Optimizing Geothermal Drilling: Oil and Gas Technology Transfer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tilley, Mitch; Eustes, Alfred; Visser, Charles

There is a significant amount of financial risk associated with geothermal drilling; however, there are opportunities to improve upon current practices and technologies used. The scope of this drilling operational study included 21 geothermal wells and 21 oil and gas wells. The goal was to determine a 'perfect well' using historical data to compare the best oil and gas well to the best geothermal well. Unfortunately, limitations encountered in the study included missing data (bit records, mud information, etc.), poor data collection, and difficult to ascertain handwriting. An online software database was used to format drilling data to IADC codedmore » daily drilling reports and generate analysis figures. Six major issues have been found in geothermal drilling operations. These problems include lost circulation, rig/equipment selection, cementing, penetration rate, drilling program, and time management. As a result of these issues, geothermal drilling averages 56.4 days longer than drilling comparable oil and gas wells in the wells in this study. Roughly $13.9 million would be lost due to non-productive time in the 21 geothermal wells and only $1.3 million in the oil and gas wells, assuming a cost of $50,000 per day. Comparable events such as drilling the same sized hole, tripping in/out, cementing, and running the same size casing took substantially less time in the oil and gas wells. Geothermal wells were drilled using older and/or less advanced technology to depths less than 10,000 feet, while oil and gas wells reached 12,500 feet faster with purpose built rigs. A new approach is now underway that will optimize drilling programs throughout the drilling industry. It is the use of Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE) as a tool to realize efficient drilling processes. However, a work-flow must also be established in order for there to be an efficient drilling program. Potential improvements for current geothermal operations are: the use of electronic records, real time services, and official glossary terms to describe rig operations, and advanced drilling rigs/technology.« less

30 CFR 282.22 - Delineation Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... CONTINENTAL SHELF FOR MINERALS OTHER THAN OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR Obligations and Responsibilities of Lessees... operation in the environment which will be encountered. (e) Maps showing the proposed locations of test drill holes, the anticipated depth of penetration of test drill holes, the locations where surficial...

OPTIMIZATION OF MUD HAMMER DRILLING PERFORMANCE - A PROGRAM TO BENCHMARK THE VIABILITY OF ADVANCED MUD HAMMER DRILLING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arnis Judzis

2002-10-01

This document details the progress to date on the OPTIMIZATION OF MUD HAMMER DRILLING PERFORMANCE -- A PROGRAM TO BENCHMARK THE VIABILITY OF ADVANCED MUD HAMMER DRILLING contract for the quarter starting July 2002 through September 2002. Even though we are awaiting the optimization portion of the testing program, accomplishments include the following: (1) Smith International agreed to participate in the DOE Mud Hammer program. (2) Smith International chromed collars for upcoming benchmark tests at TerraTek, now scheduled for 4Q 2002. (3) ConocoPhillips had a field trial of the Smith fluid hammer offshore Vietnam. The hammer functioned properly, though themore » well encountered hole conditions and reaming problems. ConocoPhillips plan another field trial as a result. (4) DOE/NETL extended the contract for the fluid hammer program to allow Novatek to ''optimize'' their much delayed tool to 2003 and to allow Smith International to add ''benchmarking'' tests in light of SDS Digger Tools' current financial inability to participate. (5) ConocoPhillips joined the Industry Advisors for the mud hammer program. (6) TerraTek acknowledges Smith International, BP America, PDVSA, and ConocoPhillips for cost-sharing the Smith benchmarking tests allowing extension of the contract to complete the optimizations.« less

Geothermal space heating for the Senior Citizens Center at Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mancini, T.R.; Chaturvedi, L.N.; Gebhard, T.G.

A demonstration project to heat the Senior Citizens Center at Truth or Consequences, New Mexico with geothermal waters is described. There were three phases to the project: Phase I - design and permitting; Phase II - installation of the heating system and well drilling; and Phase III - operation of the system. All three phases went well and there was only one major problem encountered. This was that the well which was drilled to serve as the geothermal source was dry. This could not have been anticipated and there was, as a contingency plan, the option of using an existingmore » sump in the Teen Center adjacent to the Senior Citizens Center as the geothermal source. The system was made operational in August of 1981 and has virtually supplied all of the heat to the Senior Citizens Center during this winter.« less

Comparison of early exploration at Platanares (Honduras) and Wairakei (New Zealand)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truesdell, A.H.; Glover, R.B.; Janik, C.J.; Brown, K.L.; Goff, F.

1989-01-01

Early exploration at Wairakei, New Zealand, is compared with the present state of exploration of Platanares, Honduras. In retrospect, geothermometer temperatures favor Platanares (e.g., 220 vs. 190??C for Na-K-Ca), but two 600-m drill holes encountered lower temperatures (160??C). Wairakei, explored before the advent of chemical geothermometry, also had disappointing early drilling results (but better than Platanares; one of the first six holes hit T > 180??C). The Wairakei drilling program was nevertheless continued at full speed and by well 20 a successful drilling strategy was discovered.

30 CFR 250.444 - What are the choke manifold requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.444 What are the choke... corrosiveness, volume, and abrasiveness of drilling fluids and well fluids that you may encounter. (b) Choke...

30 CFR 250.444 - What are the choke manifold requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.444 What are the choke manifold..., and abrasiveness of drilling fluids and well fluids that you may encounter. (b) Choke manifold...

30 CFR 250.444 - What are the choke manifold requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.444 What are the choke manifold..., and abrasiveness of drilling fluids and well fluids that you may encounter. (b) Choke manifold...

30 CFR 250.444 - What are the choke manifold requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements § 250.444 What are the choke manifold..., and abrasiveness of drilling fluids and well fluids that you may encounter. (b) Choke manifold...

Investigation of mud density and weighting materials effect on drilling fluid filter cake properties and formation damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fattah, K. A.; Lashin, A.

2016-05-01

Drilling fluid density/type is an important factor in drilling and production operations. Most of encountered problems during rotary drilling are related to drilling mud types and weights. This paper aims to investigate the effect of mud weight on filter cake properties and formation damage through two experimental approaches. In the first approach, seven water-based drilling fluid samples with same composition are prepared with different densities (9.0-12.0 lb/gal) and examined to select the optimum mud weight that has less damage. The second approach deals with investigating the possible effect of the different weighting materials (BaSO4 and CaCO3) on filter cake properties. High pressure/high temperature loss tests and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses were carried out on the filter cake (two selected samples). Data analysis has revealed that mud weigh of 9.5 lb/gal has the less reduction in permeability of ceramic disk, among the seven used mud densities. Above 10.5 ppg the effect of the mud weight density on formation damage is stabilized at constant value. Fluids of CaCO3-based weighting material, has less reduction in the porosity (9.14%) and permeability (25%) of the filter disk properties than the BaSO4-based fluid. The produced filter cake porosity increases (from 0.735 to 0.859) with decreasing of fluid density in case of drilling samples of different densities. The filtration loss tests indicated that CaCO3 filter cake porosity (0.52) is less than that of the BaSO4 weighted material (0.814). The thickness of the filter cake of the BaSO4-based fluid is large and can cause some problems. The SEM analysis shows that some major elements do occur on the tested samples (Ca, Al, Si, and Ba), with dominance of Ca on the expense of Ba for the CaCO3 fluid sample and vice versa. The less effect of 9.5 lb/gal mud sample is reflected in the well-produced inter-particle pore structure and relatively crystal size. A general recommendation is given to minimize the future utilization of Barium Sulfate as a drilling fluid.

Reaction of Rhyolitic Magma to its Interception by the IDDP-1 Well, Krafla, 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saubin, É.; Kennedy, B.; Tuffen, H.; Villeneuve, M.; Watson, T.; Nichols, A. R.; Schipper, I.; Cole, J. W.; Mortensen, A. K.; Zierenberg, R. A.

2017-12-01

The unexpected encounter of rhyolitic magma during IDDP-1 geothermal borehole drilling at Krafla, Iceland in 2009, temporarily created the world's hottest geothermal well. This allowed new questions to be addressed. i) How does magma react to drilling? ii) Are the margins of a magma chamber suitable for long-term extraction of supercritical fluids? To investigate these questions, we aim to reconstruct the degassing and deformation behaviour of the enigmatic magma by looking for correlations between textures in rhyolitic material retrieved from the borehole and the recorded drilling data. During drilling, difficulties were encountered in two zones, at 2070 m and below 2093 m depth. Drilling parameters are consistent with the drill bit encountering a high permeability zone and the contact zone of a magma chamber, respectively. Magma was intercepted three times between 2101-2104.4 m depth, which culminated in an increase in standpipe pressure followed by a decrease in weight on bit interpreted as representing the ascent of magma within the borehole. Circulation returned one hour after the last interception, carrying cuttings of glassy particles, felsite with granophyre and contaminant clasts from drilling, which were sampled as a time-series for the following 9 hours. The nature of glassy particles in this time-series varied through time, with a decrease in the proportion of vesicular clasts and a commensurate increase in dense glassy clasts, transitioning from initially colourless to brown glass. Componentry data show a sporadic decrease in felsite (from 34 wt. %), an increase in glassy particles during the first two hours (from 63 wt. % to 94 wt. %) and an increase in contaminant clasts towards the end of the cutting retrieval period. These temporal variations are probably related to the magma body architecture and interactions with the borehole. Transition from vesicular to dense clasts suggests a change in the degassing process that could be related to an early degassing phase caused by drilling-induced decompressions followed by a fast ascent after the last magma interception. Additional data in terms of shape of clasts, vesicularity, density and water content within glassy particles will link textural data to drilling history in order to investigate degassing history, origin of clasts and quenching pressure.

The Marysville, Montana Geothermal Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcspadden, W. R.; Stewart, D. H.; Kuwada, J. T.

1974-01-01

Drilling the first geothermal well in Montana presented many challenges, not only in securing materials and planning strategies for drilling the wildcat well but also in addressing the environmental, legal, and institutional issues raised by the request for permission to explore a resource which lacked legal definition. The Marysville Geothermal Project was to investigate a dry hot rock heat anomaly. The well was drilled to a total depth of 6790 feet and many fractured water bearing zones were encountered below 1800 feet.

30 CFR 250.451 - What must I do in certain situations involving BOP equipment or systems?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Blowout Preventer (bop) System Requirements... drilling activities. If you encounter the following situation: Then you must . . . (a) BOP equipment does...

30 CFR 250.428 - What must I do in certain cementing and casing situations?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Casing and Cementing Requirements § 250.428 What must I do in... conditions encountered during drilling operations Submit those changes to the District Manager for approval...

30 CFR 250.421 - What are the casing and cementing requirements by type of casing string?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations Casing and Cementing Requirements § 250.421 What... drilling into formations known to contain oil or gas. If you encounter oil or gas or unexpected formation...

Mechanical Alteration And Contamination Issues In Automated Subsurface Sample Acquisition And Handling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glass, B. J.; Cannon, H.; Bonaccorsi, R.; Zacny, K.

2006-12-01

The Drilling Automation for Mars Exploration (DAME) project's purpose is to develop and field-test drilling automation and robotics technologies for projected use in missions in the 2011-15 period. DAME includes control of the drilling hardware, and state estimation of both the hardware and the lithography being drilled and the state of the hole. A sister drill was constructed for the Mars Analog Río Tinto Experiment (MARTE) project and demonstrated automated core handling and string changeout in 2005 drilling tests at Rio Tinto, Spain. DAME focused instead on the problem of drill control while actively drilling while not getting stuck. Together, the DAME and MARTE projects demonstrate a fully automated robotic drilling capability, including hands-off drilling, adjustment to different strata and downhole conditions, recovery from drilling faults (binding, choking, etc.), drill string changeouts, core acquisition and removal, and sample handling and conveyance to in-situ instruments. The 2006 top-level goal of DAME drilling in-situ tests was to verify and demonstrate a capability for hands-off automated drilling, at an Arctic Mars-analog site. There were three sets of 2006 test goals, all of which were exceeded during the July 2006 field season. The first was to demonstrate the recognition, while drilling, of at least three of the six known major fault modes for the DAME planetary-prototype drill, and to employ the correct recovery or safing procedure in response. The second set of 2006 goals was to operate for three or more hours autonomously, hands-off. And the third 2006 goal was to exceed 3m depth into the frozen breccia and permafrost with the DAME drill (it had not gone further than 2.2m previously). Five of six faults were detected and corrected, there were 43 hours of hands-off drilling (including a 4 hour sequence with no human presence nearby), and 3.2m was the total depth. And ground truth drilling used small commercial drilling equipment in parallel in order to obtain cores and ice profiles at the drilling site. In the course of DAME drilling automation testing, the drilling-induced temperature gradients and their effects on encountered subsurface permafrost and ice layers were observed while drilling in frozen impact breccia at Haughton Crater. In repeated tests of robotic core removal processing and handling in the MARTE project, including field tests, cross-contamination issues arose between successive cores and samples, and procedures and metrics were developed for minimizing the cross-contamination. The MARTE core processing cross-contamination aspects were tested by analyzing a set of pristine samples (those stratigraphically known) vs. cuttings (loose clays) or artifacts from the robotic drilling (indurated clay layers). MARTE ground truth drilling, in parallel with the automated tests, provided control information on the discontinuity/continuity of the stratigraphic record (i.e., texture, color and structure of loose and consolidated materials).

Exploration momentum builds in offshore Indonesia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Dyke, L.F.

1969-06-23

A base map shows where the major action is taking place in SE. Asian waters. Eight rigs are active in the Indonesian-Malaysian theater. Several companies or groups have plans in various stages of preliminary exploration, from running seismic surveys to charting exploration programs. The Indonesian Government appears willing to negotiate new production sharing agreements for blocks of open acreage. Malaya would also like to grant some new acreage. Only 3 companies have done significant drilling to date. Production in one wildcat, was estimated at about 2,480 bpd, but the well was lost due to mechanical problems. The second well alsomore » found some oil, but was not completed due to mechanical troubles. A third test is reported to have encountered the same productive limestones. A total of 3 dry holes have been drilled off S. Kalimantan. A discovery well, some 80 miles northeast of Djakarta, and about 18 miles off shore in the Java Sea, flowed 2,600 bpd.« less

Drilling into Rhyolitic Magma at Shallow depth at Krafla Volcanic Complex, NE-Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortensen, A. K.; Markússon, S. H.; Gudmundsson, Á.; Pálsson, B.

2017-12-01

Krafla volcanic complex in NE-Iceland is an active volcano but the latest eruption was the Krafla Fires in 1975-1984. Though recent volcanic activity has consisted of basaltic fissure eruptions, then it is rhyolitic magma that has been intercepted on at least two occasions while drilling geothermal production wells in the geothermal field suggesting a layered magma plumbing system beneath the Krafla volcanic complex. In 2008 quenched rhyolitic glass was retrieved from the bottom of well KJ-39, which is 2865 m deep ( 2571 m true vertical depth). In 2009 magma was again encountered at an even shallower depth and in more than 2,5 km distance from the bottom of well KJ-39, but in 2009 well IDDP-1 was drilled into magma three times just below 2100 m depth. Only on the last occasion was quenched glass retrieved to confirm that magma had been encountered. In well KJ-39 the quenched glass was rhyolitic in composition. The glass contained resorbed minerals of plagioclase, clinopyroxene and titanomagnetite, but the composition of the glass resembles magma that has formed by partial melting of hydrated basalt. The melt was encountered among cuttings from impermeable, coarse basaltic intrusives at a depth, where the well was anticipated to penetrate the Hólseldar volcanic fissure. In IDDP-1 the quenched glass was also rhyolitic in composition. The glass contained less than 5% of phenocrysts, but the phenocryst assemblage included andesine plagioclase, augite, pigeonite, and titanomagnetite. At IDDP-1 the melt was encountered below a permeable zone composed of fine to coarse grained felsite and granophyre. The disclosure of magma in two wells at Krafla volcanic complex verify that rhyolitic magma can be encountered at shallow depth across a larger area within the caldera. The encounter of magma at shallow depth conforms with that superheated conditions have been found at >2000 m depth in large parts of Krafla geothermal field.

Design and performance study of an orthopaedic surgery robotized module for automatic bone drilling.

PubMed

Boiadjiev, George; Kastelov, Rumen; Boiadjiev, Tony; Kotev, Vladimir; Delchev, Kamen; Zagurski, Kazimir; Vitkov, Vladimir

2013-12-01

Many orthopaedic operations involve drilling and tapping before the insertion of screws into a bone. This drilling is usually performed manually, thus introducing many problems. These include attaining a specific drilling accuracy, preventing blood vessels from breaking, and minimizing drill oscillations that would widen the hole. Bone overheating is the most important problem. To avoid such problems and reduce the subjective factor, automated drilling is recommended. Because numerous parameters influence the drilling process, this study examined some experimental methods. These concerned the experimental identification of technical drilling parameters, including the bone resistance force and temperature in the drilling process. During the drilling process, the following parameters were monitored: time, linear velocity, angular velocity, resistance force, penetration depth, and temperature. Specific drilling effects were revealed during the experiments. The accuracy was improved at the starting point of the drilling, and the error for the entire process was less than 0.2 mm. The temperature deviations were kept within tolerable limits. The results of various experiments with different drilling velocities, drill bit diameters, and penetration depths are presented in tables, as well as the curves of the resistance force and temperature with respect to time. Real-time digital indications of the progress of the drilling process are shown. Automatic bone drilling could entirely solve the problems that usually arise during manual drilling. An experimental setup was designed to identify bone drilling parameters such as the resistance force arising from variable bone density, appropriate mechanical drilling torque, linear speed of the drill, and electromechanical characteristics of the motors, drives, and corresponding controllers. Automatic drilling guarantees greater safety for the patient. Moreover, the robot presented is user-friendly because it is simple to set robot tasks, and process data are collected in real time. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khin, J.A.

Since reopening to foreign operators in 1989, companies have secured concessions and begun active exploration programs. This paper reports on: Yukong Oil (Block C) spudded well Indaw YK-1 last December and continued drilling below 8,500 ft. Well encountered frequent gas cut mud as well as lost circulation. BHP (Block H) spudded the Kawliya-1 in March this year and drilled to 6,500 ft. The well was dry and abandoned BHP plans to drill another well this year. Unocal (Block F) spudded its first well, the Kandaw-1, in May and plans to drill to 14,500 ft. Shell (Block G) began its firstmore » well in June. Shell's drilling program will consist of drilling four to six wells. Idemitsu (Block D) also spudded its first well in June. PetroCanada (Block E) plans to spud a well by December. Target depth is 12,000 ft.« less

Make-up wells drilling cost in financial model for a geothermal project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oktaviani Purwaningsih, Fitri; Husnie, Ruly; Afuar, Waldy; Abdurrahman, Gugun

2017-12-01

After commissioning of a power plant, geothermal reservoir will encounter pressure decline, which will affect wells productivity. Therefore, further drilling is carried out to enhance steam production. Make-up wells are production wells drilled inside an already confirmed reservoir to maintain steam production in a certain level. Based on Sanyal (2004), geothermal power cost consists of three components, those are capital cost, O&M cost and make-up drilling cost. The make-up drilling cost component is a major part of power cost which will give big influence in a whole economical value of the project. The objective of this paper it to analyse the make-up wells drilling cost component in financial model of a geothermal power project. The research will calculate make-up wells requirements, drilling costs as a function of time and how they influence the financial model and affect the power cost. The best scenario in determining make-up wells strategy in relation with the project financial model would be the result of this research.

OPTIMIZATION OF DEEP DRILLING PERFORMANCE--DEVELOPMENT AND BENCHMARK TESTING OF ADVANCED DIAMOND PRODUCT DRILL BITS & HP/HT FLUIDS TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE RATES OF PENETRATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alan Black; Arnis Judzis

2004-10-01

The industry cost shared program aims to benchmark drilling rates of penetration in selected simulated deep formations and to significantly improve ROP through a team development of aggressive diamond product drill bit--fluid system technologies. Overall the objectives are as follows: Phase 1--Benchmark ''best in class'' diamond and other product drilling bits and fluids and develop concepts for a next level of deep drilling performance; Phase 2--Develop advanced smart bit-fluid prototypes and test at large scale; and Phase 3--Field trial smart bit-fluid concepts, modify as necessary and commercialize products. As of report date, TerraTek has concluded all major preparations for themore » high pressure drilling campaign. Baker Hughes encountered difficulties in providing additional pumping capacity before TerraTek's scheduled relocation to another facility, thus the program was delayed further to accommodate the full testing program.« less

IN SITU AND LABORATORY GEOTECHNICAL TESTS OF THE PIERRE SHALE NEAR HAYES, SOUTH DAKOTA - A CHARACTERIZATION OF ENGINEERING BEHAVIOR.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, Thomas C.; Collins, Donley S.; Davidson, Richard R.

1986-01-01

A geotechnical investigation of the Pierre Shale near Hayes, South Dakota, was conducted by the U. S. Geological Survey as a basis for evaluating problems in deep excavations into that formation. The physical and mechanical properties of the shale were determined through use of core holes drilled to a maximum depth of 184 m. In situ borehole determinations included a gravimeter survey, pressuremeter testing, thermal profile measurements, and borehole velocity measurements. Onsite and offsite laboratory measurements included rebound measurements, sonic velocity measurements of shear and primary waves, X-ray mineralogy and major element determinations, size analyses, fracture analyses, fabric analyses, and determination of thermal properties. The properties of the clay shale indicate problems that may be encountered in excavation and use of deep underground facilities.

PDC Bit Testing at Sandia Reveals Influence of Chatter in Hard-Rock Drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

RAYMOND,DAVID W.

1999-10-14

Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits have yet to be routinely applied to drilling the hard-rock formations characteristic of geothermal reservoirs. Most geothermal production wells are currently drilled with tungsten-carbide-insert roller-cone bits. PDC bits have significantly improved penetration rates and bit life beyond roller-cone bits in the oil and gas industry where soft to medium-hard rock types are encountered. If PDC bits could be used to double current penetration rates in hard rock geothermal well-drilling costs could be reduced by 15 percent or more. PDC bits exhibit reasonable life in hard-rock wear testing using the relatively rigid setups typical of laboratorymore » testing. Unfortunately, field experience indicates otherwise. The prevailing mode of failure encountered by PDC bits returning from hard-rock formations in the field is catastrophic, presumably due to impact loading. These failures usually occur in advance of any appreciable wear that might dictate cutter replacement. Self-induced bit vibration, or ''chatter'', is one of the mechanisms that may be responsible for impact damage to PDC cutters in hard-rock drilling. Chatter is more severe in hard-rock formations since they induce significant dynamic loading on the cutter elements. Chatter is a phenomenon whereby the drillstring becomes dynamically unstable and excessive sustained vibrations occur. Unlike forced vibration, the force (i.e., weight on bit) that drives self-induced vibration is coupled with the response it produces. Many of the chatter principles derived in the machine tool industry are applicable to drilling. It is a simple matter to make changes to a machine tool to study the chatter phenomenon. This is not the case with drilling. Chatter occurs in field drilling due to the flexibility of the drillstring. Hence, laboratory setups must be made compliant to observe chatter.« less

Assessing the efficiency of carbide drill bits and factors influencing their application to debris-rich subglacial ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Cheng; Jiang, Jianliang; Cao, Pinlu; Wang, Jinsong; Fan, Xiaopeng; Shang, Yuequan; Talalay, Pavel

2017-09-01

When drilling into subglacial bedrock, drill operators commonly encounter basal ice containing high concentrations of rock debris and melt water. As such conditions can easily damage conventional ice drills, researchers have experimented with carbide, diamond, and polycrystalline diamond compact drill bits, with varying degrees of success. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between drilling speed and power consumption for a carbide drill bit penetrating debris-rich ice. We also assessed drill load, rotation speed, and various performance parameters for the cutting element, as well as the physical and mechanical properties of rock and ice, to construct mathematical models. We show that our modeled results are in close agreement with the experimental data, and that both penetration speed and power consumption are positively correlated with drill speed and load. When used in ice with 30% rock content, the maximum penetration speed of the carbide bit is 3.4 mm/s with a power consumption of ≤0.5 kW, making the bit suitable for use with existing electromechanical drills. Our study also provides a guide for further research into cutting heat and equipment design.

Successful new anti-sloughing drilling fluid application, Yanchang gas field, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Peng; Liu, Hanmei; Du, Sen; He, Chenghai

2017-10-01

Borehole collapse had always been encountered when drilling the Shiqianfeng and Shihezi formations in Yan Chang gas field. By analyzing the reasons for the collapse can be obtained, "double layer of stone" brittle strong, pore development, water sensitivity and high mineral content filling skeleton particles, water lock effect and stress sensitivity is a potential factor in inducing strong wall collapse. According to the characteristics of the geological structure developed anti-sloughing drilling fluid system "double layer of stone," "complex fluid loss - dual inhibition - materialized block" multiple cooperative mechanism to achieve the purpose of anti-collapse.

Aerated drilling cutting transport analysis in geothermal well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakhyudin, Aris; Setiawan, Deni; Dwi Marjuan, Oscar

2017-12-01

Aeratad drilling widely used for geothermal drilling especially when drilled into predicted production zone. Aerated drilling give better performance on preventing lost circulation problem, improving rate of penetration, and avoiding drilling fluid invasion to productive zone. While well is drilled, cutting is produced and should be carried to surface by drilling fluid. Hole problem, especially pipe sticking will occur while the cutting is not lifted properly to surface. The problem will effect on drilling schedule; non-productive time finally result more cost to be spent. Geothermal formation has different characteristic comparing oil and gas formation. Geothermal mainly has igneous rock while oil and gas mostly sedimentary rock. In same depth, formation pressure in geothermal well commonly lower than oil and gas well while formation temperature geothermal well is higher. While aerated drilling is applied in geothermal well, Igneous rock density has higher density than sedimentary rock and aerated drilling fluid is lighter than water based mud hence minimum velocity requirement to transport cutting is larger than in oil/gas well drilling. Temperature and pressure also has impact on drilling fluid (aerated) density. High temperature in geothermal well decrease drilling fluid density hence the effect of pressure and temperature also considered. In this paper, Aerated drilling cutting transport performance on geothermal well will be analysed due to different rock and drilling fluid density. Additionally, temperature and pressure effect on drilling fluid density also presented to merge.

UNAM Scientific Drilling Program of Chicxulub Impact Structure-Evidence for a 300 kilometer crater diameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J.; Marin, L.; Trejo-Garcia, A.

As part of the UNAM drilling program at the Chicxulub structure, two 700 m deep continuously cored boreholes were completed between April and July, 1995. The Peto UNAM-6 and Tekax UNAM-7 drilling sites are ˜150 km and 125 km, respectively, SSE of Chicxulub Puerto, near the crater's center. Core samples from both sites show a sequence of post-crater carbonates on top of a thick impact breccia pile covering the disturbed Mesozoic platform rocks. At UNAM-7, two impact breccia units were encountered: (1) an upper breccia, mean magnetic susceptibility is high (˜55 × 10-6 SI units), indicating a large component of silicate basement has been incorporated into this breccia, and (2) an evaporite-rich, low susceptibility impact breccia similar in character to the evaporite-rich breccias observed at the PEMEX drill sites further out. The upper breccia was encountered at ˜226 m below the surface and is ˜125 m thick; the lower breccia is immediately subjacent and is >240 m thick. This two-breccia sequence is typical of the suevite-Bunte breccia sequence found within other well preserved impact craters. The suevitic upper unit is not present at UNAM-6. Instead, a >240 m thick evaporite-rich breccia unit, similar to the lower breccia at UNAM-7, was encountered at a depth of ˜280 m. The absence of an upper breccia equivalent at UNAM-6 suggests some portion of the breccia sequence has been removed by erosion. This is consistent with interpretations that place the high-standing crater rim at 130-150 km from the center. Consequently, the stratigraphic observations and magnetic susceptibiity records on the upper and lower breccias (depth and thickness) support a ˜300 km diameter crater model.

TGT for chemistry learning to enhance students' achievement and critical thinking skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolhassan, Norlailatulakma; Taha, Hafsah

2017-05-01

The form of cooperative learning known as Teams-Games-Tournament (TGT) in this study favors the use of teams work and learning tools combined with student play and practice to foster students' achievement and critical thinking skills. Using this paradigm, this study incorporates Teams-Games-Tournament and Flash Cards Games Kit during an 8-weeks experimental instruction period that includes 67 Form Four students; 34 students in the experimental group and 33 in the control group. The learning design in experimental group emphasizes scaffolding, guided practices, cooperative learning, and active participation in learning. While the experimental group experienced the TGT approach, the control group encountered the conventional teaching approach of chemistry drills. An achievement chemistry test and Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) were used for the pretest and posttest. The finding indicates that TGT learning was more effective than drills in promoting chemistry performance, and the playful competiveness among students promotes students' critical thinking. In addition, TGT cooperative learning also creates an active learning environment in solving problems and discussions among students and teachers.

Problem analysis of geotechnical well drilling in complex environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasenov, A. K.; Biletskiy, M. T.; Ratov, B. T.; Korotchenko, T. V.

2015-02-01

The article examines primary causes of problems occurring during the drilling of geotechnical wells (injection, production and monitoring wells) for in-situ leaching to extract uranium in South Kazakhstan. Such a drilling problem as hole caving which is basically caused by various chemical and physical factors (hydraulic, mechanical, etc.) has been thoroughly investigated. The analysis of packing causes has revealed that this problem usually occurs because of insufficient amount of drilling mud being associated with small cross section downward flow and relatively large cross section upward flow. This is explained by the fact that when spear bores are used to drill clay rocks, cutting size is usually rather big and there is a risk for clay particles to coagulate.

ACOUSTICAL IMAGING AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SOFT ROCK AND MARINE SEDIMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thurman E. Scott, Jr., Ph.D.; Younane Abousleiman, Ph.D.; Musharraf Zaman, Ph.D., P.E.

2001-07-01

Mechanically weak formations, such as chalks, high porosity sandstones, and marine sediments, pose significant problems for oil and gas operators. Problems such as compaction, subsidence, and loss of permeability can affect reservoir production operations. For example, the unexpected subsidence of the Ekofisk chalk in the North Sea required over one billion dollars to re-engineer production facilities to account for losses created during that compaction (Sulak 1991). Another problem in weak formations is that of shallow water flows (SWF). Deep water drilling operations sometimes encounter cases where the marine sediments, at shallow depths just below the seafloor, begin to uncontrollably flowmore » up and around the drill pipe. SWF problems created a loss of $150 million for the Ursa development project in the U.S. Gulf Coast SWF (Furlow 1998a,b; 1999a,b). The goal of this project is to provide a database on both the rock mechanical properties and the geophysical properties of weak rocks and sediments. These could be used by oil and gas companies to detect, evaluate, and alleviate potential production and drilling problems. The results will be useful in, for example, pre-drill detection of events such as SWF's by allowing a correlation of seismic data (such as hazard surveys) to rock mechanical properties. The data sets could also be useful for 4-D monitoring of the compaction and subsidence of an existing reservoir and imaging the zones of damage. During the second quarter of the project the research team has: (1) completed acoustic sensor construction, (2) conducted reconnaissance tests to map the deformational behaviors of the various rocks, (3) developed a sample assembly for the measurement of dynamic elastic and poroelastic parameters during triaxial testing, and (4) conducted a detailed review of the scientific literature and compiled a bibliography of that review. During the first quarter of the project the research team acquired several rock types for testing including: (a) Danian chalk, (b) Cordoba Cream limestone, (c) Indiana limestone, (d) Ekofisk chalk, (e) Oil Creek sandstone, (f) unconsolidated Oil Creek sand, and (g) unconsolidated Brazos river sand. During the second quarter experiments were begun on these rock types. A series of reconnaissance experiments have been carried out on all but the Ekofisk (for which there is a preliminary data set already inhouse). A series of triaxial tests have been conducted on the Danian chalk, the Cordoba Cream limestone, the Indiana limestone, and sand samples to make a preliminary determination of the deformational mechanisms present in these samples.« less

Impact of exploratory wells, offshore Florida: A biological assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dustan, Phillip A.; Lidz, Barbara H.; Shinn, Eugene A.

1991-01-01

Seven offshore exploratory oil well sites were examined in an effort to determine the ecological impact of exploratory drilling on the subtropical marine ecosystems of southern Florida, including seagrass beds and coral reefs. The time since drilling ranged from 2 to 29 years; water depths varied between 5 and 70 m. The major long-term ecological impact observed at these sites ranged from the creation of "artificial-reef" conditions to the physical destruction of hardbottom habitat that had not recovered in 29 years. Long-term ecological perturbation appeared to be limited to physical destruction and the deposition of drilling debris, which provided substratum for settling organisms. Significant deposits of drill muds or cuttings were not encountered at any of the sites, and there was no evidence of ecological damage from cuttings or drill muds. The results of this study pertain only to exploratory drilling that, unlike production wells that remain in place for tens of years, is a one-time perturbation to the habitat.

Drilling into molten rock at Kilauea Iki

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colp, J.L.; Okamura, R.T.

1978-01-01

The scientific feasibility of extracting energy directly from buried circulating magma resources is being assessed. One of the tasks of the project is the study of geophysical measuring systems to locate and define buried molten rock bodies. To verify the results of a molten rock sensing experiment performed at Kilauea Iki lava lake, it is necessary to drill a series of holes through the solid upper crust and through the molten zone at that location. Thirteen holes have been drilled in Kilauea Iki. The results achieved during the drilling of the last two holes indicated that the molten zone inmore » Kilauea Iki is not a simple, relatively homogeneous fluid body as expected. The encountering of an unexpected, unknown rigid obstruction 2.5 ft below the crust/melt interface has led to the conceptual development of a drilling system intended to have the capability to drill through a hot, rigid obstruction while the drill stem is immersed in molten rock. The concept will be field tested at Kilauea Iki in the summer of 1978.« less

Reducing Risk in Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) in Soft Sedimentary Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarbrough, L. D.; Skonberg, E.

2017-12-01

This is a focus on the applied outcome of geologic reports and the scale of near surface geologic process which affect the success of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) operations. Often there is too little data to fully characterize the subsurface along the drilled hole. Adding uncertainty is the exploration borehole is typically vertical while the drill path orientation of the HDD is not. The stratigraphic principle of original horizontality is heavily relied upon when interpreting the geology of the drill path and for good reason because of the depositional processes involved. However, the scale of secondary sedimentary processes, specifically zones of induration and their potential effects on the HDD can be at a scale or frequency that is not properly sampled during the geotechnical investigation. This lack of direct evidence could lead geologists and designers not to include these low-frequency phenomena in their risk analysis. For HDD planning and design, the industry routinely generalizes the earth materials to be encountered as soft or hard. This use of inexact, colloquial phrasing paints a picture of the a nearly homogeneous drilling site. Even though a majority of the site can be characterized as a low-strength or high-strength material, the diagenesis of sediments can include zones with wide-ranging strengths that can negatively impact the rate of penetration, the ability to steer and bore hole stability. In this generalization, soft is a majority of low strength or unconsolidated material (sands, silts, and clays). This does not preclude concretions and other indurated lenticular features that are widespread in the Gulf Coast states. This investigation reviews several formations commonly encountered during medium to large diameter (>10 inches) HDD operations. The Bashi formation with surface exposures in Mississippi and Alabama; the Wilcox Group in southern Mississippi and central Louisiana; the Cook Mountain Formation; the Hatchetigbee formation and Catahoula Formation of Louisiana and Mississippi were reviewed and potential HDD drilling and pull back complications are discussed.

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project 4.5 km deep well, IDDP-2, in the seawater-recharged Reykjanes geothermal field in SW Iceland has successfully reached its supercritical target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friðleifsson, Guðmundur Ó.; Elders, Wilfred A.; Zierenberg, Robert A.; Stefánsson, Ari; Fowler, Andrew P. G.; Weisenberger, Tobias B.; Harðarson, Björn S.; Mesfin, Kiflom G.

2017-11-01

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project research well RN-15/IDDP-2 at Reykjanes, Iceland, reached its target of supercritical conditions at a depth of 4.5 km in January 2017. After only 6 days of heating, the measured bottom hole temperature was 426 °C, and the fluid pressure was 34 MPa. The southern tip of the Reykjanes peninsula is the landward extension of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland. Reykjanes is unique among Icelandic geothermal systems in that it is recharged by seawater, which has a critical point of 406 °C at 29.8 MPa. The geologic setting and fluid characteristics at Reykjanes provide a geochemical analog that allows us to investigate the roots of a mid-ocean ridge submarine black smoker hydrothermal system. Drilling began with deepening an existing 2.5 km deep vertical production well (RN-15) to 3 km depth, followed by inclined drilling directed towards the main upflow zone of the system, for a total slant depth of 4659 m ( ˜ 4.5 km vertical depth). Total circulation losses of drilling fluid were encountered below 2.5 km, which could not be cured using lost circulation blocking materials or multiple cement jobs. Accordingly, drilling continued to the total depth without return of drill cuttings. Thirteen spot coring attempts were made below 3 km depth. Rocks in the cores are basalts and dolerites with alteration ranging from upper greenschist facies to amphibolite facies, suggesting that formation temperatures at depth exceed 450 °C. High-permeability circulation-fluid loss zones (feed points or feed zones) were detected at multiple depth levels below 3 km depth to bottom. The largest circulation losses (most permeable zones) occurred between the bottom of the casing and 3.4 km depth. Permeable zones encountered below 3.4 km accepted less than 5 % of the injected water. Currently, the project is attempting soft stimulation to increase deep permeability. While it is too early to speculate on the energy potential of this well and its economics, the IDDP-2 is a milestone in the development of geothermal resources and the study of hydrothermal systems. It is the first well that successfully encountered supercritical hydrothermal conditions, with potential high-power output, and in which on-going hydrothermal metamorphism at amphibolite facies conditions can be observed. The next step will be to carry out flow testing and fluid sampling to determine the chemical and thermodynamic properties of the formation fluids.

Bacterial communities associated with production facilities of two newly drilled thermogenic natural gas wells in the Barnett Shale (Texas, USA).

PubMed

Davis, James P; Struchtemeyer, Christopher G; Elshahed, Mostafa S

2012-11-01

We monitored the bacterial communities in the gas-water separator and water storage tank of two newly drilled natural gas wells in the Barnett Shale in north central Texas, using a 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing approach over a period of 6 months. Overall, the communities were composed mainly of moderately halophilic and halotolerant members of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria (classes Βeta-, Gamma-, and Epsilonproteobacteria) in both wells at all sampling times and locations. Many of the observed lineages were encountered in prior investigations of microbial communities from various fossil fluid formations and production facilities. In all of the samples, multiple H(2)S-producing lineages were encountered; belonging to the sulfate- and sulfur-reducing class Deltaproteobacteria, order Clostridiales, and phylum Synergistetes, as well as the thiosulfate-reducing order Halanaerobiales. The bacterial communities from the separator and tank samples bore little resemblance to the bacterial communities in the drilling mud and hydraulic-fracture waters that were used to drill these wells, suggesting the in situ development of the unique bacterial communities in such well components was in response to the prevalent geochemical conditions present. Conversely, comparison of the bacterial communities on temporal and spatial scales suggested the establishment of a core microbial community in each sampled location. The results provide the first overview of bacterial dynamics and colonization patterns in newly drilled, thermogenic natural gas wells and highlights patterns of spatial and temporal variability observed in bacterial communities in natural gas production facilities.

Geologic report on the San Rafael Swell Drilling Project, San Rafael Swell, Utah

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bluhm, C.T.; Rundle, J.G.

1981-08-01

Twenty-two holes totaling 34,874 feet (10,629.6 meters) were rotary and core drilled on the northern and western flanks of the San Rafael Swell to test fluvial-lacustrine sequences of the Morrison Formation and the lower part of the Chinle Formation. The objective of the project was to obtain subsurface data so that improved uranium resource estimates could be determined for the area. Although the Brushy Basin and the Salt Wash Members of the Morrison Formation are not considered favorable in this area for the occurrence of significant uranium deposits, uranium minerals were encountered in several of the holes. Some spotty ormore » very low-grade mineralization was also encountered in the White Star Trunk area. The lower part of the Chinle Formation is considered to be favorable for potentially significant uranium deposits along the west flank of the San Rafael Swell. One hole (SR-202) east of Ferron, Utah, intersected uranium, silver, molybdenum, and copper mineralization. More exploratory drilling in the vicinity of this hole is recommended. As a result of the study of many geochemical analyses and a careful determination of the lithology shown by drilling, a sabkha environment is suggested for the concentration of uranium, zinc, iron, lead, copper, silver, and perhaps other elements in parts of the Moody Canyon Member of the Moenkopi Formation.« less

Direct Observation of Rhyolite Magma by Drilling: The Proposed Krafla Magma Drilling Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichelberger, J. C.; Sigmundsson, F.; Papale, P.; Markusson, S.; Loughlin, S.

2014-12-01

Remarkably, drilling in Landsvirkjun Co.'s geothermal field in Krafla Caldera, Iceland has encountered rhyolite magma or hypersolidus rhyolite at 2.1-2.5 km depth in 3 wells distributed over 3.5 km2, including Iceland Deep Drilling Program's IDDP-1 (Mortensen, 2012). Krafla's most recent rifting and eruption (basalt) episode was 1975-1984; deformation since that time has been simple decay. Apparently rhyolite magma was either emplaced during that episode without itself erupting or quietly evolved in situ within 2-3 decades. Analysis of drill cuttings containing quenched melt from IDDP-1 yielded unprecedented petrologic data (Zierenberg et al, 2012). But interpreting active processes of heat and mass transfer requires knowing spatial variations in physical and chemical characteristics at the margin of the magma body, and that requires retrieving core - a not-inconceivable task. Core quenched in situ in melt up to 1150oC was recovered from Kilauea Iki lava lake, Hawaii by the Magma Energy Project >30 years ago. The site from which IDDP-1 was drilled, and perhaps IDDP-1 itself, may be available to attempt the first-ever coring of rhyolite magma, now proposed as the Krafla Magma Drilling Project (KMDP). KMDP would also include geophysical and geochemical experiments to measure the response of the magma/hydrothermal system to fluid injection and flow tests. Fundamental results will reveal the behavior of magma in the upper crust and coupling between magma and the hydrothermal system. Extreme, sustained thermal power output during flow tests of IDDP-1 suggests operation of a Kilauea-Iki-like freeze-fracture-flow boundary propagating into the magma and mining its latent heat of crystallization (Carrigan et al, EGU, 2014). Such an ultra-hot Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) might be developable beneath this and other magma-heated conventional hydrothermal systems. Additionally, intra-caldera intrusions like Krafla's are believed to produce the unrest that is so troubling in populated calderas (e.g., Campi Flegrei, Italy). Experiments with the live system will aid in hazard assessment and eruption forecasting for this most difficult of volcano hazard problems. We will report on an International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) workshop held to assess feasibility and to develop a plan for KMDP.

Rock melting technology and geothermal drilling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rowley, J. C.

1974-01-01

National awareness of the potential future shortages in energy resources has heightened interest in exploration and utilization of a variety of geothermal energy (GTE) reservoirs. The status of conventional drilling of GTE wells is reviewed briefly and problem areas which lead to higher drilling costs are identified and R and D directions toward solution are suggested. In the immediate future, an expanded program of drilling in GTE formations can benefit from improvements in drilling equipment and technology normally associated with oil or gas wells. Over a longer time period, the new rock-melting drill bits being developed as a part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's Subterrene Program offer new solutions to a number of problems which frequently hamper GTE drilling, including the most basic problem - high temperature. Two of the most favorable characteristics of rock-melting penetrators are their ability to operate effectively in hot rock and produce glass linings around the hole as an integral part of the drilling process. The technical advantages to be gained by use of rock-melting penetrators are discussed in relation to the basic needs for GTE wells.

Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II: Results from the Alaminos Canyon 21 Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godfriaux, P. D.; Shedd, W.; Frye, M.; Collett, T. S.; Lee, M. W.; Boswell, R. M.; Cook, A.; Mrozewski, S.; Guerin, G.; McConnell, D.; Dufrene, R.; Jones, E.

2009-12-01

The Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II drilling program visited three sites in the Gulf of Mexico during a 21 day drilling program in April and May, 2009. Using both petroleum systems and seismic stratigraphic approaches, the exploration focus for Leg II was to identify sites with the potential for gas hydrate-saturated sand reservoirs. Two holes were drilled at the AC 21 site in the Diana Basin located in the western Gulf of Mexico. The data acquired consist of a comprehensive suite of high resolution LWD logs including gamma ray, density, porosity, sonic, and resistivity tools. No physical samples were taken in the field. The primary objective of each well was to determine the presence or absence of gas hydrate from the log data at the predetermined primary targets in a Pleistocene basin floor turbidite complex approximately 500 ft below seafloor. At the AC 21-A location, two high net to gross target sands were encountered that measured 15 ft and 60 ft, respectively. The AC 21-A well was drilled through the interpreted base of gas hydrate stability to a depth approximately 1500 ft below sea floor. The AC 21-B well encountered a single high net to gross target sand measuring over 120 ft thick. At both AC 21 well locations, all target sand intervals had elevated formation resistivity measurements relative to clearly wet, stratigraphically equivalent sands encountered in the region, interpreted to indicate low to moderate levels of gas hydrate saturation. The likely discovery of thick gas hydrate-filled sands at the AC 21 site validates the exploration approach, and strongly indicates that gas hydrate can be found in reservoir quality sands. The LWD acquired data provided unprecedented information on the nature of the sediments and the occurrence of gas hydrate in the Gulf of Mexico.

An Overview on Measurement-While-Drilling Technique and its Scope in Excavation Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, P.; Schunesson, H.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Kumar, U.

2015-04-01

Measurement-while-drilling (MWD) aims at collecting accurate, speedy and high resolution information from the production blast hole drills with a target of characterization of highly variable rock masses encountered in sub-surface excavations. The essence of the technique rests on combining the physical drill variables in a manner to yield a fairly accurate description of the sub-surface rock mass much ahead of following downstream operations. In this light, the current paper presents an overview of the MWD by explaining the technique and its set-up, the existing drill-rock mass relationships and numerous on-going researches highlighting the real-time applications. Although the paper acknowledges the importance of concepts of specific energy, rock quality index and a couple of other indices and techniques for rock mass characterization, it must be distinctly borne in mind that the technique of MWD is highly site-specific, which entails derivation of site-specific calibration with utmost care.

Judy Creek: Successful use of offset VSP to find porosity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campbell, A.; Pearcy, R.; Lee, H.

1994-12-31

In March of 1993, Imperial Oil Resources Ltd. drilled the Judy Creek 14-7-64-10w5 well. The target was porosity on the front of the Judy Creek ``A`` reef. The well encountered poor porosity development. Available surface seismic was of low resolution, so an alternative method was sought to locate better porosity. An offset VSP was acquired, and an anomaly was observed on the P-wave data at a distance of 125 meters form the well. A short radius horizontal radial was drilled from the existing wellbore and encountered porosity development at 125 meters from the well bore. Subsequently, S-wave processing was carriedmore » out. Once again, an anomaly was observed at 125 meters form the well bore. The S-waves had the additional advantage of providing better resolution of the porous zone than the P-wave image.« less

Final Rulison Path Forward

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2010-06-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management developed this report as a guide for discussions with the Colorado State regulators and other interested stakeholders in response to increased drilling for natural gas reserves near the underground nuclear explosion site at Rulison, Colorado. The Rulison site is located in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado, 40 miles northeast of Grand Junction. The Rulison test was the second natural gas reservoir stimulation experiment in the Plowshare Program, which was designed to develop peaceful uses for nuclear energy. On September 10, 1969, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, a predecessor agencymore » of DOE, detonated a 40-kiloton nuclear device 8426 feet below the ground surface in an attempt to release commercially marketable quantities of natural gas. The blast vaporized surrounding rock and formed a cavity about 150 feet in diameter. Although the contaminated materials from drilling operations were subsequently removed from the surface of the blast site, no feasible technology exists to remove subsurface radioactive contamination in or around the test cavity. An increase in drilling for natural gas near the site has raised concern about the possibility of encountering residual radioactivity from the area of the detonation. DOE prohibits drilling in the 40-acre lot surrounding the blast site at a depth below 6000 feet. DOE has no evidence that indicates contamination from the Rulison site detonation has migrated or will ever migrate beyond the 40-acre institutional control boundary. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) established two wider boundaries around the site. When a company applies for a permit to drill within a 3-mile radius of surface ground zero, COGCC notifies DOE and provides an opportunity to comment on the application. COGCC also established a half-mile radius around surface ground zero. An application to drill within one-half mile requires a full hearing before the commission. This report outlines DOE's recommendation that gas developers adopt a conservative, staged drilling approach allowing gas reserves near the Rulison site to be recovered in a manner that minimizes the likelihood of encountering contamination. This staged approach calls for collecting data from wells outside the half-mile zone before drilling closer, and then drilling within the half-mile zone in a sequential manner, first at low contamination probability locations and then moving inward. DOE's recommended approach for drilling in this area will protect public safety while allowing collection of additional data to confirm that contamination is contained within the 40-acre institutional control boundary.« less

Infrared Spectral Observations While Drilling into a Frozen Lunar Simulant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roush, Ted L.; Colaprete, Anthony; Thompson, Sarah; Cook, Amanda; Kleinhenz, Julie

2014-01-01

Past and continuing observations indicate an enrichment of volatile materials in lunar polar regions. While these volatiles may be located near the surface, access to them will likely require subsurface sampling, during which it is desirable to monitor the volatile content. In a simulation of such activities, a multilayer lunar simulant was prepared with differing water content, and placed inside a thermal vacuum chamber at Glenn Research Center (GRC). The soil profile was cooled using liquid nitrogen. In addition to the soil, a drill and infrared (IR) spectrometer (1600-3400 nm) were also located in the GRC chamber. We report the spectral observations obtained during a sequence where the drill was repeatedly inserted and extracted, to different depths, at the same location. We observe an overall increase in the spectral signature of water ice over the duration of the test. Additionally, we observe variations in the water ice spectral signature as the drill encounters different layers.

Drilling Regolith: Why Is It So Difficult?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, H. H.

2017-10-01

The Apollo rotary percussive drill system penetrated the lunar regolith with reasonable efficiency; however, extraction of the drill core stem proved to be very difficult on all three missions. Retractable drill stem flutes may solve this problem.

Metal drilling with portable hand drills

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmiston, W. B.; Harrison, H. W.; Morris, H. E.

1970-01-01

Study of metal drilling solves problems of excessive burring, oversized holes, and out-of-round holes. Recommendations deal with using the proper chemical coolants, applying the coolants effectively, employing cutting oils, and dissipating the heat caused by drilling.

Independent Technical Investigation of the Puna Geothermal Venture Unplanned Steam Release, June 12 and 13, 1991, Puna, Hawaii

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, Richard; Whiting, Dick; Moore, James

1991-07-01

On June 24, 1991, a third-party investigation team consisting of Richard P. Thomas, Duey E. Milner, James L. Moore, and Dick Whiting began an investigation into the blowout of well KS-8, which occurred at the Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) site on June 12, 1991, and caused the unabated release of steam for a period of 31 hours before PGV succeeded in closing in the well. The scope of the investigation was to: (a) determine the cause(s) of the incident; (b) evaluate the adequacy of PGVs drilling and blowout prevention equipment and procedures; and (c) make recommendations for any appropriate changesmore » in equipment and/or procedures. This report finds that the blowout occurred because of inadequacies in PGVs drilling plan and procedures and not as a result of unusual or unmanageable subsurface geologic or hydrologic conditions. While the geothermal resource in the area being drilled is relatively hot, the temperatures are not excessive for modem technology and methods to control. Fluid pressures encountered are also manageable if proper procedures are followed and the appropriate equipment is utilized. A previous blowout of short duration occurred on February 21, 1991, at the KS-7 injection well being drilled by PGV at a depth of approximately 1600'. This unexpected incident alerted PGV to the possibility of encountering a high temperature, fractured zone at a relatively shallow depth. The experience at KS-7 prompted PGV to refine its hydrological model; however, the drilling plan utilized for KS-8 was not changed. Not only did PGV fail to modify its drilling program following the KS-7 blowout, but they also failed to heed numerous ''red flags'' (warning signals) in the five days preceding the KS-8 blowout, which included a continuous 1-inch flow of drilling mud out of the wellbore, gains in mud volume while pulling stands, and gas entries while circulating muds bottoms up, in addition to lost circulation that had occurred earlier below the shoe of the 13-3/8-hch casing.« less

Prey selection and foraging period of the predaceous rocky intertidal snail, Acanthina punctulata.

PubMed

Menge, Jane Lubchenco

1974-12-01

The diet and foraging period of the neogastropod Acanthina punctulata were investigated in order to test various aspects of recent optimal foraging strategy models. This intertidal snail is an actively searching predator which preys on snails and barnacles by boring a hole in the shell and rasping out the flesh. Unlike many gastropod predators, Acanthina drill its gastropod prey at a very specific location on the columella, the thickest portion of the shell. Acanthina's foraging period can be interpreted as a compromise between maximizing the energy obtained by feeding and minimizing risk of mortality from exposure to wave action. That foraging period minimizing risk of being dislodged by waves appears to be during low tide when the predators can be in shallow pools. However, prey cannot be captured and consumed during one low tide. Thus Acanthina must be exposed during some high tides, and its strategy appears to be to restrict movement while exposed. Thus search is not initiated during high tide, but drilling and prey consumption are continued during that time. A snail not drilling or consuming prey seeks the protection of crevices or large anemones during high tide. A model is presented to indicate the relative amounts of risk and net energy for Acanthina at successive low and high tides. Predictions from the model, e.g., minimizing search time to avoid being exposed for an additional high tide and no movement during high tide are supported by field data. Acanthina commences foraging at the beginning of low tide, searches initially for preferred prey, but if unsuccessful, settles for a less preferred prey and begins drilling this prey before the end of low tide. Drilling and ingestion of prey occur during the following high and sometimes low tides. These "handling times" take 95% of the total foraging time in the field, while search time takes only 5% (pursuit time is negligible). Drilling alone accounts for 48-70% of the total drilling and eating time. In the laboratory, drilling and eating time for littorine food ranged from 15-60 hrs per item. The time to drill and eat a littorine increases exponentially with prey length. Since handling and processing prey items represents such a large investment of time, Acanthina would be expected to be very selective with respect to choice of prey items. Electivity coefficients from field data suggest that littorines are preferred over barnacles. Acanthina in the laboratory optimizes the amount of biomass ingested per time by choosing larger littorines over smaller ones and by preferring the more readily drilled species.It is suggested that Acanthina obtains information about the range of prey available initially by encountering and evaluating quite a few prey before making a selection, but usually by comparing an item of prey encountered to the prey it recently ingested. This latter method should provide a basis for evaluating prey encountered and has the advantage of reducing search time, the total amount of time spent feeding and thus the high-tide time exposed to wave action.In a similar manner, the decrease in the level of acceptability of prey as search time increases represents a compromise between maximizing energy obtained and minimizing risk from mortality.

Biased insert for installing data transmission components in downhole drilling pipe

DOEpatents

Hall, David R [Provo, UT; Briscoe, Michael A [Lehi, UT; Garner, Kory K [Payson, UT; Wilde, Tyson J [Spanish Fork, UT

2007-04-10

An apparatus for installing data transmission hardware in downhole tools includes an insert insertable into the box end or pin end of drill tool, such as a section of drill pipe. The insert typically includes a mount portion and a slide portion. A data transmission element is mounted in the slide portion of the insert. A biasing element is installed between the mount portion and the slide portion and is configured to create a bias between the slide portion and the mount portion. This biasing element is configured to compensate for varying tolerances encountered in different types of downhole tools. In selected embodiments, the biasing element is an elastomeric material, a spring, compressed gas, or a combination thereof.

Superhot Drilling in Iceland, the Experience of the Iceland Deep Drilling Project.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elders, W. A.; Friðleifsson, G. Ó.; Zierenberg, R. A.; Fowler, A. P.

2017-12-01

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project aims to improve geothermal economics by producing supercritical fluids (www.iddp.is). Supercritical wells could yield an order of magnitude more usable energy than that from conventional geothermal wells because of higher enthalpy and enhanced flow properties. In 2009, the IDDP-1 well failed to reach supercritical conditions in the Krafla caldera in NE Iceland, after encountering rhyolite magma at only 2.1 km depth. The completed geothermal well became the world's hottest and produced superheated steam with a wellhead temperature of 452°C and flow sufficient to generate 35 MWe. The IDDP next moved SW to the Reykjanes Peninsula, the landward extension of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where it is possible to study an analog of the roots of a black smoker. Reykjanes is unique among Icelandic geothermal systems in being recharged by seawater, which has a critical point of 406°C at 298 bars. Drilling began by deepening an existing 2.5 km deep production well to 3 km depth, and then angling it towards the main upflow zone of the system, for a total slant depth of 4,659 m. Total circulation losses were encountered below 3 km that could not be cured by lost circulation materials or by multiple cement jobs. Accordingly, drilling continued to total depth without return of drill cuttings. We attempted 13 core runs below 3 km depth, only half of which recovered core. The cores are basalts and dolerites with alteration ranging from lower greenschist facies to lower amphibolite facies, suggesting formation temperatures >450°C. After the end of drilling in January 2017, following only six days of heating, supercritical conditions (426°C at 340 bars) were measured in the well at a depth of 4.5 km. The well has not yet been allowed to equilibrate to full in situ temperature. A perforated liner was inserted to 4,570 m, depth to facilitate temperature cycling to enhance permeability at depth through thermal cracking. In 2018 this will be followed by a flow test and eventual production of the well. The project is co-funded by the DEEPEGS project (EU H2020), HS Orka (the field operator), Statoil, the IDDP consortium, and the ICDP. Planning is underway to drill IDDP-3 at Hellisheidi.

Controllable magneto-rheological fluid-based dampers for drilling

DOEpatents

Raymond, David W [Edgewood, NM; Elsayed, Mostafa Ahmed [Youngsville, LA

2006-05-02

A damping apparatus and method for a drillstring comprising a bit comprising providing to the drillstring a damping mechanism comprising magnetorheological fluid and generating an electromagnetic field affecting the magnetorheological fluid in response to changing ambient conditions encountered by the bit.

Groundwater Exploration for Rural Communities in Ghana, West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKay, W. A.

2001-05-01

Exploration for potable water in developing countries continues to be a major activity, as there are more than one billion people without access to safe drinking water. Exploration for groundwater becomes more critical in regions where groundwater movement and occurrence is controlled by secondary features such as fractures and faults. Drilling success rates in such geological settings are generally very low, but can be improved by integrating geological, hydrogeological, aerial photo interpretation with land-based geophysical technology in the selection of drilling sites. To help alleviate water supply problems in West Africa, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and other donors, since 1990, have funded the World Vision Ghana Rural Water Project (GRWP) to drill wells for potable water supplies in the Greater Afram Plains (GAP) of Ghana. During the first two years of the program, drilling success rates using traditional methods ranged from 35 to 80 percent, depending on the area. The average drilling success rate for the program was approximately 50 percent. In an effort to increase the efficiency of drilling operations, the Desert Research Institute evaluated and developed techniques for application to well-siting strategies in the GAP area of Ghana. A critical project element was developing technical capabilities of in-country staff to independently implement the new strategies. Simple cost-benefit relationships were then used to evaluate the economic advantages of developing water resources using advanced siting methods. The application of advanced methods in the GAP area reveal an increase of 10 to 15 percent in the success rate over traditional methods. Aerial photography has been found to be the most useful of the imagery products covering the GAP area. An effective approach to geophysical exploration for groundwater has been the combined use of EM and resistivity methods. Economic analyses showed that the use of advanced methods is cost-effective when success rates with traditional methods are less than 70 to 90 percent. Finally, with the focus of GRWP activities shifting to Ghana's northern regions, new challenges in drilling success rates are being encountered. In certain districts, success rates as low as 35 percent are observed, raising questions about the efficacy of existing well-siting strategies in the current physical setting, and the validity of traditional cost-benefit analyses for assessing the economic aspects of water exploration in drought-stricken areas.

Application of ALD Images and Caliper Data for the breakout analysis from the wells which were drilled in the Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirov, Elnur

2016-04-01

Wellbore instability while drilling, trip in or trip out can be cause of nonproductive time (NPT). Mainly this is the drilling surprises often encountered while drilling, trip in or trip out which were not predicted in advance, monitored, interpreted or recognized properly, which can give rise to wellbore instability problems. These surprises include also formation tops, overpressure zones occurring at different depths than predicted and the presence of unexpected faults or other fractured/fissile/compartmentalization zones. In general while drilling the wells, downhole PWD data cannot be very useful for understanding wellbore stability. Much of what we can use is indirect measurements such as torque and drag observations, rpm, vibrations, cavings, annular pressure measurements and etc. In order to understand what is going on in the subsurface and therefore mitigate the wellbore instability problems, we need more information from LWD (logging while drilling) tools. In order to monitor and get direct observations of the state of the borehole we need to determine where, how and in which direction the wellbore is failing and enlargement is taking place. LWD calipers and wellbore Azimuthal Lithodensity Images can provide such information for breakout analysis while drilling, trip in and trip out activity. The modes of wellbore instability can be generated in different ways and through different mechanisms. Therefore these zones of breakout can be potentially identified by the ALD imaging and LWD caliper tools. Instability can be governed by a combination of factors such as: the strength of the rock, the subsurface stress field, maximum and minimum horizontal stresses, pre-existing planes of weakness, the angle of the wellbore which intersects with these planes of weakness and chemical reaction of the rock (minerals) with the drilling fluid. Compressional failure (breakout) of an isotropic rock can occur when the compressive stresses around the borehole exceed the compressive strength of the rock. This can create the enlargement of the borehole with two failure zones opposite to each other with circumference at 180 degrees (for instance top side vs bottom side of the borehole or right side vs left side of the borehole). The image tracks for Rhob (density), Pe (photoelectric absorption) and Caliper can show the data such as edges of the track from the top, right, bottom and left sides of the hole (the center of the track is the bottom side of the borehole). Generally the color gradation (different spectrums) can be used in order to show the orientation change in the measurement around the wellbore. The azimuthal density, Pe, and Caliper data can be pointed and visualized as a log curves which can represent the average of all available data (an average of the top, right, bottom and left sides (or quadrants) or as 8 (RT) or 16 (RM) individual bins and as an ALD Image log. In addition, the Caliper data can give us information about the diameter and geometry of the borehole while drilling, trip in and trip out activities (for more detailed breakout analysis and interpretations). This paper (abstract) will present the results of a breakout analysis conducted from the wells which were drilled in the Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic in order to evaluate the available ALD images, caliper information and eventually incorporation of all available data into the wellbore stability monitoring service (breakout analysis).

Optimization of bone drilling parameters using Taguchi method based on finite element analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosidi, Ayip; Lenggo Ginta, Turnad; Rani, Ahmad Majdi Bin Abdul

2017-05-01

Thermal necrosis results fracture problems and implant failure if temperature exceeds 47 °C for one minute during bone drilling. To solve this problem, this work studied a new thermal model by using three drilling parameters: drill diameter, feed rate and spindle speed. Effects of those parameters to heat generation were studied. The drill diameters were 4 mm, 6 mm and 6 mm; the feed rates were 80 mm/min, 100 mm/min and 120 mm/min whereas the spindle speeds were 400 rpm, 500 rpm and 600 rpm then an optimization was done by Taguchi method to which combination parameter can be used to prevent thermal necrosis during bone drilling. The results showed that all the combination of parameters produce confidence results which were below 47 °C and finite element analysis combined with Taguchi method can be used for predicting temperature generation and optimizing bone drilling parameters prior to clinical bone drilling. All of the combination parameters can be used for surgeon to achieve sustainable orthopaedic surgery.

MSL/Mastcam Multispectral Observations of Lower Mt. Sharp Units: Spectral Evidence of Distinct Alteration Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wellington, D. F.; Bell, J. F., III; Johnson, J. R.; Fraeman, A. A.; Kinch, K. M.; Godber, A.; Rice, M. S.

2016-12-01

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover reached the lower units of Mt. Sharp in Gale Crater approximately two years ago. Along the traverse, Mastcam multispectral observations have documented the visible/near-IR spectral variability of drill tailings, bedrock, float rocks, fines, and other materials, recording a set of diverse reflectance properties in twelve unique filters over wavelengths 400-1100 nm. The most recent multi-filter images include new spectral diversity not encountered in near-field imaging acquired earlier in the mission. Since departing Marias Pass ( sol 1072), the rover has sampled material from the Stimson sandstone unit four times at two widely separated locations. These drill pairs were designed to investigate alteration regions visible as bright haloes bordering fractures in the bedrock. Drill fines and piles of dumped sample material from these sites (at Bridger Basin and on the Naukluft Plateau) were targeted for multispectral observations, which quantify the differences in overall reflectance and spectral shape between the unaltered Stimson material and the light-toned haloes. In the latter, high reflectances and relatively flat spectral shapes are consistent with interpretations of silica enrichment from other instruments. Mastcam spectra of the portions of the underlying Murray Formation (mudstone) that were encountered on first approach to the Bagnold dunes, and again upon exiting the Naukluft Plateau, are consistent with the presence of crystalline hematite. Variations in the relative strength of hematite absorption features in different locations may suggest possible differences in relative and/or absolute abundances of hematite of varying degrees of crystallinity. Dune materials have low reflectances with a broad, shallow absorption near 1-µm consistent with an olivine-bearing basaltic composition. We present these and other examples of spectral variability encountered by the rover during its ascent up the lower slopes of Mt. Sharp.

Numerical analysis of wellbore instability in gas hydrate formation during deep-water drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Huaiwen; Cheng, Yuanfang; Li, Qingchao; Yan, Chuanliang; Han, Xiuting

2018-02-01

Gas hydrate formation may be encountered during deep-water drilling because of the large amount and wide distribution of gas hydrates under the shallow seabed of the South China Sea. Hydrates are extremely sensitive to temperature and pressure changes, and drilling through gas hydrate formation may cause dissociation of hydrates, accompanied by changes in wellbore temperatures, pore pressures, and stress states, thereby leading to wellbore plastic yield and wellbore instability. Considering the coupling effect of seepage of drilling fluid into gas hydrate formation, heat conduction between drilling fluid and formation, hydrate dissociation, and transformation of the formation framework, this study established a multi-field coupling mathematical model of the wellbore in the hydrate formation. Furthermore, the influences of drilling fluid temperatures, densities, and soaking time on the instability of hydrate formation were calculated and analyzed. Results show that the greater the temperature difference between the drilling fluid and hydrate formation is, the faster the hydrate dissociates, the wider the plastic dissociation range is, and the greater the failure width becomes. When the temperature difference is greater than 7°C, the maximum rate of plastic deformation around the wellbore is more than 10%, which is along the direction of the minimum horizontal in-situ stress and associated with instability and damage on the surrounding rock. The hydrate dissociation is insensitive to the variation of drilling fluid density, thereby implying that the change of the density of drilling fluids has a minimal effect on the hydrate dissociation. Drilling fluids that are absorbed into the hydrate formation result in fast dissociation at the initial stage. As time elapses, the hydrate dissociation slows down, but the risk of wellbore instability is aggravated due to the prolonged submersion in drilling fluids. For the sake of the stability of the wellbore in deep-water drilling through hydrate formation, the drilling fluid with low temperatures should be given priority. The drilling process should be kept under balanced pressures, and the drilling time should be shortened.

Problems of deep drilling in abnormally pressured zones of the Kara Sea continental shelf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simonov, V.I.

1996-12-31

There are discussed results of drilling operations in shelf hydrocarbon areas of the Far North of Tyumen Region (Kharassavieskaya, Bovanenkovskaya and Krusenshternskaya ones) and on the Bely Island. The author describes equipment and technologies used, problems arising in the process of operations and possible ways of solving them. Application of the results discussed in the report seems rather attractive in connection with possible realization of joint projects on development of the mentioned areas. Thus, Amoco Eurasia plans to participate in development of Bovanenkovskoye and Novoportovskoye fields. Well planning for Amoco has been done of specialists of ZapSibBurNIPI. Experience of Russianmore » drilling companies in the Yamal area (Far North of Tyumen Region) has proved that well planning for shelf areas requires special attention as drilling-in both overpressured zones (Bovanenkovskoye field) and underpressured ones (Novoportovskoye field) is done actually in balance. Investigated are reasons for such drilling problems as kicks and lost circulation. Taking them into consideration will help to decrease considerably the cost of well drilling in shelf areas.« less

Test-well drilling in the upper Satus Creek basin, Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearson, H.E.

1977-01-01

Two test wells were drilled in the upper Satus Creek basin of the Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington, using the air-rotary method. At site 1 the well penetrated a young basalt and 175 feet of the Yakima Basalt, and at site 2 the well penetrated the young basalt. The well at site 1 was drilled to a depth of 350 feet. Tests for drawdown and yield indicated a specific capacity of about 11 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. The potential yield of this well may be about 1,000 gallons per minute. The well at site 2 was drilled to a depth of 500 feet. Only a small quantity of water was encountered and no test for yield was made. Data from these wells, including chemical analysis of the water from the well at site 1, will provide information useful in the development and management of the ground-water resources in this part of the Yakima Indian Reservation. (Woodard-USGS)

Compressed-air power tools in orthopaedic surgery: exhaust air is a potential source of contamination.

PubMed

Sagi, H C; DiPasquale, Thomas; Sanders, Roy; Herscovici, Dolfi

2002-01-01

To determine if the exhaust from surgical compressed-air power tools contains bacteria and if the exhaust leads to contamination of sterile surfaces. Bacteriologic study of orthopaedic power tools. Level I trauma center operative theater. None. Part I. Exhaust from two sterile compact air drills was sampled directly at the exhaust port. Part II. Exhaust from the drills was directed at sterile agar plates from varying distances. The agar plates represented sterile surfaces within the operative field. Part III. Control cultures. A battery-powered drill was operated over open agar plates in similar fashion as the compressed-air drills. Agar plates left open in the operative theater served as controls to rule out atmospheric contamination. Random cultures were taken from agar plates, gloves, drills, and hoses. Incidence of positive cultures. In Part I, all filters from both compressed-air drill exhausts were culture negative ( = 0.008). In Part II, the incidence of positive cultures for air drills number one and number two was 73% and 82%, respectively. The most commonly encountered organisms were, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and Micrococcus species. All control cultures from agar plates, battery-powered drill, gloves, and hoses were negative ( < 0.01). Exhaust from compressed-air power tools in orthopaedic surgery may contribute to the dissemination of bacteria onto the surgical field. We do not recommend the use of compressed-air power tools that do not have a contained exhaust.

Geologic report on the Sand Wash Drilling Project, Moffat and Routt Counties, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carter, T.E.; Wayland, T.E.

1981-09-01

The Sand Wash Basin Drilling Project comprises twenty-seven (27) drill holes located in Moffat and Routt Counties, northwest Colorado, having an aggregate depth of 26,107.5 feet (7957.6 m). The holes penetrate the Browns Park Formation of Miocene age, which is a tuffaceous continental sandstone deposited in fluvial, eolian, and lacustrine environments. Partly based on project drilling results, uranium potential resource estimates for this formation in the $50/lb U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ forward-cost category have been increased by 34,476 tons U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ (35,036 metric tons). Three areas between Maybell and Craig, Colorado, considered favorable for uranium occurrences were verified as favorablemore » by project drilling, and a fourth favorable area northwest of Maybell has been expanded. In addition, project drilling results indicate two new favorable areas, one north and northwest and one south of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Anomalous radioactivity was detected in drill holes in all six study areas of the project. The most important factor in concentrating significant amounts of uranium in the target formation appears to be the availability of gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons and/or hydrogen sulfide gas as reductants. Where subjacent formations supply these reductants to the Browns Park Formation, project drilling encountered 0.05 percent to 0.01 percent uranium concentrations. Potential, though unproven, sources of these reductants are believed to underlie parts of all six project study areas.« less

Real time drilling mud gas response to small-moderate earthquakes in Wenchuan earthquake Scientific Drilling Hole-1 in SW China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Zheng; Li, Haibing; Tang, Lijun; Lao, Changling; Zhang, Lei; Li, Li

2017-05-01

We investigated the real time drilling mud gas of the Wenchuan earthquake Fault Scientific Drilling Hole-1 and their responses to 3918 small-moderate aftershocks happened in the Longmenshan fault zone. Gas profiles for Ar, CH4, He, 222Rn, CO2, H2, N2, O2 are obtained. Seismic wave amplitude, energy density and static strain are calculated to evaluate their power of influence to the drilling site. Mud gases two hours before and after each earthquake are carefully analyzed. In total, 25 aftershocks have major mud gas response, the mud gas concentrations vary dramatically immediately or minutes after the earthquakes. Different gas species respond to earthquakes in different manners according to local lithology encountered during the drill. The gas variations are likely controlled by dynamic stress changes, rather than static stress changes. They have the seismic energy density between 10-5 and 1.0 J/m3 whereas the static strain are mostly less than 10-8. We suggest that the limitation of the gas sources and the high hydraulic diffusivity of the newly ruptured fault zone could have inhibited the drilling mud gas behaviors, they are only able to respond to a small portion of the aftershocks. This work is important for the understanding of earthquake related hydrological changes.

Experimental investigation and statistical modeling of temperature rise in rotary ultrasonic bone drilling.

PubMed

Gupta, Vishal; Pandey, Pulak M

2016-11-01

Thermal necrosis is one of the major problems associated with the bone drilling process in orthopedic/trauma surgical operations. To overcome this problem a new bone drilling method has been introduced recently. Studies have been carried out with rotary ultrasonic drilling (RUD) on pig bones using diamond coated abrasive hollow tools. In the present work, influence of process parameters (rotational speed, feed rate, drill diameter and vibrational amplitude) on change in the temperature was studied using design of experiment technique i.e., response surface methodology (RSM) and data analysis was carried out using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Temperature was recorded and measured by using embedded thermocouple technique at a distance of 0.5mm, 1.0mm, 1.5mm and 2.0mm from the drill site. Statistical model was developed to predict the maximum temperature at the drill tool and bone interface. It was observed that temperature increased with increase in the rotational speed, feed rate and drill diameter and decreased with increase in the vibrational amplitude. Copyright © 2016 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Robotic Planetary Drill Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, Brian J.; Thompson, S.; Paulsen, G.

2010-01-01

Several proposed or planned planetary science missions to Mars and other Solar System bodies over the next decade require subsurface access by drilling. This paper discusses the problems of remote robotic drilling, an automation and control architecture based loosely on observed human behaviors in drilling on Earth, and an overview of robotic drilling field test results using this architecture since 2005. Both rotary-drag and rotary-percussive drills are targeted. A hybrid diagnostic approach incorporates heuristics, model-based reasoning and vibration monitoring with neural nets. Ongoing work leads to flight-ready drilling software.

Development of a Drilling Simulator for Dental Implant Surgery.

PubMed

Kinoshita, Hideaki; Nagahata, Masahiro; Takano, Naoki; Takemoto, Shinji; Matsunaga, Satoru; Abe, Shinichi; Yoshinari, Masao; Kawada, Eiji

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a dental implant surgery simulator that allows learners to experience the drilling forces necessary to perform an osteotomy in the posterior mandibular bone. The simulator contains a force-sensing device that receives input and counteracts this force, which is felt as resistance by the user. The device consists of an actuator, a load cell, and a control unit. A mandibular bone model was fabricated in which the predicted forces necessary to drill the cortical and trabecular bone were determined via micro CT image-based 3D finite element analysis. The simulator was evaluated by five dentists from the Department of Implantology at Tokyo Dental College. The ability of the evaluators to distinguish the drilling resistance through different regions of the mandibular bone was investigated. Of the five dentists, four sensed the change in resistance when the drill perforated the upper cortical bone. All five dentists were able to detect when the drill made contact with lingual cortical bone and when the lingual bone was perforated. This project successfully developed a dental implant surgery simulator that allows users to experience the forces necessary to drill through types of bone encountered during osteotomy. Furthermore, the researchers were able to build a device by which excessive drilling simulates a situation in which the lingual cortical bone is perforated--a situation that could lead to negative repercussions in a clinical setting. The simulator was found to be useful to train users to recognize the differences in resistance when drilling through the mandibular bone.

Online gas monitoring and sampling during drilling of the INFLUINS borehole EF-FB 1/12 into the Thuringian Syncline, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Görlitz, Marco; Abratis, Michael; Wiersberg, Thomas

2014-05-01

Online monitoring and sampling of drill mud gas (OLGA) was conducted during standard rotary drilling and core drilling of the INFLUINS borehole EF-FB 1/12 to gain information on the composition of gases and their distribution at depth within the Thuringian Syncline (Germany). The method can help to identify areas of enhanced permeability and/or porosity, open fractures, and other strata associated with gases at depth. The gas-loaded drill mud was continuously degassed in a modified gas-water separator, which was installed in the mud ditch in close distance to the drill mud outlet. The extracted gas phase was pumped in a nearby field laboratory for continuous on-line analysis. First information on the gas composition (H2, He, N2, O2, CO2, CH4, Ar, Kr) was available only few minutes after gas extraction. More than 40 gas samples were taken from the gas line during drilling and pumping tests for further laboratory studies. Enhanced concentration of methane, helium, hydrogen and carbon dioxide were detected in drill mud when the drill hole encountered gas-rich strata. Down to a depth of 620 m, the drill mud contained maximum concentration of 55 ppmv He, 1400 ppmv of CH4, 400 ppmv of hydrogen and 1.1 vol-% of CO2. The drilling mud gas composition is linked with the drilled strata. Buntsandstein and Muschelkalk show different formation gas composition and are therefore hydraulically separated. Except for helium, the overall abundance of formation gases in drilling mud is relatively low. We therefore consider the INFLUINS borehole to be dry. The correlation between hydrogen and helium and the relatively high helium abundance rules out any artificial origin of hydrogen and suggest a radiolytic origin of hydrogen. Values CH4/(C2H6/C3H8)

Comparative study for surface topography of bone drilling using conventional drilling and loose abrasive machining.

PubMed

Singh, Gurmeet; Jain, Vivek; Gupta, Dheeraj

2015-03-01

Drilling through the bone is a complicated process in orthopaedic surgery. It involves human as a part of the work so it needs better perfection and quality which leads to the sustainability. Different studies were carried out on this curious topic and some interesting results were obtained, which help the orthopaedic surgeon on the operation table. Major problems faced during bone drilling were crack initiation, thermal necrosis and burr formation. The surface topography of the bone is an indirect indication for the sustainability of bone joint. In this study, a comparison is made between conventional and a loose abrasive unconventional drilling technique for the surface characterization of the bone. The attempt has been made to show the feasibility of bone drilling with non-conventional technique and its aftereffect on the bone structure. The burr formation during conventional bone drilling was found to be more which leads to problems such as crack initiation and thermal necrosis. Scanning electrode microscope and surface roughness tester were used to characterize the surface of the fine drilled bone specimen and the results testified quite better surface finish and least crack formation while drilling with loose abrasive unconventional technique. © IMechE 2015.

Molecular analysis of bacterial diversity in kerosene-based drilling fluid from the deep ice borehole at Vostok, East Antarctica.

PubMed

Alekhina, Irina A; Marie, Dominique; Petit, Jean Robert; Lukin, Valery V; Zubkov, Vladimir M; Bulat, Sergey A

2007-02-01

Decontamination of ice cores is a critical issue in phylogenetic studies of glacial ice and subglacial lakes. At the Vostok drill site, a total of 3650 m of ice core have now been obtained from the East Antarctic ice sheet. The ice core surface is coated with a hard-to-remove film of impure drilling fluid comprising a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and foranes. In the present study we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze the bacterial content of the Vostok drilling fluid sampled from four depths in the borehole. Six phylotypes were identified in three of four samples studied. The two dominant phylotypes recovered from the deepest (3400 and 3600 m) and comparatively warm (-10 degrees C and -6 degrees C, respectively) borehole horizons were from within the genus Sphingomonas, a well-known degrader of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The remaining phylotypes encountered in all samples proved to be human- or soil-associated bacteria and were presumed to be drilling fluid contaminants of rare occurrence. The results obtained indicate the persistence of bacteria in extremely cold, hydrocarbon-rich environments. They show the potential for contamination of ice and subglacial water samples during lake exploration, and the need to develop a microbiological database of drilling fluid findings.

Redesigned PDC bit solves low hydraulic hp problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-06-01

A new PDC bit design was created to solve a problem a drilling contractor had due to hydraulic horsepower limitations on rigs used in a particular geographical area. The new bit design, which arose from a formal alliance between Exeter Drilling Co. and Hughes Christensen Co. has greatly improved bit cleaning and overall drilling efficiency in applications where only low hydraulic hp is available. The new design has been run successfully in the Denver-Julesburg (D-J) basin of Colorado. The development was described in detail in paper IADC/SPE 35109, ``Unique PDC bit configuration dramatically improves hole cleaning, drilling efficiency in lowmore » hydraulic applications,`` presented by G.J. Hertzler III, Exeter Drilling Co. and J.T. Wankier, Hughes Christensen Co., at the 1996 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, New Orleans, La., March 12--15. This article is an abstract of that paper, which contains significantly more technical data.« less

Geological and geophysical analysis of Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole No. 1 (CGEH-1), Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galbraith, R.M.

1978-05-01

The Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole number one (CGEH-1) was drilled in the Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California, from September 2 to December 2, 1977. Chip samples were collected at ten foot intervals and extensive geophysical logging surveys were conducted to document the geologic character of the geothermal system as penetrated by CGEH-1. The major rock units encountered include a mafic metamorphic sequence and a leucogranite which intruded the metamorphic rocks. Only weak hydrothermal alteration was noted in these rocks. Drillhole surveys and drilling rate data indicate that the geothermal system is structurally controlled and that the drillhole itself was stronglymore » influenced by structural zones. Water chemistry indicates that this geothermal resource is a hot-water rather than a vapor-dominated system. Several geophysical logs were employed to characcterize the drillhole geology. The natural gamma and neutron porosity logs indicate gross rock type and the accoustic logs indicate fractured rock and potentially permeable zones. A series of temperature logs run as a function of time during and after the completion of drilling were most useful in delineating the zones of maximum heat flux. Convective heat flow and temperatures greater than 350/sup 0/F appear to occur only along an open fracture system encountered between depths of 1850 and 2775 feet. Temperature logs indicate a negative thermal gradient below 3000 feet.« less

Geological and geophysical analysis of Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole No. 1 (CGEH-1), Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galbraith, R.M.

1978-05-01

The Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole number one (CGEH-1) was drilled in the Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California from September 2 to December 2, 1977. Chip samples were collected at ten foot intervals and extensive geophysical logging surveys were conducted to document the geologic character of the geothermal system as penetrated by CGEH-1. The major rock units encountered include a mafic metamorphic sequence and a leucogranite which intruded the metamorphic rocks. Only weak hydrothermal alteration was noted in these rocks. Drillhole surveys and drilling rate data indicate that the geothermal system is structurally controlled and that the drillhole itself was stronglymore » influenced by structural zones. Water chemistry indicates that this geothermal resource is a hot-water rather than a vapor-dominated system. Several geophysical logs were employed to characterize the drillhole geology. The natural gamma and neutron porosity logs indicate gross rock type and the acoustic logs indicate fractured rock and potentially permeable zones. A series of temperature logs run as a function of time during and after the completion of drilling were most useful in delineating the zones of maximum heat flux. Convective heat flow and temperatures greater than 350/sup 0/F appear to occur only along an open fracture system encountered between depths of 1850 and 2775 feet. Temperature logs indicate a negative thermal gradient below 3000 feet.« less

Western Newfoundland's oil; Gas hopes lie with carbonate platform

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeSilva, N.R.

1991-12-30

This paper reports on the presence of hydrocarbons onshore western Newfoundland that was known through numerous occurrences of oil and gas seeps and bituminous residues since early 1800s, when local residents first used it as a treatment for rheumatism. The first exploratory well was drilled in 1867, and since then a total of 60 wells have been drilled in the area. Despite the fact that most of these wells were relatively shallow, average 300--500 m, and have been drilled with limited geological control and no seismic mapping, more than half the wells encountered minor amounts of hydrocarbons with a totalmore » cumulative production of about 6,000 bbl in the early 1900s. Issuance and administration of petroleum exploration rights off Newfoundland is the responsibility of the Canada- Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board.« less

SPI Conformance Gel Applications in Geothermal Zonal Isolation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burns, Lyle

Zonal isolation in geothermal injection and producing wells is important while drilling the wells when highly fractured geothermal zones are encountered and there is a need to keep the fluids from interfering with the drilling operation. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) objectives are to advance technologies to make it more cost effective to develop, produce, and monitor geothermal reservoirs and produce geothermal energy. Thus, zonal isolation is critical to well cost, reservoir evaluation and operations. Traditional cementing off of the lost circulation or thief zones during drilling is often done to stem the drilling mudmore » losses. This is an expensive and generally unsuccessful technique losing the potential of the remaining fracture system. Selective placement of strong SPI gels into only the offending fractures can maintain and even improve operational efficiency and resource life. The SPI gel system is a unique silicate based gel system that offers a promising solution to thief zones and conformance problems with water and CO2 floods and potentially geothermal operations. This gel system remains a low viscosity fluid until an initiator (either internal such as an additive or external such as CO2) triggers gelation. This is a clear improvement over current mechanical methods of using packers, plugs, liners and cementing technologies that often severely damage the highly fractured area that is isolated. In the SPI gels, the initiator sets up the fluid into a water-like (not a precipitate) gel and when the isolated zone needs to be reopened, the SPI gel may be removed with an alkaline solution without formation damage occurring. In addition, the SPI gel in commercial quantities is expected to be less expensive than competing mechanical systems and has unique deep placement possibilities. This project seeks to improve upon the SPI gel integrity by modifying the various components to impart temperature stability for use in geothermal.« less

An assessment of the mechanical stability of wells offshore Nigeria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lowrey, J.P.; Ottesen, S.

In 1991 lost time due to stuck pipe related drilling problems accounted for approximately 18% of total drilling time in Mobil Producing Nigeria Ultd.`s (MPN) offshore operations. The primary cause of stuck pipe was identified as mechanical wellbore instability. This paper presents an assessment of the mechanical stability of MPN`s wells offshore Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: (1) determine the magnitude of the in-situ principal stresses and material properties of the troublesome Intra-Biafra and Qua Iboe shale sequences; (2) quantify the drilling fluid densities required to drill mechanically stable wells through these formations; (3) review and recommendmore » well planning and operational parameters which aid in minimizing wellbore stability-related drilling problems. The well-bore stability assessment was carried out with the aid of a 3-dimensional wellbore stability model using field derived data from the study area to corroborate the results. The collection and analysis of drilling data (borehole geometry and density logs, pore pressure, leak-off tests, local geology and other relevant well records) to determine the magnitude of the in-situ principal stresses, together with compressive strength tests on formation cores are discussed. Minimum safe drilling fluid densities to promote wellbore stability as a function of well geometry and depth are presented for the most troublesome shales drilled in the study area. Implementation of the results reduced wellbore stability related problems and associated trouble time to less than 5% in 1992.« less

Automatic Bone Drilling - More Precise, Reliable and Safe Manipulation in the Orthopaedic Surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiadjiev, George; Kastelov, Rumen; Boiadjiev, Tony; Delchev, Kamen; Zagurski, Kazimir

2016-06-01

Bone drilling manipulation often occurs in the orthopaedic surgery. By statistics, nowadays, about one million people only in Europe need such an operation every year, where bone implants are inserted. Almost always, the drilling is performed handily, which cannot avoid the subjective factor influence. The question of subjective factor reduction has its answer - automatic bone drilling. The specific features and problems of orthopaedic drilling manipulation are considered in this work. The automatic drilling is presented according the possibilities of robotized system Orthopaedic Drilling Robot (ODRO) for assuring the manipulation accuracy, precision, reliability and safety.

Using National Health Care Databases and Problem-Based Practice Analysis to Inform Integrated Curriculum Development.

PubMed

Baker, Amy J; Raymond, Mark R; Haist, Steven A; Boulet, John R

2017-04-01

One challenge when implementing case-based learning, and other approaches to contextualized learning, is determining which clinical problems to include. This article illustrates how health care utilization data, readily available from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), can be incorporated into an educational needs assessment to identify medical problems physicians are likely to encounter in clinical practice. The NCHS survey data summarize patient demographics, diagnoses, and interventions for tens of thousands of patients seen in various settings, including emergency departments (EDs), clinics, and hospitals.Selected data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: Emergency Department illustrate how instructional materials can be derived from the results of such public-use health care data. Using fever as the reason for visit to the ED, the patient management path is depicted in the form of a case drill-down by exploring the most common diagnoses, blood tests, diagnostic studies, procedures, and medications associated with fever.Although these types of data are quite useful, they should not serve as the sole basis for determining which instructional cases to include. Additional sources of information should be considered to ensure the inclusion of cases that represent infrequent but high-impact problems and those that illustrate fundamental principles that generalize to other cases.

Geothermal well drilling manual at Cerro Prieto

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fernandez P., A.; Flores S., M.

The objective of the drilling manual is to solve all problems directly related to drilling during the construction of a well. In this case, the topics dealt which are drilling fluids and hydraulics to be applied in the field to improve drilling progress, eliminate risks and achieve good well-completion. There are other topics that are applicable such as drill bits and the drilling string, which are closely linked to drilling progress. On this occasion drilling fluid and hydraulics programs are presented, in addition to a computing program for a Casio FX-502P calculator to be applied in the field to optimizemore » hydraulics and in the analysis of hydraulics for development and exploration wells at their different intervals.« less

A composite lithology log while drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tannenbaum, E.; Sutcliffe, B.; Franks, A.

A new method for producing a computerized composite lithology log (CLL) while drilling by integrating MWD (measurement while drilling) and surface data is described. At present, lithology logs are produced at the well site by mud loggers. They provide basic description and relative amounts of lithologies. Major difficulties are encountered in relating the cuttings to their original formations due to mixing in the drilling mud while transporting to the surface, sloughing shales, flawed sampling, etc. This results in a poor control on the stratigraphic sequence and on the depth of formation boundaries. A composite log can be produced after drillingmore » this additional inputs such as wireline, petrography, and paleontology. This process is labor intensive and expensive. The CLL integrates three types of data (MWD mechanical, MWD geophysical, and surface cuttings) acquired during drilling, in three time stages: (1) Real Time. MWD drilling mechanical data including the rate of penetration and the downhole torque. This stage would provide bed boundaries and some inferred lithology. This would assist the driller with immediate drilling decisions and determine formation tops for coring, casing point, and correlation. (2) MWD Time. Recomputation of the above by adding MWD geophysical data (gamma-ray, resistivity, neutron-density). This stage would upgrade the lithology inference, and give higher resolution to bed boundaries, (3) Lag Time. Detailed analysis of surface cuttings to confirm the inferred lithologies. This last input results in a high-quality CLL with accurate lithologies and bed boundaries.« less

Oyo-first field Deepwater Nigeria?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lilletveit, R.; Nelson, L.; Osahon, G.

The Oyo-1 well was drilled in 3Q95 in OPL 210. The partners in the block are Allied Energy (Operator) and the Statoil and BP Alliance. This well was the first well drilled in Deepwater Nigeria and is a reported hydrocarbon discovery. Although the well was within the Niger Delta depositional system, the deepwater play types drilled were quite different than anything previously tested on the Nigerian shelf or onshore. One year on, some of the questions to be asked are: (1) What did Oyo-1 discover? (2) What has been done to establish the commerciality, or otherwise, of the hydrocarbon poolsmore » encountered? (3) What impact does this discovery have on other prospects identified in the deepwater area? The answer to these questions will help to identify whether a new hydrocarbon province in the deepwater Nigeria area can be developed, or not.« less

43 CFR 3593.1 - Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

.... (d) When drilling on lands with potential for encountering high pressure oil, gas or geothermal... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings...) EXPLORATION AND MINING OPERATIONS Bore Holes and Samples § 3593.1 Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings...

43 CFR 3593.1 - Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

.... (d) When drilling on lands with potential for encountering high pressure oil, gas or geothermal... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings...) EXPLORATION AND MINING OPERATIONS Bore Holes and Samples § 3593.1 Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings...

43 CFR 3593.1 - Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

.... (d) When drilling on lands with potential for encountering high pressure oil, gas or geothermal... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings...) EXPLORATION AND MINING OPERATIONS Bore Holes and Samples § 3593.1 Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings...

43 CFR 3593.1 - Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

.... (d) When drilling on lands with potential for encountering high pressure oil, gas or geothermal... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings...) EXPLORATION AND MINING OPERATIONS Bore Holes and Samples § 3593.1 Core or test hole cores, samples, cuttings...

Field testing advanced geothermal turbodrill (AGT). Phase 1 final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maurer, W.C.; Cohen, J.H.

1999-06-01

Maurer Engineering developed special high-temperature geothermal turbodrills for LANL in the 1970s to overcome motor temperature limitations. These turbodrills were used to drill the directional portions of LANL`s Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Wells at Fenton Hill, New Mexico. The Hot Dry Rock concept is to drill parallel inclined wells (35-degree inclination), hydraulically fracture between these wells, and then circulate cold water down one well and through the fractures and produce hot water out of the second well. At the time LANL drilled the Fenton Hill wells, the LANL turbodrill was the only motor in the world that would drill atmore » the high temperatures encountered in these wells. It was difficult to operate the turbodrills continuously at low speed due to the low torque output of the LANL turbodrills. The turbodrills would stall frequently and could only be restarted by lifting the bit off bottom. This allowed the bit to rotate at very high speeds, and as a result, there was excessive wear in the bearings and on the gauge of insert roller bits due to these high rotary speeds. In 1998, Maurer Engineering developed an Advanced Geothermal Turbodrill (AGT) for the National Advanced Drilling and Excavation Technology (NADET) at MIT by adding a planetary speed reducer to the LANL turbodrill to increase its torque and reduce its rotary speed. Drilling tests were conducted with the AGT using 12 1/2-inch insert roller bits in Texas Pink Granite. The drilling tests were very successful, with the AGT drilling 94 ft/hr in Texas Pink Granite compared to 45 ft/hr with the LANL turbodrill and 42 ft/hr with a rotary drill. Field tests are currently being planned in Mexico and in geothermal wells in California to demonstrate the ability of the AGT to increase drilling rates and reduce drilling costs.« less

Electrical Resistivity Technique for Groundwater Exploration in Quaternary Deposit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziman, M.; Hazreek, Z. A. M.; Azhar, A. T. S.; Fahmy, K. A.; Faizal, T. B. M.; Sabariah, M.; Ambak, K.; Ismail, M. A. M.

2018-04-01

The water security for University Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM) campus was initiated to find alternative sources of water supply. This research began with finding the soil profiles using the geophysical electrical resistivity method across UTHM campus. The resistivity results were calibrated with previous borehole data as well as via groundwater drilling. The drilling work was discovered the groundwater aquifer characterized by the fractured fresh igneous rock at a depth between 43 meter and 55 meter. Further drilling was continued until 100 meter in depth. However, due to not encounter a new rock fractured zone causes the groundwater quantity did not improve even was drilled up to 100 meter depth. In the perspective of water resources, it showed a good potential for water resources for local usages at 104 m3 per day. In addition, the groundwater quality showed the water treatment was required to fulfil the criterion of the national drinking water standards. This study concluded that the first layer of fractured bedrock at UTHM was able to produce significant amounts of groundwater for local consumption usage.

Model Prediction Results for 2007 Ultrasonic Benchmark Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hak-Joon; Song, Sung-Jin

2008-02-01

The World Federation of NDE Centers (WFNDEC) has addressed two types of problems for the 2007 ultrasonic benchmark problems: prediction of side-drilled hole responses with 45° and 60° refracted shear waves, and effects of surface curvatures on the ultrasonic responses of flat-bottomed hole. To solve this year's ultrasonic benchmark problems, we applied multi-Gaussian beam models for calculation of ultrasonic beam fields and the Kirchhoff approximation and the separation of variables method for calculation of far-field scattering amplitudes of flat-bottomed holes and side-drilled holes respectively In this paper, we present comparison results of model predictions to experiments for side-drilled holes and discuss effect of interface curvatures on ultrasonic responses by comparison of peak-to-peak amplitudes of flat-bottomed hole responses with different sizes and interface curvatures.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Temple, Brian Allen; Pimentel, David A.

This document covers the various testing and modifications of the Device Modeler Tool Kit (DMTK) for project LANL12-RS-108J in FY14. The testing has been comprised of different device modelers and trainees for device modeling using DMTK on the secure network for a few test problems. Most of these problems have been synthetic data problems. There has been a local secure network training drill where one of the trainees has used DMTK for real data. DMTK has also been used on a laptop for a deployed real data training drill. Once DMTK gets into the home team, it will be usedmore » for more training drills (TDs) which will contain real data in the future.« less

Linking downhole logging data with geology and drilling /coring operations - Example from Chicxulub Expedition 364.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lofi, Johanna; Smith, Dave; Delahunty, Chris; Le Ber, Erwan; Mellet, Claire; Brun, Laurent; Henry, Gilles; Paris, Jehanne

2017-04-01

Expedition 364 was a joint IODP/ICDP mission specific platform expedition to explore the Chicxulub impact crater buried below the Yucatán continental shelf. In April and May 2016, our Expedition drilled a single borehole at Site M0077A into the crater's peak ring. It allowed recovering 303 excellent quality cores from 505.7 to 1334.7 meters below sea floor and acquiring more than 5.8 km of high resolution open hole logs. Downhole logs are rapidly collected, continuous with depth, and measured in situ; these data are classically interpreted in terms of stratigraphy, lithology, porosity, fluid content, geochemical composition and structure of the formation drilled. Downhole logs also allow assessing borehole quality (eg. shape and trajectory), and can provide assistance for decision support during drilling operations. In this work, Expedition 364 downhole logs are used to improve our understanding of the drilling/coring operation history. Differentiating between natural geological features and borehole artifacts are also critical for data quality assessment. The set of downhole geophysical tools used during Expedition 364 was constrained by the scientific objectives, drilling/coring technique, hole conditions and temperature at the drill site. Wireline logging data were acquired with slimline tools in three logging phases at intervals 0-503, 506-699 and 700-1334 mbsf. Logs were recorded either with standalone logging tools or, for the first time in IODP, with stackable slimline tools. Log data included total gamma radiation, sonic velocity, acoustic and optical borehole images, resistivity, conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, caliper and borehole fluid parameters. The majority of measurements were performed in open borehole conditions. During the drilling operations some problems were encountered directly linked to the geology of the drilled formation. For example, two zones of mud circulation losses correlate in depth with the presence of karst cavities or open faults, as evidenced from borehole wall images. Both form conduits probably open at a large scale as suggested by associated anomalies in the borehole fluid temperature profiles. When coring the basement, pieces of metal trapped outside the drill bit apparently led to an increase of the borehole tilt as well as to an enlargement of the hole, although this later remained sub-circular. In the post impact carbonates, 6-7 m long apparent cyclic oscillations in the magnetic field coupled to a spiral shape trajectory of the same wavelength suggest drilling induced artifacts and formation re-magnetization. Acknowledgements: Expedition 364 was funded by IODP with co-funding from ICDP and implemented by ECORD, with contributions and logistical support from the Yucatán state government and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Drilling Services were provided by DOSECC Exploration Services. The downhole logging program was coordinated by EPC, as part of ESO. Expedition 364 Scientists: S. Gulick, J.V. Morgan, E. Chenot, G. Christeson, P. Claeys, C. Cockell, M.J. L. Coolen, L. Ferrière, C. Gebhardt, K. Goto, H. Jones, D.A. Kring, J. Lofi, X. Long, C. Lowery, C. Mellett, R. Ocampo-Torres, L. Perez-Cruz, A. Pickersgill, M. Poelchau, A. Rae, C. Rasmussen, M. Rebolledo-Vieyra, U. Riller, H. Sato, J. Smit, S. Tikoo, N. Tomioka, M. Whalen, A. Wittmann, J. Urrutia-Fucugauchi, K.E. Yamaguchi, W. Zylberman.

Geothermal drilling in Cerro Prieto

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dominguez A., Bernardo

The number of characteristics of the different wells that have been drilled in the Cerro Prieto geothermal field to date enable one to summarize the basic factors in the applied technology, draw some conclusions, improve systems and procedures, and define some problems that have not yet been satisfactorily solved, although the existing solution is the best now available. For all practical purposes, the 100 wells drilled in the three areas or blocks into which the Cerro Prieto field has been divided have been completed. Both exploratory and production wells have been drilled; problems of partial or total lack of controlmore » have made it necessary to abandon some of these wells, since they were unsafe to keep in production or even to be used for observation and/or study. The wells and their type, the type of constructed wells and the accumulative meters that have been drilled for such wells are summarized.« less

Underground localization using dual magnetic field sequence measurement and pose graph SLAM for directional drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Byeolteo; Myung, Hyun

2014-12-01

With the development of unconventional gas, the technology of directional drilling has become more advanced. Underground localization is the key technique of directional drilling for real-time path following and system control. However, there are problems such as vibration, disconnection with external infrastructure, and magnetic field distortion. Conventional methods cannot solve these problems in real time or in various environments. In this paper, a novel underground localization algorithm using a re-measurement of the sequence of the magnetic field and pose graph SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) is introduced. The proposed algorithm exploits the property of the drilling system that the body passes through the previous pass. By comparing the recorded measurement from one magnetic sensor and the current re-measurement from another magnetic sensor, the proposed algorithm predicts the pose of the drilling system. The performance of the algorithm is validated through simulations and experiments.

Core logs from five holes near Kramer, in the Mojave Desert, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benda, William K.; Erd, Richard C.; Smith, Ward C.

1958-01-01

In 1957, five test holes were drilled near Kramer, California, in =he western Mojave Desert. The drill sites are in topographic basins where gravimetric and geologic surveys indicated the presence, beneath alluvium, of a thick section of Quaternary and Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Two holes which were deeper tests at sites drilled in 1954 cored only silts, sands and gravels: Four Corners test hole No. 1 was drilled in sec. 20, T. I0 N., R. 6 W., to a depth of 3,500 feet. Four Corners No. 2, in sec. 5, T. I0 N., R. 8 W., was drilled to 2,328 feet. Three holes which were drilled at new sites north of the intersection of U. S. Highways 395 and 466, locally known as Four Corners, encountered colemanite-bearing sediments. The locations and total depths of these holes are as follows: Four Corners No. 3, sec. T. 11 N., R. 6 W., depth 2,568 feet; Four Corners No. 4, near northern edge of sec. 30, T. ll N., R. 6 W., depth 3,500 feet; Four Corners No. 5, near southern edge of sec. 30, depth 1,604 feet. The sections of rocks encountered in these three holes are similar. In each, the colemanite is in fine-grained sediments that lie below sands and gravels, which are about 600 to 800 feet thick, and are underlain by sandstones and conglomerates. Colemanite is most abundant in the cores from Four Corners to hole No. 5, particularly in the 76 feet of core recovered between depths of 1,051 and 1,131 feet. Chemical analysis shows that in this section of core the average content of B203 is above 14 percent. In addition to colemanite, the cores contain sulfides of arsenic, an unusual iron sulfide, and zeolites. This mineralogy of the colemanite-bearing sediments north of Four Corners, together with the general lake bed lithology and the occurrence as a tilted section of beds below sands and gravels, supports correlation with the upper or marginal parts of the borate-bearin8 sediments at the Kramer borate mining district, which have similar features. There is, however, no evidence that any beds are exactly equivalent in age.

Geometry and material choices govern hard-rock drilling performance of PDC drag cutters.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wise, Jack LeRoy

2005-06-01

Sandia National Laboratories has partnered with industry on a multifaceted, baseline experimental study that supports the development of improved drag cutters for advanced drill bits. Different nonstandard cutter lots were produced and subjected to laboratory tests that evaluated the influence of selected design and processing parameters on cutter loads, wear, and durability pertinent to the penetration of hard rock with mechanical properties representative of formations encountered in geothermal or deep oil/gas drilling environments. The focus was on cutters incorporating ultrahard PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) overlays (i.e., diamond tables) on tungsten-carbide substrates. Parameter variations included changes in cutter geometry, material composition,more » and processing conditions. Geometric variables were the diamond-table thickness, the cutting-edge profile, and the PDC/substrate interface configuration. Material and processing variables for the diamond table were, respectively, the diamond particle size and the sintering pressure applied during cutter fabrication. Complementary drop-impact, granite-log abrasion, linear cutting-force, and rotary-drilling tests examined the response of cutters from each lot. Substantial changes in behavior were observed from lot to lot, allowing the identification of features contributing major (factor of 10+) improvements in cutting performance for hard-rock applications. Recent field demonstrations highlight the advantages of employing enhanced cutter technology during challenging drilling operations.« less

Mixed reality temporal bone surgical dissector: mechanical design.

PubMed

Hochman, Jordan Brent; Sepehri, Nariman; Rampersad, Vivek; Kraut, Jay; Khazraee, Milad; Pisa, Justyn; Unger, Bertram

2014-08-08

The Development of a Novel Mixed Reality (MR) Simulation. An evolving training environment emphasizes the importance of simulation. Current haptic temporal bone simulators have difficulty representing realistic contact forces and while 3D printed models convincingly represent vibrational properties of bone, they cannot reproduce soft tissue. This paper introduces a mixed reality model, where the effective elements of both simulations are combined; haptic rendering of soft tissue directly interacts with a printed bone model. This paper addresses one aspect in a series of challenges, specifically the mechanical merger of a haptic device with an otic drill. This further necessitates gravity cancelation of the work assembly gripper mechanism. In this system, the haptic end-effector is replaced by a high-speed drill and the virtual contact forces need to be repositioned to the drill tip from the mid wand. Previous publications detail generation of both the requisite printed and haptic simulations. Custom software was developed to reposition the haptic interaction point to the drill tip. A custom fitting, to hold the otic drill, was developed and its weight was offset using the haptic device. The robustness of the system to disturbances and its stable performance during drilling were tested. The experiments were performed on a mixed reality model consisting of two drillable rapid-prototyped layers separated by a free-space. Within the free-space, a linear virtual force model is applied to simulate drill contact with soft tissue. Testing illustrated the effectiveness of gravity cancellation. Additionally, the system exhibited excellent performance given random inputs and during the drill's passage between real and virtual components of the model. No issues with registration at model boundaries were encountered. These tests provide a proof of concept for the initial stages in the development of a novel mixed-reality temporal bone simulator.

Temperature profiles from Salt Valley, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sass, J. H.; Lachenbruch, A. H.; Smith, E. P.

Temperature profiles were obtained in the nine drilled wells as part of a thermal study of the Salt Valley anticline, Paradox Basin, Utha. Thermal conductivities were also measured on 10 samples judged to be representative of the rocks encountered in the deepest hole. The temperature profiles and thermal conductivities are presented, together with preliminary interpretive remarks and suggestions for additional work.

Deep-Sea Drilling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Stan M.

1979-01-01

Drilling during 1978 focused on three major geologic problems: the nature and origin of the oceanic crust, the nature and geologic history of the active continental margins, and the oceanic paleoenvironment. (Author/BB)

Horizontal drilling in the Austin Chalk: Stratigraphic factors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durham, C.O. Jr.; Bobigian, R.A.

1990-05-01

Horizontal drilling has renewed interest in the Austin chalk in south-central Texas. Large fields on opposite sides of the San Marcos arch Giddings to the northeast and Pearsall to the southwest were active with vertical drilling 10 years ago. Giddings' 4,500 Austin wells produced 209 million BO and 934 bcfg of gas through 1988; Pearsall's 1,440 wells produced 57 million BO and 35 bcfg of gas. Most vertical wells were completed, 20% were economic successes, 40% were marginal, 40% were uneconomic due to uneven areal distribution of near-vertical fractures and small faults, which provide reservoirs in otherwise tight chalk. Horizontalmore » drilling, led by Amoco in Giddings and Oryx in Pearsall, enhances the chances of encountering the fractures by drilling perpendicular to the fracture trend. Horizontal drilling requires preselection of the stratigraphic horizon to be penetrated. One must understand the variable Austin stratigraphy to choose the zone with the most brittle character and best matrix porosity, both reduced by increased clay content. Chalk 130 ft thick on the San Marcos arch thickens to 600 to 800 ft in central Giddings field where middle marl separates lower and upper chalk Northeastward only lower chalk is preserved beneath a post-Austin submarine channel. The Austin thickens to 300-500 ft in Pearsall field where middle member ash beds separate lower and upper chalk inhibiting vertical reservoir communication. Locally, on the Pearsall arch, ash is missing, lower chalk thickens, and upper chalk thins.« less

Planning additional drilling campaign using two-space genetic algorithm: A game theoretical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumral, Mustafa; Ozer, Umit

2013-03-01

Grade and tonnage are the most important technical uncertainties in mining ventures because of the use of estimations/simulations, which are mostly generated from drill data. Open pit mines are planned and designed on the basis of the blocks representing the entire orebody. Each block has different estimation/simulation variance reflecting uncertainty to some extent. The estimation/simulation realizations are submitted to mine production scheduling process. However, the use of a block model with varying estimation/simulation variances will lead to serious risk in the scheduling. In the medium of multiple simulations, the dispersion variances of blocks can be thought to regard technical uncertainties. However, the dispersion variance cannot handle uncertainty associated with varying estimation/simulation variances of blocks. This paper proposes an approach that generates the configuration of the best additional drilling campaign to generate more homogenous estimation/simulation variances of blocks. In other words, the objective is to find the best drilling configuration in such a way as to minimize grade uncertainty under budget constraint. Uncertainty measure of the optimization process in this paper is interpolation variance, which considers data locations and grades. The problem is expressed as a minmax problem, which focuses on finding the best worst-case performance i.e., minimizing interpolation variance of the block generating maximum interpolation variance. Since the optimization model requires computing the interpolation variances of blocks being simulated/estimated in each iteration, the problem cannot be solved by standard optimization tools. This motivates to use two-space genetic algorithm (GA) approach to solve the problem. The technique has two spaces: feasible drill hole configuration with minimization of interpolation variance and drill hole simulations with maximization of interpolation variance. Two-space interacts to find a minmax solution iteratively. A case study was conducted to demonstrate the performance of approach. The findings showed that the approach could be used to plan a new drilling campaign.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

William C. Maurer; William J. McDonald; Thomas E. Williams

Underbalanced drilling is experiencing growth at a rate that rivals that of horizontal drilling in the mid-1980s and coiled-tubing drilling in the 1990s. Problems remain, however, for applying underbalanced drilling in a wider range of geological settings and drilling environments. This report addresses developments under this DOE project to develop products aimed at overcoming these problems. During Phase I of the DOE project, market analyses showed that up to 12,000 wells per year (i.e., 30% of all wells) will be drilled underbalanced in the U.S.A. within the next ten years. A user-friendly foam fluid hydraulics model (FOAM) was developed formore » a PC Windows environment during Phase I. FOAM predicts circulating pressures and flow characteristics of foam fluids used in underbalanced drilling operations. FOAM is based on the best available mathematical models, and was validated through comparison to existing models, laboratory test data and field data. This model does not handle two-phase flow or air and mist drilling where the foam quality is above 0.97. This FOAM model was greatly expanded during Phase II including adding an improved foam rheological model and a ''matching'' feature that allows the model to be field calibrated. During Phase I, a lightweight drilling fluid was developed that uses hollow glass spheres (HGS) to reduce the density of the mud to less than that of water. HGS fluids have several advantages over aerated fluids, including they are incompressible, they reduce corrosion and vibration problems, they allow the use of mud-pulse MWD tools, and they eliminate high compressor and nitrogen costs. Phase II tests showed that HGS significantly reduce formation damage with water-based drilling and completion fluids and thereby potentially can increase oil and gas production in wells drilled with water-based fluids. Extensive rheological testing was conducted with HGS drilling and completion fluids during Phase II. These tests showed that the HGS fluids act similarly to conventional fluids and that they have potential application in many areas, including underbalanced drilling, completions, and riserless drilling. Early field tests under this project are encouraging. These led to limited tests by industry (which are also described). Further field tests and cost analyses are needed to demonstrate the viability of HGS fluids in different applications. Once their effectiveness is demonstrated, they should find widespread application and should significantly reduce drilling costs and increase oil and gas production rates. A number of important oilfield applications for HGS outside of Underbalanced Drilling were identified. One of these--Dual Gradient Drilling (DGD) for deepwater exploration and development--is very promising. Investigative work on DGD under the project is reported, along with definition of a large joint-industry project resulting from the work. Other innovative products/applications are highlighted in the report including the use of HGS as a cement additive.« less

Potential Cement Phases in Sedimentary Rocks Drilled by Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rampe, E. B.; Morris, R. V.; Bish, D. L.; Chipera, S. J.; Ming, D. W.; Blake, D. F.; Vaniman, D. T.; Bristow, T. F.; Cavanagh, P.; Farmer, J. D.;

Problems Encountered by Religious Vocational Secondary School and Other Secondary School Students in Physical Education and Sports Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bar, Mustafa; Yaman, Menzure Sibel; Hergüner, Gülten

2016-01-01

The study aimed to determine problems encountered by Religious Vocational Secondary School and other Secondary School students in physical education and sports activities and to compare these problems according to school type and gender. A questionnaire named "Problems encountered in attending to physical education and sports activities"…

The Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP): Understanding the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic context of human origins through continental drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, Andrew S.; Campisano, Christopher; Asrat, Asfawossen; Arrowsmith, Ramon; Deino, Alan; Feibel, Craig; Hill, Andrew; Kingston, John; Lamb, Henry; Lowenstein, Tim; Olago, Daniel; Bernhart Owen, R.; Renaut, Robin; Schabitz, Frank; Trauth, Martin

2015-04-01

The influence of climate and environmental history on human evolution is an existential question that continues to be hotly debated, in part because of the paucity of high resolution records collected in close proximity to the key fossil and archaeological evidence. To address this issue and transform the scientific debate, the HSPDP was developed to collect lacustrine sediment drill cores from basins in Kenya and Ethiopia that collectively encompass critical time intervals and locations for Plio-Quaternary human evolution in East Africa. After a 17 month campaign, drilling was completed in November, 2014, with over 1750m of core collected from 11 boreholes from five areas (1930m total drilling length, avg. 91% recovery). The sites, from oldest to youngest, include 1) N. Awash, Ethiopia (~3.5-2.9Ma core interval); 2) Baringo-Tugen Hills, Kenya (~3.3-2.5Ma); 3) West Turkana, Kenya (~1.9-1.4Ma); L. Magadi, Kenya (0.8-0Ma) and the Chew Bahir Basin, Ethiopia (~0.5-0Ma). Initial core description (ICD) and sampling for geochronology, geochemistry and paleoecology studies had been completed by mid2014, with the two remaining sites (Magadi and Chew Bahir) scheduled for ICD work in early 2015. Whereas the primary scientific targets were the lacustrine deposits from the hominin-bearing basin depocenters, many intervals of paleosols (representative of low lake stands and probable arid periods) were also encountered in drill cores. Preliminary analyses of drill core sedimentology and geochemistry show both long-term lake level changes and cyclic variability in lake levels, both of which may be indicative of climatic forcing events of interest to paleoanthropologists. Authors of this abstract also include the entire HSPDP field team.

Ultrasonic/Sonic Jackhammer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Herz, Jack L. (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor)

2014-01-01

The invention provides a novel jackhammer that utilizes ultrasonic and/or sonic vibrations as source of power. It is easy to operate and does not require extensive training, requiring substantially less physical capabilities from the user and thereby increasing the pool of potential operators. An important safety benefit is that it does not fracture resilient or compliant materials such as cable channels and conduits, tubing, plumbing, cabling and other embedded fixtures that may be encountered along the impact path. While the ultrasonic/sonic jackhammer of the invention is able to cut concrete and asphalt, it generates little back-propagated shocks or vibrations onto the mounting fixture, and can be operated from an automatic platform or robotic system. PNEUMATICS; ULTRASONICS; IMPACTORS; DRILLING; HAMMERS BRITTLE MATERIALS; DRILL BITS; PROTOTYPES; VIBRATION

Impacts of gas drilling on human and animal health.

PubMed

Bamberger, Michelle; Oswald, Robert E

2012-01-01

Environmental concerns surrounding drilling for gas are intense due to expansion of shale gas drilling operations. Controversy surrounding the impact of drilling on air and water quality has pitted industry and lease-holders against individuals and groups concerned with environmental protection and public health. Because animals often are exposed continually to air, soil, and groundwater and have more frequent reproductive cycles, animals can be used as sentinels to monitor impacts to human health. This study involved interviews with animal owners who live near gas drilling operations. The findings illustrate which aspects of the drilling process may lead to health problems and suggest modifications that would lessen but not eliminate impacts. Complete evidence regarding health impacts of gas drilling cannot be obtained due to incomplete testing and disclosure of chemicals, and nondisclosure agreements. Without rigorous scientific studies, the gas drilling boom sweeping the world will remain an uncontrolled health experiment on an enormous scale.

Structure optimization of a micro drill bit with nonlinear constraints considering the effects of eccentricity, gyroscopic moments, lateral and torsional vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Danh-Tuyen; Hoang, Tien-Dat; Lee, An-Chen

2017-10-01

A micro drill structure was optimized to give minimum lateral displacement at its drill tip, which plays an extremely important role on the quality of drilled holes. A drilling system includes a spindle, chuck and micro drill bit, which are modeled as rotating Timoshenko beam elements considering axial drilling force, torque, gyroscopic moments, eccentricity and bearing reaction force. Based on our previous work, the lateral vibration at the drill tip is evaluated. It is treated as an objective function in the optimization problem. Design variables are diameter and lengths of cylindrical and conical parts of the micro drill, along with nonlinear constraints on its mass and mass center location. Results showed that the lateral vibration was reduced by 15.83 % at a cutting speed of 70000 rpm as compared to that for a commercial UNION drill. Among the design variables, we found that the length of the conical part connecting to the drill shank plays the most important factor on the lateral vibration during cutting process.

The Problems Encountered in a CTEV Clinic: Can Better Casting and Bracing Be Accomplished?

PubMed

Agarwal, Anil; Kumar, Anubrat; Shaharyar, Abbas; Mishra, Madhusudan

2016-09-07

The aim of the study is to create awareness in the practicing health care workers toward the problems encountered during casting and bracing of clubfoot following Ponseti method, and in turn avoid them. Retrospective audit of 6 years' clubfoot clinic records to analyze problems associated with Ponseti method. Problems were encountered in 26 cast and in 6 braced patients. Just 4 patients out of 71 syndromic (5.6%) experienced problems during casting compared with 3% overall incidence. The common problems encountered in casted patients were moisture lesions, hematoma, dermatitis due to occlusion, pressure sores, and fractures. There was excessive bleeding in 1 patient at time of tenotomy. In braced patients, pressure sores and tenderness at tenotomy site were major problems. None of the syndromic patients experienced difficulties during bracing. Problems were encountered with Ponseti method during casting, tenotomy, or bracing. Syndromic children had lesser complication rate than idiopathic clubfeet. It is important to be aware of these problems so that appropriate intervention can be done early. Level IV: Retrospective. © 2016 The Author(s).

A 3 Kilometer Deep Window on the Interior of the Modern Nankai Accretionary Wedge: First Results from IODP Expedition 348

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, Harold; Hirose, Takehiro; Demian, Saffer

2014-05-01

IODP Site C0002 at the Nankai Trough is now the deepest hole ever drilled in scientific ocean drilling, at 3058 meters below sea floor so far, and the first hole anywhere to access the deep interior of an active convergent margin. Site C0002 is part of the NanTroSEIZE transect off the Kii-Kumano region of Japan, imaged with 3D seismic reflection and drilled on a series of Chikyu expeditions to shed light on the processes around the up-dip edge of seismogenic locking and slip. At Site C0002, riser drilling has passed through the approximately 900 m thick Kumano forearc basin and pierced the underlying Miocene age accretionary wedge. Limited coring, extensive LWD logging, and continuous observations on drill cuttings reveal the materials and processes in the deep interior of the inner wedge. Predominantly fine-grained mudstones with common turbiditic sands were encountered, complexly deformed and exhibiting well-developed scaly clay fabrics, variable bedding dip with very steep dips prevailing, and veins that become more abundant with depth. The biostratigraphic age of the sediments in the lowermost part of the hole is thought to be ~ 9 - 11 Ma, with an assumed age of accretion of 3-5 Ma. Physical properties suggest that the inner wedge from 1600 - 3000 mbsf has quite homogeneous properties. Evidence from borehole logging, drilling parameters, and samples for the state of stress and pore pressure in this never-before accessed tectonic environment will be presented.

Minimally-Invasive, Image-Guided Cochlear Implantation Surgery: First report of clinical implementation

PubMed Central

Labadie, Robert F; Balachandran, Ramya; Noble, Jack H; Blachon, Grégoire S; Mitchell, Jason E; Reda, Fitsum A; Dawant, Benoit M; Fitzpatrick, J Michael

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE Minimally-invasive image-guided approach to cochlear implantation (CI) involves drilling a narrow, linear tunnel to the cochlea. Reported herein is the first clinical implementation of this approach. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, cohort study. METHODS On preoperative CT, a safe linear trajectory through the facial recess targeting the scala tympani was planned. Intraoperatively, fiducial markers were bone-implanted, a second CT was acquired, and the trajectory was transferred from preoperative to intraoperative CT. A customized microstereotactic frame was rapidly designed and constructed to constrain a surgical drill along the desired trajectory. Following sterilization, the frame was employed to drill the tunnel to the middle ear. After lifting a tympanomeatal flap and performing a cochleostomy, the electrode array was threaded through the drilled tunnel and into the cochlea. RESULTS Eight of nine patients were successfully implanted using the proposed approach with six insertions completely within scala tympani. Traditional mastoidectomy was performed on one patient following difficulty threading the electrode array via the narrow tunnel. Other difficulties encountered included use of the back-up implant when an electrode was dislodged during threading via the tunnel, tip fold-over, and facial nerve paresis (House-Brackmann II/VII at 12 months) secondary to heat during drilling. Average time of intervention was 182±36 minutes. CONCLUSION Minimally-invasive, image-guided CI is clinically achievable. Further clinical study is necessary to address technological difficulties during drilling and insertion and to assess potential benefits including decreased time of intervention, standardization of surgical intervention, and decreased tissue dissection potentially leading to shorter recovery and earlier implant activation. PMID:24272427

How Pecten Brazil drilled the Amazon basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bleakley, W.B.

1983-09-01

Pecten Brazil overcame numerous obstacles to drill two exploratory wells in the Amazon Basin last year. These included: The threat of low water in normally navigable rivers. Dense jungle growth at both locations. Lack of suitable roads for heavy hauling. Inconvenient distances from supply points. An unusual basalt formation responsible for unique drilling problems. Hundreds of helicopter lifts to move drilling rigs, supplies, and personnel. Pecten contracted with Petrobras, the Brazilian national oil company, to evaluate three blocks in the Amazon jungle, each about 68 miles (110 km) on a side, through seismic study and ultimate drilling. Planning for themore » drilling phase got started on March 17, 1981 with December 1 targeted as spud date for the first well. Actual spud date was November 25, 5 days ahead of schedule, in spite of all obstacles. Pecten has a mid-Amazonas block now under seismic investigation for possible exploratory drilling. Logistics problems in this one provide new difficulties, as the area is extremely wet. Most work is carried on by boat. The company is also looking offshore Bahia, testing the possible extension of the Renconcavo basin. Two wells have already provided good shows of a high pour point oil, with flow rates from 400 to 1,000 b/d. Another area of interest to Pecten is offshore Rio Grande do Norte.« less

Disposal of saltwater during well construction--Problems and solutions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitt, William A.; Meyer, Frederick W.; Hull, John E.

1977-01-01

The recent interest in the disposal of treated sewage effluent by deep-well injection into salt-water-filled aquifers has increased the need for proper disposal of salt water as more wells are drilled and tested each year.The effects on an unconfined aquifer of the improper disposal of salt water associated with the construction of three wells in southeastern Florida emphasize this need. In two of the wells provisions to prevent and detect salt-water contamination of the unconfined aquifer were practically nonexistent, and in one well extensive provisions were made. Of the three drilling sites the one with proper provision for detection presented no serious problem, as the ground water contaminated by the salt water was easily located and removed. The provisions consisted of drilling a brine-injection well to dispose of salt water discharged in drilling and testing operations, using a closed drilling circulation system to reduce spillage, installing shallow observation wells to map the extent and depth of any salt-water contamination of the shallow aquifer, and installing a dewatering system to remove contaminated ground water.

[Survey on drug-related problems in Lithuania's pharmacies].

PubMed

Kubiliene, Loreta; Liukenskyte, Simona; Savickas, Arūnas; Jureniene, Kristina

2006-01-01

to survey the most common and the most important drug-related problems in Lithuania, to explore their solution and factors influencing it, to formulate recommendations for solving drug-related problems. Pharmacists from community pharmacies participated in a random survey. They filled in questionnaires about drug-related problems and their solutions. It was the first survey on drug-related problems ever carried out in Lithuania. For the first time, it was found out that in Lithuania pharmacists most commonly encountered drug-related problem--additional drug therapy (52.03% of respondents)--and most rarely encountered drug-related problem--dosage too high (3% of respondents). Pharmacists stated that all categories of drug-related problems were of equal importance. It was established that pharmacists commonly solved drug-related problems associated with noncompliance with instructions (72.5% of respondents) and rarely met the problem when improper drug was selected (39.56% of respondents). Patients taking prescription medicines commonly encounter additional drug therapy problem, and patients taking nonprescription medications commonly encounter problems related to noncompliance with instructions.

The Arsenic Contamination of Drinking and Groundwaters in Bangladesh: Featuring Biogeochemical Aspects and Implications on Public Health.

PubMed

Raessler, Michael

2018-07-01

Arsenic is a widespread contaminant of drinking and groundwaters in the world. Even if these contaminations have a geogenic origin, they often are exacerbated by anthropogenic activities. This is particularly true for the Bengal delta. Millions of people in Bangladesh are consuming drinking water with arsenic concentrations ≥ 50 µg/L. Their drinking water supply is based on groundwaters extracted by pumping wells, which were part of a well-drilling program by the United Nations. The intention was to provide the people with groundwater instead of surface water due to its critical hygienic conditions. Unfortunately, many wells extract the groundwater at depths where arsenic concentrations are highest. Arsenic is being dissolved from the aquifer by biogeochemical processes that are fueled by the presence of high amounts of organics in the Bengal delta sediments. This problem was not encountered at the time due to a lack of chemical analyses of the waters.

The oasis of Tiout in the southwest of Algeria: Water resources and sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadidi, Abdelkader; Remini, Boualem; Habi, Mohamed; Saba, Djamel; Benmedjaed, Milloud

2016-07-01

The Tiout oasis is located in the municipality of Naama at the south west of Algeria is known by their ksour, the palm plantations and the good quality of their fruit and vegetables, in particular the dates and its varieties. This area contains enormous capacities of subsoil and superficial water. For several centuries, domestic consumption and the irrigation are carried out by the use of the traditional techniques of water collecting such as; the pendulum wells and foggaras them. Currently, this hydraulic heritage encounters technical and social problems, in particular with the contribution of drillings and the motor- pumps. The main issues are quoted: • Beating and draining of the water sources; • Degradation and abandonment of the traditional techniques.This study objective is to make an inventory of all the water sources in the study area, to study the impact of the modern technologies contribution on the ancestral techniques and finally to propose recommendations for the backup of the hydraulic heritage.

Long-term impacts of unconventional drilling operations on human and animal health.

PubMed

Bamberger, Michelle; Oswald, Robert E

2015-01-01

Public health concerns related to the expansion of unconventional oil and gas drilling have sparked intense debate. In 2012, we published case reports of animals and humans affected by nearby drilling operations. Because of the potential for long-term effects of even low doses of environmental toxicants and the cumulative impact of exposures of multiple chemicals by multiple routes of exposure, a longitudinal study of these cases is necessary. Twenty-one cases from five states were followed longitudinally; the follow-up period averaged 25 months. In addition to humans, cases involved food animals, companion animals and wildlife. More than half of all exposures were related to drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations; these decreased slightly over time. More than a third of all exposures were associated with wastewater, processing and production operations; these exposures increased slightly over time. Health impacts decreased for families and animals moving from intensively drilled areas or remaining in areas where drilling activity decreased. In cases of families remaining in the same area and for which drilling activity either remained the same or increased, no change in health impacts was observed. Over the course of the study, the distribution of symptoms was unchanged for humans and companion animals, but in food animals, reproductive problems decreased and both respiratory and growth problems increased. This longitudinal case study illustrates the importance of obtaining detailed epidemiological data on the long-term health effects of multiple chemical exposures and multiple routes of exposure that are characteristic of the environmental impacts of unconventional drilling operations.

The Detection Method of Fire Abnormal Based on Directional Drilling in Complex Conditions of Mine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huijun, Duan; Shijun, Hao; Jie, Feng

2018-06-01

In the light of more and more urgent hidden fire abnormal detection problem in complex conditions of mine, a method which is used directional drilling technology is put forward. The method can avoid the obstacles in mine, and complete the fire abnormal detection. This paper based on analyzing the trajectory control of directional drilling, measurement while drilling and the characteristic of open branch process, the project of the directional drilling is formulated combination with a complex condition mine, and the detection of fire abnormal is implemented. This method can provide technical support for fire prevention, which also can provide a new way for fire anomaly detection in the similar mine.

Risk communication considerations to facilitate the screening of mass populations for potential contamination with radioactive material.

PubMed

Emery, R J; Sprau, D D; Morecook, R C

2008-11-01

Experience gained during a field training exercise with a Medical Reserve Corps unit on the screening of large groups of individuals for possible contamination with radioactive material revealed that while exercise participants were generally attentive to the proper use of protective equipment and detectors, they tended to overlook important basic risk communications aspects. For example, drill participants did not actively communicate with the persons waiting in line for screening, a step which would provide re-assurance, possibly minimize apprehension, and would clarify expectations. When questioned on this issue of risk communication, drill participants were often able to craft ad hoc messages, but the messages were inconsistent and likely would not have significantly helped diminish anxiety and maintain crowd control. Similar difficulties were encountered regarding messaging for persons determined to be contaminated, those departing the screening center, and those to be delivered to the media. Based on these experiences, the need for a suggested list of risk communication points was identified. To address this need, a set of risk communication templates were developed that focused on the issues likely to be encountered in a mass screening event. The points include issues such as the importance of remaining calm, steps for minimizing possible intake or uptake, considerations for those exhibiting acute injuries, expected screening wait times, the process to be followed and the information to be collected, the process to be undertaken for those exhibiting contamination, and symptoms to watch for after departure. Drill participants indicated in follow-up discussions that such pre-established risk communication templates would serve to enhance their ability to assist in times of emergency and noted the potential broader applicably of the approach for use in responses for other disasters types as well.

Roundness and taper of holes during drilling composites of various thickness by HSS drill bit under dry condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakib, M. S.; Rahman, Motiur; Ferdous, M.; Dhar, N. R.

2017-12-01

Polymer Matrix Composites are extending a wide range of applications in aviation in recent eras because of their better economics, well established processing, high temperature properties, high resistance to corrosion and fatigue. Directional properties of composites are dependent on the fibre orientation. Composites being anisotropic in nature are difficult to drill and machining and tooling of the composites remained a great challenge over time. This paper addresses the issues of various machining problems such as delamination, fibre pull-out, cracks on varying drilling parameters like feed rate and drilling speed. Experimental drilling was carried out on Fibre Reinforced Plastic composites with HSS drill bit. Results reveal that as the number of holes increases the entry and exit diameter and tapper of holes vary and also varying composite thickness results in a difference in hole roundness and tapper. This experiment summarizes that for achieving acceptable tool life and hole quality demands a drill designed with composites.

Development of an Ultra-Light Multipurpose Drill and Tooling for the Transportable Array in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coyle, B. J.; Lundgren, M.; Busby, R. W.

2014-12-01

Over the next four years the EarthScope Transportable Array (TA) will install approximately 250 to 275 broadband seismic stations in Alaska and Western Canada. The station plans build on recent developments in posthole broadband seismometer design and call for sensors to be installed in boreholes 7 inches diameter, from 1 to 5 meters deep. These boreholes will be lined with PVC or steel casing, grouted in place. The proposed station locations are in a grid-like pattern with a nominal spacing of 85 km. Since most of these locations will only be accessible by helicopter, it was necessary to develop an ultra-light drilling system that could be transported to site in one sling load by a high performance light helicopter (i.e. AS350B2 or Bell 407) and still be able to drill the variety of ground conditions we expect to encounter. In the past year we have developed a working prototype, gasoline-hydraulic drill rig that can be configured to run auger, diamond core or DTH tools, and weighs <1,300 lbs, including tooling. We have successfully drilled over 30 boreholes with this drill, including 12 for TA installations in Alaska and 13 at the Piñon Flat Observatory for testing sensor performance and placement techniques. Our drilling solution comprises: - Hydraulic system using a variable flow pump with on-demand load sensing valves to reduce the engine size needed and to cut down on heat build-up; - Rotation head mounting system on the travelling block to enable quick change of drilling tools; - Low speed, high torque rotation head for the auger, and an anchoring system that enables us to apply up to 5,000 lbs downforce for augering in permafrost; - Custom DTH that can run on low air pressure and air flow, yet is still robust enough to drill a 7 inch hole 2.5 meters through solid rock; - One-trip casing advance drilling with the DTH, steel casing is loaded at the start of drilling and follows the drill bit down; - Grout-through bottom caps for sealing the borehole casing and cementing it in place. Our next step is to build a dedicated DTH drilling system that will be light enough to mobilize to sites in one helicopter sling, including an air compressor. This rig is currently on the drawing board and we expect to build it this winter for field testing in the spring.

Bedside Treatment of Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Using Radiographic Characteristics to Revisit the Twist Drill.

PubMed

Garber, Sarah; McCaffrey, Jamie; Quigley, Edward P; MacDonald, Joel D

2016-05-01

Conventional treatment strategies for the management of symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) in the elderly include observation, operative burr holes or craniotomy, and bedside twist drill drainage. The decision on which technique to use should be determined by weighing the comorbidities and symptoms of the patient with the potential risks and benefits. The goal of this study was to identify radiographic characteristics on computed tomography scan that might be used to guide surgical decision making in terms of operative versus bedside removal of cSDH. We retrospectively reviewed clinical and radiographic features in patients who underwent bedside twist drill evacuation of a cSDH and those for a cohort of patients who underwent operative intervention via burr holes. We did not identify any clinical features or preoperative imaging characteristics to suggest an advantage of one procedure over the other. Additionally, complete radiographic resolution of cSDH on postoperative imaging is not required to relieve patient symptoms. Although bedside twist drill evacuation may avoid operating room costs and anesthetic complications in an elderly patient population and allow earlier resumption of anticoagulation treatment if necessary, there is also a risk of morbidity if uncontrolled bleeding is encountered or the patient is unable to tolerate the bedside procedure. However, bedside twist drill craniostomy is a reasonable and effective option for the treatment of subacute/chronic SDH in patients who may not be optimal surgical candidates. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Esmeralda Energy Company, Final Scientific Technical Report, January 2008. Emigrant Slimhole Drilling Project, DOE GRED III

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deymonaz, John; Hulen, Jeffrey B.; Nash, Gregory D.

2008-01-22

The Emigrant Slimhole Drilling Project (ESDP) was a highly successful, phased resource evaluation program designed to evaluate the commercial geothermal potential of the eastern margin of the northern Fish Lake Valley pull-apart basin in west-central Nevada. The program involved three phases: (1) Resource evaluation; (2) Drilling and resource characterization; and (3) Resource testing and assessment. Efforts included detailed geologic mapping; 3-D modeling; compilation of a GIS database; and production of a conceptual geologic model followed by the successful drilling of the 2,938 foot deep 17-31 slimhole (core hole), which encountered commercial geothermal temperatures (327⁰ F) and exhibits an increasing, conductive,more » temperature gradient to total depth; completion of a short injection test; and compilation of a detailed geologic core log and revised geologic cross-sections. Results of the project greatly increased the understanding of the geologic model controlling the Emigrant geothermal resource. Information gained from the 17-31 core hole revealed the existence of commercial temperatures beneath the area in the Silver Peak Core Complex which is composed of formations that exhibit excellent reservoir characteristics. Knowledge gained from the ESDP may lead to the development of a new commercial geothermal field in Nevada. Completion of the 17-31 core hole also demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of deep core drilling as an exploration tool and the unequaled value of core in understanding the geology, mineralogy, evolutional history and structural aspects of a geothermal resource.« less

San Andreas fault zone drilling project: scientific objectives and technological challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hickman, Stephen; Younker, Leland; Zobeck, Mark; Cooper, George; ,

1994-01-01

We are leading a new international initiative to conduct scientific drilling within the San Andreas fault zone at depths of up to 10 km. This project is motivated by the need to understand the physical and chemical processes operating within the fault zone and to answer fundamental questions about earthquake generation along major plate-boundary faults. Through an integrated program of coring, fluid sampling, in-situ and laboratory experimentation and long-term monitoring, we hope to provide fundamental constraints on the structure, composition, mechanical behavior and physical state of the San Andreas fault system at depths comparable to the nucleation zones of great earthquakes. The drilling, sampling and observational requirements needed to ensure the success of this project are stringent. These include: 1) drilling stable vertical holes to depths of about 9 km in fractured rock at temperatures of up to 300??C; 2) continuous coring of inclined holes branched off these vertical boreholes to intersect the fault at depths of 3, 6 and 9 km; 3) conducting sophisticated borehole geophysical measurements and fluid/rock sampling at high temperatures and pressures; and 4) instrumenting some or all of these inclined core holes for continuous monitoring of seismicity and a broad range of physical and chemical properties over periods of up to several decades. For all of these tasks, because of the overpressured clay-rich formations anticipated within the fault zone at depth, we expect to encounter difficult drilling, coring and hole-completion conditions in the regions of greatest scientific interest.

San Andreas fault zone drilling project: scientific objectives and technological challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hickman, S.H.; Younker, L.W.; Zoback, M.D.

1995-01-01

We are leading a new international initiative to conduct scientific drilling within the San Andreas fault zone at depths of up to 10 km. This project is motivated by the need to understand the physical and chemical processes operating within the fault zone and to answer fundamental questions about earthquake generation along major plate-boundary faults. Through a comprehensive program of coring, fluid sampling, downhole measurements, laboratory experimentation, and long-term monitoring, we hope to obtain critical information on the structure, composition, mechanical behavior and physical state of the San Andreas fault system at depths comparable to the nucleation zones of great earthquakes. The drilling, sampling and observational requirements needed to ensure the success of this project are stringent. These include: 1) drilling stable vertical holes to depths of about 9 km in fractured rock at temperatures of up to 300°C; 2) continuous coring and completion of inclined holes branched off these vertical boreholes to intersect the fault at depths of 3, 6, and 9 km; 3) conducting sophisticated borehole geophysical measurements and fluid/rock sampling at high temperatures and pressures; and 4) instrumenting some or all of these inclined core holes for continuous monitoring of earthquake activity, fluid pressure, deformation and other parameters for periods of up to several decades. For all of these tasks, because of the overpressured clay-rich formations anticipated within the fault zone at depth, we expect to encounter difficult drilling, coring and hole-completion conditions in the region of greatest scientific interest.

Experimental study on deep hole drilling of 17-4PH material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uzhanfeng, LI; Uquantai, LI

2018-02-01

This paper uses 17-4PH material as the research object, according to the material characteristics of 17-4PH, designed and carried out deep hole drilling test. The purpose of the experiment is to study and discuss the three major problems of tool wear, chip shape and axial deviation of the hole in the process of deep hole drilling of 17-4PH materials. Through the deep hole drilling test of 17-4PH material, the variation of the chip shape and the deflection of the hole axis was obtained under different wear conditions.

Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea Data and Model Base Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-07-01

The source levels and spectral characteristics of merchant ships, drill rigs, and seismic profiling sources are reason- ably well known. Lacking...better data, fishing vessels are assumed to be 10 dB quieter than merchar• ships; production platforms are assumed to be similar to drill rigs, corrected...scope of the problem presented by production platforms, mobile drill rigs, and seismic profilers. 5. Impact on Exercise Planning Offshore oil industry

Optimal Force Control of Vibro-Impact Systems for Autonomous Drilling Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldrich, Jack B.; Okon, Avi B.

2012-01-01

The need to maintain optimal energy efficiency is critical during the drilling operations performed on future and current planetary rover missions (see figure). Specifically, this innovation seeks to solve the following problem. Given a spring-loaded percussive drill driven by a voice-coil motor, one needs to determine the optimal input voltage waveform (periodic function) and the optimal hammering period that minimizes the dissipated energy, while ensuring that the hammer-to-rock impacts are made with sufficient (user-defined) impact velocity (or impact energy). To solve this problem, it was first observed that when voice-coil-actuated percussive drills are driven at high power, it is of paramount importance to ensure that the electrical current of the device remains in phase with the velocity of the hammer. Otherwise, negative work is performed and the drill experiences a loss of performance (i.e., reduced impact energy) and an increase in Joule heating (i.e., reduction in energy efficiency). This observation has motivated many drilling products to incorporate the standard bang-bang control approach for driving their percussive drills. However, the bang-bang control approach is significantly less efficient than the optimal energy-efficient control approach solved herein. To obtain this solution, the standard tools of classical optimal control theory were applied. It is worth noting that these tools inherently require the solution of a two-point boundary value problem (TPBVP), i.e., a system of differential equations where half the equations have unknown boundary conditions. Typically, the TPBVP is impossible to solve analytically for high-dimensional dynamic systems. However, for the case of the spring-loaded vibro-impactor, this approach yields the exact optimal control solution as the sum of four analytic functions whose coefficients are determined using a simple, easy-to-implement algorithm. Once the optimal control waveform is determined, it can be used optimally in the context of both open-loop and closed-loop control modes (using standard realtime control hardware).

Long-term simulations of thermal and hydraulic characteristics in a mountain massif: The Mont Blanc case study, French and Italian Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maréchal, J. C.; Perrochet, P.; Tacher, L.

1999-08-01

The use of hydrothermal simulation models to improve the prediction of water inflows in underground works during drilling is tested in the Mont Blanc tunnel, French and Italian Alps. The negative thermal anomaly that was observed during the drilling of this tunnel in 1960 is reproduced by long-term, transient hydrothermal simulations. Sensitivity analysis shows the great inertia of thermal phenomena at the massif scale. At the time of tunnel drilling, the massif had not reached thermal equilibrium. Therefore, a set of simulation scenarios, beginning at the end of the last glacial period, was designed to explain the anomaly encountered in the tunnel in 1960. The continuous cooling of alpine massifs due to infiltration of waters from the surface has occurred for 12,000 years and is expected to continue for about 100,000 years. Comparisons of water-discharge rates simulated in the tunnel with those observed indicate that this hydrothermal method is a useful tool for predicting water inflows in underground works.

Oil exploration and development in Marib/Al Jawf basin, Yemen Arab Republic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maycock, I.D.

1988-02-01

In 1981, Yemen Hunt Oil Company (YHOC) negotiated a production-sharing agreement covering 12,600 km/sup 2/ in the northeast part of the Yemen Arab Republic. A reconnaissance seismic program of 1864 km acquired in 1982 revealed the presence of a major half graben, designated the Marib/Al Jawf basin by YHOC. A sedimentary section up to 18,000 ft thick has been recognized. Geologic field mapping identified Jurassic carbonates covered by Cretaceous sands overlying Permian glaciolacustrine sediments, Paleozoic sandstones, or Precambrian basement. The first well, Alif-1, drilled in 1984, aimed at a possible Jurassic carbonate objective, encountered hydrocarbon-bearing sands in the Jurassic-Cretaceous transitionmore » between 5000 and 6000 ft. Appraisal and development drilling followed. The Alif field is believed to contain in excess of 400 million bbl of recoverable oil. Subsequent wildcat drilling has located additional accumulations while further amplifying basin stratigraphy. Rapid basin development took place in the Late Jurassic culminating with the deposition of Tithonian salt. The evaporites provide an excellent seal for hydrocarbons apparently sourced from restricted basin shales and trapped in rapidly deposited clastics.« less

Oil exploration and development in Marib/Al Jawf basin, Yemen Arab Republic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maycock, I.D.

1986-07-01

In 1981, Yemen Hunt Oil Company (YHOC) negotiated a production-sharing agreement covering 12,600 km/sup 2/ in the northeast part of the Yemen Arab Republic. A reconnaissance seismic program of 1864 km acquired in 1982 revealed the presence of a major half graben, designated the Marib/Al Jawf basin by YHOC. A sedimentary section up to 18,000 ft thick has been recognized. Geologic field mapping identified Jurassic carbonates covered by Cretaceous sands overlying Permian glaciolacustrine sediments, Paleozoic sandstones, or Precambrian basement. The first well drilled in 1984, aimed at a possible Jurassic carbonate objective, encountered hydrocarbon-bearing sands in the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition betweenmore » 5000 and 6000 ft. A successful appraisal drilling program has demonstrated satisfactory lateral reservoir continuity. Further wildcat drilling demonstrates macro-unit correlation within the eastern part of the basin. Rapid basin development apparently commenced in the late Kimmeridgian, culminating with the deposition of Tithonian evaporites. Available geochemical analysis indicates sourcing from restricted-basin sediments. Excellent traps, reservoirs, and source beds underlying the Tithonian evaporites indicate that a significant new petroliferous province is present.« less

Geologic cross section, gas desorption, and other data from four wells drilled for Alaska rural energy project, Wainwright, Alaska, coalbed methane project, 2007-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Arthur C.; Roberts, Stephen B.; Warwick, Peter D.

2010-01-01

Energy costs in rural Alaskan communities are substantial. Diesel fuel, which must be delivered by barge or plane, is used for local power generation in most off-grid communities. In addition to high costs incurred for the purchase and transport of the fuel, the transport, transfer, and storage of fuel products pose significant difficulties in logistically challenging and environmentally sensitive areas. The Alaska Rural Energy Project (AREP) is a collaborative effort between the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office along with State, local, and private partners. The project is designed to identify and evaluate shallow (<3,000 ft) subsurface resources such as coalbed methane (CBM) and geothermal in the vicinity of rural Alaskan communities where these resources have the potential to serve as local-use power alternatives. The AREP, in cooperation with the North Slope Borough, the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and the Olgoonik Corporation, drilled and tested a 1,613 ft continuous core hole in Wainwright, Alaska, during the summer of 2007 to determine whether CBM represents a viable source of energy for the community. Although numerous gas-bearing coal beds were encountered, most are contained within the zone of permafrost that underlies the area to a depth of approximately 1,000 ft. Because the effective permeability of permafrost is near zero, the chances of producing gas from these beds are highly unlikely. A 7.5-ft-thick gas-bearing coal bed, informally named the Wainwright coal bed, was encountered in the sub-permafrost at a depth of 1,242 ft. Additional drilling and testing conducted during the summers of 2008 and 2009 indicated that the coal bed extended throughout the area outlined by the drill holes, which presently is limited to the access provided by the existing road system. These tests also confirmed the gas content of the coal reservoir within this area. If producible, the Wainwright coal bed contains sufficient gas to serve as a long-term source of energy for the community.

Depth measurements of drilled holes in bone by laser triangulation for the field of oral implantology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quest, D.; Gayer, C.; Hering, P.

2012-01-01

Laser osteotomy is one possible method of preparing beds for dental implants in the human jaw. A major problem in using this contactless treatment modality is the lack of haptic feedback to control the depth while drilling the implant bed. A contactless measurement system called laser triangulation is presented as a new procedure to overcome this problem. Together with a tomographic picture the actual position of the laser ablation in the bone can be calculated. Furthermore, the laser response is sufficiently fast as to pose little risk to surrounding sensitive areas such as nerves and blood vessels. In the jaw two different bone structures exist, namely the cancellous bone and the compact bone. Samples of both bone structures were examined with test drillings performed either by laser osteotomy or by a conventional rotating drilling tool. The depth of these holes was measured using laser triangulation. The results and the setup are reported in this study.

Purpose-built PDC bit successfully drills 7-in liner equipment and formation: An integrated solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Puennel, J.G.A.; Huppertz, A.; Huizing, J.

1996-12-31

Historically, drilling out the 7-in, liner equipment has been a time consuming operation with a limited success ratio. The success of the operation is highly dependent on the type of drill bit employed. Tungsten carbide mills and mill tooth rock bits required from 7.5 to 11.5 hours respectively to drill the pack-off bushings, landing collar, shoe track and shoe. Rates of penetration dropped dramatically when drilling the float equipment. While conventional PDC bits have drilled the liner equipment successfully (averaging 9.7 hours), severe bit damage invariably prevented them from continuing to drill the formation at cost-effective penetration rates. This papermore » describes the integrated development and application of an IADC M433 Class PDC bit, which was designed specifically to drill out the 7-in. liner equipment and continue drilling the formation at satisfactory penetration rates. The development was the result of a joint investigation There the operator and bit/liner manufacturers shared their expertise in solving a drilling problem, The heavy-set bit was developed following drill-off tests conducted to investigate the drillability of the 7-in. liner equipment. Key features of the new bit and its application onshore The Netherlands will be presented and analyzed.« less

Potential external contamination of pneumatic seed drills during sowing of dressed maize seeds.

PubMed

Manzone, Marco; Balsari, Paolo; Marucco, Paolo; Tamagnone, Mario

2016-07-01

The use of pneumatic drills in maize cultivation causes dispersion in the atmosphere of some harmful substances normally used for dressing maize seeds. Some of the dust particles may be deposited on the machine's body, becoming dangerous for the environment and for operators. The aim of the present study was to analyse the amount of dust deposited on the frame of drills during maize sowing operations. Tests were performed with different drills and in different operating conditions. Data analysis showed that a significant amount (up to 30%) of the tracer can be deposited on the drill body. When wind was not present, higher quantities of tracer were collected and the forward speed did not influence significantly the tracer deposit on the seed drills. The use of different devices designed to prevent dust dispersion was able to limit up to 95% but was not able to eliminate the external contamination of the drill. The particles present on drills could become a problem for the operator during the filling of the drill. Additionally, the environment can be contaminated if pesticide remains on the drill, generating point-source pollution when the drill is parked outside. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Means and Method for Measurement of Drilling Fluid Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lysyannikov, A.; Kondrashov, P.; Pavlova, P.

2016-06-01

The paper addresses the problem on creation of a new design of the device for determining rheological parameters of drilling fluids and the basic requirements which it must meet. The key quantitative parameters that define the developed device are provided. The algorithm of determining the coefficient of the yield point from the rheological Shvedov- Bingam model at a relative speed of rotation of glasses from the investigated drilling fluid of 300 and 600 rpm is presented.

Mixed reality temporal bone surgical dissector: mechanical design

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Objective The Development of a Novel Mixed Reality (MR) Simulation. An evolving training environment emphasizes the importance of simulation. Current haptic temporal bone simulators have difficulty representing realistic contact forces and while 3D printed models convincingly represent vibrational properties of bone, they cannot reproduce soft tissue. This paper introduces a mixed reality model, where the effective elements of both simulations are combined; haptic rendering of soft tissue directly interacts with a printed bone model. This paper addresses one aspect in a series of challenges, specifically the mechanical merger of a haptic device with an otic drill. This further necessitates gravity cancelation of the work assembly gripper mechanism. In this system, the haptic end-effector is replaced by a high-speed drill and the virtual contact forces need to be repositioned to the drill tip from the mid wand. Previous publications detail generation of both the requisite printed and haptic simulations. Method Custom software was developed to reposition the haptic interaction point to the drill tip. A custom fitting, to hold the otic drill, was developed and its weight was offset using the haptic device. The robustness of the system to disturbances and its stable performance during drilling were tested. The experiments were performed on a mixed reality model consisting of two drillable rapid-prototyped layers separated by a free-space. Within the free-space, a linear virtual force model is applied to simulate drill contact with soft tissue. Results Testing illustrated the effectiveness of gravity cancellation. Additionally, the system exhibited excellent performance given random inputs and during the drill’s passage between real and virtual components of the model. No issues with registration at model boundaries were encountered. Conclusion These tests provide a proof of concept for the initial stages in the development of a novel mixed-reality temporal bone simulator. PMID:25927300

SMALLER FOOTPRINT DRILLING SYSTEM FOR DEEP AND HARD ROCK ENVIRONMENTS; FEASIBILITY OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED DIAMOND DRILLING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alan Black; Arnis Judzis

2004-10-01

The two phase program addresses long-term developments in deep well and hard rock drilling. TerraTek believes that significant improvements in drilling deep hard rock will be obtained by applying ultra-high (greater than 10,000 rpm) rotational speeds. The work includes a feasibility of concept research effort aimed at development and test results that will ultimately result in the ability to reliably drill ''faster and deeper'' possibly with rigs having a smaller footprint to be more mobile. The principle focus is on demonstration testing of diamond bits rotating at speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm to achieve high rate of penetration rockmore » cutting with substantially lower inputs of energy and loads. The project draws on TerraTek results submitted to NASA's ''Drilling on Mars'' program. The objective of that program was to demonstrate miniaturization of a robust and mobile drilling system that expends small amounts of energy. TerraTek successfully tested ultrahigh speed ({approx}40,000 rpm) small kerf diamond coring. Adaptation to the oilfield will require innovative bit designs for full hole drilling or continuous coring and the eventual development of downhole ultra-high speed drives. For domestic operations involving hard rock and deep oil and gas plays, improvements in penetration rates is an opportunity to reduce well costs and make viable certain field developments. An estimate of North American hard rock drilling costs is in excess of $1,200 MM. Thus potential savings of $200 MM to $600 MM are possible if drilling rates are doubled [assuming bit life is reasonable]. The net result for operators is improved profit margin as well as an improved position on reserves. The significance of the ''ultra-high rotary speed drilling system'' is the ability to drill into rock at very low weights on bit and possibly lower energy levels. The drilling and coring industry today does not practice this technology. The highest rotary speed systems in oil field and mining drilling and coring today run less than 10,000 rpm--usually well below 5,000 rpm. This document details the progress to date on the program entitled ''SMALLER FOOTPRINT DRILLING SYSTEM FOR DEEP AND HARD ROCK ENVIRONMENTS; FEASIBILITY OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED DIAMOND DRILLING'' for the period starting June 23, 2003 through September 30, 2004. TerraTek has reviewed applicable literature and documentation and has convened a project kick-off meeting with Industry Advisors in attendance. TerraTek has designed and planned Phase I bench scale experiments. Some difficulties in obtaining ultra-high speed motors for this feasibility work were encountered though they were sourced mid 2004. TerraTek is progressing through Task 3 ''Small-scale cutting performance tests''. Some improvements over early NASA experiments have been identified.« less

SMALLER FOOTPRINT DRILLING SYSTEM FOR DEEP AND HARD ROCK ENVIRONMENTS; FEASIBILITY OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED DIAMOND DRILLING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alan Black; Arnis Judzis

2004-10-01

The two phase program addresses long-term developments in deep well and hard rock drilling. TerraTek believes that significant improvements in drilling deep hard rock will be obtained by applying ultra-high (greater than 10,000 rpm) rotational speeds. The work includes a feasibility of concept research effort aimed at development and test results that will ultimately result in the ability to reliably drill ''faster and deeper'' possibly with rigs having a smaller footprint to be more mobile. The principle focus is on demonstration testing of diamond bits rotating at speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm to achieve high rate of penetration rockmore » cutting with substantially lower inputs of energy and loads. The project draws on TerraTek results submitted to NASA's ''Drilling on Mars'' program. The objective of that program was to demonstrate miniaturization of a robust and mobile drilling system that expends small amounts of energy. TerraTek successfully tested ultrahigh speed ({approx}40,000 rpm) small kerf diamond coring. Adaptation to the oilfield will require innovative bit designs for full hole drilling or continuous coring and the eventual development of downhole ultra-high speed drives. For domestic operations involving hard rock and deep oil and gas plays, improvements in penetration rates is an opportunity to reduce well costs and make viable certain field developments. An estimate of North American hard rock drilling costs is in excess of $1,200 MM. Thus potential savings of $200 MM to $600 MM are possible if drilling rates are doubled [assuming bit life is reasonable]. The net result for operators is improved profit margin as well as an improved position on reserves. The significance of the ''ultra-high rotary speed drilling system'' is the ability to drill into rock at very low weights on bit and possibly lower energy levels. The drilling and coring industry today does not practice this technology. The highest rotary speed systems in oil field and mining drilling and coring today run less than 10,000 rpm--usually well below 5,000 rpm. This document details the progress to date on the program entitled ''SMALLER FOOTPRINT DRILLING SYSTEM FOR DEEP AND HARD ROCK ENVIRONMENTS; FEASIBILITY OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED DIAMOND DRILLING'' for the period starting June 23, 2003 through September 30, 2004. (1) TerraTek has reviewed applicable literature and documentation and has convened a project kick-off meeting with Industry Advisors in attendance. (2) TerraTek has designed and planned Phase I bench scale experiments. Some difficulties in obtaining ultra-high speed motors for this feasibility work were encountered though they were sourced mid 2004. (3) TerraTek is progressing through Task 3 ''Small-scale cutting performance tests''. Some improvements over early NASA experiments have been identified.« less

Evaluation on the Presence of Nano Silver Particle in Improving a Conventional Water-based Drilling Fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husin, H.; Ahmad, N.; Jamil, N.; Chyuan, O. H.; Roslan, A.

2018-05-01

Worldwide demand in oil and gas energy consumption has been driving many of oil and gas companies to explore new oil and gas resource field in an ultra-deep water environment. As deeper well is drilled, more problems and challenges are expected. The successful of drilling operation is highly dependent on properties of drilling fluids. As a way to operate drilling in challenging and extreme surroundings, nanotechnology with their unique properties is employed. Due to unique physicochemical, electrical, thermal, hydrodynamic properties and exceptional interaction potential of nanomaterials, nanoparticles are considered to be the most promising material of choice for smart fluid design for oil and gas field application. Throughout this paper, the effect of nano silver particle in improving a conventional water based drilling fluid was evaluated. Results showed that nano silver gave a significant improvement to the conventional water based drilling fluid in terms of its rheological properties and filtration test performance.

The Marskhod Egyptian Drill Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaltout, M. A. M.

We describe a possible participation of Egypt in a future Mars rover Mission. It was suggested that Egypt participate through involvement in the design, building and testing of a drill to obtain sub-surface samples. The Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI), formally invited the Egyptian Ministry of Scientific Research to study the concept for potential use on the Russian Mars 2001 Mission. As one of the objectives of the Marskhod mission was the analysis of sub-surface samples, a drilling mechanism in the payload would be essential. The Egyptian expertise in drill development is associated with the archaeological exploration of the Pyramids. A sophisticated drilling system perforated limestone to a depth of 2 m without the use of lubricants or cooling fluids that might have contaminated the Pit's environment. This experience could have been applied to a drill development Mars 2001 mission, which was unfortunately canceled due to economic problems.

A Learner Directed Approach to Kpelle. A Handbook on Communication and Culture with Dialogs, Texts, Cultural Notes, Exercises, Drills and Instructions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thach, Sharon V.; And Others

A combined teacher's manual and learner's manual for one of the Mande languages of Liberia presents materials for about 300 hours of study and is the equivalent of a first-year college language course. The basic text introduces all of the syntactic constructions of Kpelle that learners are likely to encounter in the language, and introduces 1,000…

Development of environmental friendly lost circulation material from banana peel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauki, Arina; Hasan, Nur â.€˜Izzati; Naimi, Fardelen Binti Md; Othman, Nur Hidayati

2017-12-01

Loss of expensive mud could lead to major financial problem in executing a drilling project and is one of the biggest problems that need to be tackled during drilling. Synthetic Based Mud (SBM) is the most stable state of the art drilling mud used in current drilling technologies. However, the problem with lost circulation is still inevitable. The focus of this project is to develop a new potential waste material from banana peel in order to combat lost circulation in SBM. Standard industrial Lost Circulation Material (LCM) is used to compare the performance of banana peel as LCM in SBM. The effects of different sizing of banana peels (600 micron, 300 micron and 100 micron) were studied on the rheological and filtration properties of SBM and the bridging performance of banana peel as LCM additive. The tests were conducted using viscometer, HTHP filter press and sand bed tester. Thermal analysis of banana peel was also studied using TGA. According to the results obtained, 300 and 100 micron size of banana peel LCM exhibited an improved bridging performance by 65% as compared to industrial LCM. However, banana peel LCM with the size of 600 micron failed to act as LCM due to the total invasion of mud into the sand bed.

Pre-Gas Drilling Drinking Water Testing--An Educational Opportunity for Extension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swistock, Brian; Clark, James

2015-01-01

The increase in shale gas drilling in Pennsylvania has resulted in thousands of landowners receiving predrilling testing of their drinking water. Landowners often have difficulty understanding test reports resulting in low awareness of pre-existing problems. Extension and several partners developed a program to improve understanding of…

Evaluation of haptic interfaces for simulation of drill vibration in virtual temporal bone surgery.

PubMed

Ghasemloonia, Ahmad; Baxandall, Shalese; Zareinia, Kourosh; Lui, Justin T; Dort, Joseph C; Sutherland, Garnette R; Chan, Sonny

2016-11-01

Surgical training is evolving from an observership model towards a new paradigm that includes virtual-reality (VR) simulation. In otolaryngology, temporal bone dissection has become intimately linked with VR simulation as the complexity of anatomy demands a high level of surgeon aptitude and confidence. While an adequate 3D visualization of the surgical site is available in current simulators, the force feedback rendered during haptic interaction does not convey vibrations. This lack of vibration rendering limits the simulation fidelity of a surgical drill such as that used in temporal bone dissection. In order to develop an immersive simulation platform capable of haptic force and vibration feedback, the efficacy of hand controllers for rendering vibration in different drilling circumstances needs to be investigated. In this study, the vibration rendering ability of four different haptic hand controllers were analyzed and compared to find the best commercial haptic hand controller. A test-rig was developed to record vibrations encountered during temporal bone dissection and a software was written to render the recorded signals without adding hardware to the system. An accelerometer mounted on the end-effector of each device recorded the rendered vibration signals. The newly recorded vibration signal was compared with the input signal in both time and frequency domains by coherence and cross correlation analyses to quantitatively measure the fidelity of these devices in terms of rendering vibrotactile drilling feedback in different drilling conditions. This method can be used to assess the vibration rendering ability in VR simulation systems and selection of ideal haptic devices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploration geothermal gradient drilling, Platanares, Honduras, Central America

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goff, S.J.; Laughlin, A.W.; Ruefenacht, H.D.

1988-01-01

This paper is a review and summary of the core drilling operations component of the Honduras Geothermal Resource Development Project at the Platanares geothermal prospect in Honduras, Central America. Three intermediate depth (428 to 679 m) coreholes are the first continuously cored geothermal exploration boreholes in Honduras. These coring operations are part of the Central America Energy Resource Project (CAERP) effort funded by the Agency for International Development (AID) and implemented by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos) in cooperation with the Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica (ENEE) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This report emphasizes coringmore » operations with reference to the stratigraphy, thermal gradient, and flow test data of the boreholes. The primary objectives of this coring effort were (1) to obtain quantitative information on the temperature distribution as a function of depth, (2) to recover fluids associated with the geothermal reservoir, (3) to recover 75% or better core from the subsurface rock units, and (4) to drill into the subsurface rock as deeply as possible in order to get information on potential reservoir rocks, fracture density, permeabilities, and alteration histories of the rock units beneath the site. The three exploration coreholes drilled to depths of 650, 428 and 679 m, respectively, encountered several hot water entries. Coring operations and associated testing began in mid-October 1986 and were completed at the end of June 1987.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silva, M.A.; Osorio, M.; Sharp, A.

LASMO started exploration in the Espinal Block within the Upper Magdalena Valley of Colombia in 1987. Since then six exploration wells have been drilled within the block which have resulted in four New Field Wildcat successes. Two of these successes have been in subthrust configurations. This presentation shall describe the exploration and appraisal techniques used to delimit the Venganza Field which was the first subthrust field discovery made in Colombia. The first stages of our exploration for the subthrust trap were conventional seismic surveying, and structural modelling using the excellent geological outcrop data. These led to the formulation of themore » Venganza prospect which comprised tilted Late Cretaceous Guadalupe sandstones overthrusted by stratigraphically older Villeta shales. The Venganza Prospect was drilled in 1991 and encountered the reservoir as expected directly beneath the thrust plane, and produced oil at 5800 barrels/day on test. Subsequent to the Venganza-1 discovery, further seismic data were acquired and processed using pre-stack depth migration. These new data {open_quotes}verified{close_quotes} the Venganza geological model, and formed the basis for appraisal drilling. The Venganza-2 appraisal well, drilled 4 km to the north of the successful exploration well, was dry and indicated that the subthrust trap configuration was much more subtle than first anticipated. The presentation shall then demonstrate the evolution of our understanding of the subthrust trap configuration and the evolution of our search techniques for it.« less

Application of air hammer drilling technology in igneous rocks of Junggar basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Hongshan; Feng, Guangtong; Yu, Haiye

2018-03-01

There were many technical problems such as serious well deviation, low penetration rate and long drilling cycle in igneous rocks because of its hardness, strong abrasive and poor drillability, which severely influenced the exploration and development process of Junggar basin. Through analyzing the difficulties of gas drilling with roller bits in Well HS 2, conducting the mechanics experiments about igneous rock, and deeply describing the rock-breaking mechanism of air hammer drilling and its adaptability in igneous rocks, air hammer drilling can realize deviation control and fast drilling in igneous rocks of piedmont zone and avoid the wear and fatigue fracture of drilling strings due to its characteristics of low WOB, low RPM and high frequency impact. Through firstly used in igneous rocks of Well HS 201, compared with gas drilling with cone bit, the average penetration rate and one-trip footage of air hammer drilling respectively increased by more than 2.45 times and 6.42 times while the well deviation was always controlled less than 2 degrees. Two records for Block HS were set up such as the fastest penetration rate of 14.29m/h in Φ444.5mm well hole and the highest one-trip footage of 470.62m in Φ311.2mm well hole. So air hammer drilling was an effective way to realize optimal and fast drilling in the igneous rock formation of Junggar basin.

Dacite Melt at the Puna Geothermal Venture Wellfield, Big Island of Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teplow, W. J.; Marsh, B. D.; Hulen, J.; Spielman, P.; Kaleikini, M.; Fitch, D. C.; Rickard, W.

2008-12-01

A dacite melt was encountered during routine commercial drilling operations of injection well KS-13 at the Puna Geothermal Venture wellfield, Big Island of Hawaii. The KS-13 drill hole, drilled in 2005, is located along a segment of the Kilauea Lower East Rift Zone which erupted basalt flows from rift-parallel fissures in 1955. During the drilling of KS-13 a 75-meter interval of microdiorite containing brown glass inclusions was penetrated at a depth of 2415 m. At a depth of 2488 m a melt of dacitic composition was encountered. The melt flowed up the wellbore and was repeatedly redrilled over a depth interval of ~8 m, producing several kilograms of clear, colorless vitric cuttings at the surface. The drill bit, when recovered at the surface, was missing several carbide insert teeth. Presumably the inserts were plucked cleanly from their sintered cone sockets due to differential thermal expansion under extreme heat conditions. The dacitic glass cuttings have a perlitic texture, a silica content of 67 wgt.%, are enriched in alkalis and nearly devoid of mafic minerals with the exception of rare pyroxene phenocrysts and minor euhedral to amorphous magnetite. The melt zone is overlain by an interval of strong greenschist facies metamorphism in basaltic and dioritic dike rock. The occurrence of an anhydrous dacite melt indicates a rock temperature of approximately 1050° (1922°F) and sufficient residence time of underlying basaltic magma to generate a significant volume of differentiated material. The dacite, with an inferred temperature of 1050 °C, is separated by 526 m of rock from the deepest overlying permeable zone in KS-13 at a temperature of 356 °C. The thermal gradient through this impermeable rock section is ~700°C/526 m = 1.331 °C/m. The calculated conductive heat flux from the magma upward into the deepest zone of hydrothermal circulation is given by k×(dT/dZ)=2.9 × 1.33 = 3.83 W/m2 = 3830 mW/m2 (thermal conductivity k=2.9 W m-1 °C-1 for basalt). This heat flux is an order of magnitude greater than the average of 270-290 mW/ m2 typical for the mid-ocean ridges. The high heat flux is sufficient to power the overlying commercial geothermal wellfield which has been producing 28 MW of net electrical power continuously since 1993.

Urological considerations in space medicine.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cockett, A. T. K.; Adey, W. R.; Roberts, A. P.

1972-01-01

Urological problems encountered during the preparation phases of Biosatellite III, flight of Bonny the Space Monkey, are detailed. The solution to each problem is detailed. The catheter system employed, antibiotic coverage used, and bacteria encountered in the urine of the five animals are detailed. Urinary calcium levels in three ground based animals are illustrated. Testicular alterations encountered in all animals are mentioned. It is concluded that space flights of duration beyond nine days may present serious problems of a urological nature.

Research core drilling in the Manson impact structure, Iowa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, R. R.; Hartung, J. B.; Roddy, D. J.; Shoemaker, E. M.

1992-01-01

The Manson impact structure (MIS) has a diameter of 35 km and is the largest confirmed impact structure in the United States. The MIS has yielded a Ar-40/Ar-39 age of 65.7 Ma on microcline from its central peak, an age that is indistinguishable from the age of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. In the summer of 1991 the Iowa Geological Survey Bureau and U.S. Geological Survey initiated a research core drilling project on the MIS. The first core was beneath 55 m of glacial drift. The core penetrated a 6-m layered sequence of shale and siltstone and 42 m of Cretaceous shale-dominated sedimentary clast breccia. Below this breccia, the core encountered two crystalline rock clast breccia units. The upper unit is 53 m thick, with a glassy matrix displaying various degrees of devitrification. The upper half of this unit is dominated by the glassy matrix, with shock-deformed mineral grains (especially quartz) the most common clast. The glassy-matrix unit grades downward into the basal unit in the core, a crystalline rock breccia with a sandy matrix, the matrix dominated by igneous and metamorphic rock fragments or disaggregated grains from those rocks. The unit is about 45 m thick, and grains display abundant shock deformation features. Preliminary interpretations suggest that the crystalline rock breccias are the transient crater floor, lifted up with the central peak. The sedimentary clast breccia probably represents a postimpact debris flow from the crater rim, and the uppermost layered unit probably represents a large block associated with the flow. The second core (M-2) was drilled near the center of the crater moat in an area where an early crater model suggested the presence of postimpact lake sediments. The core encountered 39 m of sedimentary clast breccia, similar to that in the M-1 core. Beneath the breccia, 120 m of poorly consolidated, mildly deformed, and sheared siltstone, shale, and sandstone was encountered. The basal unit in the core was another sequence of sedimentary clast breccia. The two sedimentary clast units, like the lithologically similar unit in the M-1 core, probably formed as debris flows from the crater rim. The middle, nonbrecciated interval is probably a large, intact block of Upper Cretaceous strata transported from the crater rim with the debris flow. Alternatively, the sequence may represent the elusive postimpact lake sequence.

Identification and Management of Information Problems by Emergency Department Staff

PubMed Central

Murphy, Alison R.; Reddy, Madhu C.

2014-01-01

Patient-care teams frequently encounter information problems during their daily activities. These information problems include wrong, outdated, conflicting, incomplete, or missing information. Information problems can negatively impact the patient-care workflow, lead to misunderstandings about patient information, and potentially lead to medical errors. Existing research focuses on understanding the cause of these information problems and the impact that they can have on the hospital’s workflow. However, there is limited research on how patient-care teams currently identify and manage information problems that they encounter during their work. Through qualitative observations and interviews in an emergency department (ED), we identified the types of information problems encountered by ED staff, and examined how they identified and managed the information problems. We also discuss the impact that these information problems can have on the patient-care teams, including the cascading effects of information problems on workflow and the ambiguous accountability for fixing information problems within collaborative teams. PMID:25954457

Chief Joseph Dam, Columbia River, Washington, Additional Units and Structural Modification Foundation Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

diameter companion drain holes in the area below the intake structure. The second contract, DACW67-75-C-0042, was awarded to Goodfellow Brothers, Inc. in...tolerances for bolt anchors. Subhori- zontal companion drain holes were drilled adjacent to the rock bolt holes. Negligible ground water was encountered...excavation contract was then modified so that rock excavation would not go below elevation 799 feet. The contractor installed rock bolts and companion drain

Problems Encountered during the Scientific Research Process in Graduate Education: The Institute of Educational Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akyürek, Erkan; Afacan, Özlem

2018-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the problems faced by graduate students when conducting scientific research and to make suggestions for solving these problems. The research model was a case study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in the study with questions about the problems encountered during scientific research…

Response problems in a vacation panel study

Treesearch

Christine A. Vogt; Susan I. Stewart

2001-01-01

This paper investigates response problems encountered in a panel study of travel behavior. Though the overall response rate to the three-wave panel study was acceptable (over 60%), three types of response problems were encountered: refusal, non-response, and attrition. In a follow-up phone survey, a sample of individuals from each problem response group was questioned...

Basic data report for drillhole WIPP 30 (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - WIPP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-04-01

WIPP 30 was drilled in east-central Eddy County, New Mexico, in NW 1/4, Sec. 33, T21S, R31E, to obtain drill core for the study of dissolution of near-surface rocks. The borehole encountered from top to bottom, the Dewey Lake Red Beds (449' including artificial fill for drill pad), Rustler Formation (299'), and the upper 160' of the Salado Formation. Continuous core was cut from the surface to total depth. Geophysical logs were taken the full length of the borehole to measure acoustic velocities, density, and distribution of potassium and other radioactive elements. Information from this borehole will be included inmore » an interpretive report on dissolution in Nash Draw based on combined borehole data, surface mapping and laboratory analyses of rocks and fluids. The WIPP is to demonstrate (through limited operations) disposal technology for transuranic defense wastes and to then be converted to a repository. The WIPP will also provide research facilities for interactions between high-level waste and salt. Administration policy as of February 1980 is to hold the WIPP site in reserve until the first disposal site can be chosen from several potential sites, including the WIPP.« less

Thermal drilling in planetary ices: an analytic solution with application to planetary protection problems of radioisotope power sources.

PubMed

Lorenz, Ralph D

2012-08-01

Thermal drilling has been applied to studies of glaciers on Earth and proposed for study of the martian ice caps and the crust of Europa. Additionally, inadvertent thermal drilling by radioisotope sources released from the breakup of a space vehicle is of astrobiological concern in that this process may form a downward-propagating "warm little pond" that could convey terrestrial biota to a habitable environment. A simple analytic solution to the asymptotic slow-speed case of thermal drilling is noted and used to show that the high thermal conductivity of the low-temperature ice on Europa and Titan makes thermal drilling qualitatively more difficult than at Mars. It is shown that an isolated General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) "brick" can drill effectively on Earth or Mars, whereas on Titan or Europa with ice at 100 K, the source would stall and become stuck in the ice with a surface temperature of <200 K.

The many "Disguises" of patient-centered communication: Problems of conceptualization and measurement.

PubMed

Street, Richard L

2017-11-01

To critically examine different approaches to the measurement of patient-centered communication. Provides a critique of 7 different measures of patient-centered communication with respect to differences in their assumptions about what constitutes patient-centeredness and in their approaches to measurement. The measures differed significantly with regard to whether the measure captured behavior (what the interactants did) or judgment (how well the behavior was performed), focused on the individual clinician or on the interaction as a whole, and on who makes the assessment (participant or observer). A multidimensional framework for developing patient-centered communication measures is presented that encompasses the patient's perspective and participation, the biopsychosocial context of the patient's health, the clinician-patient relationship, quality of information-exchange, shared understanding, and shared, evidence-based decision-making. The state of measurement of the patient-centered communication construct lacks coherence, in part because current measures were developed either void of a conceptual framework or from very different theoretical perspectives. Assessment of patients' experiences with quality of communication in medical encounters should drill down into specific domains of patient-centeredness. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Accurate guide wire of lag screw placement in the intertrochanteric fractures: a technical note.

PubMed

Li, Jiang; Wang, Liao; Li, Xiaodong; Feng, Kai; Tang, Jian; Wang, Xiaoqing

2017-09-01

Cephalomedullary fixations are commonly used in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures. In clinical practice, one of the difficulties is when we exit the guide wire in a wrong position of femoral neck and insert near the hole again, the guide wire often flow into the previous track. This study develops a surgical technique to direct the guide wire to slip away the previous track and slip into a right position. When guide wire is exited to the cortex of femoral, we let the wire in and out at the cortical layer for several times to enlarge the entry hole. After that, electric drill is inverted, rubbed and entered slowly at a right angle. When guide wire encountered new resistance, the electric drill is turned back instantly. This technique can help trauma and orthopedic surgeons to obtain precision placement of the lag screw after the first try is failed.

Experimental Study on Environment Friendly Tap Hole Clay for Blast Furnace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siva kumar, R.; Mohammed, Raffi; Srinivasa Rao, K.

2018-03-01

Blast furnace (BF) is the best possible route of iron production available. Blast furnace is a high pressure vessel where iron ore is melted and liquid iron is produced. The liquid iron is tapped through the hole in Blast Furnace called tap hole. The tapped liquid metal flowing through the tap hole is plugged using a clay called tap hole clay. Tap hole clay (THC) is a unshaped refractory used to plug the tap hole. The tap hole clay extruded through the tap hole using a gun. The tap hole clay is designed to expand and plug the tap hole. The tap hole filled with clay is drilled using drill bit and the hole made through the tap hole to tap the liquid metal accumulated inside the furnace. The number of plugging and drilling varies depending on the volume of the furnace. The tap hole clay need to have certain properties to avoid problems during plugging and drilling. In the present paper tap hole clay properties in industrial use was tested and studied. The problems were identified related to tap hole clay manufacturing. Experiments were conducted in lab scale to solve the identified problems. The present composition was modified with experimental results. The properties of the modified tap hole clay were found suitable and useful for blast furnace operation with lab scale experimental results.

Making Training a Rewarding Experience for Offshore Drilling Personnel at Diamond M Company.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zambon, Franco

The problems of the training departments of offshore drilling companies are to determine novel rewards for trainees and to use these rewards correctly. Rewards are motivators and real or apparent satisfiers of needs. For some instructional goals, computer-based training satisfies many needs and applies many motivators to hold the trainee's…

Slim hole drilling and testing strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielson, Dennis L.; Garg, Sabodh K.; Goranson, Colin

2017-12-01

The financial and geologic advantages of drilling slim holes instead of large production wells in the early stages of geothermal reservoir assessment has been understood for many years. However, the practice has not been fully embraced by geothermal developers. We believe that the reason for this is that there is a poor understanding of testing and reservoir analysis that can be conducted in slim holes. In addition to reservoir engineering information, coring through the cap rock and into the reservoir provides important data for designing subsequent production well drilling and completion. Core drilling requires significantly less mud volume than conventional rotary drilling, and it is typically not necessary to cure lost circulation zones (LCZ). LCZs should be tested by either production or injection methods as they are encountered. The testing methodologies are similar to those conducted on large-diameter wells; although produced and/or injected fluid volumes are much less. Pressure, temperature and spinner (PTS) surveys in slim holes under static conditions can used to characterize temperature and pressure distribution in the geothermal reservoir. In many cases it is possible to discharge slim holes and obtain fluid samples to delineate the geochemical properties of the reservoir fluid. Also in the latter case, drawdown and buildup data obtained using a downhole pressure tool can be employed to determine formation transmissivity and well properties. Even if it proves difficult to discharge a slim hole, an injection test can be performed to obtain formation transmissivity. Given the discharge (or injection) data from a slimhole, discharge properties of a large-diameter well can be inferred using wellbore modeling. Finally, slim hole data (pressure, temperature, transmissivity, fluid properties) together with reservoir simulation can help predict the ability of the geothermal reservoir to sustain power production.

Experimental Study on the Axis Line Deflection of Ti6A14V Titanium Alloy in Gun-Drilling Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Liang; Xue, Hu; Wu, Peng

2018-01-01

Titanium alloy is widely used in aerospace industry, but it is also a typical difficult-to-cut material. During Deep hole drilling of the shaft parts of a certain large aircraft, there are problems of bad surface roughness, chip control and axis deviation, so experiments on gun-drilling of Ti6A14V titanium alloy were carried out to measure the axis line deflection, diameter error and surface integrity, and the reasons of these errors were analyzed. Then, the optimized process parameter was obtained during gun-drilling of Ti6A14V titanium alloy with deep hole diameter of 17mm. Finally, we finished the deep hole drilling of 860mm while the comprehensive error is smaller than 0.2mm and the surface roughness is less than 1.6μm.

Truckee Meadows (Reno-Sparks Metropolitan Area) Nevada. Documentation Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

borehole. (10) Borehole No. 7 and borehole Nos. 9 through 14 were not drilled to a depth of 20 feet because gravel was encountered, rendering both...through the Washo and on to the Maidu ( Heizer and Whipple 1917:58). 4. H.[ST0RIC.. B..KGR.UND a. The first non-Ind:i.ans known to visit what is now the...Reno, University of Nevada. 32 pp. Heizer , Robert F. & M. A. Whipply 1971 The California Indians. Berkeley, University of California Press. 619 pp

Characterizing leachate contamination in a landfill site using Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baawain, Mahad S.; Al-Futaisi, Ahmed M.; Ebrahimi, A.; Omidvarborna, Hamid

2018-04-01

Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) survey as well as drilling investigations were conducted to identify possible contamination of a dumping site in an unsaturated zone located in Barka, Oman. The method was applied to evaluate conductivity of the contaminated plumes in hot and arid/semiarid region, where high temperatures commonly ranged between 35 and 50 °C. The drilling investigation was carried out over the survey area to verify the geophysical results. The low-resistivity zone (<80 Ωm), encountered near the subsurface, indicated plume migration caused by liquid waste disposal activities. The combination of TDEM survey results with the lithology of piezometers showed that higher resistivity (>90 Ωm) was correlated with compacted or cemented gravels and cobbles, particularly that of medium dense to very dense gravels and cobbles. Additionally, the TDEM profiles suggested that the plume migration followed a preferential flow path. The resistivity range 40-80 Ωm considered as contaminated areas; however, the drilling results showed the close resistivity domain in the depth >70 m below water table for some profiles (BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4 and BL5). The combined results of drilling wells, piezometers, and TDEM apparent resistivity maps showed a coincidence of the migrated leachate plume and water table. Predicted zone of the probable contamination was located at the depth of around 65 m and horizontal offset ranges 0-280 m, 80-240 m, and 40-85 m in the sounding traverses of BL4, BL6 and BL7, respectively.

Digital signal processing and interpretation of full waveform sonic log for well BP-3-USGS, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Alamosa County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burke, Lauri

2011-01-01

Along the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve boundary (fig. 1), 10 monitoring wells were drilled by the National Park Service in order to monitor water flow in an unconfined aquifer spanning the park boundary. Adjacent to the National Park Service monitoring well named Boundary Piezometer Well No. 3, or BP-3, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drilled the BP-3-USGS well. This well was drilled from September 14 through 17, 2009, to a total depth of 99.4 meters (m) in order to acquire additional subsurface information. The BP-3-USGS well is located at lat 37 degrees 43'18.06' and long -105 degrees 43'39.30' at a surface elevation of 2,301 m. Approximately 23 m of core was recovered beginning at a depth of 18 m. Drill cuttings were also recovered. The wireline geophysical logs acquired in the well include natural gamma ray, borehole caliper, temperature, full waveform sonic, density, neutron, resistivity, and induction logs. The BP-3-USGS well is now plugged and abandoned. This report details the full waveform digital signal processing methodology and the formation compressional-wave velocities determined for the BP-3-USGS well. These velocity results are compared to several velocities that are commonly encountered in the subsurface. The density log is also discussed in context of these formation velocities.

Preliminary Hydrogeologic Characterization Results from the Wallula Basalt Pilot Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B.P. McGrail; E. C. Sullivan; F. A. Spane

2009-12-01

The DOE's Big Sky Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership has completed drilling the first continental flood basalt sequestration pilot borehole to a total depth (TD) of 4,110 feet on the Boise White Paper Mill property at Wallula, Washington. Site suitability was assessed prior to drilling by the 2007-2008 acquisition, processing and analysis of a four-mile, five-line three component seismic swath, which was processed as a single data-dense line. Analysis of the seismic survey data indicated a composite basalt formation thickness of {approx}8,000 feet and absence of major geologic structures (i.e., faults) along the line imaged by the seismic swath. Drilling ofmore » Wallula pilot borehole was initiated on January 13, 2009 and reached TD on April 6, 2009. Based on characterization results obtained during drilling, three basalt breccia zones were identified between the depth interval of 2,716 and 2,910 feet, as being suitable injection reservoir for a subsequent CO2 injection pilot study. The targeted injection reservoir lies stratigraphically below the massive Umtanum Member of the Grande Ronde Basalt, whose flow-interior section possesses regionally recognized low-permeability characteristics. The identified composite injection zone reservoir provides a unique and attractive opportunity to scientifically study the reservoir behavior of three inter-connected reservoir intervals below primary and secondary caprock confining zones. Drill cuttings, wireline geophysical logs, and 31one-inch diameter rotary sidewall cores provided geologic data for characterization of rock properties. XRF analyses of selected rock samples provided geochemical characterizations of the rocks and stratigraphic control for the basalt flows encountered by the Wallula pilot borehole. Based on the geochemical results, the pilot borehole was terminated in the Wapshilla Ridge 1 flow of the Grande Ronde Basalt Formation. Detailed hydrologic test characterizations of 12 basalt interflow reservoir zones and 3 flow-interior/caprock intervals were performed during drilling and immediately following reaching the final borehole drilling depth (i.e., 4,110 ft). In addition, six of the 12 basalt interflow zones were selected for detailed hydrochemical characterization. Results from the detailed hydrologic test characterization program provided the primary information on basalt interflow zone transmissivity/injectivity, and caprock permeability characteristics.« less

Is retrograde drilling really useful for osteochondral lesion of talus with subchondral cyst?: A case report.

PubMed

Jeong, Seong-Yup; Kim, Jong-Kil; Lee, Kwang-Bok

2016-12-01

Retrograde drilling is a well accepted procedure for osteochondral lesion of the talus and subchondral cyst with intact overlying cartilage. It has good results in most reports. Compared to anterograde drilling, retrograde drilling can protect the integrity of the articular cartilage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suitability of using retrograde drilling for osteochondral lesion with subchondral cyst and discuss the mechanism involved in the development of subchondral cyst. We report a 53-year-old man who had complained left ankle pain that lasted over 6 months which was exacerbated by walking. We diagnosed it as osteochondral lesion of the talus with subchondral cyst. Plain X-ray, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the ankle. He undertook retrograde drilling without debridement of cartilage. After the surgery, the pain had been subsided for 1 year, although arthritic change had progressed. However, after 5 years of retrograde drilling, he revisited our hospital due to severe ankle pain. Plain X-ray and MRI showed arthritic change of the ankle and multiple cystic formation of talus. Retrograde drilling has some problem because this procedure is not theoretically correct when the development of a subchondral cyst in osteochondral lesion of the talus is considered. In addition, retrograde drilling may impair uninjured bone marrow of the talus, resulting in the development of multiple cystic formations.

Investigating Created Properties of Nanoparticles Based Drilling Mud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghasemi, Nahid; Mirzaee, Mojtaba; Aghayari, Reza; Maddah, Heydar

2018-05-01

The success of drilling operations is heavily dependent on the drilling fluid. Drilling fluids cool down and lubricate the drill bit, remove cuttings, prevent formation damage, suspend cuttings and also cake off the permeable formation, thus retarding the passage of fluid into the formation. Typical micro or macro sized loss circulation materials (LCM) show limited success, especially in formations dominated by micropores, due to their relatively large sizes. Due to unique characteristics of nanoparticles such as their size and high surface area to volume ratio, they play an effective role in solving problems associated with the drilling fluid. In this study, we investigate the effect of adding Al2O3 and TiO2 nanoparticles into the drilling mud. Al2O3 and TiO2 nanoparticles were used in 20 and 60 nm of size and 0.05 wt% in concentration. Investigating the effects of temperature and pressure has shown that an increase in temperature can reduce the drilling mud rheological properties such as plastic viscosity, while an increase in pressure can enhance these properties. Also, the effects of pressure in high temperatures were less than those in low temperatures. Studying the effects of adding nanoparticles has shown that they can reduce the drilling mud rheological properties. Moreover, they can increase gel strength, reduce capillary suction time and decrease formation damage.

Resonance: The science behind the art of sonic drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucon, Peter Andrew

The research presented in this dissertation quantifies the system dynamics and the influence of control variables of a sonic drill system. The investigation began with an initial body of work funded by the Department of Energy under a Small Business Innovative Research Phase I Grant, grant number: DE-FG02-06ER84618, to investigate the feasibility of using sonic drills to drill micro well holes to depths of 1500 feet. The Department of Energy funding enabled feasibility testing using a 750 hp sonic drill owned by Jeffery Barrow, owner of Water Development Co. During the initial feasibility testing, data was measured and recorded at the sonic drill head while the sonic drill penetrated to a depth of 120 feet. To demonstrate feasibility, the system had to be well understood to show that testing of a larger sonic drill could simulate the results of drilling a micro well hole of 2.5 inch diameter. A first-order model of the system was developed that produced counter-intuitive findings that enabled the feasibility of using this method to drill deeper and produce micro-well holes to 1500 feet using sonic drills. Although funding was not continued, the project work continued. This continued work expanded on the sonic drill models by understanding the governing differential equation and solving the boundary value problem, finite difference methods, and finite element methods to determine the significance of the control variables that can affect the sonic drill. Using a design of experiment approach and commercially available software, the significance of the variables to the effectiveness of the drill system were determined. From the significant variables, as well as the real world testing, a control system schematic for a sonic drill was derived and is patent pending. The control system includes sensors, actuators, personal logic controllers, as well as a human machine interface. It was determined that the control system should control the resonant mode and the weight on the bit as the primary two control variables. The sonic drill can also be controlled using feedback from sensors mounted on the sonic drill head, which is the driver for the sonic drill located above ground

Development of elastomeric isolators to reduce roof bolting machine drilling noise

PubMed Central

Michael, Robert; Yantek, David; Johnson, David; Ferro, Ernie; Swope, Chad

2015-01-01

Among underground coal miners, hearing loss remains one of the most common occupational illnesses. In response to this problem, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (OMSHR) conducts research to reduce the noise emission of underground coal-mining equipment, an example of which is a roof bolting machine. Field studies show that, on average, drilling noise is the most significant contributor to a roof bolting machine operator’s noise exposure. NIOSH OMSHR has determined that the drill steel and chuck are the dominant sources of drilling noise. NIOSH OMSHR, Corry Rubber Corporation, and Kennametal, Inc. have developed a bit isolator that breaks the steel-to-steel link between the drill bit and drill steel and a chuck isolator that breaks the mechanical connection between the drill steel and the chuck, thus reducing the noise radiated by the drill steel and chuck, and the noise exposure of the roof bolter operator. This paper documents the evolution of the bit isolator and chuck isolator including various alternative designs which may enhance performance. Laboratory testing confirms that production bit and chuck isolators reduce the A-weighted sound level generated during drilling by 3.7 to 6.6 dB. Finally, this paper summarizes results of a finite element analysis used to explore the key parameters of the drill bit isolator and chuck isolator to understand the impact these parameters have on noise. PMID:26568650

Overhead drilling: Comparing three bases for aligning a drilling jig to vertical

PubMed Central

Rempel, David; Star, Demetra; Barr, Alan; Janowitz, Ira

2010-01-01

Problem Drilling overhead into concrete or metal ceilings is a strenuous task done by construction workers to hang ductwork, piping, and electrical equipment. The task is associated with upper body pain and musculoskeletal disorders. Previously, we described a field usability evaluation of a foot lever and inverted drill press intervention devices that were compared to the usual method for overhead drilling. Both interventions were rated as inferior to the usual method based on poor setup time and mobility. Method Three new interventions, which differed on the design used for aligning the drilling column to vertical, were compared to the usual method for overhead drilling by commercial construction workers (n=16). Results The usual method was associated with the highest levels of regional body fatigue and the poorest usability ratings when compared to the three interventions. Conclusion Overall, the ‘Collar Base’ intervention design received the best usability ratings. Impact on Industry Intervention designs developed for overhead drilling may reduce shoulder fatigue and prevent subsequent musculoskeletal disorders. These designs may also be useful for other overhead work such as lifting and supporting materials (e.g., piping, ducts) that are installed near the ceiling. Workplace health and safety interventions may require multiple rounds of field-testing prior to achieving acceptable usability ratings by the end users. PMID:20630276

In situ consolidation of offshore petroleum well structural casings by electrokinetic methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wrixon, Robert Christopher

Offshore drilling operations encounter cement wash-out problems while setting the initial structural casing (0--200 ft depth) due to the soft, unconsolidated nature of the sea-bed. Structural casings set by alternative methods have failed in up to 50% of cases due to insufficient frictional bearing capacity. This dissertation presents a method of increasing the bearing capacity of a jet-drilled or slick-drilled casing in-situ by applying a potential difference such that the casing is anodic compared to a remote cathode. It has been shown experimentally that clayey formations will swell and stick to a simulated anodic casing by the combined electrokinetic processes of electroosmosis and electrophoresis. Any cavities around the "casing" are eliminated and the formation is flush against the metal surface, increasing bearing capacity. The formation around the "casing" dries out due to electroosmotic migration of water away from the anode, increasing the shear strength of the surrounding soil. Corrosion products at the anode can further increase the soil shear strength by a process known as electrochemical hardening. This investigation has shown that the bearing capacity of anodic casings can potentially be increased by a factor of up to 1,000% in soft clays and silty clays. The existence of an optimal level of electrokinetic consolidation, beyond which the soil shear strength begins to degrade, has been demonstrated. The difficulties of applying electrokinetic methods to saline soil environments have been addressed and the process has been shown to be successful, as long as the requisite electric field strength is maintained. The efficiency of the electrokinetic consolidation technique has been shown to be affected by the soil water content, soil mineralogy, power supplied, time of treatment and the choice of anode material. Experiments in marine sediment show that increases in bearing capacities of about 300% can be achieved at optimal treatment conditions. With likely current and power restrictions, increases of 50% to 100% are realistic. This level of increase still makes offshore electrokinetic casing consolidation a viable process, given that it is attainable quickly and at a modest power requirement and given the enormous cost of a structural casing collapse.

Theoretical Estimation of Thermal Effects in Drilling of Woven Carbon Fiber Composite

PubMed Central

Díaz-Álvarez, José; Olmedo, Alvaro; Santiuste, Carlos; Miguélez, María Henar

2014-01-01

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRPs) composites are extensively used in structural applications due to their attractive properties. Although the components are usually made near net shape, machining processes are needed to achieve dimensional tolerance and assembly requirements. Drilling is a common operation required for further mechanical joining of the components. CFRPs are vulnerable to processing induced damage; mainly delamination, fiber pull-out, and thermal degradation, drilling induced defects being one of the main causes of component rejection during manufacturing processes. Despite the importance of analyzing thermal phenomena involved in the machining of composites, only few authors have focused their attention on this problem, most of them using an experimental approach. The temperature at the workpiece could affect surface quality of the component and its measurement during processing is difficult. The estimation of the amount of heat generated during drilling is important; however, numerical modeling of drilling processes involves a high computational cost. This paper presents a combined approach to thermal analysis of composite drilling, using both an analytical estimation of heat generated during drilling and numerical modeling for heat propagation. Promising results for indirect detection of risk of thermal damage, through the measurement of thrust force and cutting torque, are obtained. PMID:28788685

A Simple and Inexpensive Technique for Assessing Microbial Contamination during Drilling Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friese, A.; Kallmeyer, J.; Wagner, D.; Kitte, J. A.

2016-12-01

Exploration of the Deep Biosphere relies on drilling, which inevitably causes infiltration of drilling fluids, containing non-indigenous microbes from the surface, into the core. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to trace contamination of the sediment core in order to identify uncontaminated samples for microbiological investigations in drill core samples. To do this, usually a tracer is mixed into the drilling fluid. In past drilling operations a variety of tracers have been used including dyes, salts, dissolved gasses, and microspheres. The latter are microbe-sized fluorescent particles that can be detected with very high sensitivity. Each tracer has its specific strengths and weaknesses, for microspheres the main problem was the high price, which limited the use to spot checks or drilling operations that require only small amounts of drilling fluid. Here, we present a modified microsphere tracer approach, using an aqueous fluorescent pigment dispersion that has a similar concentration of fluorescent particles as previously used microsphere tracers. However, compared to previous microsphere tracers, the cost of the new tracer is four orders of magnitude lower, allowing for a much more liberal use even in large-scale operations. Its suitability for large drilling campaigns was successfully tested at the ICDP Deep Drilling at Lake Towuti, Sulawesi, Indonesia and at the ICDP Deep Drilling at Lake Chalco, Mexico. Contamination can be detected by fluorescence microscopy or by flow cytometry at a sensitivity that is in the range of established techniques. Quantification of the tracer thus only requires a minimum of equipment and by using a small portable cytometer, high-resolution data can be obtained directly on-site within minutes and with minimal effort. Therefore this approach offers an inexpensive but powerful alternative technique for contamination assessment for future drilling campaigns.

High precision and high aspect ratio laser drilling: challenges and solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchtmann, Hermann; He, Chao; Gillner, Arnold

2016-03-01

Laser drilling is a very versatile tool to produce high accuracy bores in small and large geometries using different technologies. In large and deep hole drilling laser drilling can be found in drilling cooling holes into turbomachinery components such as turbine blades. In micro drilling, the technology is used for the generation of nozzles and filters. However, especially in macro drilling, the process often causes microstructure changes and induces defects such as recast layers and cracks. The defects are caused by the melt dominated drilling process by using pulse durations in the range of some 100 μm up to a few ms. A solution of this problem is the use of ultrashort pulsed laser radiation with pulse durations in the range of some 100 fs up to a few ps, however with the disadvantage of long drilling times. Thus, the aim of this work is to combine the productive process by using ms pulsed fiber laser radiation with subsequent ablation of existing recast layers at the hole wall by using ultrashort pulsed laser radiation. By using fast scanning techniques the recast layer can be avoided almost completely. With a similar technology also very small hole can be produced. Using a rotating dove prism a circular oscillation of the laser spots is performed and holes are drilled at intervals in 1 mm thick stainless steel (1.4301) by ultra-short laser pulses of 7 ps at 515 nm. The formation of hole and the behavior of energy deposition differ from other drilling strategies due to the helical revolution. The temporal evolution of the hole shape is analyzed by means of SEM techniques from which three drilling phases can be distinguished.

Neogene and Quaternary geology of a stratigraphic test hole on Horn Island, Mississippi Sound

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gohn, Gregory S.; Brewster-Wingard, G. Lynn; Cronin, Thomas M.; Edwards, Lucy E.; Gibson, Thomas G.; Rubin, Meyer; Willard, Debra A.

1996-01-01

During April and May, 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drilled a 510-ft-deep, continuously cored, stratigraphic test hole on Horn Island, Mississippi Sound, as part of a field study of the Neogene and Quaternary geology of the Mississippi coastal area. The USGS drilled two new holes at the Horn Island site. The first hole was continuously cored to a depth of 510 ft; coring stopped at this depth due to mechanical problems. To facilitate geophysical logging, an unsampled second hole was drilled to a depth of 519 ft at the same location.

Shuttle Orbiter Active Thermal Control Subsystem design and flight experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, Timothy A.; Metcalf, Jordan L.; Asuncion, Carmelo

1991-01-01

The paper examines the design of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Active Thermal Control Subsystem (ATCS) constructed for providing the vehicle and payload cooling during all phases of a mission and during ground turnaround operations. The operation of the Shuttle ATCS and some of the problems encountered during the first 39 flights of the Shuttle program are described, with special attention given to the major problems encountered with the degradation of the Freon flow rate on the Orbiter Columbia, the Flash Evaporator Subsystem mission anomalies which occurred on STS-26 and STS-34, and problems encountered with the Ammonia Boiler Subsystem. The causes and the resolutions of these problems are discussed.

A Study on the Application of Creative Problem Solving Teaching to Statistics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Ridong; Xiaohui, Su; Shieh, Chich-Jen

2017-01-01

Everyone would encounter the life issue of solving complicated problems generated by economic behaviors among all activities for making a living. Various life problems encountered therefore could be generalized by economic statistics. In other words, a lot of important events in daily life are related to economic statistics. For this reason,…

Problems Encountered by Novice Pair Programmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanks, Brian

2008-01-01

In a study of the types of problems encountered by students that led them to seek assistance, Robins et al. [2006] found that the most common problems were related to trivial mechanics. The students in this study worked by themselves on their programming exercises. This article discusses a replication of the Robins et al. study in which the…

Interactive Data Exploration with Smart Drill-Down

PubMed Central

Joglekar, Manas; Garcia-Molina, Hector; Parameswaran, Aditya

2017-01-01

We present smart drill-down, an operator for interactively exploring a relational table to discover and summarize “interesting” groups of tuples. Each group of tuples is described by a rule. For instance, the rule (a, b, ⋆, 1000) tells us that there are a thousand tuples with value a in the first column and b in the second column (and any value in the third column). Smart drill-down presents an analyst with a list of rules that together describe interesting aspects of the table. The analyst can tailor the definition of interesting, and can interactively apply smart drill-down on an existing rule to explore that part of the table. We demonstrate that the underlying optimization problems are NP-Hard, and describe an algorithm for finding the approximately optimal list of rules to display when the user uses a smart drill-down, and a dynamic sampling scheme for efficiently interacting with large tables. Finally, we perform experiments on real datasets on our experimental prototype to demonstrate the usefulness of smart drill-down and study the performance of our algorithms. PMID:28210096

Wellbore stability analysis and its application in the Fergana basin, central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuanliang, Yan; Jingen, Deng; Baohua, Yu; Hailong, Liu; Fucheng, Deng; Zijian, Chen; Lianbo, Hu; Haiyan, Zhu; Qin, Han

2014-02-01

Wellbore instability is one of the major problems hampering the drilling speed in the Fergana basin. Comprehensive analysis of the geological and engineering data in this area indicates that the Fergana basin is characterized by high in situ stress and plenty of natural fractures, especially in the formations which are rich in bedding structure and have several high-pressure systems. Complex accidents such as wellbore collapse, sticking, well kick and lost circulation happen frequently. Tests and theoretical analysis reveals that the wellbore instability in the Fergana basin was influenced by multiple interactive mechanisms dominated by the instability of the bedding shale. Selecting a proper drilling fluid density and improving the sealing characteristic of the applied drilling fluid is the key to preventing wellbore instability in the Fergana basin. The mechanical mechanism of wellbore instability in the Fergana basin was analysed and a method to determine the proper drilling fluid density was proposed. The research results were successfully used to guide the drilling work of the Jida-4 well; compared with the Jida-3 well, the drilling cycle of the Jida-4 well was reduced by 32%.

Optimal experimental design for placement of boreholes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padalkina, Kateryna; Bücker, H. Martin; Seidler, Ralf; Rath, Volker; Marquart, Gabriele; Niederau, Jan; Herty, Michael

2014-05-01

Drilling for deep resources is an expensive endeavor. Among the many problems finding the optimal drilling location for boreholes is one of the challenging questions. We contribute to this discussion by using a simulation based assessment of possible future borehole locations. We study the problem of finding a new borehole location in a given geothermal reservoir in terms of a numerical optimization problem. In a geothermal reservoir the temporal and spatial distribution of temperature and hydraulic pressure may be simulated using the coupled differential equations for heat transport and mass and momentum conservation for Darcy flow. Within this model the permeability and thermal conductivity are dependent on the geological layers present in the subsurface model of the reservoir. In general, those values involve some uncertainty making it difficult to predict actual heat source in the ground. Within optimal experimental the question is which location and to which depth to drill the borehole in order to estimate conductivity and permeability with minimal uncertainty. We introduce a measure for computing the uncertainty based on simulations of the coupled differential equations. The measure is based on the Fisher information matrix of temperature data obtained through the simulations. We assume that the temperature data is available within the full borehole. A minimization of the measure representing the uncertainty in the unknown permeability and conductivity parameters is performed to determine the optimal borehole location. We present the theoretical framework as well as numerical results for several 2d subsurface models including up to six geological layers. Also, the effect of unknown layers on the introduced measure is studied. Finally, to obtain a more realistic estimate of optimal borehole locations, we couple the optimization to a cost model for deep drilling problems.

Grinding into Soft, Powdery Rock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This hole in a rock dubbed 'Clovis' is the deepest hole drilled so far in any rock on Mars. NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this view with its microscopic imager on martian sol 217 (Aug. 12, 2004) after drilling 8.9 millimeters (0.35 inch) into the rock with its rock abrasion tool. The view is a mosaic of four frames taken by the microscopic imager. The hole is 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter. Clovis is key to a developing story about environmental change on Mars, not only because it is among the softest rocks encountered so far in Gusev Crater, but also because it contains mineral alterations that extend relatively deep beneath its surface. In fact, as evidenced by its fairly crumbly texture, it is possibly the most highly altered volcanic rock ever studied on Mars.

Scientific analysis shows that the rock contains higher levels of the elements sulfur, chlorine, and bromine than are normally encountered in basaltic rocks, such as a rock dubbed 'Humphrey' that Spirit encountered two months after arriving on Mars. Humphrey showed elevated levels of sulfur, chlorine, and bromine only in the outermost 2 millimeters (less than 0.1 inch) of its surface. Clovis shows elevated levels of the same elements along with the associated softness of the rock within a borehole that is 4 times as deep. Scientists hope to compare Clovis to other, less-altered rocks in the vicinity to assess what sort of water-based processes altered the rock. Hypotheses include transport of sulfur, chlorine, and bromine in water vapor in volcanic gases; hydrothermal circulation (flow of volcanically heated water through rock); or saturation in a briny soup containing the same elements.

In this image, very fine-grained material from the rock has clumped together by electrostatic attraction and fallen into the borehole. NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS

ICDP supported coring in IDDP-2 at Reykjanes - the DEEPEGS demonstrator in Iceland - Supercritical conditions reached below 4.6 km depth.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ómar Friðleifsson, Guðmundur; Elders, Wilfred A.; Zierenberg, Robert; Steafánsson, Ari; Sigurðsson, Ómar; Gíslason, Þór; Weisenberger, Tobias B.; Harðarson, Björn S.; Mesfin, Kiflom G.

2017-04-01

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) is exploring the technical and economic feasibility of producing supercritical geothermal resources. The IDDP-2 well is located in the Reykjanes saline geothermal system in SW Iceland, on the landward extension of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where we are probing the analog of the root zone of a black smoker. In 2009, Phase 1 of the IDDP was unsuccessful in reaching supercritical conditions in the Krafla volcanic caldera in NE Iceland, when the IDDP-1 drill hole unexpectedly encountered 900°C rhyolite magma at only 2.1 km depth. The completed well produced superheated steam with a well head temperature of 453°C with an enthalpy and flow rate sufficient to generate 35 MWe. Drilling the IDDP-2 began by deepening an existing 2.5 km deep production well (RN-15) to 3 km depth, casing it to 2941m depth and drilling it to 4626m. Total circulation losses which were encountered below 3 km depth, could not be cured by LCM and multiple cement jobs. Accordingly, drilling continued "blind" to total depth, without return of drill cuttings. We attempted 12 core runs below 3 km depth, half of which recovered some core. The cores are basalts and dolerites with alteration ranging from upper greenschist facies to amphibolite facies, suggesting formation temperatures >450°C. After a final report from the on-site science team, expected mid-year 2017, detailed petrological, petrophysical, and geochemical analyses of cores will be undertaken by the IDDP science team and collaborators and published in a special issue of a main-stream scientific journal. The drilling of the IDDP-2 was funded by the field operator HS Orka, and by Statoil, and the IDDP industry consortium. The coring was funded by ICDP and the science program of the IDDP. Deepening the RN-15 began 11th August 2016, and was completed to 4626m, 17th December 2016. A perforated liner was inserted to 4,571m and the well subsequently logged for temperature, pressure and injectivity, after 6 days partial heating-up. The injectivity index proved to be 1.7 (kg/s)/bar. Supercritical conditions were measured at the bottom, 427°C at 340 bar pressure. The T-log showed the main permeable zones to be at around 3360m, 4200m, 4370m and 4550m depth. Estimates suggest that 30% of 40 L/s injected into the well are received by the three deepest feed zones. This can possibly be enhanced by massive soft stimulation, which is a part of the DEEPEGS plan to be executed later this year. The DEEPEGS project is a demonstration project, supported by the European Commission, Horizon 2020. The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) for delivering energy from renewable resources in Europe. It is a four-year project coordinated by HS Orka, Iceland, in cooperation with partners from Iceland, France, Germany, Italy, and Norway. The project will demonstrate advanced technologies in three types of geothermal reservoirs, (i) in high enthalpy resource beneath existing hydrothermal field at Reykjanes with temperature up to 550°C, and (ii) in two very deep hydrothermal reservoirs in France with temperatures up to 220°C.

Scientific drilling projects in ancient lakes: Integrating geological and biological histories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilke, Thomas; Wagner, Bernd; Van Bocxlaer, Bert; Albrecht, Christian; Ariztegui, Daniel; Delicado, Diana; Francke, Alexander; Harzhauser, Mathias; Hauffe, Torsten; Holtvoeth, Jens; Just, Janna; Leng, Melanie J.; Levkov, Zlatko; Penkman, Kirsty; Sadori, Laura; Skinner, Alister; Stelbrink, Björn; Vogel, Hendrik; Wesselingh, Frank; Wonik, Thomas

2016-08-01

Sedimentary sequences in ancient or long-lived lakes can reach several thousands of meters in thickness and often provide an unrivalled perspective of the lake's regional climatic, environmental, and biological history. Over the last few years, deep-drilling projects in ancient lakes became increasingly multi- and interdisciplinary, as, among others, seismological, sedimentological, biogeochemical, climatic, environmental, paleontological, and evolutionary information can be obtained from sediment cores. However, these multi- and interdisciplinary projects pose several challenges. The scientists involved typically approach problems from different scientific perspectives and backgrounds, and setting up the program requires clear communication and the alignment of interests. One of the most challenging tasks, besides the actual drilling operation, is to link diverse datasets with varying resolution, data quality, and age uncertainties to answer interdisciplinary questions synthetically and coherently. These problems are especially relevant when secondary data, i.e., datasets obtained independently of the drilling operation, are incorporated in analyses. Nonetheless, the inclusion of secondary information, such as isotopic data from fossils found in outcrops or genetic data from extant species, may help to achieve synthetic answers. Recent technological and methodological advances in paleolimnology are likely to increase the possibilities of integrating secondary information. Some of the new approaches have started to revolutionize scientific drilling in ancient lakes, but at the same time, they also add a new layer of complexity to the generation and analysis of sediment-core data. The enhanced opportunities presented by new scientific approaches to study the paleolimnological history of these lakes, therefore, come at the expense of higher logistic, communication, and analytical efforts. Here we review types of data that can be obtained in ancient lake drilling projects and the analytical approaches that can be applied to empirically and statistically link diverse datasets to create an integrative perspective on geological and biological data. In doing so, we highlight strengths and potential weaknesses of new methods and analyses, and provide recommendations for future interdisciplinary deep-drilling projects.

Conceptual design of modular fixture for frame welding and drilling process integration case study: Student chair in UNS industrial engineering integrated practicum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darmawan, Tofiq Dwiki; Priadythama, Ilham; Herdiman, Lobes

2018-02-01

Welding and drilling are main processes of making chair frame from metal material. Commonly, chair frame construction includes many arcs which bring difficulties for its welding and drilling process. In UNS industrial engineering integrated practicum there are welding fixtures which use to fixing frame component position for welding purpose. In order to achieve exact holes position for assembling purpose, manual drilling processes were conducted after the frame was joined. Unfortunately, after it was welded the frame material become hard and increase drilling tools wear rate as well as reduce holes position accuracy. The previous welding fixture was not equipped with clamping system and cannot accommodate drilling process. To solve this problem, our idea is to reorder the drilling process so that it can be execute before welding. Thus, this research aims to propose conceptual design of modular fixture which can integrate welding and drilling process. We used Generic Product Development Process to address the design concept. We collected design requirements from 3 source, jig and fixture theoretical concepts, user requirements, and clamping part standards. From 2 alternatives fixture tables, we propose the first which equipped with mounting slots instead of holes. We test the concept by building a full sized prototype and test its works by conducting welding and drilling of a student chair frame. Result from the welding and drilling trials showed that the holes are on precise position after welding. Based on this result, we conclude that the concept can be a consideration for application in UNS Industrial Engineering Integrated Practicum.

Seismic definition of Lower Cretaceous delta, south Whale subbasin, offshore Newfoundland

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jayasinghe, N.R.; Stokes, R.E.

1986-05-01

Recognition of stratigraphic traps in areas where previous prospects were structural is a trend attributable partly to the availability of new, high-quality seismic data. In the South Whale subbasin, offshore Newfoundland, Canada, such a change in exploration philosophy is presently being evaluated. Exploratory drilling offshore eastern Canada began in 1966 in the South Whale subbasin. By the end of 1973, 13 wells were drilled in this subbasin; however, lack of success discouraged further drilling. These wells evaluated large, salt-related structures, well defined by seismic data. Although an adequate reservoir was encountered in a number of these wells, faulting associated withmore » halokinesis may have resulted in petroleum migration out of the reservoir. Interpretation of recently acquired high-quality seismic data indicate a delta in the Lower Cretaceous Missisauga Formation in the study area. Seismic dip sections across the delta show a shingled progradation pattern suggesting a wave-dominated depositional environment. The delta comprises approximately 400 km/sup 2/, with closure in the eastern half. Data from wells in the area indicate that adequate source and sealing beds could be present. Furthermore, rocks of similar age in the nearby Avalon basin contain significant petroleum accumulations, the most notable being within the Hibernia oil field.« less

Development potential of the Dauin geothermal prospect, Negros Oriental, Philippines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bayrante, L.F.; Hermoso, D.Z.; Candelaria, M.R.

1997-12-31

The Dauin geothermal prospect, situated 5 km southeast of the Palinpinon I and II sectors, was drilled between 1982 and 1983 to test its viability for development. Drilling results indicated that DN-1 was drilled closer to the source region than DN-2 where permeability, temperature, and alteration mineralogy were generally unpromising. DN-1 encountered temperatures of at least 240{degrees}C and a neutral-pH fluid with reservoir chloride of 3000 mg/kg. In particular, the presence of sulphur in the DN-1 discharge provoked debates and many speculation on the nature of the fluid in the area. The area was re-evaluated in 1996 for the followingmore » reasons: (1) Renewed interests on other geothermal prospects within Negros Island from an economic point of view and the success of modular plant developments are Pal II and other areas in the Philippines; (2) Reinterpretation of the genesis of sulphur contained in the DN-1 discharge fluid; (3) Encouraging temperature, permeability and neutral-pH alterations at depth and the neutral character of DN-1 discharge fluid; and (4) Reinterpretation of the hydrological model from a geochemical and geological point of view. The study indicates good potential for modular power development.« less

Psychosocial burden among offshore drilling platform employees.

PubMed

Leszczyńska, Irena; Jeżewska, Maria

2010-01-01

Conditions of work on offshore drilling platforms are particularly hard due to extreme environmental situations created both by nature and technological processes. Oil drilling workers employed on the open sea are potentially exposed to permanently high stress. Apart from the obvious objective factors affecting drilling platform employees, a great role in the general work-related stress level is played by the working conditions and work-related psychosocial factors, defined according to Karask's concept as demands, control, and social support. A total of 184 drill platform workers were examined using objective and subjective research methods. The level of subjective stress among drilling platform workers is lower than the level of objective stress and the stress resulting from prognoses related with specificity of work in extremely hard conditions (audit). The examinations of drilling platform workers reveal a positive role of stress in psychological adaptation, being a special case of the "work ethos" and attachment to the firm. In such investigations of work-related stress on drilling platforms, which are very specific workplaces, a multi-aspect character, sociological and economic aspects, organizational culture conditions in the firm, and a tendency to conceal ailments and the stress experienced should be taken into account. It is important to apply measures referring to at least three different types of evidence (objective demands, subjective stress, health problems reported). Otherwise, the result reflecting work-related stress may not be objective and far from the truth.

Rocks in a Box: A Three-Point Problem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leyden, Michael B.

1981-01-01

Describes a simulation drilling core activity involving the use of a physical model from which students gather data and solve a three-point problem to determine the strike and dip of a buried stratum. Includes descriptions of model making, data plots, and additional problems involving strike and dip. (DS)

Description and results of test-drilling program at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, 1982-84

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harte, P.T.; Sargent, B.P.; Vowinkel, E.F.

1986-01-01

Picatinny Arsenal, located in north-central New Jersey, has a long history of explosives manufacturing. Past industrial activities and past waste-disposal practices have caused some groundwater contamination problems. In 1982, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army, began a water resources investigation of the Arsenal. The test drilling program is designed to define the hydrogeology and install observation wells. Twenty-two boreholes were drilled and 21 observation wells installed in these holes. All drilling was done in a glaciated valley. The report includes lithologic and gamma-ray logs, results of grain-size analyses, well-construction data, and some groundwater levels. The generalized stratigraphic sequence of geologic units penetrated from the test-drilling program are from lower to upper: (1) pre-dominantly dolomitic Leithsville Formation, (2) in the upper part of bedrock, a weathered dolomite zone, (3) a thin discontinuous mantle of till, and (4) stratified drift deposit up to 208 ft thick. (USGS)

Drilling, logging, and testing information from borehole UE-25 UZ{number_sign}16, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thamir, F.; Thordarson, W.; Kume, J.

Borehole UE-25 UZ{number_sign}16 is the first of two boreholes that may be used to determine the subsurface structure at Yucca Mountain by using vertical seismic profiling. This report contains information collected while this borehole was being drilled, logged, and tested from May 27, 1992, to April 22, 1994. It does not contain the vertical seismic profiling data. This report is intended to be used as: (1) a reference for drilling similar boreholes in the same area, (2) a data source on this borehole, and (3) a reference for other information that is available from this borehole. The reference information includesmore » drilling chronology, equipment, parameters, coring methods, penetration rates, completion information, drilling problems, and corrective actions. The data sources include lithology, fracture logs, a list of available borehole logs, and depths at which water was recorded. Other information is listed in an appendix that includes studies done after April 22, 1994.« less

Drill Down Tool Evaluation Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eliason, Bert; Morris, Kelsey

2015-01-01

Data-based decision making is enhanced by identifying a precise problem statement or question to explore. When looking at a problem, the nearer we get to the precise problem (e.g., where and when it is occurring, who is involved, and why the problem is continuing in context and location) the more quickly we can build an action plan to effectively…

Drilling to investigate processes in active tectonics and magmatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shervais, J.; Evans, J.; Toy, V.; Kirkpatrick, J.; Clarke, A.; Eichelberger, J.

2014-12-01

Coordinated drilling efforts are an important method to investigate active tectonics and magmatic processes related to faults and volcanoes. The US National Science Foundation (NSF) recently sponsored a series of workshops to define the nature of future continental drilling efforts. As part of this series, we convened a workshop to explore how continental scientific drilling can be used to better understand active tectonic and magmatic processes. The workshop, held in Park City, Utah, in May 2013, was attended by 41 investigators from seven countries. Participants were asked to define compelling scientific justifications for examining problems that can be addressed by coordinated programs of continental scientific drilling and related site investigations. They were also asked to evaluate a wide range of proposed drilling projects, based on white papers submitted prior to the workshop. Participants working on faults and fault zone processes highlighted two overarching topics with exciting potential for future scientific drilling research: (1) the seismic cycle and (2) the mechanics and architecture of fault zones. Recommended projects target fundamental mechanical processes and controls on faulting, and range from induced earthquakes and earthquake initiation to investigations of detachment fault mechanics and fluid flow in fault zones. Participants working on active volcanism identified five themes: the volcano eruption cycle; eruption sustainability, near-field stresses, and system recovery; eruption hazards; verification of geophysical models; and interactions with other Earth systems. Recommended projects address problems that are transferrable to other volcanic systems, such as improved methods for identifying eruption history and constraining the rheological structure of shallow caldera regions. Participants working on chemical geodynamics identified four major themes: large igneous provinces (LIPs), ocean islands, continental hotspot tracks and rifts, and convergent plate margins (subduction zones). This workshop brought together a diverse group of scientists with a broad range of scientific experience and interests. A particular strength was the involvement of both early-career scientists, who will initiate and carry out these new research programs, and more senior researchers with many years of experience in scientific drilling and active tectonics research. Each of the themes and questions outlined above has direct benefits to society, including improving hazard assessment, direct monitoring of active systems for early warning, renewable and non-renewable resource and energy exploitation, and predicting the environmental impacts of natural hazards, emphasizing the central role that scientific drilling will play in future scientific and societal developments.

Development of Next-Generation Borehole Magnetometer and Its Potential Application in Constraining the Magnetic Declination of Oman Samail Ophiolite at ICDP Drill Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S. M.; Parq, J. H.; Kim, H.; Moe, K.; Lee, C. S.; Kanamatsu, T.; Kim, K. J.; Bahk, K. S.

2017-12-01

Determining the azimuthal orientation of core samples obtained from deep drilling is extremely difficult because the core itself could have rotated during drilling operations. Several indirect methods have been devised to address this issue, but have certain limitations. Thus it is still a challenge to determine the azimuthal orientation consistently over the entire length of the hole. Provided that the recovery rate is high and thus all the other magnetic properties such as magnetization intensity and inclination are measured from the recovered cores, one possible method for ascertaining magnetic declination information is to measure the magnetic field inside the empty borehole and invert for the best fitting declination. However, there are two major problems: one is that present-day borehole magnetometers are not precise enough to resolve changes in direction of magnetization, and the other is that in most rock drilling experiments the rate of recovery is low. To overcome the first major problem which is technical, scientists from Korea and Japan jointly conducted the development for the next-generation borehole magnetometer, namely 3GBM (3rd Generation Borehole Magnetometer). The borehole magnetometer which uses fiber-optic laser gyro promises to provide accurate information on not only the magnetic field itself but also the orientation of the instrument inside the borehole. Our goal is to deploy this borehole magnetometer in the ICDP Oman Drilling Project Phase 2 drilling experiment early 2018. The site may be suitable for the investigation because, as recent Phase 1 of the Oman Samail Ophiolite drilling has demonstrated, the recovery rate was very high. Also the post-drilling measurements onboard DV Chikyu have shown that much of the recovered samples has moderate magnetization intensity on the order of 0.1 and 1 A/m. Here, we present the results of numerical simulation of magnetic field inside the borehole using finite element method to show that magnetic declination may be obtained systematically from the top to the bottom of the holes. The results will help us to fine tune the magnetometer before the actual deployment. It will also be useful in interpreting the obtained results together with resistivity images from conventional wireline logging and post-drilling paleomagnetic lab measurements results.

A workshop model simulating fate and effect of drilling muds and cuttings on benthic communities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Auble, Gregor T.; Andrews, Austin K.; Hamilton, David B.; Roelle, James E.; Shoemaker, Thomas G.

1984-01-01

Oil and gas exploration and production at marine sites has generated concern over potential environmental impacts resulting from the discharge of spent drilling muds and cuttings. This concern has led to a broad array of publicly and privately sponsored research. This report described a cooperative modeling effort designed to focus information resulting from this research through construction of explicit equations that simulate the potential impacts of discharge drilling fluids (muds) and cuttings on marine communities. The model is the result of collaboration among more than 30 scientists. The principal cooperating organizations were the E.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Minerals Management Service, the Offshore Operators Committee, and the Alaska Oil and Gas Association. The overall simulation model can be conceptualized as three connected submodels: Discharge and Plume Fate, Sediment Redistribution, and Benthic Community Effects. On each day of simulation, these submodels are executed in sequence, with flows of information between submodels. The Benthic Community Effects submodel can be further divided into sections that calculate mortality due to burial, mortality due to toxicity, mortality due to resuspension disturbance, and growth of the community. The model represents a series of seven discrete 1-m2 plots at specified distances along a transect in one direction away from a discharge point. It consists of coupled difference equations for which parameter values can easily be set to evaluate different conditions or to examine the sensitivity of output to various assumptions. Sets of parameter values were developed to represent four general cases or scenarios: (1) a shallow (5 m), cold environment with ice cover during a substantial fraction of the year, such as might be encountered in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska; (2) a shallow (20 m), temperate environment, such as might be encountered in the Gulf of Mexico; (3) a deeper (80 m), temperate environment, such as might be encountered in the Gulf of Mexico; and (4) a very deep (1,000 m) environment, such as might be encountered on the Atlantic slope. The focus of the modeling effort was on the connection of a reasonable representation of physical fate to the biological responses of populations, rather than on highly detailed representations of individual processes. For example, the calculations of physical fate are not as detailed as those in the recently published model of Brandsma et al. (1983). The value of the model described herein is in the broad scope of processes that are explicitly represented and linked together. The model cannot be considered to produce reliable predictions of the quantitative impacts of discharged drilling fluids and cuttings on biological populations at a particular site. Limitations of the model in predicting integrated fate and effects can be traced to three general areas: level of refinement of the algorithms used in the model; lack of understanding of the processes determining fate and effects; and parameter and data values. Despite the limitations, several qualitative conclusions concerning both potential impacts and the importance of various remaining data gaps can be drawn from the modeling effort. These include: (1) Simple, unequivocal conclusions about fate and effects across geographical regions and drilling operations are difficult, if not misleading, due to the large amount of variability in characteristics of discharged materials (e.g., oil content and toxicity), discharge conditions (e.g., duration of drilling operations), physical environments (e.g., water depth, current direction, and sediment disturbance regimes), and biological communities (e.g., intrinsic growth rates). Different combinations of these characteristics can result in substantial differences in simulated environmental fate and biological effects. For examples, simulated recovery in some high-energy environments occurs within months after the cessation of discharge operations, even at heavily impacted sites, whereas simulated recover in some low-energy environments takes years at heavily impacted sites. (3) The volume of material discharged and duration of operations in the production drilling operations simulated by the model are sufficient to produce substantial simulated biological impacts at some plots, both in terms of differences from a control plot during the period of discharge operations, and in terms of the recovery period following the perturbations. Evaluation of the significance of potential effects involves the following factors: • Definition of a specific spatial and temporal reference frame (e.g., What is the natural variation? Is 1 year to be considered a "long" or "short" time? Is 50 m to be considered a "large" or "trivial" distance? • Consideration of rare or unique resources and particularly sensitive biotic assemblages. • Consideration of the potential for long term, cumulative effects. Some of these aspects are clearly beyond the scope of this modeling efforts (e.g., the model does not simulate the long term fate of resuspended material). The model does, however, contain an internal "reference frame" by comparison to simulated behavior at a control plot. The model, in general, simulates substantial "natural" variation at the reference or control plots, both over time, due to sediment disturbance events in medium to high energy environments, and over space, due to geographically varying conditions, such as water depth and current regime.

PIA22224

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-28

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used a new drill method to produce a hole on Feb. 26, 2018, in a target named Lake Orcadie. The hole marks the first operation of the rover's drill since a motor problem began acting up more than a year ago. An early test produced a hole about a half-inch (1-centimeter) deep at Lake Orcadie --- not enough for a full scientific sample, but enough to validate that the new method works mechanically. This was just the first in what will be a series of tests to determine how well the new drill method can collect samples. A video is available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22224

Libya: a dynamic Arab oil power

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hobbs, M.

1965-06-01

Libya has become the most dynamic oil-producing nation in the world. Less than 4 yr ago, Libya exported only peanuts, olive oil, and hides. Today, in crude-oil production Libya ranks eighth in the world, with daily production of 1.2 million bbl. Twenty-five oil companies hold concessions and have spent $1.3 billion developing reserves. Petroleum has brought new wealth to the country- an estimated $272 million in 1965. Some 2.75 million ft of hole was drilled in 1964, resulting in 97 oil fields and 4 major basins. Lost circulation has been a problem Transportation and communication are difficult in the vastmore » Libyan desert. Water-contaminated crude and high salt content have plagued production. These problems are being solved. With 45 drillings rigs active, crude production is expected to reach 2 million bpd by 1966. Most of the rigs used are trailer-mounted, unitized 8,000-12,000 ft capacity, that have been specially adapted to work in the Sahara. The drilling-completion programs are briefly described.« less

Chemical Effect on Wellbore Instability of Nahr Umr Shale

PubMed Central

Nie, Zhen

2013-01-01

Wellbore instability is one of the major problems that hamper the drilling speed in Halfaya Oilfield. Comprehensive analysis of geological and engineering data indicates that Halfaya Oilfield features fractured shale in the Nahr Umr Formation. Complex accidents such as wellbore collapse and sticking emerged frequently in this formation. Tests and theoretical analysis revealed that wellbore instability in the Halfaya Oilfield was influenced by chemical effect of fractured shale and the formation water with high ionic concentration. The influence of three types of drilling fluids on the rock mechanical properties of Nahr Umr Shale is tested, and time-dependent collapse pressure is calculated. Finally, we put forward engineering countermeasures for safety drilling in Halfaya Oilfield and point out that increasing the ionic concentration and improving the sealing capacity of the drilling fluid are the way to keep the wellbore stable. PMID:24282391

Chemical effect on wellbore instability of Nahr Umr Shale.

PubMed

Yu, Baohua; Yan, Chuanliang; Nie, Zhen

2013-01-01

Wellbore instability is one of the major problems that hamper the drilling speed in Halfaya Oilfield. Comprehensive analysis of geological and engineering data indicates that Halfaya Oilfield features fractured shale in the Nahr Umr Formation. Complex accidents such as wellbore collapse and sticking emerged frequently in this formation. Tests and theoretical analysis revealed that wellbore instability in the Halfaya Oilfield was influenced by chemical effect of fractured shale and the formation water with high ionic concentration. The influence of three types of drilling fluids on the rock mechanical properties of Nahr Umr Shale is tested, and time-dependent collapse pressure is calculated. Finally, we put forward engineering countermeasures for safety drilling in Halfaya Oilfield and point out that increasing the ionic concentration and improving the sealing capacity of the drilling fluid are the way to keep the wellbore stable.

Polyimide Boosts High-Temperature Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Maverick Corporation, of Blue Ash, Ohio, licensed DMBZ-15 polyimide technology from Glenn Research Center. This ultrahigh-temperature material provides substantial weight savings and reduced machining costs compared to the same component made with more traditional metallic materials. DMBZ-15 has a wide range of applications from aerospace (aircraft engine and airframe components, space transportation systems, and missiles) to non-aerospace (oil drilling, rolling mill), and is particularly well-suited to use as face sheets with honey cones or thermal protection systems for reusable launch vehicles, which encounter elevated temperatures during launch and re-entry.

Dealing With Shallow-Water Flow in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostermeier, R.

2006-05-01

Some of the Shell experience in dealing with the shallow-water flow problem in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) will be presented. The nature of the problem, including areal extent and over-pressuring mechanisms, will be discussed. Methods for sand prediction and shallow sediment and flow characterization will be reviewed. These include seismic techniques, the use of geo-technical wells, regional trends, and various MWD methods. Some examples of flow incidents with pertinent drilling issues, including well failures and abandonment, will be described. To address the shallow-water flow problem, Shell created a multi-disciplinary team of specialists in geology, geophysics, petrophysics, drilling, and civil engineering. The team developed several methodologies to deal with various aspects of the problem. These include regional trends and data bases, shallow seismic interpretation and sand prediction, well site and casing point selection, geo-technical well design and data interpretation, logging program design and interpretation, cementing design and fluids formulation, methods for remediation and mitigation of lost circulation, and so on. Shell's extensive Deepwater GOM drilling experience has lead to new understanding of the problem. Examples include delineation of trends in shallow water flow occurrence and severity, trends and departures in PP/FG, rock properties pertaining to seismic identification of sands, and so on. New knowledge has also been acquired through the use of geo-technical wells. One example is the observed rapid onset and growth of over-pressures below the mudline. Total trouble costs due to shallow water flow for all GOM operators almost certainly runs into the several hundred million dollars. Though the problem remains a concern, advances in our knowledge and understanding make it a problem that is manageable and not the "show stopper" once feared.

Manufacture of high aspect ratio micro-pillar wall shear stress sensor arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnanamanickam, Ebenezer P.; Sullivan, John P.

2012-12-01

In the field of experimental fluid mechanics the measurement of unsteady, distributed wall shear stress has proved historically challenging. Recently, sensors based on an array of flexible micro-pillars have shown promise in carrying out such measurements. Similar sensors find use in other applications such as cellular mechanics. This work presents a manufacturing technique that can manufacture micro-pillar arrays of high aspect ratio. An electric discharge machine (EDM) is used to manufacture a micro-drilling tool. This micro-drilling tool is used to form holes in a wax sheet which acts as the mold for the micro-pillar array. Silicone rubber is cast in these molds to yield a micro-pillar array. Using this technique, micro-pillar arrays with a maximum aspect ratio of about 10 have been manufactured. Manufacturing issues encountered, steps to alleviate them and the potential of the process to manufacture similar micro-pillar arrays in a time-efficient manner are also discussed.

An animal model in sheep for biocompatibility testing of biomaterials in cancellous bones

PubMed Central

Nuss, Katja MR; Auer, Joerg A; Boos, Alois; Rechenberg, Brigitte von

2006-01-01

Background The past years have seen the development of many synthetic bone replacements. To test their biocompatibility and ability for osseointegration, osseoinduction and -conduction requires their placement within bone preferably in an animal experiment of a higher species. Methods A suitable experimental animal model in sheep with drill holes of 8 mm diameter and 13 mm depth within the proximal and distal humerus and femur for testing biocompatibility issues is introduced. Results This present sheep model allows the placing of up to 8 different test materials within one animal and because of the standardization of the bone defect, routine evaluation by means of histomorphometry is easily conducted. This method was used successfully in 66 White Alpine Sheep. When the drill holes were correctly placed no complications such as spontaneous fractures were encountered. Conclusion This experimental animal model serves an excellent basis for testing the biocompatibility of novel biomaterials to be used as bone replacement or new bone formation enhancing materials. PMID:16911787

An animal model in sheep for biocompatibility testing of biomaterials in cancellous bones.

PubMed

Nuss, Katja M R; Auer, Joerg A; Boos, Alois; von Rechenberg, Brigitte

2006-08-15

The past years have seen the development of many synthetic bone replacements. To test their biocompatibility and ability for osseointegration, osseoinduction and -conduction requires their placement within bone preferably in an animal experiment of a higher species. A suitable experimental animal model in sheep with drill holes of 8 mm diameter and 13 mm depth within the proximal and distal humerus and femur for testing biocompatibility issues is introduced. This present sheep model allows the placing of up to 8 different test materials within one animal and because of the standardization of the bone defect, routine evaluation by means of histomorphometry is easily conducted. This method was used successfully in 66 White Alpine Sheep. When the drill holes were correctly placed no complications such as spontaneous fractures were encountered. This experimental animal model serves an excellent basis for testing the biocompatibility of novel biomaterials to be used as bone replacement or new bone formation enhancing materials.

Addressing Problems Encountered in Case-Based Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turgeon, A. J.

2007-01-01

TURF 436 (Case Studies in Turfgrass Management) is the capstone course for turfgrass science majors at the Pennsylvania State University. Students are introduced to problems and complex problematic situations encountered in the management of golf and sports turf and in professional lawn-care operations. Following completion of the orientation case…

Conquering common breast-feeding problems.

PubMed

Walker, Marsha

2008-01-01

Meeting mothers' personal breast-feeding goals depends on a number of factors, including the timely resolution of any problems she encounters. Nurses are often the first providers who interact with the mother during the perinatal period and are positioned to guide mothers through the prevention and solving of breast-feeding problems. Although many problems may be "common," failure to remedy conditions that cause pain, frustration, and anxiety can lead to premature weaning and avoidance of breast-feeding subsequent children. This article describes strategies and interventions to alleviate common problems that breast-feeding mothers frequently encounter.

A Study of the Causes of Physical and Emotional Problems Encountered by Older Women Returning to Secretarial Employment After A Prolonged Absence. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Glenna G.

The problem of this study was to identify the cause of the physical and emotional problems encountered by older women who have returned to work after a prolonged absence. Such information, it was believed, would be valuable to business and educational institutions in retraining or updating prospective secretarial employees. Data for the study were…

Linear island and seamount chains, aseismic ridges and intraplate volcanism: Results from DSDP

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clague, David A.

1981-01-01

The Deep Sea Drilling Project drilled a substantial number of sites that bear on the origin of linear island and seamount chains, aseismic ridges and other more regional expressions of intraplate volcanism. Drilling in the Emperor Seamounts during Leg 55 was particularly successful. Results from this leg include: 1) the volcanoes of the Hawaiian-Emperor chain continue to increase in age away from Kilauea as predicted. 2) Suiko Seamount formed at a paleolatitide of 26.9±3.5°N, 7° north of present-day Hawaii, but far south of its present latitude of 44.8°N. 3) the volcanic rock types recovered include hawaiite, mugearite, alkalic basalt and tholeiitic basalt in the sequence and relative volume expected for Hawaiian volcanoes. 4) the tholeiitic and alkalic basalts recovered are geochemically similar to those in the Hawaiian Islands, only the ratio of 87Sr/86Sr appears to change through time. All the lavas appear to be derived from a source that has small-scale heterogeneities, but is homogeneous on a large scale. 4) The Emperor Seamounts were once volcanic islands that underwent subaerial and shallow marine erosion, and deposition of shallow-water biogenic carbonate sediments that capped all or most of each volcano.Drilling in other regions has yielded less conclusive results. For example, it is uncertain if the Line Islands are an age progressive chain (hot-spot trace) or result from some other type of intraplate volcanism. The mid-Pacific Mountains also show evidence of originating from a regional episode of volcanism in the mid-Cretaceous. Drilling in the Nauru Basin encountered a voluminous mid-Cretaceous volcanic flow-sill complex that overlies Jurassic magnetic anomalies, yet is composed of depleted tholeiite. In the Indian Ocean, drilling on the Ninety-East Ridge established that it 1) is volcanic in origin; 2) is older to the north; 3) formed in shallow water, and 4) formed further south and has moved northward. It appears that the Ninety-East Ridge, like the Hawaiian-Emperor chain, is a hot spot trace. In the Atlantic Ocean, drilling on the Iceland-Faeroe Ridge and the Rio Grande Rise-Walvis Ridge suggests that all these aseismic ridges are hot spot traces generated by the Iceland and Tristan de Cunha hot-spots.

Drilling, construction, geophysical log data, and lithologic log for boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twining, Brian V.; Hodges, Mary K.V.; Schusler, Kyle; Mudge, Christopher

2017-07-27

Starting in 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, drilled and constructed boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A for stratigraphic framework analyses and long-term groundwater monitoring of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory in southeast Idaho. Borehole USGS 142 initially was cored to collect rock and sediment core, then re-drilled to complete construction as a screened water-level monitoring well. Borehole USGS 142A was drilled and constructed as a monitoring well after construction problems with borehole USGS 142 prevented access to upper 100 feet (ft) of the aquifer. Boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A are separated by about 30 ft and have similar geology and hydrologic characteristics. Groundwater was first measured near 530 feet below land surface (ft BLS) at both borehole locations. Water levels measured through piezometers, separated by almost 1,200 ft, in borehole USGS 142 indicate upward hydraulic gradients at this location. Following construction and data collection, screened water-level access lines were placed in boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A to allow for recurring water level measurements.Borehole USGS 142 was cored continuously, starting at the first basalt contact (about 4.9 ft BLS) to a depth of 1,880 ft BLS. Excluding surface sediment, recovery of basalt, rhyolite, and sediment core at borehole USGS 142 was approximately 89 percent or 1,666 ft of total core recovered. Based on visual inspection of core and geophysical data, material examined from 4.9 to 1,880 ft BLS in borehole USGS 142 consists of approximately 45 basalt flows, 16 significant sediment and (or) sedimentary rock layers, and rhyolite welded tuff. Rhyolite was encountered at approximately 1,396 ft BLS. Sediment layers comprise a large percentage of the borehole between 739 and 1,396 ft BLS with grain sizes ranging from clay and silt to cobble size. Sedimentary rock layers had calcite cement. Basalt flows ranged in thickness from about 2 to 100 ft and varied from highly fractured to dense, and ranged from massive to diktytaxitic to scoriaceous, in texture.Geophysical logs were collected on completion of drilling at boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A. Geophysical logs were examined with available core material to describe basalt, sediment and sedimentary rock layers, and rhyolite. Natural gamma logs were used to confirm sediment layer thickness and location; neutron logs were used to examine basalt flow units and changes in hydrogen content; gamma-gamma density logs were used to describe general changes in rock properties; and temperature logs were used to understand hydraulic gradients for deeper sections of borehole USGS 142. Gyroscopic deviation was measured to record deviation from true vertical at all depths in boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A.

Site Report for USGS Test Holes Drilled at Cape Charles, Northampton County, Virginia, in 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gohn, Gregory S.; Sanford, Ward E.; Powars, David S.; Horton, J. Wright; Edwards, Lucy E.; Morin, Roger H.; Self-Trail, Jean M.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey drilled two test holes near Cape Charles, Virginia, during May and June 2004, as part of an investigation of the buried, late Eocene Chesapeake Bay impact structure. The first hole is designated as the USGS-Sustainable Technology Park test hole #1 (USGS-STP1). This test hole was abandoned at a depth of 300 ft; cuttings samples were collected, but no cores or geophysical logs were acquired. The second hole is designated as the USGS-Sustainable Technology Park test hole #2 (USGS-STP2). This test hole was drilled to a depth of 2,699 ft. Cores were collected between depths of 1,401.7 ft and 1,420.7 ft and between 2,440.0 ft and 2,699.0 ft. Cuttings samples were collected from the uncored intervals below 280-ft depth. Interim sets of geophysical logs were acquired during the drilling operation, and one final set was acquired at the end of drilling. Two wells were installed in the USGS-STP2 test hole. The deep well (designated 62G-24) was screened between 2,260 ft and 2,280 ft, and the shallow well (designated 62G-25) was screened between 1,360 ft and 1,380 ft. Ground-water salinities stabilized at 40 parts per thousand for the deep well and 20 parts per thousand for the shallow well. The geologic section encountered in the test holes consists of three main units: (1) Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene sands and clays are present between land surface and a depth of 1,163 ft; (2) sediment-clast breccias of the impact structure are present between depths of 1,163 ft and 2,150 ft; and (3) crystalline-clast breccias and cataclastic gneiss of the impact structure are present between depths of 2,150 ft and 2,699 ft.

Deep-sea observations at hydrocarbon drilling locations: Contributions from the SERPENT Project after 120 field visits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gates, Andrew R.; Benfield, Mark C.; Booth, David J.; Fowler, Ashley M.; Skropeta, Danielle; Jones, Daniel O. B.

2017-03-01

The SERPENT Project has been running for over ten years. In this time scientists from universities and research institutions have made more than 120 visits to oil rigs, drill ships and survey vessels operated by 16 oil companies, in order to work with the industry's Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). Visits have taken place in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Australasia at water depths from 100 m to nearly 3000 m. The project has directly produced >40 peer reviewed publications and data from the project's >2600 entry online image and video archive have been used in many others. The aim of this paper is to highlight examples of how valuable data can be obtained through collaboration with hydrocarbon exploration and production companies to use existing industry infrastructure to increase scientific discovery in unexplored areas and augment environmental monitoring of industrial activity. The large number of industry ROVs operating globally increases chance encounters with large, enigmatic marine organisms. SERPENT video observations include the deepest known records of species previously considered epipelagic such as scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) and southern sunfish (Mola ramsayi) and the first in situ observations of pelagic species such as oarfish (Regalecus glesne). Such observations enable improvements to distribution records and description of behaviour of poorly understood species. Specimen collection has been used for taxonomic descriptions, functional studies and natural products chemistry research. Anthropogenic effects been assessed at the local scale using in situ observations and sample collection at the time of drilling operations and subsequent visits have enabled study of recovery from drilling. Future challenges to be addressed using the SERPENT approach include ensuring unique faunal observations by industry ROV operators are reported, further study of recovery from deep-water drilling activity and to carry out in situ studies to improve the understanding of potential future decommissioning of obsolete hydrocarbon infrastructure.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology Europe.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-07-01

up the order gap that is foreseeable for the next few years. An MBB manager believes himself already able to gauge the consequences if Daimler...connection with financing, one problem is that the major part of the capital expenditures—namely those for the drillings , which can total as much as 50...percent or more of the total costs—are capital expenditures that carry a geological risk. The costs for a single drilling that is to be developed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kelly, J.R.; Duke, T.W.; Harwell, M.A.

Potential effects of oil drilling-fluid discharges upon Thalassia seagrass ecosystems were examined to provide general insights and raise ecotoxicological issues relevant to problems of addressing a priori, ecolgical effects of anthropogenic actions. Microcosm experiments have demonstrated effects upon both autotrophic and heterotrophic species, as well as the processes of primary productivity and decomposition. Significant ecological changes may result from disturbance effects related to the physical presence of higher particle loads, in addition to effects resulting from toxic features of drilling fluids.

Affirmative Action and Women in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazzard, Terry

The purposes of this paper are to: (1) discuss the historical development of women in higher education; (2) describe the implementation of federal policies for women; (3) focus on selected problems encountered by women in the work-place; and (4) offer recommendations and suggestions for eliminating some of the problems that women encounter. The…

Dilemmas in the (un)veiling of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: walking an ethical and professional tight rope.

PubMed

Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Werner, Perla; Aharon-Peretz, Judith; Eidelman, Shmuel

2007-08-01

To enhance the understanding and effect of physician's difficulties, attitudes and communication styles on the disclosure of the diagnosis of AD in practice. Qualitative, phenomenological study, combining pre-encounter interviews with physicians, observations of actual encounters of diagnosis disclosure of AD, and post-encounter interviews. There were various ways or tactics to (un)veil the bad news that may be perceived as different ways of dulling the impact and avoiding full and therefore problematic statements. In the actual encounters this was accomplished by keeping encounters short, avoiding elaboration, confirmation of comprehension and explicit terminology and using fractured sentences. The present study's findings highlight the difficulties encountered in breaking the news about AD, in the way it is actually done, and the problems that may arise from this way of un/veiling the news. The main problem is that the reluctance to make a candid disclosure of the diagnosis as was demonstrated in this study may violate basic moral and legal rights and may also deprive patients and caregivers of some of the benefits of early disclosure of diagnosis. There is a need for assisting physicians to cope with their personal difficulties, problems and pitfalls in breaking the news.

Optimisation of the geometry of the drill bit and process parameters for cutting hybrid composite/metal structures in new aircrafts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isbilir, Ozden

Owing to their desirable strength-to-weight characteristics, carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites have been favourite materials for structural applications in different industries such as aerospace, transport, sports and energy. They provide a weight reduction in whole structure and consequently decrease fuel consumption. The use of lightweight materials such as titanium and its alloys in modern aircrafts has also increased significantly in the last couple of decades. Titanium and its alloys offer high strength/weight ratio, high compressive and tensile strength at high temperatures, low density, excellent corrosion resistance, exceptional erosion resistance, superior fatigue resistance and relatively low modulus of elasticity. Although composite/metal hybrid structures are increasingly used in airframes nowadays, number of studies regarding drilling of composite/metal stacks is very limited. During drilling of multilayer materials different problems may arise due to very different attributes of these materials. Machining conditions of drilling such structures play an important role on tool wear, quality of holes and cost of machining.. The research work in this thesis is aimed to investigate drilling of CFRP/Ti6Al4V hybrid structure and to optimize process parameters and drill geometry. The research work consist complete experimental study including drilling tests, in-situ and post measurements and related analysis; and finite element analysis including fully 3-D finite element models. The experimental investigations focused on drilling outputs such as thrust force, torque, delamination, burr formation, surface roughness and tool wear. An algorithm was developed to analyse drilling induced delamination quantitatively based on the images. In the numerical analysis, novel 3-D finite element models of drilling of CFRP, Ti6Al4V and CFRP/Ti6Al4V hybrid structure were developed with the use of 3-D complex drill geometries. A user defined subroutine was developed to model material and failure behaviour of CFRP. The effects of process parameters on drilling outputs have been investigated and compared with the experimental results. The influences of drill bit geometries have been simulated in this study..

Chiropractic Observation and Analysis Study (COAST): providing an understanding of current chiropractic practice.

PubMed

French, Simon D; Charity, Melanie J; Forsdike, Kirsty; Gunn, Jane M; Polus, Barbara I; Walker, Bruce F; Chondros, Patty; Britt, Helena C

2013-11-18

COAST (Chiropractic Observation and Analysis Study) aimed to describe the clinical practices of chiropractors in Victoria, Australia. Cross-sectional study using the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) methods for general practice. 180 chiropractors in active clinical practice in Victoria were randomly selected from the list of 1298 chiropractors registered on Chiropractors Registration Board of Victoria. Twenty-four chiropractors were ineligible, 72 agreed to participate, and 52 completed the study. Each participating chiropractor documented encounters with up to 100 consecutive patients. For each chiropractor-patient encounter, information collected included patient health profile, patient reasons for encounter, problems and diagnoses, and chiropractic care. Data were collected on 4464 chiropractor-patient encounters from 52 chiropractors between 11 December 2010 and 28 September 2012. In most (71%) encounters, patients were aged 25-64 years; 1% of encounters were with infants (age < 1 year; 95% CI, 0.3%-3.2%). Musculoskeletal reasons for encounter were described by patients at a rate of 60 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 54-67 encounters) and maintenance and wellness or check-up reasons were described at a rate of 39 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 33-47 encounters). Back problems were managed at a rate of 62 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 55-71 encounters). The most frequent care provided by the chiropractors was spinal manipulative therapy and massage. A range of conditions are managed by chiropractors in Victoria, Australia, but most commonly these conditions are musculoskeletal-related. These results can be used by stakeholders of the chiropractic profession in workforce development, education and health care policy.

Application of ERTS and EREP images to geologic investigations of the basin and range: Colorado plateau boundary in northwestern and north-central Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goetz, A. F. H. (Principal Investigator); Billingsley, F. C.; Elston, D. P.; Lucchita, I.; Shoemaker, E. M.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. In the course of the ERTS investigation in the Cataract Creek Basin of the Coconino Plateau it was recognized that shallow perched ground water associated with the Kaibab Limestone could be discovered by means of drilling guided by geologic mapping aided by the use of ERTS imagery. At the Globe Ranch, the perched water table is only 5 meters beneath the surface at the site of the original, hand dug well. Recharge occurs from local runoff and from direct precipitation on the outcrop belt of the sandstone. This well provides water for the ranch at the rate of about 1,000 gallons a week. In order to explore the possibility of further developing this aquifer, unit 5 was mapped over an area of about 50 square miles in the vicinity of the hand-dug well, with negative results. A new location was then picked for drilling based on the occurrence of unit 5 in a favorable structural setting. This location was along a normal fault, and it was anticipated that water might be structurally trapped within the down-dropped block of the fault. Four shallow testholes were drilled and all encountered water. These four water-bearing holes are currently being monitored and will be tested to determine potential production of water from the local sandstone aquifer.

The Problem-Based Learning Process: Reflections of Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baysal, Zeliha Nurdan

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify the benefits acquired by third-year pre-service elementary school teachers participating in a problem-based learning process in social studies education, the issues they encountered in that process and those they are likely to encounter, and their feelings about the process. Semi-structured interviews were used as one…

In Situ Temperature Measurements at the Svalbard Continental Margin: Implications for Gas Hydrate Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel, M.; Wallmann, K.; Berndt, C.; Pape, T.; Freudenthal, T.; Bergenthal, M.; Bünz, S.; Bohrmann, G.

2018-04-01

During expedition MARIA S. MERIAN MSM57/2 to the Svalbard margin offshore Prins Karls Forland, the seafloor drill rig MARUM-MeBo70 was used to assess the landward termination of the gas hydrate system in water depths between 340 and 446 m. The study region shows abundant seafloor gas vents, clustered at a water depth of ˜400 m. The sedimentary environment within the upper 100 m below seafloor (mbsf) is dominated by ice-berg scours and glacial unconformities. Sediments cored included glacial diamictons and sheet-sands interbedded with mud. Seismic data show a bottom simulating reflector terminating ˜30 km seaward in ˜760 m water depth before it reaches the theoretical limit of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) at the drilling transect. We present results of the first in situ temperature measurements conducted with MeBo70 down to 28 mbsf. The data yield temperature gradients between ˜38°C km-1 at the deepest site (446 m) and ˜41°C km-1 at a shallower drill site (390 m). These data constrain combined with in situ pore-fluid data, sediment porosities, and thermal conductivities the dynamic evolution of the GHSZ during the past 70 years for which bottom water temperature records exist. Gas hydrate is not stable in the sediments at sites shallower than 390 m water depth at the time of acquisition (August 2016). Only at the drill site in 446 m water depth, favorable gas hydrate stability conditions are met (maximum vertical extent of ˜60 mbsf); however, coring did not encounter any gas hydrates.

The Toa Baja Drilling Project and current studies in Puerto Rican geology: Introduction and summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larue, D.K.

1991-03-01

This volume concerns information learned by drilling the Toa Baja well on the north coast of Puerto Rico, and current studies of Puerto Rican geology and tectonics. The Toa Baja Drillsite is located in the North Coast basin of Puerto Rico about 10 km west of San Juan. The hole was spudded on August 23, 1989, and plugged and abandoned on November 7, 1989 at a total depth of 2,704m. Two lithologies were encountered during drilling: an upper series consisting of Oligocene-Miocene shallow-water limestone and sandstone facies, and a lower series consisting of Eocene deep-water volcaniclastic strata, including some lavamore » flows or shallow intrusions, pelagic marls, and altered igneous rocks or coarse-grained sandstones. Principal findings made during drilling include: (1) the important unconformity separating the upper and lower series at about 579 m; (2) 8 faults defined clearly by dipmeter log; (3) changes in rock type probably associated with reflection events in seismic reflection profiles crossing the drillsite; (4) confirmation of overall low geothermal gradients and heat flow, but presence of a thermal anomaly near 2683 m; (5) documentation of high paleogeothermal gradients using petrographic, isotopic, X-Ray diffraction and electron microprobe studies; (6) presence of fractures indicating a current extensional tectonic setting. Current studies in the Puerto Rico region include: (1) paleomagnetic evidence for late Miocene counterclockwise rotation; (2) geochemical evolution of Cretaceous and Eocene igneous rocks; (3) evidence of transtension in the northeast Caribbean plate boundary zone; (4) results of studies of ancient fault zones on Puerto Rico; and (5) stratigraphic studies of the Tertiary of Puerto Rico.« less

Bedrock Geology of the DFDP-2 Drill-Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toy, V.; Sutherland, R.; Townend, J.

2015-12-01

Bedrock was encountered in DFDP-2B at drilled depths (MD) of 238.50-893.18 m (vertical depths of 238.40-818.00 m). Continuous sampling of cuttings revealed the bedrock is composed predominantly of ductilely sheared mylonite-series lithologies exhumed from the roots of the Alpine Fault zone. The protolith is interpreted to be amphibolite facies metasediments classified as part of the Aspiring Subdivision of the Torlesse Supergroup. Onsite description of whole cuttings and thin sections made within a few hours of sample recovery allowed identification of progressive structural changes. Fabrics were schistose in the upper part of the hole, but at greater depths we observed increasing indications that the rocks had been subjected to simple shear deformation. These macro-and micro-structural features are consistent with those that typify the Alpine Fault mylonite sequence previously described, and were used as input to drilling decisions. The structural features found to be the most useful indicators of ductile simple shear strain accommodated by the recovered rocks were the occurrence of shear bands; changes in mean quartz grain size; changes in maximum mica grain size; and redistribution of or changes in microstructural setting of accessory phases (e.g. graphite). The quartz:mica ratio based on mass was also determined but the extent to which this reflects true lithologic variations is unclear, as washing and winnowing of the samples (both by circulating drill fluids and during the sample collection process) probably modified bulk mineralogy in different particle size domains. Nevertheless, the quartz:mica dataset suggests a dramatic change in mineralogy at 730 m MD (vertical depth of 695 m). This coincides with a pronounced step in the temperature gradient, possibly related to large changes in hydrogeology.

Wind Tunnel Wall Corrections (la Correction des effets de paroi en soufflerie)

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-10-01

round holes drilled either normal to the wall surface or at a fixed angle to the normal. Variable porosity features have been implemented in several...walls (holes drilled at 60 deg from the normal), including variable porosity configurations and the effects of screens and splitter plates for edge-tone...Figure 5.68 Schematic of slender wing and the indicated gauge func- tions in anticipation of matching. As detailed in Malmuth and Cole [122], the problems

Indonesian drilling maintains steady pace

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1985-05-01

Offshore drilling activity in Indonesia increased nominally the first quarter of 1985 to an average 29 rigs. Barring any further problems with oil prices and markets, operators are expected to maintain essentially the current general level of appraisal/development work for the rest of this year. There are still a number of prospective regions to be explored in Southeast Asia. Regional developments are described for the South China Sea area, the Java Sea, South Sumatra, Kalimantan, Irian Jaya and the Malacca Strait.

[SUVA (Swiss Accident Insurance Fund) and silicosis. Silicosis in Switzerland. Development of technological dust control].

PubMed

Bachofen, G

1983-01-01

In Switzerland the technical measures against quartz dust started in 1948 when wet drilling was compulsoryly introduced, initially in underground mining. The miners using the first wet drilling machines had serious problems with water, and only with the introduction of carriage drilling machines in 1963 did the method fully break through. Dust caused by blasting operations and by loading of the resultant material was limited by ventilation and sprinkling of water. In 1966 the first full-face cutting machines were used, and it was necessary to install a dust chamber behind the drill from which dust could be taken to a dust arrester. The problem of dust limitation when using boom cutters at sectional areas of more than 20 sq. meters without a pilot tunnel has not been resolved. Since 1970, dust in quarries and stone-cutter workshops has been successfully combated by the use of exhaust pumps in combination with filters. The use of quartz sand to clean metal pieces (sandblast) was forbidden in 1960. Today, materials of the same value, but quartz-free, are available. In foundries, dust production can be limited by continuous automation and installation of exhaust pumps in moulding units. For more than 30 years now the technical equipment has been available for successful prevention of quartz dust emissions. However, at some plants it is still difficult to persuade the personnel to use the protective equipment.

Geologic and operational summary, COST No. G-2 well, Georges Bank area, North Atlantic OCS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Amato, Roger V.; Simonis, Edvardas K.

1980-01-01

The Continental Offshore Stratigraphic Test (COST) No. G-2 well is the second deep well to be drilled in the Georges Bank Basin and the third in a series of COST wells on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The G-2 was drilled by Ocean Production Company, acting as the operator for 19 participating companies between January 6 and August 30, 1977. The semisubmersible rig Ocean Victory was used to drill the well to a depth of 21,874 feet at a location 132 statute miles east-southeast of Nantucket Island in 272 feet of water. An earlier deep Stratigraphic test, the COST No. G-l well, was drilled 42 statute miles west of the G-2 well, to a depth of 16,071 feet in 1976 (fig. 1). Geological and engineering data obtained from the well were used by companies and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for evaluating the petroleum potential and possible drilling problems in the U.S. North Atlantic OCS area in preparation for lease sale 42 held on December 18, 1979. The Stratigraphic test was intentionally drilled away from any potential petroleum-bearing feature, but in a block bordering several tracts that were included in the sale area.

SANDY CREEK ROADLESS AREA, MISSISSIPPI.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haley, Boyd R.; Bitar, Richard F.

1984-01-01

The Sandy Creek Roadless Area includes about 3. 7 sq mi in the southeastern part of Adams County, Mississippi. On the basis of a mineral survey, the area offers little promise for the occurrence of metallic mineral resources but has a probable resource potential for oil and natural gas. It is possible that wells drilled deep enough to penetrate the older reservoirs will encounter significant quantities of oil and natural gas in the roadless area. The deposits of gravel, sand, and clay present in the area could be utilized in the construction industry, but similar deposits elsewhere are much closer to available markets.

National Dam Inspection Program. Broadford Run Dam. Little Youghiogheny River Site Number 6. (NDI I.D. Number MD-361) Ohio River Basin. Broadford Run. Garrett County, Maryland. Phase I Inspection Report,

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-07-01

lines, offset by 4 ft. These grout lines were drilled and grouted by the split spacing method along the centerline of the dam. Three stage grouting was...estimated as 656,000 gallons per day (450 gpm), as computed by the Darcy Short Path Method . Permeable zones in the bedrock foundation were also encountered...upstream and downstream embankments was evaluated at Sta. 11+75 (maximum section) using the Swedish Circular Arc Method . The analyses considered a 48

Deep Geothermal Drilling Using Millimeter Wave Technology. Final Technical Research Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oglesby, Kenneth; Woskov, Paul; Einstein, Herbert

2014-12-30

Conventional drilling methods are very mature, but still have difficulty drilling through very deep,very hard and hot rocks for geothermal, nuclear waste entombment and oil and gas applications.This project demonstrated the capabilities of utilizing only high energy beams to drill such rocks,commonly called ‘Direct Energy Drilling’, which has been the dream of industry since the invention of the laser in the 1960s. A new region of the electromagnetic spectrum, millimeter wave (MMW) wavelengths at 30-300 giga-hertz (GHz) frequency was used to accomplish this feat. To demonstrate MMW beam drilling capabilities a lab bench waveguide delivery, monitoring and instrument system wasmore » designed, built and tested around an existing (but non-optimal) 28 GHz frequency, 10 kilowatt (kW) gyrotron. Low waveguide efficiency, plasma generation and reflected power challenges were overcome. Real-time monitoring of the drilling process was also demonstrated. Then the technical capability of using only high power intense millimeter waves to melt (with some vaporization) four different rock types (granite, basalt, sandstone, limestone) was demonstrated through 36 bench tests. Full bore drilling up to 2” diameter (size limited by the available MMW power) was demonstrated through granite and basalt samples. The project also demonstrated that MMW beam transmission losses through high temperature (260°C, 500oF), high pressure (34.5 MPa, 5000 psi) nitrogen gas was below the error range of the meter long path length test equipment and instruments utilized. To refine those transmission losses closer, to allow extrapolation to very great distances, will require a new test cell design and higher sensitivity instruments. All rock samples subjected to high peak temperature by MMW beams developed fractures due to thermal stresses, although the peak temperature was thermodynamically limited by radiative losses. Therefore, this limited drill rate and rock strength data were not able to be determined experimentally. New methods to encapsulate larger rock specimens must be developed and higher power intensities are needed to overcome these limitations. It was demonstrated that rock properties are affected (weakening then strengthened) by exposure to high temperatures. Since only MMW beams can economically reach rock temperatures of over 1650°C, even exceeding 3000°C, that can cause low viscosity melts or vaporization of rocks. Future encapsulated rock specimens must provide sufficiently large sizes of thermally impacted material to provide for the necessary rock strength, permeability and other analyzes required. Multiple MMW field systems, tools and methods for drilling and lining were identified. It was concluded that forcing a managed over-pressure drilling operation would overcome water influx and hot rock particulates handling problems, while simultaneously forming the conditions necessary to create a strong, sealing rock melt liner. Materials that contact hot rock surfaces were identified for further study. High power windows and gases for beam transmission under high pressures are critical paths for some of the MMW drilling systems. Straightness/ alignment can be a great benefit or a problem, especially if a MMW beam is transmitted through an existing, conventionally drilled bore.« less

New PDC bit design reduces vibrational problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mensa-Wilmot, G.; Alexander, W.L.

1995-05-22

A new polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit design combines cutter layout, load balancing, unsymmetrical blades and gauge pads, and spiraled blades to reduce problematic vibrations without limiting drilling efficiency. Stabilization improves drilling efficiency and also improves dull characteristics for PDC bits. Some PDC bit designs mitigate one vibrational mode (such as bit whirl) through drilling parameter manipulation yet cause or excite another vibrational mode (such as slip-stick). An alternative vibration-reducing concept which places no limitations on the operational environment of a PDC bit has been developed to ensure optimization of the bit`s available mechanical energy. The paper discusses bit stabilization,more » vibration reduction, vibration prevention, cutter arrangement, load balancing, blade layout, spiraled blades, and bit design.« less

Ability of Social Work Students to Determine the Appropriateness of Solutions to Problems Encountered in Social Work Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sturges, Jack; Yarbrough, Roy D.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was an association between the amount of formal social work education completed and ability of students to judge the degree of appropriateness of proposed solutions to problems frequently encountered in social work practice, and secondarily to determine whether students' judgments of problem…

Mothers' Perceptions of Citizenship, Practices for Developing Citizenship Conscience of Their Children and Problems They Encountered

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ersoy, A. Figen

2012-01-01

Family plays an important role in the development of citizenship awareness of children. The purpose of the present study is to figure out the citizenship perceptions of mothers, their practices for developing citizenship conscience of their children and to explore the problems they have encountered. In this study, critical case sampling method has…

Tactics Employed and Problems Encountered by University English Majors in Hong Kong in Using a Dictionary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Alice Yin Wa

2005-01-01

Building on the results of a small-scale survey which investigated the general use of dictionaries by university English majors in Hong Kong using a questionnaire survey and their specific use of dictionaries using an error correction task, this article discusses the tactics these students employed and the problems they encountered when using a…

Ambivalence toward Black English: Some Tentative Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Hanni

1991-01-01

Describes the writing problems of a poor, black, urban student who wants to succeed in college but doesn't know how. Asserts that language use, particularly the use of Black English, plays a major role in their lack of academic success. Offers drills and strategies to help with this problem. (PRA)

Development of drilling foams for geothermal applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McDonald, W.J.; Remont, L.J.; Rehm, W.A.

The use of foam drilling fluids in geothermal applications is addressed. A description of foams - what they are, how they are used, their properties, equipment required to use them, the advantages and disadvantages of foams, etc. - is presented. Geothermal applications are discussed. Results of industry interviews presented indicate significant potential for foams, but also indicate significant technical problems to be solved to achieve this potential. Testing procedures and results of tests on representative foams provide a basis for work to develop high-temperature foams.

An epidemiological study of low back pain among oil drilling workers in India.

PubMed

Tiwari, Rajnarayan R; Saha, Asim

2014-02-01

Many episodes of low back pain are disabling, thus making it one of the costly occupational health problem. The proper alignment and lifting operations during drilling process frequently exposed the oil-drilling workers to unusual strain on the spine and thus make them susceptible for developing low back pain. The present cross-sectional study was carried out in 71 oil-drilling workers. The prevalence of self-reported low back pain was found to be 29.6%. Higher prevalence was found in those working in awkward working posture (c 2 = 6.41; df = 1; p < 0.01). No other factors, namely, age, obesity, duration of exposure, smoking habit, family history of musculoskeletal disorders, exposure to vibration, lifting of weights and past history of injury was found to be statistically significant. Furthermore, using univariate and multivariate analysis, none of the factor was found to have excess risk of occurrence of low back pain, which can partly be attributed to small sample size.

Measurement of non-uniform residual stresses by combined Moiré interferometry and hole-drilling method: Theory, experimental method and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ya, Min; Dai, Fulong; Xie, Huimin; Lü, Jian

2003-12-01

Hole-drilling method is one of the most convenient methods for engineering residual stress measurement. Combined with moiré interferometry to obtain the relaxed whole-field displacement data, hole-drilling technique can be used to solve non-uniform residual stress problems, both in-depth and in-plane. In this paper, the theory of moiré interferometry and incremental hole-drilling (MIIHD) for non-uniform residual stress measurement is introduced. Three dimensional finite element model is constructed by ABAQUS to obtain the coefficients for the residual stress calculation. An experimental system including real-time measurement, automatic data processing and residual stresses calculation is established. Two applications for non-uniform in-depth residual stress of surface nanocrystalline material and non-uniform in-plane residual stress of friction stir welding are presented. Experimental results show that MIIHD is effective for both non-uniform in-depth and in-plane residual stress measurements.

Application of Formation Testing While Drilling (GeoTap) for acquiring formation pressure data from the Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli wells which were drilled in the Khazarian-Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirov, Elnur

2016-04-01

A new technology to acquire wireline quality pressure tests using a Logging While Drilling approach has been successfully implemented few years ago in Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli wells which were drilled in the Khazarian-Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic. The Formation Tester While Drilling tool (GeoTap) uses a testing sequence similar to wireline tools. A single probe is extended to the borehole wall and a small pretest volume withdrawn from the formation. The resulting pressure transient is then analyzed for formation pressure, formation permeability and mobility information. Up-link and down-link capabilities have been added to achieve test control and quality feedback. An efficient downlink algorithm is used downhole to analyze the data. The parameters and pressure data are transmitted to the surface in real-time for continuous monitoring of the test. More detailed pressure data is recorded and retrieved after returning to surface. Use of a quartz gauge allows excellent accuracy. Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli fields consist of layered sand reservoirs alternation with shale sequences and detailed pressure data is acquired on a high percentage of wells in order to understand lateral and vertical continuity of different flow units. The formation tester can be utilized with the 'triple combo' Logging While Drilling string which eliminates the need to rig up wireline on many wells. Wireline formation tester runs are time consuming - particularly if high deviation or high overbalance conditions are encountered requiring pipe conveyed techniques. Non-Productive Time is high when the wireline tools are stuck and fishing operations are required. The Sperry Drilling GeoTap formation pressure tester service provides real-time formation pressure measurements. It bridges the critical gap between drilling safety and optimization, by providing early and reliable measurements of key reservoir properties, while improving reservoir understanding and completion design in real time. The GeoTap tester obtains direct pore-pressure measurements as the well is being drilled, with accuracy and precision comparable to that of wireline testers. The GeoTap service can eliminate the time, risk, and cost associated with running pipe-conveyed wireline test tools. It also measures annular and bore pressure while drilling, providing accurate, continuous, real-time hydrostatic pressure, and equivalent circulating density (ECD) information. This aids in determining and maintaining optimal mud weight, reduces formation damage, increases the rate of penetration, and increases operational safety. GeoTap benefits can be improvement of formation evaluation, real-time fluid gradients and fluid mobility (permeability/viscosity indicator), identification of fluid contact points, determination of reservoir connectivity/compartmentalization and depletion, increase safety of operation, determination of optimal mud weight and manage of ECD. We can also continuously monitor wellbore stability for assessments in order to reduce formation damage which in turns will help to increase drilling effectiveness (determine precise overbalance for maximizing ROP and continuously monitor hole-cleaning effectiveness with pressure-while-drilling, while reducing formation damage due to swab/surge). Save time and money by reducing rig down time associated with wireline testing. GeoTap Tool capable of performing more than 150 pressure tests per run and optional orientation of pressure measurement is available (top, right, bottom or left). GeoTap testing has been completed with encouraging results in many wells up to circa 3000m deep. Data has been acquired successfully both in a "Drill-Test-Drill' mode and a "Post-Drill-Test" mode. GeoTap tests have spanned wide ranges of borehole temperature, pressure, mobility as well as formation permeability and overbalance conditions. GeoTap tests in Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli wells which were drilled in the Khazarian-Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic have proved that a logging while drilling approach can be successfully employed to acquire formation pressure data in open hole (which is also very useful for fluid gradient analysis, oil water and gas oil contacts delineation/identification).

Antiwhirl PDC bits increased penetration rates in Alberta drilling. [Polycrystalline Diamond Compact

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bobrosky, D.; Osmak, G.

1993-07-05

The antiwhirl PDC bits and an inhibitive mud system contributed to the quicker drilling of the time-sensitive shales. The hole washouts in the intermediate section were dramatically reduced, resulting in better intermediate casing cement jobs. Also, the use of antirotation PDC-drillable cementing plugs eliminated the need to drill out plugs and float equipment with a steel tooth bit and then trip for the PDC bit. By using an antiwhirl PDC bit, at least one trip was eliminated in the intermediate section. Offset data indicated that two to six conventional bits would have been required to drill the intermediate hole interval.more » The PDC bit was rebuildable and therefore rerunnable even after being used on five wells. In each instance, the cost of replacing chipped cutters was less than the cost of a new insert roller cone bit. The paper describes the antiwhirl bits; the development of the bits; and their application in a clastic sequence, a carbonate sequence, and the Shekilie oil field; the improvement in the rate of penetration; the selection of bottom hole assemblies; washout problems; and drill-out characteristics.« less

Comparative study of nail sampling techniques in onychomycosis.

PubMed

Shemer, Avner; Davidovici, Batya; Grunwald, Marcelo H; Trau, Henri; Amichai, Boaz

2009-07-01

Onychomycosis is a common problem. Obtaining accurate laboratory test results before treatment is important in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to compare results of curettage and drilling techniques of nail sampling in the diagnosis of onychomycosis, and to establish the best technique and location of sampling. We evaluated 60 patients suffering from distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis and lateral subungual onychomycosis using curettage and vertical and horizontal drilling sampling techniques from three different sites of the infected nail. KOH examination and fungal culture were used for detection and identification of fungal infection. At each sample site, the horizontal drilling technique has a better culture sensitivity than curettage. Trichophyton rubrum was by far the most common pathogen detected by both techniques from all sampling sites. The drilling technique was found to be statistically better than curettage at each site of sampling, furthermore vertical drilling from the proximal part of the affected nail was found to be the best procedure for nail sampling. With each technique we found that the culture sensitivity improved as the location of the sample was more proximal. More types of pathogens were detected in samples taken by both methods from proximal parts of the affected nails.

Investigation of prospects for forecasting non-linear time series by example of drilling oil and gas wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlasenko, A. V.; Sizonenko, A. B.; Zhdanov, A. A.

2018-05-01

Discrete time series or mappings are proposed for describing the dynamics of a nonlinear system. The article considers the problems of forecasting the dynamics of the system from the time series generated by it. In particular, the commercial rate of drilling oil and gas wells can be considered as a series where each next value depends on the previous one. The main parameter here is the technical drilling speed. With the aim of eliminating the measurement error and presenting the commercial speed of the object to the current with a good accuracy, future or any of the elapsed time points, the use of the Kalman filter is suggested. For the transition from a deterministic model to a probabilistic one, the use of ensemble modeling is suggested. Ensemble systems can provide a wide range of visual output, which helps the user to evaluate the measure of confidence in the model. In particular, the availability of information on the estimated calendar duration of the construction of oil and gas wells will allow drilling companies to optimize production planning by rationalizing the approach to loading drilling rigs, which ultimately leads to maximization of profit and an increase of their competitiveness.

An Ultrasonic Compactor for Oil and Gas Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feeney, Andrew; Sikaneta, Sakalima; Harkness, Patrick; Lucas, Margaret

The Badger Explorer is a rig-less oil and gas exploration tool which drills into the subsea environment to collect geological data. Drill spoil is transported from the front end of the system to the rear, where the material is compacted. Motivated by the need to develop a highly efficient compaction system, an ultrasonic compactor for application with granular geological materials encountered in subsea environments is designed and fabricated as part of this study. The finite element method is used to design a compactor configuration suitable for subsea exploration, consisting of a vibrating ultrasonic horn called a resonant compactor head, which operates in a longitudinal mode at 20 kHz, driven by a Langevin piezoelectric transducer. A simplified version of the compactor is also designed, due to its ease of incorporating in a lab-based experimental rig, in order to demonstrate enhanced compaction using ultrasonics. Numerical analysis of this simplified compactor system is supported with experimental characterisation using laser Doppler vibrometry. Compaction testing is then conducted on granular geological material, showing that compaction can be enhanced through the use of an ultrasonic compactor.

Assessment of a group of nigerian dental students' education on medical emergencies.

PubMed

Ehigiator, O; Ehizele, Ao; Ugbodaga, Pi

2014-03-01

The training of dental students in the management of medical emergencies is of utmost importance as they may encounter some of these emergencies at some point in their career. The aim of this study was to evaluate the medical emergency education in a Nigerian Dental School. This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 124 final year dental students of the University of Benin, Benin City. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire elicited information on demography, knowledge of inclusion of a medical emergency in the dental curriculum, knowledge of guidelines on medical emergency formulated by any dental authority, opinion on the comprehensiveness of the present training on medical emergency, type of medical emergency training received, previous encounter with a medical emergency, previous participation in emergency drills and knowledge of the content of an emergency kit. Descriptive statistics was carried out on the collected data. Only 58.1% (72/124) respondents were aware of the inclusion of a medical emergency in the dental curriculum and fewer, 17.7% (22/124), were aware of guidelines on medical emergency formulated by any dental authority. Fifty-two out of all the respondents (41.9%) claimed not to have received any form of training on medical emergency. Only 22.6% (28/123) had previously participated in an emergency drills and just 34.7% (43/124) had ever seen an emergency kit. It can be concluded from this study that the level of training and level of knowledge on medical emergencies of the studied dental students is below desirable standard. It is therefore necessary to put proper strategies in place to strengthen their identified areas of weakness.

Analysis of the Problems Encountered in Education of Teachers and Solution Recommendations in Accordance with the Opinions of Faculty of Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahan, Gülsün

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to put forth the problems encountered in education of teachers and solution recommendations in accordance with the opinions of faculty of education students. Within this framework, the opinions of 182 first grade students from the departments of classroom, social sciences, science and mathematics teaching at Bartin…

Theoretical analysis of multiphase flow during oil-well drilling by a conservative model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolas-Lopez, Ruben

2005-11-01

In order to decrease cost and improve drilling operations is necessary a better understood of the flow mechanisms. Therefore, it was carried out a multiphase conservative model that includes three mass equations and a momentum equation. Also, the measured geothermal gradient is utilized by state equations for estimating physical properties of the phases flowing. The mathematical model is solved by numerical conservative schemes. It is used to analyze the interaction among solid-liquid-gas phases. The circulating system consists as follow, the circulating fluid is pumped downward into the drilling pipe until the bottom of the open hole then it flows through the drill bit, and at this point formation cuttings are incorporated to the circulating fluid and carried upward to the surface. The mixture returns up to the surface by an annular flow area. The real operational conditions are fed to conservative model and the results are matched up to field measurements in several oil wells. Mainly, flow rates, drilling rate, well and tool geometries are data to estimate the profiles of pressure, mixture density, equivalent circulating density, gas fraction and solid carrying capacity. Even though the problem is very complex, the model describes, properly, the hydrodynamics of drilling techniques applied at oil fields. *Authors want to thank to Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo and Petroleos Mexicanos for supporting this research.

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP): (I) A New Era in Geothermal Development?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elders, W. A.; Fridleifsson, G. O.; Bird, D. K.; Reed, M. H.; Schiffman, P.; Zierenberg, R.

2007-12-01

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) announced in September 2007 that an international industrial consortium has signed a new contract to collaborate in exploratory deep drilling in Iceland. The main objective of the IDDP is to investigate whether it is economically feasible to produce energy from geothermal systems at supercritical conditions. This will require drilling to depths of 4 to 5 km in order to reach temperatures of 400 to 600°C. Today, geothermal wells in Iceland typically range up to 2.5 km in depth and produce steam at about 300°C, or less, at a rate sufficient to generate about 4 to 7 megawatts of electricity. It is estimated that producing steam from a well penetrating a reservoir with temperatures >450°C, and at a rate of 0.67 cubic meters a second, could generate 40 to 50 MWe. If IDDP's test of this concept proves successful, it could lead to major improvements in the development of high-temperature geothermal resources worldwide. The consortium collaborating to fund this investigation of supercritical geothermal energy consists of three leading Icelandic power companies, Hitaveita Sudurnesja Ltd., Landsvirkjun, Orkuveita Reykjavikur, together with Orkustofnun (the National Energy Authority) and Alcoa Inc. (an international aluminum company). The three power companies financed a feasibility study for the project that was completed in 2003. Each of the three power companies is committed to drill, at their own cost, a 3.5 to 4.0 km deep well in a geothermal field that they operate. The design of these wells will permit them to be deepened to 4.5 or 5.0 km by the IDDP, and funded by the consortium with additional funds from international scientific agencies. The first deep IDDP well will be drilled in the latter part of 2008 in the Krafla geothermal field near the northern end of the central rift zone of Iceland, within a volcanic caldera that has had recent volcanic activity. Two new wells, ~4 km deep, will then be drilled at the Hengill and the Reykjanes geothermal fields during 2009-2010, and subsequently deepened. In contrast to the fresh water systems at Krafla and Hengill, the Reykjanes geothermal system produces hydrothermally modified seawater on the Reykjanes peninsula, in southern Iceland, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge comes on land in southern Iceland. Processes at depth at Reykjanes should be similar to those responsible for black smokers on ocean spreading centers. The IDDP has engendered considerable international scientific interest. The US National Science Foundation and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program will jointly fund the coring and sampling for scientific studies. In preparation for studying the data and samples that will be recovered by deep drilling research is underway on samples from existing wells in the target geothermal fields, and on exposed "fossil" geothermal systems and active mid-ocean ridge systems that have conditions believed to be similar to those that will be encountered in deep drilling by the IDDP. Some of these initial scientific studies by US investigators are reported in the accompanying papers.

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP): (I) Drilling for Supercritical Hydrothermal Fluids is Underway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elders, W. A.; Fridleifsson, G. O.; Bird, D. K.; Reed, M. H.; Schiffman, P.; Zierenberg, R.

2008-12-01

The IDDP is being carried out by an international industry-government consortium in Iceland (consisting of three leading Icelandic power companies, together with the National Energy Authority), Alcoa Inc. and StatoilHydro) with the objective of investigating the economic feasibility of producing electricity from supercritical geothermal fluids. This will require drilling to temperatures of 400-600°C and depths of 4 to 5 km. Modeling suggests that supercritical water could yield an order of magnitude greater power output than that produced by conventional geothermal wells. The consortium plans to test this concept in three different geothermal fields in Iceland. If successful, major improvements in the development of high-temperature geothermal resources could result worldwide. In June 2008 preparation of the first deep IDDP well commenced in the Krafla volcanic caldera in the active rift zone of NE Iceland. Selection of the first drill site for this well was based on geological, geophysical and geochemical data, and on the results of extensive geothermal drilling since 1971. During 1975-1984, a rifting episode occurred in the caldera, involving 9 volcanic eruptions. In parts of the geothermal field acid volcanic gases made steam from some of the existing wells unsuitable for power generation for the following decade. A large magma chamber at 3-7 km depth was detected by S-wave attenuation beneath the center of the caldera, believed to be the heat source of the geothermal system. A recent MT-survey has confirmed the existence of low resistivity bodies at shallow depths within the volcano. The IDDP well will be drilled and cased to 800m depth in September, before the winter snows, and in spring 2009 it will be drilled and cased to 3.5km depth and then deepened to 4.5 km in July. Several spot cores for scientific studies will be collected between 2400m and the total depth. After the well heats, it will be flow tested and, if successful, a pilot plant for power production should follow in 2010. During 2009-19 two new wells, ~4 km deep, will be drilled at the Hengill and the Reykjanes geothermal fields in southern Iceland, and subsequently deepened into the supercritical zone. In contrast to the fresh water systems at Krafla and Hengill, the Reykjanes geothermal system produces hydrothermally modified seawater on the Reykjanes peninsula, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge comes on land. Processes at depth at Reykjanes should be more similar to those responsible for black smokers on oceanic rift systems. Because of the considerable international scientific opportunities afforded by the IDDP, the US National Science Foundation and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program will jointly fund the coring and sampling for scientific studies. Research is underway on samples from existing wells in the targeted geothermal fields, and on active mid-ocean ridge systems that have conditions believed to be similar to those that will be encountered in deep drilling by the IDDP. Some of these initial scientific studies by US investigators are reported in the accompanying papers.

The work of nurses in Australian general practice: A national survey.

PubMed

Joyce, Catherine M; Piterman, Leon

2011-01-01

Following recent reforms to Australia's health system, nurses now comprise a significant and growing sector of the Australian primary care workforce, but there is little data describing the services they provide. This study aimed to describe the patient consultations of nurses in Australian general practice, including patient characteristics, reasons for the consultation, treatments provided and other actions taken. The study was a national cross-sectional survey, with each participating nurse collecting information about 50 nurse-patient encounters. General practice settings in all regions of Australia. 108 nurses volunteered in response to advertisements and 104 returned completed study materials. Participants included Registered (Division 1) and Enrolled (Division 2) nurses working in a general practice setting. Data were collected between May 2007 and May 2008 using a profile questionnaire and a series of encounter forms. Information was gathered on reasons for encounter, patient characteristics, and actions taken. Data were classified using the International Classification of Primary Care. The final data set included 5,253 nurse-patient encounters. 37.2% of patients (95% CI 33.3-41.2) were aged 65 and over, and 57.1% were female (95% CI 54.9-59.5). The majority of encounters (90.7%) were with existing patients of the practice (95% CI 89.1-92.7). The most common reasons for encounter were general and unspecified problems (35.4 per 100 encounters; 95% CI 31.8-39.1), followed by skin-related problems (20.0; 95% CI 17.3-22.8), and cardiovascular problems (11.0; 95% CI 8.7-13.3). Common management actions included medical examinations (20.7 per 100 encounters), immunisations (22.5), diagnostic tests (10.6), and dressings (15.8). Approximately 30% of encounters involved advice-giving. The findings confirm the generalist nature of the General Practice Nurse role, with a wide range of patient types and clinical conditions. There is a clear influence of current funding and organisational arrangements on work patterns, with tasks that have specific funding (including immunisations and wound care) featuring prominently in nurses' work. Whilst nurses' rates for presenting conditions were similar to doctors at a general level, specific actions taken and problems managed differed. New policy reforms in Australia are supporting greater flexibility in the General Practice Nurse role, maximising efficient use of nurses' skills in the primary health care context. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Initial Results of Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Program Leg II Logging-While-Drilling Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boswell, R. M.; Collett, T. S.; Frye, M.; McConnell, D.; Shedd, W.; Shelander, D.; Dai, J.; Mrozewski, S.; Guerin, G.; Cook, A.; Dufrene, R.; Godfriaux, P. D.; Roy, R.; Jones, E.

2009-12-01

The Gulf of Mexico gas hydrates Joint Industry Project (the JIP), a cooperative research program between the US Department of Energy and an international industrial consortium under the leadership of Chevron, conducted its “Leg II” logging-while-drilling operations in April and May of 2009. JIP Leg II was intended to expand the existing JIP work from previous emphasis on fine-grained sedimentary systems to the direct evaluation of gas hydrate in sand-dominated reservoirs. The selection of the locations for the JIP Leg II drilling were the result of a geological and geophysical prospecting approach that integrated direct geophysical evidence of gas hydrate-bearing strata with evidence of gas sourcing and migration and occurrence of sand reservoirs within the gas hydrate stability zone. Logging-while-drilling operations included the drilling of seven wells at three sites. The expedition experienced minimal operational problems with the advanced LWD tool string, and successfully managed a number of shallow drilling challenges, including borehole breakouts, and shallow gas and water flows. Two wells drilled in Walker Ridge block 313 (WR-313) confirmed the pre-drill predictions by discovering gas hydrates at high saturations in multiple sand horizons with reservoir thicknesses up to 50 ft. In addition, drilling in WR-313 discovered a thick, strata-bound interval of grain-displacing gas hydrate in shallow fine-grained sediments. Two of three wells drilled in Green Canyon block 955 (GC-955) confirmed the pre-drill prediction of extensive sand occurrence with gas hydrate fill along the crest of a structure with positive indications of gas source and migration. In particular, well GC955-H discovered ~100 ft of gas hydrate in sand at high saturations. Two wells drilled in Alaminos Canyon block 21 (AC-21) confirmed the pre-drill prediction of potential extensive occurrence of gas hydrates in shallow sand reservoirs at low to moderate saturations; however, further data collection and analyses at AC-21 will be needed to better understand the nature of the pore filling material. JIP Leg II fully met its scientific objectives with the collection of abundant high-quality data from gas hydrate bearing sands in the Gulf of Mexico. Ongoing work within the JIP will enable further validation of the geophysical and geological methods used to predict the occurrence of gas hydrate. Expedition results will also support the selection of locations for future JIP drilling, logging and coring operations.

Optimizing Drilling Efficiency by PWD (Pressure-While-Drilling) Sensor in wells which were drilled in the Khazar-Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirov, Elnur

2017-04-01

Sperry Drilling Services' PWD sensor improve and support drilling efficiency by providing very important, real-time downhole pressure information that allows to make faster and better drilling decisions. The PWD service, provides accurate annular pressure, internal pressure and temperature measurements using any of well-known telemetry systems: positive mud pulse, negative mud pulse and electromagnetic. Pressure data can be transmitted in real time and recorded in downhole memory. In the pumpsoff mode, the minimum, maximum and average pressures observed during the non-circulating period are transmitted via mud pulse telemetry when circulation recommences. These measurements provide the knowledge to avoid lost circulation and detect flow/kicks before they happen. The PWD sensor also reduces the risk of problems related by unexpected fracture or collapse. Sperry's PWD sensor also helps to avoid lost circulation and flow/kick, which can lead to costly delays in drilling. Annular pressure increases often reflect ineffective cuttings removal and poor hole cleaning, both of which can lead to lost circulation. The PWD sensor detects the increase and drilling fluid parameters and operating procedures can be modified to improve hole-cleaning efficiency. On extended reach wells, real-time information helps to maintain wellbore pressures between safe operating limits and to monitor hole cleaning. The PWD sensor also provides early detection of well flows and kicks. A drop in pressure, can indicate gas, oil and water kicks. Because the sensor is making its measurement downhole, the PWD sensor makes it possible to detect such pressure drops earlier than more traditional surface measurements. The PWD sensor has high-accuracy quartz gauges and is able to record data because of its battery-powered operation. It is also extremely useful in specialized drilling environments, such as high-pressure/high-temperature, extended-reach and deepwater wells. When combined with the rig management system, surface and downhole measurements, can be compared for more accurate and extensive analysis. PWD sensor was utilized with encouraging results in many wells up to 3000-6000m subsurface reservoirs (these wells were drilled in the Khazar-Caspian region of the Azerbaijan Republic) and acquired PWD RT/RM data implemented for best drilling practices in other brand new drilled offset wells in order to help us achieve our mission to drill safe, faster, on target, optimize drilling efficiency, maximize well value and reservoir insight.

PREFACE: Scientific and Technical Challenges in the Well Drilling Progress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2015-02-01

The Conference "Advanced Engineering Problems in Drilling" was devoted to the 60th anniversary of the Drilling Department, Institute of Natural Resources. Today this Department is the "descendant" of two existing departments - Mining Exploration Technology and Oil and Gas Drilling. It should be mentioned that this remarkable date is associated with the first graduation class of mining engineers in "Mining Exploration Technologies", as well as the 30th anniversary of the Oil and Gas Well Drilling Department. Anniversary is an excellent occasion to remember one's historical past. At the beginning of the last century within the Tomsk Technological Institute n.a. Emperor Nikolai II the Mining Department was established which soon embraced the Obruchev-Usov Mining-Geological School. This School became the parent of mining-geological education in the Asian region of Russia, as well as the successor of mining-geological science. It was and is today one of the leading schools in the spheres of mineral resources exploration, surveying and mining. 1927 is the year of the establishment of the Department of Technology in Mineral Exploration. SibGeokom (Western-Siberia branch of the Geological Committee) under the supervision of M.A. Usov obtained the first Krelis rotary boring drill. Prior to that only the Keystone cable drilling rig was used in exploration. It was I.A. Molchanov who was responsible for the development and implementation of new technology in the field of exploration. In the yard of SibGeokom (now it is Building № 6, Usov St.) the first drilling rig was mounted. This was the beginning of the first training courses for Krelis drilling foremen under the supervision of I.A. Molchanov. In 1931 I.A. Molchanov headed the Department of Exploration which was located in Building № 6. In the outside territory of this building a drilling site was launched, including Keystone cable drilling rig, CAM-500 drilling rig and others. In the Building itself, i.e. in one study room (now № 107), the floor was lowered to 2 m and a drilling rig was mounted where students could obtain practical skills in drilling. The Department of Exploration became the foundation of the future department of Mining Exploration Technologies. However, the Department of Exploration, headed by A.A. Belitshky from 1944, furthered its work in the research sphere of drilling (including such leading specialists as P.F. Palyanov, V.I. Molchanov, I.S. Mitushkin, V.M. Matrosov, V.P. Krendelev) and in 1949 a new speciality was introduced "Technologies in Mineral Exploration." In 1952 the graduate of Moscow Geological Institute (now Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Science) PhD. S.S. Sulakshin began working in this Department, and in 1954 headed the newly established Department of Technologies in Mineral Exploration and was its continuous Head for more than 32 years and during the last 60 years has been a close associate of this department. Due to his brilliant supervision, this Department flourished and during the last 20 years has been one of the top departments in Russian affliated departments. In 1962 within the framework of this Department a new speciality was introduced - Oil and Gas Well Drilling. 125 full-time and 50 part-time students were enrolled in the two above-mentioned specialities. As a result, there was a necessity to open a new independent department which was in 1984 (October 1). The Department of Oil and Gas Well Drilling was located in Building № 8 and then in Building № 15. The Department staff included graduates of the Department of Technologies in Mineral Exploration and was headed by Yu. L. Boyarko, one of the first graduates of this Department. Time passed by and life made its own adjustments which influenced the further existence of these two departments. Due to the decrease of exploration and development drilling scope the student enrollment in the two above-mentioned specialties also decreased many-fold. As a result the two departments - Technologies in Mineral Exploration and Technologies in Mineral Exploration were merged into one department. In 2003 the newly merged Department of Drilling was established within the Institute of Petroleum Engineering, now the Institute of Natural Resources and is located in Building № 6 where it began its life. During these 60 years more than 3000 specialists have graduated the Department of Drilling, many whom are highly-qualified and dedicated professionals. There is no doubt that this Conference involved comprehensive advanced engineering problems in drilling and issues on relevant personnel training. It is extremely important to understand how the 60-year progress and contribution in the field of drilling has left its trace in the history of this Department; and, that, now, it is necessary to move further and seek new and new horizons in drilling.

Determining problems experienced by student nurses in their work with clinical educators in Turkey.

PubMed

Elcigil, Ayfer; Yildirim Sari, Hatice

2007-07-01

Clinical education is considered an indispensable and vital part of nursing education. Educators have an important role in the successful completion of a student's clinical education. The clinical educator's approach, experience and knowledge have an influence on the students. Students encounter certain problems during their clinical practice under the supervision of educators. This study was conducted to determine the nature of the problems student nurses encounter during clinical training in Turkey. The focus-group interviews were used for this study. Three groups of 8, a total group of 24, composed of students completing their third year were included in the interviews. The students in this study had completed their practical training in the departments of internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry and public health. Among the problems mostly encountered by students, as established by the study, were inadequate assessment by the clinical educator, judgment, negative feedback, communication problems, inadequate guidance and overload. At the end of the research, recommendations were that educators should offer information in the direction of student expectations, increase their positive feedback and lighten the academic workload of these students.

Investigation, sensitivity analysis, and multi-objective optimization of effective parameters on temperature and force in robotic drilling cortical bone.

PubMed

Tahmasbi, Vahid; Ghoreishi, Majid; Zolfaghari, Mojtaba

2017-11-01

The bone drilling process is very prominent in orthopedic surgeries and in the repair of bone fractures. It is also very common in dentistry and bone sampling operations. Due to the complexity of bone and the sensitivity of the process, bone drilling is one of the most important and sensitive processes in biomedical engineering. Orthopedic surgeries can be improved using robotic systems and mechatronic tools. The most crucial problem during drilling is an unwanted increase in process temperature (higher than 47 °C), which causes thermal osteonecrosis or cell death and local burning of the bone tissue. Moreover, imposing higher forces to the bone may lead to breaking or cracking and consequently cause serious damage. In this study, a mathematical second-order linear regression model as a function of tool drilling speed, feed rate, tool diameter, and their effective interactions is introduced to predict temperature and force during the bone drilling process. This model can determine the maximum speed of surgery that remains within an acceptable temperature range. Moreover, for the first time, using designed experiments, the bone drilling process was modeled, and the drilling speed, feed rate, and tool diameter were optimized. Then, using response surface methodology and applying a multi-objective optimization, drilling force was minimized to sustain an acceptable temperature range without damaging the bone or the surrounding tissue. In addition, for the first time, Sobol statistical sensitivity analysis is used to ascertain the effect of process input parameters on process temperature and force. The results show that among all effective input parameters, tool rotational speed, feed rate, and tool diameter have the highest influence on process temperature and force, respectively. The behavior of each output parameters with variation in each input parameter is further investigated. Finally, a multi-objective optimization has been performed considering all the aforementioned parameters. This optimization yielded a set of data that can considerably improve orthopedic osteosynthesis outcomes.

Anterior clinoidectomy using an extradural and intradural 2-step hybrid technique.

PubMed

Tayebi Meybodi, Ali; Lawton, Michael T; Yousef, Sonia; Guo, Xiaoming; González Sánchez, Jose Juan; Tabani, Halima; García, Sergio; Burkhardt, Jan-Karl; Benet, Arnau

2018-02-23

Anterior clinoidectomy is a difficult yet essential technique in skull base surgery. Two main techniques (extradural and intradural) with multiple modifications have been proposed to increase efficiency and avoid complications. In this study, the authors sought to develop a hybrid technique based on localization of the optic strut (OS) to combine the advantages and avoid the disadvantages of both techniques. Ten cadaveric specimens were prepared for surgical simulation. After a standard pterional craniotomy, the anterior clinoid process (ACP) was resected in 2 steps. The segment anterior to the OS was resected extradurally, while the segment posterior to the OS was resected intradurally. The proposed technique was performed in 6 clinical cases to evaluate its safety and efficiency. Anterior clinoidectomy was successfully performed in all cadaveric specimens and all 6 patients by using the proposed technique. The extradural phase enabled early decompression of the optic nerve while avoiding the adjacent internal carotid artery. The OS was drilled intradurally under direct visualization of the adjacent neurovascular structures. The described landmarks were easily identifiable and applicable in the surgically treated patients. No operative complication was encountered. A proposed 2-step hybrid technique combines the advantages of the extradural and intradural techniques while avoiding their disadvantages. This technique allows reduced intradural drilling and subarachnoid bone dust deposition. Moreover, the most critical part of the clinoidectomy-that is, drilling of the OS and removal of the body of the ACP-is left for the intradural phase, when critical neurovascular structures can be directly viewed.

Basic data report for drilling and hydrologic testing of drillhole DOE-2 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIIP) site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mercer, J.W.; Beauheim, R.L.; Snyder, R.P.

1987-04-01

Drillhole DOE-2 was drilled to investigate a structural depression marked by the downward displacement of stratigraphic markers in the Salado Formation. Contrary to several hypotheses, halite layers were thicker in the lower part of the Salado, not thinner as a result of any removal of halite. The upper Castile anhydrite in Drillhole DOE-2 is anomalously thick and is strongly deformed relative to the anhydrite in adjacent drillholes. In contrast, the halite was <8 ft thick and significantly thinner than usually encountered. The lower Castile anhydrite appears to be normal. The depression within the correlated marker beds in the Salado Formationmore » in Drillhole DOE-2 is interpreted as a result of gravity-driven deformation of the underlying Castile Formation. Several stratigraphic units were hydrologically tested in Drillhole DOE-2. Testing of the unsaturated lower portion of the Dewey Lake Red Beds was unsuccessful because of exceptionally small rates of fluid intake. Drill-stem tests were conducted in five intervals in the Rustler Formation, over the Marker Bed 138-139 interval in the Salado formation, and over three sandstone members of the Bell Canyon Formation. A pumping test was conducted in the Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation. Pressure-pulse tests were conducted over the entire Salado Formation. Fluid samples were collected from the Culebra Dolomite Member and from the Hays Member of the Bell Canyon Formation. 31 refs., 31 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Microwave drying remediation of petroleum-contaminated drill cuttings.

PubMed

Júnior, Irineu Petri; Martins, André Leibsohn; Ataíde, Carlos H; Duarte, Cláudio R

2017-07-01

The oil reservoir drilling phase generates contaminated cuttings with oil formation itself. These cuttings must be subjected to a decontamination process before being disposed of in the environment. Several technologies are cited in literature for the remediation of soil contaminated with oil or diesel, but none have been reported to remedy drill cuttings contaminated with oil from reservoir. The reservoir drill cuttings are a problem because its discharge is not allowed. The drying technology using microwave has shown promise in the decontamination of cuttings with non-aqueous base drilling fluid, conciliating good robustness and high removal efficiency. Considering the aspects mentioned previously, the application of heating and drying technology using microwave in the remediation of oil contaminated cuttings from well drill was studied. The influence of temperature, specific energy and initial content of water in the drying operation of the reservoir cuttings and of the drilling cuttings artificially contaminated with oil were analyzed. The results showed an influence of temperature in the drying of the cuttings, being necessary to reach the boiling temperature of heavier hydrocarbons to reach an efficient removal in the operation. The specific energy has a strong influence, reaching a total decontamination using 2.67 kWh/kg. The initial water content was effective in removing oil, reducing the residual level of oil with the increase of initial content of water. It also modifies the temperature profiles of the kinetic-warming of the contaminated cuttings. Both the technology and the equipment used proved effective for obtaining total decontamination of oil from the cuttings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rolling-Tooth Core Breakoff and Retention Mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badescu, Mircea; Bickler, Donald B.; Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Bao, Xiaoqi; Hudson, Nicolas H.

2011-01-01

Sampling cores requires the controlled breakoff of the core at a known location with respect to the drill end. An additional problem is designing a mechanism that can be implemented at a small scale that is robust and versatile enough to be used for a variety of core samples. This design consists of a set of tubes (a drill tube and an inner tube) and a rolling element (rolling tooth). An additional tube can be used as a sample tube. The drill tube and the inner tube have longitudinal holes with the axes offset from the axis of each tube. The two eccentricities are equal. The inner tube fits inside the drill tube, and the sample tube fits inside the inner tube. While drilling, the two tubes are positioned relative to each other such that the sample tube is aligned with the drill tube axis and core. The drill tube includes teeth and flutes for cuttings removal. The inner tube includes, at the base, the rolling element implemented as a wheel on a shaft in an eccentric slot. An additional slot in the inner tube and a pin in the drill tube limit the relative motion of the two tubes. While drilling, the drill assembly rotates relative to the core and forces the rolling tooth to stay hidden in the slot along the inner tube wall. When the drilling depth has been reached, the drill bit assembly is rotated in the opposite direction, and the rolling tooth is engaged and penetrates into the core. Depending on the strength of the created core, the rolling tooth can score, lock the inner tube relative to the core, start the eccentric motion of the inner tube, and break the core. The tooth and the relative position of the two tubes can act as a core catcher or core-retention mechanism as well. The design was made to fit the core and hole parameters produced by an existing bit; the parts were fabricated and a series of demonstration tests were performed. This invention is potentially applicable to sample return and in situ missions to planets such as Mars and Venus, to moons such as Titan and Europa, and to comets. It is also applicable to terrestrial applications like forensic sampling and geological sampling in the field.

The Library and Human Memory. Final Report on Mechanized Information Services in the University Library, Phase I - Planning. Part 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norman, Donald A.

This paper discusses the differences between the storage problems encountered in a large library and those encountered in the human memory. Some of the properties of the human memory system and some of the major issues which affect the interaction between human users and the existing library systems are outlined. The problem of browsing is used as…

New ideas for shallow gas well control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bourgoyne, A.T.; Kelly, O.A.; Sandoz, C.L.

1996-06-01

Flow from an unexpected shallow gas sand is one of the most difficult well control problems faced by oil and gas well operators during drilling operations. Current well control practice for bottom-supported marine rigs usually calls for shutting in the well when a kick is detected, if sufficient casing has been set to keep any flow underground. However, when shallow gas is encountered, casing may not be set deep enough to keep the underground flow from broaching to surface near the platform foundations. Once the flow reaches surface, craters are sometimes formed which can lead to loss of the rigmore » and associated marine structures. This short article overviews an ongoing study by Louisiana State University of the breakdown resistance of shallow marine sediments, using leak-off test data and geotechnical reports provided by Unocal. Such study is important for improving the characterization of shallow marine sediments to allow more reliable shallow casing designs, as the authors will conclude. This study has already proven that sediment failure mechanisms that lead to cratering have been poorly understood. In addition, there has been considerable uncertainty as to the best choices of well design parameters and well control contingency plans that will minimize risks associated with a shallow gas flow.« less

Empirical Models for Quantification of Machining Damage in Composite Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machado, Carla Maria Moreira

The tremendous growth which occurs at a global level of demand and use of composite materials brings with the need to develop new manufacturing tools and methodologies. One of the major uses of such materials, in particular plastics reinforced with carbon fibres, is their application in structural components for the aircraft industry with low weight and high stiffness. These components are produced in near-final form but the so-called secondary processes such as machining are often unavoidable. In this type of industry, drilling is the most frequent operation due to the need to obtain holes for riveting and fastening bolt assembly of structures. However, the problems arising from drilling, particularly the damage caused during the operation, may lead to rejection of components because it is an origin of lack of resistance. The delamination is the most important damage, as it causes a decrease of the mechanical properties of the components of an assembly and, irrefutably, a reduction of its reliability in use. It can also raise problems with regard to the tolerances of the assemblies. Moreover, the high speed machining is increasingly recognized to be a manufacturing technology that promotes productivity by reducing production times. However, the investigation whose focus is in high speed drilling is quite limited, and few studies on this subject have been found in the literature review. Thus, this thesis aims to investigate the effects of process variables in high speed drilling on the damage produced. The empirical models that relate the delamination damage, the thrust force and the torque with the process parameters were established using Response Surface Methodology. The process parameters considered as input factors were the spindle speed, the feed per tooth, the tool diameter and the workpiece thickness. A new method for fixing the workpiece was developed and tested. The results proved to be very promising since in the same cutting conditions and with this new methodology, it was observed a significant reduction of the delamination damage. Finally, it has been found that is possible to use high speed drilling, using conventional twist drills, to produce holes with good quality, minimizing the damage.

Outcomes of planetary close encounters - A systematic comparison of methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenberg, Richard; Carusi, Andrea; Valsecchi, G. B.

1988-01-01

Several methods for estimating the outcomes of close planetary encounters are compared on the basis of the numerical integration of a range of encounter types. An attempt is made to lay the foundation for the development of predictive rules concerning the encounter outcomes applicable to the refinement of the statistical mechanics that apply to planet-formation and similar problems concerning planetary swarms. Attention is given to Oepik's (1976) formulation of the two-body approximation, whose predicted motion differs from the correct three-body behavior.

Optical navigation during the Voyager Neptune encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riedel, J. E.; Owen, W. M., Jr.; Stuve, J. A.; Synnott, S. P.; Vaughan, R. M.

1990-01-01

Optical navigation techniques were required to successfully complete the planetary exploration phase of the NASA deep-space Voyager mission. The last of Voyager's planetary encounters, with Neptune, posed unique problems from an optical navigation standpoint. In this paper we briefly review general aspects of the optical navigation process as practiced during the Voyager mission, and discuss in detail particular features of the Neptune encounter which affected optical navigation. New approaches to the centerfinding problem were developed for both stars and extended bodies, and these are described. Results of the optical navigation data analysis are presented, as well as a description of the optical orbit determination system and results of its use during encounter. Partially as a result of the optical navigation processing, results of scientific significance were obtained. These results include the discovery and orbit determination of several new satellites of Neptune and the determination of the size of Triton, Neptune's largest moon.

Safety management in multiemployer worksites in the manufacturing industry: opinions on co-operation and problems encountered.

PubMed

Nenonen, Sanna; Vasara, Juha

2013-01-01

Co-operation between different parties and effective safety management play an important role in ensuring safety in multiemployer worksites. This article reviews safety co-operation and factors complicating safety management in Finnish multiemployer manufacturing worksites. The paper focuses on the service providers' opinions; however, a comparison of the customers' views is also presented. The results show that safety-related co-operation between providers and customers is generally considered as successful but strongly dependent on the partner. Safety co-operation is provided through, e.g., training, orientation and risk analysis. Problems encountered include ensuring adequate communication, identifying hazards, co-ordinating work tasks and determining responsibilities. The providers and the customers encounter similar safety management problems. The results presented in this article can help companies to focus their efforts on the most problematic points of safety management and to avoid common pitfalls.

Approach to in-process tool wear monitoring in drilling: Application of Kalman filter theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Ning; Zhang, Youzhen; Pan, Liangxian

1993-05-01

The two parameters often used in adaptive control, tool wear and wear rate, are the important factors affecting machinability. In this paper, it is attempted to use the modern cybernetics to solve the in-process tool wear monitoring problem by applying the Kalman filter theory to monitor drill wear quantitatively. Based on the experimental results, a dynamic model, a measuring model and a measurement conversion model suitable for Kalman filter are established. It is proved that the monitoring system possesses complete observability but does not possess complete controllability. A discriminant for selecting the characteristic parameters is put forward. The thrust force Fz is selected as the characteristic parameter in monitoring the tool wear by this discriminant. The in-process Kalman filter drill wear monitoring system composed of force sensor microphotography and microcomputer is well established. The results obtained by the Kalman filter, the common indirect measuring method and the real drill wear measured by the aid of microphotography are compared. The result shows that the Kalman filter has high precision of measurement and the real time requirement can be satisfied.

The laser interferometer skin-friction meter - A numerical and experimental study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, J. D.; Westphal, R. V.

1986-01-01

Limits to the applicability of thin-film lubrication theory are established. The following two problems are considered: (1) the response of the oil film to a time-varying skin friction such as is encountered in turbulent boundary layers, and (2) a 'surface-wave instability' encountered at high skin-friction levels. Results corresponding to the first problem reveal that the laser interferometer skin-friction meter may, in principle, be applied to the measurement of instantaneous skin friction. In addressing the second problem, it is shown that the observed surface waves are not the result of a hydrodynamic instability.

Physical activity problem-solving inventory for adolescents: Development and initial validation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Youth encounter physical activity barriers, often called problems. The purpose of problem-solving is to generate solutions to overcome the barriers. Enhancing problem-solving ability may enable youth to be more physically active. Therefore, a method for reliably assessing physical activity problem-s...

Accurate pre-surgical determination for self-drilling miniscrew implant placement using surgical guides and cone-beam computed tomography.

PubMed

Miyazawa, Ken; Kawaguchi, Misuzu; Tabuchi, Masako; Goto, Shigemi

2010-12-01

Miniscrew implants have proven to be effective in providing absolute orthodontic anchorage. However, as self-drilling miniscrew implants have become more popular, a problem has emerged, i.e. root contact, which can lead to perforation and other root injuries. To avoid possible root damage, a surgical guide was fabricated and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used to incorporate guide tubes drilled in accordance with the planned direction of the implants. Eighteen patients (5 males and 13 females; mean age 23.8 years; minimum 10.7, maximum 45.5) were included in the study. Forty-four self-drilling miniscrew implants (diameter 1.6, and length 8 mm) were placed in interradicular bone using a surgical guide procedure, the majority in the maxillary molar area. To determine the success rates, statistical analysis was undertaken using Fisher's exact probability test. CBCT images of post-surgical self-drilling miniscrew implant placement showed no root contact (0/44). However, based on CBCT evaluation, it was necessary to change the location or angle of 52.3 per cent (23/44) of the guide tubes prior to surgery in order to obtain optimal placement. If orthodontic force could be applied to the screw until completion of orthodontic treatment, screw anchorage was recorded as successful. The total success rate of all miniscrews was 90.9 per cent (40/44). Orthodontic self-drilling miniscrew implants must be inserted carefully, particularly in the case of blind placement, since even guide tubes made on casts frequently require repositioning to avoid the roots of the teeth. The use of surgical guides, fabricated using CBCT images, appears to be a promising technique for placement of orthodontic self-drilling miniscrew implants adjacent to the dental roots and maxillary sinuses.

Fluid inclusions and preliminary studies of hydrothermal alteration in core hole PLTG-1, Platanares geothermal area, Honduras

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bargar, K.E.

1991-01-01

The Platanares geothermal area in western Honduras consists of more than 100 hot springs that issue from numerous hot-spring groups along the banks or within the streambed of the Quebrada de Agua Caliente (brook of hot water). Evaluation of this geothermal area included drilling a 650-m deep PLTG-1 drill hole which penetrated a surface mantling of stream terrace deposits, about 550 m of Tertiary andesitic lava flows, and Cretaceous to lower Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the lower 90 m of the drill core. Fractures and cavities in the drill core are partly to completely filled by hydrothermal minerals that include quartz, kaolinite, mixed-layer illite-smectite, barite, fluorite, chlorite, calcite, laumontite, biotite, hematite, marcasite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, stibnite, and sphalerite; the most common open-space fillings are calcite and quartz. Biotite from 138.9-m depth, dated at 37.41 Ma by replicate 40Ar/39 Ar analyses using a continuous laser system, is the earliest hydrothermal mineral deposited in the PLTG-1 drill core. This mid-Tertiary age indicates that at least some of the hydrothermal alteration encountered in the PLTG-1 drill core occured in the distant past and is unrelated to the present geothermal system. Furthermore, homogenization temperatures (Th) and melting-point temperatures (Tm) for fluid inclusions in two of the later-formed hydrothermal minerals, calcite and barite, suggest that the temperatures and concentration of dissolved solids of the fluids present at the time these fluid inclusions formed were very different from the present temperatures and fluid chemistry measured in the drill hole. Liquid-rich secondary fluid inclusions in barite and caicite from drill hole PLTG-1 have Th values that range from about 20??C less than the present measured temperature curve at 590.1-m depth to as much as 90??C higher than the temperature curve at 46.75-m depth. Many of the barite Th measurements (ranging between 114?? and 265??C) plot above the reference surface boiling-point curve for pure water assuming hydrostatic conditions; however, the absence of evidence for boiling in the fluid inclusions indicates that at the time the minerals formed, the ground surface must have been at least 80 m higher than at present and underwent stream erosion to the current elevation. Near-surface mixed-layer illite-smectite is closely associated with barite and appears to have formed at about the same temperature range (about 120?? to 200??C) as the fluid-inclusion Th values for barite. Fluid-inclusion Th values for calcite range between about 136?? and 213??C. Several of the calcite Th values are significantly lower than the present measured temperature curve. The melting-point temperatures (Tm) of fluid-inclusion ice yield calculated salinities, ranging from near zero to as much as 5.4 wt. % NaCl equivalent, which suggest that much of the barite and calcite precipitated from fluids of significantly greater salinity than the present low salinity Platanares hot-spring water or water produced from the drill hole. ?? 1991.

Hardware problems encountered in solar heating and cooling systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cash, M.

1978-01-01

Numerous problems in the design, production, installation, and operation of solar energy systems are discussed. Described are hardware problems, which range from simple to obscure and complex, and their resolution.

Nurses' perceptions and problems in the usability of a medication safety app.

PubMed

Ankem, Kalyani; Cho, Sookyung; Simpson, Diana

2017-10-16

The majority of medication apps support medication adherence. Equally, if not more important, is medication safety. Few apps report on medication safety, and fewer studies have been conducted with these apps. The usability of a medication safety app was tested with nurses to reveal their perceptions of the graphical user interface and to discover problems they encountered in using the app. Usability testing of the app was conducted with RN-BSN students and informatics students (n = 18). Perceptions of the graphical components were gathered in pretest and posttest questionnaires, and video recordings of the usability testing were transcribed. The significance of the difference in mean performance time for 8 tasks was tested, and qualitative analysis was deployed to identify problems encountered and to rate the severity of each problem. While all participants perceived the graphical user interface as easy to understand, nurses took significantly more time to complete certain tasks. More nurses found the medication app to be lacking in intuitiveness of user interface design, in capability to match real-world data, and in providing optimal information architecture. To successfully integrate mobile devices in healthcare, developers must address the problems that nurses encountered in use of the app.

Refined images of the crust around the SAFOD drill site derived from combined active and passive seismic experiment data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roecker, S.; Thurber, C.; Shuler, A.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, H.; Powell, L.

2005-12-01

Five years of effort collecting and analyzing earthquake and explosion data in the vicinity of the SAFOD drill site culminated in the determination of the final trajectory for summer 2005's Phase 2 drilling. The trajectory was defined to optimize the chance of reaching one of two adjacent M2 "target earthquake" fault patches, whose centroids are separated horizontally by about 50 meters, with one or more satellite coreholes planned for Phase 3 drilling in summer 2007. Some of the most critical data for the final targeting were explosion data recorded on a Paulsson Geophysical Services, Inc., 80-element 3-component borehole string and earthquake data recorded on a pair of 3-component Duke University geophones in the SAFOD borehole. We are now utilizing the full 5-year dataset to refine our knowledge of three-dimensional (3D) crustal structure, wave propagation characteristics, and earthquake locations around SAFOD. These efforts are proceeding in parallel in several directions. Improved picks from a careful reanalysis of shear waves observed on the PASO array will be used in deriving an improved tomographic 3D wavespeed model. We are using finite-difference waveform modeling to investigate waveform complexity for earthquakes in and near the target region, including fault-zone head waves and strong secondary S-wave arrivals. A variety of waveform imaging methods are being applied to image fine-scale 3D structure and subsurface scatterers, including fault zones. In the process, we aim to integrate geophysical logging and geologic observations with our models to try to associate the target region earthquake activity, which is occurring on two fault strands about 280 meters apart, with shear zones encountered in the SAFOD Phase-2 borehole. These observations will be agumented and the target earthquake locations further refined over the next 2 years through downhole and surface recording of natural earthquakes and surface shots conducted at PASO station locations.

Dynamic locked plating for fixation of distal femur fractures using near- cortical over-drilling: Preliminary results of a prospective observational study.

PubMed

Galal, Sherif

2017-01-01

Nonunion after locked plating of distal femur fractures is not uncommon. Authors wanted to assess if "Dynamic" locked plating using near-cortex over-Drilling technique would provide a mechanical environment the promotes callus formation, thereby avoiding non-union encountered when applying locked plates with the conventional method. This study was conducted at an academic Level 1 Trauma Center. This is a prospective study conducted from November 2015 to November 2016. Follow-up was 10 months on average (ranging from 8 to 12 months). The study included 20 patients with 20 fractures (13 males, 7 females). The average patients' age was 41.2 years (18-64 years). According to the Müller AO classification of distal femur fractures (33A-C) there were 15 cases with extra-articular fractures (AO 33A), 5 patients with intra-articular fractures (AO 33C). Dynamic Locked plating using near-cortical over-drilling technique was done for all patients. Two blinded observers assessed callus score on 6-week radiographs using a 4-point ordinal scale. A 2-tailed t -test. Two-way mixed intra-class correlation testing was performed to determine reliability of the callus measurements by the 2 observers. All patients achieved union, time to union was 13.4 weeks on average (range form 8-24 weeks). Delayed union was observed in 2 patients. The average callus score for fractures was 1.8 (SD 0.6). All fractures united in alignment except 1 fracture which united in valgus malalignment, the deformity was appreciated in the postoperative radiographs. No wound related complications, no loss of reduction, no catastrophic implant failure or screw breakage were detected. Dynamic locked plating using near-cortex over-drilling is a simple technique that uses standard locked plates that promotes callus formation when used for fixing distal femur fractures.

Concept-Rich Mathematics Instruction: Building a Strong Foundation for Reasoning and Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Hur, Meir

2006-01-01

Fact-filled textbooks that stress memorization and drilling are not very good for teaching students how to think mathematically and solve problems. But this is a book that comes to the rescue with an instructional approach that helps students in every grade level truly understand math concepts so they can apply them on high-stakes assessments,…

NASA flight cell and battery issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schulze, N. R.

1989-01-01

The author presents the important battery and cell problems, encompassing both test failures and accidents, which were encountered during the past year. Practical issues facing programs, which have to be considered in the development of a battery program strategy, are addressed. The problems of one program, the GRO (Gamma Ray Observatory), during the past year are focused on to illustrate the fundamental types of battery problems that occur. Problems encountered by other programs are briefly mentioned to complete the accounting. Two major categories of issues are defined, namely, whose which are quality and design related, i.e., problems having inherent manufacturing-process-related aspects with an impact on cell reliability, and these which are accident triggered or man induced, i.e., those operational issues having an impact on battery and cell reliability.

Preliminary paleomagnetic results from the Coyote Creek Outdoor Classroom drill hole, Santa Clara Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mankinen, Edward A.; Wentworth, Carl M.

2003-01-01

Paleomagnetic samples were obtained from cores taken during the drilling of a research well along Coyote Creek in San Jose, California, in order to use the geomagnetic field behavior recorded in those samples to provide age constraints for the sediment encountered. The well reached a depth of 308 meters and material apparently was deposited largely (entirely?) during the Brunhes Normal Polarity Chron, which lasted from 780 ka to the present time. Three episodes of anomalous magnetic inclinations were recorded in parts of the sedimentary sequence; the uppermost two we correlate to the Mono Lake (~30 ka) geomagnetic excursion and 6 cm lower, tentatively to the Laschamp (~45 ka) excursion. The lowermost anomalous interval occurs at 305 m and consists of less than 10 cm of fully reversed inclinations underlain by 1.5 m of normal polarity sediment. This lower anomalous interval may represent either the Big Lost excursion (~565 ka) or the polarity transition at the end of the Matuyama Reversed Polarity Chron (780 ka). The average rates of deposition for the Pleistocene section in this well, based on these two alternatives, are approximately 52 or 37 cm/kyr, respectively.

Horizontal exploitation of the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk of south Texas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borkowski, R.; Hand, L.; Dickerson, D.

1990-05-01

Horizontal drilling in the fractured Austin Chalk of south Texas has proven to be a viable technology for exploiting reserve opportunities in mature trends as well as in frontier areas. To date, the results of an interdisciplinary approach to the regional analysis of structure and stress regimes combined with studies of the depositional characteristics of the Austin Chalk and Eagleford Shale have been a success. Productive characteristics of the Austin Chalk indicate the influence of regional fractures on the preferential flow direction and partitioning in the Pearsall field area of the trend. Well bore orientation and inclination are designed suchmore » that multiple fracture swarms at several stratigraphic horizons are intersected with a single horizontal well bore. As a result of the greater frequency of fracture contacts with the well bore, there is a significant increase in the ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons in place. Conventional vertical drilling techniques are frequently ineffective at encountering these laterally partitioned fracture sets, resulting in lower volumes of recoverable hydrocarbons. Additionally, horizontal well bores may increase ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons by lowering the pressure gradient to the well bore and maximizing the reservoir energy.« less

High Temperature Ferroelectrics for Actuators: Recent Developments and Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sehirlioglu, Alp; Kowalski, Benjamin

2014-01-01

A variety of piezoelectric applications have been driving the research in development of new high temperature ferroelectrics; ranging from broader markets such as fuel and gas modulation and deep well oil drilling to very specific applications such as thermoacoustic engines and ultrasonic drilling on the surface of Venus. The focus has been mostly on increasing the Curie temperature. However, greater challenges for high temperature ferroelectrics limit the operating temperature to levels much below the Curie temperature. These include enhanced loss tangent and dc conductivity at high fields as well as depoling due to thermally activated domain rotation. The initial work by Eitel et al. [Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 40 [10, Part 1] 59996002 (2001)] increased interest in investigation of Bismuth containing perovskites in solid solution with lead titanate. Issues that arise vary from solubility limits to increased tetragonality; the former one prohibits processing of morphotropic phase boundary, while the latter one impedes thorough poling of the polycrystalline ceramics. This talk will summarize recent advances in development of high temperature piezoelectrics and provide information about challenges encountered as well as the approaches taken to improve the high temperature behavior of ferroelectrics with a focus on applications that employ the converse piezoelectric effect.

PDC bits: What`s needed to meet tomorrow`s challenge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warren, T.M.; Sinor, L.A.

1994-12-31

When polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits were introduced in the mid-1970s they showed tantalizingly high penetration rates in laboratory drilling tests. Single cutter tests indicated that they had the potential to drill very hard rocks. Unfortunately, 20 years later we`re still striving to reach the potential that these bits seem to have. Many problems have been overcome, and PDC bits have offered capabilities not possible with roller cone bits. PDC bits provide the most economical bit choice in many areas, but their limited durability has hampered their application in many other areas.

Geologic and operational summary, COST No. 1 well, Georges Bank area, North Atlantic OCS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Amato, Roger V.; Bebout, John W.

1980-01-01

The first Continental Offshore Stratigraphic Test (COST) well on the U.S. North Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) was drilled by Ocean Production Company between April 6 and July 26, 1976, and designated the COST No. G-l. Geological and engineering data obtained from this deep well in the Georges Bank Basin were used by the 31 participating companies and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for evaluating the petroleum potential and possible drilling problems in the U.S. North Atlantic OCS area in preparation for Lease Sale 42 held on December 18, 1979.

Oilwell fishing operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kemp, G.

1986-01-01

This book discusses the oilfield fishing operations and technology. It discusses the fishing jobs, tools, and practices and provides an insight and practical suggestions for conducting successful fishing operations on drilling and workover wells. This book covers hardware and procedures, and shows how planning can reduce fishing costs. While today's fishing techniques can correct just about any downhole problem, only with experienced judgment and proper care can such techniques be applied economically and effectively. This book is packed with figures, charts, and graphs to help one to develop the judgment and exercise the care required in this field of drilling/production.

Stability analysis of coupled torsional vibration and pressure in oilwell drillstring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toumi, S.; Beji, L.; Mlayeh, R.; Abichou, A.

2018-01-01

To address security issues in oilwell drillstring system, the drilling operation handling which is in generally not autonomous but ensured by an operator may be drill bit destructive or fatal for the machine. To control of stick-slip phenomenon, the drillstring control at the right speed taking only the drillstring vibration is not sufficient as the mud dynamics and the pressure change around the drill pipes cannot be neglected. A coupled torsional vibration and pressure model is presented, and the well-posedness problem is addressed. As a Partial Differential Equation-Ordinary Differential Equation (PDE-ODE) coupled system, and in order to maintain a non destructive downhole pressure, we investigate the control stability with and without the damping term in the wave PDE. In terms of, the torsional variable, the downhole pressure, and the annulus pressure, the coupled system equilibrium is shown to be exponentially stable.

Israel: World Oil Report 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-08-01

This paper reports that Major activity in 1990 was Israel National Oil Co.'s startup in November of a $30 million exploratory drilling program near the Dead Sea. Isramco's deep Yam 2 offshore wildcat was apparently suspended after gas shows and mechanical problems. In 1990, the Negev venture 2, led by Isramco, acquired an additional one million-acre offshore exploration license between Ashdod (offshore from which Yam 2 was sited) and Haifa. The group plans a $40-million three-well program. Drilling last year totaled four wells and 31,114 ft of hole. Included were one oil well extension and three dry holes. This year,more » eight onshore wildcats and two development wells, plus one offshore wildcat are expected to be drilled. Production averaged only 248 bopd and 3.2 MMcfgd in 1990. Reserves are estimated at 1.3 million bbl of oil and 6.8 bcfg.« less

Sex of the GP--20 years on.

PubMed

Harrison, Christopher M; Britt, Helena C; Charles, Janice

2011-08-15

Previous research with the Australian Morbidity and Treatment Survey (1990-1991) showed significant differences in general practitioner characteristics and patient mix of male and female GPs. Even after adjusting for these, it was seen that male and female GPs managed different types of medical conditions. The proportion of female GPs increased from 19.6% in 1990-1991 to 37.1% in 2009-2010. This study investigates whether differences remain two decades later. Analysis of 2009-2010 Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) data examining GP characteristics, patient encounter characteristics, patient reasons for encounter (RFE), problem types managed and management methods used, by GP sex. Whether GP sex was an independent predictor of problem types being managed, or management methods used, was tested using multiple logistic regressions and Poisson regression. 988 GPs recorded 98 800 GP-patient encounters. Adjusted differences in clinical activity of male and female GPs. After adjustment, compared with male GPs, females recorded more RFEs about general and unspecified issues and endocrine, female genital, pregnancy and family planning problems; and fewer concerning the musculoskeletal, respiratory, skin and male genital systems. Female GPs managed more general and unspecified, digestive, circulatory, psychological, endocrine, female genital and social problems; recorded nearly 20% more clinical treatments and referrals; recorded nearly 10% more imaging and pathology tests; and 4.3% fewer medications. After two decades, even with increased numbers of female GPs, the differences in problems managed by male and female GPs remain, and will probably continue. Female GPs use more resources per encounter, but may not use more resources in terms of annual patient care.

Quantitative Analysis of Thermal Anomalies in the DFDP-2B Borehole, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janků-Čápová, Lucie; Sutherland, Rupert; Townend, John

2017-04-01

The DFDP-2B borehole, which was drilled in the Whataroa Valley, South Island, New Zealand in late 2014, provides a unique opportunity to study the conditions in the hanging wall of a plate boundary fault, the Alpine Fault, which is late in its seismic cycle. High geothermal gradient of > 125°C/km encountered in the borehole drew attention to the thermal structure of the valley, as well as of the Alpine Fault's hanging wall as a whole. A detailed analysis of temperature logs measured during drilling of the DFDP-2B borehole, reveals two distinct portions of the signal containing information on different processes. The long-wavelength portion of the temperature signal, i.e. the overall trend (hundreds of metres), reflects the response of the rock environment to the disturbance caused by drilling and permits an estimation of the thermal diffusivity of the rock based on the rate of temperature recovery. The short-wavelength (tens of metres to tens of centimetres) signal represents the local anomalies caused by lithological variations or, more importantly, by fluid flow into or out of the borehole along fractures. By analysing these distinct features, we can identify anomalous zones that manifest in other wireline data (resistivity, BHTV) and are likely attributable to permeable fractures. Here we present a novel method of quantitative analysis of the short-wavelength temperature anomalies. This method provides a precise and objective way to determine the position, width and amplitude of temperature anomalies and facilitates the interpretation of temperature logs, which is of a particular importance in estimation of flow in a fractured aquifer.

Effect of tool geometry and cutting parameters on delamination and thrust forces in drilling CFRP/Al-Li

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Bouami, Souhail; Habak, Malek; Franz, Gérald; Velasco, Raphaël; Vantomme, Pascal

2016-10-01

Composite materials are increasingly used for structural parts in the aeronautic industries. Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) are often used in combination with metallic materials, mostly aluminium alloys. This raises new problems in aircraft assembly. Delamination is one of these problems. In this study, CFRP/Al-Li stacks is used as experimental material for investigation effect of interaction of cutting parameters (cutting speed and feed rate) and tool geometry on delamination and thrust forces in drilling operation. A plan of experiments, based on Taguchi design method, was employed to investigate the influence of tool geometry and in particular the point angle and cutting parameters on delamination and axial effort. The experimental results demonstrate that the feed rate is the major parameter and the importance of tool point angle in delamination and thrust forces in the stacks were shown.

The Mariner Mars 1971 radio frequency subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, R. S.

1972-01-01

The radio frequency subsystem (RFS) for the Mariner Mars 1971 (MM'71) spacecraft is described. The MM'69 RFS was used as the baseline design for the MM'71 RFS, and the report describes the design changes made to the 1969 RFS for use on MM'71. It also cites various problems encountered during the fabrication and testing of the RFS, as well as the types of tests to which the RFS was subjected. In areas where significant problems were encountered, a detailed description of the problem and its solution is presented. In addition, some recommendations are given for modifications to the RFS and test techniques for future programs.

Numerical Investigation of Delamination in Drilling of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Wenliang; Chen, Yan; Yang, Haojun; Wang, Hua; Yao, Qiwei

2018-03-01

Drilling of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is a challenging task in modern manufacturing sector and machining induced delamination is one of the major problems affecting assembly precision. In this work, a new three-dimensional (3D) finite element model is developed to study the chip formation and entrance delamination in drilling of CFRP composites on the microscopic level. Fiber phase, matrix phase and equivalent homogeneous phase in the multi-phase model have different constitutive behaviors, respectively. A comparative drilling test, in which the cement carbide drill and unidirectional CFRP laminate are employed, is conducted to validate the proposedmodel in terms of the delamination and the similar changing trend is obtained. Microscopic mechanism of entrance delamination together with the chip formation process at four special fiber cutting angles (0°, 45°, 90° and 135°) is investigated. Moreover, the peeling force is also predicted. The results show that the delamination occurrence and the chip formation are both strongly dependent on the fiber cutting angle. The length of entrance delamination rises with increasing fiber cutting angles. Negligible delamination at 0° is attributed to the compression by the minor flank face. For 45° and 90°, the delamination resulted from the mode III fracture. At 135°, serious delamination which is driven by the mode I and III fractures is more inclined to occur and the peeling force reaches its maximum. Such numerical models can help understand the mechanism of hole entrance delamination further and provide guidance for the damage-free drilling of CFRP.

Penrose Well Temperatures

DOE Data Explorer

Christopherson, Karen

2013-03-15

Penrose Well Temperatures Geothermal waters have been encountered in several wells near Penrose in Fremont County, Colorado. Most of the wells were drilled for oil and gas exploration and, in a few cases, production. This ESRI point shapefile utilizes data from 95 wells in and around the Penrose area provided by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) database at http://cogcc.state.co.us/ . Temperature data from the database were used to calculate a temperature gradient for each well. This information was then used to estimate temperatures at various depths. Projection: UTM Zone 13 NAD27 Extent: West -105.224871 East -105.027633 North 38.486269 South 38.259507 Originators: Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) Karen Christopherson

Design and Practices for Use of Automated Drilling and Sample Handling in MARTE While Minimizing Terrestrial and Cross Contamination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, David P.; Bonaccorsi, Rosalba; Davis, Kiel

2008-10-01

Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) investigators used an automated drill and sample processing hardware to detect and categorize life-forms found in subsurface rock at Río Tinto, Spain. For the science to be successful, it was necessary for the biomass from other sources -- whether from previously processed samples (cross contamination) or the terrestrial environment (forward contamination) -- to be insignificant. The hardware and practices used in MARTE were designed around this problem. Here, we describe some of the design issues that were faced and classify them into problems that are unique to terrestrial tests versus problems that would also exist for a system that was flown to Mars. Assessment of the biomass at various stages in the sample handling process revealed mixed results; the instrument design seemed to minimize cross contamination, but contamination from the surrounding environment sometimes made its way onto the surface of samples. Techniques used during the MARTE Río Tinto project, such as facing the sample, appear to remove this environmental contamination without introducing significant cross contamination from previous samples.

Design and practices for use of automated drilling and sample handling in MARTE while minimizing terrestrial and cross contamination.

PubMed

Miller, David P; Bonaccorsi, Rosalba; Davis, Kiel

2008-10-01

Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) investigators used an automated drill and sample processing hardware to detect and categorize life-forms found in subsurface rock at Río Tinto, Spain. For the science to be successful, it was necessary for the biomass from other sources--whether from previously processed samples (cross contamination) or the terrestrial environment (forward contamination)-to be insignificant. The hardware and practices used in MARTE were designed around this problem. Here, we describe some of the design issues that were faced and classify them into problems that are unique to terrestrial tests versus problems that would also exist for a system that was flown to Mars. Assessment of the biomass at various stages in the sample handling process revealed mixed results; the instrument design seemed to minimize cross contamination, but contamination from the surrounding environment sometimes made its way onto the surface of samples. Techniques used during the MARTE Río Tinto project, such as facing the sample, appear to remove this environmental contamination without introducing significant cross contamination from previous samples.

Small County: Development of a Virtual Environment for Instruction in Geological Characterization of Petroleum Reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banz, B.; Bohling, G.; Doveton, J.

2008-12-01

Traditional programs of geological education continue to be focused primarily on the evaluation of surface or near-surface geology accessed at outcrops and shallow boreholes. However, most students who graduate to careers in geology work almost entirely on subsurface problems, interpreting drilling records and petrophysical logs from exploration and production wells. Thus, college graduates commonly find themselves ill-prepared when they enter the petroleum industry and require specialized training in drilling and petrophysical log interpretation. To aid in this training process, we are developing an environment for interactive instruction in the geological aspects of petroleum reservoir characterization employing a virtual subsurface closely reflecting the geology of the US mid-continent, in the fictional setting of Small County, Kansas. Stochastic simulation techniques are used to generate the subsurface characteristics, including the overall geological structure, distributions of facies, porosity, and fluid saturations, and petrophysical logs. The student then explores this subsurface by siting exploratory wells and examining drilling and petrophysical log records obtained from those wells. We are developing the application using the Eclipse Rich Client Platform, which allows for the rapid development of a platform-agnostic application while providing an immersive graphical interface. The application provides an array of views to enable relevant data display and student interaction. One such view is an interactive map of the county allowing the student to view the locations of existing well bores and select pertinent data overlays such as a contour map of the elevation of an interesting interval. Additionally, from this view a student may choose the site of a new well. Another view emulates a drilling log, complete with drilling rate plot and iconic representation of examined drill cuttings. From here, students are directed to stipulate subsurface lithology and interval tops as they progress through the drilling operation. Once the interpretation process is complete, the student is guided through an exercise emulating a drill stem test and then is prompted to decide on perforation intervals. The application provides a graphical framework by which the student is guided through well site selection, drilling data interpretation, and well completion or dry-hole abandonment, creating a tight feedback loop by which the student gains an over-arching view of drilling logistics and the subsurface data evaluation process.

Effect of PDC bit design and confining pressure on bit-balling tendencies while drilling shale using water base mud

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hariharan, P.R.; Azar, J.J.

1996-09-01

A good majority of all oilwell drilling occurs in shale and other clay-bearing rocks. In the light of relatively fewer studies conducted, the problem of bit-balling in PDC bits while drilling shale has been addressed with the primary intention of attempting to quantify the degree of balling, as well as to investigate the influence of bit design and confining pressures. A series of full-scale laboratory drilling tests under simulated down hole conditions were conducted utilizing seven different PDC bits in Catoosa shale. Test results have indicated that the non-dimensional parameter R{sub d} [(bit torque).(weight-on-bit)/(bit diameter)] is a good indicator ofmore » the degree of bit-balling and that it correlated well with Specific-Energy. Furthermore, test results have shown bit-profile and bit-hydraulic design to be key parameters of bit design that dictate the tendency of balling in shales under a given set of operating conditions. A bladed bit was noticed to ball less compared to a ribbed or open-faced bit. Likewise, related to bit profile, test results have indicated that the parabolic profile has a lesser tendency to ball compared to round and flat profiles. The tendency of PDC bits to ball was noticed to increase with increasing confining pressures for the set of drilling conditions used.« less

Pre-drilling prediction techniques on the high-temperature high-pressure hydrocarbon reservoirs offshore Hainan Island, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hanyu; Liu, Huaishan; Wu, Shiguo; Sun, Jin; Yang, Chaoqun; Xie, Yangbing; Chen, Chuanxu; Gao, Jinwei; Wang, Jiliang

2018-02-01

Decreasing the risks and geohazards associated with drilling engineering in high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) geologic settings begins with the implementation of pre-drilling prediction techniques (PPTs). To improve the accuracy of geopressure prediction in HTHP hydrocarbon reservoirs offshore Hainan Island, we made a comprehensive summary of current PPTs to identify existing problems and challenges by analyzing the global distribution of HTHP hydrocarbon reservoirs, the research status of PPTs, and the geologic setting and its HTHP formation mechanism. Our research results indicate that the HTHP formation mechanism in the study area is caused by multiple factors, including rapid loading, diapir intrusions, hydrocarbon generation, and the thermal expansion of pore fluids. Due to this multi-factor interaction, a cloud of HTHP hydrocarbon reservoirs has developed in the Ying-Qiong Basin, but only traditional PPTs have been implemented, based on the assumption of conditions that do not conform to the actual geologic environment, e.g., Bellotti's law and Eaton's law. In this paper, we focus on these issues, identify some challenges and solutions, and call for further PPT research to address the drawbacks of previous works and meet the challenges associated with the deepwater technology gap. In this way, we hope to contribute to the improved accuracy of geopressure prediction prior to drilling and provide support for future HTHP drilling offshore Hainan Island.

Computational fluid dynamic modeling of a medium-sized surface mine blasthole drill shroud

PubMed Central

Zheng, Y.; Reed, W.R.; Zhou, L.; Rider, J.P.

2016-01-01

The Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently developed a series of models using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to study airflows and respirable dust distribution associated with a medium-sized surface blasthole drill shroud with a dry dust collector system. Previously run experiments conducted in NIOSH’s full-scale drill shroud laboratory were used to validate the models. The setup values in the CFD models were calculated from experimental data obtained from the drill shroud laboratory and measurements of test material particle size. Subsequent simulation results were compared with the experimental data for several test scenarios, including 0.14 m3/s (300 cfm) and 0.24 m3/s (500 cfm) bailing airflow with 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 dust collector-to-bailing airflow ratios. For the 2:1 and 3:1 ratios, the calculated dust concentrations from the CFD models were within the 95 percent confidence intervals of the experimental data. This paper describes the methodology used to develop the CFD models, to calculate the model input and to validate the models based on the experimental data. Problem regions were identified and revealed by the study. The simulation results could be used for future development of dust control methods for a surface mine blasthole drill shroud. PMID:27932851

Further Studies of the Response of Single Rotor Helicopters to Vortex Encounters

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-09-01

This report is a continuation of the studies described in Reference where a simplified approach to the problem of predicting the uncontrolled response of a single rotor helicopter to an encounter with the wing tip vortex of a large transport aircraft...

Energy Problems and Environmental Concern

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Train, Russell E.

1973-01-01

Discusses problems encountered in energy extraction and consumption, involving nuclear power plant construction, environmental consequences of energy systems, and energy conservation ethics. Indicates that the increasing concern over environmental quality is not the true cause of present energy problems. (CC)

HFL-10 lifting body flight control system characteristics and operational experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Painter, W. D.; Sitterle, G. J.

1974-01-01

A flight evaluation was made of the mechanical hydraulic flight control system and the electrohydraulic stability augmentation system installed in the HL-10 lifting body research vehicle. Flight tests performed in the speed range from landing to a Mach number of 1.86 and the altitude range from 697 meters (2300 feet) to 27,550 meters (90,300 feet) were supplemented by ground tests to identify and correct structural resonance and limit-cycle problems. Severe limit-cycle and control sensitivity problems were encountered during the first flight. Stability augmentation system structural resonance electronic filters were modified to correct the limit-cycle problem. Several changes were made to control stick gearing to solve the control sensitivity problem. Satisfactory controllability was achieved by using a nonlinear system. A limit-cycle problem due to hydraulic fluid contamination was encountered during the first powered flight, but the problem did not recur after preflight operations were improved.

Ambulatory EHR functionality: a comparison of functionality lists.

PubMed

Drury, Barbara M

2006-01-01

There is a proliferation of lists intended to define and clarify the functionality of an ambulatory electronic health record system. These lists come from both private and public entities and vary in terminology, granularity, usability, and comprehensiveness. For example, functionality regarding a problem list includes the following possible definitions: * "Create and maintain patient-specific problem lists," from the HL7 Electronic Health Record Draft Standard for Trial Use. * "Provide a flexible mechanism for retrieval of encounter information that can be organized by diagnosis, problem, problem type," from the Bureau of Primary Health Care. * "The system shall associate encounters, orders, medications and notes with one or more problems," from the Certification Commission on Health Information Technology. * "Displays dates of problems on problem list," from COPIC Insurance Co. * "Shall automatically close acute problems using an automated algorithm," from the Physicians Foundations HIT Subcommittee. This article will compare the attributes of these five electronic health record functionality lists and their usefulness to different audiences-clinicians, application developers and payers.

Simulated Three-Point Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leyden, Michael B.

1979-01-01

The concept of sloping bedrock strata is portrayed by simple construction of a cardboard model. By use of wires and graph paper, students simulate the drilling of wells and use standard mathematical operations to determine strike and dip of the model stratum. (RE)

Ergonomic problems encountered by the surgical team during video endoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Kaya, Oskay I; Moran, Munevver; Ozkardes, Alper B; Taskin, Emre Y; Seker, Gaye E; Ozmen, Mahir M

2008-02-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the problems related to the ergonomic conditions faced by video endoscopic surgical teams during video endoscopic surgery by means of a questionnaire. A questionnaire was distributed to 100 medical personnel, from 8 different disciplines, who performed video endoscopic surgeries. Participants were asked to answer 13 questions related to physical, perceptive, and cognitive problems. Eighty-two questionnaires were returned. Although there were differences among the disciplines, participants assessment of various problems ranged from 32% to 72% owing to poor ergonomic conditions. As the problems encountered by the staff during video endoscopic surgery and the poor ergonomic conditions of the operating room affect the productivity of the surgical team and the safety and efficiency of the surgery, redesigning of the instruments and the operating room is required.

Orthopaedic Problems of the Mentally Retarded

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McSweeney, Anthony

1972-01-01

Problems encountered by orthopedic surgeons treating the mentally retarded are identified, and cooperation among pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and orthopedic surgeons is recommended. (GW)

Methodological Problems Encountered in the Review of Research in Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawlor, E. P.; Lawlor, F. X.

1972-01-01

Describes the difficulties encountered in selecting material to be included in the reviews of science education research in the Curtis Series'' published by the Columbia Teachers' College Press. Presents evidence outlining the weaknesses of using a jury'' to determine so-called superior research. (AL)

Developing Multiplicative Thinking from Additive Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobias, Jennifer M.; Andreasen, Janet B.

2013-01-01

As students progress through elementary school, they encounter mathematics concepts that shift from additive to multiplicative situations (NCTM 2000). When they encounter fraction problems that require multiplicative thinking, they tend to incorrectly extend additive properties from whole numbers (Post et al. 1985). As a result, topics such as …

Experimental study of improved rheology and lubricity of drilling fluids enhanced with nano-particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bég, O. Anwar; Espinoza, D. E. Sanchez; Kadir, Ali; Shamshuddin, MD.; Sohail, Ayesha

2018-04-01

An experimental study of the rheology and lubricity properties of a drilling fluid is reported, motivated by applications in highly deviated and extended reach wells. Recent developments in nanofluids have identified that the judicious injection of nano-particles into working drilling fluids may resolve a number of issues including borehole instability, lost circulation, torque and drag, pipe sticking problems, bit balling and reduction in drilling speed. The aim of this article is, therefore, to evaluate the rheological characteristics and lubricity of different nano-particles in water-based mud, with the potential to reduce costs via a decrease in drag and torque during the construction of highly deviated and ERD wells. Extensive results are presented for percentage in torque variation and coefficient of friction before and after aging. Rheology is evaluated via apparent viscosity, plastic viscosity and gel strength variation before and after aging for water-based muds (WBM). Results are included for silica and titanium nano-particles at different concentrations. These properties were measured before and after aging the mud samples at 80 °C during 16 h at static conditions. The best performance was shown with titanium nano-particles at a concentration of 0.60% (w/w) before aging.

Clue Insensitivity in Remote Associates Test Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Steven M.; Sifonis, Cynthia M.; Angello, Genna

2012-01-01

Does spreading activation from incidentally encountered hints cause incubation effects? We used Remote Associates Test (RAT) problems to examine effects of incidental clues on impasse resolution. When solution words were seen incidentally 3-sec before initially unsolved problems were retested, more problems were resolved (Experiment 1). When…

Constraints on iron sulfate and iron oxide mineralogy from ChemCam visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of Mt. Sharp basal units, Gale Crater, Mars

DOE PAGES

Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Bell, James F.; Bender, Steve; ...

2016-07-01

Relative reflectace point spectra (400–840 nm) were acquired by the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity in passive mode (no laser) of drill tailings and broken rock fragments near the rover as it entered the lower reaches of Mt. Sharp and of landforms at distances of 2–8 km. Freshly disturbed surfaces are less subject to the spectral masking effects of dust, and revealed spectral features consistent with the presence of iron oxides and ferric sulfates. Here, we present the first detection on Mars of a ~433 nm absorption band consistent with small abundancesmore » of ferric sulfates, corroborated by jarosite detections by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument in the Mojave, Telegraph Peak, and Confidence Hills drilled samples. The disturbed materials near the Bonanza King region also exhibited strong 433 nm bands and negative near-infrared spectral slopes consistent with jarosite. ChemCam passive spectra of the Confidence Hills and Mojave drill tailings showed features suggestive of the crystalline hematite identified by CheMin analyses. The Windjana drill sample tailings exhibited flat, low relative reflectance spectra, explained by the occurrence of magnetite detected by CheMin. Passive spectra of Bonanza King were similar, suggesting the presence of spectrally dark and neutral minerals such as magnetite. Long-distance spectra of the “Hematite Ridge” feature (3–5 km from the rover) exhibited features consistent with crystalline hematite. The Bagnold dune field north of the Hematite Ridge area exhibited low relative reflectance and near-infrared features indicative of basaltic materials (olivine, pyroxene). Light-toned layers south of Hematite Ridge lacked distinct spectral features in the 400–840 nm region, and may represent portions of nearby clay minerals and sulfates mapped with orbital near-infrared observations. The presence of ferric sulfates such as jarosite in the drill tailings suggests a relatively acidic environment, likely associated with flow of iron-bearing fluids, associated oxidation, and/or hydrothermal leaching of sedimentary rocks. Combined with other remote sensing data sets, mineralogical constraints from ChemCam passive spectra will continue to play an important role in interpreting the mineralogy and composition of materials encountered as Curiosity traverses further south within the basal layers of the Mt. Sharp complex.« less

Constraints on iron sulfate and iron oxide mineralogy from ChemCam visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of Mt. Sharp basal units, Gale Crater, Mars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Bell, James F.; Bender, Steve

Relative reflectace point spectra (400–840 nm) were acquired by the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity in passive mode (no laser) of drill tailings and broken rock fragments near the rover as it entered the lower reaches of Mt. Sharp and of landforms at distances of 2–8 km. Freshly disturbed surfaces are less subject to the spectral masking effects of dust, and revealed spectral features consistent with the presence of iron oxides and ferric sulfates. Here, we present the first detection on Mars of a ~433 nm absorption band consistent with small abundancesmore » of ferric sulfates, corroborated by jarosite detections by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument in the Mojave, Telegraph Peak, and Confidence Hills drilled samples. The disturbed materials near the Bonanza King region also exhibited strong 433 nm bands and negative near-infrared spectral slopes consistent with jarosite. ChemCam passive spectra of the Confidence Hills and Mojave drill tailings showed features suggestive of the crystalline hematite identified by CheMin analyses. The Windjana drill sample tailings exhibited flat, low relative reflectance spectra, explained by the occurrence of magnetite detected by CheMin. Passive spectra of Bonanza King were similar, suggesting the presence of spectrally dark and neutral minerals such as magnetite. Long-distance spectra of the “Hematite Ridge” feature (3–5 km from the rover) exhibited features consistent with crystalline hematite. The Bagnold dune field north of the Hematite Ridge area exhibited low relative reflectance and near-infrared features indicative of basaltic materials (olivine, pyroxene). Light-toned layers south of Hematite Ridge lacked distinct spectral features in the 400–840 nm region, and may represent portions of nearby clay minerals and sulfates mapped with orbital near-infrared observations. The presence of ferric sulfates such as jarosite in the drill tailings suggests a relatively acidic environment, likely associated with flow of iron-bearing fluids, associated oxidation, and/or hydrothermal leaching of sedimentary rocks. Combined with other remote sensing data sets, mineralogical constraints from ChemCam passive spectra will continue to play an important role in interpreting the mineralogy and composition of materials encountered as Curiosity traverses further south within the basal layers of the Mt. Sharp complex.« less

Drill Cuttings-based Methodology to Optimize Multi-stage Hydraulic Fracturing in Horizontal Wells and Unconventional Gas Reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega Mercado, Camilo Ernesto

Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques have become almost mandatory technologies for economic exploitation of unconventional gas reservoirs. Key to commercial success is minimizing the risk while drilling and hydraulic fracturing these wells. Data collection is expensive and as a result this is one of the first casualties during budget cuts. As a result complete data sets in horizontal wells are nearly always scarce. In order to minimize the data scarcity problem, the research addressed throughout this thesis concentrates on using drill cuttings, an inexpensive direct source of information, for developing: 1) A new methodology for multi-stage hydraulic fracturing optimization of horizontal wells without any significant increases in operational costs. 2) A new method for petrophysical evaluation in those wells with limited amount of log information. The methods are explained using drill cuttings from the Nikanassin Group collected in the Deep Basin of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). Drill cuttings are the main source of information for the proposed methodology in Item 1, which involves the creation of three 'log tracks' containing the following parameters for improving design of hydraulic fracturing jobs: (a) Brittleness Index, (b) Measured Permeability and (c) An Indicator of Natural Fractures. The brittleness index is primarily a function of Poisson's ratio and Young Modulus, parameters that are obtained from drill cuttings and sonic logs formulations. Permeability is measured on drill cuttings in the laboratory. The indication of natural fractures is obtained from direct observations on drill cuttings under the microscope. Drill cuttings are also the main source of information for the new petrophysical evaluation method mentioned above in Item 2 when well logs are not available. This is important particularly in horizontal wells where the amount of log data is almost non-existent in the vast majority of the wells. By combining data from drill cuttings and previously available empirical relationships developed from cores it is possible to estimate water saturations, pore throat apertures, capillary pressures, flow units, porosity (or cementation) exponent m, true formation resistivity Rt, distance to a water table (if present), and to distinguish the contributions of viscous and diffusion-like flow in the tight gas formation. The method further allows the construction of Pickett plots using porosity and permeability obtained from drill cuttings, without previous availability of well logs. The method assumes the existence of intervals at irreducible water saturation, which is the case of the Nikanassin Group throughout the gas column. The new methods mentioned above are not meant to replace the use of detailed and sophisticated evaluation techniques. But the proposed methods provide a valuable and practical aid in those cases where geomechanical and petrophysical information are scarce.

Computers in Traffic Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, O. P.

1983-01-01

Traffic education covers basic road skills, legal/insurance aspects, highway code, accident causation/prevention, and vehicle maintenance. Microcomputer applications to traffic education are outlined, followed by a selected example of programs currently available (focusing on drill/practice, simulation, problem-solving, data manipulation, games,…

Reviews.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Teacher, 1989

1989-01-01

Describes two software programs for the Apple II series and TRS-80 Models III and IV: (1) "Personal Energy Inventory" (grades 9-12, records and manages data, not considered user friendly); (2) "Energy Conservation" (grades 7-12, aids in converting and problem solving, uses drill and practice). (MVL)

Time Trends in the Family Physician Management of Insomnia: The Australian Experience (2000-2015).

PubMed

Miller, Christopher B; Valenti, Lisa; Harrison, Christopher M; Bartlett, Delwyn J; Glozier, Nick; Cross, Nathan E; Grunstein, Ronald R; Britt, Helena C; Marshall, Nathaniel S

2017-06-15

To evaluate changes in rates of family physician (FP) management of insomnia in Australia from 2000-2015. The Bettering the Evaluation And Care of Health (BEACH) program is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 1,000 newly randomly sampled family physicians' activity in Australia per year, who each record details of 100 consecutive patient encounters. This provided records of approximately 100,000 encounters each year. We identified all encounters with patients older than 15 years where insomnia or difficulty sleeping was managed and assessed trends in these encounters from 2000-2015. There was no change in the management rate of insomnia from 2000-2007 (1.54 per 100 encounters [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-1.58]). This rate was lower from 2008-2015 (1.31 per 100 encounters [95% CI: 1.27-1.35]). There was no change in FP management: pharmacotherapy was used in approximately 90% of encounters; nonpharmacological advice was given at approximately 20%; and onward referral at approximately 1% of encounters. Prescription of temazepam changed from 54.6 [95% CI: 51.4-57.9] per 100 insomnia problems in 2000-2001 to 43.6 [95% CI: 40.1-47.0] in 2014-2015, whereas zolpidem increased steadily from introduction in 2000 to 14.6 [95% CI: 12.2-17.1] per 100 insomnia problems in 2006-2007, and then decreased to 7.3 [95% CI: 5.4-9.2] by 2014-2015. Insomnia management frequency decreased after 2007 in conjunction with ecologically associated Australian media reporting of adverse effects linked to zolpidem use. Australian FPs remain reliant on pharmacotherapy for the management of insomnia. © 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Challenges Encountered by 17 Autistic Young Adults in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Shui-wai

2017-01-01

The self-portrayals of 17 young persons with autism spectrum disorder reveal the challenges encountered by them, including study problems, inter-personal relationships, being bullied by classmates at school, discrimination by the public in general and teachers, social workers, and peers in particular, obstacles to post-secondary education,…

Value of Family and Group Counseling Models where Grandparents Function as Parents to Their Grandchildren

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Oliver W.; Ray, Shannon L.

2010-01-01

Those involved in circumstances in which children are raised by their grandparents often encounter serious problems that require assistance from counselors. Research suggests that grandparents and parents in these families typically experience heightened stress and psychosocial distress. Additionally, the children often encounter behavioral,…

Israeli Adolescents and Military Service: Encounters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Amihay; And Others

1987-01-01

Asserts that inadequate attention has been paid to the problems of the young soldier entering army life in Israel. Delineates some areas of friction and vulnerability between the worlds of the youth and the military. Describes the systematization of these encounters into groups, creating the "Binary Model," which helps in locating and…

"What constitutes a 'problem'?" Producing 'alcohol problems' through online counselling encounters.

PubMed

Savic, Michael; Ferguson, Nyssa; Manning, Victoria; Bathish, Ramez; Lubman, Dan I

2017-08-01

Typically, health policy, practice and research views alcohol and other drug (AOD) 'problems' as objective things waiting to be detected, diagnosed and treated. However, this approach to policy development and treatment downplays the role of clinical practices, tools, discourses, and systems in shaping how AOD use is constituted as a 'problem'. For instance, people might present to AOD treatment with multiple psycho-social concerns, but usually only a singular AOD-associated 'problem' is considered serviceable. As the assumed nature of 'the serviceable problem' influences what treatment responses people receive, and how they may come to be enacted as 'addicted' or 'normal' subjects, it is important to subject clinical practices of problem formulation to critical analysis. Given that the reach of AOD treatment has expanded via the online medium, in this article we examine how 'problems' are produced in online alcohol counselling encounters involving people aged 55 and over. Drawing on poststructural approaches to problematisation, we not only trace how and what 'problems' are produced, but also what effects these give rise to. We discuss three approaches to problem formulation: (1) Addiction discourses at work; (2) Moving between concerns and alcohol 'problems'; (3) Making 'problems' complex and multiple. On the basis of this analysis, we argue that online AOD counselling does not just respond to pre-existing 'AOD problems'. Rather, through the social and clinical practices of formulation at work in clinical encounters, online counselling also produces them. Thus, given a different set of circumstances, practices and relations, 'problems' might be defined or emerge differently-perhaps not as 'problems' at all or perhaps as different kinds of concerns. We conclude by highlighting the need for a critical reflexivity in AOD treatment and policy in order to open up possibilities for different ways of engaging with, and responding to, people's needs in their complexity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strategy Keys as Tools for Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herold-Blasius, Raja

2017-01-01

Problem solving is one of the main competences we seek to teach students at school for use in their future lives. However, when dealing with mathematical problems, teachers encounter a wide variety of difficulties. To foster students' problem-solving skills, the authors developed "strategy keys." Strategy keys can serve as material to…

Drinking water while fracking: now and in the future.

PubMed

Brantley, Susan L

2015-01-01

The data provided by the PA DEP are incomplete because confidential data are not released. It is impossible to make firm conclusions about water quality impacts when data availability is limited. Nonetheless, the PA experience appears to be characterized by a low rate of problems per gas well or unit of gas produced. Only about 160 of the complaints from homeowners about groundwater to the PA DEP between 2008 and 2012 were problems attributed to oil and gas activity—and only half of these were caused by companies known to drill unconventional shale wells. These problematic wells in turn represent only 0.1 to 1% of the unconventional shale gas wells drilled in that time period (Brantley et al. 2014). Management practices appear to be improving as well; the rate of problems has decreased since 2010 (Figure 1). Apparently, however, the public responds not only to the number of problems per gas well or per unit of gas produced but rather to the number of problems per unit time and per unit area. Thus, even though the r ate of problems with shale gas wells has remained small on a per well basis, pushback has grown in areas of increasing density of drilling and fracking. This may be especially true when consequences are fearsome such as flaming tapwater, toxic contamination, or earthquakes. It is natural that the social license for shale gas development is influenced by short-term, local thinking. But, such thinking may not be helpful given that Marcellus Shale gas wells generate one third the waste per unit volume of gas as compared to conventional shallow gas wells (Vidic et al. 2013). In addition, the release of pollutants such as carbon dioxide, particulates, mercury, nitrogen, and sulfur generated per unit of heat energy is lower f or unconventional shale gas than for fuels such as coal (Heath et al. 2014). Public pushback could nonetheless be a blessing. After all, pushback represents intensified interest in environmental issues. This interest may be seen in the PA DEP data for the rate of well integrity issues in conventional oil and gas wells—the increase in problem rate from 2008 to 2012 (Figure 1) is more likely due to heightened public attention and inspector scrutiny rather than a sudden deterioration in the management practices of the drilling companies (Brantley et al. 2014) During the next decades, the rate of hydraulic fracturing in PA will eventually slow. At some point, the use of produced brines to hydrofracture new wells will cease. Once recycling of brine to frack new wells stops, hundreds of gallons of brine will accumulate as waste at each well per day (Rahm et al. 2013). Disposal of this slightly radioactive brine will then become increasingly problematic. Interest on the part of the public for such issues is warranted. Public engagement today is needed to develop sustainable waste management and sustainable energy practices for the future.

Scientific Drilling in the Arctic Ocean: A challenge for the next decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, R.; Coakley, B.

2009-04-01

Although major progress in Arctic Ocean research has been made during the last decades, the knowledge of its short- and long-term paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic history as well as its plate-tectonic evolution is much behind that from the other world's oceans. That means - despite the importance of the Arctic in the climate system - the data base we have from this area is still very weak, and large parts of the climate history have not been recovered at all in sedimentary sections. This lack of knowledge is mainly caused by the major technological/ logistic problems in reaching this permanently ice-covered region with normal research vessels and in retrieving long and undisturbed sediment cores. With the successful completion of IODP Expedition 302 ("Arctic Coring Expedition" - ACEX), the first Mission Specific Platform (MSP) expedition within the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program - IODP, a new era in Arctic research has begun. For the first time, a scientific drilling in the permanently ice-covered Arctic Ocean was carried out, penetrating about 430 meters of Quaternary, Neogene, Paleogene and Campanian sediment on the crest of Lomonosov Ridge close to the North Pole. The success of ACEX has certainly opened the door for further scientific drilling in the Arctic Ocean, and will frame the next round of questions to be answered from new drill holes to be taken during the next decades. In order to discuss and plan the future of scientific drilling in the Arctic Ocean, an international workshop was held at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven/Germany, (Nov 03-05, 2008; convenors: Bernard Coakley/University of Alaska Fairbanks and Ruediger Stein/AWI Bremerhaven). About 95 scientists from Europe, US, Canada, Russia, Japan, and Korea, and observers from oil companies participated in the workshop. Funding of the workshop was provided by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (US), the European Science Foundation, the Arctic Ocean Sciences Board, and the Nansen Arctic Drilling Program as well as by sponsorships from British Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, StatoilHydro, and Shell International. The major targets of the workshop were: (1) to bring together an international group of Arctic scientists, young scientists and ocean drilling scientists to learn and exchange ideas, experience and enthusiasm about the Arctic Ocean; (2) to develop a scientific drilling strategy to investigate the tectonic and paleoceanographic history of the Arctic Ocean and its role in influencing the global climate system; (3) to summarize the technical needs, opportunities, and limitations of drilling in the Arctic; (4) to define scientific and drilling targets for specific IODP-type campaigns in Arctic Ocean key areas to be finalized in the development of drilling proposals. Following overview presentations about the history of the Arctic Ocean, legacy of high-latitude ocean drilling, existing site-survey database, technical needs for high-latitude drilling, possibilities of collaboration with industry, and the process of developing ocean-drilling legs through IODP, the main part of the workshop was spent in thematic and regional break-out groups discussing the particular questions to be addressed by drilling and the particular targets for Arctic scientific drilling. Within the working groups, key scientific questions (related to the overall themes paleoceanography, tectonic evolution, petrology/geochemistry of basement, and gas hydrates) and strategies for reaching the overall goals were discussed and - as one of the main results - core groups for further developing drilling proposals were formed. Based on discussions at this workshop, approximately ten new pre-proposals are planned to be submitted to IODP for the April 01- 2009 deadline. We hope that the development of new scientific objectives through the pre-proposal process will help reshape plans for scientific ocean drilling beyond 2013 and direct the program north towards these critical priorities and advance exploration of the Arctic.

A simple and inexpensive technique for assessing microbial contamination during drilling operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friese, André; Vuillemin, Aurèle; Kallmeyer, Jens; Wagner, Dirk

2016-04-01

Exploration of the Deep Biosphere relies on drilling, which inevitably causes infiltration of drilling fluids, containing allochthonous microbes from the surface, into the core. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to trace contamination of the sediment core in order to identify uncontaminated samples for microbiological investigations. Several techniques have been used in the past, including fluorescent dyes, perfluorocarbon tracers and fluorescent microspheres. Fluorescent dyes are inexpensive and easy to analyze on-site but are sensitive to light, pH and water chemistry. Furthermore, significant sorption to clays can decrease the fluorescence signal. Perfluorocarbon tracers are chemically inert hydrophobic compounds that can be detected with high sensitivity via gas chromatography, which might be a problem for on-site analysis. Samples have to be taken immediately after core retrieval as otherwise the volatile tracer will have diffused out of the core. Microsphere tracers are small (0.2 - 0.5 μm diameter) fluorescent plastic particles that are mixed into the drilling fluid. For analysis, these particles can be extracted from the sediment sample, transferred onto a filter and quantified via fluorescence microscopy. However, they are very expensive and therefore unsuitable for deep drilling operations that need large amounts of drilling fluids. Here, we present an inexpensive contamination control approach using fluorescent pigments initially used for coloring plastics. The price of this tracer is nearly three orders of magnitude lower than conventional microsphere tracers. Its suitability for large drilling campaigns was tested at the ICDP Deep Drilling at Lake Towuti, Sulawesi, Indonesia. The tracer was diluted 1:1000 in lake water, which was used as the drilling fluid. Additionally, a plastic bag filled with 20 mL of undiluted tracer was attached to the core catcher to increase the amount of particles in the liner fluid right at the core. After core retrieval, the core was cut and the liner fluid collected. From each whole round core (WRC) that was taken for microbiological and biogeochemical analyses, small samples of 1 cc were retrieved with sterile cutoff syringes from the rim, the center and an intermediate position. After dilution and homogenization in 9 mL MilliQ water, 10 μL of the sediment slurry was transferred onto a filter membrane and particles counted via fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, particles in the liner fluid were also quantified. This allows the quantification of the amount of drilling fluid that has entered the sediment sample during drilling. The minimum detectable volume of drilling fluid was in the order of single nanoliters per cc of sediment, which is in the range of established techniques. The presented method requires only a minimum of equipment and allows rapid determination of contamination in the sediment core and an easy to handle on-site analysis at low costs. The sensitivity is in the same range as perfluorocarbon and microsphere tracer applications. Thus, it offers an inexpensive but powerful technique for contamination assessment for future drilling campaigns.

Future scientific drilling in the Arctic Ocean: Key objectives, areas, and strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, R.; Coakley, B.; Mikkelsen, N.; O'Regan, M.; Ruppel, C.

2012-04-01

In spite of the critical role of the Arctic Ocean in climate evolution, our understanding of the short- and long-term paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic history through late Mesozoic-Cenozoic times, as well as its plate-tectonic evolution, remains behind that from the other world's oceans. This lack of knowledge is mainly caused by the major technological/logistic problems in reaching this permanently ice-covered region with normal research vessels and in retrieving long and undisturbed sediment cores. With the Arctic Coring Expedition - ACEX (or IODP Expedition 302), the first Mission Specific Platform (MSP) expedition within IODP, a new era in Arctic research began (Backman, Moran, Mayer, McInroy et al., 2006). ACEX proved that, with an intensive ice-management strategy, successful scientific drilling in the permanently ice-covered central Arctic Ocean is possible. ACEX is certainly a milestone in Arctic Ocean research, but - of course - further drilling activities are needed in this poorly studied ocean. Furthermore, despite the success of ACEX fundamental questions related to the long- and short-term climate history of the Arctic Ocean during Mesozoic-Cenozoic times remain unanswered. This is partly due to poor core recovery during ACEX and, especially, because of a major mid-Cenozoic hiatus in this single record. Since ACEX, a series of workshops were held to develop a scientific drilling strategy for investigating the tectonic and paleoceanographic history of the Arctic Ocean and its role in influencing the global climate system: - "Arctic Ocean History: From Speculation to Reality" (Bremerhaven/Germany, November 2008); - "Overcoming barriers to Arctic Ocean scientific drilling: the site survey challenge" (Copenhagen/Denmark, November 2011); - Circum-Arctic shelf/upper continental slope scientific drilling workshop on "Catching Climate Change in Progress" (San Francisco/USA, December 2011); - "Coordinated Scientific Drilling in the Beaufort Sea: Addressing Past, Present and Future Changes in Arctic Terrestrial and Marine Systems" (Kananaskis, Alberta/Canada, February 2012). During these workshops, key areas and key scientific themes as well as drilling and site-survey strategies were discussed. Major scientific themes for future Arctic drilling will include: - The Arctic Ocean during the transition from greenhouse to icehouse conditions and millennial scale climate changes; - Physical and chemical changes of the evolving Polar Ocean and Arctic gateways; - Impact of Pleistocene/Holocene warming and sea-level rise on upper continental slope and shelf gas hydrates and on shelf permafrost; - Land-ocean interactions; - Tectonic evolution and birth of the Arctic Ocean basin: Arctic ridges, sea floor spreading and global lithosphere processes. When thinking about future Arctic drilling, it should be clearly emphasized that for the precise planning of future Arctic Ocean drilling campaigns, including site selection, evaluation of proposed drill sites for safety and environmental protection, etc., comprehensive site survey data are needed first. This means that the development of a detailed site survey strategy is a major challenge for the coming years. Here, an overview of perspectives and plans for future Arctic Ocean drilling will be presented.

Improved recovery demonstration for Williston Basin carbonates. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sippel, M.A.

The purpose of this project was to demonstrate targeted infill and extension drilling opportunities, better determinations of oil-in-place, and methods for improved completion efficiency. The investigations and demonstrations were focussed on Red River and Ratcliffe reservoirs in the Williston Basin within portions of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Both of these formations have been successfully explored with conventional 2-dimensional (2D) seismic. Improved reservoir characterization utilizing 3-dimensional (3D) seismic was investigated for identification of structural and stratigraphic reservoir compartments. These seismic characterizations were integrated with geological and engineering studies. The project tested lateral completion techniques, including high-pressure jetting lance technologymore » and short-radius lateral drilling to enhance completion efficiency. Lateral completions should improve economics for both primary and secondary oil where low permeability is a problem and higher-density drilling of vertical infill wells is limited by drilling cost. New vertical wells were drilled to test bypassed oil in ares that were identified by 3D seismic. These new wells are expected to recover as much or greater oil than was produced by nearby old wells. The project tested water injection through vertical and horizontal wells in reservoirs where application of waterflooding has been limited. A horizontal well was drilled for testing water injection. Injection rates were tested at three times that of a vertical well. This demonstration well shows that water injection with horizontal completions can improve injection rates for economic waterflooding. This report is divided into two sections, part 1 covers the Red River and part 2 covers the Ratcliffe. Each part summarizes integrated reservoir characterizations and outlines methods for targeting by-passed oil reserves in the respective formation and locality.« less

Democracy in NGOs: Making the Cooperative Option Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wardle, Chris

1988-01-01

Discusses several problems encountered by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that structure themselves as cooperatives, with all members being equal. Presents four problem areas--(1) decision making, (2) meetings, (3) job rotation, and (4) growth--as well as strategies to solve potential problems. (CH)

The Effect of New Vocabulary on Problem Solving in Novice Physics Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobolewski, Stanley J.

One of the difficulties encountered by novice problem solvers in introductory physics is in the area of problem solving. It has been shown in other studies that poor problem solvers are affected by the surface aspects of the problem in contrast with more efficient problem solvers who are capable of constructing a mental model of the physical…

Offshore Oil: Environmental Impacts on Land and Sea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Pamela L.

1974-01-01

Presents a counter position to that provided in SE 512 127 in which the author emphasizes that there are too many problems yet to be solved (related to offshore oil development) to proceed with full-scale development of offshore oil drilling. (PEB)

Problems Implementing Problem-Based Learning by a Private Malaysian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tik, Chan Chang

2014-01-01

In this case study the focus is on lecturers' readiness in the design of PBL problems and to facilitate students' learning. This paper also looks into students' readiness in terms of acquiring metacognitive skills and collaborating in group to solve PBL problems. Problems encountered by both lecturers and students are discussed in the context of…

Determining the Performances of Pre-Service Primary School Teachers in Problem Posing Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilic, Cigdem

2013-01-01

This study examined the problem posing strategies of pre-service primary school teachers in different problem posing situations (PPSs) and analysed the issues they encounter while posing problems. A problem posing task consisting of six PPSs (two free, two structured, and two semi-structured situations) was delivered to 40 participants.…

A comparison of different turbidite plays in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan Basins of the South China Sea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cardwell, R.K.; Norris, J.W.

1996-12-31

Three different types of turbidite plays have been drilled in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan basins of the South China Sea: slope fan turbidites, bottomset turbidites, and channel fill turbidites. Each play type has a distinctive well log signature, lithology, seismic reflector geometry, and reservoir character. Slope fan turbidites are encountered in the YA 21-1-3 well. Well logs are characterized by a ratty SP curve, and mud logs indicate that the turbidites are composed of up to 80 m of sands and silts. Seismic profiles show that these turbidites are found in a distributary channel and levee system on the shelf.more » Bottomset turbidites are encountered in the LD 15-1-1 well. Well logs are characterized by an upward coarsening SP curve, and mud logs indicate that the turbidites are composed of up to 10 m of silty sand. Seismic profiles show these turbidites are deposited by the slumping of shelf sands during a continuous lowstand progradation. Channel fill turbidites are encountered in the LD 30-1-1 well. Well logs are characterized by a blocky SP curve, and mud logs indicate that the turbidites are composed of up to 100 m of massive sand. Seismic profiles show that these turbidites are associated with channel systems that trend parallel to the local basin axis. Distinct cut and fill geometries indicate that the turbidite sands were deposited in a preexisting channel cut.« less

A comparison of different turbidite plays in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan Basins of the South China Sea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cardwell, R.K.; Norris, J.W.

1996-01-01

Three different types of turbidite plays have been drilled in the Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan basins of the South China Sea: slope fan turbidites, bottomset turbidites, and channel fill turbidites. Each play type has a distinctive well log signature, lithology, seismic reflector geometry, and reservoir character. Slope fan turbidites are encountered in the YA 21-1-3 well. Well logs are characterized by a ratty SP curve, and mud logs indicate that the turbidites are composed of up to 80 m of sands and silts. Seismic profiles show that these turbidites are found in a distributary channel and levee system on the shelf.more » Bottomset turbidites are encountered in the LD 15-1-1 well. Well logs are characterized by an upward coarsening SP curve, and mud logs indicate that the turbidites are composed of up to 10 m of silty sand. Seismic profiles show these turbidites are deposited by the slumping of shelf sands during a continuous lowstand progradation. Channel fill turbidites are encountered in the LD 30-1-1 well. Well logs are characterized by a blocky SP curve, and mud logs indicate that the turbidites are composed of up to 100 m of massive sand. Seismic profiles show that these turbidites are associated with channel systems that trend parallel to the local basin axis. Distinct cut and fill geometries indicate that the turbidite sands were deposited in a preexisting channel cut.« less

Fracture Modes and Identification of Fault Zones in Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Scientific Drilling Boreholes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, C.; Pan, H.; Zhao, P.; Qin, R.; Peng, L.

2017-12-01

After suffering from the disaster of Wenchuan earthquake on May 12th, 2008, scientists are eager to figure out the structure of formation, the geodynamic processes of faults and the mechanism of earthquake in Wenchuan by drilling five holes into the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault zone and Anxian-Guanxian fault zone. Fractures identification and in-situ stress determination can provide abundant information for formation evaluation and earthquake study. This study describe all the fracture modes in the five boreholes on the basis of cores and image logs, and summarize the response characteristics of fractures in conventional logs. The results indicate that the WFSD boreholes encounter enormous fractures, including natural fractures and induced fractures, and high dip-angle conductive fractures are the most common fractures. The maximum horizontal stress trends along the borehole are deduced as NWW-SEE according to orientations of borehole breakouts and drilling-induced fractures, which is nearly parallel to the strikes of the younger natural fracture sets. Minor positive deviations of AC (acoustic log) and negative deviation of DEN (density log) demonstrate their responses to fracture, followed by CNL (neutron log), resistivity logs and GR (gamma ray log) at different extent of intensity. Besides, considering the fact that the reliable methods for identifying fracture zone, like seismic, core recovery and image logs, can often be hampered by their high cost and limited application, this study propose a method by using conventional logs, which are low-cost and available in even old wells. We employ wavelet decomposition to extract the high frequency information of conventional logs and reconstruction a new log in special format of enhance fracture responses and eliminate nonfracture influence. Results reveal that the new log shows obvious deviations in fault zones, which confirm the potential of conventional logs in fracture zone identification.

Use of Cutting-Edge Horizontal and Underbalanced Drilling Technologies and Subsurface Seismic Techniques to Explore, Drill and Produce Reservoired Oil and Gas from the Fractured Monterey Below 10,000 ft in the Santa Maria Basin of California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Witter; Robert Knoll; William Rehm

2005-09-29

This project was undertaken to demonstrate that oil and gas can be drilled and produced safely and economically from a fractured Monterey reservoir in the Santa Maria Basin of California by employing horizontal wellbores and underbalanced drilling technologies. Two vertical wells were previously drilled in this area with heavy mud and conventional completions; neither was commercially productive. A new well was drilled by the project team in 2004 with the objective of accessing an extended length of oil-bearing, high-resistivity Monterey shale via a horizontal wellbore, while implementing managed-pressure drilling (MPD) techniques to avoid formation damage. Initial project meetings were conductedmore » in October 2003. The team confirmed that the demonstration well would be completed open-hole to minimize productivity impairment. Following an overview of the geologic setting and local field experience, critical aspects of the application were identified. At the pre-spud meeting in January 2004, the final well design was confirmed and the well programming/service company requirements assigned. Various design elements were reduced in scope due to significant budgetary constraints. Major alterations to the original plan included: (1) a VSP seismic survey was delayed to a later phase; (2) a new (larger) surface hole would be drilled rather than re-enter an existing well; (3) a 7-in. liner would be placed into the top of the Monterey target as quickly as possible to avoid problems with hole stability; (4) evaluation activities were reduced in scope; (5) geosteering observations for fracture access would be deduced from penetration rate, cuttings description and hydrocarbon in-flow; and (6) rather than use nitrogen, a novel air-injection MPD system was to be implemented. Drilling operations, delayed from the original schedule by capital constraints and lack of rig availability, were conducted from September 12 to November 11, 2004. The vertical and upper curved sections were drilled and lined through the problematic shale member without major stability problems. The top of the targeted Monterey was thought to be seen at the expected TVD of 10,000 ft where the 7-in. liner was set at a 60{sup o} hole angle. Significant oil and gas shows suggested the fractured interval anticipated at the heel location had been penetrated. A total of 2572 ft of 6 1/8-in. near-horizontal interval was placed in the shale section, extending planned well length by approximately 470 ft. Very little hydrocarbon in-flow was observed from fractures along the productive interval. This may be a result of the well trajectory falling underneath the Monterey fractured zone. Hydrocarbon observations, cuttings analysis and gamma-ray response indicated additional fractured intervals were accessed along the last {+-}900 ft of well length. The well was completed with a 2 7/8-in. tubing string set in a production packer in preparation for flow and swab tests to be conducted later by a service rig. The planned well time was estimated as 39 days and overall cost as $2.4 million. The actual results are 66 days at a total cost of $3.4 million. Well productivity responses during subsequent flow and swabbing tests were negative. The well failed to inflow and only minor amounts (a few barrels) of light oil were recovered. The lack of production may suggest that actual sustainable reservoir pressure is far less than anticipated. Temblor is currently planning to re-enter and clean out the well and run an Array Induction log (primarily for resistivity and correlation purposes), and an FMI log (for fracture detection). Depending on the results of these logs, an acidizing or re-drill program will be planned.« less

Helping Students Navigate Faith Challenges in the Biblical Studies Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Carolyn J.; Clark-Soles, Jaime

2012-01-01

What happens when students encounter the academic study of the Bible in the seminary or undergraduate classroom? Does a teacher have a responsibility to help students navigate challenges to Christian faith that might arise? What pedagogical problems and opportunities does this encounter present? How does this issue manifest differently in…

Tips for Novice Researchers: Operational Difficulties Encountered in Underdeveloped Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belcher El-Nahhas, Susan M.

This paper provides a general overview of the type of problems encountered in the field of research so that individuals who are contemplating conducting research in an underdeveloped country for the first time are better prepared, and hence, better able to complete their research. The paper recounts a female researcher's personal experiences in…

Doctor-patient communication on the telephone.

PubMed

Curtis, P; Evens, S

1989-01-01

Since its invention, the telephone has been an important tool in medical practice, particularly for primary care physicians. Approximately half the calls made to a physician's office during regular consulting hours are for clinical problems and most are handled effectively over the phone without an immediate office visit. Telephone encounters are generally very brief, and managing such calls requires a pragmatic approach that is often quite different from the approach taken in the office visit. The telephone encounter should be recognized and recorded as a specific medical interaction in the medical chart for both clinical and legal reasons. Effective telephone encounters depend on good communication skills; decision making regarding disposition is a major goal. The physician's perception of a medical problem may be different from the patient's; patients are frequently seeking advice and reassurance rather than diagnosis and treatment, and may call because of anxiety and psychological stress. For physicians and their families who are not prepared for after-hours telephone encounters, calls that interrupt more "legitimate" activities may result in anger or frustration for the physician and dissatisfaction for the patient.

Problem-Solving Examples as Interactive Learning Objects for Educational Digital Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brusilovsky, Peter; Yudelson, Michael; Hsiao, I-Han

2009-01-01

The paper analyzes three major problems encountered by our team as we endeavored to turn problem solving examples in the domain of programming into highly reusable educational activities, which could be included as first class objects in various educational digital libraries. It also suggests three specific approaches to resolving these problems,…

ADOPTING THE PROBLEM BASED LEARNING APPROACH IN A GIS PROJECT MANAGEMENT CLASS

EPA Science Inventory

Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a process that emphasizes the need for developing problem solving skills through hands-on project formulation and management. A class adopting the PBL method provides students with an environment to acquire necessary knowledge to encounter, unders...

[The Léon [correction of Laurent] Guedj implant concept: simplification of the surgical phase in implantology].

PubMed

Fabie, L; Guedj, L; Pichaud, Ch; Fabie, M

2002-11-01

We present a new self-drilling self-tapping dental implant that simplifies the operative technique and optimizes osseointegration. The implant, the instrumentation, and the operative technique are described. An experimental study was conducted in a sheep with pathological and histomorphological analysis at three months. A clinical evaluation was also conducted in 18 patients who had 27 implants. The experimental study demonstrated good quality osseointegration, without bone necrosis. Three sectors were identified. Histomorphometric analysis demonstrated that mean bone contact reached 40% on cancellous bone and 65% on cortical bone. In the clinical series, one implant had to be removed due to a problem with gum healing. All the other implants were well tolerated. The advantage of this new technique is the use of the implant as the drilling instrument. Much time is saved. In addition, the bone-implant contact is better since the bone cavity is exactly adapted to the implant. The risk of bone lesion is reduced due to the smaller number of drillings.

Towngas Lantau link beach approach, Hong Kong and China Gas Co. Ltd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Callnon, D.P.; Bertolucci, L.

1997-07-01

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) laid dual, 12-in. OD, natural gas pipelines beneath a critical sea wall on Lantau island, Hong Kong New Territories. This was part of a 30-mile gas pipeline crossing under the South China Sea associated with the Towngas Lantau construction project for Hong Kong`s new Chep Lap Kok International Airport. During a twenty-one day project, Cherrington Corp. drilled and forward-reamed two, 20-in., 1,294-ft. holes to pull back the twin pipelines. The project was completed during typhoon weather, strong currents and logistical problems associated with operation in a remote uninhabited area. The successful installation of the twin gasmore » lines was the result of proper hole design, high-quality surveying techniques and innovative directional drilling methods. Each hole exited approximately 90-ft. from the pre-installed product pipe in the sea floor trench. A 20-in. reamer with bull-nose and rear stabilizer was used to open both holes from 9 to 20-inches.« less

GAS HYDRATES AT TWO SITES OF AN ACTIVE CONTINENTAL MARGIN.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kvenvolden, K.A.

1985-01-01

Sediment containing gas hydrates from two distant Deep Sea Drilling Project sites (565 and 568), located about 670 km apart on the landward flank of the Middle America Trench, was studied to determine the geochemical conditions that characterize the occurrence of gas hydrates. Site 565 was located in the Pacific Ocean offshore the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica in 3,111 m of water. The depth of the hole at this site was 328 m, and gas hydrates were recovered from 285 and 319 m. Site 568 was located about 670 km to the northwest offshore Guatemala in 2,031 m of water. At this site the hole penetrated to 418 m, and gas hydrates were encountered at 404 m.

Preliminary geological interpretation and lithologic log of the exploratory geothermal test well (INEL-1), Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doherty, David J.; McBroome, Lisa Ann; Kuntz, Mel A.

1979-01-01

A 10,365 ft (3,159 m) geothermal test well was drilled in the spring of 1979 at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho: The majority of rock types encountered in the borehole are of volcanic origin. An upper section above 2,445 ft (745 m) consists of basaltic lava flows and interbedded .sediments of alluvial, lacustrine, and volcanic origin. A lower section below 2,445 ft (745 m) consists exclusively of rhyolitic welded ash-flow tuffs, air-fall ash deposits, nonwelded ash-flow ruffs, and volcaniclastic sediments. The lithology and thickness of the rhyolitic rocks suggest that they are part of an intracaldera fill.

Permeability of rock samples from Cajon Pass, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrow, C.; Byerlee, J.

1988-01-01

Room temperature, steady-state flow measurements of permeability were conducted on 15 unfractured core samples collected at depths between 270 and 2100 m in the Cajon Pass drillhole. Confining and pore pressures were set to the lithostat and hydrostat for each depth. The first 500 m encountered in the drill hole is composed of sandstones with typically high permeabilities of around 10-17m2. The crystalline rocks between 500 and 2100 m show a systematic decrease in permeability with depth from 10-19 to less than 10-21m2. These values are particularly low relative to the applied effective stresses of only 10-30 MPa, and may be a result of the extensive crack healing that was observed in most samples. -Authors

Construction, geologic, and water-level data for observation wells near Brentwood, Williamson County, Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanchar, Dorothea Withington

1989-01-01

Thirty-four observation wells were installed at 17 sites in the area of a hazardous-waste disposal site near Brentwood, in Williamson County, Tennessee. These wells were installed to supplement data collected from domestic wells in the area, to help define the geology of the study area and to determine the water levels. Both lithologic and geophysical logs were obtained for each well drilled to help define the formations encountered. Four limestone units, corresponding to the Bigby-Cannon limestone, the Hermitage Formation, the Carters Limestone (including the T-3 bentonite), and the Lebanon Limestone, were described from well cuttings and borehole geophysical logs. Water levels have been collected at both the shallow and deep wells at each site. (USGS)

Problems in Evaluating Adult Literacy Programmes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajyalakshmi, C.

1980-01-01

The study of the Functional Literacy Program in India encountered problems of opposition to evaluation, inappropriate respondents, and difficulties in contacting participants, which point to changes that should be made in the evaluation methods. (SK)

76 FR 6054 - Use of Less-Than-Lethal Force: Delegation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-03

... report any medical problems encountered by subjects being subdued and arrested, and no medical problems.... Therefore, for accuracy in terminology, we replace the term ``non-lethal'' with the more accurate term...

Common statistical and research design problems in manuscripts submitted to high-impact psychiatry journals: what editors and reviewers want authors to know.

PubMed

Harris, Alex H S; Reeder, Rachelle; Hyun, Jenny K

2009-10-01

Journal editors and statistical reviewers are often in the difficult position of catching serious problems in submitted manuscripts after the research is conducted and data have been analyzed. We sought to learn from editors and reviewers of major psychiatry journals what common statistical and design problems they most often find in submitted manuscripts and what they wished to communicate to authors regarding these issues. Our primary goal was to facilitate communication between journal editors/reviewers and researchers/authors and thereby improve the scientific and statistical quality of research and submitted manuscripts. Editors and statistical reviewers of 54 high-impact psychiatry journals were surveyed to learn what statistical or design problems they encounter most often in submitted manuscripts. Respondents completed the survey online. The authors analyzed survey text responses using content analysis procedures to identify major themes related to commonly encountered statistical or research design problems. Editors and reviewers (n=15) who handle manuscripts from 39 different high-impact psychiatry journals responded to the survey. The most commonly cited problems regarded failure to map statistical models onto research questions, improper handling of missing data, not controlling for multiple comparisons, not understanding the difference between equivalence and difference trials, and poor controls in quasi-experimental designs. The scientific quality of psychiatry research and submitted reports could be greatly improved if researchers became sensitive to, or sought consultation on frequently encountered methodological and analytic issues.

Health profiles of foreigners attending primary care clinics in Malaysia.

PubMed

Ab Rahman, Norazida; Sivasampu, Sheamini; Mohamad Noh, Kamaliah; Khoo, Ee Ming

2016-06-14

The world population has become more globalised with increasing number of people residing in another country for work or other reasons. Little is known about the health profiles of foreign population in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed description of the health problems presented by foreigners attending primary care clinics in Malaysia. Data were derived from the 2012 National Medical Care Survey (NMCS), a cross sectional survey of primary care encounters from public and private primary care clinics sampled from five regions in Malaysia. Patients with foreign nationality were identified and analysed for demographic profiles, reasons for encounter (RFEs), diagnosis, and provision of care. Foreigners accounted for 7.7 % (10,830) of all patient encounters from NMCS. Most encounters were from private clinics (90.2 %). Median age was 28 years (IQR: 24.0, 34.8) and 69.9 % were male. Most visits to the primary care clinics were for symptom-based complaints (69.5 %), followed by procedures (23.0 %) and follow-up visit (7.4 %). The commonest diagnosis in public clinics was antenatal care (21.8 %), followed by high risk pregnancies (7.5 %) and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (6.8 %). Private clinics had more cases for general medical examination (13.5 %), URTI (13.1 %) and fever (3.9 %). Medications were prescribed to 76.5 % of these encounters. More foreigners were seeking primary medical care from private clinics and the encounters were for general medical examinations and acute minor ailments. Those who sought care from public clinics were for obstetric problems and chronic diseases. Medications were prescribed to two-thirds of the encounters while other interventions: laboratory investigations, medical procedures and follow-up appointment had lower rates in private clinics. Foreigners are generally of young working group and are expected to have mandatory medical checks. The preponderance of obstetrics seen in public clinics suggests a need for improved access to maternal care and pregnancy related care. This has implication on policy and health care provision and access for foreigners and future studies are needed to look into strategies to solve these problems.

Learning by Heart.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rist, Marilee C.

1992-01-01

Although rote learning is a heretical notion to many educators, memorizing, reciting, and drilling may be what is needed to improve test scores and provide students with the necessary skills for solving problems and developing complex thinking skills. Sidebars summarize direct-teaching methods for mathematics and a Core Knowledge curriculum…

Teaching strategies in the learning of highest common factor and lowest common multiple

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halim, N. L. A.; Li, H.-C.; Shahrill, M.; Prahmana, R. C. I.

2017-12-01

The main purpose of this study is to improve students’ understanding of Highest Common Factor (HCF) and Lowest Common Multiple (LCM). Several alternative teaching strategies were integrated in the Year 7 lessons involving 20 students from one secondary school in Brunei Darussalam. The categories identified in the teaching strategy were the application of group work, embedding real-life problems, using presentations and the traditional drilling practice method. An open-ended survey was disseminated to collate the students’ feedback, and among the questions posed was in relation to the different types of lesson activities utilised within each of the teaching strategies. Although 55% of the students preferred the traditional drilling practice on the calculation of HCF and LCM, mainly due to the ease of the task as opposed to activities involving real-life problems, the findings also indicated that most students favour sharing their ideas in a healthy competition learning style between each other or between the groups.

Application of MRIL-WD (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Logging While Drilling) for irreducible water saturation, total reservoir, free-fluid, bound-fluid porosity measurements and its value for the petrophysical analysis of RT/RM data from the Shah Deniz well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirov, Elnur

2016-04-01

Sperry-Sun (Sperry Drilling Services) is the leader in MWD/LWD reliability, has developed the industry's first LWD NMR/MRIL-WD (nuclear magnetic resonance) tool. The MRIL-WD (magnetic resonance imaging logging-while-drilling) service directly measures the T1 component of hydrogen in subsurface rock units while drilling to obtain total reservoir porosity and to dissect the observed total porosity into its respective components of free fluid and bound fluid porosity. These T1 data are used to secure accurate total, free-fluid, capillary-bound water, and clay-bound water porosity of the reservoir sections which can be drilled in the several Runs. Over the last decade, results from Magnetic Resonance Imaging logs (NMR) have added significant value to petrophysical analysis and understanding by providing total, free-fluid and bound-fluid porosities, combined with fluid typing capabilities. With MRIL-WD very valuable Real-Time or Recorded Memory data/information is now available during or shortly after the drilling operation (formation properties measurement can be taken right after a drill bit penetration), while trip in and trip out as well. A key point in utilizing MRIL in an LWD environment is motion-tolerant measurements. Recent MRIL-WD logging runs from the Shah Deniz wells located in the Khazarian-Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic helped to delineate and assess hydrocarbon bearing zones. Acquired results demonstrate how MRIL data can be acquired while-drilling and provide reliable/high quality measurements. Magnetic Resonance Imaging logs at some developments wells have become a cornerstone in formation evaluation and petrophysical understanding. By providing total, free-fluid, and bound-fluid porosities together with fluid typing, MRIL results have significantly added to the assessment of reservoirs. In order to reduce NPT (Non-Productive Time) and save the rig operations time, there is always the desire to obtain logging results as soon as possible, preferably while the drilling of the brand new wells (logging-while-drilling, LWD). The MRIL-WD Tool can accomplish any tasks reliably and in a timely manner thus saving drilling time and reducing the overall risk for the well. Control of water production and identification of pay zones with high irreducible water saturation are also very important for formation evaluation and petrophysical analysis in oil fields located in the Azerbaijan Republic and also other fields around the world. Sometimes above-mentioned problems can cause delay in completion decisions which will create additional expenses for field management. In many wells, breakthroughs in reservoir characterization have been achieved in directly determining hydrocarbon volumes, net permeability thickness, and hydrocarbon type, thus circumventing the problems associated with obtaining wireline data and the considerable amount of rig time required (so MRIL-WD can considerably reduce the NPT). Some reservoir zones with relatively low water saturation, which calculated from the other conventional logs, can produce with relatively high percentage of water cut, primarily because much of the water is movable. However, other zones with high calculated water saturation produce water free hydrocarbons. The difficulty in predicting water production can be related with the producing from the complex lithology, which can contain low-permeability, medium- to fine-grained shaly sands. Where grains are small, the formations have high surface to volume ratios that result in high irreducible water saturation and due to this we can see low resistivity values. As a result the use of resistivity logs as pay indicator, sometimes can cause low resistivity pay zones might be overlooked and consequently net field pay could be underestimated. In the last few years, nuclear magnetic resonance logs have shown great promise in solving problems of formation evaluation that could not be directly resolved with conventional logs. The capability of MRIL-WD can help many engineers to differentiate between the immovable and movable water in oil reservoirs in many fields. Sometimes MRIL-WD have also been capable of providing better formation permeability than conventional logs, a feature which can save time and expense in well-completion decisions. The RT & RM bound fluid and total porosity measurements can provide a tremendous new insight into the formation evaluation of shaly sands and low resistivity pays. Unlike traditional porosity devices, which are affected by rock matrix changes, the MRIL-WD tool can be used in complex or mixed lithology sequences and provide measurements of porosity that are lithology independent.

Applications of remote sensing to water resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Analyses were made of selected long-term (1985 and beyond) objectives, with the intent of determining if significant data-related problems would be encountered and to develop alternative solutions to any potential problems. One long-term objective selected for analysis was Water Availability Forecasting. A brief overview was scheduled in FY-77 of the objective -- primarily a fact-finding study to allow Data Management personnel to gain adequate background information to perform subsequent data system analyses. This report, includes discussions on some of the larger problems currently encountered in water measurement, the potential users of water availability forecasts, projected demands of users, current sensing accuracies, required parameter monitoring, status of forecasting modeling, and some measurement accuracies likely to be achievable by 1980 and 1990.

Project HOTSPOT: Borehole geophysics log interpretation from the Snake River Plain, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, M. D.; Schmitt, D. R.; Chen, X.; Shervais, J. W.; Liberty, L. M.; Potter, K. E.; Kessler, J. A.

2013-12-01

The Snake River Plain (SRP), Idaho, hosts potential geothermal resources due to elevated groundwater temperatures associated with the thermal anomaly Yellowstone-Snake River hotspot. Project HOTSPOT has coordinated international institutions and organizations to understand subsurface stratigraphy and assess geothermal potential. Over 5.9km of core were drilled from three boreholes within the SRP in an attempt to acquire continuous core documenting the volcanic and sedimentary record of the hotspot: (1) Kimama, (2) Kimberely, and (3) Mountain Home. The most eastern drill hole is Kimama located along the central volcanic axis of the SRP and documents basaltic volcanism. The Kimberely drill hole was selected to document continuous volcanism when analysed in conjunction with the Kimama drill hole and is located near the margin of the plain. The Mountain Home drill hole is located along the western plain and documents older basalts overlain by sediment. A suite of ground and borehole geophysical surveys were carried out within the SRP between 2010 and 2012. The borehole geophysics logs included gamma ray (spectral and natural), neutron hydrogen index, electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, ultrasonic borehole televiewer imaging, full waveform sonic, and vertical seismic profile. The borehole geophysics logs were qualitatively assessed through visual interpretation of lithological horizons and quantitatively through physical property specialized software and digital signal processing automated filtering process to identify step functions and high frequency anomalies. Preliminary results were published by Schmitt et al. (2012), Potter et al. (2012), and Shervais et al. (2013). The results are continuously being enhanced as more information is qualitatively and quantitatively delineated from the borehole geophysics logs. Each drill hole encounters three principal units: massive basalt flows, rhyolite, and sediments. Basalt has a low to moderate porosity and is low in the natural gamma ray isotopes uranium, thorium, and potassium, while rhyolites produce high total gamma ray responses. Sediment interbeds become apparent as the radioactivity associated with fine grained minerals is significantly higher than that of the host rock (e.g. basalt) due to high hydrogen concentration within the crystal structure of clays. Basalt lacks conductive minerals and results in high resistivity but moderate magnetic susceptibility. The sediments on the other hand are highly conductive and have a low magnetic susceptibility. The basalt and rhyolite units are relatively massive except for fractures which become apparent in the ultrasonic borehole televiewer. Signal is lost in soft sediments resulting in dark regions when full amplitude is displayed for the ultrasonic borehole televiewer. The massive basalt shows short P- and S-wave travel times and therefore a high sonic velocity, while the sediments display only P-wave first arrivals.

Uncertainty evaluation with increasing borehole drilling in subsurface hydrogeological explorations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amano, K.; Ohyama, T.; Kumamoto, S.; Shimo, M.

2016-12-01

Quantities of drilling boreholes have been a difficult subject for field investigators in such as subsurface hydrogeological explorations. This problem becomes a bigger in heterogeneous formations or rock masses so we need to develop quantitative criteria for evaluating uncertainties during borehole investigations.To test an uncertainty reduction with increasing boreholes, we prepared a simple hydrogeological model and virtual hydraulic tests were carried out by using this model. The model consists of 125,000 elements of which hydraulic conductivities are generated randomly from the log-normal distribution in a 2-kilometer cube. Uncertainties were calculated by the difference of head distributions between the original model and the inchoate models made by virtual hydraulic test one by one.The results show the level and the variance of uncertainty are strongly correlated to the average and variance of the hydraulic conductivities. This kind of trends also could be seen in the actual field data obtained from the deep borehole investigations in Horonobe Town, northern Hokkaido, Japan. Here, a new approach using fractional bias (FB) and normalized mean square error (NMSE) for evaluating uncertainty characteristics will be introduced and the possibility of use as an indicator for decision making (i.e. to stop borehole drilling or to continue borehole drilling) in field investigations will be discussed.

PROMESS 1: Past Global Changes Investigated by Drilling Mediterranean Continental Margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berne, S.

2004-12-01

Between June, 24th and July, 22nd, 2004, a team of European scientists embarked from Brindisi (Italy) to Barcelona (Spain) onboard the Russian vessel "Bavenit", operated by the Dutch geotechnical company FUGRO, for a drilling expedition in the Adriatic Sea and the NW Mediterranean Sea. The purpose of this cruise was to collect long sediment sections and in situ measurements from two deltaic margins where the history of global changes during the last ca. 400 kyr is particularly well preserved. In the Adriatic, two boreholes were drilled at site PRAD1 (water depth 184 m), where the objective was to study the record of the last 4 glacial cycles. A pilot hole was first drilled for assessing the risk of shallow gases, a downhole logging was carried out in this borehole. A second site allowed continuous coring to the targeted depth (71m below sea-floor) with excellent recovery (better than 95%). Very preliminary interpretation indicates that seismic sequences previously identified correspond to 100 kyr glacial cycles. Downhole logging and physical properties of cores allow to identify magnetic events, and tephras. Site PRAD2 was devoted to the study of the recent most sediments (last 12,000 yrs) near the coastline, at a water depth of 56m. The targeted depth was 32 m below sea floor, sufficient to obtain a good record for the last ca 12,000 years. All together, six boreholes were drilled at PRAD2, including a pilot hole, one for continuous sediment recovery, and additional holes for in situ geotechnical tests and sampling. One of the objectives of these tests is to determine whether the wavy features shaping the sedimentary sequences are caused by near-bottom currents or result from liquefaction of unstable sediments triggered by earthquakes or storms. Site PRGL1 in the Gulf of Lion is at 298 m water depth, and the targeted depth below sea floor was 300 m, allowing to reach an expected age of about 430 kyr BP. A pilot hole was drilled down to 310 mbsf, and logged. Two geotechnical boreholes were drilled, allowing tests and measurements to a depth of 150 mbsf. Another borehole was drilled for continuous coring to the depth of 300 mbsf. The recovery was excellent (>95%). Preliminary estimations of coccolithophore assemblages provide a general time-frame for this site. Marine isotope stage (MIS) 12 was reached at the bottom of the hole. We have also good estimates of the position of the intervals corresponding to MIS 2-3, MIS 4, MIS 5a-d, and the transition between MIS 8 and 7. This shows that, as in the Adriatic Sea, seismic bounding surfaces are linked to 100 kyr cycles, that modify lithology and sedimentation rates on the upper slope. The presence of coarser sediment at the end of each "forced regression", and the occurrence of some biogenic gas, trapped by the overlying clayey sediments deposited during the ensuing warm period, is likely at the origin of seismic anomalies. Site PRGL2 is at 103 m water depth, an area where glacial shorelines that formed duringthe last ca. 500 kyr are the best preserved. A CPTU borehole was first drilled, followed by a sampling borehole, down to 100 mbsf. As expected, many sandy intervals were encountered, but the overall recovery was however quite good, in the order of 82%. Gamma ray downhole logging was performed in the drill pipe afterward. PROMESS 1 is an European Community funded project of the 5th framework programme (EVR1-2001-41). It belongs to the OMARC cluster of projects. It is a companion project of the joint Euro-US "EUROSTRATAFORM" project. The "PROMESS 1" shipboard party: S. Berne, M. Canals, A. Cattaneo, E. Colmenero, G. Floch, B. Dennielou, J. Frigola, R. Gelfort, J. Gravalosa, D. Ridente, T. Schoolmeester, N. Sultan, G. Tulloch, H.J. Wallrabe-Adams

Learning Impasses in Problem Solving

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodgson, J. P. E.

1992-01-01

Problem Solving systems customarily use backtracking to deal with obstacles that they encounter in the course of trying to solve a problem. This paper outlines an approach in which the possible obstacles are investigated prior to the search for a solution. This provides a solution strategy that avoids backtracking.

Using CAS to Solve Classical Mathematics Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Maurice J.; Burroughs, Elizabeth A.

2009-01-01

Historically, calculus has displaced many algebraic methods for solving classical problems. This article illustrates an algebraic method for finding the zeros of polynomial functions that is closely related to Newton's method (devised in 1669, published in 1711), which is encountered in calculus. By exploring this problem, precalculus students…

Improving Audio Quality in Distance Learning Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Craig H.

This paper discusses common causes of problems encountered with audio systems in distance learning networks and offers practical suggestions for correcting the problems. Problems and discussions are divided into nine categories: (1) acoustics, including reverberant classrooms leading to distorted or garbled voices, as well as one-dimensional audio…

Beyond Utility Targeting: Toward Axiological Air Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

encounter the leader- sociopath , bereft of values, quite willing to live underground in hiding and in- sensitive to the absence of human comforts...that is a mere one thousand value-analysis problems to begin solving. A more difficult problem to solve is the problem of the leader- sociopath

Fix and forget or fix and report: a qualitative study of tensions at the front line of incident reporting.

PubMed

Hewitt, Tanya Anne; Chreim, Samia

2015-05-01

Practitioners frequently encounter safety problems that they themselves can resolve on the spot. We ask: when faced with such a problem, do practitioners fix it in the moment and forget about it, or do they fix it in the moment and report it? We consider factors underlying these two approaches. We used a qualitative case study design employing in-depth interviews with 40 healthcare practitioners in a tertiary care hospital in Ontario, Canada. We conducted a thematic analysis, and compared the findings with the literature. 'Fixing and forgetting' was the main choice that most practitioners made in situations where they faced problems that they themselves could resolve. These situations included (A) handling near misses, which were seen as unworthy of reporting since they did not result in actual harm to the patient, (B) prioritising solving individual patients' safety problems, which were viewed as unique or one-time events and (C) encountering re-occurring safety problems, which were framed as inevitable, routine events. In only a few instances was 'fixing and reporting' mentioned as a way that the providers dealt with problems that they could resolve. We found that generally healthcare providers do not prioritise reporting if a safety problem is fixed. We argue that fixing and forgetting patient safety problems encountered may not serve patient safety as well as fixing and reporting. The latter approach aligns with recent calls for patient safety to be more preventive. We consider implications for practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The BAPE 2 balloon-borne CO2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degnan, J. J.; Walker, H. E.; Peruso, C. J.; Johnson, E. H.; Klein, B. J.; Mcelroy, J. H.

1972-01-01

The systems and techniques which were utilized in the experiment to establish an air-to-ground CO2 laser heterodyne link are described along with the successes and problems encountered when the heterodyne receiver and laser transmitter package were removed from the controlled environment of the laboratory. Major topics discussed include: existing systems and the underlying principles involved in their operation; experimental techniques and optical alignment methods which were found to be useful; theoretical calculations of signal strengths expected under a variety of test conditions and in actual flight; and the experimental results including problems encountered and their possible solutions.

Preparations for ExoMars: Learning Lessons from Curiosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Peter Henry; Hutchinson, Ian; Morgan, Sally; McHugh, Melissa; Malherbe, Cedric; Lerman, Hannah; INGLEY, Richard

2016-10-01

In 2020, the European Space Agency will launch its first Mars rover mission, ExoMars. The rover will use a drill to obtain samples from up to 2m below the Martian surface that will then be analysed using a variety of analytical instruments, including the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS), which will be the first Raman spectrometer to be used on a planetary mission.To prepare for ExoMars RLS operations, we report on a series of experiments that have been performed in order to investigate the response of a representative Raman instrument to a number of analogue samples (selected based on the types of material known to be important, following investigations performed by NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, MSL, on the Curiosity rover). Raman spectroscopy will provide molecular and mineralogical information about the samples obtained from the drill cores on ExoMars. MSL acquires similar information using the CheMin XRD instrument which analyses samples acquired from drill holes several centimetres deep. Like Raman spectroscopy, XRD also provides information on the mineralogical makeup of the analysed samples.The samples in our study were selected based on CheMin data obtained from drill sites at Yellowknife Bay, one of the first locations visited by Curiosity (supplemented with additional fine scale elemental information obtained with the ChemCam LIBS laser instrument). Once selected (or produced), the samples were characterised using standard laboratory XRD and XRF instruments (in order to compare with the data obtained by CheMin) and a standard, laboratory based LIBS system (in order to compare with the ChemCam data). This characterisation provides confirmation that the analogue samples are representative of the materials likely to be encountered on Mars by the ExoMars rover.A representative, miniaturised Raman spectrometer was used to analyse the samples, using acquisition strategies and operating modes similar to those expected for the ExoMars instrument. The type of minerals detected are identified and compared to the information typically acquired using other analytical science techniques investigating in order to highlight the benefits and drawbacks of using Raman spectroscopy for planetary science applications.

Interim report : a non-overlay cathodic protection system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-01-01

This interim report describes Virginia's experience in installing its first cathodic protection system for a bridge deck. The installation was completed with practically no problems. Very minor problems have been encountered with the rectifier/contro...

Investigation of fatigue by Australian general practice registrars: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Morgan, Simon; Henderson, Kim M; Tapley, Amanda; Thomson, Allison; Wilson, Jessica; Scott, John; Spike, Neil A; McArthur, Lawrie; van Driel, Mieke L; Magin, Parker J

2015-06-01

Fatigue is the most common undifferentiated problem presenting in general practice. Previous studies have shown that this presentation leads to multiple investigations. There is no published literature describing the management of patients with fatigue by general practice (GP) registrars. To document the investigation-ordering behaviour of GP registrars in managing patients with a new diagnosis of unexplained fatigue. This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT), an ongoing cohort study of GP registrars' consultations. We established the prevalence of new diagnoses of unexplained fatigue and associations with that diagnosis, the rate of test ordering and the number and types of investigations ordered. 644 registrars contributed data from 68 986 encounters. In 0.78% of patient encounters, a new diagnosis of unexplained fatigue was made. Pathology was ordered in 78.4% of these problems (versus 18.1% in non-fatigue problems), at a rate of 488 tests per 100 new fatigue problems. Our study suggests that unexplained fatigue elicits a non-rational approach to test ordering by registrars. These findings contribute to the understanding of GP registrar management of fatigue, and undifferentiated presentations more broadly, and suggest educational approaches to improve practice, including dealing with uncertainty.

Unfinished business in the regulation of shale gas production in the United States.

PubMed

Centner, Terence J; O'Connell, Laura Kathryn

2014-04-01

With increased drilling for natural gas, toxic chemicals used to fracture wells have been introduced into the environment accompanied by allegations of injuries. This article evaluates laws and regulations governing shale gas production to disclose ideas for offering further protection to people and the environment. The aim of the study is to offer state governments ideas for addressing contractual obligations of drilling operators, discerning health risks, disclosing toxic chemicals, and reporting sufficient information to detect problems and enforce regulations. The discussion suggests opportunities for state regulators to become more supportive of public health through greater oversight of shale gas extraction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Results of the second phase of the drought-disaster test-drilling program near Morristown, N.J.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vecchioli, John; Nichols, William D.; Nemickas, Bronius

1967-01-01

The continued drought in northeastern New Jersey through the summer of 1966 with its attendant water-supply problems resulted in an extension of the drought-disaster test-drilling program originally requested by the Office of Emergency Planning on August 30, 1965. Authorization to continue test drilling was fiven by the Office of Emergency Planning on September 26, 1966, with the stipulation that all field work be complete by January 31, 1977. Contractural costs were paid by the Office of Emergency Planning, whereas personnel costs were shared by the U.S. Geological Survey and the New Jersey Department of Conservation and Economic Development, Division of Water Policy and Supply.The work undertaken in 1965 by the Geological Survey was "...to preform the necessary drilling and testing of wells to identify the extent and nature of a reserve ground-water source in the vicinity of the Passaic River near the northern New Jersey metropolitan area." Results of this first phase were made available in the fall of 1966 in Water Resources Circular 16 of the New Jersey Department of Conservation and Economic Development. Three of the five areas tested (figure 1)--two in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township (areas 2 and 4) and one in East Hanover Township (area 1), Morris County--proved capable of providing an aggregate sustained yield of 7.5 million gallons daily (mgd) from wells constructed in sand and gravel deposits. Because significant supplies of ground water for emergency use were located in the first phase of the exploratory test-drilling program, it was though desirable to extend the originally planned studies so as to obtain maximum practicable information on emergency supplies.During this second phase of the investigation, drilling was conducted in 16 sites in Chatham, Madison, and Florham Park Boroughs and in Hanover and East Hanover Townships, Morris County. (See figure 2.) The drilling in Hanover and East Hanover Townships, and part of the drilling done in Florham Park was to explore the availability of large undeveloped ground-water supplies. Drilling in Chatham, Madison, and Florham Park Boroughs was done primarily to determine the extent and continuity of buried valley-fill aquifers, so that a full evaluation of the effects of pumpage from other areas on these already heavily pumped areas could be made. In addition, it was anticipated that the drilling could help in defining the feasibility of artificial recharge of the heavily pumped areas and in the determination of the prospective method of recharge and points of emplacement.Arrangements for easements with landowners, preparation of specifications for well drilling and seismic work, and supervision of well drilling and seismic contracts were all performed by the New Jersey District, Water Resources Division of the Geological Survey.Prior to the test drilling, seismic exploration under contract with Alpine Geophysical Associates of Norwood, N. J. was conducted at five locations in the Chatham-Madison-Florham Park area and at one place in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township. The seismic work was done to determine the most favorable location for a test well at several potential test-well sites and to help in the interpretation of subsurface geology between test sites.Contracts for the drilling of the test holes were awarded during November and drilling commences on November 30. Kaye Well drilling, Inc. of Jackson, N. J. was the recipient of a contract for eight of the test holes, and a second contract was awarded to Rinbrand Well Drilling Co., Inc. of Glen Rock, N. J.--also for eight test holes.Acknowledgment is due to the many public officials of Chatham, Madison, Florham Park, Morristown, and East Hanover Township as well as officials of the Braidburn Corporation and Esso Research and Engineering Co., who cooperated by making their lands available for exploration.

Role of Enhancing Visual Effects Education Delivery to Encounter Career Challenges in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Lynn-Sze

2017-01-01

Problem-based Learning (PBL) is one of the most effective methods of instruction that helps Visual Effects (VFX) students to be more adaptable at encountering career challenges in Malaysia. These challenges are; lack of several important requirements such as, the basic and fundamental knowledge of VFX concepts, the ability to understand real-world…

Brain-Building Math Games.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Loretta Welk

1983-01-01

Index cards, masking tape, pizza shells, golf tees, and empty soda bottles can be used to make manipulative objects to be used in children's mathematics games. Twenty-two games that provide practice in number drills and problem solving are described, along with instructions for making objects needed for the games. (PP)

Problem Solving Skills for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youngs, Bettie B.

This guide was written for children, to help them handle problems they might encounter, learn about other children and how they have handled similar problems, and learn what to do when things go wrong or when they feel misunderstood. In the introduction, children are assured that, even when they have problems, they can be happy again. The body of…

Problem Solving Instruction for Overcoming Students' Difficulties in Stoichiometric Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shadreck, Mandina; Enunuwe, Ochonogor Chukunoye

2017-01-01

The study sought to find out difficulties encountered by high school chemistry students when solving stoichiometric problems and how these could be overcome by using a problem-solving approach. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design. 485 participants drawn from 8 highs schools in a local education district in Zimbabwe participated in the…

Alcohol and Other Drugs on Campus: The Scope of the Problem. Infofacts/Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapner, Daniel Ari

2008-01-01

The most widespread health problem on college and university campuses in the United States is high-risk alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. Recent reports confirm that the nation's campuses continue to encounter significant consequences as a result of this problem. This "Infofacts/Resources" offers an overview of the problem and highlights effective…

Mariner 10 Venus encounter. [scientific objectives and instruments for flyby observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunne, J. A.

1974-01-01

Review of the scientific objectives of the Mariner 10 mission with regard to observations of Venus during a flyby, and description of the equipment installed on the spacecraft to fulfill these objectives. A detailed description is given of the hardware modifications made to the payload specifically for the Venus sequence. In discussing the encounter operations, two spacecraft problems which significantly affected the Venus encounter sequence are cited - namely, a failure of the television optic heaters to come on shortly after launch, and the occurrence of a roll gyro oscillation.

Automation--planning to implementation; the problems en route.

PubMed Central

Pizer, I H

1976-01-01

Once the major decision to automate library processes is made, there are a variety of problems which may be encountered before the planned system becomes operational. These include problems of personnel, budget, procurement of adjunct services, institutional priorities, and manufacturing uncertainties. Actual and potential difficulties are discussed. PMID:1247703

Conceptualizing Perseverance in Problem Solving as Collective Enterprise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengupta-Irving, Tesha; Agarwal, Priyanka

2017-01-01

Students are expected to learn mathematics such that when they encounter challenging problems they will persist. Creating opportunities for students to persist in problem solving is therefore argued as essential to effective teaching and to children developing positive dispositions in mathematical learning. This analysis takes a novel approach to…

Financial Stress, Parental Depressive Symptoms, Parenting Practices, and Children's Externalizing Problem Behaviors: Underlying Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chih-Yuan Steven; Lee, Jaerim; August, Gerald J.

2011-01-01

This study examined the relationships among financial stress encountered by families, parents' social support, parental depressive symptoms, parenting practices, and children's externalizing problem behaviors to advance our understanding of the processes by which family financial stress is associated with children's problem behaviors. We also…

Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollak, Ave

This guide is intended for use in presenting a three-session course designed to develop the problem-solving skills required of persons employed in the manufacturing and service industries. The course is structured so that, upon its completion, students will be able to accomplish the following: describe and analyze problems encountered at work;…

Twenty Recent Novels (and More) about Adolescents for Bibliotherapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hipple, Ted; Comer, Melissa; Boren, Dodie

1997-01-01

Lists 20 problems adolescents may encounter, with a description of one young adult novel in which that problem is a central feature. Some of the problems addressed include abuse, AIDS, alcohol, alienation, crime, death, disabilities, divorce, drugs, ethics, homosexuality, peer pressure, pregnancy, prejudice, rape, religious pressure, school, sex,…

Support Services for Remote Users of Online Public Access Catalogs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalin, Sally W.

1991-01-01

Discusses the needs of remote users of online public access catalogs (OPACs). User expectations are discussed; problems encountered by remote-access users are examined, including technical problems and searching problems; support services are described, including instruction, print guides, and online help; and differences from the needs of…

Exploring Principals' Nonroutine Problems in Bilingual Immersion Schools: Lessons Learned for Multicultural Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwabsky, Nitza

2013-01-01

The present study examines the nonroutine problems that eight Anglo-American principals encountered in managing three elementary bilingual immersion schools in the Northwest United States. Using qualitative inquiry to collect data, I employed the multisited ethnographic research model. The principals reported nonroutine problems in the following…

Another Look at the Language Difficulties of International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Yanyin; Mi, Yinan

2010-01-01

International students encounter language-related problems in their academic studies. Specific problem areas have been identified and possible underlying causes have been explored. The present study investigates the impact of two variables--length of study and academic disciplines--in relation to the problems. The findings from a survey and…

Earth System Science Education Modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, C.; Kaufman, C.; Humphreys, R. R.; Colgan, M. W.

2009-12-01

The College of Charleston is developing several new geoscience-based education modules for integration into the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA). These three new modules provide opportunities for science and pre-service education students to participate in inquiry-based, data-driven experiences. The three new modules will be discussed in this session. Coastal Crisis is a module that analyzes rapidly changing coastlines and uses technology - remotely sensed data and geographic information systems (GIS) to delineate, understand and monitor changes in coastal environments. The beaches near Charleston, SC are undergoing erosion and therefore are used as examples of rapidly changing coastlines. Students will use real data from NASA, NOAA and other federal agencies in the classroom to study coastal change. Through this case study, learners will acquire remotely sensed images and GIS data sets from online sources, utilize those data sets within Google Earth or other visualization programs, and understand what the data is telling them. Analyzing the data will allow learners to contemplate and make predictions on the impact associated with changing environmental conditions, within the context of a coastal setting. To Drill or Not To Drill is a multidisciplinary problem based module to increase students’ knowledge of problems associated with nonrenewable resource extraction. The controversial topic of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) examines whether the economic benefit of the oil extracted from ANWR is worth the social cost of the environmental damage that such extraction may inflict. By attempting to answer this question, learners must balance the interests of preservation with the economic need for oil. The learners are exposed to the difficulties associated with a real world problem that requires trade-off between environmental trust and economic well-being. The Citizen Science module challenges students to translate scientific information into words that are understandable and useful for policy makers and other stakeholders. The inability of scientists to effectively communicate with the public has been highlighted as a major reason for the anti-science attitude of a large segment of the public. This module, unlike other ESSEA modules, addresses this problem by first, investigating a global change environmental problem using Earth System Science methodologies, then developing several solutions to that problem, and finally writing a position paper for the policy makers to use. These three hands-on, real-world modules that engage students in authentic research share similar goals: 1) to use global change data sets to examine controversial environmental problems; 2) to use an earth system science approach to understand the complexity of global problems; and 3) to help students understand the political complexity of environmental problems where there is a clash between economic and ecological problems. The curriculum will meet National Standards in science, geography, math, etc.

Transit security : a description of problems and countermeasures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-10-01

This report provides a broad perspective on transit security. It examines a wide range of transit security problems encountered by transit systems, namely: crime against passengers and employees; crimes involving revenues, including fare evasion by p...

Adaptation of Social Problem Solving for Children Questionnaire in 6 Age Groups and its Relationships with Preschool Behavior Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dereli-Iman, Esra

2013-01-01

Social Problem Solving for Child Scale is frequently used to determine behavioral problems of children with their own word and to identify ways of conflict encountered in daily life, and interpersonal relationships in abroad. The primary purpose of this study was to adapt the Wally Child Social Problem-Solving Detective Game Test. In order to…

Cutting and drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) by 70W short pulse nanosecond laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaeschke, Peter; Stolberg, Klaus; Bastick, Stefan; Ziolkowski, Ewa; Roehner, Markus; Suttmann, Oliver; Overmeyer, Ludger

2014-02-01

Continuous carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) are recognized as having a significant lightweight construction potential for a wide variety of industrial applications. However, a today`s barrier for a comprehensive dissemination of CFRP structures is the lack of economic, quick and reliable manufacture processes, e.g. the cutting and drilling steps. In this paper, the capability of using pulsed disk lasers in CFRP machining is discussed. In CFRP processing with NIR lasers, carbon fibers show excellent optical absorption and heat dissipation, contrary to the plastics matrix. Therefore heat dissipation away from the laser focus into the material is driven by heat conduction of the fibres. The matrix is heated indirectly by heat transfer from the fibres. To cut CFRP, it is required to reach the melting temperature for thermoplastic matrix materials or the disintegration temperature for thermoset systems as well as the sublimation temperature of the reinforcing fibers simultaneously. One solution for this problem is to use short pulse nanosecond lasers. We have investigated CFRP cutting and drilling with such a laser (max. 7 mJ @ 10 kHz, 30 ns). This laser offers the opportunity of wide range parameter tuning for systematic process optimization. By applying drilling and cutting operations based on galvanometer scanning techniques in multi-cycle mode, excellent surface and edge characteristics in terms of delamination-free and intact fiber-matrix interface were achieved. The results indicate that nanosecond disk laser machining could consequently be a suitable tool for the automotive and aircraft industry for cutting and drilling steps.

Lattice Boltzmann computation of creeping fluid flow in roll-coating applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajan, Isac; Kesana, Balashanker; Perumal, D. Arumuga

2018-04-01

Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) has advanced as a class of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods used to solve complex fluid systems and heat transfer problems. It has ever-increasingly attracted the interest of researchers in computational physics to solve challenging problems of industrial and academic importance. In this current study, LBM is applied to simulate the creeping fluid flow phenomena commonly encountered in manufacturing technologies. In particular, we apply this novel method to simulate the fluid flow phenomena associated with the "meniscus roll coating" application. This prevalent industrial problem encountered in polymer processing and thin film coating applications is modelled as standard lid-driven cavity problem to which creeping flow analysis is applied. This incompressible viscous flow problem is studied in various speed ratios, the ratio of upper to lower lid speed in two different configurations of lid movement - parallel and anti-parallel wall motion. The flow exhibits interesting patterns which will help in design of roll coaters.

Ethical problems and moral sensitivity in physiotherapy: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Kulju, Kati; Suhonen, Riitta; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

2013-08-01

This study identified and described ethical problems encountered by physiotherapists in their practice and physiotherapists' moral sensitivity in ethical situations. A questionnaire-based survey was constructed to identify ethical problems, and the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire Revised version was used to measure moral sensitivity. Physiotherapists (n = 116) working in public health services responded to the questionnaire. Based on the results, most of the physiotherapists encounter ethical problems weekly. They concern mainly financial considerations, equality and justice, professionalism, unethical conduct of physiotherapists or other professions and patients' self-determination. The dimension of moral strength was emphasised in physiotherapists' self-evaluations of their moral sensitivity. As a conclusion, ethical problems do occur not only at individual level but also at organisational and society level. Physiotherapists seem to have moral strength for speaking on behalf of the patient. Scarce resources make them feel insufficient but much could still be done to provide quality care in co-operation with other health-care professionals.

Math Activities Using LogoWriter--Investigations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flewelling, Gary

This book is one in a series of teacher resource books developed to: (1) rescue students from the clutches of computers that drill and control; and (2) supply teachers with computer activities compatible with a mathematics program that emphasizes investigation, problem solving, creativity, and hypothesis making and testing. This is not a book…

Development of a Real-Time Intelligent Network Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordonov, Anatoliy; Kress, Michael; Klibaner, Roberta

This paper presents a model of an intelligent computer network that provides real-time evaluation of students' performance by incorporating intelligence into the application layer protocol. Specially designed drills allow students to independently solve a number of problems based on current lecture material; students are switched to the most…

The Ekofisk Accident Its Environmental and Political Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallenberg, Bengt

1977-01-01

The information collected from the accident at the Ekofisk offshore oil field is used to examine the environmental consequences and the costs of marine oil pollution. As offshore drillings increase throughout the world, there is a need for more information on this pollution problem and for more cooperation among nations. (MA)

Reasons for encounter and disease patterns in Danish primary care: changes over 16 years.

PubMed

Moth, Grete; Olesen, Frede; Vedsted, Peter

2012-06-01

Approximately 98% of Danish citizens are listed with a general practice which they consult for medical advice. Although 85% of the population contact their general practitioner (GP) every year, little is known about these contacts. The aim of the present paper is to gain updated knowledge about patients' reasons for encounter and the GP activities and to make comparisons with a similar study from 1993. All GPs in the Central Denmark Region were invited to register all contacts during one randomly chosen day within a year. The registration included questions about patients' reasons for encounter, the types and contents of the contacts, referrals, and distribution between new episodes and follow-up contacts. Aggregated data were compared with the results from 1993. A total of 404 (46%) GPs participated. The number of contacts per 1000 inhabitants had risen by 19.7%. The reasons for encounter and final diagnoses resembled those in 1993. Musculoskeletal, psychological, and respiratory problems were the most common reasons for encounter, psychological problems being the only type to increase over the period. Interestingly, the proportion of diagnoses within the ICPC 'A' chapter rose from 13.5 to 19.7%. The referral rate rose by 2% (relative: 18.7%) from 10.7% to 12.7% and the share of follow-up contacts rose from 45.9% to 50.4% (relative: 8.7%). Quite small changes were seen in the patterns of reasons for encounter and diagnoses from 1993 to 2009. However, an increase was found in contacts with general practice and referrals and in the proportion of follow-ups.

An analysis of the cultural problems encountered during caregiving by the nurses working in two different regions of Turkey.

PubMed

Kilic, Serap Parlar; Besen, Dilek Buyukkaya; Tokem, Yasemin; Fadiloglu, Cicek; Karadag, Gulendam

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to identify the cultural problems encountered during caregiving by the nurses working in two university hospitals located in western and eastern Turkey. This descriptive, comparative study was conducted between July 2008 and October 2009 with 338 nurses who volunteered to take part in the study. The study data were collected using an individual description questionnaire consisting of 10 questions and another questionnaire consisting of 14 questions to identify the cultural problems encountered by nurses when giving care. The study showed with respect to training received on transcultural nursing that only 59 nurses had this training, but the percentage was higher in the nurses working at the hospital in the west (54.2%) (P > 0.05). It was found that a large number of nurses in the sample group (n = 286) gave care to at least one individual from another culture, but the percentage was significantly higher in the nurses working in the west (56.7%) than in the nurses working in the east (43.3%) (P < 0.05). When the problems experienced by the nurses during caregiving because of cultural characteristics of patients were explored, it was found that they experienced problems mostly in 'communication', and the percentage of those having problems was higher in the nurses working in the west (60.8%) (P > 0.05). The problem experienced in this area was mostly because of the fact that patients 'did not speak Turkish' (63.8%). In conclusion, the nurses gave care to patients from different cultures, and most of them had trouble when giving care to patients from different cultures. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Radio science ground data system for the Voyager-Neptune encounter, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kursinski, E. R.; Asmar, S. W.

1991-01-01

The Voyager radio science experiments at Neptune required the creation of a ground data system array that includes a Deep Space Network complex, the Parkes Radio Observatory, and the Usuda deep space tracking station. The performance requirements were based on experience with the previous Voyager encounters, as well as the scientific goals at Neptune. The requirements were stricter than those of the Uranus encounter because of the need to avoid the phase-stability problems experienced during that encounter and because the spacecraft flyby was faster and closer to the planet than previous encounters. The primary requirement on the instrument was to recover the phase and amplitude of the S- and X-band (2.3 and 8.4 GHz) signals under the dynamic conditions encountered during the occultations. The primary receiver type for the measurements was open loop with high phase-noise and frequency stability performance. The receiver filter bandwidth was predetermined based on the spacecraft's trajectory and frequency uncertainties.

Scientific Ocean Drilling to Assess Submarine Geohazards along European Margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ask, M. V.; Camerlenghi, A.; Kopf, A.; Morgan, J. K.; Ocean DrillingSeismic Hazard, P. E.

2008-12-01

Submarine geohazards are some of the most devastating natural events in terms of lives lost and economic impact. Earthquakes pose a big threat to society and infrastructure, but the understanding of their episodic generation is incomplete. Tsunamis are known for their potential of striking coastlines world-wide. Other geohazards originating below the sea surface are equally dangerous for undersea structures and the coastal population: submarine landslides and volcanic islands collapse with little warning and devastating consequences. The European scientific community has a strong focus on geohazards along European and nearby continental margins, especially given their high population densities, and long historic and prehistoric record of hazardous events. For example, the Mediterranean is surrounded by very densely-populated coastline and is the World's leading holiday destination, receiving up 30% of global tourism. In addition, its seafloor is criss-crossed by hydrocarbon pipelines and telecommunication cables. However, the governing processes and recurrence intervals of geohazards are still poorly understood. Examples include, but are not limited to, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions along the active tectonic margins of the Mediterranean and Sea of Marmara, landslides on both active and passive margins, and tsunamites and seismites in the sedimentary record that suggest a long history of similar events. The development of geophysical networks, drilling, sampling and long-term monitoring are crucial to the understanding of earthquake, landslide, and tsunami processes, and to mitigate the associated risks in densely populated and industrialized regions such as Europe. Scientific drilling, particularly in the submarine setting, offers a unique tool to obtain drill core samples, borehole measurements and long-term observations. Hence, it is a critical technology to investigate past, present, and possible future influences of hazardous processes in this area. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) provides technologically top-level drilling vessels and platforms that can be used by scientists to address global scientific problems, including the causes and processes responsible for submarine geohazards. Both IODP and ECORD (the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling in collaboration with the European Science Foundation) support scientific initiatives towards submarine geohazards, because the geological record of geohazards can be read and interpreted only through ocean drilling, combined with a broad array of geophysical, geotechnical, and laboratory studies, to identify structures and deposits associated with hazardous phenomena.

USE OF CUTTING-EDGE HORIZONTAL AND UNDERBALANCED DRILLING TECHNOLOGIES AND SUBSURFACE SEISMIC TECHNIQUES TO EXPLORE, DRILL AND PRODUCE RESERVOIRED OIL AND GAS FROM THE FRACTURED MONTEREY BELOW 10,000 FT IN THE SANTA MARIA BASIN OF CALIFORNIA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Witter; Robert Knoll; William Rehm

2005-02-01

This project was undertaken to demonstrate that oil and gas can be drilled and produced safely and economically from a fractured Monterey reservoir in the Santa Maria Basin of California by employing horizontal wellbores and underbalanced drilling technologies. Two vertical wells were previously drilled in this area by Temblor Petroleum with heavy mud and conventional completions; neither was commercially productive. A new well was drilled by the project team in 2004 with the objective of accessing an extended length of oil-bearing, high-resistivity Monterey shale via a horizontal wellbore, while implementing managed-pressure drilling (MPD) techniques to avoid formation damage. Initial projectmore » meetings were conducted in October 2003. The team confirmed that the demonstration well would be completed open-hole to minimize productivity impairment. Following an overview of the geologic setting and local field experience, critical aspects of the application were identified. At the pre-spud meeting in January 2004, the final well design was confirmed and the well programming/service company requirements assigned. Various design elements were reduced in scope due to significant budgetary constraints. Major alterations to the original plan included: (1) a VSP seismic survey was delayed to a later phase; (2) a new (larger) surface hole would be drilled rather than re-enter an existing well; (3) a 7-in. liner would be placed into the top of the Monterey target as quickly as possible to avoid problems with hole stability; (4) evaluation activities were reduced in scope; (5) geosteering observations for fracture access would be deduced from penetration rate, cuttings description and hydrocarbon in-flow; and (6) rather than use nitrogen, a novel air-injection MPD system was to be implemented. Drilling operations, delayed from the original schedule by capital constraints and lack of rig availability, were conducted from September 12 to November 11, 2004. The vertical and upper curved sections were drilled and lined through the problematic shale member without major stability problems. The top of the targeted Monterey was thought to be seen at the expected TVD of 10,000 ft where the 7-in. liner was set at a 60{sup o} hole angle. Significant oil and gas shows suggested the fractured interval anticipated at the heel location had been penetrated. A total of 2572 ft of 6.-in. near-horizontal interval was placed in the shale section, extending planned well length by approximately 470 ft. Very little hydrocarbon in-flow was observed from fractures along the productive interval. This may be a result of the well trajectory falling underneath the Monterey fractured zone. Hydrocarbon observations, cuttings analysis and gamma-ray response indicated additional fractured intervals were accessed along the last {+-}900 ft of well length. The well was completed with a 2 7/8-in. tubing string set in a production packer in preparation for flow and swab tests to be conducted later by a service rig. The planned well time was estimated as 39 days and overall cost as $2.4 million. The actual results are 66 days at a total cost of $3.4 million. Well productivity responses during subsequent flow and swabbing tests were negative. The well failed to inflow and only minor amounts (a few barrels) of light oil were recovered. The lack of production may suggest that actual sustainable reservoir pressure is far less than anticipated. Temblor is currently investigating the costs and operational viability of re-entering the well and conducting an FMI (fracture detection) log and/or an acid stimulation. No final decision or detailed plans have been made regarding these potential interventions at this time.« less

Some problems of the design of highly directional spacecraft antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prigoda, B. A.

1974-01-01

Problems of optimization and selection of the most expedient forms of design of directional antenna systems encountered in spacecraft design are discussed. Selection of a given type of antenna depends on its characteristic size, weight, and potential.

Community Work and Local Authority Decision Making: Potential and Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corina, Lewis

1976-01-01

British local authority and decision making procedures are described for community developers. Included are potential ways of influencing the authority system, and problems and areas of weakness that may be encountered in dealing with the system. (ABM)

The Influence of Problems Faced during Internships on Interns' Views of Their Profession and Their Intention to Work in the Tourism Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasli, Mehmet; Ilban, Mehmet Oguzhan

2013-01-01

Problem Statement: The problem of this research is identifying the difficulties that undergraduate students experience during their internships and assessing their future intention to work in the tourism industry. Purpose of Study: This research aims to identify the problems undergraduate students encounter as interns in tourism programs and to…

NOTES: a review of the technical problems encountered and their solutions.

PubMed

Mintz, Yoav; Horgan, Santiago; Cullen, John; Stuart, David; Falor, Eric; Talamini, Mark A

2008-08-01

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is currently investigated and developed worldwide. In the past few years, multiple groups have confronted this challenge. Many technical problems are encountered in this technique due to the currently available tools for this approach. Some of the unique technical problems in NOTES include: blindly performed primary incisions; uncontrolled pneumoperitoneal pressure; no support for the endoscope in the abdominal cavity; inadequate vision; insufficient illumination; limited retraction and exposure; and the complexity of suturing and performing a safe anastomosis. In this paper, we review the problems encountered in NOTES and provide possible temporary solutions. Acute and survival studies were performed on 15 farm pigs. The hybrid technique approach (i.e., endoscopic surgery with the aid of laparoscopic vision) was performed in all cases. Procedures performed included liver biopsies, bilateral tubal ligation, oophprectomy, cholecystectomy, splenectomy and small bowel resection, and anastomosis. All attempted procedures were successfully performed. New methods and techniques were developed to overcome the technical problems. Closure of the gastrotomy was achieved by T-bar sutures and by stapler closure of the stomach incision. Small bowel anastomosis was achieved by the dual-lumen NOTES technique. The hybrid technique serves as a temporary approach to aid in developing the NOTES technique. A rectal or vaginal port of entry enables and facilitates gastrointestinal NOTES by using available laparoscopic instruments. The common operations performed today in the laparoscopic fashion could be probably performed in the NOTES approach. The safety of these procedures, however, is yet to be determined.

Acts of Attention: An Exploration of Teacher Candidates' Attention to Educational Encounters, and How It Relates to Task Formulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Victoria A.

2015-01-01

This study begins with the belief that the ways in which teachers see and attend to educational encounters matter for their actions in classrooms. Using microethnography as a framework, this dissertation explores the relationship between teacher candidate attention, problem formulation, and action. Through analysis of the M.Ed. inquiry reports of…

Unethical Behaviours Preservice Teachers Encounter on Social Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deveci Topal, Arzu; Kolburan Gecer, Aynur

2015-01-01

The development of web 2.0 technology has resulted in an increase in internet sharing. The scope of this study is social networking, which is one of the web 2.0 tools most heavily used by internet users. In this paper, the unethical behaviours that preservice teachers encounter on social networks and the ways to deal with these problems are…

Preliminary physical stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, and geophysical data of the USGS South Dover Bridge Core, Talbot County, Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alemán González, Wilma B.; Powars, David S.; Seefelt, Ellen L.; Edwards, Lucy E.; Self-Trail, Jean M.; Durand, Colleen T.; Schultz, Arthur P.; McLaughlin, Peter P.

2012-01-01

The South Dover Bridge (SDB) corehole was drilled in October 2007 in Talbot County, Maryland. The main purpose for drilling this corehole was to characterize the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the aquifers and confining units of this region. The data obtained from this core also will be used as a guide to geologic mapping and to help interpret well data from the eastern part of the Washington East 1:100,000-scale map near the town of Easton, Md. Core drilling was conducted to a depth of 700 feet (ft). The Cretaceous section was not penetrated due to technical problems during drilling. This project was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Eastern Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center (EGPSC) as part of the Geology of the Atlantic Watersheds Project; this project was carried out in cooperation with the Maryland Geological Survey (MGS) through partnerships with the Aquifer Characterization Program of the USGS’s Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Water Science Center and the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. The SDB corehole was drilled by the USGS drilling crew in the northeastern corner of the Trappe 7.5-minute quadrangle, near the type locality of the Boston Cliffs member of the Choptank Formation. Geophysical logs (gamma ray, single point resistance, and 16-inch and 64-inch normal resistivity) were run to a depth of 527.5 ft; the total depth of 700.0 ft could not be reached because of the collapse of the lower part of the hole. Of the 700.0 ft drilled, 531.8 ft of core were recovered, representing a 76 percent core recovery. The elevation of the top of the corehole is approximately 12 ft above mean sea level; its coordinates are lat 38°44′49.34″N. and long 76°00′25.09″W. (38.74704N., 76.00697W. in decimal degrees). A groundwater monitoring well was not installed at this site. The South Dover Bridge corehole was the first corehole that will be used to better understand the geology and hydrology of the Maryland Eastern Shore.

Applications of Genetic Methods to NASA Design and Operations Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laird, Philip D.

1996-01-01

We review four recent NASA-funded applications in which evolutionary/genetic methods are important. In the process we survey: the kinds of problems being solved today with these methods; techniques and tools used; problems encountered; and areas where research is needed. The presentation slides are annotated briefly at the top of each page.

Having the Memory of an Elephant: Long-Term Retrieval and the Use of Analogues in Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Zhe; Mo, Lei; Honomichl, Ryan

2004-01-01

The authors report 4 experiments exploring long-term analogical transfer from problem solutions in folk tales participants heard during childhood, many years before encountering the target problems. Substantial culture-specific analogical transfer was found when American and Chinese participants' performance was compared on isomorphs of problems…

Applying an Information Problem-Solving Model to Academic Reference Work: Findings and Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cottrell, Janet R.; Eisenberg, Michael B.

2001-01-01

Examines the usefulness of the Eisenberg-Berkowitz Information Problem-Solving model as a categorization for academic reference encounters. Major trends in the data include a high proportion of questions about location and access of sources, lack of synthesis or production activities, and consistent presence of system problems that impede the…

Data System Implementation: A Leader Navigates People Problems around Technology and Data Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Vincent; Jimerson, Jo Beth; Wayman, Jeffrey C.

2015-01-01

Computer data systems have become a lynchpin to supporting school data use. However, successfully implementing such systems is no easy task. In this case, readers explore the ways in which "technology problems" and "people problems" can be intertwined. The case follows Dr. Molly Winters as she encounters social and…

Why Do Disadvantaged Filipino Children Find Word Problems in English Difficult?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bautista, Debbie; Mulligan, Joanne

2010-01-01

Young Filipino students are expected to solve mathematical word problems in English, a language that many encounter only in schools. Using individual interviews of 17 Filipino children, we investigated why word problems in English are difficult and the extent to which the language interferes with performance. Results indicate that children could…

School Nurses' Perceived Prevalence and Competence to Address Student Mental Health Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephan, Sharon H.; Connors, Elizabeth H.

2013-01-01

Due to under-identification of student mental health problems and limited specialty mental health providers in schools, school nurses are often faced with identifying and addressing student mental health needs. This exploratory study assessed prevalence and types of student mental health problems encountered by school nurses, as well as their…

Applications of aerospace technology to petroleum exploration. Volume 1: Efforts and results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L. D.

1976-01-01

The feasibility of applying aerospace techniques to help solve significant problems in petroleum exploration is studied. Through contacts with petroleum industry and petroleum service industry, important petroleum exploration problems were identified. For each problem, areas of aerospace technology that might aid in its solution were also identified where possible. Topics selected for investigation include: seismic reflection systems; down-hole acoustic techniques; identification of geological analogies; drilling methods; remote geological sensing; and sea floor imaging and mapping. Specific areas of aerospace technology are applied to 21 concepts formulated from the topics of concern.

Molten salt corrosion of SiC and Si3N4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, N. S.; Smialek, J. L.; Fox, D. S.

1986-01-01

The most severe type of corrosion encountered in heat engines is corrosion by molten sodium sulfate, formed by the reaction of ingested sodium chloride and sulfur impurities in the fuel. This problem was studied extensively for superalloys, but only recently examined for ceramics. This problem is addressed with laboratory studies to understand the fundamental reaction mechanisms and with burner studies to provide a more realistic simulation of the conditions encountered in a heat engine. In addition the effect of corrosion on the strengths of these materials was assessed. Each of these aspects will be reviewed and some ideas toward possible solutions will be discussed.

Comparison of Low-Energy Lunar Transfer Trajectories to Invariant Manifolds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Rodney L.; Parker, Jeffrey S.

2011-01-01

In this study, transfer trajectories from the Earth to the Moon that encounter the Moon at various flight path angles are examined, and lunar approach trajectories are compared to the invariant manifolds of selected unstable orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem. Previous work focused on lunar impact and landing trajectories encountering the Moon normal to the surface, and this research extends the problem with different flight path angles in three dimensions. The lunar landing geometry for a range of Jacobi constants are computed, and approaches to the Moon via invariant manifolds from unstable orbits are analyzed for different energy levels.

The Voyager spacecraft /James Watt International Gold Medal Lecture/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heacock, R. L.

1980-01-01

The Voyager Project background is reviewed with emphasis on selected features of the Voyager spacecraft. Investigations by the Thermo-electric Outer Planets Spacecraft Project are discussed, including trajectories, design requirements, and the development of a Self Test and Repair computer, and a Computer Accessed Telemetry System. The design and configuration of the spacecraft are described, including long range communications, attitude control, solar independent power, sequencing and control data handling, and spacecraft propulsion. The development program, maintained by JPL, experienced a variety of problems such as design deficiencies, and process control and manufacturing problems. Finally, the spacecraft encounter with Jupiter is discussed, and expectations for the Saturn encounter are expressed.

A subcutaneous channeling probe for implanting long leads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lund, G. F.; Simmonds, R. C.; Williams, B. A.

1977-01-01

The channeling probe described in the present paper was designed to overcome surgical problems of the type that were encountered when a multichannel radio transmitter had to be implanted in a cow. The probe was made of a flexible but sufficiently stiff 9.5-mm-diam nylon rod, consisting of 46-cm sections for convenience in sterilization and surgical handling. Stainless steel sleaves reinforced the threaded connecting joints. At one end, arrowhead-shaped channeling heads could be attached to produce wide channels for large sensors. The other end was tapered for narrow channels. Postoperative problems were not encountered in the use of this probe in cows, sheep, and dogs.

A study of electro-osmosis as applied to drilling engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariharan, Peringandoor Raman

In the present research project. the application of the process of electro-osmosis has been extended to a variety of rocks during the drilling operation. Electro-osmosis has been utilized extensively to examine its influence in reducing (i) bit balling, (ii) coefficient of friction between rock and metal and (iii) bit/tool wear. An attempt has been made to extend the envelope of confidence in which electro-osmosis was found to be operating satisfactorily. For all the above cases the current requirements during electro-osmosis were identified and were recorded. A novel test method providing repeatable results has been developed to study the problem of bit balling in the laboratory through the design of a special metallic bob simulating the drill bit. A numerical parameter described as the Degree-of-Balling (DOB) defined by the amount of cuttings stuck per unit volume of rock cut for the same duration of time is being proposed as a means to quantitatively describe the balling process in the laboratory. Five different types of shales (Pierre I & II, Catoosa, Mancos and Wellington) were compared and evaluated for balling characteristics and to determine the best conditions for reducing bit balling with electro-osmosis in a variety of drilling fluids including fresh water, polymer solutions and field type drilling fluids. Through the design, fabrication and performing of experiments conducted with a model Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA). the feasibility of maintaining the drill bit separately at a negative potential and causing the current to flow through the rock back into the string through a near bit stabilizer has been demonstrated. Experiments conducted with this self contained arrangement for the application of electro-osmosis have demonstrated a substantial decrease in balling and increase in the rate of penetration (ROP) while drilling with both a roller cone and PDC microbit (1-1/4" dia.) in Pierre I and Wellington shales. It is believed that the results obtained from the model BHA will aid in scaling up to a full-scale prototype BHA for possible application in the field. Experiments conducted with electro-osmosis in a simulated drill string under loaded conditions have clearly demonstrated that the coefficient of friction (mu) can be reduced at the interface of a rotating cylinder (simulating the drill-pipe) and a rock (usually a type of shale), through electro-osmosis. Studies examined the influence of many variables such as drilling fluid, rock type, and current on mu. The need for the correct estimation of mu is for reliable correlation between values obtained in the laboratory with those observed in the field. The knowledge of the coefficient of friction (mu) is an important requirement for drill string design and well trajectory planning. The use of electro-osmosis in reducing bit/tool wear through experiments in various rocks utilizing a specially designed steel bob simulating the drill bit has clearly indicated a decreased average tool wear, varying from 35% in Pierre I shale up to 57% in sandstone when used with the tool maintained at a cathodic DC potential. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Understanding Social and Legal Justice Issues for Aboriginal Women within the Context of an Indigenous Australian Studies Classroom: A Problem-Based Learning Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackinlay, Elizabeth; Thatcher, Kristy; Seldon, Camille

2004-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach in which students encounter a problem and systematically set about finding ways to understand the problem through dialogue and research. PBL is an active process where students take responsibility for their learning by asking their own questions about the problem and in this paper we explore…

Administrative encounters in general practice: low value or hidden value care?

PubMed

Trevena, Lyndal J; Harrison, Christopher; Britt, Helena C

2018-02-19

To determine the frequency of general practice administrative encounters, and to determine whether they represent low value care. Secondary analysis of data from the Bettering Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) dataset. 1 568 100 GP-patient encounters in Australia, 2000-01 to 2015-16. An annual nationally representative random sample of about 1000 GPs, who each recorded the details of 100 consecutive encounters with patients. Proportions of general practice encounters that were potentially low value care encounters (among the patient's reasons for the encounter was at least one administrative, medication, or referral request) and potentially low value care only encounters (such reasons were the sole reason for the encounter). For 2015-16, we also examined other health care provided by GPs at these encounters. During 2015-16, 18.5% (95% CI, 17.7-19.3%) of 97 398 GP-patient encounters were potentially low value care request encounters; 7.4% (95% CI, 7.0-7.9%) were potentially low value care only encounters. Administrative work was requested at 3.8% (95% CI, 3.5-4.0%) of GP visits, 35.4% of which were for care planning and coordination, 33.5% for certification, and 31.2% for other reasons. Medication requests were made at 13.1% (95% CI, 12.4-13.7%) of encounters; other health care was provided at 57.9% of medication request encounters, counselling, advice or education at 23.4%, and pathology testing was ordered at 16.7%. Referrals were requested at 2.8% (95% CI, 1.7-3.0%) of visits, at 69.4% of which additional health care was provided. The problems managed most frequently at potentially low value care only encounters were chronic diseases. Most patients requested certificates, medications and referrals in the context of seeking help for other health needs. Additional health care, particularly for chronic diseases, was provided at most GP administrative encounters. The MBS Review should consider the hidden value of these encounters.

JEODI Workshop: Arctic site survey challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jokat, W.; Backman, J.; Kristoffersen, Y.; Mikkelsen, N.; Thiede, J.

2003-04-01

In past decades the geoscientific activities in the High Arctic were rather low compared to other areas on the globe. The remoteness of the region and the difficult logistical conditions made Arctic research very expensive and the results unpredictable. In the late 80's this situation changed to the better since modern research icebreaker became available to the scientific community. These research platforms provided opportunities in terms of equipment, which was standard in other regions. Where necessary techniques were adapted allowing to conduct the experiments even in difficult ice conditions, e.g. multi-channel seismic. In the last decade the Arctic Ocean were identified to play a key role in our understanding of the Earth's climate. An urgent need for scientific deep drill holes in the central Arctic was obvious to better understand the climate evolution of the past in a regional and global sense. However, to select and prepare the drilling experiments sufficient site survey data, especially seismic data, are needed. These problems were addressed during a recent JEODI workshop in Copenhagen. The participants recommended dedicated expeditions tothe Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge, the Lomonosov Ridge and the Gakkel Ridge to provide a critical amount of geophysical data for future drilling efforts. An international expedition to the Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge was proposed as part of the International Geophysical Polar Year 2006/07 to investigate the least known oceanic ridge of the world's ocean. Besides scientific targets in the High Arctic it became obvious during the workshop that in the marginal seas and plateaux sufficient geophysical data exist to submit drilling proposals like for the Yermak Plateau, the Chukchi Plateau/Northwind Ridge and Laptew Sea continental margin. These proposals would perfectly complement the highly ranked drilling proposal on Lomonosov Ridge, which hopefully can be drilled in 2004 within the ODP/IODP programme. This presentation will provide information on the major results of this workshop as well as the planned activities in the next decade.

The ICDP Hotspot Scientific Drilling Program: Overview of geophysical logging and seismic imaging through basaltic and rhyolitic volcanic deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, D. R.; Liberty, L. M.; Kessler, J. A.; Kueck, J.; Kofman, R. S.; Bishop, R. A.; Shervais, J. W.; Evans, J. P.; Champion, D. E.

2012-12-01

The recently completed ICDP Hotspot drilling program consisted of drilling of three scientific drill holes each to at least 1800 m depth across the Snake River Plain of Idaho. The three boreholes include i) Kimama: thick sequences of basalt flows with sediment interbeds; ii) Kimberley: near surface basalt flows overlying rhyolite deposits, and iii) Mountain Home: geothermally altered basalts overlain by lacustrine sediments. The program consisted of high resolution 2D surface tied to vertical and walk-a-way borehole seismic profiles and an extensive suite of full waveform sonic, ultrasonic televiewer, electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and hydrogen index neutron logging. There are a number of highlights out of this work. First, seismic imaging beneath basalt flows is a classic problem in reflection seismology and has long been believed to be due to rapid attenuation of the downgoing seismic pulse. Here, however, we observed strong arrivals at all depths suggesting that seismic energy is penetrating such formations and that issues in imaging may be a result of the heterogeneous nature of the formations. Second, the neutron log responses correlate well with the structure of individual basalt flows. High and low backscattered neutron counts correspond to massive low porosity basalt rock and with the higher porosity and sediment filled flow tops, respectively. Third, the ultrasonic borehole televiewer information is being used to orient the nearly complete sets of core in order to obtain information on the azimuths of natural and drilling induced core fractures. This together with examination of borehole breakouts and drilling induced tensile fractures on the wellbore wall will allow for semi-quantitative stress estimates across the Snake River Plain. Finally, the Mountain Home borehole provides an unique opportunity to study the geothermally altered basalts. There are a number of correlations between, for example, the sonic and electrical logs that must relate to the style of alteration.

Next generation distal locking for intramedullary nails using an electromagnetic X-ray-radiation-free real-time navigation system.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Michael; Schröder, Malte; Lehmann, Wolfgang; Kammal, Michael; Rueger, Johannes Maria; Herrman Ruecker, Andreas

2012-07-01

Distal locking marks one challenging step during intramedullary nailing that can lead to an increased irradiation and prolonged operation times. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and efficacy of an X-ray-radiation-free real-time navigation system for distal locking procedures. A prospective randomized cadaver study with 50 standard free-hand fluoroscopic-guided and 50 electromagnetic-guided distal locking procedures was performed. All procedures were timed using a stopwatch. Intraoperative fluoroscopy exposure time and absorbed radiation dose (mGy) readings were documented. All tibial nails were locked with two mediolateral and one anteroposterior screw. Successful distal locking was accomplished once correct placement of all three screws was confirmed. Successful distal locking was achieved in 98 cases. No complications were encountered using the electromagnetic navigation system. Eight complications arose during free-hand fluoroscopic distal locking. Undetected secondary drill slippage on the ipsilateral cortex accounted for most problems followed by undetected intradrilling misdirection causing a fissural fracture of the contralateral cortex while screw insertion in one case. Compared with the free-hand fluoroscopic technique, electromagnetically navigated distal locking provides a median time benefit of 244 seconds without using ionizing radiation. Compared with the standard free-hand fluoroscopic technique, the electromagnetic guidance system used in this study showed high reliability and was associated with less complications, took significantly less time, and used no radiation exposure for distal locking procedures. Therapeutic study, level II.

First UMTA and AoA National Conference on Transportation for the Elderly and Handicapped

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-05-01

The Conference was highly successful in detailing problems now encountered in : providing transportation services to the elderly and handicapped and in : recommending specific solutions to those problems. There was a strong focus on : realistic, prac...

Motor carrier concerns about transportation problems in Oregon : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-03-01

This report summarizes an analysis of data from a statewide survey of freight motor carrier firms, conducted by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in the summer of 2001, to identify freight industry concerns about problems they encounter ...

Minding Your Business: How to Avoid the Seven Deadly Financial Pitfalls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Keith

1990-01-01

Describes financial management problems typically encountered by child care center directors and owners. Offers suggestions for planning and management techniques to overcome problems of cash flow, budgeting, rising costs, underpricing, declining revenues, fee collection, and liquidity. (NH)

Parkes radio science system design and testing for Voyager Neptune encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rebold, T. A.; Weese, J. F.

1989-01-01

The Radio Science System installed at Parkes, Australia for the Voyager Neptune encounter was specified to meet the same stringent requirements that were imposed upon the Deep Space Network Radio Science System. The system design and test methodology employed to meet these requirements at Parkes are described, and data showing the measured performance of the system are presented. The results indicate that the system operates with a comfortable margin on the requirements. There was a minor problem with frequency-dependent spurious signals which could not be fixed before the encounter. Test results characterizing these spurious signals are included.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eichelberger, J.C.

Magmatic activity, and particularly silicic magmatic activity, is the fundamental process by which continental crust forms and evolves. The transport of magma from deep crustal reservoirs to the surface is a neglected but important aspect of magmatic phenomena. It encompasses problems of eruptive behavior, hydrothermal circulation, and ore deposition, and must be understood in order to properly interpret deeper processes. Drilling provides a means for determining the relationship of shallow intrusive processes to eruption processes at young volcanoes where eruptions are best understood. Drilling also provides a means for directly observing the processes of heat and mass transfer by whichmore » recently emplaced intrusions approach equilibrium with their new environment. Drilling in the Inyo Chain, a 600-year-old chain of volcanic vents in California, has shown the close relationship of silicic eruption to shallow dike emplacement, the control of eruptive style by shallow porous-flow degassing, the origin of obsidian by welding, the development of igneous zonation by viscosity segregation, and the character and size of conduits in relation to well-understood magmatic and phreatic eruptions. 36 refs., 9 figs.« less

Implementation and Development of the Incremental Hole Drilling Method for the Measurement of Residual Stress in Thermal Spray Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valente, T.; Bartuli, C.; Sebastiani, M.; Loreto, A.

2005-12-01

The experimental measurement of residual stresses originating within thick coatings deposited by thermal spray on solid substrates plays a role of fundamental relevance in the preliminary stages of coating design and process parameters optimization. The hole-drilling method is a versatile and widely used technique for the experimental determination of residual stress in the most superficial layers of a solid body. The consolidated procedure, however, can only be implemented for metallic bulk materials or for homogeneous, linear elastic, and isotropic materials. The main objective of the present investigation was to adapt the experimental method to the measurement of stress fields built up in ceramic coatings/metallic bonding layers structures manufactured by plasma spray deposition. A finite element calculation procedure was implemented to identify the calibration coefficients necessary to take into account the elastic modulus discontinuities that characterize the layered structure through its thickness. Experimental adjustments were then proposed to overcome problems related to the low thermal conductivity of the coatings. The number of calculation steps and experimental drilling steps were finally optimized.

Effects of adding bulking agent, inorganic nutrient and microbial inocula on biopile treatment for oil-field drilling waste.

PubMed

Ma, Jie; Yang, Yongqi; Dai, Xiaoli; Chen, Yetong; Deng, Hanmei; Zhou, Huijun; Guo, Shaohui; Yan, Guangxu

2016-05-01

Contamination from oil-field drilling waste is a worldwide environmental problem. This study investigated the performance of four bench-scale biopiles in treating drilling waste: 1) direct biopile (DW), 2) biopile plus oil-degrading microbial consortium (DW + M), 3) biopile plus microbial consortium and bulking agents (saw dust) (DW + M + BA), 4) biopile plus microbial consortium, bulking agents, and inorganic nutrients (Urea and K2HPO4) (DW + M + BA + N). Ninety days of biopiling removed 41.0%, 44.0%, 55.7% and 87.4% of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in the pile "DW", "DW + M", "DW + M + BA", and "DW + M + BA + N" respectively. Addition of inorganic nutrient and bulking agents resulted in a 56.9% and 26.6% increase in TPH removal efficiency respectively. In contrast, inoculation of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms only slightly enhanced the contaminant removal (increased 7.3%). The biopile with stronger contaminant removal also had higher pile temperature and lower pile pH (e.g., in "DW + M + BA + N"). GC-MS analysis shows that biopiling significantly reduced the total number of detected contaminants and changed the chemical composition. Overall, this study shows that biopiling is an effective remediation technology for drilling waste. Adding inorganic nutrients and bulking agents can significantly improve biopile performance while addition of microbial inocula had minimal positive impacts on contaminant removal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Comparison of machinability of two types of dental machinable ceramic].

PubMed

Fu, Qiang; Zhao, Yunfeng; Li, Yong; Fan, Xinping; Li, Yan; Lin, Xuefeng

2002-11-01

In terms of the problems of now available dental machinable ceramics, a new type of calcium-mica glass-ceramic, PMC-I ceramic, was developed, and its machinability was compared with that of Vita MKII quantitatively. Moreover, the relationship between the strength and the machinability of PMC-I ceramic was studied. Samples of PMC-I ceramic were divided into four groups according to their nucleation procedures. 600-seconds drilling tests were conducted with high-speed steel tools (Phi = 2.3 mm) to measure the drilling depths of Vita MKII ceramic and PMC-I ceramic, while constant drilling speed of 600 rpm and constant axial load of 39.2 N were used. And the 3-point bending strength of the four groups of PMC-I ceramic were recorded. Drilling depth of Vita MKII was 0.71 mm, while the depths of the four groups of PMC-I ceramic were 0.88 mm, 1.40 mm, 0.40 mm and 0.90 mm, respectively. Group B of PMC-I ceramic showed the largest depth of 1.40 mm and was statistically different from other groups and Vita MKII. And the strength of the four groups of PMC-I ceramic were 137.7, 210.2, 118.0 and 106.0 MPa, respectively. The machinability of the new developed dental machinable ceramic of PMC-I could meet the need of the clinic.

Use of computer modeling to investigate a dynamic interaction problem in the Skylab TACS quad-valve package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hesser, R. J.; Gershman, R.

1975-01-01

A valve opening-response problem encountered during development of a control valve for the Skylab thruster attitude control system (TACS) is described. The problem involved effects of dynamic interaction among valves in the quad-redundant valve package. Also described is a detailed computer simulation of the quad-valve package which was helpful in resolving the problem.

Decision-problem state analysis methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dieterly, D. L.

1980-01-01

A methodology for analyzing a decision-problem state is presented. The methodology is based on the analysis of an incident in terms of the set of decision-problem conditions encountered. By decomposing the events that preceded an unwanted outcome, such as an accident, into the set of decision-problem conditions that were resolved, a more comprehensive understanding is possible. All human-error accidents are not caused by faulty decision-problem resolutions, but it appears to be one of the major areas of accidents cited in the literature. A three-phase methodology is presented which accommodates a wide spectrum of events. It allows for a systems content analysis of the available data to establish: (1) the resolutions made, (2) alternatives not considered, (3) resolutions missed, and (4) possible conditions not considered. The product is a map of the decision-problem conditions that were encountered as well as a projected, assumed set of conditions that should have been considered. The application of this methodology introduces a systematic approach to decomposing the events that transpired prior to the accident. The initial emphasis is on decision and problem resolution. The technique allows for a standardized method of accident into a scenario which may used for review or the development of a training simulation.

Play and Digital Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, James E.; Christie, James F.

2009-01-01

This article examines how play is affected by computers and digital toys. Research indicates that when computer software targeted at children is problem-solving oriented and open-ended, children tend to engage in creative play and interact with peers in a positive manner. On the other hand, drill-and-practice programs can be quite boring and limit…

Literacy and Young Children: Research-Based Practices. Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barone, Diane M., Ed.; Morrow, Lesley Mandel, Ed.

This book presents current, research-based best practices for supporting young children's development as readers and writers. From leading figures in early literacy, the book's essays demonstrate that scientifically grounded instruction need not be dull, drill-oriented, or "one-size-fits-all"--rather, it describes language-rich approaches to…

Math Activities Using LogoWriter--Patterns and Designs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flewelling, Gary

This book is one in a series of teacher resource books developed to: (1) rescue students from the clutches of computers that drill and control; and (2) supply teachers with computer activities compatible with a mathematics program that emphasizes investigation, problem solving, creativity, and hypothesis making and testing. This is not a book…

Math Activities Using LogoWriter--Numbers & Operations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flewelling, Gary

This book is one in a series of teacher resource books developed to: (1) rescue students from the clutches of computers that drill and control; and (2) supply teachers with computer activities compatible with a mathematics program that emphasizes investigation, problem solving, creativity, and hypothesis making and testing. This is not a book…

Artificial Intelligence and Language Development and Language Usage with the Deaf.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leach, John Mark

The paper reviews research on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in language development and/or instruction with the deaf. Contributions of computer assisted instruction are noted, as are the problems resulting from over-dependence on a drill and practice format and from deaf students' difficulties in receiving and understanding new…

Index of surface-water records, part 12, Pacific slope basins in Washington and upper Columbia River basin, to September 30, 1948

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1949-01-01

The groundwater resources of Wood County, Wisconsin, are described. Groundwater is pumped only from wells drilled in Precambrian rock in the northern two-thirds of the county. The generally low permeability of this rock limits the availability of groundwater in this area. Saturated deposits of sand and gravel yield more than 500 gal/min to wells in the southern part of the county. Background groundwater quality and indicators of groundwater-quality problems, such as elevated concentrations of nitrate, chloride, hardness, and iron, are compared by aquifer for the entire county. An elevated concentration of iron is the major water quality problem in the county. Results of water quality analysis from observation wells drilled next to abandoned landfills throughout the county indicate that groundwater in the immediate vicinity of these landfills has been affected by leachate. The report includes maps of the thickness and saturated thickness of unconsolidated deposits, a water-table map, and tables of aquifer-production and well-production data from about 1,500 drillers ' well-construction reports. (USGS)

Geological studies of the COST No. B-3 Well, United States Mid-Atlantic continental slope area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scholle, Peter A.

1980-01-01

The COST No. B-3 well is the first deep stratigraphic test to be drilled on the Continental Slope off the Eastern United States. The well was drilled in 2,686 ft (819 m) of water in the Baltimore Canyon trough area to a total depth of 15,820 ft (4,844 m) below the drill platform. It penetrated a section composed of mudstones, calcareous mudstones, and limestones of generally deep water origin to a depth of about 8.200 ft (2,500 m) below the drill floor. Light-colored, medium- to coarse-grained sandstones with intercalated gray and brown shales, micritic limestones, and minor coal and dolomite predominate from about 8,200 to 12,300 ft (2,500 to 3,750 m). From about 12,300 ft (3,750 m) to the bottom, the section consists of limestones (including oolitic and intraclastic grainstones) with interbedded fine-to medium-grained sandstones, dark-colored fissile shales, and numerous coal seams. Biostratigraphic examination has shown that the section down to approximately 6,000 ft (1,830 m) is Tertiary. The boundary between the Lower and Upper Cretaceous sections is placed between 8,600 and 9,200 ft (2,620 and 2,800 m) by various workers. Placement of the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary shows an even greater range based on different organisms; it is placed variously between 12,250 and 13,450 ft (3,730 and 5,000 m). The oldest unit penetrated in the well is considered to be Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) by some workers and Middle Jurassic (Callovian) by others. The Lower Cretaceous and Jurassic parts of the section represent nonmarine to shallow-marine shelf sedimentation. Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary units reflect generally deeper water conditions at the B-3 well site and show a general transition from deposition at shelf to slope water depths. Examination of cores, well cuttings, and electric logs indicates that potential hydrocarbon-reservoir units are present throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous section. Porous and moderately permeable limestones and sandstones have been found in the Jurassic section, and significant thicknesses of sandstone with porosities as high as 30 percent and permeabilities in excess of 100 md have been encountered in the Cretaceous interval from about 7,000 to 12,000 ft (2,130 to 3,650 m). Studies of organic geochemistry, vitrinite reflectance, and color alteration of visible organic matter indicate that the Tertiary section, especially in its upper part, contains organic-carbon-rich sediments that are good potential oil source rocks. However, this part of the section is thermally immature and is unlikely to have acted as a source rock anywhere in the area of the B-3 well. The Cretaceous section is generally lean in organic carbon, the organic matter which is present is generally gas-prone, and the interval is thermally immature (although the lowest part of this section is approaching thermal maturity). The deepest part of the well, the Jurassic section, shows the onset of thermal maturity. The lower half of the Jurassic rocks has high organic-carbon contents with generally gas-prone organic matter. This interval is therefore considered to be an excellent possible gas source; it has a very high methane content. The combination of gas-prone source rocks, thermal maturity, significant gas shows in the well at 15,750 ft (4,801 m) and porous reservoir rocks in the deepest parts of the well indicate a considerable potential for gas production from the Jurassic section in the area of the COST No. B-3 well. Wells drilled farther downslope from the B03 site may encounter more fully marine or deeper marine sections that may have a greater potential for oil (rather than gas) generation.

In Print or Out of Print? The Continuing Problem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kayden, Mimi

1982-01-01

Briefly describes the problems encountered by libraries in attempting to purchase out-of-stock books and discusses some of the reasons for changes in the way publishers handle backlist materials, including sales volume and its relation to increased printing costs. (JL)

The Impaired Social Worker.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reamer, Frederic G.

1992-01-01

Discusses concept of the impaired professional; reviews research on various types of impairment (personality disorders, depression and other emotional problems, marital problems, and physical illness), prevalence and causes of impairment, and responses to it; and outlines model assessment and action plan for social workers who encounter an…

The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipsitt, Lewis P., Ed.

1999-01-01

These 12 monthly issues from 1999 explore problems encountered by children and adolescents. Regular features include "Keep Your Eye On...," brief accounts of research into childhood and adolescent problems; "What's New in Research," summarizing research from recent publications and professional conferences;…

Practical Parenting: Successful Strategies for Solving Your Child's Behaviour Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stenhouse, Glen

Recognizing that all parents encounter challenges in raising their children, this book presents practical strategies for solving common behavior problems. Chapter 1, "Bonding," concerns the development of parent-child attachment. Chapter 2, "Encouraging Development," discusses "hot-housing," language development, and…

Segregation of asphalt mixes caused by surge silos : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-01-01

Segregation of asphalt mixes continues to be a problem in Virginia, particularly with base mixes and coarse surface mixes. Although the problem is encountered primarily on jobs using surge silos, it has been related to other factors such as mix desig...

The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 1998.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipsitt, Lewis P., Ed.

1998-01-01

These 12 monthly issues from 1998 explore problems encountered by children and adolescents. Regular features include "Keep Your Eye On...," brief accounts of research into childhood and adolescent problems, "What's New in Research," summarizing research from recent publications and professional conferences;…

Environmental concerns and future oil and gas developments in Coastal Wetlands of Louisiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John, C.J.; Harder, B.J.; Groat, C.G.

1993-09-01

Recent studies have confirmed that much oil and natural gas have been overlooked and increases in future recoverable reserves will come from drilling in these areas. Increased production will result from identifying unexploited compartmentalized reservoirs, new infield reservoirs, and bypassed reservoirs, and by using enhanced recovery technologies for hydrocarbon recovery in incompletely drained reservoirs previously left unproduced for economic reasons. Most of southern Louisiana's hydrocarbon reserves underlie coastal wetland areas of the state. Major environmental concerns associated with the future development of existing reserves are canal dredging and destruction of wildlife habitat, use and disposal of oil-based muds, mitigation formore » wetland damage, and the recent emerging issue of surface contamination by naturally occurring radioactive materials with potential liabilities and future remedial regulation. To reduce wetland environmental damage caused by access canals to drilling sites, the Coastal Management Division of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources instituted a geologic reviews program to review drilling permit application in the coastal wetlands. This process provides a mechanism for state and federal agencies to comment on the requested drilling permit. As a result of this process, the total average wetland disturbed area has been reduced from 767 ac per year in 1982 to approximately 76 ac per year in 1991. Average lengths of access canals also have been reduced by approximately 78% during the period. Oil and gas companies are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental consequences of drilling in wetlands and are considering them in planning for development activities. In the current climate of increasing public consciousness about the environment, addressing environmental concerns in the planning state will go a long way in helping alleviate future environmental problems.« less

Sample Acquisition and Caching architecture for the Mars Sample Return mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacny, K.; Chu, P.; Cohen, J.; Paulsen, G.; Craft, J.; Szwarc, T.

This paper presents a Mars Sample Return (MSR) Sample Acquisition and Caching (SAC) study developed for the three rover platforms: MER, MER+, and MSL. The study took into account 26 SAC requirements provided by the NASA Mars Exploration Program Office. For this SAC architecture, the reduction of mission risk was chosen by us as having greater priority than mass or volume. For this reason, we selected a “ One Bit per Core” approach. The enabling technology for this architecture is Honeybee Robotics' “ eccentric tubes” core breakoff approach. The breakoff approach allows the drill bits to be relatively small in diameter and in turn lightweight. Hence, the bits could be returned to Earth with the cores inside them with only a modest increase to the total returned mass, but a significant decrease in complexity. Having dedicated bits allows a reduction in the number of core transfer steps and actuators. It also alleviates the bit life problem, eliminates cross contamination, and aids in hermetic sealing. An added advantage is faster drilling time, lower power, lower energy, and lower Weight on Bit (which reduces Arm preload requirements). Drill bits are based on the BigTooth bit concept, which allows re-use of the same bit multiple times, if necessary. The proposed SAC consists of a 1) Rotary-Percussive Core Drill, 2) Bit Storage Carousel, 3) Cache, 4) Robotic Arm, and 5) Rock Abrasion and Brushing Bit (RABBit), which is deployed using the Drill. The system also includes PreView bits (for viewing of cores prior to caching) and Powder bits for acquisition of regolith or cuttings. The SAC total system mass is less than 22 kg for MER and MER+ size rovers and less than 32 kg for the MSL-size rover.

Geomechanical Engineering Concepts Applied to Deep Borehole Disposal Wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrick, C. G.; Haimson, B. C.; Lee, M.

2015-12-01

Deep borehole disposal (DBD) of certain defense-generated radioactive waste forms is being considered by the US Department of Energy (DOE) as an alternative to mined repositories. The 17 inch diameter vertical boreholes are planned to be drilled in crystalline basement rock. As part of an initial field test program, the DOE will drill a demonstration borehole, to be used to test equipment for handling and emplacing prototype nonradioactive waste containers, and a second smaller diameter borehole, to be used for site characterization. Both boreholes will be drilled to a depth of 5 km. Construction of such boreholes is expected to be complex because of their overall length, large diameter, and anticipated downhole conditions of high temperatures, pore pressures, and stress regimes. It is believed that successful development of DBD boreholes can only be accomplished if geologic and tectonic conditions are characterized and drill activities are designed based on that understanding. Our study focuses primarily on using the in situ state of stress to mitigate borehole wall failure, whether tensile or compressive. The measured stresses, or their constrained estimates, will include pore pressure, the vertical stress, the horizontal stresses and orientations, and thermally induced stresses. Pore pressure will be measured directly or indirectly. Horizontal stresses will be estimated from hydraulic fracturing tests, leak off tests, and breakout characteristics. Understanding the site stress condition along with the rock's strength characteristics will aid in the optimization of mud weight and casing design required to control borehole wall failure and other drilling problems.Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND2015-6552A

Hundreds of Cruises, Thousands of People, Endless Discoveries - Education and Outreach in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peart, L.; Niemitz, M.; Boa, S.; Corsiglia, J.; Klaus, A.; Petronotis, K.; Iturrino, G.

2005-12-01

For 37 years, scientific ocean drilling programs have sponsored hundreds of expeditions, drilled at over 1,800 sites and recovered over 200 miles of core. The discoveries of these programs have led to important realizations of how our earth works. Past expeditions have validated the theory of plate tectonics, provided unparalleled ancient climate records and recovered evidence of the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago - and new discoveries occur with every expedition. By producing education materials and programs and encouraging mass media journalists' interest in our news, we strive to fulfill our commitment to communicate our programs' scientific discoveries to the public, in a way that people - not just other scientists - understand. With the advent of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), education and outreach efforts have expanded to pursue new opportunities and engage wider audiences. Through our strategy of Teaching for Science, Learning for LifeTM, our education efforts seek to utilize the interdisciplinary nature of scientific ocean drilling to teach career awareness, scientific methods, teamwork, and problem solving techniques for a lifetime of learning, decision making and good citizenship. In pursuit of this goal, we have implemented professional and resource development programs and expanded our outreach at education-focused conferences to help teachers use IODP science to satiate the student's need to learn the methods of science that apply to everyday life. We believe that this message also applies to life-long learners and thus we have focused our efforts on news media outreach and education opportunities surrounding ports of call of the JOIDES Resolution, permanent and traveling museum exhibits. In addition, our outreach to undergraduate and graduate audiences, through a lecture series, research fellowships and internships, helps to create future generations of science leaders.

Obstacles Related to Structuring for Mathematization Encountered by Students When Solving Physics Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niss, Martin

2017-01-01

This paper studies the cognitive obstacles related to one aspect of mathematization in physics problem-solving, namely, what might be called "structuring for mathematization," where the problem situation is structured in such a way that a translation to a mathematical universe can be done. We report the results of an analysis of four…

Tree planting - strip-mined area in Maryland

Treesearch

Fred L. Bagley

1980-01-01

This report is written to elucidate some of the problems encountered in the planting of trees on strip-mined areas in Maryland. When problems are recognized, normally a solution (or at least, an improvement) can be instituted to alleviate the problem. The methods cited herein are those of experienced foresters engaged in strip-mine planting during the past seventeen...

Reflective Teaching via a Problem Exploration--Teaching Adaptations--Resolution Cycle: A Mixed Methods Study of Preservice Teachers' Reflective Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayden, H. Emily; Chiu, Ming Ming

2015-01-01

We explore development of elementary preservice teachers' reflective practices as they solved problems encountered while teaching in a reading clinic. Written reflections (N = 175) were collected across 8 weeks from 23 preservice teachers and analyzed to investigate relationships among problem exploration, teaching adaptations, and problem…

Problem Solving in Technology Rich Contexts: Mathematics Sense Making in Out-of-School Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowrie, Tom

2005-01-01

This investigation describes the way in which a case study participant (aged 7) represented, posed and solved problems in a technology game-based environment. The out-of-school problem-solving context placed numeracy demands on the participant that were more complex and sophisticated than the type of mathematics experiences he encountered in…

Modelling Difficulties and Their Overcoming Strategies in the Solution of a Modelling Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dede, Ayse Tekin

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study is to reveal the elementary mathematics student teachers' difficulties encountered in the solution of a modelling problem, the strategies to overcome those difficulties and whether the strategies worked or not. Nineteen student teachers solved the modelling problem in their four or five-person groups, and the video records…

Complex Problem Solving in Radiologic Technology: Understanding the Roles of Experience, Reflective Judgment, and Workplace Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yates, Jennifer L.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to explore the process of learning and development of problem solving skills in radiologic technologists. The researcher sought to understand the nature of difficult problems encountered in clinical practice, to identify specific learning practices leading to the development of professional expertise, and to…

Functional Behavioral Assessment for a Boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Problem Behavior: A Case Study from Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theodoridou, Zoe; Koutsoklenis, Athanasios

2013-01-01

This article focuses on the application of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to design a positive behavior intervention (PBI) for a boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who encounters serious difficulties at the mainstream school because of behavioral problems and physical limitations. After the definition of problem behavior and its…

Science Curriculum from the Perspectives of Turkish Teachers: Problems Encountered and Suggestions for Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekmezci, Sinan Muhammet; Ates, Özlem

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to identify the problems that teachers have experienced during the implementation of the science curriculum and their suggestions for solution to these problems. In the research, survey model has been used among the descriptive research methods in which quantitative and qualitative data have been used together. The…

An Analysis of Problems in College Students' Participation in the Western China Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yumei, Yi

2008-01-01

Since its initiation in 2003, the College Student Western China Program has had several satisfying achievements. At the same time, however, problems exist in the project. This article gives a brief analysis of problems encountered in the project from the aspects of publicity and campaign work, plans and schedules, student participation, voluntary…

Young Filipino Students Making Sense of Arithmetic Word Problems in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bautista, Debbie; Mulligan, Joanne; Mitchelmore, Michael

2009-01-01

Young Filipino children are expected to solve mathematical word problems in English, a task which they typically encounter only in schools. In this exploratory study, task-based interviews were conducted with seven Filipino children from a public school. The children were asked to read and solve addition and subtraction word problems in English or…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

F.V. Perry

Basaltic volcanism poses a potential hazard to the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository because multiple episodes of basaltic volcanism have occurred in the Yucca Mountain region (YMR) in the past 11 Ma. Intervals between eruptive episodes average about 1 Ma. Three episodes have occurred in the Quaternary at approximately 1.1 Ma (5 volcanoes), 350 ka (2 volcanoes), and 80 ka (1 volcano). Because Yucca Mountain lies within the Basin and Range Province, a significant portion of the pre-Quaternary volcanic history of the YMR may be buried in alluvial-filled basins. An exceptionally high-resolution aeromagnetic survey and subsequent drilling program sponsoredmore » by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began in 2004 and is gathering data that will enhance understanding of the temporal and spatial patterns of Pliocene and Miocene volcanism in the region (Figure 1). DOE has convened a ten-member expert panel of earth scientists that will use the information gathered to update probabilistic volcanic hazard estimates originally obtained by expert elicitation in 1996. Yucca Mountain is a series of north-trending ridges of eastward-tilted fault blocks that are bounded by north to northeast-trending normal faults. Topographic basins filled with up to 500 m of alluvium surround it to the east, south and west. In the past several decades, nearly 50 holes have been drilled in these basins, mainly for Yucca Mountain Project Site Characterization and the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program. Several of these drill holes have penetrated relatively deeply buried (300-400 m) Miocene basalt; a Pliocene basalt dated at 3.8 Ma was encountered at a relatively shallow depth (100 m) in the northern Amargosa Desert (Anomaly B in Figure 1). The current drilling program is the first to specifically target and characterize buried basalt. Based on the new aeromagnetic survey and previous air and ground magnetic surveys (Connor et al. 2000; O'Leary et al. 2002), at least eight drill holes are planned with the goal of sampling each geographic subpopulation of magnetic anomalies in the region (Figure 1). This will result in a more complete characterization of the location, age, volume and composition of buried basaltic features for the purpose of updating the volcanic hazard assessment. Smith and Keenan (2005) suggested that volcanic hazard estimates might be 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than estimated by the DOE expert elicitation in 1996, based on (1) a proposed relationship between recurrence rates in the YMR and the Reveille-Lunar Crater volcanic field to the north, and (2) the implication that a number of so-far-undiscovered buried volcanoes would have a significant impact on hazard estimates. This article presents the new aeromagnetic data and an interpretation of the data that suggests magnetic anomalies nearest the proposed repository site represent buried Miocene basalt that will likely have only a minor impact on the volcanic hazard.« less

Reminder Cards Improve Physician Documentation of Obesity But Not Obesity Counseling.

PubMed

Shungu, Nicholas; Miller, Marshal N; Mills, Geoffrey; Patel, Neesha; de la Paz, Amanda; Rose, Victoria; Kropa, Jill; Edi, Rina; Levy, Emily; Crenshaw, Margaret; Hwang, Chris

2015-01-01

Physicians frequently fail to document obesity and obesity-related counseling. We sought to determine whether attaching a physical reminder card to patient encounter forms would increase electronic medical record (EMR) assessment of and documentation of obesity and dietary counseling. Reminder cards for obesity documentation were attached to encounter forms for patient encounters over a 2-week intervention period. For visits in the intervention period, the EMR was retrospectively reviewed for BMI, assessment of "obesity" or "morbid obesity" as an active problem, free-text dietary counseling within physician notes, and assessment of "dietary counseling" as an active problem. These data were compared to those collected through a retrospective chart review during a 2-week pre-intervention period. We also compared physician self-report of documentation via reminder cards with EMR documentation. We found significant improvement in the primary endpoint of assessment of "obesity" or "morbid obesity" as an active problem (42.5% versus 28%) compared to the pre-intervention period. There was no significant difference in the primary endpoints of free-text dietary counseling or assessment of "dietary counseling" as an active problem between the groups. Physician self-reporting of assessment of "obesity" or "morbid obesity" as an active problem (77.7% versus 42.5%), free-text dietary counseling on obesity (69.1% versus 35.4%) and assessment of "dietary counseling" as an active problem (54.3% versus 25.2%) were all significantly higher than those reflected in EMR documentation. This study demonstrates that physical reminder cards are a successful means of increasing obesity documentation rates among providers but do not necessarily increase rates of obesity-related counseling or documentation of counseling. Our study suggests that even with such interventions, physicians are likely under-documenting obesity and counseling compared to self-reported rates.

Drilling Polar Oceans with the European Research Icebreaker AURORA BOREALIS: the IODP Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lembke-Jene, Lester; Wolff-Boenisch, Bonnie; Azzolini, Roberto; Thiede, Joern; Biebow, Nicole; Eldholm, Olav; Egerton, Paul

2010-05-01

Polar oceans are characterized by extreme environmental conditions for humans and materials, and have remained the least accessible regions to scientists of the IODP. DSDP and ODP have for long faced specific technical and logistical problems when attempting to drill in ice-covered polar deep-sea basins. The Arctic Ocean and large areas of the high-latitude Southern Ocean remained largely un-sampled by ODP and remain one of the major scientific and technological challenges for IODP. Drilling in these regions has been discussed and anticipated for decades and the scientific rationales are reflected in the science plans of the international Nansen Arctic Drilling Program (NAD) or the Arctic Program Planning Group (APPG) of ODP/IODP, amongst others. More recently, the rationale to investigate the polar oceans in a holistic approach has been outlined by workshops, leading to strategic assessments of the scientific potential and new drilling proposals. The European Polar Board took the initiative to develop a plan for a novel and dedicated research icebreaker with technical capabilities hitherto unrealised. This research icebreaker will enable autonomous operations in the central Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean, even during the severest ice conditions in the deep winter, serving all marine disciplines of polar research including scientific drilling: The European Research Icebreaker and Deep-Sea Drilling Vessel AURORA BOREALIS. AURORA BOREALIS is presently planned as a multi-purpose vessel. The ship can be deployed as a research icebreaker in all polar waters during any season of the year, as it shall meet the specifications of the highest ice-class attainable (IACS Polar Code 1) for icebreakers. During the times when it is not employed for drilling, it will operate as the most technically advanced multi-disciplinary research vessel in the Arctic or polar Southern Ocean. AURORA BOREALIS will be a "European scientific flagship facility" (fully open to non-European partners), a multidisciplinary platform for studies ranging from the sub-seafloor into the atmosphere. AURORA BOREALIS was planned for her role in deep-sea drilling in consultation with engineers and technical experts familiar with the program and the operation of these vessels. All techniques currently deployed on IODP expeditions can be implemented onboard the vessel under polar weather and ice conditions, including the full range of re-entry, casing and cementing, and instrumentation options and the entire suite of downhole logging tools. Due to sufficient laboratory space, a full analytical workflow can be easily established comparable to existing permanent platforms, including clean rooms, diverse scanning and logging or incubation facilities. While the vessel is equipped with a dedicated deep-sea drilling rig, other coring and drilling techniques can be employed if needed (e.g. Rockdrill, MEBO, large diameter Kasten cores). AURORA BOREALIS is fitted to operate a CALYPSO Piston Coring System in polar waters. Future mud-return systems under consideration and testing for IODP to provide controlled borehole conditions in difficult facies are compatible with the layout of AURORA BOREALIS. The berthing capacity of 120 personnel total (scientists, technical support and crew) allows to accommodate a sufficient number of science party members offshore. The present scientific implementation documents plan for about one polar scientific drilling expedition per year in a to-be-determined configuration. As the vessel is a multi-dsiciplinary platform, operations for the entire year are not dependant on drilling operations alone. While principal access to the vessel will be based on a competitive proposal review and evaluation system, the allocation of timeslots specifically for drilling would preferably be given over to IODP handling and planning systems in a cooperative mode using the strengths and capacitites of the future program. Depending on interests and needs of the scientific communities a preferential focus in non-drilling expedition planning could be established e.g. for dedicated geophysical pre-site survey works in areas inaccessible by other vessels to secure critical data needed for later drilling expeditions. Based on ongoing expert consultations, it is safe to assume that the average costs for an Arctic or polar drilling expedition will be considerably lower than with an otherwise necessary multi-ship setup based on modelled expedition scenarios and annual operational cost calculations. Still, AURORA BOREALIS shall provide substantially enhanced scientific, operational, personnel and technical capacities offshore.

Geology and geochemistry of samples from Los Alamos National Laboratory HDR Well EE-2, Fenton Hill, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laney, R.; Laughlin, A.W.; Aldrich, M.J. Jr.

1981-07-01

Petrologic, geochemical, and structural analyses of cores and cuttings obtained from 3000 to 4389-m true vertical depth in drill hole EE-2 indicate that this deeper part of the Precambrian section at Fenton Hill, New Mexico is composed primarily of a very heterogeneous and structurally anisotropic metamorphic complex, locally intruded by dikes and sills of granodioritic and monzogranitic composition. In this borehole none of these igneous bodies approach in size the 335-m-thick biotite-granodiorite body encountered at 2591-m depth beneath Fenton Hill in the other two drill holes. Contacts between the igneous and metamorphic rocks range from sharp and discordant to gradational.more » Analysis of cuttings indicates that clay-rich alteration zones are relatively common in the openhole portion of EE-2. These zones average about 20 m in thickness. Fracture sets in the Precambrian basement rock intersected by the EE-2 well bore mostly trend northeast and are steeply dipping to vertical; however, one of the sets dips gently to the northwest. Slickensided fault planes are present in a core (No.5) taken from a true vertical depth of 4195 m. Available core orientation data and geologic inference suggest that the faults dip steeply and trend between N.42/sup 0/ and 59/sup 0/E.« less

A true minimally invasive approach for cochlear implantation: high accuracy in cranial base navigation through flat-panel-based volume computed tomography.

PubMed

Majdani, Omid; Bartling, Soenke H; Leinung, Martin; Stöver, Timo; Lenarz, Minoo; Dullin, Christian; Lenarz, Thomas

2008-02-01

High-precision intraoperative navigation using high-resolution flat-panel volume computed tomography makes feasible the possibility of minimally invasive cochlear implant surgery, including cochleostomy. Conventional cochlear implant surgery is typically performed via mastoidectomy with facial recess to identify and avoid damage to vital anatomic landmarks. To accomplish this procedure via a minimally invasive approach--without performing mastoidectomy--in a precise fashion, image-guided technology is necessary. With such an approach, surgical time and expertise may be reduced, and hearing preservation may be improved. Flat-panel volume computed tomography was used to scan 4 human temporal bones. A drilling channel was planned preoperatively from the mastoid surface to the round window niche, providing a margin of safety to all functional important structures (e.g., facial nerve, chorda tympani, incus). Postoperatively, computed tomographic imaging and conventional surgical exploration of the drilled route to the cochlea were performed. All 4 specimens showed a cochleostomy located at the scala tympani anterior inferior to the round window. The chorda tympani was damaged in 1 specimen--this was preoperatively planned as a narrow facial recess was encountered. Using flat-panel volume computed tomography for image-guided surgical navigation, we were able to perform minimally invasive cochlear implant surgery defined as a narrow, single-channel mastoidotomy with cochleostomy. Although this finding is preliminary, it is technologically achievable.

Gravity investigations of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plescia, J.B.; Daniels, D.L.; Shah, A.K.

2009-01-01

The Chesapeake Bay impact structure is a complex impact crater, ??85 km in diameter, buried beneath postimpact sediments. Its main structural elements include a central uplift of crystalline bedrock, a surrounding inner crater filled with impact debris, and an annular faulted margin composed of block-faulted sediments. The gravity anomaly is consistent with that of a complex impact consisting of a central positive anomaly over the central uplift and an annular negative anomaly over the inner crater. An anomaly is not recognized as being associated with the faulted margin or the outer edge of the structure. Densities from the Eyreville drill core and modeling indicate a density contrast of ??0.3-0.6 g cm-3 between crystalline basement and the material that fills the inner crater (e.g., Exmore breccia and suevite). This density contrast is somewhat higher than for other impact structures, but it is a function of the manner in which the crater fill was deposited (as a marine resurge deposit). Modeling of the gravity data is consistent with a depth to basement of ??1600 m at the site of Eyreville drill hole and 800 m at the central uplift. Both depths are greater than the depth at which crystalline rocks were encountered in the cores, suggesting that the cored material is highly fractured para-allochthonous rock. ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

A Blind Hydrothermal System in an Ocean Island Environment: Humu'ula Saddle, Hawaii Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, D. M.; Wallin, E.; Lautze, N. C.; Lienert, B. R.; Pierce, H. A.

2014-12-01

A recently drilled groundwater investigation borehole, drilled to a depth of 1760 m in the Humu'ula Saddle of Hawaii Island, encountered an unexpectedly high temperature gradient of more than 160 ̊C/km. Although prior MT surveys across the region identified conductive formations of modest extent in the region, there were few surface manifestations of geologic structures likely to host a geothermal system and no evidence of an active, extensive hydrothermal system. Cores recovered from the borehole showed the presence of intrusive formations and moderate hydrothermal alteration at depth with progressive infilling of fractures and vesicles with depth and temperature. Independent modeling of gravity data (Flinders et al., 2013) suggests the presence of a broad intrusive complex within the region that is consistent with the borehole's confirmation of a high-elevation (~1400 m amsl) regional water table. A subsequent MT survey covering much of the western Saddle region has confirmed the presence of highly conductive conditions, consistent with thermal activity, to depths of 4 km and greater. Light stable isotope data for the borehole fluids indicate that the regional water table is derived from recharge from the upper elevations of Mauna Kea; major element chemistry indicates that formation temperatures exceed 200 ̊C. A conceptual model of the hydrothermal system, along with isotopic and fluid chemistry of the thermal fluids will be presented.

Optimizing drilling performance using a selected drilling fluid

DOEpatents

Judzis, Arnis [Salt Lake City, UT; Black, Alan D [Coral Springs, FL; Green, Sidney J [Salt Lake City, UT; Robertson, Homer A [West Jordan, UT; Bland, Ronald G [Houston, TX; Curry, David Alexander [The Woodlands, TX; Ledgerwood, III, Leroy W.

2011-04-19

To improve drilling performance, a drilling fluid is selected based on one or more criteria and to have at least one target characteristic. Drilling equipment is used to drill a wellbore, and the selected drilling fluid is provided into the wellbore during drilling with the drilling equipment. The at least one target characteristic of the drilling fluid includes an ability of the drilling fluid to penetrate into formation cuttings during drilling to weaken the formation cuttings.

Experimental analysis of drilling process in cortical bone.

PubMed

Wang, Wendong; Shi, Yikai; Yang, Ning; Yuan, Xiaoqing

2014-02-01

Bone drilling is an essential part in orthopaedics, traumatology and bone biopsy. Prediction and control of drilling forces and torque are critical to the success of operations involving bone drilling. This paper studied the drilling force, torque and drilling process with automatic and manual drill penetrating into bovine cortical bone. The tests were performed on a drilling system which is used to drill and measure forces and torque during drilling. The effects of drilling speed, feed rate and drill bit diameter on force and torque were discussed separately. The experimental results were proven to be in accordance with the mathematic expressions introduced in this paper. The automatic drilling saved drilling time by 30-60% in the tested range and created less vibration, compared to manual drilling. The deviation between maximum and average force of the automatic drilling was 5N but 25N for manual drilling. To conclude, using the automatic method has significant advantages in control drilling force, torque and drilling process in bone drilling. Copyright © 2013 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlations of External Landmarks With Internal Structures of the Temporal Bone.

PubMed

Piromchai, Patorn; Wijewickrema, Sudanthi; Smeds, Henrik; Kennedy, Gregor; O'Leary, Stephen

2015-09-01

The internal anatomy of a temporal bone could be inferred from external landmarks. Mastoid surgery is an important skill that ENT surgeons need to acquire. Surgeons commonly use CT scans as a guide to understanding anatomical variations before surgery. Conversely, in cases where CT scans are not available, or in the temporal bone laboratory where residents are usually not provided with CT scans, it would be beneficial if the internal anatomy of a temporal bone could be inferred from external landmarks. We explored correlations between internal anatomical variations and metrics established to quantify the position of external landmarks that are commonly exposed in the operating room, or the temporal bone laboratory, before commencement of drilling. Mathematical models were developed to predict internal anatomy based on external structures. From an operating room view, the distances between the following external landmarks were observed to have statistically significant correlations with the internal anatomy of a temporal bone: temporal line, external auditory canal, mastoid tip, occipitomastoid suture, and Henle's spine. These structures can be used to infer a low lying dura mater (p = 0.002), an anteriorly located sigmoid sinus (p = 0.006), and a more lateral course of the facial nerve (p < 0.001). In the temporal bone laboratory view, the mastoid tegmen and sigmoid sinus were also regarded as external landmarks. The distances between these two landmarks and the operating view external structures were able to further infer the laterality of the facial nerve (p < 0.001) and a sclerotic mastoid (p < 0.001). Two nonlinear models were developed that predicted the distances between the following internal structures with a high level of accuracy: the distance from the sigmoid sinus to the posterior external auditory canal (p < 0.001) and the diameter of the round window niche (p < 0.001). The prospect of encountering some of the more technically challenging anatomical variants encountered in temporal bone dissection can be inferred from the distance between external landmarks found on the temporal bone. These relationships could be used as a guideline to predict challenges during drilling and choosing appropriate temporal bones for dissection.

Chemical Composition of lower Mount Sharp at Gale Crater, Mars, as measured by the APXS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gellert, R.; Boyd, N.; Campbell, J. L.; VanBommel, S.; Perrett, G. M.; Desouza, E.; Thompson, L. M.; Yen, A. S.; Berger, J. A.

2015-12-01

From sol 810 through to 950 the MSL Curiosity Rover carried out detailed investigations at Pahrump, which likely represents the lowest strata of Mount Sharp. The bulk chemistry is very different compared to previously encountered formations like Sheepbed at Yellowknifebay, which resembled an average Mars composition. The bedrock is significantly depleted in Mg and Ca, elevated in Al and Si and enriched in Zn (~2000 ppm), Se (~50 ppm) and Pb(~100 ppm). The composition varies only slightly over the ~10 meter elevation explored at Pahrump and is chemically homogenous on a 10 cm scale. However, some clear trends uphill are present. Zn and Se decrease with elevation, the Fe/Mn ratio, a possible indicator for the Fe3+ content, increases from 50 to 100. Elevated 2.5% P2O5 were encountered at higher elevations. SO3 ranges from 5 to 8% in the drill samples, higher abundances were found in Ca-sulfate veins and diagenetic features that contain ~15% (Mg,Ni)-sulfates. The Pahrump bedrock may be traced ~500m to the north and south. Bonanza King (sol 755, Hidden Valley) and Spokane (sol 989) share the same major chemistry, including similar trends in minor and trace elements. Most recently the rover approached a contact between Pahrump-like bedrock and an overlying, more resistant unit identified from orbit at Marias Pass. High SiO2, ranging from 63 to 72%, was found close to the contact, above which the sandstone composition changes abruptly to that of average Mars. Increased Si is correlated with elevated P and Ti, lower Al and Fe, and a dramatic decrease in Zn, Ni and Cr to very low values of a few 100 ppm and less. The elevated silica and associated elemental trends observed at Marias Pass share characteristics with the high silica bedrock examined at HomePlate in Gusev Crater, where acidic leaching or silica mobilization has been proposed. The stratigraphy together with data from 4 drill samples for SAM and Chemin might shed light on the formation history of this extensive facies at the base of Mount Sharp.

Opportunity Examines Cracks and Coatings on Mars Rocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This false-color panoramic image, taken on martian day, or sol, 561 (Aug. 22, 2005) by NASA's Opportunity rover, shows the nature of the outcrop rocks that the rover is encountering on its southward journey across the martian plains to 'Erebus Crater.' The rocks, similar in make-up to those encountered earlier in the mission, display a clear pattern of cracks as well as rind-like features (identifiable as a light shade of blue to olive in the image) coating the outcrop surface. Prominent in the image are two holes (one on the rock, one on the rind) drilled with the rover's rock abrasion tool to facilitate chemical analysis of the underlying material. The reddish color around the holes is from iron-rich dust produced during the grinding operation. The rind, nicknamed 'Lemon Rind,' and the underlying rock, nicknamed 'Strawberry,' have turned out to be similar in overall chemistry and texture. Science team members are working to understand the nature of the relationship between these kinds of rocks and rinds on the Meridiani plains. This false-color composite was generated from a combination of 750-, 530-, and 430-nanometer filter images taken by the Opportunity panoramic camera, an instrument that has acquired more than 36,000 color filter images to date of martian terrain at Meridiani Planum.

Medical support for law enforcement-extended operations incidents.

PubMed

Levy, Matthew J; Tang, Nelson

2014-01-01

As the complexity and frequency of law enforcement-extended operations incidents continue to increase, so do the opportunities for adverse health and well-being impacts on the responding officers. These types of clinical encounters have not been well characterized nor have the medical response strategies which have been developed to effectively manage these encounters been well described. The purpose of this article is to provide a descriptive epidemiology of the clinical encounters reported during extended law enforcement operations, as well as to describe a best practices approach for their effective management. This study retrospectively examined the clinical encounters of the Maryland State Police (MSP) Tactical Medical Unit (TMU) during law enforcement extended operations incidents lasting 8 or more hours. In addition, a qualitative analysis was performed on clinical data collected by federal law enforcement agencies during their extended operations. Forty-four percent of missions (455/1,047) supported by the MSP TMU lasted 8 or more hours. Twenty-six percent of these missions (117/455) resulted in at least one patient encounter. Nineteen percent of patient chief complaints (45/238) were related to heat illness/ dehydration. Fifteen percent of encounters (36/238) were for musculoskeletal injury/pain. Eight percent of patients (19/238) had nonspecific sick call (minor illness) complaints. The next most common occurring complaints were cold-related injuries, headache, sinus congestion, and wound/laceration, each of which accounted for 7 percent of patients (16/238), respectively. Analysis of federal law enforcement agencies' response to such events yielded similar clinical encounters. A wide range of health problems are reported by extended law enforcement operations personnel. Timely and effective treatment of these problems can help ensure that the broader operations mission is not compromised. An appropriate operational strategy for managing health complaints reported during extended operations involves the deployment of a well-trained medical support team using the core concepts of tactical emergency medical support.

Using video to introduce clinical materials.

PubMed

Kommalage, Mahinda; Senadheera, Chandanie

2012-08-01

The early introduction of clinical material is a recognised strategy in medical education. The University of Ruhana Medical School, where a traditional curriculum is followed, offers students pre-clinical subjects without clinical exposure during their first and second years. Clinical materials in the form of videos were introduced to first-year students. In the videos, patients and their relatives described the diseases and related problems. Students were instructed to identify the problems encountered by patients and relatives. Each video was followed by a discussion of the problems identified by the students. The medical, social and economic problems encountered by patients and relatives were emphasised during post-video discussions. A lecture was conducted linking the contents of the videos to subsequent lectures. The aim of this study is to investigate whether combining teaching preclinical material with a video presentation of relevant clinical cases facilitates the interest and understanding of students. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire, whereas qualitative data were collected using focus group discussions. Quantitative data showed that students appreciated the video, had 'better' knowledge acquisition and a 'better' understanding of problems encountered by patients. Qualitative analysis highlighted the following themes: increased interest; enhanced understanding; relevance of basic knowledge to clinical practice; orientation to profession; and personalising theories. The introduction of patients in the form of videos helped students to understand the relevance of subject material for clinical practice, increased their interest and facilitated a better understanding of the subject material. Therefore, it seems video is a feasible medium to introduce clinical materials to first-year students who follow a traditional curriculum in a resource-limited environment. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

Natural gas production problems : solutions, methodologies, and modeling.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rautman, Christopher Arthur; Herrin, James M.; Cooper, Scott Patrick

2004-10-01

Natural gas is a clean fuel that will be the most important domestic energy resource for the first half the 21st centtuy. Ensuring a stable supply is essential for our national energy security. The research we have undertaken will maximize the extractable volume of gas while minimizing the environmental impact of surface disturbances associated with drilling and production. This report describes a methodology for comprehensive evaluation and modeling of the total gas system within a basin focusing on problematic horizontal fluid flow variability. This has been accomplished through extensive use of geophysical, core (rock sample) and outcrop data to interpretmore » and predict directional flow and production trends. Side benefits include reduced environmental impact of drilling due to reduced number of required wells for resource extraction. These results have been accomplished through a cooperative and integrated systems approach involving industry, government, academia and a multi-organizational team within Sandia National Laboratories. Industry has provided essential in-kind support to this project in the forms of extensive core data, production data, maps, seismic data, production analyses, engineering studies, plus equipment and staff for obtaining geophysical data. This approach provides innovative ideas and technologies to bring new resources to market and to reduce the overall environmental impact of drilling. More importantly, the products of this research are not be location specific but can be extended to other areas of gas production throughout the Rocky Mountain area. Thus this project is designed to solve problems associated with natural gas production at developing sites, or at old sites under redevelopment.« less

Some Problems in Studying the English Elements in the Main European Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Filipovic, Rudolf

1972-01-01

A study is being done, to be reported on subsequently, on the infiltrations of English into the languages of Europe. Objectives of the project, some problems encountered, and planned results and products are discussed. See FL 508 197 for availability. (RM)

Academic Value of Internships in Agronomy: A Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herring, Matthew D.; And Others

1990-01-01

A survey of the academic requirements of internships, benefits in taking part in an internship, and problems encountered in internship programs are described. Results indicated that one of the problems with internship programs occurred when faculty did not have direct control over the experience. (CW)

The Powers That Be: AAVE as the Composition Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Elaine

This Powerpoint presentation argues that the problems encountered in implementing African-centered curriculum into the university composition classroom attest to the need for African centered education in kindergarten through university level educational institutions. The solution of the problem of African American students' disproportionate…

Drilling force and temperature of bone under dry and physiological drilling conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Linlin; Wang, Chengyong; Jiang, Min; He, Huiyu; Song, Yuexian; Chen, Hanyuan; Shen, Jingnan; Zhang, Jiayong

2014-11-01

Many researches on drilling force and temperature have been done with the aim to reduce the labour intensiveness of surgery, avoid unnecessary damage and improve drilling quality. However, there has not been a systematic study of mid- and high-speed drilling under dry and physiological conditions(injection of saline). Furthermore, there is no consensus on optimal drilling parameters. To study these parameters under dry and physiological drilling conditions, pig humerus bones are drilled with medical twist drills operated using a wide range of drilling speeds and feed rates. Drilling force and temperature are measured using a YDZ-II01W dynamometer and a NEC TVS-500EX thermal infrared imager, respectively, to evaluate internal bone damage. To evaluate drilling quality, bone debris and hole morphology are observed by SEM(scanning electron microscopy). Changes in drilling force and temperature give similar results during drilling such that the value of each parameter peaks just before the drill penetrates through the osteon of the compact bone into the trabeculae of the spongy bone. Drilling temperatures under physiological conditions are much lower than those observed under dry conditions, while a larger drilling force occurs under physiological conditions than dry conditions. Drilling speed and feed rate have a significant influence on drilling force, temperature, bone debris and hole morphology. The investigation of the effect of drilling force and temperature on internal bone damage reveals that a drilling speed of 4500 r/min and a feed rate of 50 mm/min are recommended for bone drilling under physiological conditions. Drilling quality peaks under these optimal parameter conditions. This paper proposes the optimal drilling parameters under mid- and high-speed surgical drilling, considering internal bone damage and drilling quality, which can be looked as a reference for surgeons performing orthopedic operations.

What Makes a Social Encounter Meaningful: The Impact of Social Encounters of Homeschooled Children on Emotional and Behavioral Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guterman, Oz; Neuman, Ari

2017-01-01

In modern society, a large part of the socialization process occurs in schools. Therefore, one of the most significant questions raised with regard to homeschooling concerns the impact of this type of education on the emotional world of the child. However, there is almost no mention in the research of how the nature of the social activity of…

Lifetime of binary asteroids versus gravitational encounters and collisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chauvineau, Bertrand; Farinella, Paolo; Mignard, F.

1992-01-01

We investigate the effect on the dynamics of a binary asteroid in the case of a near encounter with a third body. The dynamics of the binary is modeled as a two-body problem perturbed by an approaching body in the following ways: near encounters and collisions with a component of the system. In each case, the typical value of the two-body energy variation is estimated, and a random walk for the cumulative effect is assumed. Results are applied to some binary asteroid candidates. The main conclusion is that the collisional disruption is the dominant effect, giving lifetimes comparable to or larger than the age of the solar system.

Social Problems in Turkish Social Studies Coursebooks and Workbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yesiltas, Erkan; Eryilmaz, Önder; Pehlivan, Aysegül

2016-01-01

In Turkey, the social studies course, which is taught in elementary 5th to 7th grades, prepares students to solve problems they may encounter in their future life. Therefore, the teaching of social problems to help students get to know them is one of the most important issues for the social studies course. The primary aim of this study is to…

"Students Get Bogged Down": How Religious Israeli Elementary Teachers View Problems and Solutions in Bible Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walfish, Ruth A.; Brody, David L.

2018-01-01

Bible teachers in contemporary society confront serious problems related to the nature of the biblical text and the socio-cultural context of their teaching. This study, based on semi-structured interviews, examines the problems that five expert religious Israeli elementary school teachers encounter in their teaching and the solutions they employ.…

Single Piezo-Actuator Rotary-Hammering Drill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaoqi; Badescu, Mircea; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2011-01-01

This innovation comprises a compact drill that uses low-axial preload, via vibrations, that fractures the rock under the bit kerf, and rotates the bit to remove the powdered cuttings while augmenting the rock fracture via shear forces. The vibrations fluidize the powered cuttings inside the flutes around the bit, reducing the friction with the auger surface. These combined actions reduce the consumed power and the heating of the drilled medium, helping to preserve the pristine content of the produced samples. The drill consists of an actuator that simultaneously impacts and rotates the bit by applying force and torque via a single piezoelectric stack actuator without the need for a gearbox or lever mechanism. This reduces the development/fabrication cost and complexity. The piezoelectric actuator impacts the surface and generates shear forces, fragmenting the drilled medium directly under the bit kerf by exceeding the tensile and/or shear strength of the struck surface. The percussive impact action of the actuator leads to penetration of the medium by producing a zone of finely crushed rock directly underneath the struck location. This fracturing process is highly enhanced by the shear forces from the rotation and twisting action. To remove the formed cuttings, the bit is constructed with an auger on its internal or external surface. One of the problems with pure hammering is that, as the teeth become embedded in the sample, the drilling efficiency drops unless the teeth are moved away from the specific footprint location. By rotating the teeth, they are moved to areas that were not fragmented, and thus the rock fracturing is enhanced via shear forces. The shear motion creates ripping or chiseling action to produce larger fragments to increase the drilling efficiency, and to reduce the required power. The actuator of the drill consists of a piezoelectric stack that vibrates the horn. The stack is compressed by a bolt between the backing and the horn in order to prevent it from being subjected to tensile stress that will cause it to fail. The backing is intended to transfer the generated mechanical vibrations towards the horn. In order to cause rotation, the horn is configured asymmetrically with helical segments and, upon impacting the bit, it introduces longitudinal along the axis of the actuator and tangential force causing twisting action that rotates the bit. The longitudinal component of the vibrations of the stack introduces percussion impulses between the bit and the rock to fracture it when the ultimate strain is exceeded under the bit.

Rapid Treatment of Subungual Onychomycosis Using Controlled Micro Nail Penetration and Terbinafine Solution.

PubMed

Bristow, Ivan; Baran, Robert; Score, Michelle

2016-08-01

Onychomycosis continues to be a common and intractable problem in adults, often responding poorly to topical treatment due to limited drug penetration of the nail plate. Improving penetration has been attempted previously by chemical and physical means with some success. The authors present three cases of toenail onychomycosis treated topical terbinafine 1% solution using controlled micro-penetration of the nail using a novel intelligent nail drill system which is able to drill nail plate without penetrating the delicate nail bed beneath. The cases illustrate how the device has been successfully employed to deliver the anti-fungal drug directly and rapidly to the site of infection with minimal side effects or complications, whilst maintaining the nail integrity.

J Drugs Dermatol. 2016;15(8):974-978.

Improved assumed-stress hybrid shell element with drilling degrees of freedom for linear stress, buckling, and free vibration analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rengarajan, Govind; Aminpour, Mohammad A.; Knight, Norman F., Jr.

1992-01-01

An improved four-node quadrilateral assumed-stress hybrid shell element with drilling degrees of freedom is presented. The formulation is based on Hellinger-Reissner variational principle and the shape functions are formulated directly for the four-node element. The element has 12 membrane degrees of freedom and 12 bending degrees of freedom. It has nine independent stress parameters to describe the membrane stress resultant field and 13 independent stress parameters to describe the moment and transverse shear stress resultant field. The formulation encompasses linear stress, linear buckling, and linear free vibration problems. The element is validated with standard tests cases and is shown to be robust. Numerical results are presented for linear stress, buckling, and free vibration analyses.

Status of the Magma Energy Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, J. C.

The current magma energy project is assessing the engineering feasibility of extracting thermal energy directly from crustal magma bodies. The estimated size of the U.S. resource (50,000 to 500,000 quads) suggests a considerable potential impact on future power generation. In a previous seven-year study, we concluded that there are no insurmountable barriers that would invalidate the magma energy concept. Several concepts for drilling, energy extraction, and materials survivability were successfully demonstrated in Kilauea Iki lava lake, Hawaii. The present program is addressing the engineering design problems associated with accessing magma bodies and extracting thermal energy for power generation. The normal stages for development of a geothermal resource are being investigated: exploration, drilling and completions, production, and surface power plant design. Current status of the engineering program and future plans are described.

The Real World of the Beginning Teacher.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, Washington, DC. National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards.

Problems and goals of beginning teachers are the subject of these speeches presented by both experienced and beginning teachers at the 1965 national conference of the National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards. The problems include the differences between teacher expectations and encounters, unrealistic teaching and…

Virtual Bridge Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bisogno, Janet; JeanPierre, Bobby

2008-01-01

The West Point Bridge Design (WPBD) building project engages students in project-based learning by giving them a real-life problem to solve. By using technology, students are able to become involved in solving problems that they normally would not encounter. Involvement with interactive websites, such as WPBD, assists students in using…

Objective Sleep in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders and Major Depressive Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Erika E.; Bertocci, Michele A.; Gregory, Alice M.; Ryan, Neal D.; Axelson, David A.; Birmaher, Boris; Dahl, Ronald E.

2008-01-01

A study to examine sleep problems encountered in anxiety and depressive disorders among children and adolescents is conducted. Results indicated subjective and objective sleep problems in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and need to be kept in mind when treating young anxious people.

Bereavement Support for Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auman, Mary Jo

2007-01-01

The death of a parent is one of the most significant and stressful events children can encounter. Surviving children may experience psychiatric problems and social dysfunction during their childhood and possibly throughout their adult lives. Children surviving a sibling's death may develop behavioral problems, because no one can fill the emptiness…