Tool String Research Articles

Transcriptomic Characterization of Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum, Cuvier, 1818) Exposed to Three Climate Change Scenarios.

Climate change substantially affects biodiversity around the world, especially in the Amazon region, which is home to a significant portion of the world’s biodiversity. Freshwater fishes are susceptible to increases in water temperature and variations in the concentrations of dissolved gases, especially oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is important to understand the mechanisms underlying the physiological and biochemical abilities of fishes to survive such environmental changes. In the present study, we applied RNA-Seq and de novo transcriptome sequencing to evaluate transcriptome alterations in tambaqui when exposed to five or fifteen days of the B1, A1B and A2 climate scenarios foreseen by the IPCC. The generated ESTs were assembled into 54,206 contigs. Gene ontology analysis and the STRING tool were then used to identify candidate protein domains, genes and gene families potentially responsible for the adaptation of tambaqui to climate changes. After sequencing eight RNA-Seq libraries, 32,512 genes were identified and mapped using the Danio rerio genome as a reference. In total, 236 and 209 genes were differentially expressed at five and fifteen days, respectively, including chaperones, energetic metabolism-related genes, translation initiation factors and ribosomal genes. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that mitochondrion, protein binding, protein metabolic process, metabolic processes, gene expression, structural constituent of ribosome and translation were the most represented terms. In addition, 1,202 simple sequence repeats were detected, 88 of which qualified for primer design. These results show that cellular response to climate change in tambaqui is complex, involving many genes, and it may be controlled by different cues and transcription/translation regulation mechanisms. The data generated from this study provide a valuable resource for further studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in the adaptation of tambaqui and other closely related teleost species to climate change.

Mechanical Calculation for Workover String in Highly-Deviated and Horizontal Well

Force analysis and calculation of workover string in the highly-deviated and horizontal well is the basis of designing and checking string strength, selecting tools and determining operation parameters, which determines the operation safety and success of engineering accidence treatment. In this paper, by comprehensive consideration of wellbore structure, string assembly, string load and workover operation conditions, the workover string mechanical model has been built under three kinds of working states of lifting, lowering and rotating. The downhole string mechanics has been analyzed and calculated. By field verification, the string assembly, tool selection and operation parameter optimization can be achieved, which can improve the safety and success rates of workover engineering accident treatment.

IODP Expedition 356: Drilling to reveal a 5 million year carbonate and subsidence history on the Northwest Shelf of Australia

The late Cenozoic carbonates of the Northwest Shelf are important subsidence history archives that also cause significant sonic velocity problems affecting seismic imaging of underlying strata. Despite their substantial thickness and areal extent, these carbonates have been sampled only in engineering foundation boreholes and as cuttings and rare sidewall cores in petroleum wells. In August-September 2015 the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) will drill a transect of shelf to shelf margin cores in this region. Six sites will be drilled over 10° latitude from the Perth Basin to the Bedout sub-basin by RV JOIDES Resolution with continuously cored penetrations of 300 m to 1.1 km. An array of shipboard and post-cruise biostratigraphic, sedimentological and geochemical analyses will be carried out on these cores to achieve three primary aims: 1. Provide empirical input into the spatiotemporal patterns of subsidence along Northwest Australia that can be used to place fundamental constraints on the interaction between Australian plate motion and mantle convection and to ground truth geodynamic models. 2. Determine the timing and variability of regional oceanographic features in order to understand the controls on Neogene carbonate stratigraphy and reef development. 3. Obtain a tropical to subtropical climate and ocean archive, directly comparable to deep-ocean oxygen isotope and ice-core archives, to chart the variability of the Australian monsoon and the onset of aridity in northwestern Australia. Each site will be triple cored using a combination of Advanced Piston Coring (APC), Extended Core Barrel (XCB) and Rotary Core Barrel (RCB). An array of downhole measurements will be taken using three standard IODP tool string configurations: the triple combination (triple combo), Formation MicroScanner (FMS)-sonic, and Versatile Seismic Imager (VSI). These will be used to correlate the cores to regional multichannel seismic profiles in order to gain a better understanding of Northwest Shelf stratigraphy and neotectonics.

Transcriptomes analysis of Aeromonas molluscorum Av27 cells exposed to tributyltin (TBT): Unravelling the effects from the molecular level to the organism

Aeromonas molluscorum Av27 cells were exposed to 0, 5 and 50 μM of TBT and the respective transcriptomes were obtained by pyrosequencing. Gene Ontology revealed that exposure to 5 μM TBT results in a higher number of repressed genes in contrast with 50 μM of TBT, where the number of over-expressed genes is greater. At both TBT concentrations, higher variations in gene expression were found in the functional categories associated with enzymatic activities, transport/binding and oxidation-reduction. A number of proteins are affected by TBT, such as the acriflavin resistance protein, several transcription-related proteins, several Hsps, ABC transporters, CorA and ZntB and other outer membrane efflux proteins, all of these involved in cellular metabolic processes, important to maintain overall cell viability.Using the STRING tool, several proteins with unknown function were related with others involved in degradation processes, such as the pyoverdine chromophore biosynthetic protein, that has been described as playing a role in the Sn–C cleavage of organotins.This approach has allowed a better understanding of the molecular effects of exposure of bacterial cells to TBT. Furthermore it contributes to the knowledge of the functional genomic aspects of bacteria exposed to this pollutant. Furthermore, the transcriptomic data gathered, and now publically available, constitute a valuable resource for comparative genome analysis.

Guest Editorial: Keeping Reservoir Stewardship on Course

Guest Editorial The French term, déja vu, which means literally “already seen,” is the feeling that you have previously experienced something you are currently experiencing. Two thirds of adults claim to have sensed this phenomenon, but this figure rises to 100% when one considers professionals in the oil and gas industry, which is undergoing yet another boom-and-bust cycle. Besides the real concern that the recently announced staff layoffs will only hasten the “big crew change” (as some “golden oldies” may decide to call it a day this time around), one hopes that operators will maintain good stewardship of their wells and fields and resist the temptation to cut back on essential data acquisition. Reservoir stewardship, in which operators accept the responsibility to shepherd and safeguard the assets of a company or a country, involves the periodic review of asset performance to ensure productivity and recovery targets are met and maintained, and to guide future work plans. Continuous reservoir appraisal and surveillance are essential to minimize production losses from downtime in wells, facilities, and export systems. Unfortunately, it is evident that some operators (and governments) pay only lip service to good reservoir stewardship, especially when oil and gas prices are low. Sometime ago, I read a student thesis that looked at options for reducing costs in the unconventional “factory drilling” process. It concluded that significant time and money could be saved if formation evaluation services were eliminated from the well program. The project sponsor was happy with the result and the student graduated, but I was appalled that this suggestion could ever be taken seriously. Unconventional reservoirs have complex pore systems, very low interparticle permeability, contain free and adsorbed gas, and exhibit variable water salinity, all of which make their characterization a major challenge for the geoscientist. Therefore, more core data (not less) are needed to calibrate the responses of logging suites, which also require enhanced measurement services as opposed to standard tool strings. The taking of core permits subsequent rock typing to include dynamic properties and fracturability and allows partitioning of the reservoir into zones that reflect quartz content and producibility.

Cement-Integrity-Evaluation Solution in Extended-Reach Wells in the South China Sea

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 25027, “Solution to Cement-Integrity Evaluation in Long Extended-Reach Wells: New Record in the South China Sea,” by Jun Cai, Yongde Gao, and Mingjie Zhang, CNOOC, and Lei Cui and Hongzhi Guo, SPE, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2014 Offshore Technology Conference Asia, Kuala Lumpur, 25–28 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The combination of ultrasonic pulse-echo and flexural-attenuation measurements was adopted in this project in the South China Sea for cement-integrity evaluation. This new method aids in understanding why integrity losses occur in certain sections, by analyzing third-interface information uniquely provided by flexural-wave imaging, and in formulating improvement actions for future cementing jobs. This method achieves a more-explicit cement-integrity-evaluation result with detailed graphical annulus information compared with the limited output from conventional acoustic measurements. Introduction In the Weizhou field in the South China Sea, most of the development wells are drilled as long extended-reach wells with a deviation greater than 70°. The wells are designed to reach more than 70° deviation at a very shallow depth (approximately 900 m) compared with the total depth of the well (approximately 4500 m). In a typical well, surface casing (13.375 in.) runs beyond the kick-off point and reaches maximum deviation of the well at a shallow depth (approximately 900 m). Intermediate casing (9.625. in.) runs from surface to more than 4000 m, with three different fluids/ slurries pumped in the annulus: regular-weight tail cement (1.90 g/cm3), freshwater displacement cement, and lightweight lead cement (1.58 g/ cm3). The completion liner (7 in.) hangs on the intermediate casing, with 1.90-g/cm3 cement pumped in the annulus. A campaign was planned to perform cement-integrity evaluation in five wells (A9, A10, A1, A2, and A3). The basic information about these five wells is listed in Table 1 of the complete paper. The objective for Well A9 was to evaluate the 7-in. completion casing, and the objective for the remaining four wells was to evaluate the 9.625-in. intermediate casing. The well profile and completion pose several challenges: Cementing highly deviated wells has uncertainties associated with cement placement because of the likelihood of poor mud removal, which is generally caused by pipe eccentering. Intermediate casing is cemented with both regular-weight and lightweight cements. A more advanced method to evaluate the material in the annulus independently of its density is required for this project. The geometry of casing in the borehole is important information in this type of well because it is the main factor affecting the cement placement in the annulus. The logging tool string is not able to be conveyed by wireline only because of the high deviation along the wellbore. An alternative conveyance needs to be performed in an efficient manner.to save rig cost. For a discussion of the conveyance-selection process that resulted in the selection of a wireline tractor, please see the complete paper.

The impact of heavy-weight drill pipe on the spectrum of longitudinal oscillations boring tool

When drilling holes in the operation breed destructive tool and drill string are destroyed as a result of elastic vibrations and static and external loads. Therefore, the actual problem is the study of the spectrum of natural vibrations of the drill string, depending on its layout (number of sections), the total length of the sections, the cross-section of drill pipe. The development of methods for determining the frequency range for each configuration of the drill string will predict the emergence of high-profile areas. The development of methods for determining the frequency range for each configuration of the drill string will predict the emergence of high-profile areas. The use of the boring tool for these unwanted frequencies, but in case of accidents (stuck drill string) vibration method should be adjusted exactly to the resonance frequency.

Technology Update: Rethinking Gas Lift Intervention

Technology Update Gas lift is an artificial lift technique used in wells in which the natural reservoir pressure is insufficient to deliver fluids to the surface in the initial production stage or has depleted to the point of being incapable of bringing fluids to the surface. Gas is delivered from surface-based compressors by way of the annulus between the casing and production tubing to a series of gas lift mandrels (conduits), which are positioned at strategic points within the production tubing string. When a predetermined gas pressure is reached, valves that are set within the mandrels open, causing gas to be “injected” into the production tubing, thus reducing the density of produced fluid and enabling flowback to the surface. Various types of valves are used in gas lift mandrels, depending on the need of the well. These valves are typically preinstalled and deployed with the production tubing string during well completion and may need replacement later in the life of the well. This will require an intervention. When designing a gas lift completion, engineers must consider a range of factors such as the availability of gas and the infrastructure on surface to process and deliver the gas into the well. Placement of the mandrel within the completion string is also critical when planning for production optimization and future intervention strategy. The industry remains cautious when designing gas lift completions, tending to place gas lift mandrels in areas of the well that are considered accessible when using standard slickline techniques. Most operators, if possible, place mandrels at no more than a 60° deviation within the completion string. However, this approach can lead to a suboptimal gas lift completion, with the benefit of optimizing production rates, by placing mandrels at greater true vertical depth, sacrificed for ensuring the ease of intervention access. Effective gas lift remediation has been a major challenge for the well intervention service industry and has not advanced significantly in terms of technique or operational efficiency. Slickline tools and methods are generally the same as those used when gas lift was introduced to the market about 40 years ago. Kickover tools deployed by slickline are used to undertake the vast majority of gas lift valve maintenance. The kickover tool is attached to the bottom of a standard tool string, which includes stem (mass) and mechanical jars that are positioned just above the tool. The mechanical jars deliver a critical upward and downward shock load during valve setting and retrieval. The tool string may also include power jars to deliver a significant upward jarring force when retrieving valves, if required.

Exploring beta-tubulin-protein interactome using computational techniques

The control of cell division is a cardinal issue in the field of cancer therapy. Indeed, beta-tubulin is an essential protein in cell division process. Therefore it is the prime target of many cancer types such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer etc. Paclitaxel is one of the most widely used anti-cancer agents for the inhibition of beta tubulin function. Although treatment with paclitaxel often works well initially, many patients develop resistance after chronic exposure to an anti-cancer agent. Of note, hampering the activity of key proteins which interact with beta-tubulin will consequently hinder the rapid cell division during tumor formation. Keeping this in mind, the STRING tool was employed in the present investigation to derive a large network of genome level protein-protein interaction with proteins as nodes and interactions as edges. A computational approach to predict such interactions is recommended as it integrates information from several sources to generate a detailed interactome. Subsequently, the proteins obtained were divided into different groups based on their functional role by k-means clustering algorithm. The grouping into clusters assisted in picking out proteins that had regulatory roles and had connections with cancer pathways as well. We certainly hope that these proteins can be shortlisted as alternative targets to beta-tubulin in cancer chemotherapy.

Workover String Mechanical Model and Calculation of Slanted and Horizontal Well

Force analysis and calculation of workover string in the slanted and horizontal well are the basis of designing and checking string strength, selecting tools and determining operation parameters, which determine the operation safety and success of engineering accidence treatment. In this paper, by comprehensive consideration of wellbore structure, string assembly, string load and workover operation conditions, the workover string mechanical model has been built under three kinds of working states of lifting, lowering and rotating. The downhole string mechanics has been analyzed and calculated. By field verification, the string assembly, tool selection and operation parameter optimization can be achieved, which can improve the safety and success rates of workover engineering accident treatment.

Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis reveals potential biomarkers and pathways in renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common malignancies in adults, and there is still no acknowledged biomarker for its diagnosis, prognosis, recurrence monitoring, and treatment stratification. Besides, little is known about the post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins in RCC. Here, we performed quantitative proteomic analysis on 12 matched pairs of clear cell RCC (ccRCC) and adjacent kidney tissues using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLCMS/MS) and Progenesis LC-MS software (label-free) to identify and quantify the dysregulated proteins. A total of 1872 and 1927 proteins were identified in ccRCC and adjacent kidney tissues, respectively. Among these proteins, 1037 proteins were quantified by Progenesis LC-MS, and 213 proteins were identified as dysregulated proteins between ccRCC and adjacent tissues. Pathway analysis using IPA, STRING, and David tools was performed, which demonstrated the enrichment of cancer-related signaling pathways and biological processes such as mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic pathway, cell death, and acetylation. Dysregulation of two mitochondrial proteins, acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) were selected and confirmed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays using another 6 pairs of ccRCC and adjacent tissues. Further mass spectrometry analysis indicated that both ACAT1 and MnSOD had characterized acetylation at lysine residues, which is the first time to identify acetylation of ACAT1 and MnSOD in ccRCC. Collectively, these data revealed a number of dysregulated proteins and signaling pathways by label-free quantitative proteomic approach in RCC, which shed light on potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic molecular targets for clinical intervention of RCC.

Genes Involved in the Osteoarthritis Process Identified through Genome Wide Expression Analysis in Articular Cartilage; the RAAK Study

ObjectiveIdentify gene expression profiles associated with OA processes in articular cartilage and determine pathways changing during the disease process.MethodsGenome wide gene expression was determined in paired samples of OA affected and preserved cartilage of the same joint using microarray analysis for 33 patients of the RAAK study. Results were replicated in independent samples by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Profiles were analyzed with the online analysis tools DAVID and STRING to identify enrichment for specific pathways and protein-protein interactions.ResultsAmong the 1717 genes that were significantly differently expressed between OA affected and preserved cartilage we found significant enrichment for genes involved in skeletal development (e.g. TNFRSF11B and FRZB). Also several inflammatory genes such as CD55, PTGES and TNFAIP6, previously identified in within-joint analyses as well as in analyses comparing preserved cartilage from OA affected joints versus healthy cartilage were among the top genes. Of note was the high up-regulation of NGF in OA cartilage. RT-qPCR confirmed differential expression for 18 out of 19 genes with expression changes of 2-fold or higher, and immunohistochemistry of selected genes showed a concordant change in protein expression. Most of these changes associated with OA severity (Mankin score) but were independent of joint-site or sex.ConclusionWe provide further insights into the ongoing OA pathophysiological processes in cartilage, in particular into differences in macroscopically intact cartilage compared to OA affected cartilage, which seem relatively consistent and independent of sex or joint. We advocate that development of treatment could benefit by focusing on these similarities in gene expression changes and/or pathways.

Analysis of differentially expressed genes in malignant biliary strictures.

Microarray data were collected from bile duct samples from subjects with malignant biliary strictures by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to screen for key genes associated with this disease. A predicted interaction network was constructed for these genes to interpret their functions. The gene expression dataset GSE34166 (10 samples: 6 malignant and 4 benign control samples) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. R package scripts were used to process the data and screen for differentially expressed genes. Genes identified were uploaded to the analysis tool String 8.3 to generate a gene interaction network. A hub gene was identified by calculating the node degree. The interaction network of the hub gene with other genes in the human genome was constructed and screened (score >0.9), and pathway-enrichment analysis was performed to elucidate the hub gene function. In total, 377 differentially expressed genes were identified and a network comprising 209 pairs of interactions was constructed. The most critical hub gene was identified as GSTA1, and a GSTA1-based interaction network was constructed consisting of 25 genes (containing the differentially expressed gene GSTA3). The cytochrome P450 (CYP450)-metabolic pathway displayed the most significant enrichment. Additionally, 4 transcription factors and their binding sites were also identified. In conclusion, we have identified the differentially expressed genes GSTA1 (a hub gene) and GSTA3, which may cause abnormal gene expression and tumorigenesis through CYP450-metabolic pathways. The transcription factors and their binding sites in the promoter of the hub gene provide potential directions for future drug design.

Stuck Coiled Tubing: Risks in a Complex Operating Environment

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 163914, ’Stuck Coiled Tubing: Addressing the Risks in a Complex Operating Environment,’ by Rex Burgos, SPE, and Robin Mallalieu, SPE, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2013 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing & Well Intervention Conference & Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, 26-27 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Sticking the coiled tubing (CT) is a major operational risk when performing a well intervention with CT. Stuck-pipe incidents often result in considerable production delay or, in the worst case, loss of the well. Mechanisms for dealing with stuck pipe are varied. Over the last decade, the profile of wells in which CT intervention has been used has evolved. The operating environment for today’s intervention can be more challenging, involving difficulties in wellbore trajectory, complexities in the completion, and an array of sophisticated tool assemblies that require conveyance. During this period, the approach to stuck-pipe avoidance or prevention has remained more or less unchanged. Introduction During the 10-year period of this study, several developments in the manner in which oil and gas wells are drilled and completed resulted in a change in the complexity of performing CT well interventions. An increase in intervention activity in horizontal or highly deviated extended-reach wells was found across most operating areas. The type of completions in several of these wells required running more-sophisticated bottomhole assemblies (BHAs) to achieve objectives similar to those in a less-aggressive well-bore environment. An example is the need to run tractors or vibrators in tandem with more standard tools to reach bottom and perform fill removal in extended-reach wells. Also, the great depths and complexity of these completions increased the time required to perform most interventions. Thus, there was a need for improving operational efficiency, which typically took the form of performing fewer runs to achieve the intervention objective, usually through the use of multifunction BHAs to eliminate tripping runs to the surface to change the configuration of the tool string. Unfortunately, additional complexity in the tool string, whether through added components or a more-elaborate design, typically added risk, including greater potential for sticking. Data collected for the period 2001–2010 showed that sticking incidents during CT interventions increased. Comparing data for the first 3 years (2001–2003) to data for the last 3 years (2008–2010), the number of reported sticking incidents increased more than threefold. Because the activity levels for the periods were not identical (increased by approximately 50% from one period to the next), a more-representative measure was found with a jobs-between-incidents (JBI) comparison. The JBI for the 2001–2003 period was 926, while the JBI for the 2008–2010 period was 524, a 43% deterioration in the JBI metric and an undesirable trend for this type of intervention activity.

Reservoir Testing System Evolves to Meet New Frontier Challenges

Technology Update As today’s deep wells challenge the bounds of pressure and temperature, accurate reservoir testing has become essential to mitigate production risk. The information contained in a series of downhole pressure transient measurements and representative reservoir fluid samples can make or break a prospect’s potential. The consistent and accurate acquisition of this information requires the precision instrumentation and functionality of a drillstem testing system. Whereas excellent downhole logging instruments can describe the near-borehole regions, only a drillstem test can reach deeply into the reservoir to discover boundaries, faults, and fractures; confirm volumetric reserves estimations; and acquire the cleanest, most representative fluid samples to provide accurate fluid phase behavior, physical properties, and com-positional analyses. Safety, Reliability, and Efficiency The Schlumberger Quartet high-performance downhole reservoir testing system combines four proven downhole technologies into a package that can isolate the zone, control flow, measure pressure and temperature, and acquire multiple single-phase reservoir fluid samples on a single trip into the well. The system provides enhanced safety, increased efficiency, and improved reliability to testing operations. Compared with conventional downhole test strings, the system functions with a 35% lower tool operating pressure, 50% fewer seals, and 60% fewer connections, while requiring 90% less nitrogen. The system is four times shorter than a conventional tool string because it eliminates the requirement for a safety joint, jar, slip joints, and drill collars. Despite its smaller size, the system is sufficiently durable to permit perforating guns to be run below the packer and fired without incurring damage to the tools or impairing their accuracy or integrity. The system also includes a below-packer circulating valve to allow a more efficient well kill following the test, which is especially important when testing gas wells. Each of the four tools that make up the downhole reservoir testing system operates individually and collectively to perform the test. The CERTIS high-integrity reservoir test isolation system delivers production-quality well isolation. The isolation system combines the features of a retrievable drillstem test packer with a hydraulically set permanent packer, making the safety joint, jar, slip joints, and drill collars unnecessary. Because the system is actuated by annulus pressure, no rotational or set down forces are required.

Downhole Visualization Software Brings Sandface Completions Into Real-Time Age

This article, written by Editorial Manager Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper OTC 23626, ’Sandface Completions Enter the Real-Time Age With One-ofa- Kind Downhole Visualization Tool,’ by Tommy Grigsby, SPE, Ricki Jannise, SPE, Raymond Rubio, and Darrin Towers, Halliburton, prepared for the 2012 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 20 April-3 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The operation of downhole sandface tools has relied upon depth measurements, downhole indicators that use applied tension or compression noted on a surface weight indicator, and hydraulic pressure to verify service-tool positions in relation to the sandface assembly. The introduction of multiple-zone one-trip sandface completion systems led to the development of a visualization tool that provides the tool operator with additional information to validate conventional tool-locating methods. The Real-Time Visualization Service (RTVS) package provides detailed visualization of the sandface assembly, including the service string, providing another tool-location validation method and a prejob planning tool. The visualization software provides the capability to monitor operations at the rigsite or remotely from a real-time-monitoring site or home personal computer. Development Drivers A number of factors have converged to drive the development of real-time downhole visualization capability. First, well depths and well deviations are increasing. The Lower Tertiary play in the Gulf of Mexico has potential well depths to 33,000 ft, while other areas in the deepwater golden triangle use horizontal sandface completions with increasing horizontal lengths. Second, sandface completions have become increasingly complex as interval lengths have increased and interval segmentation is required to stimulate the reservoir effectively. Third, the higher rig rates for deep water have highlighted the need to reduce work-string trips and time by using tools that are multifunctional, adding further complexity. The RTVS system will use data from hookload, block movement, annulus pressure, and tubing pressure, along with a sophisticated algorithm that compensates for temperature and pipe ballooning. The program includes a visualization package that depicts the entire bottomhole sandface assembly, which is composed of the packer and screen assembly with the service tool string installed inside. Once at depth, the packer is set, anchoring the sandface assembly. The service string is then released, and the tool positions are determined for squeeze, circulating, and reverse positions for each interval to be treated. Completion-Planning Process The completion planning for the RTVS service is a stepped process, similar to what is being done today with the exception of more detail in each planning step. The planning process has three phases: prejob planning, real-time monitoring, and post-job analysis. Prejob Planning. Once the well completion is defined, a step-by-step completion procedure is created. A detailed completion schematic will normally accompany the completion procedure and is provided by the service provider. The completion schematic will list the specific completion equipment for the procedure and provides the proposed component depth, length, outside diameter, and inside diameter.

Stress Analysis on Drilling String Vibration in Gas Drilling

Using the finite element method, attempting to solve the serious drilling tools failure in gas drilling, this paper modelled the transient response of string vibration, and worked out the distribution regularity of the transient stress at two different drilling states: gas and mud drilling. Research shows that the stress fluctuation in gas drilling is greater than that in mud drilling; the alternate stress under such two drilling conditions has the same value relationship as those of stress fluctuation. The string vibration level is gradually increasing from the head to the bottom of the well Thus it is easier to cause the drill string fatigue failure. Such mechanism analysis, which explains the cause of string tools failure, provides guidance in drilling string design optimization.

Relevant Networks involving the p53 Signalling Pathway in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Introduction: Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. A better understanding of the critical pathways and interactions associated with alterations in renal function and renal tumour properties is required. Our final goal is to combine the knowledge provided by a regulatory network with experimental observations provided by the dataset. Methods: In this study, a systems biology approach was used, integrating immunohistochemistry protein expression profiles and protein interaction information with the STRING and MeV bioinformatics tools. A group consisting of 80 patients with renal cell carcinoma was studied. The expression of selected markers was assessed using tissue microarray technology on immunohistochemically stained slides. The immunohistochemical data of the molecular factors studied were analysed using a parametric statistical test, Pearson's correlation coefficient test. Results: Bioinformatics analysis of tumour samples resulted in 2 protein networks. The first network consists of proteins involved in the angiogenesis pathway and the apoptosis suppressor, BCL2, and includes both positive and negative correlations. The second network shows a negative interaction between the p53 tumour suppressor protein and the glucose transporter type 4. Conclusion: The comprehensive pathway network will help us to realise the cooperative behaviours among pathways. Regulation of metabolic pathways is an important role of p53. The pathway involving the tumour suppressor gene p53 could regulate tumour angiogenesis. Further investigation of the proteins that interact with this pathway in this type of tumour may provide new strategies for cancer therapies to specifically inhibit the molecules that play crucial roles in tumour progression.

Proteomic analysis of the interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) response in hepatitis B virus‐positive human hepatocelluar carcinoma cell line HepG2.2.15

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. In recent decades, significant progress toward understanding the molecular virology and pathogenesis of HBV infection has been made. In addition, multiple treatment modalities have been developed for persons with HBV infection. In the present study, we demonstrated that IL-4 inhibits the expression of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B e antigen in a HBV stably transfected hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2.2.15). To reveal the anti-HBV mechanism of IL-4 by proteomics, 2-DE and MS technology were utilized to profile global changes in protein expression in HepG2.2.15 cells after IL-4 treatment. A total of 56 differentially expressed proteins were identified in IL-4-treated HepG2.2.15 cells. To find out the interaction of these changed proteins by bioinformatics, signaling network analysis with the STRING tool showed that the identified proteins are primarily involved in transcription and proteolysis. Taken together, these results offer valuable clues for understanding the molecular mechanisms of the IL-4-mediated anti-HBV response.

Experimental study of gas-water elongated bubble flow during production logging

In order to improve the interpretation of production log data on gas-water elongated bubble (EB) flow in horizontal wells, a multi-phase flow simulation device was set up to conduct a series of measurement experiments using air and tap water as test media, which were measured using a real production logging tool (PLT) string at different deviations and in different mixed flow state s. By understanding the characteristics and mechanisms of gas-water EB flow in transparent experimental boreholes during production logging, combined with an analysis of the production log response characteristics and experimental production logging flow pattern maps, a method for flow pattern identification relying on log responses and a drift-flux model wer e proposed for gas-water EB flow. This m odel, built upon experimental data of EB flow, reveals physical mechanisms of gas-water EB flow during measurement processing. Th e coefficients it contains are the specific values under experimental conditions and with the PLT string used in our experiments. These coefficients also reveal the interference with original downhole flow patterns by the PLT string. Due to the representativeness that our simulated flow experiments and PLT string possess, the model coefficients can be applied as empirical values of logging interpretation model parameters directly to real production logging data interpretation, when the measurement circumstances and PLT strings are similar.