bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improvement of the CHOPS Process Efficiency
Authors: Naderi Khosrow , Romaniuk Nikolas , Ozum Baki 
Published: October 2015

AbstractHeavy oils with about 500 cp to 50,000 cP viscosity in unconsolidated sand reservoirs are commercially produced without heat injection, by a production method known as the Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand (CHOPS). CHOPS reservoirs are generally about a kilometer wide and may range from 3 to 5 m thick sand blankets to 35 m thick sand channels which are between 0.5 to 5 Darcy permeability, 28 to 32% porosity, and have about 88% oil and 12% water saturations. CHOPS production is always coupled with the production of the dissolved gas, mostly CH4 and minor amounts of H2S and CO2, and sand production which causes formation of wormholes in the reservoir. Formation of wormholes in the initial phase of the reservoir life promotes oil migration and thus increases oil production; however, continued wormhole formation in long term operations reduces the oil production rate and harms the sweeping efficiency of the original oil in place, typically to less than 10%. Because of low sweeping efficiency, several Post-CHOPS process concepts have been investigated to recover the remaining oil in the reservoir.The objective of the present study is to increase the production and sweeping efficiencies of CHOPS and Post-CHOPS processes by altering the wettability of oil and reservoir sand as well as the wettability of oil and connate water and/or water injected into the reservoir. In this study, an oil-water emulsion sample produced by CHOPS process was centrifuged to separate the oil and water phases to avoid using chemical demulsifiers. The separated oil and water phases were physically and chemically characterized and the oil-water interfacial tension was determined using pendant drop method at a temperature range between 20 to 50 oC. The effects of solvent, surfactant, and pH on oil-water interfacial tension were independently investigated by either diluting the oil with pentane as a solvent additive (5% to 15% by mass of oil dosages), emulsifying biodiesel (fatty acids methyl esters, chemical formula: CnHm-COOCH3; m&lt;2n+2) as a surfactant additive into the water phase (0.05% to 0.3% by mass of oil dosages) and altering the pH of the water with using NaOH and HCl.Results of these studies suggest that bitumen mobility and sweeping efficiency of CHOPS and Post-CHOPS processes could be improved by reducing the oil-water interfacial tension. The present experimental research demonstrates that oil-water interfacial tension could be reduced by either a basic or a nonionic surfactant additive. Implementation of these findings to CHOPS and Post CHOPS processes needs further understanding of the CHOPS reservoir characteristics. Laboratory test results are encouraging enough for further laboratory and field trials to increase the production and oil sweeping efficiencies of the CHOPS reservoirs.
Improve Production Allocation by Linking the Well Model to the Live Well Data in the North Kuwait Jurassic Fields
Authors: Abrar A Hajjeyah , Roshan Prakash , Omar E L , Noura Al-Mai , Mubarak D Al-Mutairi , Abdul Aziz H 
Published: October 2015

Abstract
The paper presents a semi-automatic workflow for the production allocation to individual wells, by linking a steady state model to the real time surveillance data in the field's area of Kuwait. The onshore fractured carbonate fields consist of six fields and produces from four different structures connected at the surface to a single processing facility. A robust production allocation process was successfully developed and implemented for the complex reservoir characterized by high pressure & high temperature (HPHT) environment, critical or near critical nature of the reservoir fluids, high concentration of H2S & CO2 and multiple zones consisting of layered shale and limestone, which can be heavily fractured.
The automation was carried out in phases. In the initial phase, the Digital Oil Field (DOF) concept was started by instrumenting existing 30 wells and building the workflows by considering the HSE, operations and engineering requirements of the asset. Phase-1 of this technology program called as Kuwait Integrated Digital Field (KwIDF) was started in 2010 and deemed complete in mid-2012, with the key focus on engineering workflows to provide model based well rate estimation as the key input to the production allocation process.
Significant improvements have been observed after the allocation process was automated when compared to the off line manual system, which was time and effort consuming and was prone to errors during data migration between different databases. The new system is scalable for the future as more wells and new facilities will come on line based on the expansion plans of the Jurassic field.
Sucker Rod Pump Design Modification to Avoid Pump Floating Phenomena in Heavy-Oil, Low API Wells to Enhance the Production Rate
Authors: Quttainah R , Mehmood F , Mesbah Hossam , Dange A , Sierra T 
Published: October 2015

Abstract
Producing heavy oil from shallow wells using rod pump applications requires careful design considerations especially for down hole components to achieve maximum production rate and maximize the run life. This paper highlights a successful case study of one such heavy oil sucker rod pump well, in the North Kuwait field of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), where the rods were specially designed to penetrate through the viscous oil and address the pump floating problem to achieve uninterrupted pump operation. Conventionally, as a rule of thumb for the shallow wells, the rod design initially constituted of twenty percent sinker bars and eighty percent sucker rods. This was to add weight on the pump for stability and proper balancing. In the case of this well, with the same design philosophy employed, it was observed that the pump floated over the viscous oil. The maximum pump fillage was observed to be less than fifty percent. Eventually operational changes were made by reducing the speed and operating at maximum stroke length. However this still did not bring any improvement. Hence, specific design modifications were made in the rod string and the pump size to be able to solve the pump floating problem, achieve maximum production rate, and operate at the maximum possible efficiency. Following the design change, it was observed that the pump was now able to penetrate through the viscous crude effectively. This increased the pump fillage to 75% consistently, enhancing the production rate. It was also observed to improve the unit balancing. This well design was considered as part of the pilot in heavy oil project in north Kuwait field. Since the floating pump phenomena is expected in KOC heavy wells, this design would be employed on similar sucker rod operated wells and neighboring wells suffering from the same well conditions. It is expected that by overcoming this operational issue there will be considerable cost savings and production enhancements.
Evaluation of an Unconventional Shale Resource Play Using Advanced Spectroscopy Measurement: Case Study from Kuwait
Authors: Khan B.. , Ghneej A. Abu , Joshi G.. , Acharya M.. , Van Steene M.. , Wiryoutomo M. D. , Darous C.. , Al-Azmi M.. , Dashti Q.. 
Published: October 2015

Abstract
An advanced neutron spectroscopy measurement combining capture and inelastic spectroscopy with state-of-the-art hardware has been used to directly determine total organic content (TOC) and to provide detailed mineralogy characterization in an organic-rich source rock in Kuwait. The advanced spectroscopy measurement provides a direct measurement of TOC, obtained from the difference between the measured total carbon and the inorganic carbon obtained from the rock mineralogy. TOC is an important component of the evaluation of an unconventional reservoir as it is a direct input into the determination of the adsorbed gas volume.
Core studies including X-ray fluorescence, dual-range infrared Fourier transform mineralogy evaluation, and coulometry for carbon were conducted to validate the measurement. The log spectroscopy results were compared with core TOC data and to core elemental and mineralogical data. Evaluation of the advanced spectroscopy tool was conducted in parallel with the previous-generation spectroscopy measurement to compare the results.
The core TOC and the direct TOC log measurements of the advanced spectroscopy tool compared well. The core-to-log elemental dry weights comparison highlighted that, compared to the previous technology, the advanced measurement provided a more accurate evaluation of several elements (including aluminum, potassium, and magnesium). The core-to-log comparison also demonstrated that the new measurement provided robust answers in a tough logging environment, with an effective correction for the carbon content of oil-base mud and for barite, despite the high barite content in the mud. A particular finding of the chemistry/mineralogy combined core analysis was that a large quantity of sulfur, larger than is typically found in unconventional reservoirs, is associated with the kerogen.
For the first time in Kuwait, the application of an advanced spectroscopy technology in a challenging carbonate environment effectively provides a detailed and accurate mineralogical description and a model-independent TOC measurement that were not previously available with conventional spectroscopy logging techniques.
A Comparative Investigation of Nano Particle Effects for Improved Oil Recovery – Experimental Work
Authors: Salem Ragab Adel M. , Hannora Ahmed E. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractTo maintain the production and improve the recovery of hydrocarbons, nano materials are introduced recently. Improved oil recovery (IOR) is the application of various techniques for increasing the quantity of the crude oil that can be recovered from a hydrocarbon oil field. Among these techniques are chemical injection, which has been an expensive method, and field applications have been decreased during the past two decades. Currently with the advent of nanotechnology, nanofluids have been launched as a cheap, efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to other chemicals. Nanomaterials has been created and proposed to be used for IOR. Several nano materials with various sizes and concentrations have been proposed. Among the various these nanomaterials, nano-silica, nano alumina, nano zinc, and nano iron with different sizes has been recommended.In the present work, two different nano materials used to improve the recovery of oil experimentally. These nano materials are; nano silica, and nano alumina. The size of each nano material is varies from 80 to 87 nm. The size and shape of each particles were examined using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) while their microanalysis was performed by Energy Dispersive System (EDS). Some these materials are prepared mechanically using ball mill such as nano silica and the others are created chemically such as nano alumina.Numerous flooding scenarios have been performed to compare between the potentials of each nanofluids used to improve the hydrocarbon recovery. A control experimental run with water flooding (WF) was performed first. The ultimate recovery factor by WF was found about 67%. Then a flooding process using each nano fluid has been conducted for three different concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt%). The ultimate recovery factors have been measured for all of these nano fluids and they are ranging from 62% to 81 %. The reasons for this improving have been addressed and explained by measuring the viscosity of these nano fluids and interfacial tension.This research examines and analyzes the new outcomes from implementing these nanomaterials for improving oil recovery over the traditional methods. Ultimately, the knowledge gained from this work can be used to interpret and define the nanofluids improvement mechanisms, and projected a roadmap for ongoing and future work.
Water Conformance Control Approach for Mauddud Reservoir, North Kuwait Field
Authors: Ashkanani Fatma , Al-Ajmi Moudi , El-Daoushy Ahmad 
Published: October 2015

Abstract
North Kuwait Conformance Control task force team initiated to control the uniformity of the flood front of the injected drive fluid during an oil recovery flooding operations, which helps to reduce unwanted water production, enhance recovery efficiency, and to satisfy the reservoir management and environmental objectives. In addition, it will delay pre-mature water breakthrough at the producers on short term and maximize the water flood recovery on long term.
Initiatives & new approaches made by field development NK to improve the water cycling and poor sweep occurred as a flood matures with time, which considered as one of the key challenges to control the water production increase. Production/injection philosophy was redeveloped to add further strengthen our ongoing water flood performance improvement integrated efforts. Tackling the high water cut wells, drilling efforts to horizontal sidetracks, and workover of vertical wells conform to the new waterflood strategy have been taken up as ongoing efforts. In addition, some runs made using MA dynamic model to generate prediction scenarios to investigate the response of MA conformance control. The runs showed a positive impact which improve the oil recovery & reduce the water production subsequently.
Most of the key producers showed an excellent response as a result of water conformance control application. Many successful cases were observed which have been resulted in water cut reduction and oil production increase. Continues monitoring and follow up is required to achieve the desired well rates so as to reduce cycling of the injected fluid while maintaining or even increasing oil production. Water and oil production responses are under a continuos monitoring as well as injection analysis and reservoir pressure response.
The Effect of Ultrasonic Waves of EOR on the Relative Permeability Curves
Authors: Ragab Adel M. , Fouad Snosy M.. 
Published: October 2015

Abstract
Ultrasonic waves have been used for improved oil recovery especially from the marginal well in so many area all over the world. The main mechanisms of the seismic pulses from ultrasonic waves is to supply oil molecules by energy to overcome capillary forces there by restructuring the relative permeability curves increasing the oil mobility. Monitoring these changes is very important for increasing the mobility of oil even after residual oil saturation achieved by water flooding.
The present work discusses and investigates the laboratory effects of ultrasonic waves on the relative permeability curves by measuring it before and after applying the pulse waves. Six core samples was used from Egyptian homogeneous reservoirs, these cores are sandstone and carbonate, their permeabilities range from 67 to 460 md. In this technique. Acoustic ultrasonic waves of 500 KHZ was applied in cores is this research. At this frequency, the fluid vibrates out of phase with the solid and is forced out through the pore structure in the agglomerate. This relative fluid motion to exert high viscous stresses at the particle-particle contact points which leads to fracture of the agglomerate and the dispersion of the individual particles.
The interaction of the generated waves with the fluids in the pores causes changes in relative permeability of the rock to oil and water, which may lead to improve the rate of oil production. Therefore, the results showed that applying ultrasonic waves has a higher effect in low permeability reservoirs (75 md to 460 md) and can mobilize additional quantity of crude oil. The fractional flow curve changes are also addressed and analyzed after ultrasonic wave applications.
The ultimate aim of this research is to investigate the effect of the ultrasonic wave as new proposed method to improve oil recovery by changing the relative permeability curves of the reservoirs. Moreover, it can be used to determine and investigate the recovery mechanisms for improving oil recovery.
GeoSteering Through Challenging Fractured Limestone Reservoir becomes Achievable Utilizing High Definition Multi-Layer Boundary Mapping Technology - A Case Study from a Deep Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Al-Ajmi Saad A. , Pattnaik Chinmaya , Al-Dawood Ahmed E. , Dashti Qasem , AlFailakawi Abdul Aziz , Chakravorty Sandeep , Chandan J. Keot , El-Derini Khaled M. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractKuwait Oil Company is currently engaged in an early phase development of deep sub-salt tight naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs. These reservoirs has been tested and found to be gas bearing. They are uniquely characterized by dual porosity nature where natural fracture network systems are the primary flowing mechanism. The foremost challenge to produce from these reservoirs is the wellbore interaction with the natural fracture network systems. Despite drilling around 85 vertical and slightly deviated wells in this large challenging HP/HT reservoir complex, understanding and characterization of fractures is a challenge in the absence of horizontal wells, though fracture understanding has improved over time through careful integration and interpretation of logs, core, and seismic data. To achieve the dual objective of characterizing the fractures and to boost production, asset team recently embarked on the strategy to drill horizontal wells targeting these challenging tight reservoirs. As a fit for purpose solution to address these challenges, "High Definition Deep Directional Multi Boundary Detecting Technology" was incorporated in the drilling plan so that horizontal producers could be geosteered in the desired target intersecting as much fractures as possible. This technology, an advancement on the 1st generation "Distance to Boundary" technology is characterized by its extended capability to detect multiple bed boundaries based on resistivity contrast up to 20ft around the wellbore. The significantly improved new multilayer stochastic inversion also solves for structural dip along the wellbore azimuth (longitudinal dip). In the lateral section, this technology successfully mapped the reservoir roof as well as multiple thin intra layers inside the target reservoir along with information on longitudinal dips which helped immensely to optimize trajectory inclination and spatially position the wellbore across different layers as per plan. Apart from detecting reservoir boundaries, the inversion also mapped conductive and resistive fractures cutting wellbore at high angle for the first time, while trajectory was drilling across a fracture corridor. This further added confidence to geo-steering while drilling as wellbore cutting through such a fracture corridor was highly anticipated in predrill planning. Drillpipe conveyed borehole images acquired after drilling the well confirmed the presence of large swarms of fractures detected through inversion.The effective integration of data from different fields in a single platform, like LWD logs, boundary information, dip information, drill cuttings information and decisions taken based on the interpreted information paved the way for the successful drilling of this well and achieve the predrill objectives.
The Effects of Changes in State Tax Enforcement on Corporate Income Tax Collections
Authors: Gupta Sanjay , Lynch Daniel P. 
Published: October 2015

ABSTRACT
Using a new hand-collected database on state department of revenue (DOR) expenditures, this study examines the association between changes in state corporate tax enforcement expenditures and state-level tax collections during the 2000–2008 time period. The results, after addressing endogeneity concerns using a changes specification and state fixed effects, suggest a $1 increase (decrease) in current period corporate enforcement is associated with an $8 to $11 increase (decrease) in state tax collections two years into the future. The association appears to be attenuated in states with restrictive tax policies (i.e., unitary/combined reporting and related-party add-back provisions) suggesting that enforcement and restrictive tax policies could serve as substitutes.
JEL Classifications: H26; H71; H72.
Data Availability: Enforcement data were hand collected from state revenue department annual reports and by contacting state corporate income tax personnel. All annual reports are publicly available.
Against 'Long' Movement of the Superlative Operator
Authors: Sharvit Yael , Stateva Penka 
Published: October 2015

It is a matter of considerable debate whether degree operators are interpreted in their base position or in some higher position. Kennedy ( 1 997) has shown that degree operators (e.g., the comparative operator) do not interact scopally with quantified expressions. On the other hand, Heim ( 1 999) and Stateva (to appear) have presented evidence that the superlative operator (as in the highest grade) interacts scopally with intensional predicates. This paper argues that despite the fact that the superlative operator seems to interact scopally with intensional predicates, the facts receive a better account under an in situ analysis, rather than a movement analysis, of the operator. This point will be made by (a) looking at examples where a superlative expression is embedded under a propositional attitude verb, and focussing on readings which are neither de re (in the strict sense) nor de dicto (in the strict sense); and (b) examining negative superlatives (e.g., the least high grade) in extensional contexts. Our conclusion will be that Kennedy' s claim that degree operator movement is highly restricted is correct.
The online interpretation of sentence-internal same and distributivity
Authors: Dotlačil Jakub , Brasoveanu Adrian 
Published: October 2015

<p class="p1">This paper investigates the processing of sentence-internal same with <span style="font-size: 10px;">three licensors (each, all and the) in two orders: licensor+same (surface scope) and </span><span style="font-size: 10px;">same+licensor (inverse scope). Our study shows that (i) there is no effect of surface </span><span style="font-size: 10px;">vs. inverse scope, which we take as an argument for a model-oriented view of the </span><span style="font-size: 10px;">processing cost of inverse scope, and (ii) all is processed faster than each and the </span><span style="font-size: 10px;">with same, which we take as an argument for a particular semantics of distributive </span><span style="font-size: 10px;">icensors.</span></p>
La psychanalyse et les sciences
Authors: Bourguignon André 
Published: October 2015

Freud aurait aimé soumettre ses constructions théoriques aux jugements de la science biologique, mais les avancées de celle-ci à son époque ne le permettaient pas. Il en est autrement depuis, et nombre d’affirmations freudiennes sont confirmées, d’autres réfutées par les sciences modernes. L’auteur relève contradictions, ambiguïtés et paradoxes dans la théorie pour en arriver à la nécessité d’un dialogue de la psychanalyse avec les autres sciences. Il invite à suivre Freud dans la construction d’une vision du monde qui s’appuie sur l’histoire et les autres sciences, et puisse considérer la molécule jusqu’à l’organisme entier, soit de la plus petite partie jusqu’au tout. Ainsi, comment penser la faille entre cerveau et psychisme ? L’auteur se penche alors sur la question du sujet et de son émergence, entre autonomie et dépendance, sujet constitué par le langage et identifié à l’organe. Il conclut à l’adresse des psychanalystes par l’alternative suivante : ou la construction d’un système de croyance, ou bien la confrontation avec les disciplines scientifiques.