bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Q&A with Rod MacGregor, Chief Executive Officer and President, GlassPoint Solar
Authors: MacGregor Rod 
Published: February 2015

Q&A
What is the main scope of the first thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project in the Middle East and what are the technologies involved?
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the largest producer of oil and gas in Oman, partnered with GlassPoint to build the Middle East’s first EOR project. GlassPoint’s Enclosed Trough technology was selected because of its protective glasshouse structure and streamlined oilfield integration. This technology takes proven concentrated solar power trough designs and pairs them with an agricultural glasshouse, making a system uniquely suited for desert oilfield applications. The 7 MW system is now in daily operation, generating an average of 50 tons of emissions-free steam per day that feeds directly into existing thermal EOR operations at PDO’s Amal West oil field.
Was “cutting-edge technology” used in the development of the project?
The Enclosed Trough architecture is an innovative approach to concentrated solar power. The system uses traditional agricultural glasshouses to protect solar collectors in a sealed environment, free of dust, dirt, sand, and humidity. By shielding the solar collectors from the elements, low-cost, lightweight materials can be used. The system generates steam by using ultra-lightweight curved mirrors. These aluminum mirrors move throughout the day, tracking the sun and focusing light on stationary receiver tubes. The high-intensity light heats the water in the receiver tubes to generate high-pressure steam for EOR.
The maintenance of solar panels in the region is expensive because of the dust. How did you manage this problem?
The technology’s architecture reduces maintenance cost by protecting the solar collectors from the harsh oilfield environment. We further reduce cost by using an automated robotic washing system, which eliminates the need for manual cleaning and minimizes water use, recapturing nearly 90% of the wash water.
What are the major challenges you faced during the execution of the project? How did you manage them?
Building anything in a remote desert location is a challenge. You must construct an entire work camp and bring all your materials in from a great distance. You cannot afford to forget a screwdriver, because it might cost you days of work. Extreme heat during the day means that workers are often building during twilight or dark conditions, when temperatures are less dangerous. We overcame these challenges by meticulously managing every detail of the building process. We designed our system to be easy to assemble, so it was a matter of being organized and making sure we had all the materials we needed on hand.
The Elements of a Soft Competency Matrix
Authors: Fattahi Behrooz , Milanovich N. , Howes Susan , Giovanni Paccaloni Giovanni , Brett Ford 
Published: February 2015

Talent & Technology
The oil and gas industry is facing a progressively more complex work environment that is ever-shifting, less predictable, challenging, multidisciplinary, and increasingly global, with more complicated technical problems to be solved. There is also more public awareness and interest in what we do, how we do what we do, and who we are. Combined with our industry’s rapidly changing demographics, these developments stress the need for development of competencies within a spectrum ranging from emotional intelligence/soft skills to technical skills. In the new work environment, new attributes are rewarded and, although developing technical literacy is highly regarded, the necessity of acquiring soft skills is gaining recognition and is considered equally critical for success.
In an article published in the August 2012 issue of JPT, the SPE Soft Skills Council discussed the critical need for technical professionals in the future to learn and refine a number of important nontechnical (soft) competencies that have a great impact on the bottom line. With the increasing role of technology and the mixture of social, environmental, political, and economic construct across our industry, the essence of the council’s message was that there is a requirement for finer attunement and shedding of parochial paradigms. This follow-up article introduces a proposed competency matrix as a tool to identify soft skills gaps at various stages of one’s career.
Gaining Importance
Soft skills are about broadening our views and perspectives to enable us to perceive the interdependent nature of our work within our respective organizations and, even more importantly, within a larger social, political, ecological context. By remembering our humanity, we are provided with the possibility to develop sustainable technical and business strategies that consider both the intended and unintended consequences of our solutions. Recognizing the critical importance of soft competencies, Albert Einstein said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
A century later, the dominant paradigm about what may be the key for technical professionals’ career success is shifting from technical know-how to an equally or more important soft competencies. Obviously, technical attributes are core to our industry. However, for some years, the quality and strength of human interactions have been increasingly presented as at least equally important in sustaining business success for individuals and their organizations. J.W. Marriott, chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, said, “To succeed in today’s workplace, young people need more than basic reading and math skills. They need math skills. They need substantial content knowledge and information technology skills; advanced thinking skills, flexibility to adapt to change; and interpersonal skills to succeed in multicultural, cross-functional teams.”
Techbits: Workshop Discusses Framework for Successful EOR Project
Authors: JPT staff _ 
Published: February 2015

Techbits
More than 130 professionals comprising geoscientists and engineers, government officials, executives of public and private operating firms and service companies met in May in Manta, Ecuador, for a workshop on enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The workshop, titled “EOR: Technical and Managerial Framework for Ensuring a Successful Implementation,” covered the successful implementation of EOR projects, including the design and essential criteria for evaluating a pilot project, technical complexities, experiences, results from several international projects, implementation costs, and time to achieve commercial results.
EOR processes have been applied for decades, with steam injection, gas injection, and polymer injection the most common. Steam injection is used primarily in producing heavy and extra-heavy oil in shallow reservoirs; however, further research is needed for its application in deep reservoirs. Enhanced recovery through gas injection (hydrocarbons, nitrogen, and CO2) has increased rapidly in recent years because of its low risk, and has interesting potential for use in carbonate reservoirs. The main challenges for CO2 injection processes are the availability and distribution to candidate fields.
Characterization
Successful implementation of enhanced recovery processes require detailed geological knowledge of the reservoirs. Therefore, it is important to plan and execute appropriate actions for the acquisition and interpretation of data that will allow adequate characterization of the reservoirs and their fluids, thus reducing uncertainty in the understanding of the underground formations.
Scrutiny (Preselection)
With data gathered from the reservoir and its fluids and with the scrutiny rules developed in the past several decades, it is possible to establish initial alternatives for enhanced recovery efficiently. It is noteworthy that these pre-selection criteria should not be taken as absolute rules; they are useful as a practical tool used by specialists with experience in enhanced recovery techniques. Data mining tools that complement the scrutiny work have been recently developed.
Laboratory
Laboratory experiments are needed to define the most appropriate EOR process and the formulation to be injected. Estimate in the laboratory also help in understanding the recovery potential (recovery factor), and the main mechanisms responsible for the displacement of the remaining oil. Among the most relevant aspects for evaluation are interfacial phenomena, phase behavior, capillary pressure, relative permeability, minimum miscibility pressure, and the interaction between fluids and reservoir stone. With efficiency in mind, laboratory studies should be performed in parallel with other phases of the process, such as reservoir characterization.
Techbits: Workshop Covers Subsea Processing Issues
Authors: JPT staff _ 
Published: February 2015

Techbits
An SPE Applied Technology Workshop (ATW) on subsea processing recently took place in Stresa, Italy. The workshop was divided into sessions covering concept development, subsea boosting, subsea compression, subsea power, subsea separation, and operational experience. Each session included topic presentations, question-and-answer sessions, and mini-workshops allowing participants to interact, learn, and share from one another.
Subsea processing is allowing increased recovery, lower capital and operating expenses, and health, safety, and environmental (HSE) benefits. Subsea processing success stories are increasing in number and during the workshop participants heard that:
Petrobras has extensive experience from subsea electric submersible pumps (ESPs) and has recently applied subsea mudline multiphase pumping (MMP) pumps at the Barracuda field, subsea raw water injection pumps at the Albacora field, horizontal mudline ESP skid at the Espardarte field, and a subsea gas/liquid separation system and an oil/water separation system at the Marlim field.
At the Vincent field, Woodside has applied a subsea MPP system, including two off multiphase pumps. The processing system has given accelerated production and increased the availability of topside facilities and will extend the production life of wells.
Pazflor’s subsea separation units (SSUs) have been in operation and operator Total considers the project a success for subsea processing. SSUs make topsides facilities easier to operate.
Statoil and Shell are confident that the technology can be deployed at Ormen Lange.
Rigorous qualification testing, access to good test facilities, and a stepwise development of technologies are important factors to succeed with the implementation of new subsea processing technologies and to mitigate risk. Communication of success stories and a correct allocation of risk for subsea processing technologies are critical to the selection of subsea processing solutions by decision makers.
Concrete new subsea separation projects and business cases are relatively few and there seems to be less confidence and some confusion about the maturity of separation technologies. Several suggestions for improvement were discussed during the workshop. Generally, oil companies have confidence in subsea processing solutions, but costs are becoming a serious issue. If costs continue to increase, deployment of new technologies could be hampered.
Technology Focus: Field Development Projects (October 2013)
Authors: Rebelo Mauricio Pestana 
Published: February 2015

Technology Focus
The oil industry is moving every day to new frontiers to find and produce oil. The development of new fields is bringing different challenges. Several of these new frontier projects require the use of new technologies, thus further challenging project teams. Examples of such new frontiers are the Lower Tertiary in ultradeepwater Gulf of Mexico, the presalt in Brazil, and unconventional reservoirs.
Drilling and completion are important activities in any field development and are also the most expensive, representing the biggest portion of the capital expenditures. Reducing the cost of wells, especially in ultradeep water, can make a big difference in the economics of a project.
The number and placement of wells and the well trajectory and design are key factors for the success of a project and also require a significant investment in studies for knowledge and understanding of the reservoir, to make the correct selection for the wells to be drilled.
One important aspect to be considered for well design is the appropriate technology to use to maximize recovery from the reservoir and reduce drilling costs.
The papers featured this month are good examples of well design and use of new technology. Please enjoy your reading.
Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
SPE 158860 Subsurface Appraisal and Field-Development Planning of the Gas/Condensate Field GVLA, Angola by S. Balasubramanian, Chevron, et al.
SPE/IADC 163443 First-Oil Requirements Drive Simultaneous Drilling and Subsea Construction Operations on UK Central North Sea Development by R.M. Allan, E.ON E&P UK, et al.
SPE 161507 Full-Field Development Plan Optimization Integrating Subsurface Reservoir Uncertainties for Greenfield Offshore Abu Dhabi by Mohamed S. Afia, ADMA-OPCO, et al.
IPTC 16391 China’s Marine Qiongzhusi Shale Play, First Deep Asia Pacific Region Horizontal Multiple-Stage Fracturing: Case History, Operation, and Execution by Zonggang Lv, PetroChina, et al.
Drilling and Completing Cascade and Chinook Wells: A Case History
Authors: Carpenter Chris 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 24179, ’Drilling and Completing Cascade and Chinook Wells: A Design and Execution Case History,’ by Flavio Dias De Moraes, Petrobras; Oswaldo Moreira, Petrobras America; Ziad Haddad, FOI Technologies; Scott Ogier and Jonathan Shipley, SPE, Cherokee Offshore Engineering; Mauricio Rebelo, Petrobras; and Fernando Gama, Petrobras America, prepared for the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 6-9 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
During the design, implementation, and operation of the Cascade and Chinook (C&C) field development project in ultradeep water in the Lower Tertiary play of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), the technical limits of single-trip multizone (STMZ) frac-pack systems were pushed to depths greater than 27,000 ft using high fracture rates and high-strength proppants; knowledge was gained from ultrahigh-pressure (greater than 20,000 psi) tubing-conveyed perforating systems; and well-design criteria suitable for high-drawdown (more than 12,000 psi) production operations were demonstrated.
Introduction
The C&C development plan in the GOM is one of the most technologically challenging and complex projects ever implemented by Petrobras. This project uses the first floating production, storage, and offloading vessel in operation in US waters at a water depth of 8,200 ft. The C&C subsea infrastructure considers the use of subsea manifolds, rigid flowlines, pipe-in-pipe pipelines, and freestanding hybrid risers. These two fields are 15 miles apart and share several characteristics such as depth, lithology, and reservoir similarities. The Wilcox 1 (Eocene) and 2 (Paleocene) sands belong to the Lower Tertiary geologic period and are part of the latest exploratory frontier in the GOM. At least 12 discoveries have been made in the Lower Tertiary, holding a potentially recoverable volume of several billion bbl of oil, highlighting the importance of this technology development for the industry. These reservoirs are characterized by a considerable thickness of intercalated sandstones and shales. The reservoirs show low horizontal permeability (less than 100 md) and poor vertical communication between sand layers. Other characteristics include a very high static formation pressure, a maximum temperature of 256°F, and a low gas/oil ratio. The produced oil has carbon dioxide concentration in the gaseous phase of less than 1.5%, and there is no evidence of hydrogen sulfide contamination.
Drilling Design
The casing design was based on delivering an 8½-in.-internal-diameter casing at total depth (TD) to accommodate the completion design. In this design, each string is run to its approximate design limit to maximize leakoff-test (LOT) values. One of the most important strategies of the C&C wells was the elimination of the 11⅞-in. liner, which prevents achieving adequate circulation rates for a successful primary cement job on the 10⅛-in. production casing.
Reducing Time to Autonomy for Technical Staff
Authors: Carpenter Chris 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper IPTC 16394, ’Accelerating Time to Autonomy for Technical Staff - Developing the Industry's Best Performers,’ by Michael Schaaf and Anu Garg-Buck, Royal Dutch Shell, prepared for the 2013 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Beijing, 26-28 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Meeting increased production target in the near-future will require the recruitment and development of a large technical staff, made up of both recent graduates and experienced professionals. Shortening time to autonomy and integration is critical to success. This paper describes Royal Dutch Shell’s approach to developing this pipeline of technical professionals by outlining the conditions for success of the Shell Graduate Programme (SGP) and the Shell Advanced Technical Programme (SATP) and by discussing the approach to integrating experienced hires.
Context
Structured programs built around on-the-job development such as the SGP have achieved the development of recruited personnel and have ensured that autonomous staff are truly competent. The key strategic driver is faster time to autonomy, which is essential in the context of a shortage of capable technical staff. In this work, the term “time to autonomy” is used per the definition provided by Schlumberger Business Consultancy as the time it takes a new graduate employee from entry into the company until he/she can make nonstandard decisions autonomously.
The SGP
In 2011, the SGP was launched for technical professionals in all 29 technical disciplines in Shell. This was followed by similar programs for the commercial, human-resources, and legal skill pools.
The SGP is an integrated approach to accelerate graduates’ development up to the first level of autonomy in terms of performance and competence. The expected time to autonomy is on average 2 to 3 years, reduced from 4 to 5 years with the previous approach. The focus is on technical depth and broad business understanding.
Completion of the SGP has also been positioned as a prerequisite for consideration for internal job postings. Promotion occurs only when a graduate is successful and has been selected for a fully fledged technical professional job.
The principles of the SGP are as follows:
The program is owned by the global technical disciplines within Shell, as opposed to other corporate divisions. This is a critical success factor because the technical disciplines are tasked with setting and ensuring the competence of their staff. They can set and enforce global standards for graduate development within the discipline.
There is a focus on a small critical number of competencies (approximately 10). Reduction of competencies from often more than 25 to 10 or fewer has enabled greater focus and speed of development. Other competencies less critical for autonomy are developed over a longer period of time alongside participants’ primary work, mostly through self-study or online learning.
Technical Master Class: A New Approach to Knowledge Transfer
Authors: Carpenter Chris 
Published: February 2015

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper IPTC 16752, ’Technical Master Class: A New Approach to Knowledge Transfer,’ by Crystal Gully, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, prepared for the 2013 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Beijing, 26-28 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Technical master classes (TMCs) are a new training concept designed to accelerate building expertise among geoscience, engineering, and commercial professionals. The ExxonMobil TMC concept emphasizes transferring knowledge from experts to practitioners through a training process that blends mentoring and traditional technical training. Rather than teaching only the factual knowledge and technical concepts that dominate traditional classes, the master-class learning experience simulates real technical situations so that experts can coach practitioners through the complexities of an issue.
Introduction
In 2008, ExxonMobil’s executive leadership team challenged its upstream organization to address imminent knowledge and experience gaps in its technical workforce resulting from severe demographic shifts that threatened the entire petroleum industry. With the guidance of internal and external experts, a framework of solutions was proposed, aimed at accelerating the transfer of collective experience within the upstream organization. A project team was formed, and the concept of a TMC was piloted, revised, and implemented.
The goal of the master-class project was to develop a training format that could effectively share experts’ unique knowledge and ways of approaching complex problems. This is a difficult objective because of the very nature of expertise. Intuition and know-how are difficult to articulate and even more difficult to teach in a training classroom. In comparison, traditional technical-training classes teach explicit knowledge: information and processes that have been identified, articulated, and captured in a way that is transferable in print and lecture.
A challenge the development team faced was verifying the value proposition of the master-class concept. Unlike other initiatives in the framework that affected a majority of the upstream workforce, the TMC concept targeted a relatively small portion of the upstream population. The TMCs focused on practitioners that showed potential for becoming the next technical experts. This is a much smaller population compared with that of other technical training programs that target all 1- to 5-year employees, or all midcareer employees. After piloting the training concept for more than a year, however, the development team collected enough data to verify the value of the TMC concept in more ways than were originally expected.