Oil Production Research Articles

“Stalin’s final hope to secure a Soviet foothold in Iran’s government and oil industry, 1943–1953”

ABSTRACT During the years 1943–1953 Stalin attempted to gain a foothold in the Iranian government and oil sector. In 1943, Stalin visited the Shah and secured the latter’s support for the pro-Soviet Tudeh Party, support that helped the Tudeh to enter into the 14th Majlis and later even join the government. By 1946, Stalin also secured a contract for oil production in northern Iran. However, these achievements were soon lost. Later, with the rise of Mansur, Stalin’s hopes were rekindled, only to be disappointed again. When it seemed that Stalin’s ambitions in Iran were unattainable, a new opportunity presented itself. In 1949, following disputes between Razmara, Chief-of-Staff of the Iranian Army, and the Americans, the latter sought to remove Razmara from his military position, even at the cost of appointing him as Prime Minister. Razmara agreed but understood that for his political survival, he needed Soviet backing. However, Stalin’s hesitation in fully supporting Razmara, along with Razmara’s assassination in 1951, and Stalin’s lack of trust in Mossadegh ultimately put an end to these hopes, as those events are clearly demonstrated by documents from the Soviet Foreign Ministry on which this article is based.

At-Line Characterization of Droplet Size Distributions Using a Simple, Voltage-Based Sensor for Continuous Production of Dense Oil in Water Emulsions

At-Line Characterization of Droplet Size Distributions Using a Simple, Voltage-Based Sensor for Continuous Production of Dense Oil in Water Emulsions

Regulatory mechanism of carbohydrate metabolism pathways on oil biosynthesis of oil plant Symplocos paniculata

The mechanism underlying oil synthesis in oil plant fruits remains elusive, as sugar metabolism provides the essential carbon skeleton without a clear understanding of its intricate workings. The transcriptome and oil and sugar metabolites’ content of Symplocos paniculate, an extraordinary oil plant with immense ecological significance, were subjected to a comparative analysis throughout fruit development. The findings unveiled that the impact of sugar metabolism on oil synthesis varied throughout distinct stages of fruit development. Remarkably, during the initial phase of fruit development from 10 to 90 days after flowering (DAF), pivotal genes involved in starch biosynthesis, such as ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP), starch synthase (SS), and starch branching enzyme (SBE), facilitated an earlier accumulation of starch within the fruit. Whereas, during the fruit maturation stage (from 90 DAF to 170 DAF), the expression of phosphofructokinase 1 (PFK-1), pyruvate kinase (PK) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) enzyme genes involved in the glycolysis pathway was significantly upregulated, thereby facilitating a rapid and substantial accumulation of oil. The sugar metabolism activity of S. paniculata fruit exerts a crucial influence on the process of oil synthesis, which is highly dependent on the specific developmental stage. These significant discoveries provide potential candidate genes for advanced genetic improvement using molecular biotechnology, thus enhancing both fruit oil production and modifying the composition of fatty acids.

Influence of different extraction methods on the cannabinoid profile in Cannabis sativa oil

The research focuses on optimizing extraction methods for Cannabis sativa to ensure the production of high-quality oils with consistent cannabinoid profiles, critical for therapeutic applications. The study highlights the plant’s medicinal potential, driven by bioactive compounds such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which are effective against various conditions, including epilepsy and chronic pain. The objective is to evaluate and compare advanced extraction techniques like supercritical CO₂, ethanol-based, and microwave-assisted extraction to identify methods that balance efficiency, yield, and sustainability. Upon exploration, the study reviewed scientific literature, analyzing efficiency metrics and cost-effectiveness across methods. Results underscore the superiority of supercritical CO₂ extraction for purity and pharmaceutical-grade standards but note its high cost. Ethanol-based techniques are cost-effective but require additional refinement. Microwave-assisted methods offer terpene preservation but lack scalability. These findings stress the need for hybrid techniques that integrate advantages while addressing limitations. The research concludes that standardization and technological innovations are essential to overcome inconsistencies in cannabinoid profiles, enhancing clinical and industrial viability. It advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration to improve extraction protocols, ensuring sustainable and effective use of Cannabis sativa in medicine.

Inequity of Exposure to Unconventional Natural Gas Development in Northeastern British Columbia, Canada─An Environmental Justice Analysis.

In the past two decades, northeastern British Columbia, Canada, has experienced rapid growth in unconventional natural gas production and is home to Indigenous and rural communities. Living near oil and gas production can lead to deteriorated air quality that negatively impacts human health. This study explores whether three oil- and gas-related exposure metrics: modeled concentrations of 12 gases and particles; oil and gas facility-reported emissions; and active wells are disproportionately distributed in areas with higher concentrations of Indigenous people and community socioeconomic vulnerability. We calculated exposure metrics from 2018 to 2020 in geographic dissemination areas (DAs). We used a rural deprivation index that included income, education, employment, and access to amenities to identify areas of high socioeconomic vulnerability. We estimated that DAs with greater than 90% Indigenous population experience 1.2-1.8 times higher median air pollution concentrations than DAs with less than 10% Indigenous population. We estimated that DAs with high community vulnerability experience higher modeled air pollution and higher odds of exposure to facility emissions, with the most vulnerable areas experiencing 11-96 times higher median air pollution concentrations. Overall, these results suggest the presence of environmental injustice in an area that is expected to continue producing a large portion of Canadian natural gas.

Effect of pore throats on the reservoir quality of tight sandstone: A case study of the Yanchang Formation in the Zhidan area, Ordos Basin

Abstract Due to the tight sandstone widespread development of nanoscale pore-throat systems, the microscopic pore-throat characteristics of tight reservoirs are the focus of research. Taking the main tight oil production province of the Ordos Basin in China as a case study, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), pressure-controlled mercury injection (PMI), scanning electron microscopy, and micro-computed tomography (μCT) are used to analyze the characteristics of four types of tight sandstones with different pore throats. Furthermore, the effects of pore throats on movable fluid, connectivity, and reservoir physical properties are analyzed. The results show that the pore throats of the four types of tight sandstones are obviously different, but they are all dominated by nanoscale pore-throat systems. From types I to IV, the pore types of the tight sandstone change from residual intergranular pores to the coexistence of feldspar dissolved pores and residual intergranular pores and then to the coexistence of residual intergranular pores and intergranular micropores. The T 2 NMR spectrum changes from a double peak to a single peak, the pore-throat connectivity revealed by μCT decreases from 83.8% for type I to 13.1% for type IV, the pore-throat volume ratio revealed by PMI decreases from 2.09 to 0.43, and the NMR movable fluid saturation decreases from 38.91 to 12.39%. Tight sandstone with larger pores and a uniform distribution has high movable fluid saturation and good pore-throat connectivity. Although the tight sandstone with dissolved pores and intergranular pores may have a medium porosity, the pore–throat connectivity deteriorates compared with high porosity sandstone. Large pore throats, which account for less than 15% of all pore throats, contribute more than 90% of the permeability, while pore throats less than 0.8 μm in diameter are major contributors to the reservoir space, and both the porosity and permeability decrease as the pore-throat diameter decreases.

Small emission sources in aggregate disproportionately account for a large majority of total methane emissions from the US oil and gas sector

Abstract. Reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas (oil–gas) sector has been identified as a critically important global strategy for reducing near-term climate warming. Recent measurements, especially by satellite and aerial remote sensing, underscore the importance of targeting the small number of facilities emitting methane at high rates (i.e., “super-emitters”) for measurement and mitigation. However, the contributions from individual oil–gas facilities emitting at low emission rates that are often undetected are poorly understood, especially in the context of total national- and regional-level estimates. In this work, we compile empirical measurements gathered using methods with low limits of detection to develop facility-level estimates of total methane emissions from the continental United States (CONUS) midstream and upstream oil–gas sector for 2021. We find that of the total 14.6 (12.7–16.8) Tg yr−1 oil–gas methane emissions in the CONUS for the year 2021, 70 % (95 % confidence intervals: 61 %–81 %) originate from facilities emitting <100kgh-1 and 30 % (26 %–34 %) and ∼80 % (68 %–90 %) originate from facilities emitting <10 and <200kgh-1, respectively. While there is variability among the emission distribution curves for different oil–gas production basins, facilities with low emissions are consistently found to account for the majority of total basin emissions (i.e., range of 60 %–86 % of total basin emissions from facilities emitting <100kgh-1). We estimate that production well sites were responsible for 70 % of regional oil–gas methane emissions, from which we find that the well sites that accounted for only 10 % of national oil and gas production in 2021 disproportionately accounted for 67 %–90 % of the total well site emissions. Our results are also in broad agreement with data obtained from several independent aerial remote sensing campaigns (e.g., MethaneAIR, Bridger Gas Mapping LiDAR, AVIRIS-NG (Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging System – Next Generation), and Global Airborne Observatory) across five to eight major oil–gas basins. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for the significant contribution of small emission sources to total oil–gas methane emissions. While reducing emissions from high-emitting facilities is important, it is not sufficient for the overall mitigation of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector which according to this study is dominated by small emission sources across the US. Tracking changes in emissions over time and designing effective mitigation policies should consider the large contribution of small methane sources to total emissions.

SCIENTIFIC TECHNOLOGIES OF MONITORING THE STATE OF BOTTOM SEDIMENTS, AS AN INDICATOR OF THE LEVEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL DANGER TO HYDROECOSYSTEMS

The work proposes a method of monitoring the condition of surface water bodies on the territory, which was subject to the influence of enterprises of the aviation industry, by studying the contamination of bottom de-posits. Using the example of petroleum hydrocarbons - specific pollutants of aviation enterprises, it is proved that bottom sediments are an integral indicator of the level of man-made pollution, an indicator of the level of ecological safety of hydroecosystems. The calculated coefficients of bottom accumulation indicate progres-sive water pollution and accumulation of the main mass of pollutants in bottom sediments. The results of the research of the small river flowing along the airline show that the bottom sediments belong to the category of "extremely polluted" and on the one hand, they contribute to the process of self-purification of the water envi-ronment by accumulating oil products, but on the other hand, they represent a danger of secondary pollution of the water column, after which, when physical and chemical conditions change, pollutants from bottom sediments are able to move into the water phase.

Non-isothermal mathematical model of blocking tecnogenic fractures

Nowadays, large oil fields have moved to the stage of declining production, to maintain reservoir pressure, it is necessary to apply flooding technologies. To maintain the previous rates of oil production, it is necessary to force selections by increasing the value of downhole pressure on the injection wells. However, the risks of exceeding the fracturing pressure are increasing, which can lead to the formation of technogenic fractures. An intensive increase in the fracture can lead to an increase in the risks of premature water reaching through it into the drainage zone of the producing wells, which will lead to an increase in the value of the water oil ratio. The analysis of current numerical mathematical models of colmatation of technogenic fracture has shown the status of determining the volume of leaks of the colmatation agent beyond the fracture, considering changes in the temperature field at the bottom of the injection well. This problem is relevant, since special research complexes have been conducted at several oil and gas fields to determine the growth of technogenic fractures that arose because of excess fracturing pressure and fell into the drainage zone of producing wells. A change in the temperature field of the reservoir will allow direct changes in the viscosity of the injected colmatation agent, as well as determine the amount of leakage of the agent beyond the limits of the technogenic fractures. The article describes the construction of a non-isothermal physico-mathematical model of injection of a suspension system (water-reagent) into the reservoir, considering changes in the temperature field of the reservoir, the volume of reagent leaks beyond the limits of the technogenic fracture, considered for the first time. The aim of the work is to establish the dependences of the leakage volume of the colmatation agent, the critical time of filling the fracture from changes in the temperature field at the bottom of the injection well. A nonisothermal reservoir simulation model has been constructed showing the stages of initiation of a technogenic fracture with its subsequent colmation. The distribution of the concentration of the colmatation reagent both in the fracture and outside it, depending on the change in the temperature field at the bottom of the well, is obtained. It is determined that the volume of reagent leaks decreases if changes in the temperature field at the bottom of the injection well are considered with identical well operation parameters and geological and physical characteristics of the formation.

A review on way towards mechanized castor cultivation

Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is an important non edible oil seed crop which is known for its oil content (48–60 percent) and it accounts for 0.15% of the global production of vegetable oil. In recent years, farmers have preferred castor cultivation due to its suitability for both rainfed and irrigated conditions. But the farmers face many challenges, which includes labour scarcity, pest incidence, high input and labour costs, inadequate market information, etc. Due to a significant labour shortage, the area under this crop is gradually decreasing. The high reliance on human labour which leads to the incompletion of various agronomic operations on time. In these circumstances, the cultivation of castor by adopting various mechanization techniques for critical operations such as field preparation, sowing, fertilizer application, weeding, irrigation, crop protection measures and harvesting will be the solution for getting higher productivity and profitability by spending minimum expenses. Adapting mechanization is crucial for achieving sustainable development goals by enhancing production through timely farm operations, minimizing losses and reducing operational costs through efficient management of expensive inputs.

Fossil fuels and potential for CO 2 storage in the Slovenian part of the Pannonian Superbasin

Two Neogene sub-basins of the Miocene Extensional Pannonian Superbasin are located in Slovenia: the Mura-Zala Basin in the northeast and the Krško Basin in the east of the country. Their predominantly clastic sedimentary fill hosts diverse geoenergy resources in different geological formations. The basin evolution (e.g., very high Miocene heat flow) was not favourable for the accumulation of large amounts of hydrocarbons. Consequently, oil and gas deposits are limited to the Petišovci-Dolina field, which was discovered in 1942. The field is located along the Ormož-Selnica-Lovászi Anticline, an inverted Miocene graben structure. Currently, minor amounts of natural gas are produced from Miocene (Badenian and Pannonian) horizons, while oil production stopped in 2021. Coal deposits formed in deltaic environments during the late Pannonian and were exploited until the 1970s, in both the Mura-Zala Basin and Krško Basin. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs at depths > 800 m, saline aquifers, and deeply buried coals in the Mura-Zala Basin provide potential sites for CO 2 storage, albeit with limited volumes.

The Delumping Method as a Key Factor in obtaining a characterized Hydrocarbon Fluid using the Example of Kazakhstani Oil

The composition of hydrocarbon systems plays an essential role in ensuring reliability in field operation processes, the design of oil onshore facilities, and the availability of reliable information about the PVT properties of systems. In this article, experimental and numerical methods are used to obtain data on the component composition of the extracted oil products and their PVT properties. These methods help obtaining a detailed composition and phase state of the hydrocarbon system. The numerical delumping method is utilized in this article. It is worth noting that all calculations were made on the basis of data on the component composition of Kazakhstani oil samples. The results and comparative evaluation show that the proposed delumping mix-method has excellent consistency with the data obtained with experiments and with the Nichita’s analytical approach. In the future, the results on the detailed composition can improve and link the compositional modeling of the reservoir with the modeling of surface structures.

The Role of Economic and Environmental Variables in Green Growth: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, as one of the world’s leading oil producers, faces critical challenges in transitioning to sustainable economic growth. The heavy reliance on oil exports, coupled with rapid urbanization and environmental degradation, underscores the urgent need for green growth strategies tailored to the Kingdom’s unique socioeconomic and environmental context. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the Green Growth Index (GGI), which measures sustainable economic growth, and analyze the short-term and long-term relationships between key variables such as environmental technology diffusion, carbon emissions, financial development, GDP per capita, and urbanization. The research employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to assess the effects of various explanatory variables on the GGI, considering both immediate and delayed impacts. The model also incorporates an Error Correction Model (ECM) to evaluate the short-term dynamics and long-term equilibrium adjustments. It is found that the diffusion of environmental technologies and urbanization positively influence GGI in the short term, while CO2 emissions are also linked to growth in the short run. However, financial development negatively impacts green growth in the long term, and GDP per capita has no significant effect. The ECM indicates that urbanization and emissions are major short-term drivers, while other factors show minimal short-run influence. This paper provides new insights into the dynamics of green growth by highlighting the roles of urbanization, environmental technologies, and emissions, offering valuable policy implications for sustainable development. The findings contribute to the understanding of the complex relationships that shape green growth in both the short and long term.

Impact of offshore energy activities on trace elements content and mobility in marine sediments.

The offshore oilfields in the North Sea area are increasingly employed for projects beyond oil production, like carbon capture and storage (CCS). Still, the fossil fuel production from mature fields is significant. It has raised environmental concerns associated with discharging produced waters (PW) and drilling mud into the sea. These discharges, which may be highly saline and contain production chemicals, vary significantly in metals and particulate content. Due to density and release depth, the plume is assumed to sink towards the seafloor. Also, a single oilfield can input up to 7.5 tons of Ba, 675kg of Fe, and 619kg of P into the water column through PW. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of these discharges on seafloor sediments around two Danish oilfields, assesses the mobility of metals within these sediments, and evaluates the environmental status. PW samples were collected at the discharge outlets from the platforms. Sediment cores were taken near the two oil platforms and from control sites. Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and an optimized BCR sequential extraction, we analyzed the composition and distribution of 24 elements in sediment samples. The results revealed significant differences in total extracted concentrations between sediments near the platforms and those from distant locations and stratigraphically older samples, with relevant levels of Br, Ba, and Sn near the platforms (averaged 14, 27, and 0.1ppb, respectively). Sediment quality indices showed considerable enrichment and geo-accumulation of toxic metals, particularly at one of the platform sites. However, cumulative indices did not display significant pollution anomalies. Therefore, our findings suggest that oil extraction activities may increase the availability of toxic metals in nearby sediments, potentially impacting marine ecosystems.

Effect of fluid–shale interaction on hydraulic fracture effectiveness

The effectiveness of hydraulic fractures is one of the critical factors determining the production performance of shale oil wells. To investigate the influence of fluid–shale interaction during formation stimulation on the effectiveness of hydraulic fractures and shale oil production, first, a series of conductivity tests were performed on shale cores after soaking in different fluids, revealing the evolution rules of conductivity of propped fracture under different fluid-shale interaction mechanisms. Furthermore, by considering the fluid–shale interaction in the reservoir numerical simulation model, the impact of hydraulic fracture effectiveness evolution on shale oil well productivity and its differences in reservoirs with different permeability anisotropy were analyzed. The research results indicate that the softening of fracture surfaces caused by fluid-shale interaction causes fracture conductivity damage, and the longer the soaking time, the more severe the damage. Generally, the degree of damage on the fracture conductivity caused by water–shale interaction is higher than that caused by supercritical CO2 shale interaction under the same soaking time. When considering the damage of hydraulic fracture effectiveness caused by fluid–shale interaction, the production of shale oil wells is significantly reduced. For shale reservoirs with strong permeability anisotropy, the cumulative oil production loss caused by fluid–shale interaction is more severe than that with weak permeability anisotropy.

Lost ecosystem service costs and impact fees: Modelling scenarios for oil and gas development on U.S. public land.

The U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management regulates oil and gas development on 23 million acres of U.S. public land. The land disturbances associated with oil and gas development result in lost ecosystem service costs (LESC). LESC vary with the restorative characteristics of the land being developed, the duration of oil and gas production, the reclamation efforts that occur during production and the restoration occurring post-production. In order to understand the range and magnitude of LESC, we developed a model to quantify cumulative LESC totals for terrestrial ecosystems for 32 scenarios on a per acre basis. Total LESC calculated with a 0% discount rate range from $26,051 to $250,709 per acre depending on the years of energy production, interim reclamation rates and final restoration rates. LESC totals are lower when quantified at discount rates of 2, 4 and 10%. Internalizing LESC compensates public landowners and creates financial incentives for oil and gas companies (OGC) to reduce the initial disturbance footprint, invest in reclamation to reduce the footprint over time and to decrease the years of energy production in order to reduce the number of years between reclamation and final restoration. Charging impact fees for LESC would generate billions of dollars in revenue.

Does the resource curse exist? Evidence from oil discovery and production in Ghana

Does the resource curse exist? Evidence from oil discovery and production in Ghana

Extraction of Nickel Oxide from Spent Catalyst for Environmentally Safe Disposal

Molecular sieves are used in various industries, especially petroleum and gas processing plants, as catalysts. These materials are in contact with crude oil products. After several operational years, these materials’ activities were reduced to a nonfeasible level called spent molecular sieve. Tens of tons are disposed of annually from oil and gas companies in Iraq. The paper aims to determine the kinds and amounts of toxic materials carried by the nickel oxide sulfur bed spent catalyst and then submit the suitable treatment methods, such as leaching by water, base solution, and acid solution. Aradioactive test was first done to ensure the material was free from the radioactivity array. The material was tested for nickel oxide concentration after each step of treatment. It was found that the leaching by water reduces the content by 4.5% during 24 h of leaching and 15.5% after 7 days. The leaching by alkaline sodium hydroxide 10% concentration solution reduces the content by 7% during 24 h and 14.3% after 7 days. The 10% hydrochloric acid concentration solution leaching reduces the nickel content by 10.8 during 24 h and 65.7 after 7 days. Leaching by acid solution is more efficient in the extraction of nickel oxide. The treatment method novelty is to be carried out at reasonable temperatures with high metal extraction efficiency. The research results achieved this goal of attaining extraction at an easily achievable temperature of 70°C with a relatively good extraction rate higher than 65%.

Compositional analysis of baru (Dipteryx alata Vogel) pulp highlighting its industrial potential.

Baru (Dipteryx alata Vogel), a fruit native to the Brazilian Cerrado, has gained scientific interest due to its nutritional potential and commercial value. Its edible seed, of high commercial value, represents around 5% of the fruit. On the other hand, its pulp, a byproduct of the baru processing industry, is normally discarded, generating a huge volume of waste with reported antioxidant properties. This study investigates the composition and bioactive properties of baru pulp, aiming to identify the antioxidant components in this byproduct. Our analysis revealed that baru pulp is rich in sugars (41.86%), fiber (29.12%), and essential minerals, along with commercially valuable bioactive compounds such as trigonelline (139.10mg 100g-1), tannins (429.16mg tannin equivalent 100g-1), vitamin C (109.57mg 100g-1), and phenolic compounds such as trans-cinnamic acid (5.91mg 100g-1), chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid (1.07mg 100g-1). Industrially relevant sesquiterpenes, such as α-copaene and bicyclogermacrene, account for 42.75% of the volatile profile, alongside germacrene D (11.69%), aromadendrene (9.05%), α-cubebene (6.84%), β-elemene (5.90%), and ledene (5.82%), which are commonly used in essential oil production from other food matrices. While further studies are required to optimize extraction methods, these findings highlight baru pulp as a promising and low-cost alternative to traditional sources of bioactive compounds, with potential applications in functional food formulations and sustainable industrial processes. Specifically, the use of in natura pulp or its flour for food enrichment is recommended, supporting sustainability through the valorization of agro-industrial waste.

Organizational Immunity and its Role in Institutional Excellence: An Exploratory Study from Employees' Perspectives at the Oil Products Distribution Company / Ministry of Oil

This research study investigates the impact of organizational immunity on the attainment of institutional excellence at the Oil Products Distribution Company of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. The components that encapsulate organizational immunity include but are not limited to organizational learning, organizational memory, and organizational DNA, which together empower the organization for adaptive response in the face of challenges and the resilience to bounce back. From here, an institution is expected to demonstrate excellence in leadership, in human resources, in service quality, and in organizational culture. The study further states that there is a positive significant relationship between the tenets of organizational immunity and institutional excellence. Thus, enhanced institutional immunity creates institutional resilience, which enables taking care of stability, adaptability to the environment, and sustainable competitive advantage. Results show that organization learning and memory contribute significantly to institutional excellence in building the retention and adaptability of knowledge in the pro-active response to challenges. The study, therefore, emphasizes the need for improving organizational learning through continuous development programs and using organizational memory to ensure consistency within decision-making and operational success. It also underscores the importance of culture-building on resilience and adaptability toward creating institutional excellence sustainable over time and positioning the organization for competitive advantage and growth.