scholarly journals Geoperspective Oil and Gas in the Netherlands – Is there a future?

2010 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Herber ◽  
J. de Jager
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Coal Bed ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Risk Increase ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe impact of oil and, in particular, gas fields discovered in the Dutch subsurface has been very significant. However, 50 years after the discovery of the giant Groningen gas field the Netherlands has become very mature for exploration of oil and gas, and the gas volume left to be discovered in conventional traps is insignificant compared to what has been found already. The total portfolio of conventional prospects held by the industry contains several 100s of billions of cubic metres (bcm), as reported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, but many of these prospects are unattractive to drill because of their small size or other geologically unfavourable aspects. Hence, for planning purposes of future national gas production the risk should be taken into account that the size of the conventional portfolio is overestimated. The major E&P companies have reduced their exploration efforts and the number of wells drilled as well as the size and total volume of discovered gas reserves has seen a steady decline over the last 10 years. Some surprises may still be in store and can occasionally add a welcome addition of gas. But the follow-up potential of new play and trapping concepts has been disappointing for many years now, and it is concluded that this is unlikely to be different in the future. Remaining conventional discoveries will mainly be in small near-field targets that as a result of technological advances made in the last few decades can be drilled with high confidence, despite their small volumes.This leaves the so-called unconventional gas (UG) resources for a real and significant increase in the exploration potential of the Netherlands. UG resources occur outside conventional structural or stratigraphic traps in tight (low permeability) rocks and are of regional or sub-regional extent, without well-defined hydrocarbon-water contacts. The potential for Basin Centred Gas, Shale Gas and Coal Bed Methane is reviewed. As, according to present-day technology, development of UG requires very dense drilling at low costs with well spacing of a few 100s of metres, only the onshore potential can be commercial, even in the longer term.Recent geological uplift is a characteristic for all North American commercial UG developments. Uplift helps bringing the resources close to the surface and facilitates development of fractures, which are essential for achieving commercial flow rates. This significantly reduces the area where commercial UG resources may occur in the Netherlands. In addition, sweet spots, where commercial flow rates and ultimate recovery per well can be achieved, represent only a fraction of the total ‘play area’. The UG plays in the Dutch subsurface remain to be proven, and there is still a significant technical risk associated with these plays, on top of the commercial risk. Therefore, despite potentially enormous in-place gas volumes in these unconventional plays, recoverable volumes are much less. If UG resources can be proven and are commercially developable, their cumulative volume potential is estimated by us in the order of a few tens to one or two hundreds bcm of recoverable gas at best. Finally, as UG resources produce at very low rates and require large numbers of wells to develop, the environmental impact in a densely populated country like the Netherlands is enormous, and needs to be seriously considered, already in the exploration phase.In a mature area like the Netherlands, industry focus should be on technology development to reduce risk, increase recovery, reduce cost and minimize surface impact. Cooperation between Operators to build multi-well campaigns is therefore strongly recommended to reduce mobilisation cost. In addition, government incentives should be targeted at the development phase, in order to increase economic attractiveness for difficult reservoirs, both conventional and unconventional. In this way State and industry will both be able to maximize their returns on the remaining potential for gas and oil in the next two to three decades.

scholarly journals Incorporating dwelling mounds into induced seismic risk analysis for the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline P. Kruiver ◽  
Manos Pefkos ◽  
Erik Meijles ◽  
Gerard Aalbersberg ◽  
Xander Campman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Seismic Risk ◽  
Site Response ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Fragility Functions ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Amplification Factors ◽  
Reservoir Compaction ◽  
Groningen Gas Field ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn order to inform decision-making regarding measures to mitigate the impact of induced seismicity in the Groningen gas field in the Netherlands, a comprehensive seismic risk model has been developed. Starting with gas production scenarios and the consequent reservoir compaction, the model generates synthetic earthquake catalogues which are deployed in Monte Carlo analyses, predicting ground motions at a buried reference rock horizon that are combined with nonlinear amplification factors to estimate response spectral accelerations at the surface. These motions are combined with fragility functions defined for the exposed buildings throughout the region to estimate damage levels, which in turn are transformed to risk in terms of injury through consequence functions. Several older and potentially vulnerable buildings are located on dwelling mounds that were constructed from soils and organic material as a flood defence. These anthropogenic structures are not included in the soil profile models used to develop the amplification factors and hence their influence has not been included in the risk analyses to date. To address this gap in the model, concerted studies have been identified to characterize the dwelling mounds. These include new shear-wave velocity measurements that have enabled dynamic site response analyses to determine the modification of ground shaking due to the presence of the mound. A scheme has then been developed to incorporate the dwelling mounds into the risk calculations, which included an assessment of whether the soil-structure interaction effects for buildings founded on the mounds required modification of the seismic fragility functions.

scholarly journals Ways to optimize steppe under of oil and gas production

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-86
Author(s):  
К. V. Myachina ◽  
E. V. Krasnov
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Oil And Gas Production ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Public Consciousness ◽  
Oil And Gas Field ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Transformation Processes ◽  
Ecological Optimization

Aim. To substantiate ways of geo‐ecological optimization of an oil and gas field landscape (through the example of the Volga‐Ural steppe region).Materials and Methods. The development of directions for geoecological optimization of landscape is based on the authors’ previously developed ideas about the transformation processes of landscape, the formation and stages of the oil and gas natural‐technogenic geosystem development, and the hierarchy and multi‐scale of technogenic changes of landscape.Results. Optimization solutions were developed for the successive stages of planning of oil and gas extraction, operation of an oil and gas natural‐technogenic geosystem field and the end of development and disposal of oil and gas facilities. The main direction of landscape optimization is highlighted and its tasks and principles formulated.Conclusion. Reducing technogenic impact on steppe landscape, its control and regulation is not only a problem of scientific research, but also one of the state of public consciousness and the setting of priorities by management bodies. Methods of reducing the impact and restoringsteppe landscapes can only be effective as a result of implementing a targeted policy of greening education and a corresponding change in public consciousness. 

scholarly journals Environmental problems of the oil and gas industry in Kazakhstan

2020 ◽  
Vol 215 ◽  
pp. 03008
Author(s):  
Turgai Alimbaev ◽  
Kuralay Yermagambetova ◽  
Samal Kabyltayeva ◽  
Abilkhan Issayev ◽  
Zhadyra Kairat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
The Impact

This article examines the environmental problems of the oil and gas sector in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors emphasize that for many decades the oil fields of Kazakhstan have developed mainly a raw material management system with extremely high technogenic loads on the environment. It is noted that for Kazakstani economy, oil and gas production and especially their export play a key role in generating income and growth within the gross product. At the same time, the authors point out that the impact of the oil and gas field on the environment in recent years has been characterized by its intensity, diversity and significant scale. The issue of developing new hydrocarbon raw materials deposits is considered, which is accompanied by geological exploration, drilling and construction works, laying of pipelines and roads. The authors come to the conclusion that a strong anthropogenic impact on all components of the environment causes an active change in the chemical and physicochemical properties of the soil, disrupts the hydrological regime of territories, leads to impoverishment and changes in the species composition, structure and productivity of phytocenoses, a reduction in the spatial distribution and number of animal populations. In conclusion, the authors put forward a number of fundamental tasks for solving environmental problems of the industry.

scholarly journals Ecology of the Western region in Kazakhstan: state and main directions of improvement

2020 ◽  
Vol 217 ◽  
pp. 04006
Author(s):  
Тurgai Alimbaev ◽  
Zhanna Mazhitova ◽  
Bibizhamal Omarova ◽  
Kuralay Yermagambetova ◽  
Karlygash Atanakova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Western Region ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
The Western Region ◽  
The Impact

This article examines the environmental problems of the Western region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors emphasize that for many decades the oil fields of Kazakhstan have developed mainly a raw material management system with extremely high technogenic loads on the environment. It is noted that for Kazakstani economy, oil and gas production and especially their export play a key role in generating income and growth within the gross product. At the same time, the authors point out that the impact of the oil and gas field on the environment in recent years has been characterized by its intensity, diversity and significant scale. The issue of developing new hydrocarbon raw materials deposits is considered, which is accompanied by geological exploration, drilling and construction works, laying of pipelines and roads. The authors come to the conclusion that a strong anthropogenic impact on all components of the environment causes an active change in the chemical and physicochemical properties of the soil, disrupts the hydrological regime of territories, leads to impoverishment and changes in the species composition, structure and productivity of phytocenoses, a reduction in the spatial distribution and number of animal populations. In conclusion, the authors put forward a number of fundamental tasks for solving environmental problems of the industry.

What Hit and Miss in Indonesia CBM Project : Empirical Study Slowing Down Factors CBM Development and Propose Suitable Action for CBM Development in Indonesia by Using Analytical Hierarch Process.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.A. Firdaus
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Coal Bed ◽  
Production Sharing ◽  
High Investment ◽  
The Government ◽  
Exploration Period ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
Testing Standards

In 2008, the first Coal Bed Methane (CBM) PSC was signed in Indonesia. To date, 54 CBM PSCs have been awarded to explore and develop CBM Block in Indonesia. Twelve years later, only one PSC has submitted a Plan of Development but has not yet produced gas commercially. Most CBM PSCs have been struggling during the 10 years’ exploration period and some may receive extensions for 3 years under specific conditions. The lack of integrated authorities’ approval in the overlay of coal mining and natural gas production areas has become a great obstacle for CBM Development. Besides that, the government regulations in CBM activities have defects in PSC contract terms that may lead marginal economic value for contractors, especially due to high investment during the early development (C. Irawan, 2017). On the other hand, drilling regulations, Pipe Classing standards and Testing Standards following the Oil and Gas standards are too expensive for CBM Investment. According to our observations, CBM Regulations in Indonesia should be modified starting from the Exploration period, Production Sharing Contract Terms and Standard Operating Procedures to suit Indonesian CBM characteristics. Good coordination within government departments is a must for the success of CBM Exploration and Development.

scholarly journals Methane emissions in the Netherlands: The Groningen field

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara I. Yacovitch ◽  
Bruno Neininger ◽  
Scott C. Herndon ◽  
Hugo Denier van der Gon ◽  
Sander Jonkers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Production Volume ◽  
Offshore Platforms ◽  
Source Characterization ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Individual Site

The Groningen natural gas field in the Netherlands – one of Europe’s major gas fields – deploys a “production cluster” infrastructure with extraction, some processing and storage in a single facility. This region is also the site of intensive agriculture and cattle operations. We present results from a multi-scale measurement campaign of methane emissions, including ground and airborne-based estimates. Results are compared with inventory at both the facility and regional level. Investigation of production cluster emissions in the Groningen gas field shows that production volume alone is not a good indicator of whether, and how much, a site is emitting methane. Sites that are nominally shut down may still be emitting, and vice-versa. As a result, the inventory emission factors applied to these sites (i.e. weighted by production) do a poor job of reproducing individual site emissions. Additional facility-level case studies are presented, including a plume at 150 ± 50 kg CH4 hr–1 with an unidentified off-shore emission source, a natural gas storage facility and landfills. Methane emissions in a study region covering 6000 km2 and including the majority of the Groningen field are dominated by biogenic sources (e.g. agriculture, wetlands, cattle). Total methane emissions (8 ± 2 Mg hr–1) are lower than inventory predictions (14 Mg hr–1) but the proportion of fossil fuel sources is higher than indicated by the inventory. Apportionment of methane emissions between thermogenic and biogenic source types used ethane/methane ratios in aircraft flasks and ground-based source characterization. We find that emissions from the oil and gas sector account for 20% of regional methane, with 95% confidence limits of (0%, 51%). The experimental uncertainties bound the inventory apportionment of 1.9%, though the central estimate of 20% exceeds this result by nearly 10 times. This study’s uncertainties demonstrate the need for additional research focusing on emissions apportionment, inventory refinement and offshore platforms.

Eco-efficient environmental policy in oil and gas production in The Netherlands

2007 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Huppes ◽  
M.D. Davidson ◽  
J. Kuyper ◽  
L. van Oers ◽  
H.A. Udo de Haes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Oil And Gas Production

Introduction of Circumferentially Nonuniform Variable Guide Vanes in the Inlet Plenum of a Centrifugal Compressor for Minimum Losses and Flow Distortion

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail Sezal ◽  
Nan Chen ◽  
Christian Aalburg ◽  
Rajesh Kumar V. Gadamsetty ◽  
Wolfgang Erhard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Flow Distortion ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Guide Vanes ◽  
Baseline Design ◽  
Pressure Losses ◽  
Operating Range ◽  
Maximum Angle ◽  
The Impact

In the oil and gas industry, large variations in flow rates are often encountered, which require compression trains with a wide operating range. If the stable operating range at constant speed is insufficient, variable speed drivers can be used to meet the requirements. Alternatively, variable inlet guide vanes (IGVs) can be introduced into the inlet plenum to provide pre- or counterswirl to the first-stage impeller, possibly eliminating the need for variable speed. This paper presents the development and validation of circumferentially nonuniform IGVs that were specifically designed to provide maximum angle variation at minimum losses and flow distortion for the downstream impeller. This includes the comparison of three concepts: a baseline design based on circumferentially uniform and symmetric profiles, two circumferentially nonuniform concepts based on uniquely cambered airfoils at each circumferential position, and a multi-airfoil configuration consisting of a uniquely cambered fixed part and a movable part. The idea behind the circumferentially nonuniform designs was to take into account nonsymmetric flow features inside the plenum and a bias toward large preswirl angles rather than counter-swirl during practical operation. The designs were carried out by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and first tested in a steady, full-annulus cascade in order to quantify pressure losses and flow quality at the inlet to the impeller at different IGV setting angles (ranging from −20 deg to +60 deg) and flow rates. Subsequently, the designs were mounted in front of a typical oil and gas impeller on a high-speed rotating rig in order to determine the impact of flow distortion on the impeller performance. The results show that pressure losses in the inlet plenum could be reduced by up to 40% with the circumferentially nonuniform designs over the symmetric baseline configuration. Furthermore, a significant reduction in circumferential distortion could be achieved with the circumferentially nonuniform designs. The resulting improvement in impeller performance contributed approximately 40% to the overall efficiency gains for inlet plenum and impeller combined.

Unconventional gas: local supply, global implications

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 679
Author(s):  
Craig McMahon
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Coal Bed ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The North ◽  
Local Supply ◽  
Sharp Growth ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
The Impact

The sharp growth in unconventional gas production in North America has turned the gas market on its head. Unconventional gas (coal bed methane, tight gas and shale gas) is present in large volumes throughout the world—it offers the potential to continue to reshape global gas dynamics. Many expect the North America experience of sharp unconventional gas growth to be repeated elsewhere and are forecasting the perpetuation of a global gas surplus. Is this likely? We consider the impact of its development, identify some of the issues that will constrain its growth and address some of the implications for upstream suppliers, resource holders, buyers and policy makers. No post-Conference paper or slides are available for this presentation.

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