Public Libraries in the Sultanate of Oman and their role in enhancing the knowledge awareness according to the sustainable development goals

This study aims to find out the role of the public libraries in the Sultanate of Oman in achieving knowledge awareness as one of Oman’s Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve the study’s main objective, several questions regarding the public libraries’ role were proposed. To answer these questions, the study adopted a descriptive analytical-qualitative method. Twelve public libraries were covered in this study. Moreover, two qualitative tools were used: interviews with representatives from the public libraries and analyzing the contents of these libraries’ programs. The study found that public libraries’ awareness about sustainable development is medium, as some have no idea about the topic. The study also revealed that the public library focuses on sustainable development as educational aspects by providing databases and facilitating access. Moreover, besides the technical aspects, most public libraries provide the services of public computers and the internet. In addition, some of these public libraries had played a role in disseminating health awareness for society through providing First Aid training courses. However, the public libraries’ role in enhancing society’s awareness of the available job opportunities was very week. In addition, public libraries in Oman have a critical role in preserving Oman’s Documentary Heritage and provide its accessibility as most of the public libraries have a huge number of these documents. The most important recommendation of the study is that the Omani libraries’ authority should focus on developing the awareness of the specialists of the public library about sustainable development and the role of public libraries in achieving it.

"Challenges of using educational platforms and suggestions to address them from the perspective of first-field students at Al Sharqiyah University, Sultanate of Oman"

The study aimed to explore the challenges of using educational platforms and proposals to address them from the point of view of the third-year students at Al-Sharqiya University. The descriptive approach was used on a sample of the third-year students at Al-Sharqiya University in the specialization of the first field, consisting of (100) students. The study tool consisted of a two-axis questionnaire to identify the challenges of Use of educational platforms and proposals to address them. The study concluded that among the main challenges of students' use of educational platforms are weak Internet networks and their lack of coverage in some places, some students not having their own computers, and the lack of technical support when needed. The results showed that among the proposals to address the challenges are the following: Strengthening internet networks in some areas and making them available for free for educational purposes, and providing personal computers for students who need them at subsidized prices and an easy payment method, in addition to providing the necessary technical support through the establishment of a special platform that includes answering questions directly, as well as educating students about the harms of staying long hours in front of electronic devices. The results of this study were discussed in the light of latest reviewed literature followed by recommendations and suggestions for future studies and investigations.

Attitudes of Islamic education teachers in the Governorate of Dhofar in the Sultanate of Oman towards teaching Islamic Faith: Exploratory study (qualitative)

The study aimed to identify the trends of Islamic education teachers in the Dhofar Governorate of the Sultanate of Oman towards teaching the topics of the Islamic Faith. The study adopted the qualitative approach using interviews within focus groups, on a sample consisting of (14) teachers, and through analyzing the data, the teachers ’attitudes were classified into four axes: what is related to the topics of the Islamic faith, and what is related to the methods of teaching the Islamic faith and its teaching aids, and what is related to the teacher, and what is related to the student, The results showed that most of the teachers ’attitudes were not positive towards teaching the Islamic Faith in all axes.

Revision of Pressure Transient Analysis in Mature Condensate-Rich Tight Gas Fields in Sultanate of Oman

Pressure transient analysis (PTA) has been used as one of the important reservoir surveillance tools for tight condensate-rich gas fields in Sultanate of Oman. The main objectives of PTA in those fields were to define the dynamic permeability of such tight formations, to define actual total Skin factors for such heavily fractured wells, and to assess impairment due to condensate banking around wellbores. After long production, more objectives became also necessary like assessing impairment due to poor clean-up of fractures placed in depleted layers, assessing newly proposed Massive fracturing strategy, assessing well-design and fracture strategies of newly drilled Horizontal wells, targeting the un-depleted tight layers, and impairment due to halite scaling. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to address all the above complications to improve well and reservoir modeling for better development planning. In order to realize most of the above objectives, about 21 PTA acquisitions have been done in one of the mature gas fields in Oman, developed by more than 200 fractured wells, and on production for 25 years. In this study, an extensive PTA revision was done to address main issues of this field. Most of the actual fracture dynamic parameters (i.e. frac half-length, frac width, frac conductivity, etc.) have been estimated and compared with designed parameters. In addition, overall wells fracturing responses have been defined, categorized into strong and weak frac performances, proposing suitable interpretation and modeling workflow for each case. In this study, more reasonable permeability values have been estimated for individual layers, improving the dynamic modeling significantly. In addition, it is found that late hook-up of fractured wells leads to very poor fractures clean out in pressure-depleted layers, causing the weak frac performance. In addition, the actual frac parameters (i.e. frac-half-length) found to be much lower than designed/expected before implementation. This helped to improve well and fracturing design and implementation for next vertical and horizontal wells, improving their performances. All the observed PTA responses (fracturing, condensate-banking, Halite-scaling, wells interference) have been matched and proved using sophisticated single and sector numerical simulation models, which have been incorporated into full-field models, causing significant improvements in field production forecasts and field development planning (FDP).

Integrated Hydraulic Fracturing and Well-Test Data Analytics using R

1. Abstract Various datasets are generated during hydraulic fracturing, flowback- and well-testing operations, which require consistent integration to lead to high-quality well performance interpretations. An automated digital workflow has been created to integrate and analyze the data in a consistent manner using the open-source programming language R. This paper describes the workflow, and it explains how it automatically generates well performance models and how it analyzes raw diagnostic fracture injection test (DFIT) data using numerical algorithms and Machine Learning. This workflow is successfully applied in a concession area located in the center of the Sultanate of Oman, where to date a total of 25+ tight gas wells are drilled, hydraulically fractured and well-tested. It resulted in an automated and standardized way of working, which enabled identifying trends leading to improved hydraulic fracturing and well-testing practices.

Track Fractured Well Inflow Performance Using Historic Production Logging and Surface Well Performance Data in Sultanate of Oman

PDO operates about 200 deep gas wells in the X field in the Sultanate of Oman, producing commingled from the Barik gas-condensate and Miqrat lean gas reservoir completed by multiple hydraulic fracturing. Their inflow performance relation (IPR) is tracked to diagnose condensate damage, hydraulic fracture cleanup and differential reservoir pressure depletion. The best IPR data is collected through multi-rate production logging but surface production data serves as an alternative. This paper describes the process of deriving IPR's from production logging and surface production data, and then evaluates 20 years of historic IPR data to quantify the impact of condensate damage and condensate cleanup with progressive reservoir pressure depletion, to demonstrate the massive damage and slow cleanup of hydraulic fractures placed in depleted reservoirs, to show how hydraulic fractures facilitate the vertical cross-flow between isolated reservoir intervals, and to highlight that stress-dependent permeability does not play a major role in this field.

Omani Adolescent Information Behaviour During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Omani adolescents' information behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic is a new interesting topic in the Omani literature. Since the suspension of face-to-face classes in the Sultanate of Oman, Omani adolescents have depended on Wikipedia, blogs, friends, TikTok, and social media to satisfy their crave for information about the virus. This study aims at finding out Omani adolescents' demographic characteristics when obtaining and disseminating pandemic-related content online, their information needs, and the sources of information they use during COVID-19. It is a descriptive study in which a Google survey was used to collect data from 1000 adolescents at different grades in Omani schools. An overwhelming majority of the participants were females (72%) compared to 28% males. Findings indicate that Omani adolescents display distinct traits in terms of their gender, age, grade, and governance. In addition, the study has found that Omani adolescents have several information needs during COVID-19, among which is the educational need.

OBSTACLES OF APPLYING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ OF FUTURE SKILLS IN BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL SUPERVISORS

This study aimed to show the obstacles that prevent the employment of science and mathematics teachers in employing future skills in basic education schools. A sample of (157) male and female teachers, and (51) supervisors. The results of the study revealed that the degree of obstacles faced by science and mathematics teachers in employing future skills in basic education schools in the Sultanate of Oman. From the point of view of teachers and educational supervisors, it came to a large extent with an arithmetic mean (3,64). The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α = 0.05) between the average degree of obstacles due to job variables, while the results indicated that there were statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α = 0.05) between The average degree of obstacles is due to the variable of specialization in favor of mathematics teachers. The researchers recommended the necessity of urging teachers to apply modern teaching strategies and assessment activities that focus on future skills, and to reduce administrative burdens on teachers.