bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Possible Existence of Deep-Seated Oil Deposits on Gulf Coast
Authors: Lucas Anthony F. 
Published: February 2015

Editor's Note: Originally published in AIME Transactions, this paper, which is heavily excerpted here, discusses the possibility of oil lying beneath salt domes along the US Gulf Coast.
The discovery of oil in 1901 on the Spindletop dome, Texas, inaugurated a new industry on the Gulf Coast, an industry which has grown with the discovery of successive fields, until today it engages the services of thousands of workers and employs enormous capital. New fields are being discovered from time to time and doubtless some still remain to be found, though of late years, discoveries have become more infrequent. Nowadays, several hundred dry holes are drilled each year in a fruitless and blind effort to discover new fields, for as yet geologic science has developed no effectual method of locating the coastal oil deposits in advance of drilling.
Moreover, despite the occasional discovery of new fields, the total production of the Gulf Coast is today no greater than it was in 1906, for the added production of the new fields has been offset by the rapid decline and more or less complete exhaustion of some of the older ones. Careful geologic work within the fields has in some cases increased the production temporarily, but has developed no really new supplies. The Gulf Coast oil industry seems to have passed its period of greatest expansion and to be declining at a fairly steady rate, and this condition is naturally viewed with alarm by the more far-sighted operators.
In my opinion, the time has come for the adoption of radical and aggressive methods of prospecting; and a fraction of the money wasted yearly in drilling shallow wells in hopeless locations might well be devoted to this purpose. Many facts lead me to believe that all the salt-dome oil has had a common origin; that it has migrated up from considerable depth along lines of structural weakness; and that a deep well, properly located, stands an excellent chance of discovering the parent reservoir and thus of developing new and probably great supplies.
All of the oil produced in the coastal region of Texas and Louisiana is probably associated with salt domes, though in Goose Creek, Edgerly, and one or two other fields no salt has yet been actually penetrated. As a result of the innumerable wells that have been drilled on the various domes, it is now known that a typical salt dome consists of a very thick mass of pretty pure rock salt, generally almost flat-topped, but sloping abruptly away from the rim on every side. The flat top of the salt is generally covered by rock 25 ft to several hundred feet thick, consisting chiefly of limestone, dolomite, anhydrite, or gypsum, with generally more or less sulfur. The sediments above the salt are slightly domed and those on the sides of the salt mass generally slope at angles of 30 to 60°, and in some fields at even greater angles. These sediments consist of sand, gravel, shale, and gumbo, arranged in beds so lenticular and irregular that they can seldom be correlated from one well to another.
People Are the Thread That Hold This Industry Together
Authors: Percival Iain 
Published: February 2015

It is an honor to reflect on the changes I have observed in the business since I joined it (and SPE in Dallas while backpacking around the US) in 1973. So much in the oil and gas industry has changed since the summer of 1973, and then again, in some areas, it has not. For me, one constant in the business has been the people. However, the composition of the global workforce and the way people actually work has changed dramatically. Consequently, if you will bear with me, I will share with you my perspective on people in the business.
I entered the industry at the time of the hegemony of the "Seven Sister" international oil companies (Shell, BP, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco, Socal, and Gulf) staffed primarily by petrotechnical staff from Europe and North America. Today, only four of the original sisters remain as independent companies, and, according to an article in the Financial Times earlier this year, the "new seven sisters" are Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, China National Petroleum Corporation, the National Iranian Oil Company, Petroleos de Venezuela, Petrobras, and Petronas, staffed to large measure with national Earth scientists and engineers educated in local (national) universities.
I am struck by the progress made by a number of countries in growing successful and powerful national oil companies (NOCs). A case in point is in Malaysia with Petronas. This year is the 33rd anniversary of the founding of the company, exactly the length of time I spent working for Shell. I had many dealings with Petronas in the early 1980s while working for Shell in east Malaysia. At the time, its prime (but not only) responsibility was to oversee the work of the production-sharing contractors such as Shell. The company had modest staff numbers and modest premises but not so modest ambitions! Today Petronas is a truly integrated oil and gas company with a global reach, a workforce in excess of 30,000, present in more than 30 countries, and based in a building of "world wonder" proportions—the twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, one of the world's tallest buildings.
Many of us who have worked in the business over the past 30-odd years can take a genuine measure of satisfaction in our contributions to the development of the national staff who built these companies. Whether as members of operating or service companies, we have helped train and coach national staff and as such have contributed to in-country expertise. In the case of Malaysia, Oman, and Brunei, I can name individuals in senior positions whom I have personally encouraged and coached, and whom I now count as valued friends or acquaintances.
Reminiscences From an Oil Patch Veteran
Authors: Bateman Richard 
Published: February 2015

My first contact with SPE came almost 40 years ago. My supervisor gave me a form to fill out and told me that I was joining SPE and that there would be a lunch meeting in about half an hour at a local steakhouse. People didn't waste time back then. I cannot for the life of me remember who gave the talk or what the subject matter was, but I do remember that the steaks were delicious. I was immediately captivated with what SPE had to offer; surely the way to an engineer's heart is through his digestive tract.
It never occurred to me to ask when SPE had its start. It just seemed like so many other things in the oil patch, to have been there forever. But, in fact, the society was still then in its infancy; the SPE membership number I was given was 9878.
As time went by and the limits to my expense account grew, so, too, did my contacts with SPE. Soon I began to participate in the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibitions (ATCEs). Thereafter followed paper submissions, local section committee involvement, and relations with SPE Presidents. It is interesting that one President hired me, another gave me career advice and, as a result, I resigned from the company the first one had hired me to work with. Later, history repeated itself and another SPE President hired me, and there are yet two more who still correspond with me. They must get lonely, I figure.
Some of my SPE-related activities were memorable, others better forgotten. Giving a talk with a 35-mm slide show to the Cairo chapter in the 1970s during a power outage was, let us say, challenging. Manning a booth at the height of the boom in the early 1980s was hair-raising. Being a local section program chairman in Latin America in the 1990s exposed me to the vicissitudes of international travel and attendant language barriers. Witnessing recent ATCE ceremonies in the new millennium that are raised to the level of the Oscars has been nothing short of breathtaking.

The Benefits of Travel
Apart from these yearly gatherings, our society is well known for the multitude of learned papers that are written and presented by their authors in JPT (and sister publications) and at SPE conferences all over the globe. In the case of an international conference, the author gains a free trip to some exotic spot, his employer gains recognition as a good oil patch citizen (encouraging innovation), and the organizers of the conference manage to fill another 20-minute slot in their timetable. Indeed, if one put one's mind to it, one could spend the entire year globe-trotting, trying to keep up with the innumerable conferences, symposia, forums, and the like that are promoted in the name of science and technology and also, dare I say, excuses for getting the lads together for a beer bust in great cities dot-ted round the globe.
Technology Focus: Gas Production Technology (November 2009)
Authors: Wilson Scott J. 
Published: February 2015

Technology Focus
Beginning in the first half of 2009, the number of horizontal wells drilled in North America exceeded the number of vertical wells drilled. As of 25 September 2009, 64% of all wells drilled in North America are drilling for gas objectives, while 22% of international rigs are drilling for gas. Underlying those trends is a dramatic drop in total rig counts—from a 1981 peak near 6,000 to approximately 2,000 now.* The fall in vertical-well count was sharp, while multifrac shale-gas horizontal-well count remained steady. We now have fewer wells coming on line, but those that are have more-complex completions, so it is time to refocus priorities.
In my editorial last year, I postulated that the recent increase in high-technology applications was caused by increasing prices as well as R&D. Now that North American gas prices have fallen, many previously hot plays are struggling to be profitable, perhaps proving my hypothesis. Do these new technologies really need a USD 7/Mscf gas price to maintain their viability? I sincerely hope not.
One morning, I woke to an SAP advertisement taped to my mirror that read: "Today was a good day; I found a whole new area of waste and inefficiency." A small note was signed: "This reminded me of you. Love, your wife." Hoping she was not refer-ring to me as the area of waste and inefficiency, I admitted that most engineers relish the opportunity to streamline a process or optimize an existing asset. During the most recent boom, we have managed more rigs, inherited more marginal wells, and filed more permits as our ability to do normal surveillance fell behind. Acquiring a new customer takes 10 times the effort that it takes to keep a current one. Our best opportunities lie within our current assets.
This month's papers highlight problem-well management. Included are discussions of near-wellbore salt precipitation caused by connate-water dehydration and of liquid-loading rate as more than a 1D phenomenon, along with a case study on a downhole turbocompressor. I am hopeful that these highlights will inspire you to find ways to keep new technologies viable at lower prices. If you do, you definitely will have a good day.
*Baker Hughes Rig Counts: http://investor.shareholder.com/common/download/download.cfm?companyid=BHI&fileid=321173&filekey=77DA6DFE-44BD-4437-BD28-79852E23F097&filename=US_Rig_Report_092509.xls.
Downloaded 28 September 2009.
Gas Production Technology additional reading available at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org
SPE 124977 • "Development of a Successful Chemical Treatment for Gas Wells With Water- and Condensate-Blocking Damage" by Vishal Bang, SPE, ConocoPhillips, et al.
SPE 115567 • "Prediction of Onset and Dynamic Behavior of Liquid-Loading Gas Wells" by S.P.C. Belfroid, SPE, TNO Science and Industry, et al.
SPE 122135 • "Skin-Free Production Through a New Gravel-Pack Completion for Gas" by Andreas Trieb, SPE, OMV A.G. EP, et al.
Overview: Bit Technology and Bottomhole Assemblies (December 2007)
Authors: Mensa-Wilmot Graham 
Published: February 2015

Drilling Performance Improvements—Push Into New Horizons
Increased global demand for oil and gas has created situations in which operators are forced to drill deeper and into much harder formations. These drilling environments present enormous operational and technical challenges. In addition to the low rate of penetration (ROP), downhole tool failures occur at much higher frequencies. As a result, operators must make multiple trips to replace drill bits and other downhole tools, thereby incurring additional operational costs.
The known challenges of hard-formation drilling are compounded by the effects of depth, primarily the result of elevated downhole pressure and temperature. To reduce operational costs in such applications, ROP and downhole-tool reliability must be improved substantially. Researchers, focusing on these challenges, have identified the need for system-based solutions. Such an approach evaluates all the elements that influence the drilling process.
Researchers have gained valuable insights into the effects of depth and pressure on the properties and behaviors of different rocks. Consequently, the drilling efficiencies of different bit types, in terms of their energy requirements, also have been studied. To complement these efforts, specialized data-acquisition tools that can be placed inside the bit have been developed. These tools detect dynamic events at the bit/rock interface, which makes the data more relevant compared to data from previous tools. The effects of different drilling fluids or additives on the rock-failure process also have been studied extensively.
As part of the system-based solution, the drilling process must be executed effectively. Drilling-system definitions must facilitate efficient energy transfer to the drill bit. Energy received at the bit must be used to cause rock failure, not be lost through vibration events. In addition, system or operational flounders must be identified and resolved in real time to minimize their negative effects.
Considering the understanding gained and the tools that have been developed, performance gains now can be made in hard-rock applications. Bottomhole founder contributes to poor ROP in hard formations. In addition, vibration founder has been classified as contributing immensely to poor ROP and downhole-tool failures. Tools are being developed that can withstand higher operating temperatures. We know the contributing factors as well as the science behind the problem—now, let us go after this problem aggressively.
Bit Technology and Bottomhole Assemblies additional reading available at the SPE eLibrary: www.spe.org
SPE 104502 "Maximizing Drilling Performance With State-of-the-Art BHA Program" by David C.-K. Chen, Halliburton Sperry Drilling Services, et al.
SPE 107530 "How To Select PDC Bit for Optimal Drilling Performance" by R. Nygaard, University of Calgary, et al.
SPE 105565 "Aggressive Drilling Parameters Capitalize on Cutter Technology and PDC Frame Advancement in Mature Field" by Peter Langille, Marathon Oil Company, et al.
IT Doesn't Matter - Or Does It?
Authors: Marks Lewis 
Published: February 2015

Management
Businesses around the world spend well over USD 2 trillion a year on information technology (IT). Today, some companies spend 50% of their capital expenditures on IT. Certainly, with such a large spend, IT must matter…or does it? Author Nicholas Carr wrote a paper in the Harvard Business Review titled "IT Doesn't Matter" (Carr 2003). The article eventually grew into a book titled Does IT Matter? and set off a worldwide debate about the role of computers in business and industry. Carr argues that IT has become much like other technologies that were initially revolutionary and strategic for companies but rapidly became a commodity available to all. He uses the steam engine, railroads, electricity, the telephone, and the highway system as examples. He argues that only at the macro level, involving entire societies or economies, can IT provide transformational value. He also suggests that IT managers should take a "follow the leader" approach and focus more on IT's vulnerabilities such as data security.
Carr raised some provocative points, and the purpose of this article is to address these questions:Can E&P companies gain a strategic advantage by taking a strategic approach to technical computing?If so, how should a technical computing strategy be developed and how can companies gain a strategic advantage?
For the purposes of this article, IT and technical computing are defined as the technical applications used to help companies optimally find, access, and produce hydrocarbons. The answer to the first question is a resounding "Yes!" Companies can in fact gain a strategic advantage by developing a strategy for technical computing. However, companies must embrace and apply specific fundamentals before a strategic advantage can be achieved. Without these fundamentals, developing such a strategy will not only be a pure cost but also a pure waste of time.

Technical Computing Strategy Fundamentals

Fundamental No. 1: There Is No Such Thing as an "IT Project."
Carr's article ruffled some feathers and this statement may as well. In reality, there is no such thing as an "IT project," only business initiatives with the intent of delivering on the company's goals and objectives. Many of these initiatives may have an IT component, but the goal of the initiative is to deliver tangible, quantifiable business results. When a project is incorrectly classified as an "IT project" it can suffer an ill fate.
All too often, companies make a technical computing purchase decision that is subsequently "flopped over the IT fence" for implementation. Little to no follow up occurs in assessing the outcome of that purchase decision nor are the results quantified. Without this, it becomes easy to lose sight of the big picture, which usually leads to cost overruns, scope creep, delays in implementation, and less-than-stellar results.
Moving From Vision to Reality - Optimal-Value Testing
Authors: Denney Dennis 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 114870, "Moving From Vision to Reality - The State of Optimal-Value Testing," by Hani Elshahawi, SPE, Robert H. Hite, SPE, and Melton P. Hows, SPE, Shell, prepared for the 2008 Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Perth, Australia, 20-22 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Optimal-value testing (OVT) could replace conventional drillstem tests (DSTs) for in-situ measurement of dynamic reservoir properties such as permeability and drainage volume. OVT is any pressure-transient test in which live hydrocarbons are not produced directly to surface. Although OVT is safer, less costly, and environmentally friendly, the OVT-results quality might be inadequate for some development decisions. The technology is immature, and there are issues to resolve. However, with increasing experience, future value-of-information (VOI) decisions about performing in-situ dynamic measurements will, more often, include OVT.

Introduction
The focus of this paper is the use of dynamic well testing in exploratory and appraisal wells. Historically, the industry called this testing a DST. This type of test, in which hydrocarbons flow directly to surface while measuring rate and pressure, is a major tool in deciding how to develop a hydrocarbon resource. Cost along with health, safety, and environmental (HSE) concerns encourages seeking better ways of obtaining similar reservoir and fluid data. OVT is any fit-for-purpose well testing with minimal cost and HSE effect in which no significant volume of live hydrocarbons is produced to the surface. Three types of tests are wireline formation tests (WFTs), closed-system tests, and injection tests.

Background
Any assessment of OVT must include an understanding of resource-development uncertainties and the reliability of the technology. The types of technologies considered for OVT are not new, but certainly are not as mature as conventional DSTs.

WFT.
These tests are performed by use of an electrically controlled formation-testing and -sampling tool anchored at depth (usually on wireline and in open hole) while reservoir communication is established through one or more probes or packers. Modern WFTs can collect a massive amount of data at multiple depths, helping to quantify changes in rock and fluid properties along the wellbore, to define hydraulic flow units, and to understand reservoir architecture. These tests are used routinely in many applications including pressure and mobility profiling vs. depth, fluid sampling, downhole-fluid analysis, pressure-transient testing, and microfracturing. Wireline testers have reached a maturity level at which their performance often can match that of production tests such as those carried out with a DST.
Socioeconomic Health Disparities in Canadian Regions
Authors: Safaei Jalil 
Published: February 2015

Purpose:Numerous studies have estimated health disparities along socioeconomic dimensions using individual data from sample surveys. Disparities between communities or regions cannot be estimated without a consistent set of individual data across communities. This study uses data at the health region level to estimate the socioeconomic health disparitiesbetweenhealth regions in Canada.Methods:Tow measures of income and a measure of education are used for regional socioeconomic ranking along with several health outcomes such as life expectancies, mortality rates, perceived health and obesity. Weighted regressionanalysis is used to estimate the relative inequality index (RII) between Canadian health regions.Results:The findings of the study indicate the existence of health disparities between Canadian health regions along the three socioeconomic markers of average income, median household income and education in favor of regions with higher socioeconomic ranking on those markers. Disparities are more pronounced along the education and average income dimensions, however. Greater inequalities are observed for premature mortality, avoidable mortality and obesity, which are higher for women than men.Conclusion:There are health disparities between Canadian health regions along education and income dimensions. Such disparities signify the role of socioeconomic factors as important instruments in reducing health disparities.
Diffraction at CDF
Authors: Goulianos Konstantin 
Published: February 2015

We present results on central exclusive production of π+π- in

p

p

collisions at

s

=
900

and 1960 GeV using events with two charged hadrons in the final state within the pseudorapidity region |η |≤ 1.3 and no particles in
|η| > 1.3. These results open a new window into hadron spectroscopy, and may be used as benchmarks for testing relevant theoretical models.
PACS Number(s): 13.30.Eg.