The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System: An Integrated Approach to Building an Operational Regional Observing System

Abstract The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most important ecologic and economic resources in the United States. To help protect this resource and to support a wide range of decision-making, the Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) is being built to be a sustained network that provides integrated coastal and ocean data from a diverse array of data sources in real time, near real time, and historically. GCOOS is 1 of the 11 regional components of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS). Because of the very limited resources available to date, the GCOOS Regional Association (GCOOS-RA), which is working to build the GCOOS, has not deployed any of its own observing systems. That, coupled with strong volunteer participation, has led the GCOOS-RA to focus its efforts on integrating existing federal and non-federal (regional, state, local, academic, and private) assets and data. The GCOOS-RA is working to adapt and expand the GCOOS to address data gaps identified by stakeholders and to apply the lessons learned from events such as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, harmful algal blooms (HABs), Gulf hurricanes, and hypoxia. The contributions of GCOOS demonstrate the value of a sustained U.S. IOOS and provide specific lessons necessary for the successful build-out of the system in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the lessons also demonstrate the importance of applying additional resources to improve GCOOS’ ability to meet stakeholder needs such as in response to environmental events. A full, comprehensive GCOOS, exclusive of federal assets, is estimated to cost roughly $22 M for capital and $20-25 M/year for operation and maintenance (O&M) in the near term with approximately an additional $25 M in capital to complete the build-out and $35-50 M/year in O&M costs to maintain the system—an excellent value when compared to the billions of dollars of economic impact of four major industries in the Gulf of Mexico: oil and gas, tourism and recreation, fishing, and shipping.

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Quantifying the potential impacts of oil and gas infrastructures on cold-water corals and sponges in the northern Gulf of Mexico

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-3337 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Danny Khor ◽

Julia Tiplea ◽

Amy Oxton ◽

Vincent Lecours

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Cold Water ◽

The United States ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Entire Study ◽

Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Bathymetric Data ◽

Wide Range ◽

Conservation And Management

The northern Gulf of Mexico is home to structure-forming cold-water corals and sponges (CWCS) that provide a wide range of ecosystem services to other organisms. Oil and gas infrastructure, such as platforms and pipelines, form an extensive network throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. Since the construction of the first structures in the early 1930s, detrimental impacts of oil and gas exploration and extraction have been recorded at depths where corals and sponges are found. Given the vulnerability of CWCS to long-term impacts, it is necessary to implement conservation and management measures to protect these fragile ecosystems. This work aimed to identify areas of CWCS habitat that are the most vulnerable to impacts from oil and gas infrastructure, and in parallel, to identify areas that would be suitable for the establishment of conservation sites.Techniques from geomorphometry were used to derive quantitative seafloor characteristics from bathymetric data provided by the United States Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management. This bathymetric data, which cover about 233,000 km2, represents the current highest-resolution bathymetric grid for the northern Gulf of Mexico, with a cell size of about 12 m. Slope, the orientation of the slope, rugosity, and general, planar, and profile curvatures were derived from the bathymetry in a GIS. These environmental variables were combined with CWCS occurrence data retrieved from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Deep-Sea Coral Data Portal to produce eleven species distribution models (SDMs) based on principles of maximum entropy (MaxEnt). The SDMs were combined with data on the location of active and proposed oil and gas infrastructures to identify potential hotspots of CWCS and analyze their distribution relative to oil and gas infrastructures.In general, depth and slope were the two primary abiotic drivers of CWCS distribution. However, specific orders of CWCS had different environmental preferences. For example, the curvature of the seafloor was found to contribute to explaining the distribution of the Gorgonacea and Lyssacinosida orders. A summary SDM produced using all available data identified 7,355 km2 (3.5% of the entire study area) as suitable habitat to sustain CWCS ecosystems. Assuming that oil and gas infrastructures can impact ecologically or biologically significant areas within 2 km of distance, active oil and gas infrastructure could impact up to 69,896.6 km2 of seafloor across the entire Gulf of Mexico. The construction of proposed pipelines would add impacts on an additional 279 km2. Within the sole extent of our SDM, 1,496 km2 of suitable CWCS habitat would be impacted by oil and gas infrastructure, which corresponds to 20.34% of all predicted suitable habitat. By comparing predicted CWCS hotspots to the distribution oil and gas infrastructure, we identified nine areas greater than 100 km2 that hold potential for successful conservation and could help create a network of connected protected areas in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Our maps can inform discussions among stakeholders to reach the best conservation and management planning outcomes while considering other ecological, social, economic, and governance factors.

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Risk and the Republican National Convention: Application of the Novel COVID-19 Operational Risk Assessment

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2020.499 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

David Callaway ◽

Jeff Runge ◽

Lucia Mullen ◽

Lisa Rentz ◽

Kevin Staley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Health Care ◽

Care Delivery ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

World Health ◽

Local Health ◽

Mass Gathering ◽

Wide Range ◽

National Convention

Abstract The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization broadly categorize mass gathering events as high risk for amplification of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread in a community due to the nature of respiratory diseases and the transmission dynamics. However, various measures and modifications can be put in place to limit or reduce the risk of further spread of COVID-19 for the mass gathering. During this pandemic, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security produced a risk assessment and mitigation tool for decision-makers to assess SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks that may arise as organizations and businesses hold mass gatherings or increase business operations: The JHU Operational Toolkit for Businesses Considering Reopening or Expanding Operations in COVID-19 (Toolkit). This article describes the deployment of a data-informed, risk-reduction strategy that protects local communities, preserves local health-care capacity, and supports democratic processes through the safe execution of the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. The successful use of the Toolkit and the lessons learned from this experience are applicable in a wide range of public health settings, including school reopening, expansion of public services, and even resumption of health-care delivery.

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Proxy Model for Real-Time Estimation of Cool Down Time of Subsea Production System to Prevent Hydrates Formation

10.2523/iptc-21489-ms ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joseph Rizzo Cascio ◽

Antonio Da Silva ◽

Martino Ghetti ◽

Martino Corti ◽

Marco Montini

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Production System ◽

Field Data ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Time Estimation ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Proxy Model ◽

Real Time Estimation ◽

Subsea Production System ◽

Formation Of Hydrates

Abstract Objectives/Scope The benefits of real-time estimation of the cool down time of Subsea Production System (SPS) to prevent formation of hydrates are shown on a real oil and gas facility. The innovative tool developed is based on an integrated approach, which embeds a proxy model of SPS and hydrate curves, exploiting real-time field data from the Eni Digital Oil Field (eDOF, an OSIsoft PI based application developed and managed by Eni) to continuously estimate the cool down time before hydrates are formed during the shutdown. Methods, Procedures, Process The Asset value optimization and the Asset integrity of hydrocarbon production systems are complex and multi-disciplinary tasks in the oil and gas industry, due to the high number of variables and their synergy. An accurate physical model of SPS is built and, then, used to develop a proxy model, which integrates hydrate curves at different MeOH concentration, being able to estimate in real time the cool down time of SPS during the shutdown exploiting data from subsea transmitters made available by eDOF in order to prevent formation of hydrates. The tool is also integrated with a user-friendly interface, making all relevant information readily available to the operators on field. Results, Observations, Conclusions The integrated approach provides a continues estimation of cool down time based on real time field data (eDOF) in order to prevent formation of hydrates and activate preservation actions. An accurate physical model of SPS is built on a real business case using Olga software and cool down curves simulated considering different operating shutdown scenarios. Hydrate curves of the considered production fluid are also simulated at different MeOH concentration using PVTsim NOVA software. Off-line simulated curves are then implemented as numerical tables combined with eDOF data by an Eni developed fast executing proxy model to produce estimated cool down time before hydrates are formed. A graphic representation of SPS behavior and its cool down time estimation during shutdown are displayed and ready to use by the operators on field in support of the operations, saving cost and time. Novel/Additive Information The benefits of real time estimation of the cool down time of SPS to prevent hydrates formation are shown in terms of saving of time and cost during the shutdown operations on a real case application. This integrated approach allows to rely on a continue, automatic and acceptably accurate estimate of the available time before hydrates are formed in SPS, including the possibility to be further developed for cases where subsea transmitters are not available or extended to other flow assurance issues.

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A New World Economic order formation

10.33920/vne-04-2112-03 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 932-950

Author(s):

Vladislav Vyacheslavovich Emelyanov

Keyword(s):

Oil And Gas ◽

World Order ◽

The United States ◽

New Order ◽

The West ◽

Wide Range ◽

The World ◽

The Usa ◽

World Economic Order ◽

The Impact

Every few decades, the world order changes due to various geopolitical, economic and other circumstances. For example, as a result of globalization, the world order has undergone significant changes in the last forty years. Globalization has led to the destruction of the postwar world order, as well as to world leadership by the United States and the West. However, in recent decades, as a result of globalization, the U.S. and the West began to cede their leadership to developing countries, so there is now a change in the economic structure of relations in the world system. Today the center of economic growth is in the East, namely in Asia. There are no new superpowers in the world at the moment, but the unipolar world will cease to exist due to the weakening of the U. S. leadership, which will lead to a change in the world order. A new leader, which may replace the U. S., will not have as wide range of advantages as the USA has. Most likely, the essence of the new order will be to unite the largest countries and alliances into blocks, for example, the USA together with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the EU, etc. The article outlines forecasts of GDP growth rates as well as the global energy outlook; analyzes the LNG market as well as the impact of the pandemic on the global oil and gas market; and lists the characteristics of U. S. geopolitics.

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Pushing the Limits in Offshore Mexico

10.2523/iptc-21218-ms ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hector Hugo Vizcarra Marin ◽

Alex Ngan ◽

Roberto Pineda ◽

Juan Carlos Gomez ◽

Jose Antonio Becerra

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Real Time ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Clear Understanding ◽

Directional Drilling ◽

Case Histories ◽

Control Plan ◽

Drilling Performance ◽

Drilling Parameters ◽

Drilling Engineering

Abstract Given the increased demands on the production of hydrocarbons and cost-effectiveness for the Operator's development wells, the industry is challenged to continually explore new technology and methodology to improve drilling performance and operational efficiency. In this paper, two recent case histories showcase the technology, drilling engineering, and real-time optimization that resulted in record drilling times. The wells are located on shallow water in the Gulf of Mexico, with numerous drilling challenges, which typically resulted in significant Non-Productive Time (NPT). Through close collaboration with the Operator, early planning with a clear understanding of offset wells challenges, well plan that minimize drilling in the Upper Cretaceous "Brecha" Formation were formulated. The well plan was also designed to reduce the risk of stuck pipe while meeting the requirements to penetrate the geological targets laterally to increase the area of contact in the reservoir section. This project encapsulates the successful application of the latest Push-the-Bit Rotary Steerable System (RSS) with borehole enlargement technology through a proven drilling engineering process to optimize the drilling bottomhole assembly, bit selection, drilling parameters, and real-time monitoring & optimization The records drilling times in the two case histories can be replicated and further improved. A list of lessons learned and recommendations for the future wells are discussed. These include the well trajectory planning, directional drilling BHA optimization, directional control plan, drilling parameters to optimize hole cleaning, and downhole shocks & vibrations management during drilling and underreaming operation to increase the drilling performance ultimately. Also, it includes a proposed drilling blueprint to continually push the limit of incremental drilling performance through the use of RSS with hydraulics drilling reamers through the Jurassic-age formations in shallow waters, Gulf of Mexico.

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COMBINING MODELING WITH RESPONSE IN POTENTIAL DEEP WELL BLOWOUT: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THUNDER HORSE1

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2005-1-719 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 2005 (1) ◽

pp. 719-723 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

CJ Beegle-Krause ◽

Walton (Tad) Lynch

Keyword(s):

Missing Data ◽

Natural Gas ◽

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Deep Well ◽

The Subject ◽

Health And Safety Issues

ABSTRACT In May of 2003 a drilling riser break at a BP development well in 6015 feet (1875 m) of water in the Gulf of Mexico initiated a dialog between BP responders and NOAA/HAZMAT modelers about the potential consequences of a deep well blowout. Human health and safety issues were the key concern for BP responders, particularly those planning potential on water operations. Where might the gas surface? Would the natural gas (propane and methane) at the water's surface pose an explosion or asphyxiation hazard? Was there a potential for the gas bubbles to sink any of the response vessels? These discussions did not have as cut-and-dry answers as either BP or NOAA would have preferred. During the planning for BP's attempt to bring the well back into operation, the General NOAA Oil Modeling Environment (GNOME) with the Clarkson Deep Oil and Gas model (CDOG, Zheng et al 2003, Chen and Yapa 2003 and Yapa and Cheng 2004) were run. The data required for modeling a deep spill is more extensive then for a surface oil trajectory and was the subject of much discussion between BP responders and NOAA/HAZMAT. As a result, NOAA/HAZMAT created a data summary request sheet (Appendix 1) to guide the BP responders in what data was needed, and provided a point of discussion for implications of missing data.

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It’s Not the Destination, It’s the Journey: Multispecies Model Ensembles for Ecosystem Approaches to Fisheries Management

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2021.631839 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan C. P. Reum ◽

Howard Townsend ◽

Sarah Gaichas ◽

Skyler Sagarese ◽

Isaac C. Kaplan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fisheries Management ◽

Model Uncertainty ◽

Algal Blooms ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Reference Points ◽

Atlantic Menhaden ◽

Management Decision ◽

Multispecies Model ◽

Model Ensembles

As ecosystem-based fisheries management becomes more ingrained into the way fisheries agencies do business, a need for ecosystem and multispecies models arises. Yet ecosystems are complex, and model uncertainty can be large. Model ensembles have historically been used in other disciplines to address model uncertainty. To understand the benefits and limitations of multispecies model ensembles (MMEs), cases where they have been used in the United States to address fisheries management issues are reviewed. The cases include: (1) development of ecological reference points for Atlantic Menhaden, (2) the creation of time series to relate harmful algal blooms to grouper mortality in the Gulf of Mexico, and (3) fostering understanding of the role of forage fish in the California Current. Each case study briefly reviews the management issue, the models used and model synthesis approach taken, and the outcomes and lessons learned from the application of MMEs. Major conclusions drawn from these studies highlight how the act of developing an ensemble model suite can improve the credibility of multispecies models, how qualitative synthesis of projections can advance system understanding and build confidence in the absence of quantitative treatments, and how involving a diverse set of stakeholders early is useful for ensuring the utility of the models and ensemble. Procedures for review and uptake of information from single-species stock assessment models are well established, but the absence of well-defined procedures for MMEs in many fishery management decision-making bodies poses a major obstacle. The benefits and issues identified here should help accelerate the design, implementation, and utility of MMEs in applied fisheries contexts.

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The geopolitics of the European Green Deal

International Organisations Research Journal ◽

10.17323/1996-7845-2021-02-10 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 204-235

Author(s):

Mark Leonard ◽

◽

Jean Pisani-Ferry ◽

Jeremy Shapiro ◽

Simone Tagliapietra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Energy System ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Trade Patterns ◽

The Eu ◽

Border Adjustment

The European Green Deal is a plan to decarbonise the EU economy by 2050, revolutionise the EU’s energy system, profoundly transform the economy and inspire efforts to combat climate change. But the plan will also have profound geopolitical repercussions. The Green Deal will affect geopolitics through its impact on the EU energy balance and global markets; on oil and gas-producing countries in the EU neighbourhood; on European energy security; and on global trade patterns, notably via the carbon border adjustment mechanism. At least some of these changes are likely to impact partner countries adversely. The EU needs to wake up to the consequences abroad of its domestic decisions. It should prepare to help manage the geopolitical aspects of the European Green Deal. Relationships with important neighbourhood countries such as Russia and Algeria, and with global players including the United States, China and Saudi Arabia, are central to this effort, which can be structured around seven actions: 1) Help neighbouring oil and gas-exporting countries manage the repercussions of the European Green Deal. The EU should engage with these countries to foster their economic diversification, including into renewable energy and green hydrogen that could in the future be exported to Europe; 2) Improve the security of critical raw materials supply and limit dependence, first and foremost on China. Essential measures include greater supply diversification, increased recycling volumes and substitution of critical materials; 3) Work with the US and other partners to establish a ‘climate club’ whose members will apply similar carbon border adjustment measures. All countries, including China, would be welcome to join if they commit to abide by the club's objectives and rules; 4) Become a global standard-setter for the energy transition, particularly in hydrogen and green bonds. Requiring compliance with strict environmental regulations as a condition to access the EU market will be strong encouragement to go green for all countries; 5) Internationalise the European Green Deal by mobilising the EU budget, the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund, and EU development policy; 6) Promote global coalitions for climate change mitigation, for example through a global coalition for the permafrost, which would fund measures to contain the permafrost thaw; 7) Promote a global platform on the new economics of climate action to share lessons learned and best practices.

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An Integrated Approach to Map Tubular Degradation in ONWJ Field

Proc. Indon. Petrol. Assoc., Digital Technical Conference, 2020 ◽

10.29118/ipa20-e-278 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

F. Sajjad

Keyword(s):

Oil And Gas ◽

Field Performance ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Oil And Gas Fields ◽

Preventive Actions ◽

Infill Drilling ◽

Actual Field ◽

And Performance ◽

Gas Fields

Tubular engineering is essential for production operations, especially in mature oil and gas fields. The complex interaction between hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon components will eventually result in tubulars deteriorating into poor condition and performance. 1500 well examples are located in field X, Indonesia, in which 70% of them have been producing for more than 30 years, indicating the existence of tubular thinning and deformation. The degradation is slowly developed until severe alterations are observed on the tubing body. The situation from the aforementioned wells is complicated since tubular deformation inhibits the flow as well as increasing the risk of wellbore collapse and complications during sidetracking, infill drilling, workover, and other production enhancement measures. These wells are subjected to costly remedial measures and often result in unsuccessful recovery efforts. The authors present the degree of tubular degradation and its effect to overall field performance and the possibility of tubular failure. Current field practices do not encourage a thorough tubular assessment during early life of the wells, which create complex problems at a later stage. Eventually, the study indicates that proper planning and preventive actions should be performed gradually before tubular degradation becomes severe. This paper presents a field experience-based model that is useful in developing new areas from the perspective of well and facilities integrity, so that the degradation-related issues can be recognized earlier. We used multiple case studies with actual field data to identify the dominant mechanism for tubular degradation. The case study presented a model that is capable to describe the extent of tubular degradation in offshore, mature wells that are prone to stress from its surroundings. Lessons learned from these failures encourages us to conduct a comprehensive study on tubular degradation. It is performed to model the incorporation of multiple degradation mechanisms on tubular performance.

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Lessons learned from the implementation of the near real-time S2S4E Decision Support Tool

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15537 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lluís Palma ◽

Andrea Manrique ◽

Llorenç Lledó ◽

Andria Nicodemou ◽

Pierre-Antoine Bretonnière ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Real Time ◽

Climate Models ◽

Decision Support Tool ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Cloud Infrastructure ◽

Time Service ◽

Support Tool ◽

Wide Range ◽

Prediction Systems

Under the context of the H2020 S2S4E project, industrial and research partners co-developed a fully-operational Decision Support Tool (DST) providing during 18 months near real-time subseasonal and seasonal&#160; forecasts tailored to the specific needs of the renewable energy sector. The tool aimed to breach the last mile gap between climate information and the end-user by paying attention to the interaction with agents from the sector, already used to work with weather information, and willing to extend their forecasting horizon by incorporating climate predictions into their daily operations.With this purpose, the tool gathered a heterogeneous dataset of seven different essential climate variables and nine energy indicators, providing for each of them bias-adjusted probabilistic information paired with a reference skill metric. To achieve this, data from state-of-the-art prediction systems and reanalysis needed to be downloaded and post-processed, fulfilling a set of quality requirements that ensure the proper functioning of the operational service. During the design, implementation, and testing phases, a wide range of scientific and technical choices had to be made, making clear the difficulties of transferring scientific research to a user-oriented real-time service. A brief showcase will be presented, exemplifying the different tools, methodologies, and best practices applied to the data workflow, together with a case study performed in Oracle&#8217;s cloud infrastructure. We expect that by making a clear description of the process and the problems encountered, we will provide a valuable experience for both, upcoming attempts of similar implementations, and the organizations providing data from climate models and reanalysis.

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