A System-Theoretic Approach to Well Control Assurance Programs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Scott Baylor
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
Well Control ◽  
Well Design ◽  
The Face ◽  
System Requirements ◽  
Energy Companies

Abstract The world's leading energy companies face new challenges as they aggressively pursue digital innovation and acceleration. Oil and gas well construction, in particular, will continue to incorporate automation to enhance capabilities and provide a competitive advantage. These changes to the technology landscape will fundamentally alter the nature of well construction and the interactions pertaining to well design, operation, and maintenance. One key element of well construction is process safety. To prevent incidents, well control assurance programs are created to ensure subsurface hazards are mitigated and controlled. However, to continuously adapt and keep pace with ongoing digital transformation, assurance programs must be continuously revisited to improve in the face of a changing environment. One way to do this is by using systems engineering principles, methods, and tools. System-Theoretic Accident Models and Processes (STAMP) and System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) developed by MIT's Nancy Leveson can help assess assurance programs and uncover opportunities to improve. This paper analyzes oil and gas assurance programs and generates system requirements based on causal factors that impact the efficacy of the assurance program as a whole. This, in turn, helps identify safe system boundaries and constraints to be enforced to achieve system safety. This paper demonstrates the value of STPA as an integrated analysis method and offers specific recommendations to improve oil and gas assurance processes.

Systems Engineering Plan for Navy Theater-Wide Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (TBMD). Volume 1. System Requirements Engineering

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Stafford ◽  
Kniceley Jr. ◽  
Monteith Roger L. ◽  
Kimbrell Gregory E. ◽  
Jones Thomas W. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Requirements Engineering ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Ballistic Missile ◽  
Missile Defense ◽  
Ballistic Missile Defense ◽  
System Requirements

Effective Improvements to Reliability Based Corrosion Management

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahani Kariyawasam ◽  
Warren Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Effective Area ◽  
The Face ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Reliability Methods ◽  
Specific Growth Rates ◽  
Safe Condition ◽  
Effective Use

Reliability methods have being adopted by oil and gas operators for integrity management decisions. These methods explicitly account for all relevant uncertainties and are designed to provide consistent safety. Consequently, a risk or reliability based approach is a very appropriate basis for decision making in the face of uncertainties. However, as in the effective use of any powerful methodology the sensitivities of the method to assumptions and limitations of applicability need to be well understood. This paper presents how improvements were made to reliability based integrity program by understanding its limitations and sensitivities. First the inputs that have the highest impact on the results were identified. These inputs are the most appropriate areas for improvement and data gathering. It is also very important to understand how the results are to be used and for what purpose. The results of this particular inline inspection based reliability assessment are used to make better excavation and repair decisions. A defect-based and joint-based decision making process is essential for determining with sufficient confidence if each defect and joint is in a safe condition. Consequently, the improvements are focused on discriminating between the myriad of defects found during an inline inspection run. Distinct field characteristics of corrosion growth are also taken into account in these improvements. The paper presents the implementation of effective area methods for future integrity probabilistic evaluations. It also describes the benefit of applying defect-specific growth rates. Finally, case studies are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the changes.

Wellhead Design Enables Offline Cementing and a Shift in Operational Efficiency

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (05) ◽  
pp. 68-69
Author(s):  
Chris Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Operational Efficiency ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Well Design ◽  
Geological Conditions ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Tubing Hanger ◽  
Column Pressure

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 202439, “Pushing Malaysia’s Drilling Industry Into a New Frontier: How a Distinctive Wellhead Design Enabled Implementation of a Fully Offline Well Cementing Resulting in a Significant Shift in Operational Efficiency,” by Fauzi Abbas and Azrynizam M. Nor, Vestigo, and Daryl Chang, Cameron, a Schlumberger Company, prepared for the 2020 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, originally scheduled to be held in Perth, Australia, 20–22 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Traditionally, rigs are positioned over a well from the moment the surface casing is drilled until the installation of the wellhead tree. This results in the loss of precious time as the rig idles during online cementing. However, in mature Field A offshore Terengganu, Malaysia, a new approach eliminated such inefficiency dramatically. Operational Planning With oil production in Field A initiated in October 2015, historical data on well lithology, formation pressure, and potential issues during drilling were available and were studied to ensure that wells would not experience lost circulation. This preplanning is crucial to ensure that the offline cementing activity meets the operator’s barrier requirements. Petronas Procedures and Guidelines for Upstream Activities (PPGUA 4.0) was used for the development of five subject wells in Field A. In this standard, two well barriers are required during all well activities, including for suspended wells, to prevent uncontrolled outflow from the well to the external environment. For Field A, two barrier types, mechanical and fluid, allowed by PPGUA 4.0 were selected to complement the field’s geological conditions. As defined in PPGUA 4.0, the fluid barrier is the hydrostatic column pressure, which exceeds the flow zone pore pressure, while the mechanical barrier is an element that achieves sealing in the wellbore, such as plugs. The fluid barrier was used because the wells in Field A were not known to have circulation losses. For the development of Field A, the selected rig featured a light-duty crane to assist with equipment spotting on the platform. Once barriers and rig selection are finalized, planning out the drill sequence for rig skidding is imperative. Space required by drillers, cementers, and equipment are among the considerations that affect rig-skid sequence, as well as the necessity of increased manpower. Offline Cementing Equipment and Application In Field A, the casing program was 9⅝×7×3½ in. with a slimhole well design. The wellhead used was a monobore wellhead system with quick connectors. The standard 11-in. nominal wellhead design was used for the wells with no modifications required. All three sections of the casing program were offline cemented. They were the 9⅝-in. surface casing, 7-in. production casing, and 3½-in. tubing. The 9⅝-in. surface casing is threaded to the wellhead housing and was run and landed with the last casing joint. Subsequent wellhead 7-in. casing hangers and a 3½-in. tubing hanger then were run and landed into the compact housing.

Step Change in Delivering High Fracture Wells by Eliminating Expandable Liner

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Salim Al Sheidi ◽  
Hatim Abdul Raheem Al Balushi ◽  
Zahran Ahmed Al Rawahi ◽  
Yahya Hilal Al Amri ◽  
Deutra Mansur
Keyword(s):  
High Fracture ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Construction Time ◽  
Large Hole ◽  
Well Control ◽  
Well Design ◽  
Shale Formation ◽  
Petroleum Development ◽  
Operational Failure ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper discusses the journey of finding alternate solution for having to run the Expandable Liners operations in the Fahud field which is already one of the most operationally challenging fields to drill in Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), due to the presence of a gas cap in highly fractured and depleted limestone formations with total losses and the need for dynamic annulus fill to maintain primary well control. In Fahud field, there is a highly reactive shale formation within reservoir limestone formation. Due to high likelihood of total losses, this shale formation caused bore hole instability challenges while drilling. And with more depletion took place, the challenges became more frequently to occurred. In 2001, expandable tubular liner was introduced to address these bore hole instability challenges while drilling highly reactive shale formation under total losses in the 8-1/2″ section. The use of expandable technology was sustained over the years in delivering all wells drilled to traverse this reactive shale column. Previously before 2001, wells used to have fat well design by installations of extra casing to cover the formations and problematic zones. Also, Fahud field was not depleted as it is now, and the problematic shale zone used to drill by normal conventional way without any issue using inhibition frilling fluid. Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) identified expandable liner as a preferred alternative to ‘Fat’ well design. The ‘Fat’ well design would have a large hole size through potential loss zones, resulting in unmanageable volumes of water being required. Expandable liber was fast-tracked - various technical options were considered by PDO with expandable liner technology being identified as the best solution to address the problem of the shale column. However, the deployment of expandable tubular liner technology supported to drill & deliver wells but also has its associated challenges incurring additional time and cost with reasonable installation and low operations success rate due to number of operational steps required prior and after the expandable liner. Adding to that, all the challenges associated with each step. The installation of the expandable liner required eight operational steps with multiple trips to under-ream, install and expand, cement, caliper log and drill through the liner which increased the probability of something going wrong due to mainly the challenging well profile and multiple operations steps. The expandable liners technology was required when the target formation was below the reactive shale interval. The team carried out a study of previous deployments with the intention of identifying well planning and operational contributors to the installation difficulties and operations failures, with a view of eliminating the need for installing the expandable liner and drilling the well to the desired landing point at designed section total depth. Most of the unsuccessful installation rates were observed to be prevalent in wells with high angle applications. The team also observed that the length of the hole interval below the reactive shale column contributed to the number of unsuccessful installation and operational failure rates recorded. The team evaluated the impact of reducing well inclination on the ability to deliver the hole section without installing the expandable liner. Subsequently the team developed an optimization plan which involved keeping all build activities above and below the problematic interval and holding tangent at less than 45° inclination while drilling across the problematic shale. In conclusion, in 2020 the team delivered six wells (90% of wells crossing reactive shale formation delivered) using the above described approach and traversed the historically highly reactive shale formation without installing expandable liners. This resulted in a 20% reduction in total well construction time and 17% reduction in total well delivery cost per well. In addition to the time and cost saving, with the new approach, described in this paper, less water needed to be pumped for dynamic fill. This allowed bringing the wells quicker to production, thus reducing oil deferment.

The formation and criteria of oil- and gas-bearing potential of hydrocarbon accumulations of the Western oil-gas region of Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Vol 1-2 (183-184) ◽  
pp. 14-44
Author(s):  
Myroslav Pavlyuk ◽  
Yaroslav Lazaruk ◽  
Volodymyr Shlapinsky ◽  
Olesya Savchak ◽  
Ivanna Kolodiy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Saturation Pressure ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Hydrocarbon Composition ◽  
Naphthenic Acids ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Tectonic Zones ◽  
Natural Oil ◽  
Oil Gas

In the paper we have analysed hydrocarbon deposits of the Western region according to their belonging to the tectonic zones, stratigraphic complexes, types and depths of occurrence. The law-governed nature of alteration in physical-chemical properties of oil and gas, hydrogeological and geochemical peculiarities of productive thickness were studied, haloes of the distribution of gas of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon composition outcrops of fluids were mapped. Problems of the formation of hydrocarbon accumulations were considered. According to the results of integrated analysis of different geological factors, besides the main factors of oil and gas presence – structure, reservoir, cover – additional criteria were proposed. In the direction to the deposit, the nitric-methane gases are changed into sufficiently methane and hydrocarbon-methane ones, and values of saturation pressure are comparable to the formation pressure. Indication of oil-gas presence are water-soluble organic matters of oil origin: bitumen, phenols, hydrocarbons, naphthenic acids as well as the presence of condensation waters or their mixture with formational waters. Probable indicators of hydrocarbon accumulations are sulfides of zinc, lead, copper in rocks. For the existence of the deposits the hydrogeological closing of the bowels is necessary: small velocities of the formational waters, their high mineralization, metamorphism intensity, chlorine-calcium type of waters. Natural oil-gas showings as a reflection of deposits that occur at a depth serve as criterion for estimation of prospects of the oil-gas presence in the open territories. The example of substation of prospecting objects is given according to criteria of the oil-gas presence in the platform autochthone under the overthrust of Pokuttia-Bukovyna Carpathians.

An investigation of oil and gas geopolitical situation in the eastern Mediterranean region

2021 ◽  
Vol 05 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nima Norouzi
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
The European Union ◽  
African Region ◽  
Turkish Republic ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Government

: One of the focal points of the global energy struggle in recent years has been storytelling in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greece and the Greek Cypriot government (GCA), in cooperation with Egypt and Israel, are implementing a containment strategy against Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in the region. Turkey’s response to this plan was an exclusive agreement with Libya. Turkey and Libya have signed a memorandum of understanding between the government of national reconciliation on limiting the maritime jurisdiction of the new continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean - the only borders of the lottery’s economic zone. Greece could act with other countries, and it is said that Turkey’s competence will be ratified in the face of agreements that may restrict movement. The United States and the European Union (EU) also sought to share gas with European countries against Turkey, Israel, and the GCA. This article focuses on Libya’s ongoing competition, given Libya’s oil geopolitics and challenges in the eastern Mediterranean region. This paper briefly investigates the energy geopolitics in the eastern Mediterranean and North African region; this paper aims to conclude the diverse opinions led by various interests and points of view and propose a solution for the ever-growing tensions in this region.

A Constellation of Satellites Hunting Methane Leaks Is Launching Soon

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (04) ◽  
pp. 32-33
Author(s):  
Stephen Rassenfoss
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Emission Data ◽  
Well Control ◽  
Control Event ◽  
Oil And Gas Operations ◽  
Methane Measurement ◽  
Canadian Company ◽  
Methane Detection

A blowout in Ohio in 2018 was the first ever where the emissions could be measured from space, though it was at best a rough estimate based on data gathered on the 13th day after the XTO Energy well control event began. A year later, a blowout of a Devon well near Victoria, Texas, was measured starting the day after it occurred, with data collected on 3 days over the next 2 weeks. Using the measurement of carbon dioxide, it was estimated that the flare was 87% effective in burning about 4,800 metric tons of the leaking methane gas. Emission estimates varied wildly, and both the Ohio (Pandey et al. 2019) and Texas (Cusworth, Duren, Thorpe et al. 2020) efforts to use satellites led to technical papers to consider how they addressed this challenge. For those with blowouts next year, chances are a lot better methane-emission data would be available because of the launch of a constellation of specialized methane-measurement satellites by the two groups that played a key role in the earlier tests. In presentations at CERAWeek by IHS Markit, GHGSat said it has two methane-detection satellites in orbit and plans the launch of eight more, and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) said it is moving forward with the launch of its first one next year. Both are aiming to cover the lion’s share of oil and gas operations and measure the flow rate of the gas rather than concentrations in the atmosphere. They said they can do that far more accurately than was possible with the general-purpose climate observation satellites by focusing their equipment on the wavelength of methane. GHGSat said its satellites, which are about the size of a microwave oven, can measure the potent greenhouse gas from an elevation of 500 km and up. They are placed in polar orbit, which allows them to cover the globe every 2 weeks as the Earth rotates. Launching more satellites will allow more frequent looks. There are differences in the GHGSat and EDF designs, reflecting their contrasting missions. The Canadian company GHGSat, whose satellite initiative was initially supported by Schlumberger and the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, is building tiny satellites with extremely high resolution to serve clients in the oil and mining businesses. During the presentation, Stéphane Germain, chief executive officer of GHGSat, displayed an image and said its satellites can tell if the methane is “coming from a particular facility and even tell what part of the facility it is coming from.” The company also sells the services of similarly equipped planes that can create more-detailed images using similar equipment at elevations of 3000 m and higher. EDF raised $100 million from donors, including Elon Musk, and has hired Raytheon to build a satellite equipped with a detector from Ball Aerospace. It can survey an area that is 260 km wide. That is far wider than the GHGSat satellites, which have the advantage of being able to zero in on smaller details when looking for leaks. The environmental group points out its device is more sensitive to methane emissions, detecting levels down to two parts per billion.

Application of raypath modelling to verify the mapping of Gippsland gas fields

1989 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 325
Author(s):  
M. Megallaa
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Normal Incidence ◽  
Wave Theory ◽  
Seismic Profiles ◽  
Well Control ◽  
Depth Maps ◽  
Petroleum Resources ◽  
Gas Fields

One of the Victorian Government's policies in the oil and gas area is to enhance the benefits to the State in the energy sector by assessing the nature and extent of the petroleum resources. To evaluate the production capacity of developed and undeveloped gas fields, a comprehensive study was commissioned by the DITR in 1988. The first step in a study of this type is to check the accuracy of the depth maps, to see if they adequately describe the reservoir geometry. Raypath modelling, using the Advanced Interpretation Mapping System (AIMS ? Version III), was carried out by Geophysical Services International (GSI), Sydney, on a number of selected profiles over the Snapper, Marlin-Turrum, Barracouta, Kipper and Emperor fields for the DITR. Input data for the models were extracted from the operator's maps. The software simulates the normal incidence raypaths (or wave theory solution) for all shotpoints, and from this information it generates gather records and/or synthetic seismic profiles. By comparing the model data with those from data acquisition, processing and interpretation, it was possible to check the validity of the interpretation of the reservoir's geometry. This modelling work showed that the synthetic data were comparable with the acquisition and processing data, confirming that the depth maps (tied to well control) produced by the operator using its proprietary software are adequate and most likely to represent subsurface configuration of the reservoirs.

scholarly journals A systems engineering framework for the design of bioprocess operator training simulators

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 03001
Author(s):  
Joseph Isimite ◽  
Frank Baganz ◽  
Volker Hass
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Quality Function Deployment ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Design Activity ◽  
User Requirements ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Operator Training ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Definition Of

Operator training simulators (OTS) are widely used in several industries including chemical processing, oil and gas, medicine, aircraft and nuclear facilities. However, developing a biorefinery OTS is a complex engineering design activity that requires a structured technique. This paper presents a structured methodology that applies design frameworks from other disciplines and a user-centred approach for biorefinery OTS design. These include the definition of end user requirements (operator training needs), and the analysis of these requirements using Quality Function Deployment (QFD). Furthermore, an algorithm for bioprocess optimisation and automatic adjustment of operating parameters is developed for integration into the OTS. This algorithm is based on the Nelder-Mead simplex method for multi-dimensional function minimisation. Identified user requirements were categorized into primary, secondary and tertiary training needs, with increasing levels of detail from primary to tertiary needs. The relationships between identified operator training needs and OTS technical and functional specifications were investigated, and a priority rating assigned to the most important OTS specifications. Identified OTS specifications were evaluated for robustness to ensure that important features were not omitted from the final design.

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