bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Depending On Guar For Shale Oil And Gas Development
Authors: Beckwith Robin 
Published: February 2015

Matador, a guar variety jointly owned by Texas Tech University and Halliburton, is grown as a breeders' seed increase (i.e., to increase the amount of seed available) at the Texas Tech campus farm at Lubbock, Texas.
Guar is a modest-looking shrubby plant. Primarily grown in India and Pakistan, it is known there as a “poor-man’s crop,” according to Calvin Trostle, associate professor and extension agronomist, Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center in Lubbock, Texas.
This stepchild crop has risen in importance during the last few years as the source of an important ingredient that makes high-viscosity (as opposed to slickwater) hydraulic fracturing as effective and cost-effective a process as it is. This ingredient is known as guar gum.
Made from the endosperm of the guar seed, which is ground into a fine powder, a tiny concentration of guar gum interacts quickly with hydraulic fracturing water to thicken it. In simple terms, guar gum renders the water viscous and thus capable of evenly suspending and carrying proppant deep into the fractures that are created with the enormous pressures of the pumped water. Its biopolymeric viscosity properties also help reduce friction and augment water pressure.
No guar substitute has yet been developed that is as effective for high-viscosity hydraulic fracturing, although Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, FTS International, or their affiliates, as well as the chemical company Dupont, are working on developing synthetic polymers whose properties might rival those of guar gum.
According to Mickey Callanan, president of PfP Technology, “Guar is a perfect material for hydraulic fracturing.” He cites the following elements that guar gum brings to bear:
Available in large amounts
Availability currently not limited
Affordable, low cost
Superior thickening agent
Excellent friction reducer
Crosslinkable
Breakable
Biodegradable
Trostle says reported oilfield services industry numbers suggest that an average amount of guar gum required to hydraulically fracture one well could be as much as 20,000 lb. That is the equivalent of about 100 acres of average-yielding west Texas dry-land guar production (at 750 lb/acre).
Guar gum is also used as an ingredient in drilling fluids and enhanced-oil-recovery methods, though not as consistently or in such vast quantities as for hydraulic fracturing. Arguably, without guar, shale gas and oil development would not be burgeoning nearly to the extent it is.
Humble Beginnings to Today’s Prominence
Although guar pods (with the seeds inside them), which grow in clusters on the plant, are used for human consumption, the traditional use of guar has been for cattle feed. In fact, according to Sudhir Merchant, chairman and chief executive officer of Encore Natural Polymers of Ahmedabad, India, in India “gaw – har” means “cattle – food.”
Technology Focus: Bit Technology and Bottomhole Assemblies (December 2012)
Authors: Fear Martyn 
Published: February 2015

Technology Focus
The oil and gas business continues to migrate toward deeper plays, less drillable geology, and more tortuous directional objectives, all within a cost framework that sustained high oil prices are driving upward. Our part of the oil and gas industry—well construction—is having to expand drilling capability and continuously improve efficiency so that operators can keep marginal projects economic and avoid dramatic departures from planned schedule and cost.
Against this background, it is vital that our knowledge of the downhole drilling environment improves. The historical habit of “try it and see,” driven by an absence of downhole measurements or the applied use of them, all too frequently failed to deliver predictable performance, especially in technically demanding scenarios. Our industry deserves better than that, so it is appropriate to ask, “Are we optimized yet?”
As in previous features, there is progress to celebrate. The articles here will demonstrate that the quest to improve understanding of drillstring and tool behavior, to optimize well placement, and to execute with failure avoidance and ever-improving performance continues. It is much rarer now to see operations plagued by poor bit selection, baffled drilling teams, and repeated tool failures—a tribute to the drilling industry’s hunger to improve.
There is, however, more to do—rate of penetration to be raised, bit life to be lengthened, tool life to be improved, geosteering to be refined. So, if your team is not actively working on improvement in these areas or is not equipped with the knowledge or data to do so, ask why; there are people and tools out there ready to help. Let’s remember that, when we integrate the measurements, the gurus, and the operational practitioners, improvement usually results. The key to an optimized operation is knowledge; and performance will tell you whether your operation has enough of it. So, if predictable, improving performance is not what you see from your operation or your service, keep pushing. Our industry needs it.
Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
SPE/IADC 151175 A Systematic Approach To Improving Directional Drilling Tool Reliability in HP/HT Horizontals in the Haynesville Shale by Errol Pinto, Shell Upstream Americas, et al.
SPE 151377 Anomalous Behaviors of a Propagating Borehole by Luc Perneder, University of Minnesota, et al.
New Model of Bit Whirl Takes Into Account Boundary Conditions at Bit/Rock Interface
Authors: Wilson Adam 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Editorial Manager Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 156240, ’A New Model of Bit Whirl,’ by Yevhen Kovalyshen, CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering, prepared for the 2012 SPE/IADC Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition, Tianjin, China, 9-11 July. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Previous analytical models of bit whirl considered bottomhole assembly (BHA) mass imbalance to model bit whirl. The model presented here takes into account the history-dependent boundary conditions at the bit/rock interface. Within this model, the geometry of the bit is characterized by three dimensionless parameters. The results show that, depending on the value of these parameters, the system can be stable or undergo forward or backward whirl. As a result, the model has potential application as a tool that assists bit design.
Introduction
Bit whirl is a lateral vibration of the drill bit during which the bit axis undergoes a circular motion. If the axis of the bit rotates in the same direction as the bit itself, the bit is said to undergo forward whirl. If the axis of the bit rotates in the direction opposite to that of the bit, the bit is said to undergo backward whirl. Bit whirl is the most damaging mode of vibration and is responsible for the premature damage principally of polycrystalline-diamond-compact (PDC) bits. Most whirl models are based on the assumption that the whirl instability is caused by an imbalance of the BHA. The imbalance is either from mass imbalance or from imbalance in the cutting structure. Although experiments show that BHA imbalance can increase the whirl tendencies, a perfectly balanced BHA also can generate bit vibrations. This suggests that bit whirl cannot be explained solely by BHA imbalance. According to field observations, the main factor influencing whirl is bit geometry. For example, a paper published in 1990 states, “... longer tapers, more aggressive structures, or aggressive gauge cutters all significantly increase a bit’s tendency to whirl. Conversely, higher back rake, flatter profiles, and smooth gauge all tend to reduce bit whirl. Also, features that would seem to possibly prevent whirl, such as irregular spacing blades, strongly inverted cones, or perfectly balanced bits, do not completely eliminate whirl … .” According to the same authors, shock subs do not alleviate the problem. Another factor that affects bit whirl tendency is rock strength; the harder the rock is, the higher the chance of bit whirl is. Proper bit/rock interaction has been incorporated into a numerical analysis of bit vibration, but no theories have been able to explain the field observations. In contrast to previous studies, this work takes into account bit geometry and the regenerative effect, while the BHA is modeled as a mass/spring/dashpot system. Furthermore, the investigation concentrates on stability analysis rather than on solution of an evolution problem.
The Control Room of the Future
Authors: Urso Jason 
Published: February 2015

Guest editorial
Control rooms have come a long way over the years, and there remains ample room for improvement. Fortunately for operators, though, a significantly improved control room of the future might be closer to reality than they think.
Years ago, control rooms were dominated by large mimic panels covered with gauges and dials that provided a limited view and inflexible means of interacting with the process. Today, the modern control room includes sophisticated graphical user interfaces, and specialized furniture in purpose-designed spaces that make careful use of lighting and ventilation. The layout of the control room is arranged to accommodate the movement of people and to abate excessive noise. A control room may have a range of adjoining facilities, such as a kitchen and even gymnasium equipment, to help operators keep healthy and alert. Of course, not all control rooms are like this, but a state-of-the-art control room can provide operators with an environment that is, at least superficially, a pleasant and comfortable place to work.
Although these advances have certainly improved conditions, several important areas could be further improved. Today’s operator console, a key element of the control room, is effectively an isolated island from which operators can rarely escape. Operators have difficulty moving away from the console to take brief breaks or work with others in the control room without losing critical situation awareness. Display layouts tend to be inflexible, often hamstrung by having to display information across multiple small screens, making it difficult for operators to access necessary information. The operator is also confronted with a multitude of devices such as keyboards, mice, radios, and telephones, and it is difficult for operators to work efficiently when constantly switching between devices. Additionally, consoles are difficult to scale from single to multiple operators and are typically engineered to cope with the maximum number of operators required for startup, shutdown, and turnaround operations. On top of this, the console’s physical arrangement does not allow operators working 12-hour shifts to get and stay comfortable. The result is that life for operators might be compared to traveling in economy class on a long, overnight, intercontinental flight while being asked to make rapid and critical decisions throughout the flight. The odds are stacked against the operators when they are uncomfortable and tired in environments that do not fully accommodate their basic physical and task-related needs.
Fluid-Pulse Technology Boosts Oil Recovery
Authors: Davidson Brett 
Published: February 2015

Technology Update
A unique fluid-pulse technology has generated impressive increases in ultimate oil recovery in applications in North and South America and the Middle East. Developed in Alberta, Canada, the fluid-pulse technology has proved its ability to recover oil previously left behind in fields thought to be depleted or uneconomical—potentially billions of barrels globally.
In addition to driving the phenomenal growth of the Alberta oil sands, Canada’s oil industry has developed a depth and breadth of experience in some of the world’s harshest conditions. Those harsh conditions often create opportunities for new technologies to show their capabilities to a largely cautious industry.
A recent report by the United States Energy Information Administration notes that the US imported about 45% of the 18.8 million B/D of crude oil and petroleum products it consumed in 2011. Although dependence on foreign petroleum has declined since peaking in 2005, the quest is still on for ways to increase domestic production and reduce reliance on imports. Fluid-pulse technology is one way to revive oil fields by recovering more barrels, flattening decline curves, and reducing production costs.
Pulsating Injection Stream
While waterflooding techniques have been used for secondary oil recovery since the 1920s, fluid-pulse injection optimization brings much higher efficiency to these methods. With most US production growth over the next 2 years predicted to come from tight rock plays in North Dakota and Texas, the fluid-pulse technology is uniquely suited to this type of tight formation, as well as being effective under many other challenging conditions.
A downhole tool works with conventional surface equipment and is installed into injection wells to transform the normally steady rate of injection to a pulsating injection stream with typically 10 or more pulses per minute (Figs. 1a, 1b, and 1c). Similar to the idea of kinking a garden hose, precise amounts of energy are repeatedly built up and released by the tool. The pulses add acceleration and momentum to the injected fluid, forcing it into the reservoirs’ nooks and crannies and more impermeable rock at speeds of up to 100 m/s. This enables the injection fluid to enter pore spaces that have remained untouched. The result is a much better sweep of the oil toward the surrounding producing wells.
Case Studies
A small independent operator in Alberta implemented the technology with six tools in the relatively tight Viking formation in December 2010. This is a mature waterflood in sandstone with average porosity of approximately 9% and permeability ranging from 0 to 50 md. In this light oil project, production increased from the offset producers by 69 BOPD, or 52% above the base decline trend.
Deepwater Developments Driving Technip's Technology
Authors: Jacobs Trent 
Published: February 2015

Deepwater Developments
Today’s deepwater projects are not just larger and more expensive than in years past. They are the most technically demanding projects the oil and gas industry has endeavored to undertake since stepping out from the continental shelf, and will require more new technology than ever to successfully execute. The extreme environments of deepwater fields are driving the complexity of these megaprojects to new heights, with shorter deadlines to help offset production declines. Among the companies capable of carrying out these record-setting field development projects is installation and subsea construction firm, Technip.
The price tags of these projects have “exploded,” Pilenko said, because offshore oil and gas reservoirs are getting harder to find. So too is the challenge of safely producing those hydrocarbons and bringing them to the surface. “Today, we know how to drill at 3000-m depths,” he said. “But we are just learning how to produce it with qualified production systems.” Pilenko explained that the industry is not just pushing the frontiers of technology, but also geography. Offshore Africa, oil companies are proving how subsea fields can be developed with little to no onshore support infrastructure.
One of the latest examples is the Moho Nord field, offshore Congo, where Technip will deploy some of its pipelaying and construction vessel fleet to install the entire subsea production system for operator Total. In terms of the scope of work, the project will be the largest subsea development that Technip has ever been awarded. The company will put into use many of its key assets to make and install the components of the subsea field that include 142 miles (230 km) of rigid pipeline, 14 miles (23 km) of flexible flowlines, and 31 miles (50 km) of umbilicals to deliver chemicals and power to the more than 50 subsea structures to be installed.
Deepwater Facilities Under Construction
Already the uncontested leader in spar development, having delivered 14 of the world’s 17 in operation, Technip is building three new spars simultaneously, including the world’s largest. Spars are deepwater floating facilities that rely on a cylindrical single-column design to achieve optimal stability for drilling and production in an offshore environment.
The Technip-engineered Aasta Hansteen spar will be the biggest platform of its kind built, a distinction driven by the harsh environment of the North Sea and the fact that it is engineered for gas processing and storage. The hull will be 640 ft (195 m) from top to bottom and 167 ft (51 m) in diameter. The spar’s topside facilities will have a processing capacity of 812 MMcf/D of natural gas and a storage capacity of 160,000 bbl of gas condensate. The first spar to be installed offshore Norway, the Aasta Hansteen spar will operate at a water depth of 4,250 ft (1300 m) and is under construction in South Korea, with first production planned for the end of 2016.
Proppant Goes to Extremes
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen 
Published: February 2015

New and Improved Proppants
Carbo Ceramics and Saint-Gobain Proppants are headed for a battle for crush test supremacy. At the recent 2013 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE), the two large proppant makers rolled out a new class of ultraheavy proppant built to stand up to the extreme stresses found on the frontiers of deepwater exploration.
By next year, both companies plan to be mass producing ceramic grains that they said will be the strongest in the market, able to withstand stresses of 20,000 psi or more. The new materials and manufacturing methods used to raise the crush test limit from around 15,000 psi will influence how they produce higher performing proppant for use in lower stress environments.
“On the process side, this will allow us to change everything we do,” said Gary Kolstad, chief executive officer and president of Carbo.
Called Kryptosphere, Carbo’s new product is strikingly uniform in size and shape, with each grain looking like a tiny pingpong ball. The material and the look are a break from sintered bauxite, which has long been used in the most extreme conditions.
At its ATCE booth, Saint-Gobain Proppants played up its new high-performance product, named Titan, which it said could stand up to pressures as high as 30,000 psi.
Both new proppants are made of new materials put together using different manufacturing methods—neither company would offer details. Their customers are operators in places such as the Lower Tertiary trend in the US Gulf of Mexico, where fracturing is required in wells that can go more than 30,000 ft below the mudline in water approaching 10,000 ft.
There were other indications of proppant innovation at the ATCE. Oxane Materials was presenting its first field test information for the proppant it developed using new materials to create particles it says are significantly stronger per pound and were the first to be so uniformly spherical.
Santrol was showing off its recent acquisition, a buoyant coating for proppant that is supposed to help proppant travel deeper into formations. The subsidiary of Fairmount Minerals acquired the inventor of the self-suspending proppant technology earlier this year and has been working to modify the material activated by absorbing water, so it can be used in humid places. Field tests were set to begin in November to see if it could be an effective alternative to the gels used to thicken drilling fluids for delivering heavy proppant.
The coating was tested by Stim-Lab, which found that it did not interfere with equipment, such as blenders. “Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised it has interesting properties,” said Michael Conway, president of Core Lab’s Stim-Lab division. “We will find out soon if it makes a material difference in production.”
Q&A with Al Hosn Gas: Raising the Bar
Authors: Al Ghafli Saif 
Published: February 2015

Q&A
Saif Al Ghafli, CEO of Abu Dhabi-based Al Hosn Gas, says the Shah gas field development has raised the technical benchmark for sour gas field development in the Middle East.

What is the main scope of the Shah gas field development project and what are the main technologies you are using to process the sour gas?
The scope of the whole company, Al Hosn Gas, is to drill for gas in the Shah gas field, which is a sour gas field located in northern Abu Dhabi. The scope of the company is to process 1 Bcf/D of raw gas, feed gas from the Shah gas field, and treat the gas for production of different products in order to produce condensate, sales gas, natural gas liquids, and elemental sulfur.
The project is being developed by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Occidental Petroleum. The project was initially planned to be developed in a joint venture with ConocoPhillips, but after it withdrew from the project, ADNOC continued for a year working on the project as a wholly owned project, in which the engineering department at ADNOC developed the procurement of the long lead items. Things kept on going while ADNOC was looking for another partner, and it eventually selected Oxy.
What is the status of the project? Is it on track for 2014 delivery?
It is progressing according to plan and we are targeting startup in the last quarter of 2014. All engineering, procurement, and construction contractors are working to reach the same goal, and we are on track for a 2014 startup.
Are you expecting to reach full capacity shortly?
Yes, indeed. The plant will ramp up quickly in production, and our aim is to reach full production from the first year notwithstanding any technical problems.
Was “cutting-edge technology” used in the project?
The technologies in this project involve drilling, gas gathering, and processing. This field was discovered in the mid-1960s, and due to the high acid level of the gas contained in the field, plus its remote location and the reservoir characteristics of the field, it was almost impossible to develop the field. But over the years, drilling technologies have improved, and prospects of adhering to health, safety, and environmental guidelines have also improved, along with safety measurements. All these developments have allowed us to exploit the field.
Several technologies have been used during development—those related to health, safety, and the environment; drilling; processing; corrosion resistance alloys employed in the piping and machinery; and many others. These are some of the technical advancements that have enabled us to develop this field.