bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seria Field, Brunei: 80 Years On - Near-Field Exploration Going Strong
Authors: Denney Dennis 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper IPTC 15199, ’The Seria Field, Brunei: 80 Years on, Near-Field Exploration Going Strong,’ by John Church, SPE, and Bong Poh Yuk, Brunei Shell Petroleum, prepared for the 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 15-17 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. [Note: Conference rescheduled to 7-9 February 2012.] Copyright 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.
The onshore Seria oil field in Brunei was discovered in 1929 and has produced more than 1.1 billion bbl. The field still has a large near-field-exploration (NFE) portfolio of undeveloped reservoir blocks on the northern flank. These blocks, under the shallow marine surf zone, have been difficult to access because of the very shallow water and shoreward-dipping nature of the fault blocks. However, the Seria North Flank (SNF) project has begun to unlock these volumes by implementing the fishhook-well concept, allowing these opportunities to be developed from land.
Introduction
The Seria oil field is a complexly faulted anticlinal structure with hydrocarbons trapped behind fault/dip structures in stacked deltaic sediments. The field straddles the coastline, with the northern half of the field offshore under shallow water. Early oil production was dominated by wells drilled on land. Production peaked at approximately 120,000 BOPD in 1956. The field production declined throughout the 1960s and much of the 1970s. Since 1990, the field has been producing approximately 20,000 BOPD.
The northern flank of the Seria anticline was known to hold hydrocarbons, but the shallow surf zone made drilling rig access problematic. Poor-quality seismic data had limited development activity. Several penetrations had been made by use of deviated wells drilled from shore, which passed orthogonally through the shoreward-dipping fault blocks with only limited and suboptimal reservoir penetration. The potential was known, but underexploited.
SNF Project (2004–09)
New high-resolution 3D seismic over the shallow marine surf zone was acquired in 1998 that identified a large number of undrilled blocks on the north flank of the Seria anticline. Exploration drilling began in 2004, with the discovery of the first block on the SNF. Follow-up drilling led to further discoveries in adjacent blocks in 2005 and 2006.
Doubling Production From a Mature North Kuwait Reservoir
Authors: Denney Dennis 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper IPTC 15334, ’Doubling the Production From a Mature Reservoir in North Kuwait - Challenges, Achievements, and Lessons Learned,’ by H.B. Chetri, SPE, M. Raju, SPE, Harry Alam, SPE, and Hussain Al-Ajmi, SPE, KOC, prepared for the 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 15-17 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. [Note: Conference rescheduled to 7-9 February 2012.] Copyright 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.
Sabiriyah Lower Burgan (SA LB) is a clastic reservoir in northern Kuwait that has been on continuous production for 45 years. The reservoir, with an active waterdrive, suffers from a rapid increase in watercut. Production performance of the wells declines dramatically after the water cut reaches 40%. The formal strategy for production had been focused on keeping the active perforations away from water. In the past, the concern was to avoid installation of artificial lift or the application of water-shutoff or new technologies.
Introduction
The SA LB reservoir is a prolific reservoir with natural-aquifer support. The crude is light, at 33°API, and has less than 2.8% sulfur. Cumulative production is approximately 40% of reserves. The reservoir has produced only by natural flow at a daily rate for the last 3 to 4 years of approximately 50,000 BOPD, with average water cut of 29%.
The team works daily to review and identify perforation intervals that could improve well performance. Also, the well reviews aim at identifying and implementing suitable water-shutoff jobs for improving the production performance. Therefore, close production monitoring, tracking of water movement, and use of surveillance techniques (e.g., production-logging tools) are key to the success of these production-management efforts. Geologically, water movement resulting from cumulative depletion has led to tortuous movement of the water front, which requires periodic mapping and integrating with production activities. Crossflow between layers, caused by inappropriate perforating procedures, also results in underperforming wells.
To double production from the reservoir within 6 months, the following actions were taken.
Extensive review of the well performance
Intelligent analysis of existing wells
Identification of production-enhancement opportunities (with reference to mapping resources needed), use of horizontal wells, and first-time installation of electrical submersible pumps (ESPs)
More-ambitious ESP implementation than was contemplated earlier.
Kick-Tolerance Misconceptions and Consequences for Well Design
Authors: Denney Dennis 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 140113, ’Kick-Tolerance Misconceptions and Consequences for Well Design,’ by Helio Santos, SPE, Erdem Catak, SPE, and Sandeep Valluri, Safekick, prepared for the 2011 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 1-3 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Kick tolerance defines the appropriate number and setting depths of casing strings required to achieve drilling objectives. It also is used during drilling to determine whether it is safe to continue drilling or if there is a need to run a casing string. Alternatively, it is used to indicate whether it is safe to circulate a kick out of the well or whether bullheading is necessary. During development of a new well-control system, a thorough review of the fundamental concepts involved was carried out, and, in relation to kick tolerance, a few misconceptions were identified.
Introduction
Even though kick tolerance is a critical and fundamental concept for the drilling industry, there is no standard used by operators, drilling contractors, or training institutions. Hence, there are several definitions of kick tolerance and different ways of calculating it. This lack of consistency may be why the subject is not well understood and, there-fore, is sometimes used dangerously. Definitions of kick tolerance may be in terms of pit gain, mud-weight increase, or underbalance pressure.
Another point of disagreement is on how the predicted pore pressure should be used in calculations. Some companies use a value greater than the mud weight, while others use a value greater than the predicted pore pressure. Despite the variations, the goal is consistent: to use a procedure that ensures safe drilling of a well. Often, this lack of a standard and of under-standing the topic leads to uncertainty and discussions during drilling. Questions often arise regarding whether it is safe to continue drilling. Because wells are now drilled in more-challenging environments, such as high-pressure/high-temperature and deep and ultradeep water, a small variation in the way that kick tolerance is calculated can lead to premature abandonment of the well or, worse, to a hazardous drilling situation.
Kick-Tolerance Calculation—Current Approach
The first step of a simplified kick-tolerance calculation (i.e., constant temperature, constant density, and no compressibility) is to define the maximum vertical height of a gas influx Hmax at the casing shoe (assumed to be the weakest point in the open hole). Hmax is deter-mined on the basis of fracture gradient; mud weight; kick-fluid density; predicted pore pressure; and adjusted maximum allowable annular surface pressure (MAASP), which is reduced by a safety margin. What is conceptually wrong is that if the bottomhole-assembly (BHA) length is greater than Hmax, the kick cannot be circulated out of the wellbore because it will reach the top of the drill collars with a kick height greater than Hmax, which would induce losses at the shoe.
Open Innovation: From Its Beginning to Today
Authors: Bernstein Ed 
Published: February 2015

Guest editorial
In our constantly changing world, corporations find themselves continually adapting to new trends and technologies, and often reinventing themselves to remain relevant. In fact, with our changing global business environment, staying the course is not an option if today’s businesses want to remain viable and competitive.
One of the most dramatic corporate shifts we have seen over the last decade is on the innovation front. As recently as the early 2000s, innovation was largely derived from within an individual corporation’s walls through its internal research and development (R&D) departments. However, as the pace and intensity of competition around the globe increased, it was widely becoming recognized that to maintain and increase a competitive edge, R&D strategies were going to have to change.
In 2003, Henry Chesbrough wrote about a new collaborative innovation theory and coined it “open innovation,” which he defines as “the use of purposive inflows and outflows of knowledge to accelerate internal innovation and expand the markets for external use of innovation.” He further explains that the open innovation paradigm can be understood as the antithesis of the traditional vertical integration model in which internal innovation activities lead to internally developed products and services that are then distributed by the firm (Chesbrough 2012). The roots of this concept date back almost a decade prior to Chesbrough’s research, to discussions and meetings at the Industrial Research Institute with members like Procter & Gamble (P&G) and General Electric (GE) sharing best practices on how to succeed in R&D’s ever-changing environment.
It is not a coincidence that at the same time our innovation model was beginning to change, the Internet and emergence of social media were enabling society as a whole to be more connected and helping to facilitate collaboration across geographies. In the same year as Chesbrough, the widely regarded founding father of open innovation, presented his theory, LinkedIn was introduced; Facebook debuted a year later and at the end of June 2012 was reporting an astounding 955 million monthly active users; Twitter was launched in July 2006 and today has more than 500 million active users.
Not surprisingly, leaders at major corporations in various industries were recognizing that the world was becoming increasingly connected and perhaps the most effective and efficient path to innovation was no longer through internal channels and limited company resources. The concept of open innovation progressively began to infiltrate corporate R&D practices and today has claimed a prominent position in our corporate culture as a compelling and effective force behind creating new concepts and products.
Procter & Gamble was one of the first companies to explore using external sources for innovation. Its approach, Connect + Develop, was first presented in 2000 at a fall meeting of the Industrial Research Institute, and would become P&G’s open innovation program.
Sustainable Energy Growth Tops Middle East Conference Agenda
Authors: Henni Abdelghani 
Published: February 2015

Conference review
The 15th annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), organized in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, attracted major national and international oil and gas companies from around the world to discuss common challenges and the opportunities in the region.
Involvement from Middle Eastern countries was higher than ever at the conference, with delegations from Saudi Aramco, Qatar Petroleum, Kuwait Petroleum, Sonatrach, and many other international companies discussing their strategies and technologies.
The largest oil and gas show outside North America were held under the theme “Sustainable Energy Growth: People, Responsibility and Innovation.” More than 50,000 people from 91 countries attended.
SPE organized the conference and technical sessions, which covered a number of topics that influence the industry including technical, economic, personal skills, and capability issues. More than 50 technical sessions presented by 300 industry experts were delivered during the event.
Mohamed Bin Dha’en Al Hamli, UAE minister of energy, opened the ADIPEC conference. He said the scale of ADI-PEC and its setting in Abu Dhabi made it an ideal platform to address the complex technical and logistical challenges of exploring for and producing oil and gas at a time of increasing global energy demand.
Formally introducing the conference, Ali Rashid Al Jarwan, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (Adma-Opco) and chairman of the ADIPEC 2012 conference, said the itinerary was the most comprehensive to date. “This year, the event offered more depth and scope than ever before. ADIPEC was founded on the principle of sharing knowledge and experience. This principle is as relevant now as it was 25 years ago when ADIPEC was established,” he said.
Speaking on the challenges of growing global energy demand, Christophe de Margerie, chief executive officer of Total, said that demand for oil and gas from non-OECD countries has increased and this creates a challenge. “Meeting the increasing demand is a bit challenging due to projects’ complexity, access to finance, and geopolitical constraints,” de Margerie said. “To meet this soaring demand, new LNG (liquefied natural gas) projects are needed to satisfy European and Asian demand, even with potential additional supply from shale gas.”
To address the new challenges facing the industry, companies should focus on leveraging technology, he said. “This will help unlock resources and improve recovery, optimal development through innovation, as well as operational excellence,” he said.
Sami Al Rushaid, chairman and managing director of Kuwait Oil Company, said that his company is strongly focusing on optimizing recovery through primary, secondary, unconventional, enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and development of heavy oil. “Significant oil is also expected to come from exploration activities,” he said.
Structured Mentoring: A Critical Component of a Global Talent Management Strategy
Authors: Rousseau Meta 
Published: February 2015

Talent & Technology
Competing for market share in a dynamic international marketplace, the front-runners are those who are able to build a skilled, global workforce through multifaceted strategies that enable them to align training, mentoring, and coaching initiatives and implement cutting-edge practices such as social and mobile learning. Structured mentoring forms the foundation of a well-designed talent management strategy. Well-designed mentoring programs enable organizations to align and seamlessly integrate training, coaching, and mentoring initiatives into holistic, personalized offerings. It is through successful structured mentoring programs that organizations are able to sustain a uniquely skilled and internally motivated workforce that sets them apart from their competition.
Before looking at structured mentoring as a key learning strategy and overarching component of a comprehensive talent management strategy, briefly consider the components that form part of the typical organization’s talent management strategy. Structured mentoring affects each in a slightly different way.
1. Talent Acquisition. A good mentoring program is a powerful recruiting tool. Candidates tend to associate the quality of an organization’s professional development programs with future career opportunities.
2. Performance Management. Mentoring allows for the development of professional and personal relationships that facilitate internal motivation, effective teamwork and the timely and successful completion of performance objectives and realization of business goals.
3. Training and Development. Mentoring programs do not replace but complement training initiatives and allow for the development of tacit knowledge and complex skills that cannot be honed in any other way.
4. Talent Retention. Employee surveys and research studies suggest that employees who are involved in mentoring programs are more likely to report job satisfaction and less likely to seek other opportunities. Mentoring programs that span international boundaries also aid global mobility and increase the availability of attractive career opportunities.
5. Succession Planning. Mentoring programs seek and are supported by vibrant communities of practice that provide talent managers with the ability to identify talent pools from which positions could be effectively filled.
While mentoring adds value to the overall talent management program, its effect is most visible in professional development. When we look at mentoring as a professional development or learning strategy, we need to consider the mentoring in relationship with training and clarify similarities and differences. Four simple definitions as shown in Table 1 may be helpful.
CO2-EOR Mobility and Conformance Control: 40 Years of Research and Pilot Tests
Authors: Denney Dennis 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 154122, ’Mobility and Conformance Control for CO2 EOR - Thickeners, Foams, and Gels: A Literature Review of 40 Years of Research and Pilot Tests,’ by R.M. Enick, SPE, University of Pittsburgh; D. Olsen, SPE, IBM Global Business Services; J. Ammer, US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory; and W. Schuller, URS Corporation, prepared for the 2012 SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, 14-18 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been used commercially for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) for more than 40 years. The CO2-EOR process could be improved if the high mobility of CO2 relative to reservoir oil and water could be reduced effectively and affordably. The water-alternating-with-gas (WAG) technology is the preferred method to control CO2 mobility, along with the use of mechanical techniques (e.g., cement, packers, well control, infield drilling, and horizontal wells) to help control the CO2-flood conformance. If the next-generation CO2-EOR target of 67 billion bbl is to be realized, new solutions are needed that can recover significantly more oil than the 10–20% of the original oil in place (OOIP) associated with current flooding practices. This literature review concentrated on the history and development of CO2-mobility-control and profile-modification technologies.
Introduction
Every day, more than 110 field projects in the US, 60% of which are in the Permian Basin in west Texas, inject 3.1 Bscf of CO2 into sandstone and carbonate formations to recover more than 280,000 bbl of oil. This corresponds to approximately 5% of the nearly 5 million BOPD of US oil production. The number of CO2-flood projects has increased steadily in recent years, in contrast to other EOR methods. The limiting factor for expanding CO2 flooding is the availability of large volumes of high-pressure CO2 because most CO2 suppliers are operating at full capacity. For example, new projects in the Permian Basin are constrained by the need for an additional 0.3–0.4 Bscf/D of CO2 in the region. Conversely, the rapid growth of CO2 EOR in Mississippi reflects the growth of CO2 supplies in that region.
Approximately 74.4% of the CO2 used for EOR comes from gas-treating and -processing facilities associated with the production of CO2-rich natural gas, while 19.4% originates from natural-gas plants, 4.8% from coal-synfuel plants, and the remainder from various chemical and petroleum facilities. The dehydrated, high-pressure CO2 from various sources is transported to oil fields where it is compressed to the desired injection pressure, combined with recycled CO2 and injected into the reservoir.
Environmental Consideration Leads to Successful Decommissioning of FSO
Authors: Wilson Adam 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Editorial Manager Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 157017, ’Decommissioning of an FSO Containing Hazardous Waste: A Successful Story,’ by Claude-Henri Chaîneau, Jean-Claude Bourguignon, Guillaume Goubard, and Pierre Bang, Total E&P; Philippe Jean, SPE, PJN Consulting; Benoit Lefebvre, SITA France; Tom Peter Blankestijn, Sea2Cradle; and Emmanuel Tambe Ayuk, SNH, 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.
Ship dismantling issues have never been as sensitive as they are now. In this context, the Rio del Rey partnership, represented by Total E&P Cameroun, planned the Serepca-1 (SR1) tanker’s end of life. SR1 was a Suezmax type oil tanker moored off the coast of Cameroon. The ship was a significant source of raw material and contained waste that could turn its dismantling into a health hazard and an environmental hazard. Various environmental surveys were made to identify hazardous materials and to produce the ship’s Green Passport. The end of life of any tanker has economic, environmental, and social implications.
Introduction
SR1 was a former oil tanker, built in 1974. In 1984, it was converted into a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) and positioned in the Biafra bight, off the coast of the Republic of Cameroon. Its 14 tanks stored Kolé crude oil extracted from the Rio del Rey oil field. However, given the oil tanker’s age, the company decided to replace it. SR1’s oil storage activities ceased in May 2007, and it is in this context that a full decommissioning project was set up.
Given the large quantity of steel contained in the structure, an oil tanker constitutes a significant source of raw material. The elimination strategy selected, however, can turn such a tanker and the various polluting, toxic, or inflammable substances onboard into a health and environmental hazard. Several decontamination phases must be carried out in precise sequences before any dis-mantling operation, to prevent environ-mental and health risks. When one looks at the international situation, one sees that, during the last two dozen years, most of the world’s commercial ships and warships have been sent to developing countries to be dismantled in conditions damaging to the environment and to health. The evolution of environmental regulations in the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) during the 1980s caused the cost of hazardous waste disposal operations to increase in industrialized countries. As a result, hazardous wastes have been exported to developing countries, where environ-mental regulations were less thorough. It is in reaction to this situation that the international community implemented the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.