King Reef: an Australian first in repurposing oil and gas infrastructure to benefit regional communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 435
Author(s):  
James H. Florisson ◽  
Andrew J. Rowland ◽  
Euan S. Harvey ◽  
Mathew B. Allen ◽  
Stephanie L. Watts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Marine Biota ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Ecosystem Productivity ◽  
Sea Floor ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Community Ownership ◽  
Habitat Enhancement

The Exmouth Integrated Artificial Reef (King Reef) was deployed in July 2018 and is the first installation in Australia to innovatively combine repurposed oil and gas infrastructure with purpose-built concrete reef modules. The project involved a collaborative approach between industry, government (state and commonwealth), researchers and the community, creating a world-leading engineering solution using science-based habitat enhancement. The project integrated six mid-depth buoys with 49 artificial reef modules, providing more than 27000 m3 of habitat. Once support structures for subsea facilities, the decommissioned assets are now important habitat features that increase ecosystem productivity. The unique design and configuration of the structures on the sea floor resulted in a rapid increase in the diversity and abundance of marine biota, as detected by a collaboration between citizen scientists and researchers. Within 2 years, over 90 species of fish have already been observed, which is much greater than the sand habitat upon which the reef was installed. The results contribute to informed discussions, about the viability and effectiveness of artificial structures providing industry, regulators and the community with confidence around the benefits and effects of various installations. The Exmouth community has been advocating for the installation of an artificial reef for several years. At King Reef, the integration and repurposing of assets provide a range of long-term benefits to communities, including fostering community ownership and stewardship of these assets while providing new, safe and accessible fishing and diving opportunities.

scholarly journals A Flexible Autonomous Robotic Observatory Infrastructure for Bentho-Pelagic Monitoring

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacopo Aguzzi ◽  
Jan Albiez ◽  
Sascha Flögel ◽  
Olav Rune Godø ◽  
Endre Grimsbø ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ecosystem Monitoring ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Processing Techniques ◽  
Traditional Approaches

This paper presents the technological developments and the policy contexts for the project “Autonomous Robotic Sea-Floor Infrastructure for Bentho-Pelagic Monitoring” (ARIM). The development is based on the national experience with robotic component technologies that are combined and merged into a new product for autonomous and integrated ecological deep-sea monitoring. Traditional monitoring is often vessel-based and thus resource demanding. It is economically unviable to fulfill the current policy for ecosystem monitoring with traditional approaches. Thus, this project developed platforms for bentho-pelagic monitoring using an arrangement of crawler and stationary platforms at the Lofoten-Vesterålen (LoVe) observatory network (Norway). Visual and acoustic imaging along with standard oceanographic sensors have been combined to support advanced and continuous spatial-temporal monitoring near cold water coral mounds. Just as important is the automatic processing techniques under development that have been implemented to allow species (or categories of species) quantification (i.e., tracking and classification). At the same time, real-time outboard processed three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning has been implemented to increase mission autonomy capability, delivering quantifiable information on habitat features (i.e., for seascape approaches). The first version of platform autonomy has already been tested under controlled conditions with a tethered crawler exploring the vicinity of a cabled stationary instrumented garage. Our vision is that elimination of the tether in combination with inductive battery recharge trough fuel cell technology will facilitate self-sustained long-term autonomous operations over large areas, serving not only the needs of science, but also sub-sea industries like subsea oil and gas, and mining.

The Factors and Processes that Influence Artificial Reef Longevity

2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Grace
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Sea Floor

Demolition products, surplus articles, and designed structures may be placed on the sea floor as habitat for fish and invertebrates or to provide substrate for corals or large attached plants. Such installations should be stable in the long-term, not to be torn apart or swept away during episodes of severe local storms or the onslaught of large swell from distant disturbances. To this end, calculations must be carried out, for a "design wave" deemed appropriate for the site involved, to evaluate applied kinematical loads and seabed reactions. Should the artificial reef appear unstable, then it must be pinned to the bottom unless meaningful redesign is feasible. This paper discusses the various aspects of the whole stability question and provides well more than one hundred pertinent and timely references.

The Belt and Road Initiative: Goals and Challenges

2020 ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Adnan Khalaf i Hammed Al-Badrani ◽  
Hind Ziyad Nafeih
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Power Lines ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Ancient Silk Road ◽  
Main Engine ◽  
The Belt And Road

The Belt and Road Initiative is an initiative to revive the ancient Silk Road, through networks of land and sea roads, oil and gas pipelines, electric power lines, the Internet and airports, to create a model of regional and international cooperation.       It is essentially a long-term development strategy, launched by the Chinese president in 2013 to become the main engine of Chinese domestic policy and foreign diplomacy and within the framework of the soft power strategy, to enhance its position and influence in the world as a peaceful and responsible country.   The study includes identifying the initiative and setting goals for China, as well as the challenges and difficulties that hinder the initiative.

Trends and Prospects of Development of the Oil and Gas Sector in the Context of Digitalization

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Kazanin
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Global Market ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Business And Society ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Oil And Gas Sector

The modern oil and gas industry is heavily dependent on the processes and trends driven by the accelerating digitalization of the economy. Thus, the digitalization of the oil and gas sector has become Russia’s top priority, which involves a technological and structural transformation of all production processes and stages.Aim. The presented study aims to identify the major trends and prospects of development of the Russian oil and gas sector in the context of its digitalization and formation of the digital economy.Tasks. The authors analyze the major trends in the development of the oil and gas industry at a global scale and in Russia with allowance for the prospects of accelerated exploration of the Arctic; determine the best practices of implementation of digital technologies by oil and gas companies as well as the prospects and obstacles for the subsequent transfer of digital technologies to the Russian oil and gas industry.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods, such as analysis, synthesis, and scientific generalization.Results. Arctic hydrocarbons will become increasingly important to Russia in the long term, and their exploration and production will require the implementation of innovative technologies. Priority directions for the development of many oil and gas producers will include active application of digital technologies as a whole (different types of robots that could replace people in performing complex procedures), processing and analysis of big data using artificial intelligence to optimize processes, particularly in the field of exploration and production, processing and transportation. Digitalization of the oil and gas sector is a powerful factor in the improvement of the efficiency of the Russian economy. However, Russian companies are notably lagging behind in this field of innovative development and there are problems and high risks that need to be overcome to realize its potential for business and society.Conclusions. Given the strategic importance of the oil and gas industry for Russia, its sustainable development and national security, it is recommendable to focus on the development and implementation of digital technologies. This is crucial for the digitalization of long-term projection and strategic planning, assessment of the role and place of Russia and its largest energy companies in the global market with allowance for a maximum number of different internal and external factors.

Demobilisation will be a long-term challenge in Libya

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Near Term ◽  
The Many ◽  
Financial Arrangements

Significance Although a ceasefire has been in place since October 2020, very little has been done during that time to integrate or demobilise the many armed forces and groups that exist across the country. The obstacles are formidable. Impacts Significant demobilisation and reintegration will not happen in the near term. Local security will continue to rest on fragile political and financial arrangements between armed groups and governing authorities. The current high levels of oil and gas revenue will tend to discourage unrest.

A methodology for optimizing modeling configuration in the numerical modeling of oil concentrations in underwater blowouts: a North Sea case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Numerical Modeling ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Data Bases ◽  
Lagrangian Trajectory ◽  
Number Of Particles

<p><strong>A METHODOLOGY FOR OPTIMIZING MODELING CONFIGURATION IN THE NUMERICAL MODELING OF OIL CONCENTRATIONS IN UNDERWATER BLOWOUTS: A NORTH SEA CASE STUDY</strong></p><p>Andrés Martínez<sup>a,*</sup>, Ana J. Abascal<sup>a</sup>, Andrés García<sup>a</sup>, Beatriz Pérez-Díaz<sup>a</sup>, Germán Aragón<sup>a</sup>, Raúl Medina<sup>a</sup></p><p><sup>a</sup>IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. Isabel Torres, 15, 39011 Santander, Spain</p><p><sup>* </sup>Corresponding author: [email protected]</p><p>Underwater oil and gas blowouts are not easy to repair. It may take months before the well is finally capped, releasing large amounts of oil into the marine environment. In addition, persistent oils (crude oil, fuel oil, etc.) break up and dissipate slowly, so they often reach the shore before the cleanup is completed, affecting vasts extension of seas-oceans, just as posing a major threat to marine organisms.</p><p>On account of the above, numerical modeling of underwater blowouts demands great computing power. High-resolution, long-term data bases of wind-ocean currents are needed to be able to properly model the trajectory of the spill at both regional (open sea) and local level (coastline), just as to account for temporal variability. Moreover, a large number of particles, just as a high-resolution grid, are unavoidable in order to ensure accurate modeling of oil concentrations, of utmost importance in risk assessment, so that threshold concentrations can be established (threshold concentrations tell you what level of exposure to a compound could harm marine organisms).</p><p>In this study, an innovative methodology has been accomplished for the purpose of optimizing modeling configuration: number of particles and grid resolution, in the modeling of an underwater blowout, with a view to accurately represent oil concentrations, especially when threshold concentrations are considered. In doing so, statistical analyses (dimensionality reduction and clustering techniques), just as numerical modeling, have been applied.</p><p>It is composed of the following partial steps: (i) classification of i representative clusters of forcing patterns (based on PCA and K-means algorithms) from long-term wind-ocean current hindcast data bases, so that forcing variability in the study area is accounted for; (ii) definition of j modeling scenarios, based on key blowout parameters (oil type, flow rate, etc.) and modeling configuration (number of particles and grid resolution); (iii) Lagrangian trajectory modeling of the combination of the i clusters of forcing patterns and the j modeling scenarios; (iv) sensitivity analysis of the Lagrangian trajectory model output: oil concentrations,  to modeling configuration; (v) finally, as a result, the optimal modeling configuration, given a certain underwater blowout (its key parameters), is provided.</p><p>It has been applied to a hypothetical underwater blowout in the North Sea, one of the world’s most active seas in terms of offshore oil and gas exploration and production. A 5,000 cubic meter per day-flow rate oil spill, flowing from the well over a 15-day period, has been modeled (assuming a 31-day period of subsequent drift for a 46-day modeling). Moreover, threshold concentrations of 0.1, 0.25, 1 and 10 grams per square meter have been applied in the sensitivity analysis. The findings of this study stress the importance of modeling configuration in accurate modeling of oil concentrations, in particular if lower threshold concentrations are considered.</p>

About this title - Seismic Characterization of Carbonate Platforms and Reservoirs

10.1144/sp509 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 509 (1) ◽  
pp. NP-NP
Author(s):  
J. Hendry ◽  
P. Burgess ◽  
D. Hunt ◽  
X. Janson ◽  
V. Zampetti
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Carbonate Platform ◽  
Carbonate Platforms ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Seismic Modelling ◽  
Flow Units ◽  
Development Data ◽  
Seismic Characterization

Modern seismic data have become an essential toolkit for studying carbonate platforms and reservoirs in impressive detail. Whilst driven primarily by oil and gas exploration and development, data sharing and collaboration are delivering fundamental geological knowledge on carbonate systems, revealing platform geomorphologies and how their evolution on millennial time scales, as well as kilometric length scales, was forced by long-term eustatic, oceanographic or tectonic factors. Quantitative interrogation of modern seismic attributes in carbonate reservoirs permits flow units and barriers arising from depositional and diagenetic processes to be imaged and extrapolated between wells.This volume reviews the variety of carbonate platform and reservoir characteristics that can be interpreted from modern seismic data, illustrating the benefits of creative interaction between geophysical and carbonate geological experts at all stages of a seismic campaign. Papers cover carbonate exploration, including the uniquely challenging South Atlantic pre-salt reservoirs, seismic modelling of carbonates, and seismic indicators of fluid flow and diagenesis.

A System Based Approach to Achieve Long Term Integrity of Gas Facilities

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Sloterdijk ◽  
M. Hommes
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Transmission Systems ◽  
Design Life ◽  
Design Build ◽  
Challenging Environment ◽  
Time Extension ◽  
Optimum Cost ◽  
New Facility

In today’s challenging environment, the priority for many oil and gas operation companies is to design, build and safely operate facilities at optimum cost efficiency. This means that new facility designs must consider critical facility integrity and that existing facilities are operated well beyond their intended design life. Main gas transmission systems are now some 50 years old and operate for longer periods than anticipated during design and construction for reasons such as; the transition to renewables with another 50 years of service foreseen, and; gas transmission systems that operate satisfactorily, have very low failure rates and for which the planned safe life time extension is expected to be the lowest cost option.

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