Technology Focus: Reservoir Surveillance (September 2021)

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (09) ◽  
pp. 36-36
Author(s):  
Patrick Miller

It is not unusual to compare a team of subsurface professionals to a team of detectives piecing together a sequence of events to solve a crime. To make sense of what is happening in a hydrocarbon reservoir, subsurface teams, like detectives, typically have incomplete, sparse data sets, sampled at different points in time and space. The data only provide a partial picture of what has happened and what is likely to happen in the future. In either case, surveillance is an essential tactic to build a mental model of the situation. Fortunately, both detectives and subsurface teams have growing surveillance toolboxes to help fill information gaps and narrow the range of possible scenarios. In the oil and gas industry, an endless set of questions can be asked to characterize the state and history of a hydrocarbon reservoir. Teams need to understand the capability of the reservoir to store fluids, stresses acting on the reservoir, what fluids exist and how they interact with each other and the rock, and how fluids are moving (or are likely to move) through the reservoir. Information, however, is rarely free, and different surveillance tools provide varying qualities of information, so it is essential for subsurface professionals to choose wisely in terms of which problems to solve and which tools to pull out of the toolbox. Ultimately, we need to apply the right tools to the right problems to maximize the value of the information we gather. In this feature, we will explore innovative approaches to help better understand the stress state of the reservoir, interactions between different fluids and rocks, and how to track the movement of specific fluid components throughout the reservoir. To do so, the authors of the papers highlighted in this month’s feature apply advanced log data analysis, experimental laboratory work, and compositional reservoir simulation, key tools that every subsurface team should have in its toolbox. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 201679 - A Fast Method To Estimate the Correlation Between Confining Stresses and Absolute Permeability of Propped Fractures by Faras Al Balushi, The Pennsylvania State University, et al. SPE 202224 - Downhole Surveillance During the Well Lifetime Using Distributed Temperature Sensing by Ludovic Paul Ricard, CSIRO, et al. SPE 201635 - Predicting Reservoir Fluid Properties From Advanced Mud Gas Data by Tao Yang, Equinor, et al.

Author(s):  
Robert Palmer ◽  
Damien Short ◽  
Walter Auch

Access to water, in sufficient quantities and of sufficient quality is vital for human health. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (in General Comment 15, drafted 2002) argued that access to water was a condition for the enjoyment of the right to an adequate standard of living, inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of health, and thus a human right. On 28 July 2010 the United Nations General Assembly declared safe and clean drinking water and sanitation a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights. This paper charts the international legal development of the right to water and its relevance to discussions surrounding the growth of unconventional energy and its heavy reliance on water. We consider key data from the country with arguably the most mature and extensive industry, the USA, and highlight the implications for water usage and water rights. We conclude that, given the weight of testimony of local people from our research, along with data from scientific literature, non-governmental organization (NGO) and other policy reports, that the right to water for residents living near fracking sites is likely to be severely curtailed. Even so, from the data presented here, we argue that the major issue regarding water use is the shifting of the resource from society to industry and the demonstrable lack of supply-side price signal that would demand that the industry reduce or stabilize its water demand per unit of energy produced. Thus, in the US context alone, there is considerable evidence that the human right to water will be seriously undermined by the growth of the unconventional oil and gas industry, and given its spread around the globe this could soon become a global human rights issue.


Author(s):  
Z.M. Khabibullin ◽  
◽  
E.I. Bakhonina ◽  

The subject of the study are the components of the corporate safety culture of a construction enterprise. The analysis was conducted related to the state of occupational safety, elements of its management system at one of the construction and installation trusts typical for the oil and gas industry (Surgut Construction and Installation Trust № 1 of «Surgutneftegas» PJSC). The existing problems in the field of occupational safety at the enterprise are considered, the level of maturity of the safety culture, the reasons for the deviant behavior of employees are determined. According to the Bradley Scale using the company DuPont Sustainable Solutions methodology, the enterprise is in a transition stage from a «dependent» to an «independent level». A number of the documents was developed and presented as a component of the safety culture elements. The package of documents is prepared in the form of an information notebook containing: «An act of the refusal to perform the work in case of danger to the life and health of an employee», «Procedure for the actions of an employee in case of danger to his life and health during the performance of work», «The procedure for the actions of engineering and technical employee in case of refusal of an employee to perform the work and execution of the «Act of refusal», «The list of violations of the occupational safety requirements, in the presence of which an employee has the right to refuse to perform the work in case of danger to his life and health». The algorithm of actions proposed in the prepared documents will allow the employees to refuse to perform the work in case of disputable situations on the legal grounds if there is a danger to their life and health. The recommendations presented in the paper will allow to create prerequisites for improving the level of safety culture, enhancing the teamwork in safety issues, and, in the future, the formation of an interdependent level of safety culture.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Bennett

In this era of technological disruption, when many industries are fighting to stay relevant, the oil and gas industry seems to be stagnant. It is in this environment where public perception of the modern industry is becoming more critical and as younger consumers grow in both number and political influence, their viewpoints will become especially vital to the continued relevance of the industry. The oil and gas industry gives itself high marks for innovation, safety and environmental sustainability, and yet the public opinion in these areas is often portrayed very negatively. We have an image problem. The belief that oil and gas is good for society seems to decline with each younger generation. The public believes the industry is necessary for society, though they still see it as a problem causer, not a problem solver. But support for the industry falls with each generation and millennials are more likely to believe the industry is bad for society and a problem causer. The oil and gas industry needs to communicate and engage with consumers to identify ways to better understand their motivations and concerns. Clearly there is a gap in how the public and executives view the industry and the time to address these perceptions is now. To view the video, click the link on the right.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 559
Author(s):  
Brent Steedman

The Australian oil and gas industry is in a period of substantial challenges, including a significant decline in oil prices, fluctuating spot gas prices, a relentless drive for operating efficiency, and tight capital allocation, together with increased regulatory scrutiny and a reputation for below-standards productivity. On the upside, these market challenges provide significant opportunities for companies to bring in new investors, implement new operating models, apply innovation to update processes and practices, and restructure activities. Making material step-changes, requires companies to review, amend, and update joint venture operating agreements (JVOAs). KPMG has worked with many of Australia’s leading oil and gas companies on a range of joint venture engagements. This extended abstract outlines why JVOAs need to be reviewed with respect to the following key opportunities and challenges: Fast-changing global business operating models. Available cost savings by eliminating inconsistent management and operating models between joint ventures. Planning for potential restructuring, including separation of infrastructure (e.g. plants, pipelines, support) from reserve ownership. Sharing of services (e.g. maintenance and logistics) between unrelated joint ventures. Transparency of costs and asset performance. Improved joint venture governance (not more or over-governance) between participants to attract investment. Effective resourcing, noting the right transition of capabilities between deal-makers and joint venture operators. With this extended abstract the authors aim to provide ideas for consideration. Each of these ideas will impact JVOAs. The authors’ proposition is that now is the right time to complete a comprehensive review of JVOAs to enable organisations to move fast as new and innovative opportunities arise.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 639
Author(s):  
Michael Lynn ◽  
David Wirrpanda

As oil and gas operators and service providers look to embrace automation and analytics, many of the traditional partnerships with Aboriginal communities relating to employment and career pathways are likely to be challenged. The paper explores how digital trends are affecting, and are likely to affect, Indigenous communities in their partnerships with oil and gas organisations. Workplace roles and activities are evolving in our increasingly digitised world, causing a perceived threat to employment for minority groups such as Indigenous communities. In order to ensure the ongoing presence of opportunities for Indigenous workers in the ‘future of work’, oil and gas organisations will need to augment digital technologies to cater for and enhance existing and future roles. This paper presents a framework for Indigenous communities, governments, oil and gas operators and service providers to embrace digitisation and create sustainable relationships. An approach is considered to engage with Indigenous communities with objectives of executing on their Reconciliation Action Plans and addressing culture and employment challenges that arise through digitisation. The framework positions oil and gas operators and service providers to pivot themselves not only to sustain, but also to enhance Indigenous employment opportunities in a digital workplace. Digitisation is here, but with the right approach it can positively affect and shape partnerships between oil and gas organisations and Indigenous communities.


Author(s):  
Mazeda Tahmeen ◽  
Geir Hareland ◽  
Zebing Wu

The real-time prediction of bearing wear for roller cone bits using the Intelligent Drilling Advisory system (IDAs) may result in better performance in oil and gas drilling operations and reduce total drilling cost. IDAs is a real time engineering software and being developed for the oil and gas industry to enhance the performance of complex drilling processes providing meaningful analysis of drilling operational data. The prediction of bearing wear for roller cone bits is one of the most important engineering modules included into IDAs to analyze the drilling data in real time environment. The ‘Bearing Wear Prediction’ module in IDAs uses a newly developed wear model considering drilling parameters such as, weight on bit (WOB), revolution per minute (RPM), diameter of bit and hours drilled as a function of IADC (International Association of Drilling Contractors) bit bearing wear. The drilling engineers can evaluate bearing wear status including cumulative wear of roller cone bit in real time while drilling, using this intelligent system and make a decision on when to pull out the bit in time to avoid bearing failure. The wear prediction module, as well as the intelligent system has been successfully tested and verified with field data from different wells drilled in Western Canada. The estimated cumulative wears from the analysis match close with the corresponding field values.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 223-264
Author(s):  
Carolina Barreira Lins

This work examines the subject of jurisdiction and arbitrability of issues related to energy and natural resources in the world, in order to enhance the arbitration institute in Brazil. The study is based on a recent case pending in Brazilian courts, named “Lula case”, which refer to a dispute between the State and concessionaires that grant the right to explore and produce oil and gas in a determined area. The presence of arbitration clauses in the concession contracts for exploration and production of oil and gas in Brazil raises questions related to the disposability of the rights concerned. It is paramount to set benchmarks on arbitral tribunals’ power to decide on these matters and to define to what extent arbitral awards may defy public policy, national sovereignty over natural resources and national courts’ jurisdiction to render decisions in this regard. Otherwise, the randomness of judicial decisions makes the arbitration clause ineffective. Moreover, the Lula case arises substantive issues related to the necessity to protect investors in the oil and gas industry, since acts arguably connect to the State policy power may cause damages to the private parties. The work critically examines the decision given by national courts so far and proposes an international approach to face situations involving the State and the necessity to protect investors in the oil and gas industry.


Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Duc Nguyen ◽  
Le Tran Chinh

This study aims to: (1) Summarize the criteria for selecting 3PL Provider in supply chain management from literature review and apply these criteria to build the criteria model in choosing 3PL Provider for oilfield services company X for the purpose of expanding their market in the oil and gas industry and (2) Analyze, evaluate two 3PL Providers, along with a new 3PL Provider and suggest the strategy for selecting the suitable 3PL Provider to meet the specific requirements from company X. By arranging in-depth interviews with ten people with different positions, including Operation Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Logistics Manager, Base Manager and Logistics Specialist, along with AHP approach and expert choice 11.0 software support in collecting, processing and synthesizing data to evaluate and determine the appropriate 3 PL Provider for company X. In this study, three 3PL Providers have been chosen for analyzing and evaluating – 3PL Providers A, B, and C. The final results demonstrate that there are six main criteria and 13 sub-criteria in choosing 3PL Provider for oilfield services company X. The six main criteria are Performance, Price, Services, Quality assurance, IT system and Intangible values. The results and hypothetical situations have also been presented and discussed again with the expert logistics group to get their feedback about the practicability of the built model. The expert logistics group has agreed that the built criteria model and results are appropriate and adequate for evaluating and selecting a suitable 3PL Provider from the company’s specific demands. Consequently, this study can also be applied for similar purposes in other companies and shipping agents who need to work with outsourcing logistics services in oil and gas industry by using this built criteria model and synthesis results to find out the right decision for selecting 3PL Provider.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreekumar Menon

This qualitative exploratory case study explores strategies and mitigating actions for successful Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations. The research was conducted in a Canadian case organization in the oil and gas industry, using a semi-structured interview guide with a total of twenty interviews that includes members from four project role groups of senior leaders, project managers, project team members, and business users. For triangulation purposes, the study used interview responses and also ERP project documentation collected for the purpose. The research highlighted several strategies and mitigating actions that can be put in use by organizations. The key themes that emerged as effective strategies include having the right people for support and guidance from experts, change management, clear communications, hands-on training, lots of testing, and risk management. The study also provided evidence that adopting strategies can help overcome critical challenges during ERP implementations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 223-264
Author(s):  
Carolina Barreira Lins

This work examines the subject of jurisdiction and arbitrability of issues related to energy and natural resources in the world, in order to enhance the arbitration institute in Brazil. The study is based on a recent case pending in Brazilian courts, named “Lula case”, which refer to a dispute between the State and concessionaires that grant the right to explore and produce oil and gas in a determined area. The presence of arbitration clauses in the concession contracts for exploration and production of oil and gas in Brazil raises questions related to the disposability of the rights concerned. It is paramount to set benchmarks on arbitral tribunals’ power to decide on these matters and to define to what extent arbitral awards may defy public policy, national sovereignty over natural resources and national courts’ jurisdiction to render decisions in this regard. Otherwise, the randomness of judicial decisions makes the arbitration clause ineffective. Moreover, the Lula case arises substantive issues related to the necessity to protect investors in the oil and gas industry, since acts arguably connect to the State policy power may cause damages to the private parties. The work critically examines the decision given by national courts so far and proposes an international approach to face situations involving the State and the necessity to protect investors in the oil and gas industry.


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