Top-Hole Technology Overcomes Challenging Sand-Based Seabed Conditions and Enables Record Drilling Performance in an Offshore Exploration Well

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilo Cardenas ◽  
Hans Erik Hansen ◽  
Sigvald Hanssen ◽  
Harald Blikra ◽  
Wolfgang Mathis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Cost Comparison ◽  
Environmental Footprint ◽  
Dense Sand ◽  
The North ◽  
Drilling Performance ◽  
Well Design ◽  
Exploration Well

Abstract Top hole construction is a critical part of any well design, especially for subsea wells. It is considered to be the foundation for the well, and it is crucial for ensuring well integrity. Uncertainties and conditions of the seabed and top layers could compromise the stability of the chosen solution. This paper describes the first implementation of the conductor anchor node (CAN®) technology in sand-based conditions and demonstrates its positive impact on the drilling performance for an offshore exploration well in the North Sea. The main challenges identified in the top-hole design for this well were the presence of boulders down to 65 m below the seabed, and hard soil that consisted mainly of very dense sand and high strength sandy-clay layers. Different solutions were evaluated using a risk-based approach, looking to optimize operational performance and decrease the environmental footprint. A technology which consists of a pre-installed short conductor within a CAN was chosen. This solution enabled the operator to establish a competent well foundation above the boulder interval and increase operational efficiency by reducing the critical rig time. However, the CAN technology had not been deployed in this type of soil previously. Thus, the feasibility of its installation became one of the main milestones of the project. This was made possible due to a set of contingencies and modifications that were the result of a strategic collaboration among the parties involved. The CAN was successfully installed by a crane vessel before the rig arrived at location, and the set of contingencies and modifications mentioned in this paper were decisive to ensure it reached the required penetration depth. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates that the CAN technology was crucial for the project to achieve top performance results and become one of the fastest exploration wells drilled in the Norwegian basin. This solution reduced uncertainties related to the conductor cementing, load and fatigue capacities, and deep surface casing cement. Improvement in the drilling performance is determined by estimating the decrease in drilling time, materials and consumables. Those results are then used to perform a cost comparison which demonstrates that the CAN technology reduced the top-hole construction cost significantly on this offshore well. In addition, the reduction in the well environmental footprint is quantified, and its contributions to the projects health and safety goals are highlighted.

Observation of Subsea BOP Response From Field Measurements and Reflections on Conductor Design Challenges

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harald Holden ◽  
Heidi Gryteland Holm ◽  
Youhu Zhang ◽  
Victor Smith ◽  
Randi Næss
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Complex Loading ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Soil Reaction ◽  
The North ◽  
Well Design ◽  
Exploration Drilling ◽  
Vessel Motion ◽  
Design Analyses ◽  
Exploration Well

Subsea exploration well systems are subjected to complex loading due to vessel motion and hydrodynamic forces on the riser. In design of the wells, both the ULS/ALS design under extreme loading and fatigue design under operational loading are heavily dependent on the soil support along the uppermost 20 m of the conductor casing. In today’s practice, design of the conductor against extreme loading is typically performed using the soil reaction curves (p-y springs) recommended in API RP 2GEO [1]. In recent years, 4Subsea have been monitoring the BOP and riser responses during exploration drilling campaigns for Lundin Norway. The purpose of these monitoring campaigns is to track the performance of the wells with time, based on integrity parameters such as well stiffness, BOP resonance frequency and BOP motion rotational depth. This paper summarizes the monitoring results from seven well locations in the North Sea and the Barents Sea. The observed well response is compared with up-front design analyses. The discrepancy between up-front design analyses and the observed performances is discussed in light of the uncertainties associated with the geotechnical input parameters and soil reaction models. The purpose of the paper is to reflect on the challenges faced with exploration well design and highlight areas that improvements can be made.

scholarly journals Does Employee Care Trigger Innovation Under a Healthy and Safe Working Environment? Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry in China

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Minghui Yang ◽  
Qian Lin ◽  
Petra Maresova
Keyword(s):  
Safety Management ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Firm Innovation ◽  
Corporate Managers ◽  
Pharmaceutical Firms ◽  
Corporate Ability ◽  
Safe Working

Sustainability of the workforce becomes a crucial issue, of which responsible care for employees can increase job satisfaction and human capital that impact corporate ability to absorb and generate new knowledge. Firms are obligated to provide a healthy and safe working environment for their employees, but it may in turn hinder innovation due to rigid and structured institutional regulations. Drawing on data of 308 China’s pharmaceutical firms from 2010 to 2017, we investigated whether employee care can trigger innovation under corporate adoption of the occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS). Our results suggest that both employee care and OHSMS adoption have a positive impact on innovation. Moreover, the positive relationship between employee care and innovation was more pronounced in firms that had adopted the OHSMS certification. These findings are valuable to policymakers and corporate managers in emerging economies through corroborating the important role of workforce sustainability in facilitating firm innovation.

scholarly journals Impacts of Industrial Effluent on River Kabul

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 44-47
Author(s):  
Ghazal Nosheen ◽  
Muhammad Ullah ◽  
Kashif Ahmad Khan ◽  
Attiq Ur Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Effluent ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Textile Mills ◽  
Energy And Environment ◽  
The North ◽  
Water Courses ◽  
Receiving Stream ◽  
River Kabul ◽  
Industrial Units

The disposal of untreated industrial effluent into receiving water courses has become a major environmental challenge being faced by most of the developing countries. The high-strength and toxic wastes are responsible for a variety of water-borne diseases. In Pakistan numerous industrial units that dispose their effluent directly into receiving stream without any treatment. This study was, therefor designed to assess the wastewater characteristics of some major industrial units in the surrounding area of River Kabul, which is one of the most signifi cant resources of water in the north region of the country.The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the wastewater characteristics of some major industrial units in terms of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), and TSS (Total Suspended Solids) etc. For this purpose, various representative samples were collected from the major industrial units like sugar, paper, ghee (Butter) and textile mills, and were analyzed using standard laboratory techniques. The results indicates that the BOD of sugar, paper, ghee (butter) and textile mills is in the range of 2235mg/L, 1150mg/L, 844mg/L and 745mg/L, respectively. Whereas, the COD of sugar, paper, ghee and textile mills was noticed to be 3945mg/L 2045mg/L, 2240mg/L and 1244mg/L respectively. Owing to the disposal of such highstrength wastes water without treatment, a remarkable increase in the TSS from 96 to 382mg/L, and decrease in DO (Dissolved Oxygen) concentration from 8.8 to 6.7mg/L of River Kabul was observed. The results of this study suggest that all the wastewater coming from the industrial sources should be properly treated as an integral part of their production before their fi nal disposal into River Kabul to secure its natural water quality.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hn.v8i0.4924Hydro Nepal: Journal of Water, Energy and Environment Issue No. 8, 2011 JanuaryPage: 44-47Uploaded date: 23 June, 2011

scholarly journals Identifikasi Dampak Penggunaan Sistem Informasi Rumah Sakit (SIRS) Terhadap Pelayanan Kesehatan Menggunakan Hot-Fit Model 2006

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 216
Author(s):  
Frendy Rocky Rumambi ◽  
Salahudin Robo ◽  
Citra Amalia
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Net Benefit ◽  
The North ◽  
North Sulawesi ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
It Personnel

Hospital Information System (SIRS) is an integrated information system that aims to handle all hospital management processes, ranging from diagnostic services, medical data measures, medical records, pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical warehouses, billing, personnel databases, payroll, and accounting to the control management. Based on Indonesian Constitution No. 44 Article 52 year 2009, paragraph 1 states that "Indonesian hospitals are required to record and report all activities that occur within a hospital". On the Indonesia ministry regulation, PERMENKES No. 1171 year of 2011, Article 1 paragraph 1 states that "Each hospital is required to apply SIRS". Therefore Dr. Samratulangi Tondano District Hospital of Minahasa Regency in the North Sulawesi uses SIRS to improve employee performance in providing health services to the community. The paper discussed how to identify the impact of the use of Hospital Information Systems (SIRS) on health services. The purpose of this study is to look at the impact of the use of the SIRS system based on four indicators contained in the 2006 Human Organizational Technology (HOT-Fit) method in addition to the DeLone and McLean Success 2003 methods. By taking 150 respondents of SIRS users randomly, data were collected and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software.The four hypotheses derived from three components namely "Technology", "Human" and "Organization" have a positive impact and provide a net benefit to the use of the system. In short, the majority of users SIRS only focuses on functions for registration and administration rather than clinical functions. The availability of IT units and IT personnel influences the use of SIRS as well.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal modelling of pregabalin prescribing in England with effect of deprivation

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. e029624
Author(s):  
Ziyu Zheng ◽  
Benjamin Taylor ◽  
Barry Rowlingson ◽  
Euan Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
The South ◽  
The North ◽  
Prescribing Trends ◽  
Prescription Rates ◽  
General Practices ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Trends

ObjectiveThis paper aims to understand spatial and temporal trends in pregabalin prescribing and the relationship with deprivation across England at both general practice and clinical commissioning group (CCG) levels.DesignA set of 207 independent generalised additive models are employed to model the spatiotemporal trend of pregabalin prescribed and dispensed per 1000 population, adjusting for deprivation. The response variable is pregabalin prescribed in milligrams, with weighted Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), geographical location and time as predictors. The set of active prescribing facilities grouped within CCG is the unit of analysis.SettingNational Health Service open prescribing data; all general practices in England, UK between January 2015 and June 2017.PopulationAll patients registered to general practices in England, UK.ResultsAdjusting for deprivation, a North–South divide is shown in terms of prescribing trends, with the North of England showing increasing prescribing rates during the study period on average, while in the South of England rates are on average decreasing. Approximately 60% of general practices showed increasing prescribing rate, with the highest being 4.03 (1.75 for the most decreasing). There were no apparent spatial patterns in baseline prescription rates at the CCG level. Weighted IMD score proved to be statistically significant in 138 of 207 CCGs. Two-thirds of CCGs showed more pregabalin prescribed in areas of greater deprivation. Whether the prescribing rate is high due to high baseline prescription rate or increasing rates needs to be specifically looked at.ConclusionsThe spatial temporal modelling demonstrated that the North of England has a significantly higher chance to see increase in pregablin prescriptions compared with the South, adjusted for weighted IMD. Weighted IMD has shown positive impact on pregabalin prescriptions for 138 CCGs.

Welding of Cold-Resistant Micro-Alloed Steels 10HSNDA and 15HSNDA in the Atmosphere of Carbon Monoxide (II)

2020 ◽  
Vol 992 ◽  
pp. 523-528
Author(s):  
Alexey V. Ishkov ◽  
E.A. Ivanayskiy ◽  
Valeriy I. Ivanov
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Arc Welding ◽  
Cold Resistance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Metallographic Analysis ◽  
Steel Composition ◽  
Reducing Atmosphere ◽  
The North ◽  
Microalloying Elements

Micro-alloyed steels are widely used in the manufacture of critical welded structures operating under extreme conditions of the North. Microalloying of V, Nb and B is a simple and effective method of transferring known grades of structural steel and alloys to the category of increased and high strength, cold resistance, etc. The possibility of arc welding of steels grade 10CrSiNiAl and 15CrSiNiAl (10, 15ХСНДА in Russian), initially alloyed with trace amounts of niobium and vanadium to increase their cold resistance in carbon monoxide is considered. It is established that the use of the specified reducing atmosphere prevents the oxidation of the weld metal. The thermodynamic substantiation of the chemical reactions of microalloying elements proceeding in the weld pool, leading to the preservation of the steel composition, is presented. The chemical and metallographic analysis of welds was performed. The efficiency of using low-cost CO, or its mixtures with CO2, as substitutes for expensive argon and helium, when welding micro alloyed steels is shown.

Diagonal Compression of Masonry Walls Strengthened with Composite Reinforced Mortar

2019 ◽  
Vol 817 ◽  
pp. 528-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommaso D'Antino ◽  
Francesca Giulia Carozzi ◽  
Carlo Poggi
Keyword(s):  
Weight Ratio ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Organic Matrix ◽  
Masonry Walls ◽  
Matrix Composites ◽  
The North ◽  
Crm System ◽  
Diagonal Compression ◽  
Promising Solution ◽  
Inorganic Matrix

The use of inorganic matrix composites to strengthen and retrofit existing masonry and concrete structures has been gaining increasing interest in the last years. Among them, composite reinforced mortar (CRM) systems are a promising solution to increase the shear and flexural capacity of masonry panels. CRMs are comprised of a relatively thin inorganic matrix layer reinforced with a bi-dimensional grid made with high-strength fibers impregnated with an organic matrix. They are compatible with the substrate due to the use of inorganic matrix, have good durability and high-strength-to weight ratio due to the use of reinforcing composite materials. CRM systems are still in their infancy and limited research is available in the literature. In this paper, masonry walls constructed with historical bricks typical of the north of Italy were strengthened with a CRM system including a glass composite grid and a lime-based mortar and were subjected to diagonal compression. Three walls were strengthened with the CRM and one was used as a control specimen. The results obtained showed that the CRM system significantly increased the shear strength of the masonry panels subjected to diagonal compression.

scholarly journals Proper Use of Technical Standards in Offshore Petroleum Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dejan Brkić ◽  
Pavel Praks
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Technical Standards ◽  
The North ◽  
Offshore Petroleum

Ships for drilling need to operate in the territorial waters of many different countries which can have different technical standards and procedures. For example, the European Union and European Economic Area EU/EEA product safety directives exclude from their scope drilling ships and related equipment onboard. On the other hand, the EU/EEA offshore safety directive requires the application of all the best technical standards that are used worldwide in the oil and gas industry. Consequently, it is not easy to select the most appropriate technical standards that increase the overall level of safety and environmental protection whilst avoiding the costs of additional certifications. We will show how some technical standards and procedures, which are recognized worldwide by the petroleum industry, can be accepted by various standardization bodies, and how they can fulfil the essential health and safety requirements of certain directives. Emphasis will be placed on the prevention of fire and explosion, on the safe use of equipment under pressure, and on the protection of personnel who work with machinery. Additionally considered is how the proper use of adequate procedures available at the time would have prevented three large scale offshore petroleum accidents: the Macondo Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010; the Montara in the Timor Sea in 2009; the Piper Alpha in the North Sea in 1988.

scholarly journals The influence of climatic conditions on the tree-ring width of wild service trees (Sorbus torminalis L.) in Wielkopolska

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Cedro
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Climatic Data ◽  
Pointer Years ◽  
The North ◽  
Sorbus Torminalis ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation

AbstractThe wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis L.) is a very rare tree species in Poland, where it reaches the north-eastern border of its natural range. The majority of this species’ stands is found in Wielkopolska. This study was aimed at examining the relationships between the growth and climate for trees of the species Sorbus torminalis L. growing in the Wielkopolska National Park and the Pniewy forest district (Wielkopolska). The samples for the analysis were taken from 63 trees. However, taking into account the missing growth rings and the difficult identification of the tree ring borders in sapwood, only ca. 30% of the samples could be synchronised and dated accurately. Applying the classic methods of dendrochronological dating, a 94- year STW chronology was constructed, spanning the years of 1920-2013. The chronology, in turn, was used as a basis for dendroclimatological analyses, including correlation, response function, and pointer years. The climatic data used in the analyses came from the meteorological station in Poznań; providing air temperature and precipitation for a period of 66 years (1948-2013) and 48 years of insolation data (1966-2013). Insolation had the highest negative impact and precipitation had the highest positive impact on the annual growth in May and June. Positive pointer years could be linked to humid months with low insolation during the growing season, while negative pointer years are characterised by deficient precipitation, a large number of sunny hours, and high air temperatures in the summer months.

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