Liners with Bulk Metallic Glass/High Entropy Alloy, Degradable in Formation Fluids for a Skin Free, Clear, Perforating Tunnel, Enabling Enhanced Reservoir Connectivity

A shaped charge for wellbore perforation includes a solid metal or powder liner pressed onto a case, sandwiching high explosives which may have varying thermal stability, dictated by the expected time of exposure and bottom hole temperature (BHT). It is common knowledge that post detonation, the liner-jet punctures the gun body and casing, continuing forward to perforate the formation until its eventual collapse. The jet debris is deposited on the crushed zone forming an impermeable skin and a slug at the end of the perforation-tunnel. This reduces fracture conductivity, and thus, production. Here we present a game changing innovation, the development of a shaped charge with a novel responsive liner. The jet created from our novel degradable liner, post detonation punctures the casing and progress to penetrate the formation until an eventual collapse. However, this system is designed so that, during detonation, a water disintegrable reaction product, bulk metallic glasses (BMG) and/or high entropy alloys (HEA), are formed. These degradable BMG/HEA or complexions decorate the grain boundaries and domain interfaces of the impermeable skin lining the crushed zone of the perforation tunnel as amorphous intergranular films (AIFs) and plug at end of the pathway. Interacting with flowback fluids the BMG/HEA promotes grain dropping, disintegrating the liner and carrot leaving behind a clean perforation tunnel, improving fracture conductivity thus enhanced productivity. In addition, a clear perf tunnel has zero skin value. As such, compared to a coated tunnel with gun and charge debris, it needs little or no acid to clean-up. This results in a demarked reduction of formation breakdown pressures with improved economics for the client. Last but not least this leads to cost reduction of authorized field expenditure (AFE) to support optimized performance of completion design allowing for increased production. CLEAR shaped charges have been qualified to customer specifications in field conditions and are ready to be commercialized. An extension of this technology is being applied to design charges for "Big-Hole" perforations, for the Plug and Abandonment (P&A) market where an effective cement squeeze, anchoring a plug effectively seals the wellbore, preventing the leakage of residual hydrocarbon and associated contamination and emissions.

Historical background during the Springs and Autumns Period

This chapter explores the political and social order of the aristocratic Springs and Autumns period. It analyzes the formation of the multistate system in the wake of the weakening of the Zhou dynasty, this system’s functioning, and the eventual collapse of the attempts to ensure viable multistate order. The chapter shows that aggravating political fragmentation notwithstanding, the aristocratic elites throughout the Zhou realm maintained considerable cultural unity. Even the elites of alien political entities, such as Wu and Yue, became increasingly absorbed into the broad framework of the Zhou culture, contributing therewith to the expansion of the Zhou realm and the softening of Sino-alien dichotomy. The second part of the chapter focuses on domestic life of the component polities of the Zhou world. Particular attention is given to the power of hereditary aristocrats (specifically, the ministerial lineages) and to political activism of the lower stratum of “capital-dwellers,” who emerged as major beneficiaries of the ongoing struggles between the rulers and their chief ministers.

After the Lion

This chapter begins delving into the politics surrounding and embedded into the historiography concerning the fall of the Sikh Empire. It particularly focuses on deconstructing narratives about Ranjit Singh’s death and how historically pivotal this event is thought to have been in leading to the internal problems and eventual collapse of the kingdom in the decade between 1839 and 1849. Instead, the chapter argues for greater attention to be paid to the gendered and colonial politics influencing the British and European writings on the Punjab’s royal elite and the kingdom’s affairs during this crucial period. Such sources have considerably constituted the basis of subsequent histories and biographies about Ranjit Singh and his family, but have rarely been critically interrogated for their internal debates and biases. This chapter instead attempts to piece together a political history of such colonial writings on the Punjab – together with drawing upon a range of less-studied Persian, Punjabi and Sanskrit courtly sources – to resurrect a vista of the world of Ranjit Singh’s heirs, as they sought to maintain the independence of their kingdom into the 1830s.

Internal Factors behind the Decline of the Marinid Kingdom

The Marinid Kingdom (1215-1465) was an Islamic government which emerged in the Maghreb during medieval time. Inheriting the rule from the Almohads, the Marinids were regarded as a strong and formidable Islamic government which once ruled the entire Maghreb and parts of al-Andalus at the height of its glory. Not unlike previous Muslim governments, the Marinid Kingdom also faced various problems and went through several conflicts which affected its stability and integrity. In fact the conflicts even caused the demise of the Marinid Kingdom in the year 1465 which saw the emergence of the Wattasids. This article is aimed at determining the internal factors which contributed to the decline of the Marinids which led to its eventual demise. This study employed a method of qualitative approach via historical study and content analysis, in particular using primary and secondary sources which focused on events which led to the demise of the kingdom. Results of this study identified several internal factors which contributed to the weakness and the eventual collapse of the Marinid Kingdom. In the present-day context, it is not impossible that the same factors can cause any Muslim countries, as a sovereign state and nation, to become weak and disintegrate should the government and the people fail to cooperate in matters regarding the stability of the country.

Una torre en la muralla de Biar. Consolidación y recuperación de una imagen urbana

A tower in the wall of Biar. Consolidation and recovery of an urban imageThe wall of Biar goes around the historical part of the city and connects it with the castle at the top of the hill. This urban wall was comprised by the city wall and a walk wall, which were protected by a battlement and a series of towers. Currently, the urban wall has been swallowed by changes in the area. Internal edifications to the city wall have progressively taken over the wall and, in its outside part, an area as wide as the towers has been occupied, which has eventually set up the front part of Torreta street. The Tower of Jesus is part of this defensive set that nowadays is almost invisible. Before its restoration, the tower was in an unfortunate state of abandonment and deterioration. Large cracks in its masonry warned of its immediate collapse. After its defensive use, it was transformed and joined to more modern neighboring buildings. Removed walls, deformed gaps and variations in the roof concealed its past as it went unnoticed and passed as another house on the street. Only the traces in its walls exposed its history. The intervention process for its recovery began with a thorough, formal, dimensional and technical study, to subsequently propose its restoration and the choice of contiguous elements that had to be eliminated to show a recognizable set. Also, a new way of walking and using it was put forward. During the intervention, several objectives were considered. In addition to the most obvious ones, such as the structural consolidation that would prevent its eventual collapse, recovering its historical image and showing the key facts that would lead to interpreting its past and discovering its secrets. Besides describing in detail the restoration process in its entirety, this text aims to present the issues that were raised during the intervention and to consider those reasons behind all the decisions that were made.

Marxist criticism of Soviet-type society in Czechoslovakia: The political thought of Egon Bondy after 1968

This paper focuses on the development of the political thought of Czech Marxist philosopher Egon Bondy. It examines his criticism of state socialism in the Eastern Block from a Marxist perspective, and it outlines the development of his analysis. The study covers the period from the late 1960s until the Velvet Revolution in 1989, a period during which Bondy explored the historical constitution and nature of a ‘new ruling class’ in the USSR, as well as deeper trends of convergence between Eastern and Western politico-economical systems. In the 1980s Bondy analysed the reasons for the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. Even though Bondy was, during most of the period of state socialism between 1948–89, a forbidden author, he was also one of the main critics of the political approach of Charta 77 and Václav Havel. This criticism is also outlined in the paper.

Aristophanesʼ Comedy “The Clouds” as a Mirror Reflecting Spiritual Life of the Age of Athenian Democracy

В статье рассматривается пьеса «Облака» древнегреческого комедиографа Аристофана. Цель данной статьи — исследование особенностей древнеаттической комедии и проблемы образования в эпоху афинской демократии. Аристофан известен как основоположник аттической комедии и сторонник патриархальных ценностей. Поучая и развлекая одновременно, автор сочетает в своих комедиях непристойную шутку и утонченную поэзию. Комедия «Облака», как и другие его пьесы, дает читателю ощущение реального общения с афинским обществом эпохи Перикла. По мнению Аристофана, реформа религиозных устоев и модернизация образования ведут общество к деградации и отрыву от полиса. Создавая в комедии фантастическую ситуацию, Аристофан не заботится о правдоподобии. Его цель — осмеять демократическую реальность и рассмешить зрителя своими шутовскими репризами, ввести его в состояние священного дионисийского катарсиса, освобождающего душу от страданий. В работе использованы следующие методы исследования: описательный, историко-литературный, культурно-исторический. В результате проведенной исследовательской работы автор статьи пришел к выводу, что проблемы воспитания и образования молодого поколения в эпоху афинской демократии занимали одно из первостепенных мест в политике государства. В своей комедии «Облака» Аристофан отстаивает традиционные ценности героической эпохи возвышения Афин и считает, что необходимо воспитывать молодое поколение в духе патриархальной религиозной традиции. Предложенная Аристофаном система образования сохраняет актуальность и в наше время. The article treats the ancient comic playwright Aristophanesʼ comedy “The Clouds”. The aim of the article is to investigate the peculiarities of an ancient attic comedy and the issues of education which were relevant in the age of Athenian democracy. Aristophanes is known as the founder of attic comedy and a supporter of patriarchal values. Aristophanes teaches and amuses his readers. In his works, refined poetry goes hand in hand with obscene jokes. Like other plays by Aristophanes, the comedy “The Clouds” makes the reader feel immersed in the world of ancient Athens, in the age of Pericles. According to Aristophanes, religious reforms and education modernization lead to social degradation and the eventual collapse. Creating a fantastic situation, Aristophanes does not care for realism, his aim is to mock at the democratic reality, to make the reader laugh, to enable the reader to experience catharsis that purifies _________________________ * Strelnikova L. Yu. Aristophanesʼ Comedy “The Clouds” as a Mirror Reflecting Spiritual Life of the Age of Athenian Democracy. Vestnik Rjazanskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta imeni S. A. Esenina [The Bulletin of Ryazan State University named for S. A. Yesenin]. 2020, no. 2 (67), рp. 138–146. (In Russian). https://doi.org/ 10.37724/RSU.2020.67.2.014 oneʼs soul. The article employs descriptive, historical-literary, and cultural-historical research methods. The author concludes that in the age of Athenian Democracy, education and up-bringing were the key tasks of the state. In his comedy “The Clouds”, Aristophanes underlines the significance of traditional values of the age of Athenian democracy and maintains that young people should be taught patriarchal values. Aristophanesʼ system of education is still relevant nowadays.

China’s Tributary System and National Security in the Song Dynasty

China’s ancient tributary system not only served the vanity of the dynasty but had multiple political implications, closely tied to the dynasty’s national security. The Song dynasty’s [960-1279] notion of security followed an overall policy of guarding the dynasty against external threats, surrounding barbarian nations, and maintaining domestic order. The stability and eventual collapse of the tributary system were closely tied to the domestic security of the Song dynasty and to the security of all the countries that participated in the system. The system constituted a dynamic and interactive security community.

The Limits of “Civilianization”: The New Policies and Shaanxi’s Territorial Administration in the Late Northern Song

Previous scholarship has examined various aspects of the origin, development, and eventual collapse of military programs under the New Policies introduced by Wang Anshi (1021-1086), but less attention has been paid to them within a framework of regional analysis. The manuscripts discovered in 1907-1909 at Khara-Khoto in Inner Mongolia contain a wealth of information on daily administration and legal disputes in the military regions of Shaanxi during the early twelfth century. They show that by the early twelfth century, military establishments under the New Policies had become an integral part of Northern Song territorial administration. Therefore, if we confine our analysis to the usual three-tiered hierarchical arrangement of circuits, prefectures, and counties, we will not be able to fully discern the spatial organization of the Song state and the changes it underwent over time.

Geomorphology of old and abandoned underground mines: Review and future challenges

Abandoned underground mines remain insufficiently investigated landforms, which leads to underestimating their importance within world landscapes. Even though they stand as distinct and widespread geomorphic forms, research devoted to them is underpublished in comparison with natural caves. Because many mines with disturbed entrances remain hidden, various methods of their detection are reviewed, which are essential to prevent loss of life and damage due to their eventual collapse. The most prominent manifestations of the presence of abandoned underground mines are dynamic deformations along with slower subsidence. Even small related movements of the rock mass are detectable. Interest in monitoring and modelling the motions of such processes is growing. In response to the increasing number of documented mines worldwide, their reclamation, remediation or rehabilitation are being initiated as part of efforts to restore land devastated by mining activities; complex reclamation problems can be addressed by multidisciplinary expert teams. However, it is important to note that abandoned underground mines and their particular geomorphic forms are considered to be a source of great geodiversity and hence also biodiversity. The various possibilities of future research connected with abandoned underground mines as geomorphic forms are outlined.