being offered to new graduates is being reduced just as the pool of graduates has been enlarged. In 2009, more than 90% of petroleum engineering graduates of US schools were offered jobs or went to graduate school. According to feedback from the US department heads, the 50 oil and gas companies that recruited on campus in 2008 and 2009 are estimating that they will hire only approximately 70% of available graduates in 2010, leading to an estimated 300 graduates needing jobs. Company reports and information from WorldWideWorker.com, which provides the job board for SPE student members, also confirm that global hiring plans for new graduates are expected to be substantially lower in 2010.
Advances in Perforating Technology Continue
Authors: Bell M.R.G. , Clark N.G. , Hardesty J.T. , Zaleski T. 
Published: February 2015

Technology Update
Perforations represent the critical link between the wellbore and reservoir in cased wells and, thus, have a significant impact on well productivity and ultimate recovery. Important advances have been made in the past several years in the technology of perforation through the incorporation of reactive materials into oilfield shaped charges and through the advancement of stressed-rock testing of charge systems, as opposed to testing performed in cement. A new and potentially powerful extension to stressed-rock testing is the use of 3D digital-imaging technology and advanced analytical methods.
The advances being achieved in perforating appear likely to play a vital role in meeting the challenges of maximizing the productivity and recovery of wells drilled in the hard, low-permeability rock increasingly being targeted by the drill bit today. And although not yet exploited commercially, the capability already exists to design charges for application in specific lithologies, possibly even individual formations.
Testing Under More Realistic Conditions
In practical terms, penetration into cement under surface conditions is an unreliable indicator of the performance that can be expected when charges are shot under real, downhole conditions. Stressed rock does not behave like un confined cement. More specifically, the new reservoirs of the 21st century—such as hard, subsalt carbonates or shales with nanodarcy permeability—are fundamentally different, and several orders of magnitude more difficult to understand than the sandstones on which predictive correlations from cement penetration to rock penetration were based (Behrmann et al. 2009). New science and products have been needed to complete wells effectively in these environments.
The first step toward developing solutions for such environments was the construction of perforator-evaluation facilities in which shaped-charge systems could be tested under conditions more closely representing the wellbore and reservoir (API RP 19B 2006). In this type of facility, frequently referred to as a flow lab, natural-rock targets are subjected to realistic levels of effective stress, while wellbore and pore pressures are accurately simulated to create appropriate static and dynamic pressure effects. If these tests are designed and executed successfully, they can provide a whole new level of insight into how effectively a particular perforating system will connect a wellbore to its target formation. It is fair to say that only the handful of companies that have invested in such flow-lab facilities are uncovering perforating solutions suitable for the increasingly complex reservoirs that will be the industry’s focus in the years ahead.