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Santos, Pedro Miguel Matos dos. "Investment in new HUB for Oil & Gas Engineering Centres by Oil & Gas Services Companies." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/7882.
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Mestrado em FinançasO renovado interesse na indústria petrolífera coloca-a no topo da lista de prioridades de investimento estrangeiro para alguns países. A competitividade empresarial é um factor bastante importante numa Sociedade global e, como tal, um factor que não pode ser descurado a este nível. O objectivo deste trabalho assenta no estudo de uma decisão de investimento referente à possível expansão da actividade de empresas prestadoras de serviços na indústria petrolífera. Além da definição do enunciado da situação, uma resolução é apresentada. Esta resolução assenta em três metodologias distintas: - Modelo Free Cash-Flow; - Análise Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities e Threats (SWOT); - Modelo Matriz Híbrida. O modelo de Free Cash-Flow permitiu considerar os custos de capital de cada empresa e chegar a uma conclusão sobre o país/local que apresenta as métricas financeiras mais apelativas. A análise SWOT oferece-nos uma visão mais generalista acerca dos países considerados sobre a perspectiva de investimento.. Com o intuito de analisar factores estratégicos induzidos por parâmetros externos (de forma a não considerar apenas métricas financeiras), foi criada uma Matriz Híbrida e foi realizada a respectiva análise. Neste seguimento, os resultados apresentados pelo Modelo de Matriz Híbrida deverão ser considerados aquando da decisão de expansão. Foi possível concluir que a melhor opção base é a criação de um escritório em Portugal. Apesar desta conclusão, a solução óptima é observada quando contabilizamos os custos de abrir um escritório em Portugal e quando, simultaneamente, consideramos os impostos que são pagos na Holanda (devido à sua política de impostos mais atractiva).
The renewed interest in the Oil & Gas sector places this Industry at the top of the list of priorities for some countries in order to attract foreign investment. Corporate competitiveness is, therefore, an extremely important vehicle for a globalized Society. The aim of the present work was to study the possible investment contemplated by an expansion decision taken by some Oil & Gas Services companies. Besides the definition of the problem, an adequate resolution is also presented. This resolution is sustained by three distinct methodologies: - Free Cash-Flow Model; - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis; - Hybrid Matrix Model. The Free Cash-Flow Model enabled us to consider costs of capital and come to a decision regarding the country that presented the best financial results. The SWOT analysis provided a more generalist view over the several analysed countries. With the purpose of analysing strategic factors induced by external parameters (besides the financial field), the Hybrid Matrix Model was created and a study was carried out. Subsequently, the results presented by the Hybrid Matrix Model shall be taken into account when choosing a location for an international expansion. It was possible to conclude that the best base scenario is observed when opening an Office in Portugal. However, the optimal solution would be opening an Office in Portugal and account the profits/losses in the Netherlands, mixing the country that presents the lowest costs with the country that has the best taxation policies.
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Dsouza, Serena Karen. "Asset management of offshore oil and gas installations." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2018. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/49282/.
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The UK sector of the North Sea is a mature oil and gas basin subjected to some of the harshest offshore environments with a majority of the oil and gas installations approaching or having exceeded their original design life, often specified as 25 years. It is likely that the operation of these installations will continue for a substantial period in the foreseeable future. However, the ageing nature of these installations present significant challenges to the delivery of high standards of health and safety required by the UK Health and Safety Executive. The issue of ageing installations has been shown to be an important factor in offshore incidents and accidents, leading to an increased risk of accidental loss of hydrocarbon and failures due to equipment deterioration. Two major hazards resulting from ignition of accidental hydrocarbon release are fires and explosions. Failure to minimise the effects of fires and explosions can bring about significant damage to the structural integrity of offshore installations and pose a risk to personnel safety as evidenced by the 1988 Piper Alpha Disaster and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Oil Spill. This thesis presents a practical tool that can be used to predict the costs, risks and service reliability of any given asset management policy for an offshore oil and gas installation. The tool is implemented using a standard Petri Net technique with already adopted and newly proposed high level extensions, and fluid flow modelling technique. The tool is further divided into two sub models that work in conjunction with one another: (1) the Petri Net based Offshore Safety System Degradation and Maintenance Model and (2) the Offshore Fire and Explosion Model based on fluid flow modelling techniques. The aim of the Offshore Safety System Degradation and Maintenance Model is to concurrently simulate the degradation, failure, inspection and maintenance of four safety systems which includes the fire and gas detection system, process isolation, process blowdown, and the deluge system. Simulation of the model generates a variety of statistics such as the estimated operational costs and unavailability associated with implementing any given asset management policy. The Offshore Fire and Explosion Model is then used to model the occurrence of a hydrocarbon leak from a process vessel located within three enclosed modules; wellhead, separation and compression, of an offshore installation. The aim of this model is to predict the frequencies of fires and explosions in the event that the safety systems previously modelled in the Offshore Safety System Degradation and Maintenance Model fail to function on demand in the presence of an ignition source. The model utilises fluid flow modelling to calculate parameters such as the hydrocarbon discharge rate, gas cloud build-up and dispersion, oil-pool build-up and reduction. These parameters can then be used to predict the magnitude of the fires and explosions in terms of the flame length produced in the event of a fire and the overpressures generated in the event of an explosion. The results and statistics generated are highly beneficial to offshore asset operations managers as they can be used to predict the number of maintenance interventions necessary to ensure safety systems are in an acceptable condition. From this, associated costs can be determined enabling offshore managers to allocate resources and budget accordingly. Finally, an optimisation study is carried out using Genetic Algorithm to identify the optimum inspection, maintenance and repair strategy for the offshore safety systems with an acceptable risk level. The methodology presented in this research considers the offshore safety systems and the processes described above in more detail compared to previous literature associated with asset management offshore oil and gas installation. Additionally, the research demonstrates the suitability of Petri Nets for integrating fire and explosion modelling within the asset management framework which is first of its kind. The model can be successfully used to predict costs, risks and service reliability, and to support asset management decisions when the model is implemented in an optimisation framework.
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Shmeleva, Mariia. "Geothermal Energy Production from Oil and Gas Wells." Thesis, KTH, Energiteknik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-245059.
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This Thesis presents an investigation of geothermal energy production and utilization for electricity generation on the petroleum fields. According to the global energy market in Russia, the leading position takes oil and gas industry. Experts say that most of large petroleum deposits are depleted and the water cut reaches up to 80-90%. To develop such fields and deposits is not economic attractive, that is why wells with high water cut, more than 95%, are turned into abandoned wells. The technology of obtaining geothermal energy from abandoned wells allows reusing already drilled deep wells to generate electricity in an environmentally friendly way. It is especially relevant in oilfields isolated from the grids. In this work the scheme of geothermal energy extraction and utilization is presented. Based on the knowledge of heat exchange in a well and foreign experience a mathematical model describing heat exchange between injected fluid and surrounding rocks in a double pipe was developed. Apart from that the main factors affecting the efficiency of geothermal heat extraction and electricity generation were thoroughly examined. Furthermore, the economic and ecological effect from electricity production by ORC was defined.Denna avhandling presenterar en undersökning av produktion av geotermisk energi och utnyttjande av elproduktion på petroleumsområdena. Enligt den globala energimarknaden i Ryssland tar ledande position olje- och gasindustrin. Experter säger att de flesta stora oljefyndigheter är utarmade och vattnets snitt når upp till 80-90%. Att utveckla sådana fält och insättningar är inte ekonomiskt attraktiva, det är därför brunnar med högvattenskärning, mer än 95%, förvandlas till övergivna brunnar. Tekniken för att erhålla geotermisk energi från övergivna brunnar möjliggör återanvändning av redan borrade djupa brunnar för att generera el på ett miljövänligt sätt. Det är särskilt relevant i oljefält isolerade från nätet. I detta arbete presenteras systemet för geotermisk energiutvinning och -utnyttjande. Baserat på kunskapen om värmeväxling i en brunn och utländsk erfarenhet utvecklades en matematisk modell som beskriver värmeväxling mellan injicerad vätska och omgivande stenar i ett dubbelrör. Bortsett från detta undersöktes de viktigaste faktorerna som påverkar effektiviteten av geotermisk utvinning och elproduktion. Vidare definierades den ekonomiska och ekologiska effekten av elproduktion av ORC.
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Tan, Siah Hong. "Applications of optimization to shale oil and gas monetization." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111403.
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Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2017.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 259-274).
This thesis addresses the challenges brought forth by the shale oil and gas revolution through the application of formal optimization techniques. Two frameworks, each addressing the monetization of shale oil and gas resources at different ends of the scale spectrum, are developed. Importantly, these frameworks accounted for both the dynamic and stochastic aspects of the problem at hand. The first framework involves the development of a strategy to allocate small-scale mobile plants to monetize associated or stranded gas. The framework is applied to a case study in the Bakken shale play where large quantities of associated gas are flared. Optimal strategies involving the continuous redeployment of plants are analyzed in detail. The value of the stochastic solution with regards to uncertainty in resource availability is determined and it indicates that mobile plants possess a high degree of flexibility to handle uncertainty. The second framework is a comprehensive supply chain optimization model to determine optimal shale oil and gas infrastructure investments in the United States. Assuming two different scenario sets over a time horizon of twenty-five years, the features of the optimal infrastructure investments and associated operating decisions are determined. The importance of incorporating uncertainty into the framework is demonstrated and the relationship between the stability of the stochastic solution and the variance of the distribution of future parameters is analyzed. The thesis also analyzes the Continuous Flow Stirred Tank Reactor (CFSTR) equivalence principle as a method for screening and targeting favorable reaction pathways, with applications directed towards gas-to-liquids conversion. The principle is found to have limited usefulness when applied to series reactions due to an unphysical independence of the variables which allows for the maximization of production of any intermediate species regardless of the magnitude of its rate of depletion. A reformulation which eliminates the unphysical independence is proposed. However, the issue of arbitrary truncation of downstream reactions remains.
by Siah Hong Tan.
Ph. D.
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Lei, Guowen. "Producing Gas-Oil Ratio Performance of Conventional and Unconventional Reservoirs." Thesis, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Institutt for petroleumsteknologi og anvendt geofysikk, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-19514.
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This study presents a detailed analysis of producing gas-oil ratio performance characteristics from conventional reservoir to unconventional reservoir. Numerical simulations of various reservoir fluid systems are included for comparison. In a wide sense of the word, the term of unconventional reservoir is including tight gas sand, coal bed methane, gas hydrate deposits, heavy oil gas shale and etc. In this study we specify the unconventional reservoir to only mean the low and ultra low permeability reservoir, which is including tight or shale reservoir. As an emerging research topic in the E&P industry, shale reservoir’s long-term well performance characteristics are generally not well understood (Anderson et al. 2010). Research methods and techniques for conventional reservoir are usually directly used in this unconventional reservoir analysis. These methods, however, have proven to be too pessimistic (Anderson et al., 2010). Fit-for-purpose approaches or solutions should be introduced in this new topic. Recently, hydraulic fracturing treatment is commonly used in the low matrix permeability reservoir to attain an economic production rate. The difference of well production performance between conventional reservoir and unconventional reservoir is not well known. In this study, we are trying to give a quantitative analysis in order to answer this question.In this study, a “generic” reservoir from field data with constant reserves and size were assumed. This reservoir model is homogeneous and of constant porosity, permeability and initial water saturation. In order to compare the production performance, fluid systems are varied from volatile oil to near critical oil, to gas condensate and to wet gas. The permeability of the reservoir model is also designed from high (conventional reservoir) to ultra low (unconventional), which ranges from 101 to 10-5 mD. Influence from fracture is especially considered because fractures in the low permeability reservoir provide a high conductivity that connects the reservoir matrix to the horizontal well. Fractures in the model are designed with identical geometrical characteristics (length, thickness) and of inner homogeneous properties (porosity, permeability).A black-oil model is used for each reservoir, and its PVT properties are generated with a 31 components EOS model using Whitson-Torp procedure (Whitson et al., 1983). Reservoir fluid systems equilibrium calculation in the black-oil model is done using the initial gas-oil ratio. We have compared the well’s production performance for each fluid system.Based on the industry experience, two standards are used in reservoir simulation control: gas production rate and cumulative revenue. The gas production rate with 10 ×106 ft3/day in the first 10 days or the cumulative revenue equal to 5 ×105 USD from the first 10 days is set as the standard for the commercial well rate. All of these simulations are run under the control of these two types which have just been mentioned. A case of liquid rich gas reservoir is analyzed systematically, to compare its production performance when reservoir permeability is changed from high to low. We are interested in how much oil or gas condensate can be extracted from the “reservoir” if same initial fluids in the reservoir but of a different permeability. This study is useful and practical, particularly for the industry in the era of “high” oil price and “low” gas price in North America.The simulation results show that we can extract more liquid from the reservoir if the matrix permeability is higher, particularly for the reservoir with initially large oil contents (volatile oil reservoir, near critical reservoir and gas condensate reservoir). Fracturing treatment in unconventional reservoir is required to attain an economic production rate. We also realize that for the required number of fractures and reservoir’s matrix permeability, there exists linear correlation in log-log plot in the low-permeability reservoir. In this study, the unique optimization software Pipe-It and reservoir simulator SENSOR are used. Optimal simulation results of permeability combination are obtained by the module Optimizer in Pipe-It.
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Umar, Abubakar Attah. "Design for safety framework for offshore oil and gas platforms." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2010. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1135/.
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This main aim of this work is to develop a “design for safety” based risk assessment technique for the offshore platforms in order to facilitate decision making. This is achieved through detailed examination of related risks, and review of relevant literatures and traditional safety assessment methods leading to the development of a new knowledge-based risk assessment method (KBRAM) through the research methodology process. The methodology involves detailed definition of the research aim and objectives, further literature review on risk analysis and the related topics of safety assessment and safety management systems. This process laid the foundation for the establishment of a framework for the integration of design for safety and fuzzy reasoning approach to model the risk assessment procedure for offshore platforms. The research procedure requires collection of data which was obtained from the industry in this instance. The collection methods involve surveys visit interviews and questionnaires which together constitute vital information required for test running the model and conduct preliminary validation studies with regard to offshore platform risk assessment to enable provision reaching some conclusions. The results obtained through testing of KBRAM using data collected from the industry show the determination of risk level classification has been improved compared to the one obtained using same data on the traditional fuzzy two-input parameter risk assessment method (TPRAM) due to the addition of a third parameter in the KBRAM. In conclusion, the above result satisfy the research aim of facilitating decision-making process based on reduced cost of safety due to more efficient risk evaluations.
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Kumova, Sofia. "HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS AS A PROMISING SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR OIL AND GAS COMPLEX OF RUSSIA." Thesis, KTH, Energiteknik, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-210217.
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In this paper, the state of hydrogen energy in the world and in Russia has been evaluated. Details of international projects that have been implemented in recent years. The main methods of hydrogen production and methods of its use in power engineering are also analyzed. Taking into account the peculiarities of the Russian energy industry, the cost of electricity and natural gas, an estimate of the cost of 1 kg of hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water and steam conversion of natural gas was carried out. The calculation of energy production using three different plants (Bloom Box Energy Server, GMI-140 diesel generator and Capstone microturbine) has shown that the Bloom Box Energy Server significantly benefits in terms of economic as well as environmental performance. In the calculation part, the energy efficiency of the submitted projects is compared.I detta dokument har tillståndet för väteenergi i världen och i Ryssland utvärderats. Detaljer om internationella projekt som har genomförts de senaste åren. De viktigaste metoderna för väteproduktion och metoder för användning i elteknik analyseras också. Med hänsyn till de ryska energibranschens särdrag, kostnaden för el och naturgas genomfördes en uppskattning av kostnaden för 1 kg väte producerad genom elektrolys av vatten och ångomvandling av naturgas. Beräkningen av energiproduktion med tre olika växter (Bloom Box Energy Server, GMI-140 dieselgenerator och Capstone microturbine) har visat att Bloom Box Energy Server ger stora fördelar när det gäller såväl ekonomisk som Miljöprestanda. I beräkningsdelen jämförs energieffektiviteten hos de inlämnade projekten.
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Gerard, Faye. "Retention Strategies for Oil and Gas Industry Managers." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7542.
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The turnover cost of specialized employees in the oil and gas industry can exceed 400% of an employee's annual salary. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore successful strategies that oil and gas company managers used to retain specialized employees. The specific population for the study was 8 managers from 4 oil and gas companies in a metropolitan city in the southern United States, which included 5 hiring managers and 3 engineering managers who had demonstrated success in retaining specialized employees. The conceptual lens used in this research study was the job embeddedness theory. Study data were collected through semistructured interviews, observations of participants' nonverbal cues, a review of company documents, and organizational websites. The interview data were analyzed using Yin's 5 steps for qualitative data analysis. The analysis resulted in 3 themes: (a) leadership engagement improved specialized employee retention, (b) flexibility through workâlife balance improved specialized employee retention, and (c) monitoring and assessing retention through research tools and data analysis improved specialized employee retention. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to provide successful strategies for oil and gas company managers to retain specialized employees, which may contribute to improving promotion from within the oil and gas industry, reducing the study location area unemployment rates, and improving local job economies.
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Mohammed, Shara Kamal. "Gas-high viscosity oil flow in vertical large diameter pipes." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2017. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43311/.
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Gas flow in columns of high viscosity liquids is found in heavy oil and bitumen production, polymer manufacturing and in Volcanology as silicate magmas in the volcanic conduit. Predicting the characteristics of the hydrodynamics of gas flow, under such conditions is essential in both design and safety assessments. In oil and gas industry, it is very important in the design of the equipment and the very long pipelines. Further, it is important in the design and safety of the industrial equipment and the pipelines in the polymer manufacturing. Finally, the ability to predict natural phenomenon and develop the knowledge about volcanoes activity and the nature of eruptions in volcanoes is important for the assessment of environmental risks. The majority of the works, which have studied gas-liquid flow in pipes, have been carried out mainly by using water or liquids of low viscosities (< 1 Pa.s). Knowledge, regarding the hydrodynamics of gas flow in high viscosity liquids and large diameter columns, is still limited though despite the importance of this subject. In this work, the characteristics of gas-high viscosity oils in large diameter columns were studied over a wide range of gas flow rates. Two column geometries were used: one of 240 mm and the other of 290 mm internal diameter. The columns were initially filled with stagnant Silicone oil of viscosities 360 and 330 Pa.s respectively. Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) technique was employed for the data measurements besides a high-resolution camera. In general, 4 flow patterns are found over the selected range of gas flow rates. These are seen to differ from the ones in lower viscosity liquids. First, bubbly flow consists of single spherical bubbles that rise at a constant velocity in the centre of the column at low gas flow rates. Second, slug flow which consists of long bubbles (Taylor bubble) with rounded top and end, with a diameter almost equal to the column diameter and separated by liquid slugs. The third flow pattern is the transition to churn flow which occurs due to further increase of gas flow rate. The falling film, around the very long bubbles, accumulates to create regions of high frequency activity that consists of liquid bridges. These regions are named “churn” regions. The length of this region increases gradually with increasing the gas flow rate. At very high gas flow rates, the gas flows through an open wavy non-symmetrical core in the column of the viscous oil (churn regions). The length of the churn regions increases significantly at this flow regime which can be named churn flow regime. Small bubbles of millimetres to centimetres diameter are seen to accumulate in the column due to the high viscosity and low velocity of the liquid motion. These bubbles generate due to the bubble eruption at the top section, bubble coalescence along the column and at the gas injection points at the bottom of the column.
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De, Silva Chamara L. "Removal of Phenol from Oil/Gas Wastewater by Catalytic Supercritical Water Treatment." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1460630958.
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Duruewuru, Anthony U. "Thermodynamic analysis of transient two-phase flow in oil and gas reservoirs /." Full-text version available from OU Domain via ProQuest Digital Dissertations, 1985.
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Montgomery, Justin B. (Justin Bruce). "Characterizing shale gas and tight oil drilling and production performance variability." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/98600.
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Thesis: S.M. in Technology and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2015.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 137-147).
Shale gas and tight oil are energy resources of growing importance to the U.S. and the world. The combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has enabled economically feasible production from these resources, leading to a surge in domestic oil and gas production. This is providing an economic boon and reducing reliance on foreign sources of energy in the U.S., but there are still a number of environmental, economic, and technical challenges that must be overcome to unlock the resource's full potential. One key challenge is understanding variability in individual well performance-in terms of both drilling time (a key driver of well cost) and well productivity-which has led to greater than anticipated economic risk associated with shale gas and tight oil development. Thus far, more reliable forecasting has remained elusive due to its prohibitive cost and the poorly understood nature of the resource. There is an opportunity to make use of available drilling and production data to improve the characterization of variability. For my analysis, I use publicly-available well production data and drilling reports from a development campaign. In order to characterize variability, I use a combination of graphical, statistical, and data analytics methods. For well productivity, I use probability plots to demonstrate a universality to the distribution shape, which can accurately be described as lognormal. Building on this distributional assumption, I demonstrate the utility of Bayesian statistical inference for improving estimates of the distribution parameters, which will allow companies to better anticipate resource variability and make better decisions under this uncertainty. For drilling, I characterize variability in operations by using approximate string matching to compare drilling activity sequences, leading to a metric for operational variability. Activity sequences become more similar over time, consistent with the notion of standardization. Finally, I investigate variability of drilling times as they progress along the learning curve, using probability plots again. I find some indication of lognormality, with implications for how learning in drilling should be measured and predicted. This thesis emphasizes the relevance of data analytics to characterizing performance variability across the spectrum in shale gas and tight oil. The findings also demonstrate the value of such an approach for identifying patterns of behavior, estimating future variability, and guiding development strategies.
by Justin B. Montgomery.
S.M. in Technology and Policy
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Claycomb, Helen M. "Two Clamped Pipe Support Connections for Oil and Gas Brownfield Projects." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2019. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2688.
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In the oil and gas industry, brownfield projects focus on the modification of or addition to an existing production facility that is fully operational and operating. Welding is typically avoided on these projects. The drilling of holes in existing primary structural elements is also prohibited. Clamped connections are often used when adding additional services in a brownfield project. There are different types of clamped connections utilized when a new structural support must be attached to an existing vertical structural pipe. The short bolt clamped connection is a well-established connection and typically used on offshore projects. The U-bolt clamped connection is an alternative connection, although its use in the offshore oil and gas industry is not as well documented. The main drawback to using the U-bolt clamp connection is the lack of a well researched and vetted design methodology. A preliminary analysis methodology is proposed in this thesis. The material, fabrication, installation, and maintenance of both the short bolt connection and U-bolt connection will also be discussed. The following thesis will end with recommendations for moving forward.
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Adeoye, Adedapo B. "Improving the Viscoelastic Properties of Cement for Oil and Gas Well Cementing Operations." Thesis, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10002480.
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The importance of cement integrity in the downhole well cannot be over looked. Cement designed for a particular well may not work for another well. As a result, there is a need to design well cement based on appropriate well conditions in order to achieve good integrity during the life time of the well. This research focused on micro-annulus and crack problems associated with downhole well cements. Waste tires have contributed to environmental problems.
Waste tires can be crushed into small particles and used for construction purposes. This is seen as a promising avenue to get rid of the waste tires. This research focused on the possibility of adding tire rubber particles to well cement to reduce the effect of micro-annuli and cracks in well cement. Tire rubber particles of 4 different sizes were used in this research, which was then divided into two parts. The first part dealt with rheology and compressive strength of concretes. These parameters were used to select cement designs with optimum value for subsequent tests. The other part included permeability and creep tests. Permeability measured the amount of water the concrete materials could yield while the creep test measured strain developed when concrete specimen was subjected to a constant stress for 30 minutes and the amount of strain recovered when the concrete specimen was unloaded for another 30 minutes. Creep compliance was done to measure the rate at which strain was developing, which is a function of time under constant stress.
Concrete containing the largest rubber particle size had good amount of strain recovery after unloading while concrete samples containing the smallest rubber particle size had the lowest amount of strain recovery.
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Sambi, Inderjit Singh. "Hydrotreatment of Athabasca bitumen derived heavy gas oil over modified zeolite support catalyst." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/5367.
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Ameziane, Said. "A resilience engineering approach to safety excellence in the maintenance of oil and gas assets." Thesis, Robert Gordon University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1565.
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The established approach to safety management has failed to handle socio-technical systems that have become more complex. The main argument is this approach is based on assumptions that systems are protected against accidents by barriers (well-trained people, redundant mechanisms and safety devices, and procedures and safe systems of work). Complex systems, such as maintenance, are actually labour intensive; maintenance staff often works under pressure to finish tasks as rapidly as possible. They continuously adapt and make adjustments using available resources, time, knowledge, and competence to achieve success. Thus, they are accidents prone. Human factors inherent to maintenance accidents are most times difficult to identify. Research in this area in the oil and gas industry in maintenance management is limited in comparison to the aviation and nuclear sectors. Therefore, it has been suggested to overcome this lack by exploring the maintenance system and identifying appropriate methods and tools that lead a system to safety excellence. Resilience engineering (RE) approach has been found the suitable solution. Moreover, four system abilities (cornerstones of RE: ability to respond, to monitor, to anticipate, and to learn) have been identified to characterise the resilience of a system; if these abilities are known and increased, it will make the system As High Resilient As Possible (AHRAP). However, there is a need to bridge between RE theory and practice. Particularly, a tool that measures these abilities lacks in the oil and gas industry, specifically within the maintenance system. In doing so, a framework based on a Gap Analysis (GA) was outlined. A tool, the MAintenance System Resilience Assessment Tool- MASRAT, was developed to assess current system resilience and identify strategies for improvement to achieve safety excellence. The maintenance system of SONATRACH was explored by the analysis of the system documentation and processes, interviews with maintenance staff, questionnaires, field observations, storytelling, and functional analysis. MASRAT has been validated by means of congruency and principal components analysis, PCA (content validity), and Cronbach’s alpha (reliability). An expert panel testing was carried out to test its usability. The exploration of the system came up with a snapshot of daily activities as well as a better understanding of the maintenance system. The study identified the most significant human factors (resources, time pressure, and supervision/coordination) and their probable impact on plant safety. The elements of the system were found tightly coupled, hence the system complex. Stories describing the continuous adaptations of people to achieve assigned objectives were collected. On the other hand, MASRAT was validated. All items were rated above 0.75 in congruency test. The results of PCA for the three selected factors confirmed the items may be clustered after extraction into four components which interpretation represents the four cornerstones of RE. The analysis showed MASRAT is reproducible. Cronbach’s alpha results were found higher than what is required (0.7). MASRAT was found usable by maintenance expert panel. It was used to measure the maintenance department resilience. Strategies that may lead the system from current maturity level to excellence were identified. Eventually, recommendations were made to management to be implemented both at corporate and department levels. For the first time, the maintenance department resilience of petroleum assets was measured to fill in the gap between RE theory and practice. Besides, this can be of benefit to the petroleum industry by a better knowledge of the maintenance working environment and human factors impact on safety and by profiles determination and improvement strategies identification.
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Dai, Jianchun. "Integrated reservoir characterization of Sun oil and gas field, South Texas /." Digital version accessible at:, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.
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Labed, Ismail. "Gas-condensate flow modelling for shale gas reservoirs." Thesis, Robert Gordon University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10059/2144.
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In the last decade, shale reservoirs emerged as one of the fast growing hydrocarbon resources in the world unlocking vast reserves and reshaping the landscape of the oil and gas global market. Gas-condensate reservoirs represent an important part of these resources. The key feature of these reservoirs is the condensate banking which reduces significantly the well deliverability when the condensate forms in the reservoir below the dew point pressure. Although the condensate banking is a well-known problem in conventional reservoirs, the very low permeability of shale matrix and unavailability of proven pressure maintenance techniques make it more challenging in shale reservoirs. The nanoscale range of the pore size in the shale matrix affects the gas flow which deviates from laminar Darcy flow to Knudsen flow resulting in enhanced gas permeability. Furthermore, the phase behaviour of gas-condensate fluids is affected by the high capillary pressure in the matrix causing higher condensate saturation than in bulk conditions. A good understanding and an accurate evaluation of how the condensate builds up in the reservoir and how it affects the gas flow is very important to manage successfully the development of these high-cost hydrocarbon resources. This work investigates the gas Knudsen flow under condensate saturation effect and phase behaviour deviation under capillary pressure of gas-condensate fluids in shale matrix with pore size distribution; and evaluates their effect on well productivity. Supplementary MATLAB codes are provided elsewhere on OpenAIR: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/2145.
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Bongartz, Dominik. "Chemical kinetic modeling of oxy-fuel combustion of sour gas for enhanced oil recovery." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92224.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 135-147).
Oxy-fuel combustion of sour gas, a mixture of natural gas (primarily methane (CH 4 )), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), could enable the utilization of large natural gas resources, especially when combined with enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Chemical kinetic modeling can help to assess the potential of this approach. In this thesis, a detailed chemical reaction mechanism for oxy-fuel combustion of sour gas has been developed and applied for studying the combustion behavior of sour gas and the design of power cycles with EOR. The reaction mechanism was constructed by combining mechanisms for the oxidation of CH4 and H2S and optimizing the sulfur sub-mechanism. The optimized mechanism was validated against experimental data for oxy-fuel combustion of CH4, oxidation of H2S, and interaction between carbon and sulfur species. Improved overall performance was achieved through the optimization and all important trends were captured in the modeling results. Calculations with the optimized mechanism suggest that increasing H2 S content in the fuel tends to improve flame stability through a lower ignition delay time. Water diluted oxy-fuel combustion leads to higher burning velocities at elevated pressures than CO 2 dilution or air combustion, which also facilitates flame stabilization. In a mixed CH4 and H2S flame, H25 is oxidized completely as CH4 is converted to carbon monoxide (CO). During CO burnout, some highly corrosive sulfur trioxide (SO3 ) is formed. Quenching of SO 3 formation in the combustor can only be achieved at the expense of higher CO emissions. The modeling of a gas turbine cycle showed that oxy-fuel combustion leads to SO 3 concentrations that are one to two orders of magnitude lower than in air combustion and will thus suffer much less from the associated corrosion problems. Slightly fuel-rich operation is most promising for achieving the low CO and oxygen (02) concentrations required for EOR while further minimizing SO 3. Carbon dioxide dilution is better for achiving low 02 in the EOR stream while H20 gives the better combustion efficiency.
by Dominik Bongartz.
S.M.
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Musayev, Namig. "Analysis of Security Threats for Offshore Oil&Gas Installations." Master's thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2020.
Find full textAbstract:
Offshore oil & gas operations are a key part of the supply of energy in many countries. Worldwide, about a third of the oil is produced offshore and, in Europe, more than 80% of the current oil and gas production takes place offshore. In spite of their location, which makes them inherently more difficult to reach, offshore oil and gas installations are susceptible to security-threatening external agents. The attractiveness is linked to the high amount of hazardous substances handled, the socio-political location of the target installations, and the possibility of obtaining proprietary information important for the business. Besides the direct outcomes of an attack in terms of casualties and loss of production, the potential for the release of large quantities of hazardous materials as a result of an intentional attack, defines scenarios of damage to people, environment and assets comparable to the outcomes of major accidents originating from safety-related causes. In the present study, in order to gain insights on the issue, a database of 2222 security-related events was developed and analysed. Itemized categories used to classify the events by industrial sector, security threats, attack modes, and final scenarios triggered by the intentional attacks, were defined and correlations among them were investigated using descriptive statistics and Multi Correspondence Analysis (MCA). A subset of 99 events strictly related to offshore oil & gas production operations was further analysed, allowing the development of fishbone diagrams showing attack patterns performed by the attackers, as well as bow-tie diagrams displaying the role of security barriers and the physical scenarios triggered by such attacks. Overall, the results point out the concreteness of security-related events in the offshore oil & gas industry and provide baseline information useful for the application of techniques addressing the management of security risks in industrial installations.
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Berges, B. J. P. "Acoustic detection of seabed gas leaks, with application to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and leak prevention for the oil and gas industry." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2015. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/379746/.
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The acoustic remote sensing of subsea gas leakage, applied to the monitoring of underwater gas discharges from anthropogenic and natural sources, is becoming increasingly important. First, as the oil and gas industry is facing increasing regulation, there is a need to put more control in the industrial process and to assess the impact on the marine environment. The applications are diverse, including: early warnings of "blow-out" from offshore installations, detection of leaks from underwater gas pipelines, gas leakage detection from Carbon and Capture and Storage facilities (a process aimed at mitigating the release of large quantities of CO2 in the atmosphere), and seabed monitoring. Second, this technology has a role to play in oceanography for a better understanding of natural occurrences of gas release from the sea floor such as methane seeps. This is of major importance for the assessment of the exchange of gas between the ocean and the atmosphere with application to global warming. All those phenomena involve the formation and release of bubbles of different sizes. These are strong sources and scatterers of sound. Within this context, this thesis draws on a two part study. The first part experimentally addresses the accuracy of a passive acoustic inversion method for the quantification of gas release. Such a technique offers the advantage of lower power requirements for long term monitoring. It is common practice for researchers to identify single bubble injection events from time histories or time frequency representations of hydrophone data, and infer bubble sizes from the centre frequency of the emission. This is well suited for gas release at a low flow rate, involving solitary bubble release. However, for larger events, with overlapping of bubble acoustic emissions, the inability to discriminate each individual bubble injection events makes this approach inappropriate. Using an inverse method based on the spectrum of the acoustic emissions allows quantification of such releases with good accuracy. The inverse scheme is tested using data collected in a large test tank and data collected at sea during the QICS (Quantifying Impacts of Carbon Storage) project. The second part of the thesis addresses the problem of quantifying gas releases using active acoustics. Single beam echosounders are commonly used instruments in fisheries acoustics. When investigating gas release from the seafloor, they are frequently employed to study the spatial distribution of the gas releases. However, few studies make use of these data to quantify the amount of gas being released. Here, using the common multi-frequency ability of these systems, an inverse method aimed at determining gas volumes is developed. This is tested against simulated data and the method shows good performances in scenarios with limited data sets (data collected at limited number of frequencies). Then, using data collected at sea from methane seeps to the west of Svalbard (from two research cruises), the method is applied and compared to independent measurements of gas fluxes.
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Kashwani, Ghanim Abdalla. "Enhancing the implementation of safety engineering systems in oil and gas construction projects in the UAE." Thesis, Heriot-Watt University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10399/3251.
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Risk assessment is one of the most critical methodologies used in the safety engineering system in oil and gas construction projects that require high levels of precaution in construction activities such as pilling, materials fabrication, and structure installation. The main purpose of risk assessment is to provide full protection to the four main elements that are crucial to the oil industry: People, Environment, Assets and Reputation (PEAR). Any failure or defect in the risk assessment implementation can potentially lead to catastrophes not only during the construction stage but also in the advanced stages such as operation and productions. Historically, in oil and gas construction projects many oil spills and blow outs occurred due to lack of efficient risk assessment in the construction phase, resulting in financial loss and human capitals. The aim of this research is to enhance the implementation of safety engineering systems in the oil and gas industry construction projects through risk assessment application in the UAE. Firstly, the aim is achieved via conducting a questionnaire to determine the current defects in the risk assessment applied methodology in the safety engineering system. Secondly, interviews are conducted with safety construction professionals to examine top risk factors in UAE oil and gas construction projects. After that, a framework to enhance the application of risk assessment and optimize safety engineering system is proposed based on the results found during the questionnaire and interviews phases. Finally, qualitative and quantitative validation of the proposed framework is applied to strengthen its feasibility and mechanism. This research study contributes to construction safety knowledge by studying behavioral safety performance and its critical role in risk assessment implementation. The main outcomes of this research study expose a gap in the understanding and the practices of risk assessment methods between management and workers, especially with regard to human factors effects on safety performance. In addition, this study recommends using proactive KPIs to measure the safety culture in the construction site in which it gives the chance to conduct early correction actions before the occurrence of the incidents.
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Cook, Joshua R. "Development of a program to gather and process data from oil and gas fields." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 2004. https://etd.wvu.edu/etd/controller.jsp?moduleName=documentdata&jsp%5FetdId=3727.
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Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2004.Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 80 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-34).
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Al-Hawashem, Kamal. "Highly reliable and delay bound wireless sensor network protocol for oil and gas plants." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/28218.
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Communication networks for oil and gas plants predominantly employ wired communication infrastructure. The wired communication infrastructure is used to carry control and monitoring data used for plant process control and automation. Data carried on plants networks are of critical nature and thus require strict Quality of Services (QoS) treatment. The existing wired communication protocols provide required reliability and delay bound performance. However, wired communication infrastructure imposes high cost and lack flexibility. The advancements in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) make it an attractive alternative for wire based plant networks because of WSN low cost and flexibility. However, WSN suffers from error prone wireless medium, limited resources and lack of central control which make it challenging to meet plant networks QoS strict requirements. In this thesis, we propose a novel WSN architecture protocol called HARD for oil and gas plant networks which meet the strict QoS requirements. We have formulated the design guidelines for plant network WSN topology to meet the given QoS requirements. The maximum delay bound and the reliability performance have been formulated. Simulation results confirmed the analysis of the HARD protocol delay bound of 40ms and showed reliability performance of near 100% for experiments with failure probability of 60% and below.
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Thiel, Gregory P. "Desalination systems for the treatment of hypersaline produced water from unconventional oil and gas processes." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/107078.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2015.Numbering for pages 3-4 duplicated. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-195).
conventional reserves has led to a boom in the use of hydraulic fracturing to recover oil and gas in North America. Among the most significant challenges associated with hydraulic fracturing is water resource management, as large quantities of water are both consumed and produced by the process. The management of produced water, the stream of water associated with a producing well, is particularly challenging as it can be hypersaline, with salinities as high as nine times seawater. Typical disposal strategies for produced water, such as deep well injection, can be unfeasible in many unconventional resource settings as a result of regulatory, environmental, and/or economic barriers. Consequently, on-site treatment and reuse-a part of which is desalination-has emerged as a strategy in many unconventional formations. However, although desalination systems are well understood in oceanographic and brackish groundwater contexts, their performance and design at significantly higher salinities is less well explored. In this thesis, this gap is addressed from the perspective of two major themes: energy consumption and scale formation, as these can be two of the most significant costs associated with operating high-salinity produced water desalination systems. Samples of produced water were obtained from three major formations, the Marcellus in Pennsylvania, the Permian in Texas, and the Maritimes in Nova Scotia, and abstracted to design-case samples for each location. A thermodynamic framework for analyzing high salinity desalination systems was developed, and traditional and emerging desalination technologies were modeled to assess the energetic performance of treating these high-salinity waters. A novel thermodynamic parameter, known as the equipartition factor, was developed and applied to several high-salinity desalination systems to understand the limits of energy efficiency under reasonable economic constraints. For emerging systems, novel hybridizations were analyzed which show the potential for improved performance. A model for predicting scale formation was developed and used to benchmark current pre-treatment practices. An improved pretreatment process was proposed that has the potential to cut chemical costs, significantly. Ultimately, the results of the thesis show that traditional seawater desalination rules of thumb do not apply: minimum and actual energy requirements of hypersaline desalination systems exceed their seawater counterparts by an order of magnitude, evaporative desalination systems are more efficient at high salinities than lower salinities, the scale-defined operating envelope can differ from formation to formation, and optimized, targeted pretreatment strategies have the potential to greatly reduce the cost of treatment. It is hoped that the results of this thesis will better inform future high-salinity desalination system development as well as current industrial practice.
by Gregory P. Thiel.
Ph. D.
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Díaz, Real Rafael Alfredo. "Hydrotreatment of Athabasca bitumen derived heavy gas oil over Ni-W and Co-Mo catalysts." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/5064.
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Allen, Andrew J. "Combining Machine Learning and Empirical Engineering Methods Towards Improving Oil Production Forecasting." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2020. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2223.
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Current methods of production forecasting such as decline curve analysis (DCA) or numerical simulation require years of historical production data, and their accuracy is limited by the choice of model parameters. Unconventional resources have proven challenging to apply traditional methods of production forecasting because they lack long production histories and have extremely variable model parameters. This research proposes a data-driven alternative to reservoir simulation and production forecasting techniques. We create a proxy-well model for predicting cumulative oil production by selecting statistically significant well completion parameters and reservoir information as independent predictor variables in regression-based models. Then, principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to extract key features of a well’s time-rate production profile and is used to estimate cumulative oil production. The efficacy of models is examined on field data of over 400 wells in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, supplied from an industry database. The results of this study can be used to help oil and gas companies determine the estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) of a well and in turn inform financial and operational decisions based on available production and well completion data.
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Rajwani, Shakeel. "Benefits and applications of commonality and platforming in the oil and gas industry." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90722.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 73-74).
Platforming, the sharing of parts, processes, knowledge, and technologies, across products and projects has proven to be an effective way for firms to reduce their costs. While platforming is now common in many consumer and industrial products, the use of platforms is a relatively new practice in the design of civil and industrial projects such as buildings, power grids, and oil and gas facilities. The research in this thesis was specifically undertaking to examine the use of platforming and commonality in the oil and gas industry. The first objective of this thesis was to understand which platforming benefits were applicable to oil and gas, and to discover the extent of the platform benefits. This was accomplished by studying commonality on an oil and gas project, codenamed Steambird, at an unconventional oil company over a period of 10 months. The secondary objective was to propose a framework for commonality and platforming applicable to oil and gas based on the findings from the Steambird case study. Significant commonality benefits were found in the case study, including a 35% reduction in engineering effort, faster production ramp-up, and a reduction in operational sparing requirements. However, these benefits were relatively modest, only totaling about 10% of the overall project cost. Greater benefits would have likely have been possible but not realized due to organizational factors. The cost structure of the project, dominated by construction and third party procurements, also reduced the potential for commonality benefits. An alternative platform approach to commonality is suggested for future development of the Steambird project. The proposed platform includes 3 well pad variant designs with 6, 9, and 12 wells for low, medium, and high production. A development strategy using the suggested variants was shown to have lower costs than Steambirds current strategy even under conservative assumptions. Finally, the platform strategy proposed for Steambird is generalized to oil and gas development in general.
by Shakeel Rajwani.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
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Otiotio, Dennis. "Developing an effective gas flaring regulation for the Nigerian upstream oil and gas industry : lessons from Norway and the United Kingdom." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2017. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=236444.
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Silva, Italo Guimaraes Medeiros da. "POLYMERIC MATERIALS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case160709776258431.
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WAGNER, GUSTAVO NUNES. "INTERACTIVE VISUALIZATION OF MASSIVE ENGINEERING MODELS IN THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY USING THE FAR VOXELS ALGORITHM." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2007. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=10718@1.
Full textAbstract:
COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DO PESSOAL DE ENSINO SUPERIORProjetos recentes de Estruturas Offshore criaram a necessidade de prototipação virtual de modelos de CAD massivos. Esses modelos tipicamente têm centenas de milhões de triângulos e, por essa razão, não podem ser enviados diretamente para as placas gráficas atuais que podem renderizar interativamente apenas alguns milhões de triângulos. Existem várias abordagens para lidar com esse problema incluindo uma nova estratégia de uso de impostores baseada na visualização de Voxels. Essa estratégia é promissora, já que lida bem com níveis de detalhe, oclusão e armazenamento em memória secundária. Esta dissertação apresenta uma variação do algoritmo de Voxels Distantes (Far Voxels), que é implementada e testada sobre modelos de CAD típicos. Finalmente, a partir desses testes, a dissertação apresenta algumas conclusões e sugestões para trabalhos futuros.
Current projects of Offshore Structures require virtual prototyping of huge CAD models. These models usually have hundreds of millions of triangles and for this reason they cannot be sent directly to current graphical boards that can render interactively only a few millions of triangles. There are many different approaches to deal with this problem including a new impostor strategy based on Voxel visualization. This strategy is promising because it deals well with level of detail, occlusion and out of core model storage. This dissertation presents a variant of the Far Voxels algorithm. This variant is implemented and tested against typical CAD models. Finally, from these tests, the dissertation presents some conclusions and suggestions for future work.
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Friedrich, Karen. "Effects of a Non-Condensable Gas on the Vapex Process." Thesis, University of Waterloo, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/861.
Full textAbstract:
It is estimated that Canada has 1. 7 trillion barrels of oil contained in oil sands located mainly in Alberta. However, the oil contained in the oil sands is a very viscous, tar-like substance that does not flow on its own and cannot be produced with conventional methods. Economical production of this vast resource requires new technology and research. Research in Canada has helped maintain leadership in heavy oil recovery technology. One method of viscosity reduction is through dilution, which is controlled by two mechanisms—mass transfer and gravity drainage. In the vapour extraction (Vapex) process, vapour of a light hydrocarbon solvent is injected into the reservoir. The mass transfer of vapour into bitumen is driven by a concentration gradient; the vapour diffuses into the heavy oil, causing a reduction in viscosity. The viscosity reduced oil is referred to as "live oil" and is now able to flow by gravity to a horizontal production well. At the surface, solvent can be easily separated and recovered from the produced oil through a flash separation/distillation process.
Under reservoir conditions, extraction solvents such as butane and pentane would condense, increasing the amount of solvent required and decreasing the density difference between solvent and bitumen. The solvent can be maintained in a gaseous phase, by co-injecting a non-condensable gas (NCG), reducing the partial pressure of the solvent and thus preventing condensation. Two types of models were used to observe the VAPEX process while varying the concentration of air and pentane in the system. Experimental results will help to determine the effect of increasing NCG concentration on the rate of live oil production.
The apparatus consists of a porous media model saturated with bitumen and placed inside acrylic housing. NCG (air) exists in the housing before liquid pentane is added. Pentane vapour continuously evolves from a reservoir of liquid pentane, maintained at constant temperature. A concentration gradient was established allowing pentane to flow into the system where the partial pressure of pentane in the bitumen phase is lower than the vapour pressure of pentane. The bitumen, diluted at the bitumen-gas interface, drains under the action of gravity. The advancement of the bitumen-gas interface was monitored to determine the live oil production rate. By varying the temperature of liquid pentane, the partial pressure of pentane in the extraction vessel was varied.
Results from five experiments in trough models and two in micromodels show that the rate of interface advancement in the presence of a NCG is proportional to the square root of time. Similarly, cumulative volume of oil produced was proportional to the square root of time. Previous works [Ramakrishnan (2003), James (2003), Oduntan, (2001)] have shown that interface advancement and production using a pure solvent was proportional to time. In the experimental range examined (24-32°C) temperature did not effect the rate of production for a given time or interface location.
The average steady state effective diffusion coefficient was calculated from production data to be 0. 116 cm2/s, five times larger than estimated from the Hirschfelder Equation.
Live oil properties were found to be consistent throughout each experiment and between experiments. On average, live oil contained 46-48 wt% pentane and viscosity was reduced by four orders of magnitude from 23,000 mPa?s to 4-6 mPa?s.
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Kee, Kok Eng. "A Study of Flow Patterns and Surface Wetting in Gas-Oil-Water Flow." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1401985339.
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Picard, Mathieu. "Development of multiscale models for the performance of the gas and oil seals in rotary engines." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92169.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 341-344).
Rotary engines offer higher power density, fewer parts and lower vibrations than conventional reciprocating piston engines. However, rotary engines are more difficult to seal because of the rotor shape which leads to higher gas leakage and oil consumption resulting in lower efficiency and higher emissions. In order to address this problem, this thesis presents a set of multiscale models to assess rotary engine performances by estimating gas leakage, oil consumption, wear and friction. An oil seal multiscale model is developed to estimate internal oil consumption guided by oil transport visualization experiments carried using a laser-induced fluorescence technique. A finite element beam model is used to predict the clearance between the oil seals and the side housing for each crank angle in the cycle. From seal-housing clearance, oil transport through the oil seals is calculated using a control volume approach. The main mechanism leading to internal oil consumption is outward scraping of the oil seals due to a lack in conformability of the seals to the distorted side housing, especially next to the intake and exhaust ports. A set of multiscale models are developed for the performance of the apex and side seals. The models are formulated to couple gas flow to the dynamics and deformation of the seals while accurately describing the interfaces between the seals and their profile and groove. The models are used to predict apex and side seal behavior and understand the mechanisms leading to gas leakage. The main leakage mechanisms identified are leakage through (1) the corner seal clearance, (2) the spark plug holes, (3) the flanks of the seals at high speed, and (4) the side piece corner for the apex seals and at the ends of the side seals. The apex seal model shows good agreement with experiments, especially for the pressure in the apex seal groove. It is the first time such comprehensive models are developed for rotary engines and they will be valuable tools to help design more efficient and environment-friendly rotary engines.
by Mathieu Picard.
Ph. D.
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Alrudayni, Mohammed A. "Evaluation of External Coating Performance on Buried Pipelines in the Oil and Gas Industry." FIU Digital Commons, 2015. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2319.
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Protective coatings is used to enhance the corrosion resistance of buried pipelines. However, the effectiveness of epoxy-coatings may be compromised due to inadvertent presence of surface damage and coating disbondment. Additionally, the disbonded coated panels is expected to be less effective than that of scratched or un-defected panels. This research was designed to evaluate the coating performance of FBE and hybrid epoxy in simulated Arabian Gulf water and synthetic Sabkha. The influence of coating damage and disbondment on corrosion resistance was also investigated.
Results of this research indicated a reduction in the adhesion bond between the coatings and substrate. The electrochemical impedance measurements demonstrated the need for an appropriate interpretation of results when this technique is used. The corrosion current density measurements indicated that both media are corrosive. Protective coatings under investigation did not show any blistering effect, loss of adhesion or color change under test conditions, thus reflecting their excellent corrosion resistance property.
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Ruiz, Vasquez Karla Liliana. "Effect of availability on multi-period planning of subsea oil and gas production systems." [College Station, Tex. : Texas A&M University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2905.
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Gorur, Murat. "ECC-D4 Electostatic Oil Cleaner Design for Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Applications." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Mekanisk värmeteori och strömningslära, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-58523.
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The turbine technology improvements from 1980 onwards have considerably increased mechanical and thermal stresses on turbine oils which, cause oil oxidation and thereby turbine oil degradation (Livingstone et al., 2007; Sasaki & Uchiyama, 2002). If the oil degradation problem is ignored, this might result in serious turbine system erratic trips and start-up operational problems (Overgaag et al., 2009). Oil oxidation by-products, in other words, sludge and varnish contaminants, lead stated turbine operation-tribological problems. Hence, sludge and varnish presence in turbine oil become a major reason for declining turbine reliability and availability. In the power generation industry, heavy-duty gas turbines as well as steam turbines have been lubricated with mineral based turbine oils for many decades (Okazaki & Badal, 2005). First, generally Group I oils (mineral base oils produced by solvent extraction, dewaxing) were used. Nevertheless, this group of oils has lower oxidation resistance. Therefore, modern gas turbines demand oils which have better oil oxidation resistance, and lower sludge and varnish contaminants tendency (Hannon, 2009). Today, there are many turbine lubricants available on the market. Besides Group I oils, more and more Group II oils (mineral base oils produced by hydro cracking and hydro treating) are selected in service, and having increased oil oxidation resistance. However field inspections demonstrate that Group II oils also experience sludge and varnish problems as well as Group I oils. Primary reason for these phenomena is the antioxidant additive packages that are used in Group II oils (Overgaag et al., 2009). In any case with recent oil formulations, oil degradation products still exist in current turbine oils, and will continue to do so in natural process. These sludge and varnish contaminants are less than 1 micron in size. Thus, they can pass turbine oil system standard mechanical filters without obstruction. With regard to keep the turbine systems in best operational conditions, external turbine oil cleaning practices became crucial to remove these less than 1 micron size oil degradation products from turbine oils. Current effective method for removing the sludge and varnish is to use electrostatic oil cleaners (Moehle & Gatto et al., 2007). Since the majority of turbine user and operator population have been shifted to use Group II based oils to counter the increased sludge and varnish problems, traditional oil cleaners became insufficient to remove sludge and varnish from Group II. (Due to Group II oils have different oil characteristics such as oil oxidation stability and solvency capability). With this awareness, thesis project is looking for ways to introduce and develop an Advanced Electrostatic Oil Cleaner to increase the availability and reliability figures of heavy-duty gas turbines against the rising amount of oil degradation products in modern formulated turbine oils. ECC (Electrostatic Cooled Cleaner) is an electrostatic oil cleaner device to clean and cool mineral based turbine oils for heavy-duty gas turbine applications by removing the sludge and varnish - oil contaminants from turbine oils. The basic principle of the ECC is based on the electrostatic force produced by parallel positioned electrodes which are charged with a high D.C. voltage. Oil contaminants- sludge and varnish have polar nature. Therefore, they are attracted by electrostatic forces whose intensity is proportional to the voltage applied. With the oil flowing in parallel to these electrodes, the polar particles in the oil (which is only neutral /no polar) are caught by filter media positioned between these electrodes. Small investments on advanced oil cleaner result in big savings on turbine system performance. Increased turbine availability and reliability predominantly reduce maintenance costs and risks besides, and thus maximizing revenue by extending heavy-duty gas turbine operational life. An introduced prototype of the ECC-D4 model was tested using two Group II and one Group I oils. The amounts of 200 liter (each) test oils were circulated approximately 300 times through the ECC-D4. In each 3 oil cleaning test sessions, it is proved that the oil insolubles content decreased approximately 40% in tested turbine oils within about 240 ECC-D4 operating hours. With taken base of heavy-duty gas turbine characteristics such as 400 MW power production capacity, annually 8000 operating hours, and 15000 liter oil reservoir volume; it is estimated that the ECC-D4 can extend the oil service-life from 24000 to 48000 operating hours (which is approximately the oil service end-life). In addition to that, assuming the ECC-D4 investment cost as 30k€, about 15k€ savings per year through the new turbine oil and component replacement costs, besides turbine operation profit losses. Moreover, the ECC-D4 returns on investment with a rate of 39 % for defined heavy-duty gas turbine. In general perspective of ECC-D4, it makes heavy-duty gas turbine infrastructure innovative, fully integrated and committed to fulfilling the need for clean, efficient, reliable power production practices in an environmental manner.
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Zafari, Hesameddin. "Marketing Strategies to Enhance Profitability Among International Oil and Gas Service Companies." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4118.
Full textAbstract:
A significant drop in oil price in 2014 resulted in enormous pressure on marketing managers of international oilfield service companies to address new market expectations. In such competitive conditions, some marketing managers lack strategies to leverage profitability during downturns. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that senior marketing managers of international oilfield service companies in the Middle East successfully used to enhance sales performance, revenues, and profits during periods of declining oil prices. Theory of market segmentation, targeting, and positioning formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews of 5 senior marketing managers of international oilfield service companies throughout the Middle East. Data analysis was composed of organizing data, becoming familiar with the data, putting data in nodes, giving proper codes, interpreting the data, and presenting the results, which led to 5 primary themes including customers, relationship, differentiation, services, and prices. To increase reliability and reduce bias, triangulation was achieved by combining, comparing, and contrasting companies' annual reports and website contents with participants' information. Identifying the right strategies that lead to higher profitability is crucial for international oilfield companies. Developing dynamic segmentation strategies, targeting new market players, differentiating via innovation, and promoting reliable relationships increase the likelihood of grasping new opportunities. This study's implications for positive social change include having more sustainable and profitable firms contributing to prosperity of local communities, which leads to healthier economies and more stable societies.
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Tokode, Oluwatosin. "Photocatalytic destruction of volatile organic compounds from the oil and gas industry." Thesis, Robert Gordon University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1134.
Full textAbstract:
Heterogeneous photocatalysis is an advanced oxidation technology widely applied in environmental remediation processes. It is a relatively safe and affordable technology with a low impact on the environment and has found applications in a number of fields from chemical engineering, construction and microbiology to medicine. It is not catalysis in the real sense of the word as the photons which initiate the desired photocatalytic reaction are consumed in the process. The cost of these photons is by far the limiting economic factor in its application. From a technical standpoint, the inefficient use of the aforementioned photons during the photocatalytic reaction is responsible for the limited adoption of its application in industry. This inefficiency is characterised by low quantum yields or photonic efficiencies during its application. The mechanism of the technique of controlled periodic illumination which was previously proposed as a way of enhancing the low photonic efficiency of TiO2 photocatalysis has been investigated using a novel controlled experimental approach; the results showed no advantage of periodic illumination over continuous illumination at equivalent photon flux. When the technique of controlled periodic illumination is applied in a photocatalytic reaction where attraction between substrate molecules and catalyst surface is maximum and photo-oxidation by surface-trapped holes, {TiIVOH•}+ ads is predominant, photonic efficiency is significantly improved. For immobilized reactors which usually have a lower illuminated surface area per unit volume compared to suspended catalyst and mass transfer limitations, the photonic efficiency is even lower. A novel photocatalytic impeller reactor was designed to investigate photonic efficiency in gas–solid photocatalysis of aromatic volatile organic compounds. The results indicate photonic efficiency is a function of mass transfer and catalyst deactivation rate. The development of future reactors which can optimise the use of photons and maximize photonic efficiency is important for the widespread adoption of heterogeneous photocatalysis by industry.
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Alotaibi, Waleed L. "A technical and marketing analysis of nanocrystalline Ni-W coating for oil and gas industry applications." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/54547.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-69).
Nanocrystalline nickel-tungsten is a new metallic coating technology developed at MIT in the laboratory of Professor Christopher Schuh in 2005. The new coating technology utilizes a special electrodeposition process to achieve precise control of synthesized nanocrystalline coating structure and resulting properties. This method can produce coatings with enhanced properties including excellent corrosion, wear, and heat resistance in addition to being health and environmentally friendly. At a competitive price along with an efficient coating process, it is anticipated that this coating technology will have high impact on the functional coating industry. This will hopefully lead to future development of other nanocrystalline coating systems. This project focuses on the technology technical and marketing analysis with particular emphasis on the oil and gas industry. The evaluation involves assessing the technology value, highlighting potential applications, comparing with competing technologies and developing commercialization strategies. A comprehensive technical evaluation plan was outlined in order to insure coating suitability for the intended market applications and provide assurance to future clients. This thesis also analyzes several business model strategies to penetrate the oil and gas coating market and proposes what is believed to be the most efficient strategy. Based on the proposed strategy, a detailed cost model is presented to estimate the cost of production and determine pricing options. Finally, several economic outcome scenarios are presented based on the estimated market size and future demands.
by Waleed L. Alotaibi.
M.Eng.
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Ramberg, David J. (David John). "The relationship between crude oil and natural gas spot prices and its stability over time." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/59566.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2010.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 122-126).
The historical basis for a link between crude oil and natural gas prices was examined to determine whether one has existed in the past and exists in the present. Physical bases for a price relationship are examined. An econometric modeling exercise seeks to establish whether a stable price relationship exists and to define it through the use of a vector error correction model. The model identifies strong evidence of cointegration between the crude oil and natural gas spot price series in the United States. It conditions the predicted natural gas price volatility through exogenous variables related to weather and supply. Once identified, the relationship is clarified more efficiently through the implementation of a conditional error correction model. The model is then utilized to simulate the effects of weather shocks, seasonality, supply deviations and hurricane activity on the cointegrating relationship between crude oil and natural gas. Finally, an analysis is conducted to test whether the relationship shifts over time to new equilibria. The results of the series of exercises suggest that crude oil and natural gas prices have moved together historically and statistical analysis supports the assumption that the two price series continued to be cointegrated through the end of 2008. The analysis presents evidence that the relationship shifts over time to new equilibria, and the data suggest that these new eqilibria are likewise stable.
by David J. Ramberg.
S.M.in Technology and Policy
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Danandeh, Anna. "Achieving Reliable Generation \& Delivery of Energy Through Robust Optimization." Scholar Commons, 2015. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5673.
Full textAbstract:
In this dissertation, we elaborate on the inherent risks and uncertainties in power systems and associated industries, and develop practical solution methods to eliminate their adverse effects.
our research agenda consists of practice-driven problems in different stages of power generation as follows. (1) Affordable fuel procurement through developing a comprehensive fuel supply chain design and operations planning system for electricity generation companies, (2) reliable electricity generation through incorporating dynamic asset rating concept in the unit commitment problem, and (3) efficient demand management through proposing a job scheduling model for effective local generation consumption.
Since reliability cannot be compromised in energy sector, robust optimization has been adopted as a powerful method to model multiple sources of uncertainty, and to protect the performance of the systems against worst situations. Exact and heuristic methods are then developed and customized to solve these computationally challenging problems. In particular, inspired by the challenges in solving two-stage robust optimization problems, we developed a multi-scenario cutting plane generation algorithm, that considers all the realizations of the uncertainty set at once, and thus, alleviates the computational challenge.
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Bandreddy, Naga Abhiram. "Defining Correlation Between Radon, Uranium Deposits, and Oil and Gas Wells Using GIS Regression Methods." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1564687565423414.
Full text
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Jia, Ke S. M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "A coupled model for ring dynamics, gas flow, and oil flow through the ring grooves in IC engines." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/46383.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2009.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-129).
Oil flows through ring/groove interface play a critical role in oil transport among different regions the piston ring pack of internal combustion engines. This thesis work is intended to improve the understanding and modeling capability on this important oil transport mechanism for better analysis in engine oil consumption. A model incorporating ring dynamics, gas flow, and oil flow was developed to study oil transport in the piston ring-pack system. The major new element of this new model is adaptation of a mass conserved two phase oil/gas flow sub-model. Doing so, the present model can describe the oil flows through the ring/groove interface in a consistent manner. The model was applied to a heavy duty diesel engine at maximum power condition and to a SI engine at engine-braking and moderate load conditions. In the diesel application, the model demonstrates that oil can be released through the second ring/groove interface during second ring flutter and ring/groove interface plays positive role in reducing oil consumption and oil residence time. On the other hand, oil can be pumped up into the top ring groove and combustion chamber through the top ring/groove interface at engine braking conditions in the SI engine. Both applications show that oil flow rate through ring/groove interface is most prominent during the period of the engine cycle when the ring motion and gas pressure exhibit dynamic behaviors, and thus show that the coupling of the ring dynamics and gas/oil flows in the present model is essential to predict the oil pumping through ring/groove interface.
by Ke Jia.
S.M.
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Hansen, Brigham Wheeler. "Smart Technologies for Oil Production with Rod Pumping." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2018. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/6936.
Full textAbstract:
This work enables accelerated fluid recovery in oil and gas reservoirs by automatically controlling fluid height and bottomhole pressure in wells. Several literature studies show significant increase in recovered oil by determining a target bottomhole pressure but rarely consider how to control to that value. This work enables those benefits by maintaining bottomhole pressure or fluid height. Moving Horizon Estimation (MHE) determines uncertain well parameters using only common surface measurements. A Model Predictive Controller (MPC) adjusts the stroking speed of a sucker rod pump to maintain fluid height. Pump boundary conditions are simulated with Mathematical Programs with Complementarity Constraints (MPCCs) and a nonlinear programming solver finds a solution in near real-time. A combined rod string, well, and reservoir model simulate dynamic well conditions, and are formulated for simultaneous optimization by large-scale solvers. MPC increases cumulative oil production vs. conventional pump off control by maintaining an optimal fluid level height.
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Okara, Ikpe Chikwe. "Harmonic domain modelling and analysis of the electrical power systems of onshore and offshore oil and gas field /platform." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2014. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5593/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis first focuses on harmonic studies of high voltage cable and power line, more specifically the harmonic resonance. The cable model is undergrounded system, making it ideal for the harmonics studies. A flexible approach to the modelling of the frequency dependent part provides information about possible harmonic excitations and the voltage waveform during a transient. The power line is modelled by means of lumped-parameters model and also describes the long line effect. The modelling depth and detail of the cable model influences the simulation results. It compares two models, first where an approximate model which make use of complex penetration is used and the second where an Bessel function model with internal impedance is used. The both models incorporate DC resistance, skin effect and their harmonic performances are investigated for steady-state operating condition. The methods illustrate the impotance of including detailed representation of the skin effect in the power line and cable models, even when ground mode exists. The cable model exhibit lower harmonics comparable to overhead transmission lines due to strong influence of the ground mode. Due to the application of voltage source converter (VSC) technology and pulse width modulation (PWM) the VSC-HVDC has a number of potential advantages as compared with CSC-HVDC, such as short circuit current reduction, independent control of active power and reactive power, etc. With these advantages VSC-HVDC will likely be widely used in future oil and gas transmission and distribution systems. Modular multilevel PWM converter applies modular approach and phase-shifted concepts achieving a number of advantages to be use in HVDC power transmission. This thesis describes the VSC three-phase full-bridge design of sub-module in modular multilevel converter (MMC). The main research efforts focus on harmonic reduction using IGBTs switches, which has ON and OFF capability. The output voltage waveforms multilevel are obtained using pulse width modulation (PWM) control. The cascaded H-bridge (CHB) MMC is used to investigate for two-level, five-level, seven-level, nine-level converter staircase waveforms. The results show that the harmonics are further reduced as the sub-module converter increases. The steady-state simulation model of the oil platform for harmonic studies has been developed using MATLAB. In order to save computational time aggregated models are used. The load on the platforms consists of passive loads, induction motors, and a constant power load representing variable speed drives on the platforms. The wind farm consists of a wind turbine and an induction machine operating at fixed speed using a back-to-back VSC. Simulations are performed on system harmonics that are thought to be critical for the operation of the system. The simulation cases represent large and partly exaggerated disturbances in order to test the limitations of the system. The results show low loss, low harmonics, and stable voltage and current. With the developments of multilevel VSC technology in this thesis, multi-terminal direct current (MTDC) systems integrating modular multilevel converters at all nodes may be more easily designed. It is shown that self-commutated Voltage Source Converters (VSC) is more flexible than the more conventional Current Source Converter (CSC) since active and reactive powers are controlled independently. The space required by the equipment of this technology is smaller when compared to the space used by the CSCs. In addition, the installation and maintenance costs are reduced. With these advantages, it will be possible for several oil and gas production fields connected together by multi-terminal DC grid. With this development the platforms will not only share energy from the wind farms, but also provide cheaper harmonic mitigation solutions. The model of a multi-terminal hypothetical power system consisting of three oil and gas platforms and two offshore wind farm stations without a common connection to the onshore power grid is studied. The connection to the onshore grid is realized through a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmissions system based on Voltage Source Converter (VSC) technology. The proposed models address a wide array of harmonic mitigation solutions, i.e., (i) Local harmonic mitigation (ii) semi-global harmonic mitigation and (iii) global harmonic mitigation. In addition, a computationally-efficient technique is proposed and implemented to impose the operating constraints of the VSC and the host IGBT-PWM switches within the context of the developed harmonic power flow (HPF). Novel closed forms for updating the corresponding VSC power and voltage reference set-points are proposed to guarantee that the power-flow solution fully complies with the VSC constraints. All the proposed platform models represent (i) the high voltage AC/DC and DC/AC power conversion applications under balanced harmonic power-flow scenario and (ii) all the operating limits and constraints of the nodes and its host modular converter (iii) three-phase VSC coupled IGBT-PWM switches.
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Gonsalves, Shelanda. "Phenomenological Study on Female Engineering Leaders in the New York Utility Industry." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5867.
Full textAbstract:
This qualitative phenomenological study explored the development of women with an engineering background who became leaders. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of female engineering leaders in the New York utility sector. The research problem was why few women with engineering degrees obtain leadership positions. Women comprise half the total working population, yet few hold leadership positions, especially in the utility sector. In this study, 28 women in the New York utility sector shared experiences on their progression from engineer to leadership. The conceptual framework was the Moustakas phenomenological approach, investigating the humanistic properties of female leaders with backgrounds in engineering and Bandura's social cognitive theory on the role of self-efficacy for women. Through the phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews captured the challenges and successes each woman has faced and identified themes that emerged from those experiences. The modified van Kaam method of phenomenology was used for data analysis to capture the experiences and perceptions of female engineers in leadership positions. Key findings from this study indicated how working in teams helped build the self-efficacy of women during their undergraduate studies and fostered effective teamwork in their work environment. Work-life balance encouraged female engineering leaders to go further in their career because it allowed them stability and the ability to advance. Through this study, positive social change may occur for women seeking to pursue engineering degrees who are striving for leadership roles in traditionally male fields.
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Alonso, Benito Gerard. "Models and Computational Methods Applied to Industrial Gas Separation Processes and Enhanced Oil Recovery." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/668115.
Full textAbstract:
Two main topics are treated in this doctoral thesis from a theoretical and computational point of view: the gas capture and separation from post-combustion flue gases, and the enhanced oil recovery from oil reservoirs. The first topic evaluates the separation of CO2 using three different materials. First, several zeolites from the Faujasite family are studied with a combination of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Monte Carlo methods. The former is employed to understand the driving mechanisms of adsorption, whereas the latter served to assess the separation of CO2 from a flue gas formed by a ternary mixture of CO2, N2 and O2. Second, the adsorption of CO2, N2 and SO2 into Mg-MOF-74 obtained through DFT calculations is presented to determine the most fundamental gas/MOF interactions. The results are then coupled to a Langmuir isotherm model to derive the macroscopic adsorption isotherms of the three gases in Mg-MOF-74. Finally, the absorption of CO2 and SO2 into three different phosphonium-based Ionic Liquids (ILs) is addressed by using the soft-SAFT equation of state and the COSMO-RS model. From the calculated adsorption/absorption isotherms several properties are obtained, such as the purity in the recovered gas, the working capacity of the materials and their selectivity to capture CO2 in the presence of other contaminant species. The main results obtained from this part of the thesis reveal that the cations of microporous materials are very strong sites of absorption for polar gases (i.e., the Na+ cations in Faujasites or the Mg2+ cations in Mg-MOF-74). This feature makes them very good candidates for CO2 capture, but they can be easily poisoned by other polar gases such as SO2. For this reason, it is highly recommended to desulphurize the flue gas before using any of these adsorbents. Similarly, ILs have higher affinity for SO2 than for CO2. However, the gas/IL interactions are significantly weaker, so they do not become poisoned by SO2. This fact implies that SO2 can be captured and separated from the flue gas by using a phosphonium-based IL.
The second topic describes via Molecular Dynamics simulations the interactions of several model oils with different rocks and brines. The obtained insight can be applied in better understanding the interactions of the species present at oil reservoirs, with direct application in enhanced oil recovery processes. To that end, two wettability indicators are monitored to determine the potential recovery of the model oils. First, the oil/water interfacial tension (IFT) under different conditions of temperature, pressure and salinity (i.e., from pure water to 2.0 mol/kg of NaCl or CaCl2). And second, the oil/water/rock contact angle (CA) on calcite (10-14) and kaolinite (001) also as a function of salinity (i.e., from pure water to 2.0 mol/kg of NaCl or CaCl2). The different model oils are built with molecules of different chemical nature representing the Saturate/Aromatic/Resin/Asphaltene (SARA) fractionation model. In a final stage of the doctoral thesis the effect of non-ionic surfactants at the oil/brine IFT is also included. The main results obtained show that the most polar components of oil migrate to the oil/water interface and reduce the IFT. However, the same compounds feel attracted to the rock, who increase the CA and hamper the oil recovery. Some of these interactions are affected by the presence of salt. Specifically, if a water layer is formed between the oil and the rock in a reservoir, electrolytes can diffuse into it and attract the polar components of oil, ultimately increasing the CA. Finally, cations can be attracted to the oil/water interface due to salt/surfactant interactions. Both species interact synergistically to modify their orientation/distribution at the interface and reduce the oil/water IFT.En aquesta tesi doctoral s’han tractat dos temes principals des d’una perspectiva teòrica i computacional: la captura i separació de gasos de post-combustió, i la recuperació millorada de petroli. El primer tema avalua la separació de CO2 utilitzant tres materials diferents. Primer, s’han estudiat diverses zeolites de la família de les Faujasites amb una combinació de teoria del funcional de la densitat (TFD) i mètodes Monte Carlo per entendre els mecanismes d’adsorció separació de CO2 d’una mescla ternària que conté CO2, N2 i O2. Seguidament, s’ha presentat un estudi TFD d’adsorció de CO2, N2 i SO2 en Mg-MOF-74 per determinar les interaccions fonamentals del MOF amb cada gas. Aquesta informació s’ha acoblat a un model d’isoterma de Langmuir per tal de derivar les isotermes d’adsorció macroscòpiques dels tres gasos en Mg-MOF-74. Finalment, s’ha analitzat l’absorció de CO2 i SO2 en tres Líquids Iònics (LIs) basats en fosfoni mitjançant l’equació d’estat soft-SAFT i el model COSMO-RS. D’altra banda, el segon tema descriu les interaccions de diferents models de petroli amb roques i salmorres, via simulacions de Dinàmica Molecular. El coneixement adquirit en aquesta part de la tesi doctoral es pot aplicar directament a la recuperació millorada de petroli i per entendre millor les interaccions de les espècies presents als pous. Amb aquesta finalitat, s’han controlat dos indicadors de la mullabilitat per determinar la recuperació potencial d’aquests models de petroli. Primer la tensió interfacial (TIF) oli/aigua sota diferents condicions de temperatura, pressió i salinitat (des d’aigua pura a 2.0 mol/kg de NaCl o CaCl2). I segon, l’angle de contacte oli/aigua/roca en calcita (10-14) i caolinita (001) en funció de la salinitat (des d’aigua pura a 2.0 mol/kg de NaCl o CaCl2). Els diferents models de petroli s’han construït amb molècules de diferent naturalesa química representant el model de fraccionament Saturat/Aromàtic/Resina/Asfaltè (SARA). En una etapa final de la tesi doctoral s’ha inclòs l’efecte en la TIF induïda pels surfactants no-iònics a la interfase oli/salmorra.
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Mohebbi, Amir Hassan, and Ngadhnjim Bislimi. "Project Risk Management : Methodology Development for Engineering, Procurement and Construction Projects - A Case Study in the Oil and Gas Industry." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, Fakulteten för ekonomi, kommunikation och IT, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-29142.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis studies the overall parameters affecting projects’ risks and analyze different methodologies of project risk management in order to narrow down and develop a customized methodology applicable for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects in the oil and gas industry. To approach this goal, Bidboland II Gas Treating Plant project was selected as an appropriate case study. This case project has been analyzed by combining various risk management methodologies, and based on this analysis a new methodology was suggested to the company for risk management. Additionally, necessary changes in the organization have been proposed to handle the project risk issues in different levels with higher performance. The developed methodology can be applicable for other companies involved in EPC projects.
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Akobi, Tochukwu C. "Estimating the rate of technical change in the oil and gas industry using data from private and national companies." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/107588.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, System Design and Management Program, Engineering and Management Program, 2016.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 100-106).
Modelling the long term prices for crude oil and natural gas has been a critical undertaking of many governments, companies, and analysts. The most important goal of this exercise is to effectively project the price of crude oil and natural gas to inform and shape today's decisions. Most long-run energy models in use today are unable to quantify properly a factor for supply growth due to technical change - a component that has played a significant role in the provision of access to newer streams of crude oil and natural gas - because the measurement of productivity and technical change at the oil and gas industry aggregate level are limited to a small set of studies for few countries. This thesis attempts to measure the rate of change in technical change for the oil and gas industry using data from private and national major companies. Publicly available financial data are aggregated from eight major producers over a time period of at least fifteen years for the national oil companies and forty five years for the private oil companies. The time period chosen effectively covers three distinct periods of different crude oil price behavior. Three productivity measurement methods are applied - the growth accounting, index number theory, and regression method - to measure for the rate of change in productivity and technical change for the private and national oil companies, and for the aggregate that allows to infer the rates for the entire industry. The thesis concludes that the rate of technical change for the industry can be assessed and it proposes a reasonably estimated range (1.4-1.7 per cent per year) that can be incorporated into long-run energy models. The thesis also presents insights to the drivers that influence the rate of growth. Finally, the thesis provides a dataset containing the information about output and labor and capital inputs for major oil and gas companies that can be used by researchers to enhance studies on the rate of technical change in the oil and gas industry.
by Tochukwu C. Akobi.
S.M. in Engineering and Management