More efficient and cost-effective ways of evaluating and high grading unconventional plays

With unconventional exploration expanding into basins with little seismic data and few wellbores, some lower cost technologies should be exploited up front to select areas of greater economic potential. Typically, 3D seismic is used for high grading, but it is expensive, ground access can be limited resulting in partial coverage, and, as with many technologies, interpretations can be ambiguous. However, there are less expensive alternatives, such as remote sensing, gravity and magnetics, geochemistry, and petrography, that can be used to initially identify areas with higher potential. After the initial screening evaluation, the high-graded areas can subsequently be appraised using more expensive techniques. Using less expensive screening alternatives up front can improve results and project economics. Two examples, one from the Bakken in the Williston Basin and another from the Eagle Ford at First Shot Field in Texas, are given showing how such less expensive screening data can be used to locate areas that have either better production and/or oil that is more easily produced from tight rocks. Our Bakken and Eagle Ford examples determined that our integrated approach could add value in different tectonic settings that involve rocks of very different geologic ages and depositional settings. Detecting and investigating igneous events in a sedimentary basin were important steps in our integrated approach. Igneous activity was more common in the upper crust and sedimentary basins than was generally assumed. In both of these examples, production “sweet spots” were related to igneous drivers that create areas of localized convective high heat flow that in turn were associated with recurrent movement of basement faults. Convective heat flow via hydrothermal fluids along faults and fracture zones was much more efficient than the transfer of heat by conductive heat flow. The screening data at the mega- and microscale supported the hypothesis that recurrent movement on faults and lineaments provided conduits for hydrothermal fluids and igneous volatiles. The hydrothermal fluids were interpreted to have had an important impact on in situ hydrocarbon generation, and petrography further suggested that precipitation of minerals from these hydrothermal fluids could affect porosity, permeability, rock fracturability, and overpressuring. The work and our examples proved how less expensive screening techniques, such as remote sensing, gravity, magnetics, geochemistry, and petrography, could be used to high grade unconventional shale oil plays, so the sweet spots could be drilled first.

The Effects of an Anti-Grade Inflation Policy at Wellesley College

Average grades in colleges and universities have risen markedly since the 1960s. Critics express concern that grade inflation erodes incentives for students to learn; gives students, employers, and graduate schools poor information on absolute and relative abilities; and reflects the quid pro quo of grades for better student evaluations of professors. This paper evaluates an anti-grade-inflation policy that capped most course averages at a B+. The cap was biding for high-grading departments (in the humanities and social sciences) and was not binding for low-grading departments (in economics and sciences), facilitating a difference-in-differences analysis. Professors complied with the policy by reducing compression at the top of the grade distribution. It had little effect on receipt of top honors, but affected receipt of magna cum laude. In departments affected by the cap, the policy expanded racial gaps in grades, reduced enrollments and majors, and lowered student ratings of professors.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) pada Kerang Mutiara Jenis Pinctada maxima

ABSTRAKPinctada maxima merupakan jenis kerang mutiara yang dibudidayakan di NTB.Perubahan jenis kelamin atau fungsi gonadnya sangat ditentukan oleh faktor lingkungan(makanan) dan kemampuan metabolisme untuk menghasillkan energi atau protein sertahormon reproduksi (FSH atau LH) yang dihasilkan. Penelitian yang telah dilakukan padatahun 1997 terhadap kadar LH dari 10 ekor kerang mutiara saat spawning dan seminggusetelah spawning yang menggunakan spektrofluorometri (TLC) dan analisa statitikdengan uji t. Hasilnya menunjukkan bahwa kadar LH (Luteinizing Hormone) sangat tinggi(61,533 ppm/cc) pada saat spawning, dan seminggu setelah spawning menurun menjadi52,926 ppm/cc. Indikasi ini menunjukkan bahwa kadar LH pada kerang mutiara dalamwaktu 1 minggu mengalami penurunan yang sangat signifikan (8,607 ppm/cc) denganthitung= 5,10 pada taraf signifikansi 5% dan ttabel = 4,03. Penurunan ini kemungkinannyaakan mencapai titik neutral. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa kadar LH sangat menentukanpertumbuhan dan perkembangan gonad pada kerang mutiara.Kata kunci : gonad, hormon, kadar, pemijahan.ABSTRACTPinctada maxima are oyster pearl of cultures in NTB. The sex or functional gonadchange are the very heighten food factor in environment and the metabolism ability forhormone reproduction (FSH and LH). The research is already in 1997 year, tendency forto know LH grade spawning time and after spawning a week’s to tail ten at oyster’s pearlis same. The LH grades analysis use spektrofluorometri (TLC) and statistic analysis t testuses. That mother pearl oyster’s at spawning time, LH (Luteinizing Hormone) grade thehigh production (61.533 ppm/cc) and grade happen the descending 52.926 ppm/cc afterspawning a week’s. The descend LH grade to pearl oysters is show that happen highsignification (8.607 ppm/cc whit tcalculate = 5,10 at 5% signification stage and ttable = 4,03.The descending it’s quite possible that reach neutral period. The high grading of LH a surethat indicate gonad growth of pearl oysters.Key word: gonad, hormone, grade, spawning

Investigation on Magnetic Properties of L10-FePt/Fe Graded Media Multilayer

To improve writing capability of high magnetic anisotropy medium - L10-FePt, graded medium multilayer is one key candidate. Therefore, investigation of magnetic material properties of graded media multilayer is essential. In this work, we focus on magnetic properties of L10-FePt/Fe graded media multilayer such as hysteresis loop, magnetic energy and magnetic domain by the micromagnetic simulation the object oriented micromagnetic framework software based on the Landau - Lifshitz - Gilbert equation. The graded media multilayer can achieve reducing the switching field, Hsw, below available writing head field with high thermal stability. The anisotropy energy in graded media is higher than single layer and bilayer media that results in unstable magnetization in preferred direction. The proposed graded (f) and (g) structures are high grading magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant, Ku, that can reduce Hsw below single layer, bilayer and available writing head field. The hysteresis loop of low grading Ku structures has different steps; however, it disappear with high grading Ku structures of graded (e) - (g) structures. They have narrow loop compared with single layer. The results from this work lead to improve magnetic trilemma issue and increase data density.

Individual transferable quotas and the “tragedy of the commons”

The allocation of individual transferable quotas (ITQs) as shares of a total allowable catch (TAC) is now widely practised in fisheries management, but is not without controversy. It is often suggested that the possession of ITQs should provide an incentive for fishers to exercise stewardship of the resource. Quota holders acting in their economic self-interest should collectively exercise stewardship, setting TACs and supporting enforcement measures to maximize the present value of future profit streams. But it is in the economic self-interest of an individual fisher possessing ITQ to take additional unreported catch, through discarding, high-grading, or quota-busting. Thus, ITQs in themselves will not prevent a “tragedy of the commons”, unless there is sufficient compliance monitoring and enforcement to deter hidden catches. ITQs, with adequate enforcement, have been demonstrated to effectively address the race to fish and result in improved sustainability and profitability. There are questions of equity concerning the flow of benefits from the allocations of quotas and associated profit streams and who pays for the management costs required to sustain them. There are also issues around the ability of ITQ-based management to address other social and environmental objectives.