An Integrated Approach to the Design of Centralized and Decentralized Biorefineries with Environmental, Safety, and Economic Objectives

Biorefineries provide economic, environmental, and social benefits towards sustainable development. Because of the relatively small size of typical biorefineries compared to oil and gas processes, it is necessary to evaluate the options of decentralized (or distributed) plants that are constructed near the biomass resources and product markets versus centralized (or consolidated) facilities that collect biomass from different regions and distribute the products to the markets, benefiting from the economy of scale but suffering from the additional transportation costs. The problem is further compounded when, in addition to the economic factors, environmental and safety aspects are considered. This work presents an integrated approach to the design of biorefining facilities while considering the centralized and decentralized options and the economic, environmental, and safety objectives. A superstructure representation is constructed to embed the various options of interest. A mathematical programming formulation is developed to transform the problem into an optimization problem. A new correlation is developed to estimate the capital cost of biorefineries and to facilitate the inclusion of the economic functions in the optimization program without committing to the type of technology or the size of the plant. A new metric called Total Process Risk is also introduced to evaluate the relative risk of the process. Life cycle analysis is applied to evaluate environmental emissions. The environmental and safety objectives are used to establish tradeoffs with the economic objectives. A case study is solved to illustrate the value and applicability of the proposed approach.

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Bureau Veritas' demonstration of asset integrity

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj10110 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 730

Author(s):

John Rucinski ◽

Mark Jarman

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Prognostic Models ◽

Reliability Engineering ◽

Effect Analysis ◽

A Value ◽

Process Risk ◽

Data Acquisition And Processing ◽

New Generation

The innovative paradigm developed by Bureau Veritas has been applied to achieve superior outcomes and benefits for a major oil and gas player. The focus of this innovative approach achieved operational security and risk management for the critical ageing assets. The paradigm and its vital components will become the benchmark for the management and improvement of the performance of ageing assets and serve as a fundamental input to new generation design for oil and gas facilities. Among the key challenges in managing the performance (risk and integrity) of new and ageing assets are the understanding of process safety and critical equipment condition. When discussing with senior management the issues foremost on their minds, Bureau Veritas has found the answer is a common theme—how can I be confident the design of new or existing facilities is fit-for-purpose for the duration of the asset’s life? The integrated approach has brought together the leading concepts/tools in process risk management and prognostic health and reliability engineering. These components include rigorous risk-assessments of the process as well as sensing design based on failure mode consequence effect analysis (FMCEA), data acquisition and processing (real-time monitoring and data fusion), diagnostic and prognostic models and systems for the effective management asset(s). The result of this approach creates a value proposition of financial significance advantage.

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Integration between RCM and RAM: a case study

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management ◽

10.1108/ijqrm-02-2015-0026 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 852-880 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Ilaria De Sanctis ◽

Claudia Paciarotti ◽

Oreste Di Giovine

Keyword(s):

Oil And Gas ◽

Oil And Gas Industry ◽

Practical Method ◽

Environmental Safety ◽

Gas Industry ◽

Content Type ◽

Availability Analysis ◽

Plant Safety ◽

Offshore Industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a practical method of performing maintenance in the offshore industry where engineers have to manage problems such as the high cost of operations, assuring an high availability of the plant, safety on board and environmental protection. Indeed an efficient maintenance method it is necessary in order to offer methods and criteria to select the rights maintenance strategies keeping in to account the environmental, safety and production constrains. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an overview of reliability centered maintenance (RCM) and reliability, availability, maintainability methodologies and an integration of the two methodologies in a particular case study in the oil and gas sector. Findings – This paper suggests an improvement of the well-established RCM methodology applicable to industries with high priority level. It is proposed an integration between a reliability analysis and an availability analysis and an application on the offshore oil and gas industry. Practical implications – The methodology provides an excellent tool that can be utilized in industries, where safety, regulations and the availability of the plant play a fundamental role. Originality/value – The proposed methodology provides a practical method for selecting the best maintenance strategy considering the equipment redundancy and sparing, the asset’s performance over long time scales, and the system uptime, downtime and slowdowns.

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Integrated Geomechanical Operations for Successful Field Development: A Case Study from Western Offshore, India

10.2118/207925-ms ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Pawandeep Bagga ◽

Tapan Kidambi ◽

Ashish Sharma ◽

Anjana Panchakarla ◽

Aditee Kulkarni

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Field Development ◽

Drilling Optimization ◽

Fit For Purpose ◽

High Level ◽

Offshore Field ◽

Jack Up

Abstract This paper deals with the field development study for an offshore field in the western part of India. The main points of focus are holistic execution of integrated workflows for the delivery of subsea oil and gas wells from a jack up platform in this region. Given that the encountered formations encountered in wells posed significant challenges during the drilling phase, a field level geomechanics study was commissioned to understand and mitigate any challenges and effect smooth drilling and logging operations. Understanding the geomechanical effects by analysing the offset wells drilled in the region provided significant insights into the potential challenges faced while exploring target formations. The proposed well locations were drilled in a structurally complex geological setting. From the analysis of previously drilled wells in the region, it was evident that the variation in insitu properties of the lithologies and the extreme heterogeneity and vugular nature of the encountered carbonates caused significant drillability issues with subsequent losses, excessive cuttings, and several back reaming cycles impacting rig time and leading to generally poor borehole conditions. On the other hand, the shales encountered at shallower depths presented a different challenge, especially with a high swelling tendency, adding to progressively worsening hole conditions and significant fluid invasion. Finally, the basal clastics and the depleted zones with variable rock strengths added to the borehole instability issues, with particular zones projecting losses while others showed influxes. In light of such a plethora of issues, an integrated approach including dynamic real time monitoring of operations, structured LWD and wireline logging programmes, a high level petrophysics, formation evaluation and borehole acoustics for shear radial profiling was carried out. A fit for purpose geomechanical model was built encompassing the results of these analyses and was continually updated in real time during the operations phase. Given the variability in the pressures, temperatures and operational mud weights in each section, execution for successful delivery of the wells was further aided by identification of the optimal mud systems, critical casing setting depths and real time drilling optimization, ensuring good borehole quality throughout for further logging and testing programmes.

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Varied Responses to Human-Induced Seismicity in the City of Azle, Texas

Case Studies in the Environment ◽

10.1525/cse.2019.002196 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Sarmistha R. Majumdar

Keyword(s):

State Government ◽

Induced Seismicity ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

The United States ◽

The State ◽

Prior History ◽

Small Community ◽

Regulatory Policies ◽

The Status

Fracking has helped to usher in an era of energy abundance in the United States. This advanced drilling procedure has helped the nation to attain the status of the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the world, but some of its negative externalities, such as human-induced seismicity, can no longer be ignored. The occurrence of earthquakes in communities located at proximity to disposal wells with no prior history of seismicity has shocked residents and have caused damages to properties. It has evoked individuals’ resentment against the practice of injection of fracking’s wastewater under pressure into underground disposal wells. Though the oil and gas companies have denied the existence of a link between such a practice and earthquakes and the local and state governments have delayed their responses to the unforeseen seismic events, the issue has gained in prominence among researchers, affected community residents, and the media. This case study has offered a glimpse into the varied responses of stakeholders to human-induced seismicity in a small city in the state of Texas. It is evident from this case study that although individuals’ complaints and protests from a small community may not be successful in bringing about statewide changes in regulatory policies on disposal of fracking’s wastewater, they can add to the public pressure on the state government to do something to address the problem in a state that supports fracking.

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Shale Resources, Parks Conservation, and Contested Public Lands in North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park: Is Fracking Booming?

Case Studies in the Environment ◽

10.1525/cse.2019.002121 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Miriam R. Aczel ◽

Karen E. Makuch

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

The United States ◽

Federal Agencies ◽

Cultural Significance ◽

Theodore Roosevelt ◽

Natural Beauty ◽

Theodore Roosevelt National Park ◽

Bakken Shale

This case study analyzes the potential impacts of weakening the National Park Service’s (NPS) “9B Regulations” enacted in 1978, which established a federal regulatory framework governing hydrocarbon rights and extraction to protect natural resources within the parks. We focus on potential risks to national parklands resulting from Executive Orders 13771—Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs [1]—and 13783—Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth [2]—and subsequent recent revisions and further deregulation. To establish context, we briefly overview the history of the United States NPS and other relevant federal agencies’ roles and responsibilities in protecting federal lands that have been set aside due to their value as areas of natural beauty or historical or cultural significance [3]. We present a case study of Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) situated within the Bakken Shale Formation—a lucrative region of oil and gas deposits—to examine potential impacts if areas of TRNP, particularly areas designated as “wilderness,” are opened to resource extraction, or if the development in other areas of the Bakken near or adjacent to the park’s boundaries expands [4]. We have chosen TRNP because of its biodiversity and rich environmental resources and location in the hydrocarbon-rich Bakken Shale. We discuss where federal agencies’ responsibility for the protection of these lands for future generations and their responsibility for oversight of mineral and petroleum resources development by private contractors have the potential for conflict.

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THE URBAN MIGRANT FUTURE DESIRE: A STUDY OF REVERSE MIGRATION IN MALAYSIA

Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment ◽

10.24191/myse.v3i2.5602 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 177

Author(s):

Nur Huzeima Mohd Hussain ◽

Hugh Byrd ◽

Nur Azfahani Ahmad

Keyword(s):

Oil And Gas ◽

Industrial Society ◽

Peak Oil ◽

Population Mobility ◽

Reverse Migration ◽

The Past ◽

Urban Migrants ◽

Urban Migrant ◽

Oil Crisis

Globalisation combined with resources of oil and gas has led to an industrial society in Malaysia. For the past 30 years, rapid urban growth has shifted from 73% rural to 73% urban population. However, the peak oil crisis and economic issues are threatening the growth of urbanisation and influencing the trends of population mobility. This paper documents the beginnings of a reverse migration (urban-to-rural) in Malaysia. The method adopted case study that involves questionnaires with the urban migrants to establish the desires, definite intentions and reasons for future migration. Based on this data, it predicts a trend and rate of reverse migration in Malaysia.

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