Field Of Oil Exploration Research Articles

Crude oil degrading efficiency of formulated consortium of bacterial strains isolated from petroleum-contaminated sludge.

Crude oil contamination has been widely recognized as a major environmental issue due to its various adverse effects. The use of inhabitant microorganisms (native to the contaminated sites) to detoxify/remove pollutants owing to their diverse metabolic capabilities is an evolving method for the removal/degradation of petroleum industry contaminants. The present study deals with the exploitation of native resident bacteria from crude oil contaminated site (oil exploration field) for bioremediation procedures. Fifteen (out of forty-four) bioremediation-relevant aerobic bacterial strains, belonging to the genera of Bacillus, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, Paenibacillus, Rhizobium, Burkholderia, and Franconibacter, isolated from crude oil containing sludge, have been selected for the present bioremediation study. Crude oil bioremediation performance of the selected bacterial consortium was assessed using microcosm-based studies. Stimulation of the microbial consortium with nitrogen or phosphorous led to the degradation of 60-70% of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in 0.25% and 0.5% crude oil experimental sets. CO2 evolution, indicative of crude oil mineralization, was evident with the highest evolution being 28.6mgmL-1. Ecotoxicity of treated crude oil-containing media was assessed using plant seed germination assay, in which most of the 0.25% and 0.5% treated crude oil sets gave positive results thereby suggesting a reduction in crude oil toxicity.

Application of GIS and RS in Petroleum Exploration

As the world’s demand for energy continues to increase, the efficiency and accuracy of exploration and exploitation of oil and gas resources have become increasingly important. The development of GIS and RS technologies has provided unprecedented convenience and opportunities for the exploitation of oil and gas resources. GIS and RS technologies have played a revolutionary role in pinpointing potential oil and gas fields, evaluating exploration risks, and monitoring the environmental impacts of exploitation activities. This paper focuses on the application of GIS and RS technologies in the field of oil exploration, focusing on the application of novel data sources such as LiDAR, high-resolution remote sensing imagery, UAV, and satellite remote sensing technologies, and the role of these technologies in assessing the environmental impacts of oil exploitation. This paper concludes that GIS and RS technologies not only enhance the accuracy of oil and gas field detection but also play a non-negligible role in environmental protection. Accurately detecting changes in surface water and groundwater helps to identify and prevent the occurrence of pollution that may be caused by exploration activities at an early stage. The significance of this paper is not only to improve the efficiency and accuracy of oil exploration but also to promote environmental protection and sustainable development.

Discussion on Well Control Technique During Post-fracturing Tool Interval

In the oil and gas exploration and development safety work, well control is the top priority, which goes deep into every field of oil exploration and development production. How to improve the well control consciousness of drilling engineering in the normal production process of actual drilling engineering has become an important subject faced by petroleum exploration and development. This paper focuses on the research and analysis of fracturing string internal well control problems, and puts forward a series of solutions and suggestions according to the practical experience.

An improved method for fitting relative permeability curve using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology can be used for online monitoring of the fluid flow in cores. Especially, NMR imaging can visualize the injected fluid distribution and the residual oil location, as well as show the displacement effects of different injected fluid. This provides a new perspective for understanding displacement mechanisms. This paper proposes an improved method for fitting relative permeability curve based on NMR imaging. We established formulas to quantitatively calculate the water saturation profiles at different displacement times. Using the water saturation profiles, the water front position, residual oil saturation, and capillary end effect were analyzed to visualize the fluid flow inside the core. Base on the water saturation distribution, we analyzed the waterflooding characteristics more accurately. Using the oil-water relative permeability equation proposed by Honaropur, the relationship between the water cut and water saturation at the outlet section of the core was fitted to obtain the oil-water relative permeability. Compared with the commonly used Johnson-Bossler-Naumann method for calculating relative permeability, the method proposed in this paper has fewer fitting parameters, is highly precise, and is easy to operate. Additionally, it also broadens the application of NMR technology in the field of oil exploration and development.

Seasonal and spatial variation in bird diversity on rocky shores adjacent to oil exploration sites on the southeast coast of Brazil

Coastal areas are important for feeding, resting, and nesting of several bird species. Although globally birds on rocky shores are broadly studied, little is known of this diversity in Brazil, especially in areas adjacent to oil exploration. Information on bird diversity in coastal areas is essential to establish a baseline knowledge to identify potential impacts and for long-term monitoring. In this study, we investigated the diversity of bird on five rocky shores located nearby an oil exploration field, on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro state, southeast Brazil. We expected higher richness (total and average) and diversity to be recorded in more extensive rocky shore areas, and seasonal variation due to the presence of migratory species. In addition, we expected foraging to be the main habitat use. Three monthly counts were carried out at each site between April/2017 and March/2018 at fixed points. Overall, 30 species (16 waterbirds and 14 terrestrial) were recorded on the rocky shores, with seven migrants from the northern hemisphere and three nationally threatened with extinction. The Cabot's Tern (Thalasseus acuflavidus) and the Sanderling (Calidris alba) were the most abundant species. The richness and diversity of birds did not increase in relation to the size of the rocky shores. Seasonally, bird diversity varied because of the arrival of migrating species, with higher values during the summer. Most of the waterbirds used the rocky shores for resting and terrestrial birds for foraging. This study highlights the importance of rocky shore conservation for several bird species, including migratory and threatened ones, near an oil exploration field in southeast Brazil.

Phylogenomic characterization and pangenomic insights into the surfactin-producing bacteria Bacillus subtilis strain RI4914.

Bacillus subtilis is a versatile bacterial species able to produce surfactin, a lipopeptide biosurfactant. We carried out the phylogenomic characterization and pangenomic analyses using available B. subtilis complete genomes. Also, we report the whole genome of the biosurfactant-producing B. subtilis strain RI4914 that was isolated from effluent water from an oil exploration field. We applied a hybrid sequencing approach using both long- and short-read sequencing technologies to generate a highly accurate, single-chromosome genome. The pangenomics analysis of 153 complete genomes classified as B. subtilis retrieved from the NCBI shows an open pangenome composed of 28,511 accessory genes, which agrees with the high genetic plasticity of the species. Also, this analysis suggests that surfactin production is a common trait shared by members of this species since the srfA operon is highly conserved among the B. subtilis strains found in most of the assemblies available. Finally, increased surfactin production corroborates the higher srfAA gene expression in B. subtilis strain RI4914.

Istoriya sahalinskih shel'fovyh proektov: sovetskoe nasledie i «soglasheniya o razdele produkcii» (1970-e — 1995 gg.)

The subject of the article is the history of the attitude of the Soviet (Russian) authorities to attracting foreign investment to Sakhalin. The Russian “baggage” in the field of oil exploration is shown. The specifics of the historiography of Sakhalin shelf projects are revealed. The analysis of the dynamics of domestic political events and changes in the position of Japan and the United States to promote their interests in the oil industry on Sakhalin is carried out.

Pore-scale numerical prediction of three-phase relative permeability in porous media using the lattice Boltzmann method

Three immiscible fluids systems are often encountered in energy and environmental disciplines, especially in the oil exploration field. It is essential to enhance oil recovery (EOR) by identifying the three-phase fluid flow mechanism of oil-gas-water system in complex geological structures. In the present study, a lattice Boltzmann (LB) color gradient model for three immiscible fluid flow in three-dimensional porous media is employed and validated using five benchmarks (i.e., the multiphase spinodal decomposition; the multiphase Young-Laplace test; the liquid lens; contact angles and 3D channel layered three-phase fluid flow). The effects of wettability, viscosity ratio (M) and capillary number (Ca) on the relative permeability curves are analyzed in detail. When the wetting condition is enhanced, the results indicate that the relative permeability of non-wetting phase raises while that for the wetting phase exhibits a decline. When M is not equal 1, the relative permeability of high viscosity phase is significantly increased, while the other two phases are less affected. Meanwhile, the maximal value of relative permeability does not exceed unity because of the low porosity in the porous medium. For the influence of Ca, simulation results indicate the relative permeability shows weak sensitivity to Ca.

Brazilian offshore oil exploration areas: an overview of hydrocarbon pollution

The basins of Campos and Santos, the most important offshore oil reserves in Brazil, hold potential for being the largest offshore oil exploration fields in the next decades, mainly due to the oil located in the pre-salt layer. This region presents real conditions for the occurrence of intense atmospheric events added to the high velocity of the meanders of the Brazilian current. However, the increasing risk of accidents and damage in the region has been the subject of concern and discussion. The risks in the basins of Campos (2011) and Santos (2012) may not exhibit the the same potential for disastrous events as do those in the oil fields of Alaska and of the Gulf of Mexico, but accidents in these areas are not unlikely, as already evidenced by previous accidents under similar operating conditions (e.g. Chevron Platform accident in Campos Basin, RJ, Brazil, 2011). This paper highlights discussion of the multidisciplinary and substantial environmental features in oil exploration fields along the Brazilian coast based on Semi-Systematic Review methodology. The aspects evaluated cover not only geological traits, oceanic and meteorological circulation, but also current oil production, the most significant oil spill accidents recorded up to 2019 and the discussion about some current levels of seawater contamination.

Development potential and technical strategy of continental shale oil in China

Continental shale oil is a general term for liquid hydrocarbons and many kinds of organic matter in continental organic-rich shale series with vitrinite reflectance of more than 0.5% at buried depth of more than 300 m, and is an important type of source-rock oil and gas. Based on the evolution model of oil generation and expulsion in organic-rich shale series controlled by maturity, continental shale oil is divided into two types: medium-high maturity and medium-low maturity. (1) The continental shale series in China develop high-quality source rocks of freshwater and saltwater lacustrine facies, as well as multiple types of reservoirs, including clastic rocks, carbonate rocks, diamictite, tuff and shale, forming a number of “sweet sections” and “sweet areas” of continuous distribution inside or near source rocks, which have large scale resources. (2) Experimental analysis of organic rich shale samples shows that the shale samples with wavy and horizontal beddings have good storage conditions, and the horizontal permeability of shale is tens to hundreds of times of its vertical permeability, which is conducive to the lateral migration and accumulation of shale oil in the source rocks. (3) After evaluation, the geological resources of medium-high maturity shale oil are about 10 billion tons, which can be effectively developed by horizontal drilling and volumetric fracturing, and will be a practical field of oil exploration in recent years. Shale oil with medium and low maturity has huge resource potential, and technological recoverable resources of (70–90) billion tons, making it a strategic alternative resource of oil industry. However, economic development of this type of shale oil needs in-situ conversion technology breakthroughs. Continental shale oil is an inevitable choice in the process of Chinese continental petroleum exploration from “outside source” to “inside source”. Making breakthroughs in the core technologies such as “sweet area” evaluation and optimization, horizontal well volume fracturing and in-situ conversion technology and equipment is the key to realizing scale development of continental shale oil economically.

A high-bandwidth and low-cost data processing approach with heterogeneous storage architectures

How to efficiently process big data at a low cost is a substantial challenge. Many efficient and economical data processing approaches have been proposed in the fields including business, scientific research, and public administration. Unfortunately, seismic data processing has not achieved the same level of devolvement in the field of oil exploration. While many storage architectures, such as network-attached storage (NAS) and storage area network (SAN), have been widely used to process massive amounts of seismic data, these architectures are expensive in terms of bandwidth and capacity. In this paper, we propose a high-bandwidth and low-cost approach to fill this gap. NASStore is our data store built on NAS for processing seismic data. However, it cannot provide a high bandwidth at a low cost when it comes to data-intensive computing scenarios due to the massive bandwidth requirement and the huge volume of data to be stored. Distributed file systems, such as the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS), offer an alternative approach to store data. It delivers high aggregate performance to user applications while running on inexpensive commodity hardware. In order to overcome the shortcomings of NASStore, we first present HDFSStore that is built on HDFS for processing seismic data. We then couple NASStore and HDFSStore to construct a new hybrid data store, called SeisStore, in which efficient parallel write, read, and update mechanisms are employed to improve the system performance. The experiment results show that SeisStore reduces the storage cost than NASStore by up to 23.20% and improves the access bandwidth than NASStore and HDFSStore by up to 478.84% and 16.99%, respectively.

Geochemical characteristics of Chang 91 source rocks of upper Triassic Yanchang formation in Zhidan-Ansai area, Ordos Basin and its significance for tight oil exploration

The average total organic carbon (TOC) content of Chang 91 source rocks is 4.85%, and the main kerogen type is II1, and the average pyrolysis peak temperature is 452 °C in Zhidan-Ansai area, Ordos Basin. These show that Chang 91 source rocks have reached good to excellent level and peak hydrocarbon generation stage. Chang 91 source rocks were formed in semi-deep lacustrine sedimentary environments of fresh-brackish water and weak oxidation-reduction. The discovery of Chang 91 source rock extends the oil exploration field of Yanchang Formation, especially in Zhidan area, it is a favorable area for further exploration in Chang 9 reservoir.

Tools Improvement for Stimulating Investment Attractiveness of the Energy Complex of Russia

The article deals with the investment forecast for the energy sector of Russia in the long term for the period up to 2030, analyzes the dynamics and identifies cause-effect relationships. The hypothesis of growth of investment attractiveness is formed on the basis of revenue assessment of the largest companies of the fuel and energy complex of Russia. The authors describe the possibilities for the use of financial instruments for the development of the real sector of the economy. The indicators of evaluating the effectiveness of investment projects in the field of oil exploration and production are given. The potential of the world leaders in the field of oil supply to the international energy market is studied. Methods, forms and sources of financing of the real sector of economy are defined. The measures to stimulate economic growth and increase the investment attractiveness of the studied industry are recommended. The analysis of the oil and gas complex is carried out on the following economic indicators: criteria of return on capital and sales, coefficients of business activity, financial leverage, liquidity and capitalization of assets of companies operating in a single industry. This made it possible to identify inefficient producers of raw materials whose investment strategies are in dire need of adjustment and optimization of sources of financing. As a result of the study, proposals are formulated to redistribute investments into more profitable segments of the extractive industry, to combine the mechanisms of taxation of mineral extraction with the extraction of economic benefits from the expansion of the range of export duties levied on foreign trade operations. The article traces the economically significant idea of the need to modernize infrastructure organizations, the construction of new facilities in the activities of generating industries based on the optimization of investment flows in the companies of the real sector of the economy. As a result of the research, the authors substantiate the proposals for linking the economic growth of the country with the processes of investment in oil production and exploration taking into account the elimination of imbalances in the structure of revenue and capital.

THE EFFECTIVE FACTORS ON EFFECTIVENESS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (CASE STUDY: OIL EXPLORATION MANAGEMENT)

Technology transfer and absorption is a complex topic in Third World countries. It has involved the mind of many research associations of the West and international organizations both academically and in terms of cultural, political and economic dimensions. The level of developed and the Third World countries' technologies has tangible distance. Technology transfer is an undeniable necessity to reduce this distance (Arabi, 2008). Knowing the proper methods of technology transfer and identification of the factors affecting the effective transfer of technology seems necessary in Iran due to a change of political space in the country and the willingness of probable investment of foreign great oil companies and given that Iran's oil exploration industry is as the most basic industry and infrastructure of the country's economy. Therefore, effective factors on effectiveness of technology transfer in the field of oil exploration were determined in this research while examining various models of technology transfer. A model was presented and the relationship between variables was evaluated for this purpose. A questionnaire survey was conducted in Oil Exploration Company in this regard. Data were investigated by using structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results showed that support of technology transfer, learning capability of oil exploration industry and technology infrastructure have an effect on technology transfer effectiveness in the oil exploration industry

Effects of Mass Transfer on Unsteady Hydromagnetic Convective Flow Past an Infinite Vertical Rotating Porous Plate with Heat Source

The effect of mass transfer on unsteady Hydromagnetic convective flow, of an incompressible electrically conducting fluid, past an infinite vertical rotating porous plate in presence of constant injection and heat source has been investigated. The non-linear partial differential equations governing the flow are solved numerically using the finite differences method. The effect of Hartmann's number, Grashof number for heat transfer, Grashof number for mass transfer, permeability parameter, Schmidt number, Heat source parameter, Prandtl number, Eckert number and rotational parameter on the flow field are presented graphically. A change on the parameters is observed to either increase, decrease or to have no effect on the profiles. The study has some useful information to engineers in the field of oil exploration, geothermal reservoirs, in petroleum and mineral industries, MHD generators, among many other areas.

Long-term oil contamination increases deterministic assembly processes in soil microbes.

The mechanisms that drive microbial turnover in time and space have received considerable attention but remain unclear, especially for situations with anthropogenic perturbation. To understand the impact of long-term oil contamination on microbial spatial turnover, 100 soil samples were taken from five oil exploration fields located in different geographic regions across China. The microbial functional diversity was analyzed with a high-throughput functional gene array, GeoChip. Our results indicated that soil microbial α-diversity (richness and Shannon diversity index) decreased significantly with contamination. All contaminated and uncontaminated samples exhibited significant spatial autocorrelation between microbial community similarity and spatial distance, as described by a distance-decay relationship (DDR). However, long-term oil exposure flattened the slopes of the DDRs of all of the functional genes and each functional group involved in C/N/P/S cycling, particularly of those involved in contaminant degradation. The relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes in microbial assembly was determined. The decrease in microbial spatial turnover with long-term oil contamination was coupled with an increase in the proportion of deterministic processes that structured microbial assembly based on null model analysis. The results indicated long-term oil contamination significantly affects soil microbial community spatial structure by acting as an environmental filter to decrease the regional differences distinguishing soil microbial communities.

Analytical Discussion on Stochastic Hydrodynamic Modeling of Support Structure of HAWAII WTG Offshore Wind Turbine

Floating structure such as tension leg platform, semi-submersible and spar are widely used in field of oil exploration and renewable energy system. All of these structures have the base cylinder support structure which have effective rule in overall dynamic of response. So the accurate and reliable modeling is needed for optimum design and understanding the physical background of these systems. The aim of this article is an analytical discussion on stochastic modeling of floating cylinder based support structure but an applicable one. Due to this a mathematical mass-damper-spring system of a floating cylinder of HAWAII WTG offshore wind as an applicable and innovative system is adopted to model a coupled degrees using random vibration in analytical way. A fully develop spectrum is adopted to solve the stochastic spectrum analytically by a proper approximation. Some acceptable assumption is adopted. The simplified but analytical and innovative hydrodynamic analysis of this study not only will help researcher to concentrate more physically on hydrodynamic analysis of floating structures but also can be useful for any quick, simplified and closed form analysis of a complicated problem in offshore engineering.

Paleogeographic framework and provenance features during Late Triassic Chang 9 time of the Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China

The Chang 9 interval at the lower part of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin is a new discovery sequence for strategy replacement in the oil exploration field. By conducting a comprehensive study of outcrop sections, well drilling, drill cores, well loggings, and test data, based on the relevant research achievements of some predecessors, and combined with the analysis of geological background of this basin, it is considered that the Ordos Basin is a broad and shallow lake basin with terrigenous clastic deposition during Late Triassic Chang 9 time. The lake basin had been supplied with multiple drainage systems and provenances. The lake water in this basin is inland freshwater to brackish water. Sedimentary framework is characterized by the development of “a lake surrounded by multiple deltas” pattern. On the basis of paleocurrent analysis, distribution of sedimentary facies and sand bodies, and the quantitative analysis results of rock fragment components and trace elements of Chang 9 sandstone, it is recognized comprehensively that the Chang 9 provenances have a close connection with the basin tectonic evolution and paleogeographic background. The provenance of the Ordos Basin in Chang 9 time can be divided into five provenance systems: i.e., the northeast, north, northwest, southwest, and south provenance systems. Characteristics of rock fragment and trace element assemblages are documented in the individual provenance systems, respectively. It is inferred that terrigenous clastic sediments in Chang 9 interval mainly originate from the old lands around the basin. Parent rocks in these provenances are composed of a variety of rocks dominated by metamorphic rocks.

Cluster Deployment System Based on Qt and xCAT in Linux

The cluster technology is used more and more widely in fields of oil exploration, aerospace engineering, biological engineering, etc, the application requirements of different type nodes make cluster system harder and harder to manage in the cluster environment. In the paper, with the conception of cluster technology, applying xCAT+shell and Qt platform in Linux, the cluster deployment system has been designed and implemented to configure and distribute centrally different types of nodes in the cluster.

Compulsory acquisition of oil exploration fields in Delta State, Nigeria

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the problems of compensation for compulsory acquisition of oil exploration fields in Delta State with particular reference to the oil field acquired by Agip Oil Company for gas pipeline way leave in Irri and Okpai towns of Delta State.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted in which questionnaires were administered on some residents whose lands were acquired compulsorily on one hand and some estate surveying and valuation firms who are professionals in the fields of compensation on the other hand. The data collected were analyzed and presented using simple statistical methods.FindingsThe findings in this paper show that the compensation paid to residents whose lands were acquired is grossly inadequate, since professionals are not always involved in the process.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that the issue of compensation for compulsory acquisition for oil exploration is very central in the oil‐rich Niger‐Delta, and if this is not handled carefully, it can lead to uncontrollable crisis.Originality/valueThis paper empirically examined the process involved in compulsory acquisition and compensation of land in the Niger‐Delta for oil exploration with a view to determining the adequacy or otherwise of the compensation paid.