bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The New Offshore Health and Safety Regulations: A Legal Overview
Authors: Sprague C. W. 
Published: December 2007

ABSTRACT
The investigation into the causes of the explosion on the Piper Alpha Platform on the 6th July 1988 exposed serious shortcomings in the British offshore safety regime. In particular, the capacity of the inspectors employed by the Department of Energy's Petroleum Engineering Department to ensure compliance of offshore installations with statutory safety requirements was found to be wholly inadequate.
The safety case procedure recommended by Lord Cullen in the report following his Enquiry, and implemented in the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 1992, represents a wholly different approach to the question of safety on offshore installations. The onus of ensuring that their installations are designed and operated safely and in compliance with the relevant statutory requirements is placed upon the operators themselves. They have, by way of detailed safety cases, to satisfy the Health and Safety Executive that they are meeting these requirements. The Regulations also impose upon operators continuing obligations to comply with the safety cases that they have submitted, to alter them so as to reflect changes in their operations and to submit revised safety cases every three years. Acceptance of a safety case by the Health and Safety Executive and the operator's subsequent compliance with it are pre-requisites of his being allowed to continue with his operations.
Managing Exploration Activities in Environmentally Sensitive Inshore Waters
Authors: Kearns John , Parker J. G. 
Published: December 2007

ABSTRACT
In the recent second stage of the 14th Offshore Licensing Round, a number of blocks have been awarded in areas of high environmental sensitivity. At the same time the current economic climate is providing operators with new challenges for cost control. Both these factors can produce conflicts unless operators have a clear strategy for managing exploration activities in environmentally sensitive areas.
Over the last 3 years, Hamilton Oil Company Ltd has carried out seismic operations and has drilled a number of exploration and appraisal wells in environmentally sensitive areas off the North Wales and North West of England coasts. Over this period the company has developed an approach to planning and executing these activities which takes into account environmental factors without incurring excessive exploration costs.
This paper describes how this approach has been developed and provides a template for similar operations in other environmentally sensitive areas.
The VARI FLO™ Motor: A New Mud Motor Concept, its Design, Development and Applications
Authors: Susman Hector 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
The VARI FLO™ Motor was developed to provide the industry with a downhole motor to meet the ever increasing demands of today's drilling requirements
It is recognised that there is a requirement for a source of downhole motor power, which suffers less from the effects of heat and modem corrosive drilling fluids, whilst simultaneously offering a shorter motor for directional drilling applications.
Our Motor is a Vane type, positive displacement motor, built without the use of rubber in the working parts.
The construction of vane or in our case roller type motors are as the Moyneau motor, simple devices. However due to the somewhat ‘interfering’ fit between rotor and stator, Moyneau motors are somewhat difficult to take apart in particular when one also takes the greater length and weight into account.
The motor assembly is the only part which is conceptually different from present motor designs and you will find a diagram attached to this paper. (Figure 1)
Reservoir Management in a Marginal North Sea Cluster Development
Authors: Dominic P. R. 
Published: December 2007

ABSTRACT
The Gannet cluster is an integrated oil and gas development encompassing the Gannet A, B, C and D fields which came on-stream in October 1992. This marginal field development marks an evolutionary phase for Shell U.K Exploration and Production as future fixed installation green field developments are expected to consist of small sized hydrocarbon accumulations which will be uneconomic to develop on their own The features which serve to make this otherwise marginal development economic pose considerable reservoir management challenges over the life of the project because of the differing reservoir conditions, expensive data acquisition in sub-sea wells, the integrated nature of the facilities and the need to meet stringent sales gas contractual requirements whilst maximising oil production This paper describes the pre-drilling optimisation studies that were carried out, the success of which is partly attributable to the introduction of integrated field teams within Shell Expro's Central Fields Unit, and the preparation of a reservoir management plan which is now an integral part of the planning process for the Gannet Cluster.
Contract Logistics: A Partnering Approach to Operating Cost Reduction: The Concept and Reality
Authors: Cardale T. A. , Bain G. D. P. , Moody R. G. 
Published: December 2007

ABSTRACT
The control and reduction of operating costs is the most serious management issue facing the oil and gas industry at present, particularly in mature provinces such as the North Sea.
The development and application of the concept of a contract logistics service (CLS) has been timely and pertinent to this need. CLS transfers responsibility for the provision of logistics support from an oil company department to a contractor. The contractor provides a managed logistics service in which resources are shared across its customers and performance measurement is focussed on total operating cost. CLS has now been shown to deliver cost savings in this industry just as it has in others beforehand.
Logistics costs account for about 16% of total operating spend, thus making the field a significant one for generating useful savings.
CLS achieves this through addressing the structure of costs rather than unit costs alone. In doing so it raises issues affecting the current relationships and future structure of major elements of the industry.
CLS has been achieved through a partnering approach involving the creation of an alliance of contractors and operators by the definition of mutual objectives. The experience involved forms a model for cost reduction in the industry that may be more directly comparable to the introduction of partnering in other parts of the supply and service sector than the acknowledged alternatives of offshore maintenance or accounting.
This paper aims to describe the concept and application of CLS; examine the model and discuss the implications.
A Successful Approach for Achieving Lower Operator Well Costs While Providing Potential for Increased Contractor Profitability
Authors: Sears R.W. 
Published: December 2007

SPE Member

Abstract
In order to continue operating in the North Sea, operators must control costs, a big part of which is drilling related in the exploration and development stages. It is important that this control not be achieved at the expense of the drilling contractor, service company or supplier sectors, but rather through greater efficiency and improved performance whereby the operator achieves lower well costs and the supporting function(s) (contractors) improve their potential for increased profitability.
Hamilton Oil Company Ltd have developed a very successful operating philosophy based on the principles of mutual cooperation, total integrated commitment, focused ownership and individual plus corporate accountability. This paper deals with methods which have been used to achieve what are believed to be superior results.

Introduction
The North Sea is recognised as one of the highest cost operating areas in the world. In order to continue their presence in this arena, operators must control costs, a major portion of which is drilling related in the exploration and development stages. Figures 1, 2 and 3 demonstrate the relationship of the crude price with well costs for the past 15–20 years. Well costs have increased significantly while crude prices have remained relatively flat. As the North Sea has become a mature petroleum province, oil and gas discoveries have become smaller and more difficult to explore for, develop, and exploit. Figure 4 shows that more wells are being required to find smaller hydrocarbon reserves.
Hamilton Oil Company Limited (HOCL) as an independent operator produced the first UKCS oil in 1975 from two subsea wells in the Argyll field using a converted semi submersible drilling rig as a floating production facility (FPF). HOCL has continued this innovative type philosophy throughout the exploration/development phases of the Esmond, Ravenspurn North and Crawford complexes as well as in the current forwarding planning for the Liverpool Bay development of the Hamilton, Hamilton North, Douglas and Lennox fields. Several schemes or variations there of are being used or have been considered for achieving the stated operator objective of lower well costs.
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Lifting at the Limit: The Design of Today's Large Liftable Jackets and Integrated Decks
Authors: Smith M. T. , Ray M. G. W. 
Published: December 2007

ABSTRACT
With the advent of a new generation of increased capacity semi-submersible crane vessels (SSCVs) in the 1980s (the DB102 and the M7000), new concepts in twin-crane lift installed jackets and integrated decks began to emerge. During the late 1980s projects such as Veslefrikk, Gyda and Kittiwake took advantage of the increased lift capacity available. Whilst each of these projects broke lift records, the SSCV lift capacities were not fully utilised. However, in the early 1990s lifting at the limit has really come of age.
This paper critically examines the close correlation between installation vessels and the trend towards larger and heavier lifts, especially for integrated decks. The limitations of the SSCVs are reviewed, and the basic methods of "tailoring" jacket and deck design to maximise the SSCV lift capacities are identified. These methods are then reviewed and questions raised for the future.
Surface Lateral Tree for North Sea Platform
Authors: Omsberg N. P. 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
This paper describes the design features of a surface lateral tree and compares the design with a conventional Christmas tree. A lateral Christmas tree is defined as a tree which has no valves in the vertical bore of the tree, and flow through the tree is controlled by valves on the lateral or horizontal bore of the tree. Preliminary evaluations indicate that the use of a surface lateral tree can enhance well intervention procedures, reduce wellhead/tree height, reduce maintenance requirements, and reduce overall risks.
A New Method for Removal of Oil in Produced Water
Authors: Rye S. E. , Marcussen Esben 
Published: December 2007

SUMMARY
Produced water represents an increasing part of the total production from the process centres in the Danish part of the North Sea. Experience gained with treating the increased volume of water led the operator, Maersk Oil and Gas, to evaluate the possible application of centrifuge technology.
In the produced water from the Tyra formation, the size and distribution of oil droplets were found to be of a character that conventional treatment equipment would have difficulties in separating efficiently. After having tested a rented centrifuge for one year on the Tyra West installation, it was decided to purchase centrifuges for permanent installation on both Tyra East and Tyra West.
At the end of 1992 and beginning of 1993, the 12,000 BWPD centrifuge skids were installed and commissioned on each of the platforms.
Experience from the installation, commissioning and first 6 months of operation has been encouraging. No major problems arose from the integration of the quite complicated equipment and control system with existing installations on the platform. The complete produced water treatment plant modifications were minimal due to the relative simple requirements from the various tie-in points on the centrifuge skid.
The oil in water measurements of the cleaned water out of the centrifuges comply with the Paris convention requirement of maximum 40 mg/l, usually with a large margin. A comprehensive PLC control and communication system to the Platform Control Room performs as planned. The monitoring features available have shown to be beneficial in achieving uninterrupted centrifuge operation. The application of centrifuge technology has shown to be environmentally valuable as well as a very effective way of treating produced water which contain small oil droplets.
Beryl Reservoir Management Study: The Solution of a Complex Problem
Authors: Grant I. C. 
Published: December 2007

ABSTRACT
Despite several prior unsuccessful attempts to simulate the Beryl Formation in the Beryl Field, one of the North Sea's most complex, an integrated reservoir management study was initiated in 1990 which has shown that modelling such a field can be successful with worthwhile results. The conclusions from the study have led to a new understanding of the displacement mechanisms in the Beryl Formation, and have resulted in a change to the depletion strategy under gas export. The impact on volumes and reserves has been significant.
The first successful history match on Beryl was achieved by the integration of new interpretations of reservoir structure and stratigraphy, the results from a conceptual model developed from the analysis of fluid movements and pressure regimes, and a good approximation of the depth-dependent fluid properties into a coarse grid full-field reservoir simulation model. The model exceeded its initial goals, and with subsequent enhancements has been able to provide answers to more detailed questions than considered possible at the outset of the study.
This paper describes the methodology and techniques used to ensure the success of the present reservoir management study, the importance of data acquisition, and how the present simulation models will be further developed and applied to ensure the optimal depletion of the Beryl reservoirs. It also discusses how the scope of the project has been broadened to provide a means for the evaluation of marginal satellite field developments through the Beryl infrastructure, thus providing the necessary tools for optimising the use of the Beryl complex by modelling the multiple reservoirs and future satellite developments as a fully integrated system.
Application of Pseudo-Relative Permeability Curves in a Front-Tracking Simulator
Authors: Nyrønning H. H. , Hove Kjetil , Rian D. T. 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
A new method for generating pseudo relative permeability curves and its applications in a high accuracy front tracking simulator is presented.
The method is applied on 3 different cases, which all gave good results. The different cases consisted of homogenous and inhomogeneous horizontal reservoir models.
The results using a front tracking simulator were more accurate than the results presented by Nyrønning [1], using a finite difference simulator.
Fracture Stimulation of a Horizontal Well in a Deep, Tight Gas Reservoir: A Case History From Offshore The Netherlands
Authors: Baumgartner W. E. , Shlyapobersky Jacob , Abou Sayed I. S. , Jacquier R. C. 
Published: December 2007

ABSTRACT
AME-204 is a horizontal well with two hydraulic fractures draining a Rotliegendes sub-block of the Ameland East reservoir located offshore the Netherlands. The reservoir in this part of the field is of poor quality, with a strong diagenetic impairment caused by kaolinite leading to low matrix permeability (0.2 – 1 mD). Economic development of this part of the field is hampered by the low well productivities.
This paper outlines the screening process which led to the decision to develop this sub-block with a multiple-fractured horizontal well and describes the well configuration chosen. Completion and stimulation designs are discussed in some depth, including selection and laboratory testing of fluid systems and fracture initiation. Additionally, the use and design of pre-stimulation injection tests and proppant pills to reduce near wellbore restrictions are shown.
Practical considerations in the execution of stimulation treatments in horizontal wells are covered. Actual and predicted production performances are compared. The actual productivity improvement achieved over a deviated unfractured well is estimated a minimum factor of 4 at only 30% higher cost. The paper concludes with recommendations for similar projects in the future and also looks at the impact on the development of hitherto economically submarginal fields.
Resistivity Index From Non-Equilibrium Measurements Using Detailed In-Situ Saturation Monitoring
Authors: Jing Xu-Dong , Gillespie Alisdair , Trewin B. M. 
Published: December 2007

ABSTRACT
This paper presents a new method for determining resistivity index from non-equilibrium desaturation tests, where the detailed saturation distributions are measured accurately from X-ray scanning. The effects of uneven saturation distribution along core length are taken into account using a finite-element mathematical model. This new method applies to both Archie rocks and a wide range of non-Archie rocks (i.e., rocks showing non-linear log(l) vs. log(Sw) relationship). It is far less time-consuming compared with other reliable method and it is applicable to both water wet and non-water wet rocks.
Two examples of resistivity index measurements by rapid constant-rate oil injection are presented to demonstrate this new method. The measured data included the apparent resistivity index, which was not representative of the rocks due to the uneven saturation distribution, and the detailed saturation profile versus space and time. The measured resistivity and saturation distribution data were then input into a finite-element model to calculate iteratively the intrinsic resistivity index curves which would be measured directly if a uniform saturation distribution existed. A simple generalised (I vs. Sw) functional relationship has been proposed and used in this paper in addition to the conductive rock matrix (CRMM) model. Both models reduce to Archie model when additional conductance term is equal to zero. Resistivity index curves of the same samples were also measured using the equilibrium method of sleeved oil/brine porous plate desaturation. The resistivity index data from the new, fast non-equilibrium method agree with that obtained from the sleeved oil/brine porous plate method.
A "Quick Look" Approach to Modelling Porosity Trends From Southern Gas Basin Seismic Data in the Hewett Zechsteinkalk Formation
Authors: Milner P. A. 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
The mature Hewett Field area in the Southern Gas Basin has recently been the subject of escalated development targeted at a carbonate reservoir, the Zechsteinkalk. This gas reservoir is located at some 4600 ft TVDSS and has both variable porosity and permeability. In order to address the fundamental requirement of defining porosity distribution within the Zechsteinkalk between wells, seismic modelling has been conducted.
A large suite of synthetic seismograms, based not only on actual, but also on altered logs has been used to simulate the acoustic response of various layer thicknesses, and porosities positioned differently within the carbonate section. This simulation is known as Incremental Pay Thickness modelling. The results, together with the ties between well and seismic data, show the models to be usable on a purpose shot seismic survey.
By producing a work-station derived set of Zechsteinkalk amplitude maps, and conducting local character analysis, a proposed drilling target was identified as a poor location. Three good locations were postulated, based on the modelling and amplitude mapping, and subsequently drilled. Well results show the method to be successful in predicting porosity within the Zechstein to within +/− 3pu.
The amplitude maps have also been used quantitively to provide porosity data for volumetric gas-in-place calculation. The gas-in-place results are compatible with volume predicted from reservoir engineering pressure data.
In view of the drilling success, contribution to reserves definition and quick turnaround to run Incremental Pay Thickness modelling, it is concluded that the method should be considered for North Sea porosity studies, where immediate and reliable results are required.
Organizing for Performance
Authors: Massad A.H. 
Published: December 2007

Massad, A.H., Member AIME, Mobil Oil Corp.
American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers Inc.
Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers Office. Such discussions may be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be considered for presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines. publication in one of the two SPE magazines

Abstract
The ability of an industry or particular company to carry out a Management Development Program is not developed overnight, Program is not developed overnight, or in the short term. Management development is a never-ending program that must be given constant attention by top executives for it to be successful. Further, such programs must be successful if we are to programs must be successful if we are to meet the insatiable demand for managerial talent existing in the future, as well as to prepare the individual to manage for the future.
Many papers and speeches have been written and numerous speeches given on the subject of "Organization". From all of this previous effort we may fairly well conclude there is no set pattern for success in this specific arena. The organizational approaches that have proven themselves most effective over the long run are those with a built-in capacity to adapt to change. However, one thought always comes through as we study the problem. That thought relates to mobilization of people and their impact on the future. To organize for the future, then, means to set up a system that can respond to change and, at the same time, capitalize on it. With this in mind, it may be preferable to dwell on the broader aspects of development of executive and managerial talent and what we consider to be the most critical problem or organizing and managing for the future.
In the past 20 years, the oil industry has experienced expansion and growth unparalleled by many industries in modern times. We not only developed a highly efficient, strong industry in the United States, but exported this same ability overseas to both developed and developing countries, infusing our knowledge into their basic learning process and witnessing a similar growth of the industry in those many areas. This "transplant" not only became the catalyst for economic growth in the individual countries, but also resulted in the development of many top-rated executives and managers from within the individual countries.
Certainly, the ability of an industry or a particular company to carry out such a particular company to carry out such a management development program is not developed overnight, or in the short term. Management development is a never-ending program that must be given constant attention program that must be given constant attention by top executives within a corporation if it is to be successful.