bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alternatives to 25% Chrome for Water-Injection Tubing in Deep Water
Authors: Fitzgerald Aine , Groves Steve , Gosch Stuart , Morey Steve , Pattillo P. David , Piskurich Nick , Sathuvalli U. B. 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
This paper describes the material selection for tubing in water injection wells for deepwater applications. It details the qualification and deployment of an alternative to duplex corrosion resistant alloy (Duplex-CRA) tubing, including the testing work that was performed. Also described are the operational aspects of running the resulting product in several deepwater wells.
With the advance into expensive subsea wells, along with the use of produced water re-injection and the historical performance of de-oxygenation systems, most recent water injector designs for deepwater projects do not utilize carbon steel materials. The common materials are Duplex-CRAs, which are often an order of magnitude higher in price than carbon steel, and carry a significantly longer delivery time.
There are few alternatives to Duplex-CRAs. A common choice is glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) lined tubing, whose costs are similar in magnitude to carbon steel tubing and whose delivery time is significantly shorter.
GRE-lined tubing requires a set of rings and/or flares to be inserted at the length to length interface. Initially, the connection was modified to allow insertion of the rings/flares in a machined groove in the coupling. This was acceptable for many applications. However, for deeper water, higher pressure wells connection with better performance was required.
By employing a modified connection on GRE-lined tubing, BP successfully used it in shallower water injection wells. By 2003, the need was recognized for GRE application in deepwater injection wells. This would require qualification for the following further requirements Deep water tubing generally requires un-modified proprietary connections due to the loadingsSpar environments introduce fatigue loading and stresses on tubing that requires additional testingGRE tubing had not been run in production prior to injection conditions in deep waterEach GRE connection is commonly drift checked after make-up; this is not suitable for many deepwater operations.
The paper will detail the material selection for tubulars, the reasons for the product development and the final qualification testing. Installation experience of the product in several deepwater wells is described.
Deepwater water injection wells often cost more than producer wells. Cost is increasing as material prices continue to rise. On a project scope, the cost savings of non Duplex-CRA tubing is significant; thus the GRE manufacturer is now running the qualified product in many other deepwater projects for a variety of operators. As a result of this testing and qualification, GRE-lined tubulars are now being used for the majority of BP deepwater non HP HT water injection projects.
Successful Adaptation of a New-Generation Wireline Installation Capillary System for Downhole Chemical Injection on Anadarko's Subsea Ticonderoga Field
Authors: Cromb John , LaGrone Blake , Bolding Jeff , Lormand Percy 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
Asphaltene deposition can greatly impair production rates, and even with sound prevention and remediation measures, can still lead to a reduction in production rates or even well failure. An intervention to repair a subsea failure is often times more expensive than the original completion cost, and can greatly affect the overall project economics. The prevention of asphaltene with chemicals will work to a certain extent, but only from the chemical injection point upward. Remediation efforts such as the bullheading of chemicals will help to restore production to previous levels, but can cause complications in wells with sand control equipment.
Anadarko recently experienced a subsea completion failure due to excessive asphaltene deposition. Xylene was used to remediate the asphaltene, but the buildup continued below the injection point. Ultimately, a gravel pack failure occurred after a bullhead remediation effort. During the intervention, it was determined that the blockage in the wellbore region below the chemical injection point was the cause of the well failure.
A new methodology and hardware were incorporated into the sidetrack, which should eliminate bullhead treatments while still preventing asphaltene deposition from the bottom perforation to surface. Preventing a sidetrack or intervention is a huge monetary savings.
This paper will demonstrate the theory, hardware and application of new completion tools and methods which can prevent costly interventions or sidetracks. This system can also assist with scale, organic deposits, hydrate accumulations, corrosion, or liquid loading at or below the point of entry of hydrocarbons, which previously was not possible on subsea completions.
Empowering Young Professionals to Lead After "The Big Crew Change"
Authors: Gell Christi , Schilling Laura 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
During the last decade there has been an increase in discussion about "The Big Crew Change" and how to prepare the industry's young professionals (YPs) for this outflow of knowledge from organizations and how to recruit and retain new talent.
There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates increasing employee engagement and commitment has distinct business performance advantages (Pfeffer 1998, Pollard 1996, Edmans 2007). However, this industry has not given much emphasis to empowering the young professionals themselves to take a greater responsibility in developing and shaping their own organizations.
The authors of this paper worked in the same building for more than a year but never met until a mutual friend from outside the company introduced them. The benefit of connecting with someone internally with similar industry experience became clear, and the idea for iMPACT, the company's young professionals organization, took shape. During the planning phases, clear themes for the group's purpose emerged. YPs wanted to know: How do you meet other young people at the company? How do you manage your career to grow in knowledge and responsibility? What kinds of services does the company deliver and what is the company strategy? The company's YPs were looking for a way to make a difference.
The purpose of the group is to foster networking and career development among young professionals who want to learn more about the company, develop their careers, and enhance the contributions they can make in their individual areas. The program encourages a mixture of technical and business focus while creating a venue to interact with senior leadership through a monthly speaker series and quarterly social networking events. iMPACT has become a retention tool for the company to identify up and coming leaders as well as provide leadership training to YPs. This paper aims to get YPs more involved in shaping their careers and their company's future. It is about a young professionals group created for young professionals by young professionals.
Effects of High Oil Viscosity on Drift Velocity for Upward Inclined Pipes
Authors: Gokcal B. , Al-Sarkhi A. S. , Sarica C. 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
The translational velocity, velocity of slug units, is one of the key closure relationships in two-phase flow mechanistic modeling. It is described as the summation of the maximum mixture velocity in the slug body and the drift velocity. The existing equation for the drift velocity is developed by using potential flow theory. Surface tension and viscosity are neglected. However, the drift velocity is expected to be affected with high oil viscosity. In this study, the effects of high oil viscosity on drift velocity for horizontal and upward inclined pipes are experimentally observed. The experiments are performed on a flow loop with a test section 50.8 mm ID for inclination angles of 0° to 90°. Water and viscous oil are used as test fluids. Liquid viscosities vary from 0.001 to 1.237 Pa·s. A new drift velocity model is proposed for high oil viscosity for horizontal and upward inclined pipes. The experimental results are used to evaluate the performances of proposed model for drift velocity. The calculated drift velocities are compared very well with the experimental results. The proposed model could be easily implemented into translational velocity equation. It improves the existing two-phase flow models in the development and maintenance of heavy oil fields
Finding the Continuum Scale in Highly Heterogeneous Rocks: Example of a Large Touching Vug Carbonate
Authors: Nair Narayan , Bryant Steven L. , Jennings James W. 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
Many of the world's oil fields and aquifers are found in carbonate strata. Some of these formations contain vugs or cavities several centimeters in size. Flow of fluids through such rocks depends strongly upon the spatial distribution and connectivity of the vugs. Enhanced oil recovery processes such as enriched gas drives and groundwater remediation efforts like soil venting operations depend on the amount of hydrodynamic dispersion of such rocks. Selecting a representative scale to measure permeability and dispersivity in such rocks can be crucial because the connected vug lengths can be longer than typical core diameters.
Large touching vug (centimeter-scale), Cretaceous carbonate rocks from an exposed rudist (caprinid) reef buildup at the Pipe Creek Outcrop in Central Texas were studied at three different scales. Single-phase airflow and gas-tracer experiments were conducted on 2.5 in. diameter by 5 in. long cores (core-scale) and 5-to 10-ft-radius well tests (field-scale). Zhang et al.(2005) studied a 10 in. diameter by 14 in. high sample (bench-scale). Vertical permeability in the bench-scale varied from 100 darcies to 10 md and in the core-scale averaged 2.5 darcies. The field-scale permeability was estimated to be 500 md from steady state airflow and pressure transient tests.
In the bench and core scales a connected path of vugs dominates flow and tracer concentration breakthrough profile. Tracer transport showed immediate breakthrough times and a long tail in the tracer concentrations characterized by multiple plateaus in concentrations. Neither flow nor tracer transport can be explained at these scales by the standard continuum equations (Darcy's law or 1D convection dispersion equation). However, interpreting field-scale measurements with standard continuum equations suggested that a strongly connected path of vugs did not extend past a few feet. In particular, the tracer experiment in the field scale can be modeled accurately using an equivalent homogeneous porous medium with a dispersivity of 0.5 ft. In our measurements, permeability decreased with scale, while vug connectivity and multi-scale effects associated with vug connectivity decreased with increasing scale. We concluded that approximately 5 ft could be considered the representative scale for the large-touching-vug carbonate rocks at the Pipe Creek Outcrop.
Existence of Flow Barriers Improves Horizontal Well Production in Bottom Water Reservoirs
Authors: Zhang Peng , Wen Xian-Huan , Ge Lizhen , Li Bo , Yang Qinghong , Lan Lichuan , Zhou Dengen , Liao Xinwu , Zhang Fengli , Wei Michael S. 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
In developing heavy oil from thin bottom water reservoirs, horizontal wells are mostly used in Bohai Bay, China. To maximize oil production and avoid early water coning/cresting, horizontal wells are usually placed near the top of pay sands and wells are initially produced with small pressure drawdown. However, the production responses from different wells display significant variations even though they are operated under similar conditions. Some wells show premature water coning and rapid water cut rising although high quality sands are targeted, while others show much delayed water breakthrough and slower water cut increases.
A series of reservoir simulations have been conducted to investigate the observed differences. The simulation results reveal that the existence of thin low permeable flow barriers with limited lateral extension/continuity between the wellbore and water/oil contact plays the most crucial role impacting the water coning characteristics. Wells with such flow barriers display later water breakthrough with steady increase of water cut after breakthrough, while wells without such barriers show quick water coning with water cut reaching more than 90% rapidly. The existence of low permeability barriers between the water/oil contact and horizontal wells could slow down water coning and result in much favorable production performance. This phenomenon is then verified by simulations and actual field data from QHD32-6 field. The accurate predictions of production performance rely on the knowledge of physical distribution of flow barriers relative to the wellbore location. In practice, lateral thin flow barriers are usually at sub-seismic scales, and thus hard to identify for a green field. However, for infill drilling in mature fields with many vertical wells drilled, it is possible to predict/correlate the spatial distribution of such flow barriers from the logs of existing wells. Based on such analysis, we can optimize the locations of horizontal infill wells to make full use of the flow barriers for improving production.
A number of horizontal infill wells were optimized and drilled in QHD32-6 field, Bohai Bay, China after identifying flow barriers from the nearby vertical wells. These wells display good production performance having significant higher oil production with delayed water breakthrough and slower increase of water cut.
Analysis of Multiphase Production through Hilly Terrian Pipelines in Matzen Field—Austria by CFD
Authors: Ragab A. , Brandstaetter W. , Ruthammer G. , Shalaby S. 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
Oilfield production pipelines follow normal hilly terrain variations including horizontal, uphill and downhill sections. Therefore, in the same pipeline it is possible to find several types of flow regimes at the same time at different position along the pipeline. Most of the possible flow regimes are not dangerous except slug flow. The slug flow is the most problematic flow regime since this may pose serious problems to the designer and operator of multiphase flow lines and production facilities.
In this work, simulation of a full scale field pipeline is presented using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method as a surface tracking model. The aim of the study was to investigate the type of flow regimes existing in Ma-VI pipeline system of Matzen field in Austria. A comparative study for different pipeline diameters has been performed and finds an optimum pipe diameter. The transient flow behaviour occurring in a pipeline with two different diameters has been simulated. Since the pipeline under consideration is nearly 2 Km long, the corresponding computational models would involve grid cells with very large aspect ratios which invariably would lead to solution instabilities in the CFD analysis. So, the pipeline system was sub-divided into different sections, and each section was investigated separately. Transient boundary conditions have been prescribed and the respective flow pattern, liquid-gas volume fraction and pressure drop have been estimated.
The results show that the liquid slugs do not maintain a constant length along each section and the dissipation of slugging in up-hill sections mainly depends on the length, the angle and the diameter of the next downhill section. Various slug characteristics such as slug length, slug frequency, slug velocity and pressure drop have been studied and the computed liquid hold-up has been compared with eight correlations from literature. The ultimate aim of this work was to gain a deeper understanding of multiphase flow phenomena in pipeline systems and to develop guidelines to improve the design of pipelines and separation facilities.
Continual Advancement of Casing-While-Drilling Technology
Authors: Guna Shanmuganathan , Won Shao Wang (Keith) , Tan Ming Zao 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
A world record was created when drilling the longest and deepest 13 3/8-in. casing with drill shoe on one of Talisman Malaysia's offshore wells during March 2007. Meticulous planning and job execution for this casing-while-drilling operation were also essential in achieving this significant milestone.
The goals when using casing drilling technology include the reduction of "flat" time (such as nonproductive time [NPT] and time for reaming and wiper trips) and the resolution of potential problems to achieve overall savings in well construction costs. Drilling with casing (DwC™) technology uses the casing string as the drill string, drilling down the hole with a drillable bit. The bit is left in the hole after reaching the targeted depth. The cementing process can take place without tripping out the assembly. Eliminating the casing installation process helps reduce flat time and saves significant rig costs, especially important for operators when they consider the high daily costs associated with offshore rigs.
DS 2 drill shoe is the cement-in-place casing drilling bit which is drillable by all other bit types. It is specially designed for drilling a soft formation with confined compressive strength lower than 7,000 psi. The success of Talisman Malaysia's record-breaking offshore project opened up a new frontier for the DS 2 drill shoe's capabilities when combined with DwC technology.
This paper will briefly examine and visually display the planning and implementation process, as well as the results of the longest and deepest 13 3/8-in. casing drilling well in the world to date.
Recent Advances in Surfactant EOR
Authors: Hirasaki George J. , Miller Clarence A. , Puerto Maura 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
Recent advances in surfactant EOR are reviewed. The addition of alkali to surfactant flooding in the 1980s reduced the amount of surfactant required and the process became known as alkaline surfactant polymer flooding (ASP). It was recently found that the adsorption of anionic surfactants on calcite and dolomite can also be significantly reduced with sodium carbonate as the alkali, thus making the process applicable for carbonate formations. The same chemicals are also capable of altering the wettability of carbonate formations from strongly oil-wet to preferentially water-wet. This wettability alteration in combination with ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) makes it possible to displace oil from preferentially oil-wet carbonate matrix to fractures by oil-water gravity drainage.
The alkaline surfactant process co-injects alkali and synthetic surfactant. The alkali generates soap in situ by reaction between the alkali and naphthenic acids in the crude oil. It was recently recognized that the local ratio of soap/surfactant determines the local optimal salinity for minimum IFT. Recognition of this dependence makes it possible to design a strategy to maximize oil recovery with the least amount of surfactant and inject polymer with the surfactant without phase separation. An additional benefit of the presence of the soap component is that it generates an oil-rich colloidal dispersion which produces ultra-low IFT over a much wider range of salinity than in its absence.
It was once thought that a co-solvent such as alcohol was necessary to make a microemulsion without gel-like phases or a polymer-rich phase separating from the surfactant solution. An example of an alternative to the use of alcohol is to blend two dissimilar surfactants, a branched alkoxylated sulfate and a double-tailed, internal olefin sulfonate. The single phase region with NaCl or CaCl2 is greater for the blend than for either surfactant alone. It is also possible to incorporate polymer into such aqueous surfactant solutions without phase separation under some conditions. The injected surfactant solution has under-optimum phase behavior with the crude oil. It becomes optimum only as it mixes with the in situ generated soap, which is generally more hydrophobic than the injected surfactant. However, some crude oils do not have a sufficiently high acid number for this approach to work.
Foam can be used for mobility control by alternating slugs of gas with slugs of surfactant solution. Besides effective oil displacement in a homogeneous sandpack, it demonstrated greatly improved sweep in a layered sandpack.
The Use of the Industry's First 3-D Mechanical Caliper Image While Drilling Leads to Optimized Rotary-Steerable Assemblies in Push- and Point-the-Bit Configurations
Authors: Sugiura Junichi , Jones Steve 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
It has been widely recognized that poor hole quality causes tight borehole, packing off, high torque/drag, stick-slip, degraded logging-while-drilling (LWD) and wireline log quality, unpredictable directional performance, and consequently problematic casing runs. Conventionally, borehole quality is monitored with LWD standoff caliper logs and caliper images. In wireline application, multi-arm mechanical calipers are used to create such logs. Until today, it is believed that the use of such equipment is the only way to detect 3-D borehole problems, such as borehole oscillation.
This paper presents the industry's first 2-D and 3-D mechanical caliper image while drilling and back-reaming with rotary-steerable systems (RSS). The near-bit mechanical caliper integrated into the specific RSS1,2,3 takes measurements 4 ft from the bit in push-the-bit configuration and 7 ft from the bit in point-the-bit configuration. This pad-contact mechanical caliper provides both real-time and memory-based caliper images.
The advantage of this new type of near-bit caliper measurement is that the sensor measures borehole geometry right at the bit as compared to 50-100 feet behind the bit with conventional LWD sensors. Borehole washout, for example, does not necessarily occur at the bit, but could be caused by string stabilizers far away from the bit. The ability to detect borehole washout in real-time helps the operator take immediate corrective action while drilling to maintain borehole integrity since near-bit washout often affects the steerability of RSS.
In this paper, 2-D and 3-D near-bit caliper logs are extensively examined from different RSS assemblies and bits. The downhole data were gathered through controlled non-commercial field tests, as well as commercial runs. Frequency analysis using the discrete Fourier transform is also applied to the depth-based caliper images to identify the BHA and borehole oscillation issues. The effect of bit selection, stabilizer size/profile/geometry, and spacing on borehole quality is analyzed using the 2-D and 3-D near-bit caliper logs. As a result, this new sensor information helped to improve the RSS assembly performance and resulted in optimized BHAs in both push- and point-the-bit configurations for superior steerability, stability and borehole quality.