Economic Projects Research Articles

Engineers and Execs Agree Shale Science Projects Are Worth It

_ It was a testimony to the impact science projects have had on the shale sector that kicked off the 15th Annual SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference and Exhibition (HFTC) held in the Houston area. When the technical experts and executives gathered, they discussed how, after years of subsurface study, past beliefs have been dispelled and new learnings translated into multimillion- to billion-dollar business decisions. At the conference’s plenary session, attendees learned from Devon Energy about why the oil company has become a vocal champion of refracturing and the influence it had on a recent acquisition that doubled its position in the Eagle Ford Shale. Bakken Shale producer Hess Corp. tied more than a decade of work to its experimental wells that use fractures from other wells to produce oil, as well as its commitment to developing automated fracturing despite facing obstacles in industry collaboration. SM Energy also showcased a double minifrac test as an example of the new experiments guiding its unconventional strategy in the Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk formations found in south Texas. A closer look at what they had to say is here. Betting Big on Refracturing In SPE 212340, Devon offered fresh details on its big refracturing study in the Eagle Ford Shale—one that played into its decision to spend $1.8 billion last year on an acquisition in the south Texas play. It involved two parent wells originally stimulated in 2013 and then refractured in January 2022. As a result, Devon reports the respective estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) from each well soared by 27% and 46%. These are wells that had been producing about 20 to 25 B/D, and according to data shared in the paper, at least one of them topped 1,000 B/D in the weeks following the refracturing. Kourtney Brinkley described the recovery boost as a “significant step change” that helped the company realize a “need to incorporate recompletions into our development plans as we go forward.” The drilling and completions engineer who helped lead the project for Devon reported that the operator’s wider refrac program in the play has seen incremental EUR increases as high as 75% with the average being at around 50%. The figures translate to a rate of return between 97 to 220%, which she said makes them “very economic projects.” The project Brinkley outlined at the conference fell under the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) hydraulic fracturing test site program. With the help of federal funding, Devon was able to deploy an enviable array of diagnostic tools. An observation lateral was drilled to monitor refracturing along with new completions on the pad. About 420 ft of core was taken from the observation well to capture some of the pad’s parent well fracture system. The diagnostic kit included multiple fiber-optic installations, sealed wellbore pressure monitoring, downhole pressure gauges, ultrasonic imaging, and more. With this rare suite of technologies, Devon was able to learn exactly how poor the initial parent completions were while later seeing just how effective its refrac designs ended up being. First came the parent core-through that showed while a hydraulic fracture was present every 10 ft on average, the number of propped fractures represented just 8% of the total found. Ultrasonic imaging aligned, showing initial completion design netted a cluster efficiency rate of just 19%. Post-refrac, that number was increased to over 80%, which implies to Devon that there are a good degree more propped fractures today.

Infuence of inverted-v-braced system on the stability and strength of multi-story steel frames

Population growth in urban centers, together with the lack of physical space, has led to the construction of increasingly tall and slender buildings. Multiple-story structures present substantial challenges to civil engineering because they have specific requirements for their design, construction, and use. The increased number of foors leads to more lateral displacements resulting from horizontal actions. Under these conditions, to ensure system stability, structural bracing components are commonly adopted. In addition, along with the use of more resistant materials and new construction techniques, it is necessary to improve the methodologies adopted in the structural analysis to offer professionals in the area the conditions to undertake safer and more economical projects with better speed and efficiency. Thus, in this study, numerical analyses were applied to steel planar reticulated structures to evaluate their stability and strength when inserting bracing systems. The study compared the arrangement of the bars and analyzed the influence of the parameters of the bracing systems, such as the properties of the cross-section and the position of the inverted-V-braced system. The MASTAN2 program was used to perform nonlinear static assessments using reticulated finite elements that considered both geometrical and physical nonlinearities. It was observed that the inverted-V-braced system had a substantial impact on all of the structures that were analyzed, providing increased stiffiness and, as a result, significantly reducing the frame’s lateral displacement.

Held in Suspense

Abstract Promises of incorporation, threats of punishment, and fragile, revocable entitlements mark the signature of a modality of governance dedicated to the production of subjects who are neither included nor excluded from political or economic orders, but who are provisionally appended to them as though hanging by a thread. A wide array of political regimes renders these subjects simultaneously indispensable and expendable. The authors examine promise, threat and revocability as modalities of governance appearing across liberal and illiberal registers as a means to displace the costs, risks and responsibilities of political and economic projects onto the indeterminate subjects they simultaneously produce. The authors ask what subjects do as they are held in suspense, by studying the collectivities, social orders, and forms of political organisation that emerge amongst subjects as they anticipate the authorisations and the censures, the arrival and the forfeiture of governance.

Of Guinea Pigs and Mines: Changing Access to Animal Consumption at Chavín de Huántar (Peru)

Food traditions are created, adapted, and reinvented across space and time. However, when an external source seeks to revitalize and commercialize an ancestral social food it can produce negative effects. In this paper I argue that the economic goals of development programs can collide with cultural traditions, specifically within food landscapes. In this study I describe how a mining company in central Peru developed an economic development project in which they distributed guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) to some families, in order to boost their commercialization, with the goal of helping the community to increase other sources of income. However, these animals were traditionally exchanged within the community and their introduction as a market commodity was not well received. Over time, community members lost a way of making and reproducing social ties through the exchange of guinea pigs.

Intervention to promote mental health and psychosocial support to promote social cohesion in the context of ongoing crisis and post conflict

IntroductionArmed conflicts, collective situations of adversity, and gross social injustices cause widespread mental suffering in affected populations. In these crises, conflicts break down and traditional community support mechanisms are weakened or destroyed. The loss of trust in others and the lack of hope for change undermine social cohesion at the deepest levels of communities. Therefore, it is important not to overlook the psychosocial impacts of social injustice and violence on the individual and society undermines other efforts to build peaceful societies. Nevertheless, the use of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) approaches to support social cohesion is still very uncommon.ObjectivesThe objective of the proposed intervention in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo was to complement the economic recovery activities of the most vulnerable populations with a psychological support approach. This was to ensure more sustainable results in the appropriation of problem management strategies through the strengthening of individual well-being and group support mechanisms.MethodsThe psychosocial intervention is organized around a community psycho-education to sensitize the populations to mental health issues and to promote the awareness of their possible suffering in order to access a psychological care system. The protocol included five weekly group sessions designed to strengthen participants’ individual and collective psychological resources. Several indicators were measured to assess the impact on social cohesion (psychological well-being, psychological resilience, prosocial behavior, etc.)ResultsIn eight months of intervention between July 2021 and February 2022, 1024 people were able to participate in the psychological support program. 90% of them showed improvement in psychological well-being, daily functioning and resilience. In addition to these very optimistic results on individual aspects, 65% of the participants increased the level of prosocial behaviour.ConclusionsThe psychosocial intervention proposed in an area of permanent conflict and adversity was mainly aimed at improving the well-being of people showing signs of distress to make them better able to complete their economic activity project. The results showed that taking into account the psychosocial dimension, not only reduced distress and allowed people to better project themselves in the future, but also promoted prosocial behavior. All these elements contribute strongly to social cohesion.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

‘Gimme a Hell Yeah!’ Stone Cold Steve Austin and the WWF’s Soundscapes of Rage

In the late 1990s, the Word Wrestling Federation (WWF) reached the height of its global popularity thanks to its “Attitude” re-branding. From 1997 to 2001, the company targeted an audience of teenagers and 18- to 34-year-old men with programming emphasizing adult themes and rebellious anti-heroes. The company’s most popular character at the time was “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, a beer-drinking Texas “redneck” who refused to conform and feuded on screen with a villainous corporate CEO. His iconic entrance music, “Hell Frozen Over,” was closely modeled on Rage Against the Machine’s 1996 hit song “Bulls on Parade” and played a crucial role in establishing the character’s credentials as a blue collar rebel whose actions channeled the desires of the WWF’s core audience of young white men. Highlighting both the specific idiomatic conventions of professional wrestling entrance themes and the numerous similarities between “Bulls on Parade” and Austin’s entrance music, this article argues that Austin’s music leveraged sonic tropes of masculine anti-corporate rebellion that were legible as such in the late 1990s due largely to the soundscapes of rage popularized by RATM and the numerous rap-rock “nü metal” bands they inspired. It shows how Austin’s music and its RATM connection exemplify not only the capacity for popular entertainment to commodify rebellion, but also the agency of audiences in forging meaningful personal and interpersonal relationships with and through mass-mediated entertainment as sonic signifiers become disentangled from specific political movements and made available to a broad range of economic and political projects.

How Far Does the Diverse Economies Approach Take Us?

How Far Does the Diverse Economies Approach Take Us?

Reviewing the economic viability of LNG projects in African Nations

The economic viability of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects in African nations stands as a pivotal subject in the global energy landscape. This Review encapsulates a comprehensive review, shedding light on the multifaceted aspects that determine the success and sustainability of LNG initiatives across the African continent. The analysis encompasses key elements such as investment frameworks, regulatory environments, and socio-economic considerations, providing a nuanced understanding of the economic dynamics shaping LNG projects. Examining case studies and regional variations, the review delves into the challenges and opportunities that characterize LNG ventures in Africa. The study identifies the critical factors influencing economic viability, including infrastructure development, market dynamics, and governmental policies. It explores the impact of global energy trends on the African LNG market and scrutinizes the role of international collaborations in fostering economic success. Additionally, the review assesses the potential socio-economic benefits, job creation, and local community engagement stemming from LNG projects, adding a socio-economic dimension to the economic evaluation. Furthermore, the Review emphasizes the need for adaptive strategies that acknowledge the unique challenges faced by African nations, from political stability concerns to the varying levels of technological infrastructure. The economic viability of LNG projects is inherently linked to the alignment of national goals, industry interests, and environmental sustainability. In summary, this Review provides a succinct overview of the comprehensive review on the economic viability of LNG projects in African nations. It sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of the economic intricacies, offering valuable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers vested in the sustainable development of LNG projects across the African continent.

Foundations of an Expanded Community of Fate

Abstract We develop a representation of markets, states, and civil society as aspects of institutions and policies that might provide the foundations of the expanded community of fate proposed by Margaret Levi and Zachary Ugolnik. What we term our “synergy simplex” provides a language and roadmap for researching and debating the alternatives, a process that the authors (and the moral political economy project they lead) have so fruitfully launched.

Collaboration and Public Participation for Municipal Growth in Land Economic Development Projects

This study examines the impacts of collaboration and public participation on municipal growth in midsize U.S. municipalities. It specifically looks at the cases of land economic development projects across the nation and how local governments’ population and employment growth are associated with public participation and collaboration. This study employs two methods—a survey of planners and officials and GPT-3 semantic search. Using a survey of planners and elected officials, four individual variables (traditional public participation, online public participation, public service collaboration, and staff regional meetings) related to collaboration and public participation were employed. Additionally, a semantic search approach was used to understand the current trend of public participation methods in real land development cases. The findings show that informal collaboration pushes population and employment growth, but the value of citizen participation is more contentious.

Large-scale underground hydrogen storage: Integrated modeling of reservoir-wellbore system

Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) has received significant attention over the past few years as hydrogen seems well-suited for adjusting seasonal energy gaps.We present an integrated reservoir-well model for “Viking A″ the depleted gas field in the North Sea, as a potential site for UHS. Our findings show that utilizing the integrated model results in more reasonable predictions as the gas composition changes over time. Sensitivity analyses show that the lighter the cushion gas, the more production can be obtained. However, the purity of the produced hydrogen will be affected to some extent, which can be enhanced by increasing the fill-up period and the injection rate. The results also show that even though hydrogen diffuses into the reservoir and mixes up with the native fluids (mainly methane), the impact of hydrogen diffusion is marginal. All these factors will potentially influence the project's economics.

International Economic Institutions: Different Tasks And Risks of Repercussions at the Global Level

Purpose: International economic institutions occupy a great position at the level of global economies by providing great financial support to member countries. These institutions also seek to study their position at the international level and the extent of their capabilities to confront the crises that afflict developed and developing countries, as they have contributed to addressing the crises faced by the countries of the world. Since its inception and the repercussions and potential risks that threaten its economic stability. The study aims to achieve several goals, most notably studying the concept of international economic institutions and their implications for international economies, knowing the tasks of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank regarding loan policies, and clarifying the implications and risks of loans provided by the Fund and the World Bank on the reality of global economies. Theoretical framework: To approve the hypothesis of the study and achieve its aims, a deductive approach is adopted starting from realistic constants in collecting data and facts, as well as adopting the descriptive analytical method in the study of international financial institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The impact of the chaos witnessed by the First and Second World Wars prompted the international financial institutions to assume the responsibility of managing the international monetary system and ensuring global economic stability through the application of policies to achieve this and address the deficit in the balance of payments of the member states of these institutions. Findings: The study hypothesized that despite the repercussions and risks of wars on developing and developed countries, the international financial institutions represented by the IMF and the world bank were able, through their tasks, to offer packages of loans to fill part of the deficit that these countries were exposed to, which enabled the countries to finance its economic projects. Research, Practical & Social implications: The most prominent finding of the study is that what distinguishes the work of the international monetary fund from the world bank is the duration of time, as the fund provides short-term loans, unlike the world bank, which deals with long-term loans. Regarding the lending policy, despite the high-interest rates imposed on loans by international economic institutions, they are linked to structural measures that constitute an obstacle to the lending country. Originality/value: The problem of the study lies in the fact that most countries of the world, whether developed or developing, are exposed to many economic problems as a result of their lack of international financing needs to confront the crises they are exposed to, forcing them to resort to international financial institutions to fill the deficit.

Genesis and evolution of the polish geopolitical concept of Intermarium

The article discusses the origin and development of the Polish geopolitical concept - “Intermarium”, which is based on the idea of creating a large-scale interstate association in the geopolitical space of Central and Eastern Europe. In its various interpretations, this concept has always been associated with the confrontation with Russia, starting with the forerunner of the Intermarium - the Jagiellonian idea. The most serious attempts to realize these aspirations were made by Józef Piłsudski, who created the Intermarium concept, along with which he tried to implement the federalist project of 1918-1921 and the geopolitical project of “Prometheism”. Subsequently, the followers of these ideas, Jozef Beck and Jerzy Giedroyc, together with Juliusz Mieroszewski, tried to rebuild the legacy of Pilsudski's geopolitical thought in terms of the changing realities of the 20th century. Reliance on the Jagiellonian idea and its anti-Russian ambitions inevitably led all subsequent attempts to create such a geopolitical bloc to collapse. Nevertheless, this concept has been updated in Poland’s modern geopolitical strategy, although it is positioned exclusively as an integration economic and political project - the Three Seas Initiative (Trimarium). The authors analyse Poland's geopolitical perception of the region of Central and Eastern Europe and reveal the continuity in the Polish geopolitical thought and the idea of regional dominance in the space of the three seas. Based on the history of the evolution of the Intermarium concept, the authors focus on the fact that the modern Trimarium project is a new vision of old geopolitical aspirations.

The Benefits of the Circular Economy for Companies’ Circular Supply Chains in A French Port Area

The current situation of depletion and increasing scarcity of renewable and non-renewable natural resources calls for concrete and rapid action by governments, as the planet is currently living on credit. The circular economy can help tackle challenges such as waste gestion, pollution, biodiversity protection and climate change, by reusing production waste and by-products to reduce consumption of resources and safeguard the needs of future generations. The circular economy offers a number of environmental, economic and social benefits. This article presents the benefits of circular supply chains for companies in the Atlantic Port of La Rochelle. We used a qualitative methodology and carried out an in-depth study of 6 companies involved in the port's circular economy project. The results show a number of benefits, including a reduction ordinary industrial waste, financial savings, a reduction in the consumption of virgin resources and a reduction in carbon impact on circular supply chain.

FINANCIAL MECHANISM OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN THE CONDITIONS OF POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION OF UKRAINE

Goal. The article is devoted to the generalization of the peculiarities of the functioning of public-private partnership in Ukraine and some foreign countries and the development of the financial mechanism of public-private partnership in the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine. Method. Taking into account the specifics of the study, a systematic approach and a method of comparative analysis were used, an assessment of the losses of Ukraine's economy caused by Russian military aggression was presented, and the structure of this mechanism was formed. Results. The pragmatics of the functioning of this financial mechanism in Ukraine and in some foreign countries is analyzed by comparing features and differences. The significant amounts of funding for public-private partnership projects in foreign countries and in Ukraine were emphasized and it was determined that structural grants and grants of the Cohesion Fund were the main source of funding for projects in EU countries. It is also a well-established practice in foreign countries to finance long-term large-scale projects. The importance of coordinators of public-private partnership processes in Ukraine, in particular, line ministries, analytical agencies and public organizations that promote the implementation of quality projects in Ukraine in various fields. Scientific novelty. Using a systematic approach, based on the work of domestic scientists and taking into account the specifics of Ukraine's economy in martial law, a diagram of the structure of the financial mechanism of PPP in the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine. Practical significance. The proposed structure of this financial mechanism should be used in the formation of national, regional and local, in particular at the level of the territorial community economic recovery programs. Promising objects of PPP at the level of territorial communities can be both economic and social projects, given the level of destruction of housing and other social infrastructure. Among the economic ones, the construction of food establishments, small enterprises for processing crop and livestock products, production of household items is relevant, and among the social ones - housing projects, park areas and recreational facilities; objects of historical and architectural heritage; provision of social services, management of a social institution, institution, etc.

The technical and economic analysis of processing and conversion of heavy oil cuts to valuable refinery products

Abstract Many of the modern refineries are founded on converting/upgrading the heavy bases of low value to lighter products by higher added value like gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel. In this work, some process configurations in heavy refinery cracking, converting and treating are technically and economically evaluated. In this purpose, four process configurations for refinery plants are suggested. These processes are evaluated and analyzed to obtain the most optimal configurations with the aim of achieving the most valuable refinery products. The difference of the processes is in heavy residue conversion and processing. These processes are included the Asphalt Air Blowing Unit (AABU, Type 1), Delayed Coker Unit (DCU, Type 2), Heavy Residue Hydro-Conversion (HRH, Type 3) and Solvent De-Asphalting (SDA, Type 4). The units are common in mentioned refineries cases and just ABU, HCU, DCU, HRH and SDA are different. In economic consideration, the payout period is considered as one of the standard methods of assessing the economic projects and economically estimating them. As results, the highest rate of gasoline is recorded in the refinery type of DCU unit and the highest amount of LPG/C4/C3, kerosene and gasoline production observed in refinery type of HRH unit. The construction of refinery with ABU unit has minimum investment (980 million $) and highest rate of return (19.4).

Indian Time: Temporality, Gender, Mobility

Indian Time: Temporality, Gender, Mobility

Procurement Management of Power Plants Construction Projects in Iraq

The government of Iraq states that despite the massive amounts invested in the power generating sector, the country has been plagued by power outages for more than three decades; One of the most common sources of the problem and significant impact on the waste of public funds in contractual processes. The Ministry of Planning issued the sectorial specialized standard bidding documents (SSBD) of Design, Supply, and Installation of the Electromechanical Works (DSIoEW), which is primarily designed to support the Ministry of Electricity (MoE) by developing economic projects to improve the contractual process that led to raisings Iraqi electricity generation field. The research evaluates the impact of applying the SSBD-DSIoEW for governmental power generation plants and investigates the challenges and obstacles of SSBD-DSIoEW applications in Iraq by conducting preliminary interviews with procurement experts and distributing 120 questionnaires to MoE's contractual staff. The results show a lack of experience in applying the evaluation and qualification criteria under SSBD-DSIoEW, and inadequate bid evaluations, resulting in an ineffective procurement system. In the study's conclusion and based on the results, the authors developed a unified bids evaluation model. They structured it in a computerized application program to support bids' evaluation committees

Cash holding management for self-financing phase-able and non-phase-able project portfolio selection and scheduling problems

This article presents a novel mathematical model for managing the level of cash reserves for the self-financing phase-able as well as non-phase-able project portfolio selection and scheduling problems. Practically, the executive managers of project-oriented organizations tend to keep cash within their organization to increase their decision-making power. Although this allows managers and investors to invest in future economic projects, it imposes opportunity costs on owners and investors, in which case maintaining cash reserves can turn out to be a major challenge between owners and executive managers. This issue becomes more acute when the project-based organization operates self-financing. Because the financing is limited to the revenues of the finished projects, money withdrawn from the project account without proper management exacerbates financial constraints. Consequently, managers will bypass some future valuable investment opportunities. In this article, from the point of view of cash holding, the expectations of managers and investors in a self-financing phase-able and non-phase-able project-based organization will be met simultaneously. The proposed model is a nonlinear integer program. After linearization, an example is provided to illustrate the applicability and performance of the proposed model.

Association of Consumer Behavior to a Circular Economy: Assessing a Variety of Perceptions and its Correlation in Germany

Complexity in the circular economy concept enforced the integration of disciplines and a holistic approach to engender the implementation. A breakdown to bring a circular economy project to a level of market presumably provides the contribution toward the circular economy prospect. Problem identification is a deficiency in consumer behavior discovery. The objective of the research is to discover the characteristics through demographic analysis as well as to assess the association of attitude and perception toward the circular economy objective. The case is specified in Germany since it introduced effective waste management regarding a cyclical process. The conceptual framework is a model of factors influencing decision-making issued by the European Commission and a model of the Tri-component attitude. The data analysis method is quantitative by adopting a method of Cross tabulation with Chi-Square and Structural Equation Modeling. The findings demonstrated low demand for a circular economy market, price and quality are the highest indicators while buying a product, old adulthood and female respondents tended to put more concern on waste issues, and an increase in willingness to spend more in finance on eco-friendly products positively would rise the intention of engaging in the social and environmental context. This observation is relevant for SDGs objectives.