bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Well Productivity with a New Perforating Gun System
Authors: Markel Daniel , Yang Wenbo , Fayard Alfredo , Grove Brenden , Jones Claude 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Optimum perforating gun systems require: 1) sufficient downhole penetration to shoot well beyond any formation damage, 2) phasing, which maximizes communication with all regions of the formation surrounding the wellbore, and 3) maximum shot density. Within any gun system, there are obvious tradeoffs among these attributes. Increasing shot density beyond a certain number results in a substantial decrease in penetration. This reduced performance is a system constraint within the service industry, usually known as interference. This is most pronounced in phased capsule systems. Thus, until recently, 6 shot per foot (spf) phased capsule guns had penetrations significantly less than their 6- spf zero-degree phased counterparts.
We now report enhanced penetration in phased capsule guns. Six-spf, phased 2 1/8-in. capsule guns have American Petroleum Institute (API) penetrations equal to 90% of their zero-degree unidirectional counterparts. Using new and innovative energy-absorbing barriers that significantly reduce shocks affecting charge performance attains this improvement. Furthermore, the 6-spf phased system shows a minimal reduction in performance when compared to the equivalent 4- spf phased capsule gun. Simulations for the improved 6-spf phased capsule guns show productivity improvements of 8% for no wellbore damage and 15% with 10 in. of wellbore damage compared to existing 4-spf phased capsule guns. Productivity improvements of 9% are realized for both no damage and with 10 in. of damage when comparing the enhanced spiral system to equivalent size unidirectional systems.
Complying with Industrial Effluent Regulations in Venezuela: Comparing the Advantages and Disadvantages of Three Different Technologies for Achieving Compliance
Authors: Silverstone Mark , Rodulfo Roger , Halley Shane , de Medina Omaira , Blanco Antonio 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Venezuela's waste management regulations have evolved considerably in the past 2 years with respect to both their nature and their enforcement. In order to effectively manage water runoff as a result of industrial and residential discharges and to prevent further degradation of fresh water sources, the Venezuelan government now demands that industries test and, if necessary, treat water that is discharged from operations bases, especially those bases that support oilfield operations.
At the same time, Venezuelan engineers are developing more cost-effective means to treat these effluents and offer a better service to companies affected by strict enforcement of these regulations.
Three different water treatment strategies were tried and evaluated in Venezuela. Each one has advantages and disadvantages depending on location, local regulation and available technical expertise. One technology employs the use of an automated filtration system, another employs simple flocculation and gravity removal of resultant flocs, and a third applies an emulsion breaker that assists flotation and removal of oily particles. Results are presented on water quality relative to discharge regulations, system performance and reliability, space and technical requirements, initial and operations costs.
Evaluating these technologies and deciding on the most appropriate for a particular application is not sufficient to maintain a cost-effective and legally compliant system. The objective of hazardous waste generators must be to establish partnerships with contractors and regulators to develop improved waste management processes in Venezuela. Furthermore, this process of developing practical, new technologies is crucial for dealing with these and other remediation problems in areas where the best available technology for one location may not be the best for another, even one with similar problems.
The Importance of QHSE-Related Research and Development Projects
Authors: van Adrichem Willem P. , Thomeer Hubertus V. 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Historically, research and development (R&D) expenditure has always been dominated by technology's ability to expand the capabilities of service applications, tools or systems. The benefit for the end user was their ability to expand applications or use them more effectively.
The increasing emphasis from the operators on cost savings, Health Safety and Environment (HSE) issues, and the optimization of process efficiencies has resulted in a different R&D portfolio makeup for most service companies.
Many products and technologies are currently being developed that directly target improved safety, reduce environmental impact, lower operational costs and improve efficiency.
Since most Quality and HSE (QHSE) issues are process related, technology development has partly shifted to process engineering. Process engineering in the oil industry can be considered an "opportunity-rich" environment. Many conventional operations in the oil industry have been optimized over many years without keeping pace with technological advancements in other industries.
Rethinking complex processes and optimizing them using ergonomic specialists and process control technologies have resulted in some amazing success stories. This paper discusses this shift in technology development and gives some detailed examples in diverse areas such as coiled tubing wellsite delivery and cementing. Comparisons are made to typical R&D portfolios in the early 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Water to Value – Produced Water Management for Sustainable Field Development of Mature and Green Fields
Authors: Khatib Zara , Verbeek Paul 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Produced water is an inextricable part of the hydrocarbon recovery process. As fields mature, they tend to produce increasing amounts of water. Worldwide, daily water production in 1999* was quoted to be over 33.4 m3/d (210 million barrels) some 3 times the world oil production. Water production within several operating units in the Shell group has increased steadily from roughly 350,000 m3/ d in 1990 to over 1,000,000 m3 /d today. Figure 1 shows the historic picture of water produced by Shell's operating units. Doubling the quantity of water in next decade will lead to the increase in unit technical cost due to increased operating costs and costs for replacement and expansion of existing water handling facilities.
Excessive production of water is the main criterion to abandon oil and gas wells, leaving large volumes of hydrocarbons behind. Field development scenarios using optimised water management have unlocked and will unlock additional recoverable reserves. Although in water flooding projects, produced water is an enabler for improved hydrocarbon recovery, produced water becomes a major issue due to its sheer volume, its high handling cost and its environmental impact.
Across the Shell operating units, some 55% of the water is reinjected whilst the rest is discharged to open surface waters particularly in offshore operations. Most of discharged water requires treatment because of contamination with traces of oil, heavy metals, boron, and corrosive fluids like H2S, CO2 , salt and solids. Treatment and disposal of the current water volume costs the Shell OU's over US $400 Million per annum ($0.15/ m3 to as much as $15/ m3 depending on volumes and location). This cost is inline with an average cost of US $0.578/bbl for handling water production ranging from 3181 to 31,810 m3/d. Figure 2 shows typical process cost distributions of the water lifecycle cost*. This water handling cost includes capital and operating expenses, utilities and chemicals for lifting, separation, de-oiling, filtering, pumping and injection. These costs are expected to further increase when traditional discharge routes, such as dumping overboard and shallow re-injection are phased out.
Evaluation of Emergency Medical Care Provider Skills in Remote or Developing Areas
Authors: Ross Craig A. 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Conducting business in remote or developing areas presents special challenges not only for the operation of the business, but also may have a severe impact on the quality of emergency healthcare. The training and skills that many national healthcare providers have in emergency medicine varies greatly. It is critical to assess whether these skills will meet the needs of expected emergencies. Determining and upgrading the provider skills before an actual emergency could dramatically change the outcome of an incident and its impact on employees and the community.
A properly designed emergency medical drill is one way to determine if the required skills are present in the selected providers. The "victims" for the medical drill exhibit the types of injuries that would be expected for the business operation. The use of "moulage" (makeup to simulate real injuries) adds an atmosphere of realism to the drill. An experienced trauma physician observes the care given by the local providers and assesses the treatment of various injuries.
Once the drill is complete, a debriefing is held to communicate the strengths and weaknesses of the observed triage. A skills update class can be given at the conclusion of the debriefing to upgrade identified deficiencies. If multiple deficiencies are noted it may be necessary to update the most critical skills at this time and schedule other training and drills at a later time.
The sharing of practices in emergency medicine between providers from different cultures serves to increase the effectiveness of healthcare delivery. The use of emergency medical drills is an effective way to communicate the best practices in an efficient manner, while maintaining cultural sensitivity.
Innovations in Aerial Dispersant Application Technology for the Offshore Industry
Authors: Salt David 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Recent developments in aerial spraying technology to meet offshore legislative requirements and new technology to improve global response to major spill incidents.
Within the past two years the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has introduced new legislation and response guidelines on offshore operators within the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) to provide improved surveillance and aerial dispersant response systems to offshore spills incidents. Over the years various aircraft types have been equipped with either dedicated or non-dedicated aerial dispersant systems to provide an aerial dispersant spray response. The main determining factor of system and aircraft choice typically has been the operating cost of the aircraft, leading in the main to the use of older aircraft. The paper will describe and illustrate innovative technology used by the Industry to satisfy these requirements in an efficient and cost effective manner using more modern aircraft types, optimising the utilisation of the aircraft and minimising the cost to the operators.
The application of dispersants must be carried out as quickly as possible to be effective; to respond to remote spills it is necessary to get the equipment on site as soon after the event as is practicable. The paper describes an innovative technology development to provide a cost-effective rapid response tool for oil spill incidents.
The Management of Drilling Engineering and Well Services Software as Safety-Critical Systems
Authors: Sawaryn S. J. , Sanstrom B. , McColpin G. 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Routinely, specialist software is used to perform tasks such as casing design and directional anti-collision scans. If undetected, a serious failure in the development or use of any one of these products could result in loss of life or catastrophic environmental damage. Such an event would jeopardise the oil company's licence to operate1 and seriously damage the software vendor's credibility.
The Drilling and Well Services software industry has matured over the last five years. During this period we have witnessed many commercial and technical changes, including further consolidation of the oil majors, the meteoric growth of web based tools, and increased complexity of the software and types of wells being drilled. Commercial pressures also mean fewer resources are available to perform these tasks. Unless managed, it is clear these changes greatly increase the risk of a serious incident.
BP and Landmark have conducted a series of joint audits to gain a detailed understanding of both the operator's and software vendor's working practices in relation to this software. The paper contains a description of the conclusions and recommendations arising from the audits. Desired improvements in testing, core competencies, and independent verification were identified. Details of the audit process are included to enable other parties to conduct similar audits for themselves. The risks and potential loss imply that critical applications should be managed formally as "Safety Critical Systems." Examples are used to justify the extension of the concepts to other safety-critical petrotechnical software and to business-critical software. It is also concluded that close collaboration between operators and software vendors is needed for the management process to be effective.
Implementing a Consistent HSE Management System Groupwide in a National Oil Company – Corporate Challenges
Authors: Pillai Gopinadhan , Kho Morris 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
The PETRONAS HSE Management System has been adopted throughout the PETRONAS group of companies to manage Health, Safety and Environment issues in a structured manner consistently. Having a system developed alone is not enough. The present expectations include implementing the system effectively and demonstrating that the controls instsituted by the management system actually work. At the corporate level in PETRONAS the challenges include acceptance of a consistent HSE management system throughout the group as well as in implementing the controls required in managing HSE effectively.
Application and Uses of Occupational Health Inspection Guidelines in Upstream Operations
Authors: Liew Keng Cheng , Samad Abu Hasan 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Occupational Health (OH) Inspection Guidelines for Remote Upstream Operations was initially developed by the parent company for inspection of remote upstream operations e.g. exploration rigs at a remote site. This OH Inspection Guideline had been previously presented at the Sixth SPE International Conference on Health, Safety and Environment in Venezuela. As a sequel to the presentation, this paper describes how the OH Inspection Guidelines was adopted by the affiliate company in Malaysia as the "best practice" OH checklists and its innovative applications and uses to other upstream operations activities.
Prior to this adoption, the company was using a numerous Industrial Hygiene (IH) checklists each customized to the needs of different OH inspections and assessments. It is difficult to maintain so many IH checklists as required by the company Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS). For ease of maintenance of the OH checklists, we decided to adopt a single best practice OH checklist for all operations assessments and inspections. The OH Inspection Guidelines for Remote Upstream Operations was chosen as it was concise, yet comprehensive in OH and simple for field personnel to use. Under the OIMS, field personnel with limited OH knowledge are also expected to consider OH in conducting integrated safety, health and environment (SHE) inspection or assessments. The OH checklists was also promoted as a guide for non-OH personnel in inspection of construction & fabrication yards, drilling production rigs and offshore platforms. The OH checklists was also used by other non-OH field personnel in conducting their SHE assessments or inspections. The OH checklists were also used for conducting scenario based risk assessment by non-OH risk assessor; for periodic SHE inspections at contractor's facilities by SHE coordinators, for inspection of offshore catering facilities by company contract coordinators, and for self-inspection of their facilities by site personnel and contractors. The paper also compares the experiences in using the single OH checklists for all upstream operations versus having a number OH checklist for each type of upstream inspections.
Injury Prevention: A Systematic Approach
Authors: Adams Bruce , Cotello Jose 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
As safety programs in the oil and gas industry evolve, many companies are realizing they have reached a plateau in their ability to effectively reduce lost time injury rates. Past progress in reducing rates was made primarily by introducing new tools and equipment that made the work place safer. The advent of safety management systems, which provide a structured approach to how companies address safety, brought about the next significant reduction in injury rates.
Even with these significant advancements in safety programs, injuries related to stepping, handling and lifting still account for more than 70% of all injuries recorded in the oilfield service industry. Realizing this, one major oilfield service company, with more than 80,000 employees, is addressing the problem with a systematic approach rather than with individual programs.
This paper shows how the service company's eight-element management system model has been applied to reduce injuries related to stepping, handling and lifting. This systematic approach is built upon training modules designed to educate employees on how to reduce and eliminate the hazards they encounter on a daily basis. By introducing significant change in how injury prevention is addressed at all levels of the organization, the company is effectively moving to the next level in safety management. Practical details of the initiatives undertaken in each element of the management system are given, along with progress to date. The paper concludes by describing how this management system approach affects the company, including strengthening the 24/7 safety culture that was created when this same approach was applied in 1998 to reduce driving risks.
The Role of HSE in Field Testing – A Case History for the World's First Well Construction System Using Composite Pipe
Authors: Coats E. Alan , Disatell Joel , Coram Howard , Veley Carl D. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractField-testing of new drilling tools introduces increased health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risks due to the unfamiliarity of the personnel with the new equipment and its operation. This paper presents a unique overview of the HSE challenges that were faced when an entirely new drilling system, not just the individual components, underwent its first field trial.The Advanced Well Construction System (AWCS) introduced many new technologies, including Advanced Composite Coiled Tubing (ACCT), a downhole propulsion unit, and a hybrid rig design. By using a lightweight carbon-fiber pipe, the system was designed for geological steering of complex, slimhole wellpaths. The system incorporates three major subsystems: digitally controlled and automated surface equipment, a 3 ⅛-in. composite drillstring with embedded wires, and an electronically controlled bottomhole assembly (BHA). This system is designed to economically harvest hydrocarbon zones that were previously bypassed and to find and exploit new reserves from existing idle offshore wells.Beginning with the initial feasibility study, both the oil company and the service company made a commitment to adhere to the highest HSE standards in all phases of the project. The resulting HSE program was derived from the knowledge, experience, and established procedures and processes of professionals throughout both organizations.This case history presents details of the HSE program jointly developed and implemented by the service company and the oil company as part of a qualification program for this unprecedented drilling system. Evolution of the HSE program from project planning, through the HAZID/HAZOP processes, and on to full implementation during the drilling phase is examined. A detailed description of the cultural, engineering, and logistical challenges that were overcome during the implementation of the HSE program is provided. A discussion of the HSE program summary results and "lessons learned" during the project is also included.
Formation & Mitigation of "Metallic Soap" Sludge, Attaka, Indonesia Field
Authors: Gallup Darrell L. , Smith P. Colin , Chipponeri John , Abuyazid Ainul , Mulyono Djoko 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
Greenish-brown sludge is formed in significant quantities during production of oil and water from the Serang field, offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia. This interfacial sludge is comprised of entrained free oil, water and solids, and is stabilized by material described as a "metallic soap." In the absence of fluid treatment, removal and disposal of the sludge is tedious, expensive, and represents significant un-recovered oil.
The sludge was carefully characterized to understand its formation mechanism, so that remedial actions could be taken to mitigate its deposition. The sludge was characterized by elemental analyses, x-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The results of the characterization studies suggest that sludge filtered and dried at 100°C (to remove free oil and water) consists of ~70 wt% branched and straight chain hydrocarbons in the range of C14 – C28. About 20 wt% of the sludge consists of C28 – C30 carboxylate salts and &lt;5 wt% is inorganic minerals. Emulsification of oil, water droplets and solids by carboxylate salts and bicarbonate ions from water is the most likely sludge formation mechanism. Laboratory and field tests have demonstrated that the sludge can be dissolved by low dosages of commercially available sludge dissolving agents containing combinations of acids. As a result of dissolving the sludge, incremental oil is recovered, which offsets chemical treatment and sludge disposal costs. Although the sludge may be dissolved at the Santan onshore processing facility (end-of-pipe), sludge formation is best mitigated by treating the point-of-source at the Serang offshore platform.
Project Economics and Permissible Environmental Cost
Authors: Agbon I. S. 
Published: December 2007

Abstract
An urgent issue facing the oil and gas industry today is how much each stakeholder should pay for the environmental pollution resulting from oil and gas operations. The oil producing companies argue that all the stakeholders should share the cost. Some stakeholders, like the host national government and the host communities, disagree. They insist that the oil companies should bear the full financial responsibility for the environmental pollution. Hence, how much the oil company can pay for the environmental pollution becomes a very important question.
This paper determines the permissible cost of environmental pollution for any oil and gas project. Using a modified conventional project economic profitability model, the affordable cost of environmental pollution is estimated. Sensitivity analyses are carried out for parameters such as oil price and internal rate of return. The paper concludes that the permissible environmental cost should be a project screening criterion for all future oil and gas projects.