An Integrated Work Flow for a Comprehensive Evaluation of Thin, Silty Hydrocarbon-Reservoir Sequences

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (01) ◽  
pp. 041-053
Author(s):  
Wei-Chun Chu ◽  
Jan Steckhan
Keyword(s):  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Work Flow ◽  
Fluid Type ◽  
Well Performance ◽  
Individual Layer ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Hydrocarbon Reservoir ◽  
Single Probe ◽  
First Case

Summary A robust work flow is established to identify low-resistivity pay (LRP) in thinly laminated sands with silty and/or shaly layers. The work flow integrates data from gas-while-drilling, conventional logging, and nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) logging for picking intervals for further examination with a wireline formation tester (WFT). A mini-drill-stem test (DST) is performed by means of a WFT equipped with either a single probe (SP) or a dual packer (DP) to determine the fluid type and productivity of each individual level. Two field examples are presented to compare well performance predicted by the microscale mini-DSTs with macroscale production tests. In both cases, the traditional DST is eliminated from the drilling/completion program. The final verification consists of comparing contributions of individual levels derived from the mini-DSTs with production logs. In the first case, mini-DSTs are able to provide the fluid type and individual-level transmissibility (kh/μ) for eight out of 13 distinct levels. A cost-effective approach of running mini-DSTs by means of a WFT equipped with a single probe is demonstrated to investigate multiple levels in the thin-hydrocarbon reservoir sequence. Guidelines are provided as to when a WFT with a DP is to be deployed to perform a mini-DST in a laminated formation. In the second case, the same work flow was applied to derive the fluid type and transmissibility for two wells consisting of more than 30 distinct levels in the same field. After integrating mini-DST results from the two wells 750 m apart, a framework is constructed to establish both vertical and lateral heterogeneities of thinly laminated reservoirs. The integration helps visualize the multiple-layer reservoir. Our examples confirm that mini-DSTs effectively define individual-layer producibilities in multiple-layered reservoirs. The benefits are illustrated through case histories that demonstrate our ability to manage expectations of well performance in thin hydrocarbon-reservoir sequences.

scholarly journals Heat Exchanger Network Retrofit of an Oleochemical Plant through a Cost and Energy Efficiency Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Valli Trisha ◽  
Kai Seng Koh ◽  
Lik Yin Ng ◽  
Vui Soon Chok
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Capital Cost ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Annual Saving ◽  
Heat Exchanger Network ◽  
First Case ◽  
Payback Time ◽  
Better Than

Limited research of heat integration has been conducted in the oleochemical field. This paper attempts to evaluate the performance of an existing heat exchanger network (HEN) of an oleochemical plant at 600 tonnes per day (TPD) in Malaysia, in which the emphases are placed on the annual saving and reduction in energy consumption. Using commercial HEN numerical software, ASPEN Energy Analyzer v10.0, it was found that the performance of the current HEN in place is excellent, saving over 80% in annual costs and reducing energy consumption by 1,882,711 gigajoule per year (GJ/year). Further analysis of the performance of the HEN was performed to identify the potential optimisation of untapped heating/cooling process streams. Two cases, which are the most cost-effective and energy efficient, were proposed with positive results. However, the second case performed better than the first case, at a lower payback time (0.83 year) and higher annual savings (0.20 million USD/year) with the addition of one heat exchanger at a capital cost of USD 134,620. The first case had a higher payback time (4.64 years), a lower annual saving (0.05 million USD/year) and three additional heaters at a capital cost of USD 193,480. This research has provided a new insight into the oleochemical industry in which retrofitting the HEN can further reduce energy consumption, which in return will reduce the overall production cost of oleochemical commodities. This is particularly crucial in making the product more competitive in its pricing in the global market.

scholarly journals Securing Operational Capability for Exceptional Circumstances: How Do Professional First Responders Respond to the Unexpected?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6418
Author(s):  
Ossi Heino ◽  
Joanna Kalalahti
Keyword(s):  
Police Officer ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Shopping Mall ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Rescue Operation ◽  
Operational Capability ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
First Case ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Ambiguous Situations

Complexity and uncertainty are framing the modern world, whilst also affecting issues on security and sustainability. There is a need to prepare for known threats and identified risks, but also to improve the ability to cope in situations that are difficult to recognize or describe beforehand. What is at stake—both at the organizational and individual level—is the ability to make sense of uncertain and ambiguous situations. Analyzing two empirical cases, this study aims to shed light on the abilities of experts, who have acted in very challenging situations, in which deviating from established procedures and abandoning politeness have been necessary to respond effectively. The first case deals with a threat of serious violence faced by a police officer. The second case focuses on the actions of an executive fire officer during a rescue operation after an explosion at a shopping mall. This paper concludes by arguing that pre-established procedures require experts to reflect on their usability in exceptional situations as relying on them could also have detrimental effects.

scholarly journals Harnessing testing strategies and public health measures to avert COVID-19 outbreaks during ocean cruises

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Chowell ◽  
Sushma Dahal ◽  
Raquel Bono ◽  
Kenji Mizumoto
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Contact Network ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

AbstractTo ensure the safe operation of schools, workplaces, nursing homes, and other businesses during COVID-19 pandemic there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective public health strategies. Here we focus on the cruise industry which was hit early by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 40 cruise ships reporting COVID-19 infections. We apply mathematical modeling to assess the impact of testing strategies together with social distancing protocols on the spread of the novel coronavirus during ocean cruises using an individual-level stochastic model of the transmission dynamics of COVID-19. We model the contact network, the potential importation of cases arising during shore excursions, the temporal course of infectivity at the individual level, the effects of social distancing strategies, different testing scenarios characterized by the test’s sensitivity profile, and testing frequency. Our findings indicate that PCR testing at embarkation and daily testing of all individuals aboard, together with increased social distancing and other public health measures, should allow for rapid detection and isolation of COVID-19 infections and dramatically reducing the probability of onboard COVID-19 community spread. In contrast, relying only on PCR testing at embarkation would not be sufficient to avert outbreaks, even when implementing substantial levels of social distancing measures.

scholarly journals Educated Choices Program: An Impact Evaluation of a Classroom Intervention to Reduce Animal Product Consumption

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher John Bryant ◽  
Courtney Dillard
Keyword(s):  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Strong Basis ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Survey Responses

In this comprehensive evaluation of Educated Choices Program’s educational intervention, we report on our analysis of 95,241 student survey responses. We are excited to share these findings for a number of reasons. First and foremost, our analysis clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of this educational intervention in positively impacting student attitudes, behavioral intentions and self-reported behaviors in regard to their food choices. The scale of the dataset and the comprehensive nature of the analyses conducted provides a strong basis for funding considerations for educational interventions. This is particularly heartening because similar impacts have been difficult to find in other consumer-facing advocacy interventions. As will be highlighted later in the report, ECP’s model of intervention is both high quality and cost effective, allaying some fears about the feasibility of deploying effective interventions of this nature on a large scale.

scholarly journals Measuring socioeconomic position in New Zealand

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Salmond ◽  
Peter Crampton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Socioeconomic Deprivation ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Individual Level

INTRODUCTION: Measures of socioeconomic position (SEP) are widely used in health research. AIM: To provide future researchers with empirically based guidance about the relative utility of five measures of SEP in predicting health outcomes. METHODS: Data from 12 488 adults were obtained from the 2006 New Zealand Health Survey. Seven health-related outcome measures with expected variations by SEP are modelled using five measures of SEP: a census-based small-area index of relative socioeconomic deprivation, NZDep2006; a questionnaire-based individual-level index of socioeconomic deprivation, NZiDep; an index of living standards, ELSI; education, measured by highest qualification; and equivalised household income. RESULTS: After including the individual measure of deprivation, the area-based measure of deprivation adds useful explanatory power, and, separately, the broader spectrum provided by the living standards index adds only a small amount of extra explanatory power. The education and household income variables add little extra explanatory power. DISCUSSION: Both NZiDep and ELSI are useful health-outcome predictors. NZiDep is the cheapest data to obtain and less prone to missing data. The area index, NZDep, is a useful addition to the arsenal of individual SEP indicators, and is a reasonable alternative to them where the use of individual measures is impracticable. Education and household income, using commonly used measurement tools, may be of limited use in research if more proximal indicators of SEP are available. NZDep and NZiDep are cost-effective measures of SEP in health research. Other or additional measures may be useful if costs allow and/or for topic-related hypothesis testing. KEYWORDS: Deprivation; inequalities; living standards; New Zealand; socioeconomic position

Online Mindfulness Interventions

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Ahmad ◽  
Jamie Jianmin Wang ◽  
Christo El Morr
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mindfulness Interventions ◽  
The Individual

The current chapter systematically reviewed literature on online mindfulness interventions. Electronic databases were searched from 2005 to July 2016. The aim was to examine the nature of online mindfulness interventions, design features, and their effectiveness in improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The review of selected studies shows that online delivery of mindfulness psycho-education and practice is an area in its infancy. There is evidence that online mindfulness interventions can have a positive impact on mental health in terms of stress, depression, and anxiety; however, large sample studies are needed in order to have conclusive results. Moreover, the extension of online mindfulness interventions beyond the individual level to include a community dimension, such as virtual community features, and a focus on the social determinants of health, needs to be explored in future. The online mindfulness intervention could be a cost-effective way to scale up the promotion of mental wellbeing.

scholarly journals Flood Prediction Using Machine Learning Models: Literature Review

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Mosavi ◽  
Pinar Ozturk ◽  
Kwok-wing Chau
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Performance Comparison ◽  
Flood Prediction ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Hybridization Data ◽  
Prediction Systems

Floods are among the most destructive natural disasters, which are highly complex to model. The research on the advancement of flood prediction models contributed to risk reduction, policy suggestion, minimization of the loss of human life, and reduction of the property damage associated with floods. To mimic the complex mathematical expressions of physical processes of floods, during the past two decades, machine learning (ML) methods contributed highly in the advancement of prediction systems providing better performance and cost-effective solutions. Due to the vast benefits and potential of ML, its popularity dramatically increased among hydrologists. Researchers through introducing novel ML methods and hybridizing of the existing ones aim at discovering more accurate and efficient prediction models. The main contribution of this paper is to demonstrate the state of the art of ML models in flood prediction and to give insight into the most suitable models. In this paper, the literature where ML models were benchmarked through a qualitative analysis of robustness, accuracy, effectiveness, and speed are particularly investigated to provide an extensive overview on the various ML algorithms used in the field. The performance comparison of ML models presents an in-depth understanding of the different techniques within the framework of a comprehensive evaluation and discussion. As a result, this paper introduces the most promising prediction methods for both long-term and short-term floods. Furthermore, the major trends in improving the quality of the flood prediction models are investigated. Among them, hybridization, data decomposition, algorithm ensemble, and model optimization are reported as the most effective strategies for the improvement of ML methods. This survey can be used as a guideline for hydrologists as well as climate scientists in choosing the proper ML method according to the prediction task.

scholarly journals Smart Sanitation—Biosensors as a Public Health Tool in Sanitation Infrastructure

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (14) ◽  
pp. 5146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Rary ◽  
Sarah M. Anderson ◽  
Brandon D. Philbrick ◽  
Tanvi Suresh ◽  
Jasmine Burton
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Emergent Technologies ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Sanitation Infrastructure

The health of individuals and communities is more interconnected than ever, and emergent technologies have the potential to improve public health monitoring at both the community and individual level. A systematic literature review of peer-reviewed and gray literature from 2000-present was conducted on the use of biosensors in sanitation infrastructure (such as toilets, sewage pipes and septic tanks) to assess individual and population health. 21 relevant papers were identified using PubMed, Embase, Global Health, CDC Stacks and NexisUni databases and a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Biosensors are being developed for a range of uses including monitoring illicit drug usage in communities, screening for viruses and diagnosing conditions such as diabetes. Most studies were nonrandomized, small-scale pilot or lab studies. Of the sanitation-related biosensors found in the literature, 11 gathered population-level data, seven provided real-time continuous data and 14 were noted to be more cost-effective than traditional surveillance methods. The most commonly discussed strength of these technologies was their ability to conduct rapid, on-site analysis. The findings demonstrate the potential of this emerging technology and the concept of Smart Sanitation to enhance health monitoring at the individual level (for diagnostics) as well as at the community level (for disease surveillance).

scholarly journals Comprehensive Evaluation of Hepatitis E Serology and Molecular Testing in a Large Cohort

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Olympia E. Anastasiou ◽  
Viktoria Thodou ◽  
Annemarie Berger ◽  
Heiner Wedemeyer ◽  
Sandra Ciesek
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Molecular Testing ◽  
Real World Setting ◽  
Immunosuppressed Patients ◽  
Immunocompromised Hosts ◽  
Time Point

Introduction: Reliable and cost-effective diagnostics for hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection are necessary. The aim of our study was to investigate which diagnostic test is most accurate to detect HEV infection in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients in a real world setting. Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 1165 patients tested for HEV antibodies and HEV PCR at the same time point. Clinical, laboratory and virological data were taken from patient charts. HEV IgA was measured in a subgroup of 185 patients. Results: HEV RNA was detectable in 61 patients (5.2%); most of them (n = 49, 80.3%/n = 43, 70.5%) were HEV IgM+ and IgG+; however, 12 patients (19.6%) were HEV RNA positive/HEV IgM negative and 17 patients (27.8%) were HEV RNA positive/HEV IgG negative. Ten HEV RNA positive patients (16.4%) had neither HEV IgG nor IgM antibodies. Importantly, all of them were immunosuppressed. HEV IgA testing was less sensitive than HEV IgM for HEV diagnosis. Conclusions: HEV infection can be overlooked in patients without HEV specific antibodies. Performing PCR is necessary to diagnose or exclude HEV infection in immunocompromised hosts. In immunocompetent patients, a screening based on HEV antibodies (IgG/IgM) is sufficient.

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