An air quality emission inventory of offshore operations for the exploration and production of petroleum by the Mexican oil industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villasenor, R.; Magdaleno, M.; Quintanar, A.; Gallardo, J. C.; López, M. T.; Jurado, R.; Miranda, A.; Aguilar, M.; Melgarejo, L. A.; Palmerín, E.; Vallejo, C. J.; Barchet, W. R.

An air quality screening study was performed to assess the impacts of emissions from the offshore operations of the oil and gas exploration and production by Mexican industry in the Campeche Sound, which includes the states of Tabasco and Campeche in southeast Mexico. The major goal of this study was the compilation of an emission inventory (EI) for elevated, boom and ground level flares, processes, internal combustion engines and fugitive emissions. This inventory is so far the most comprehensive emission register that has ever been developed for the Mexican petroleum industry in this area. The EI considered 174 offshore platforms, the compression station at Atasta, and the Maritime Ports at Dos Bocas and Cayo Arcas. The offshore facilities identified as potential emitters in the area were the following: (1) trans-shipment stations, (2) a maritime floating port terminal, (3) drilling platforms, (4) crude oil recovering platforms, (5) crude oil production platforms, (6) linking platforms, (7) water injection platforms, (8) pumping platforms, (9) shelter platforms, (10) telecommunication platforms, (11) crude oil measurement platforms, and (12) flaring platforms. Crude oil storage tanks, helicopters and marine ship tankers were also considered to have an EI accurate enough for air quality regulations and mesoscale modeling of atmospheric pollutants. Historical ambient data measure at two onshore petroleum facilities were analyzed to measure air quality impacts on nearby inhabited coastal areas, and a source-receptor relationship for flares at the Ixtoc marine complex was performed to investigate health-based standards for offshore workers. A preliminary air quality model simulation was performed to observe the transport and dispersion patterns of SO 2, which is the main pollutant emitted from the offshore platforms. The meteorological wind and temperature fields were generated with CALMET, a diagnostic meteorological model that used surface observations and upper air soundings from a 4-day field campaign conducted in February of 1999. The CALMET meteorological output and the generated EI drove the transport and dispersion model, CALPUFF. Model results were compared with SO 2 measurements taken from the monitoring network at Dos Bocas.

Waste management practices in the Gulf of Suez - Egypt

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

Ghzaly, S.M.; Binegar, J.S.

1996-12-31

The Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO) is the largest offshore oil producing company in Egypt. GUPCO currently produces 400,000 BOPD from over 350 wells supported by 87 offshore producing platforms. As a leader of the Egyptian petroleum industry, GUPCO established within its strategies and goals a separate category covering safety, health and Protection of the environment. This step was recognized and emphasized the importance of GUPCO`s role in protecting the Egyptian environment while producing oil and natural gas. This paper discusses the existing waste management practices of the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company which were put into place tomore » protect the Egyptian environment in the Gulf of Suez-Egypt and GUPCO`s associated operations.« less

Turbodrilling performance offshore Qatar

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

Rana, L.A.; Abdulrahman, E.A.

Until the first quarter of 1979 Qatar General Petroleum Corporation Offshore routinely rotary drilled its vertical development wells using tricone bits. Turbodrilling the 17 1/2'' and 8 1/2'' hole sections was introduced in the second quarter of 1979 followed by the 12 1/4'' hole section in the first qarter of 1980. This resulted in avoiding/minimising downhole problems and the elimination of 7'' and 4 1/2'' liners. As a result of introducing these practices a 50 percent time saving and a 30 percent cost saving has been achieved, equivalent to $550,000/well.

Geology and total petroleum systems of the West-Central Coastal province (7203), West Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.

2006-01-01

The West-Central Coastal Province of the Sub-Saharan Africa Region consists of the coastal and offshore areas of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Angola (including the disputed Cabinda Province), and Namibia. The area stretches from the east edge of the Niger Delta south to the Walvis Ridge. The West-Central Coastal Province includes the Douala, Kribi-Campo, Rio Muni, Gabon, Congo, Kwanza, Benguela, and Namibe Basins, which together form the Aptian salt basin of equatorial west Africa. The area has had significant exploration for petroleum; more than 295 oil fields have been discovered since 1954. Since 1995, several giant oil fields have been discovered, especially in the deep-water area of the Congo Basin. Although many total petroleum systems may exist in the West-Central Coastal Province, only four major total petroleum systems have been defined. The area of the province north of the Congo Basin contains two total petroleum systems: the Melania-Gamba Total Petroleum System, consisting of Lower Cretaceous source and reservoir rocks, and the Azile-Senonian Total Petroleum System, consisting of Albian to Turonian source rocks and Cretaceous reservoir rocks. Two assessment units are defined in the West-Central Coastal Province north of the Congo Basin: the Gabon Subsalt and the Gabon Suprasalt Assessment Units. The Congo Basin contains the Congo Delta Composite Total Petroleum System, consisting of Lower Cretaceous to Tertiary source and reservoir rocks. The Central Congo Delta and Carbonate Platform and the Central Congo Turbidites Assessment Units are defined in the Congo Delta Composite Total Petroleum System. The area south of the Congo Basin contains the Cuanza Composite Total Petroleum System, consisting of Lower Cretaceous to Tertiary source and reservoir rocks. The Cuanza-Namibe Assessment Unit is defined in the Cuanza Composite Total Petroleum System. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessed the potential for undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in this province as part of its World Petroleum Assessment 2000. The USGS estimated a mean of 29.7 billion barrels of undiscovered conventional oil, 88.0 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 4.2 billion barrels of natural gas liquids. Most of the hydrocarbon potential remains in the offshore waters of the province in the Central Congo Turbidites Assessment Unit. Large areas of the offshore parts of the Kwanza, Douala, Kribi-Campo, and Rio Muni Basins are underexplored, considering their size, and current exploration activity suggests that the basins have hydrocarbon potential. Since about 1995, the offshore part of the Congo Basin has become a major area for new field discoveries and for hydrocarbon exploration, and many deeper water areas in the basin have excellent hydrocarbon potential. Gas resources may be significant and accessible in areas where the zone of oil generation is relatively shallow.

Exploring the possibility of a common structural model measuring associations between safety climate factors and safety behaviour in health care and the petroleum sectors.

PubMed

Olsen, Espen

2010-09-01

The aim of the present study was to explore the possibility of identifying general safety climate concepts in health care and petroleum sectors, as well as develop and test the possibility of a common cross-industrial structural model. Self-completion questionnaire surveys were administered in two organisations and sectors: (1) a large regional hospital in Norway that offers a wide range of hospital services, and (2) a large petroleum company that produces oil and gas worldwide. In total, 1919 and 1806 questionnaires were returned from the hospital and petroleum organisation, with response rates of 55 percent and 52 percent, respectively. Using a split sample procedure principal factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed six identical cross-industrial measurement concepts in independent samples-five measures of safety climate and one of safety behaviour. The factors' psychometric properties were explored with satisfactory internal consistency and concept validity. Thus, a common cross-industrial structural model was developed and tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). SEM revealed that a cross-industrial structural model could be identified among health care workers and offshore workers in the North Sea. The most significant contributing variables in the model testing stemmed from organisational management support for safety and supervisor/manager expectations and actions promoting safety. These variables indirectly enhanced safety behaviour (stop working in dangerous situations) through transitions and teamwork across units, and teamwork within units as well as learning, feedback, and improvement. Two new safety climate instruments were validated as part of the study: (1) Short Safety Climate Survey (SSCS) and (2) Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture-short (HSOPSC-short). Based on development of measurements and structural model assessment, this study supports the possibility of a common safety climate structural model across health care and the offshore petroleum industry. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genotoxicity Biomonitoring Along a Coastal Zone Under Influence of Offshore Petroleum Exploration (Southeastern Brazil).

PubMed

Gutiérrez, Juan Manuel; da Conceição, Moisés Basilio; Molisani, Mauricio Mussi; Weber, Laura Isabel

2018-03-01

Offshore oil exploration creates threats to coastal ecosystems, including increasing urbanization and associated effluent releases. Genotoxicity biomarkers in mussels were determined across a gradient of coastal zone influences of offshore petroleum exploration in southeastern Brazil. Coastal ecosystems such as estuaries, beaches and islands were seasonally monitored for genotoxicity evaluation using the brown mussel Perna perna. The greatest DNA damage (5.2% ± 1.9% tail DNA and 1.5‰  ± 0.8‰ MN) were observed in urban estuaries, while Santana Archipelago showed levels of genotoxicity near zero and is considered a reference site. Mussels from urban and pristine beaches showed intermediate damage levels, but were also influenced by urbanization. Thus, mussel genotoxicity biomarkers greatly indicated the proposed oil exploration and urbanization scenarios that consequently are genetically affecting coastal organisms.

Review of technology for Arctic offshore oil and gas recovery. Appendices

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

Sackinger, W. M.

1980-06-06

This volume contains appendices of the following: US Geological Survey Arctic operating orders, 1979; Det Noske Vertas', rules for the design, construction and inspection of offshore technology, 1977; Alaska Oil and Gas Association, industry research projects, March 1980; Arctic Petroleum Operator's Association, industry research projects, January 1980; selected additional Arctic offshore bibliography on sea ice, icebreakers, Arctic seafloor conditions, ice-structures, frost heave and structure icing.

Total petroleum systems of the Bonaparte Gulf Basin area, Australia; Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic; Keyling, Hyland Bay-Permian; Milligans-Carboniferous, Permian

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bishop, M.G.

1999-01-01

The Bonaparte Gulf Basin Province (USGS #3910) of northern Australia contains three important hydrocarbon source-rock intervals. The oldest source-rock interval and associated reservoir rocks is the Milligans-Carboniferous, Permian petroleum system. This petroleum system is located at the southern end of Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and includes both onshore and offshore areas within a northwest to southeast trending Paleozoic rift that was initiated in the Devonian. The Milligans Formation is a Carboniferous marine shale that sources accumulations of both oil and gas in Carboniferous and Permian deltaic, marine shelf carbonate, and shallow to deep marine sandstones. The second petroleum system in the Paleozoic rift is the Keyling, Hyland Bay-Permian. Source rocks include Lower Permian Keyling Formation delta-plain coals and marginal marine shales combined with Upper Permian Hyland Bay Formation prodelta shales. These source-rock intervals provide gas and condensate for fluvial, deltaic, and shallow marine sandstone reservoirs primarily within several members of the Hyland Bay Formation. The Keyling, Hyland Bay-Permian petroleum system is located in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, north of the Milligans-Carboniferous, Permian petroleum system, and may extend northwest under the Vulcan graben sub-basin. The third and youngest petroleum system is the Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic system that is located seaward of Joseph Bonaparte Gulf on the Australian continental shelf, and trends southwest-northeast. Source-rock intervals in the Vulcan graben sub-basin include deltaic mudstones of the Middle Jurassic Plover Formation and organic-rich marine shales of the Upper Jurassic Vulcan Formation and Lower Cretaceous Echuca Shoals Formation. These intervals produce gas, oil, and condensate that accumulates in, shallow- to deep-marine sandstone reservoirs of the Challis and Vulcan Formations of Jurassic to Cretaceous age. Organic-rich, marginal marine claystones and coals of the Plover Formation (Lower to Upper Jurassic), combined with marine claystones of the Flamingo Group and Darwin Formation (Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous) comprise the source rocks for the remaining area of the system. These claystones and coals source oil, gas, and condensate accumulations in reservoirs of continental to marine sandstones of the Plover Formation and Flamingo Group. Shales of the regionally distributed Lower Cretaceous Bathurst Island Group and intraformational shales act as seals for hydrocarbons trapped in anticlines and fault blocks, which are the major traps of the province. Production in the Bonaparte Gulf Basin Province began in 1986 using floating production facilities, and had been limited to three offshore fields located in the Vulcan graben sub-basin. Cumulative production from these fields totaled more than 124 million barrels of oil before the facilities were removed after production fell substantially in 1995. Production began in 1998 from three offshore wells in the Zone of Cooperation through floating production facilities. After forty years of exploration, a new infrastructure of pipelines and facilities are planned to tap already discovered offshore reserves and to support additional development.

Exposure to carcinogens for defined job categories in Norway's offshore petroleum industry, 1970 to 2005

PubMed Central

Steinsvåg, Kjersti; Bråtveit, Magne; Moen, Bente E

2007-01-01

Objectives To identify and describe the exposure to selected known and suspected carcinogenic agents, mixtures and exposure circumstances for defined job categories in Norway's offshore petroleum industry from 1970 to 2005, in order to provide exposure information for a planned cohort study on cancer. Methods Background information on possible exposure was obtained through company visits, including interviewing key personnel (n = 83) and collecting monitoring reports (n = 118) and other relevant documents (n = 329). On the basis of a previous questionnaire administered to present and former offshore employees in 1998, 27 job categories were defined. Results This study indicated possible exposure to 18 known and suspected carcinogenic agents, mixtures or exposure circumstances. Monitoring reports were obtained on seven agents (benzene, mineral oil mist and vapour, respirable and total dust, asbestos fibres, refractory ceramic fibres, formaldehyde and tetrachloroethylene). The mean exposure level of 367 personal samples of benzene was 0.037 ppm (range: less than the limit of detection to 2.6 ppm). Asbestos fibres were detected (0.03 fibres/cm3) when asbestos‐containing brake bands were used in drilling draw work in 1988. Personal samples of formaldehyde in the process area ranged from 0.06 to 0.29 mg/m3. Descriptions of products containing known and suspected carcinogens, exposure sources and processes were extracted from the collected documentation and the interviews of key personnel. Conclusions This study described exposure to 18 known and suspected carcinogenic agents, mixtures and exposure circumstances for 27 job categories in Norway's offshore petroleum industry. For a planned cohort study on cancer, quantitative estimates of exposure to benzene, and mineral oil mist and vapour might be developed. For the other agents, information in the present study can be used for further assessment of exposure, for instance, by expert judgement. More systematic exposure surveillance is needed in this industry. For future studies, new monitoring programmes need to be implemented. PMID:17043075

Exposure to carcinogens for defined job categories in Norway's offshore petroleum industry, 1970 to 2005.

PubMed

Steinsvåg, Kjersti; Bråtveit, Magne; Moen, Bente E

2007-04-01

To identify and describe the exposure to selected known and suspected carcinogenic agents, mixtures and exposure circumstances for defined job categories in Norway's offshore petroleum industry from 1970 to 2005, in order to provide exposure information for a planned cohort study on cancer. Background information on possible exposure was obtained through company visits, including interviewing key personnel (n = 83) and collecting monitoring reports (n = 118) and other relevant documents (n = 329). On the basis of a previous questionnaire administered to present and former offshore employees in 1998, 27 job categories were defined. This study indicated possible exposure to 18 known and suspected carcinogenic agents, mixtures or exposure circumstances. Monitoring reports were obtained on seven agents (benzene, mineral oil mist and vapour, respirable and total dust, asbestos fibres, refractory ceramic fibres, formaldehyde and tetrachloroethylene). The mean exposure level of 367 personal samples of benzene was 0.037 ppm (range: less than the limit of detection to 2.6 ppm). Asbestos fibres were detected (0.03 fibres/cm3) when asbestos-containing brake bands were used in drilling draw work in 1988. Personal samples of formaldehyde in the process area ranged from 0.06 to 0.29 mg/m3. Descriptions of products containing known and suspected carcinogens, exposure sources and processes were extracted from the collected documentation and the interviews of key personnel. This study described exposure to 18 known and suspected carcinogenic agents, mixtures and exposure circumstances for 27 job categories in Norway's offshore petroleum industry. For a planned cohort study on cancer, quantitative estimates of exposure to benzene, and mineral oil mist and vapour might be developed. For the other agents, information in the present study can be used for further assessment of exposure, for instance, by expert judgement. More systematic exposure surveillance is needed in this industry. For future studies, new monitoring programmes need to be implemented.

Adopting National Vocational Qualifications in the Offshore Industry: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Alison; John, Debbie

1994-01-01

From a case study of the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in the British petroleum industry emerged three key issues: (1) their credibility depends on how closely they reflect employment standards; (2) context is important; and (3) although NVQs should provide wider access to opportunities, the offshore industry's…

40 CFR 112.11 - Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan requirements for offshore oil drilling...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... POLLUTION PREVENTION Requirements for Petroleum Oils and Non-Petroleum Oils, Except Animal Fats and Oils and Greases, and Fish and Marine Mammal Oils; and Vegetable Oils (Including Oils from Seeds, Nuts, Fruits, and... corrosion, such as with protective coatings or cathodic protection. (o) Adequately protect sub-marine piping...

40 CFR 112.11 - Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan requirements for offshore oil drilling...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... POLLUTION PREVENTION Requirements for Petroleum Oils and Non-Petroleum Oils, Except Animal Fats and Oils and Greases, and Fish and Marine Mammal Oils; and Vegetable Oils (Including Oils from Seeds, Nuts, Fruits, and... corrosion, such as with protective coatings or cathodic protection. (o) Adequately protect sub-marine piping...

40 CFR 112.11 - Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan requirements for offshore oil drilling...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... POLLUTION PREVENTION Requirements for Petroleum Oils and Non-Petroleum Oils, Except Animal Fats and Oils and Greases, and Fish and Marine Mammal Oils; and Vegetable Oils (Including Oils from Seeds, Nuts, Fruits, and... corrosion, such as with protective coatings or cathodic protection. (o) Adequately protect sub-marine piping...

Structure, stratigraphy and petroleum geology of the south east Nam Con Son Basin, offshore Vietnam

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

Fraser, A.J.; Matthews, S.J.; Lowe, S.

1996-12-31

Recent exploration of the south east Nam Con Son Basin, offshore Vietnam, by BP in alliance with Statoil has involved acquisition of new seismic and well data. These new data have allowed re-evaluation of the tectono-stratigraphic development and petroleum geology, and have provided additional constraints on the regional tectonic evolution. The offshore Vietnamese basins have evolved in response to the complex relative motions of Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and the South China Sea during the Cenozoic. On the regional scale these motions have been accommodated by strike-slip fault development, rifting and contraction. In the Nam Con Son Basin these motionsmore » have interacted in different ways from the Palaeogene to recent. Two rifting episodes are recognized; a Palaeogene phase dominated by E-W trending extensional faults, and a Miocene phase dominated by N-S to NE-SW trending faults. The structural evolution is complicated by a pulse of mild contraction during the Middle Miocene. The sedimentary fill of the basin evolves from continental fluvio-lacustrine in the Palaeogene through to fully marine following the second phase of rifting in the Miocene. This pulsed structural and stratigraphic evolution has resulted in basinwide deposition of source, reservoir and seal facies, and produced a variety of potential trapping styles. This paper describes the hydrocarbon habitat of the south east Nam Con Son Basin within the context of the regional tectono-stratigraphic model.« less

Structure, stratigraphy and petroleum geology of the south east Nam Con Son Basin, offshore Vietnam

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

Fraser, A.J.; Matthews, S.J.; Lowe, S.

1996-01-01

Recent exploration of the south east Nam Con Son Basin, offshore Vietnam, by BP in alliance with Statoil has involved acquisition of new seismic and well data. These new data have allowed re-evaluation of the tectono-stratigraphic development and petroleum geology, and have provided additional constraints on the regional tectonic evolution. The offshore Vietnamese basins have evolved in response to the complex relative motions of Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and the South China Sea during the Cenozoic. On the regional scale these motions have been accommodated by strike-slip fault development, rifting and contraction. In the Nam Con Son Basin these motionsmore » have interacted in different ways from the Palaeogene to recent. Two rifting episodes are recognized; a Palaeogene phase dominated by E-W trending extensional faults, and a Miocene phase dominated by N-S to NE-SW trending faults. The structural evolution is complicated by a pulse of mild contraction during the Middle Miocene. The sedimentary fill of the basin evolves from continental fluvio-lacustrine in the Palaeogene through to fully marine following the second phase of rifting in the Miocene. This pulsed structural and stratigraphic evolution has resulted in basinwide deposition of source, reservoir and seal facies, and produced a variety of potential trapping styles. This paper describes the hydrocarbon habitat of the south east Nam Con Son Basin within the context of the regional tectono-stratigraphic model.« less

Energy Demand and Resources of Japan. Volume I

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-08-01

political motives. Economically Japan would prefer to develop alternative sources of petroleum which are politically stable and geologically viable...situation in the next decade. History records, therefore, Jhat Japan did not suddenly burst upon the scene as an advanced technology, highly competitive...cov- ering cooperative offshore exploration and eventual pro- duction in southern Kalimantan and northern Sumatra. Japex-Indonesian Limited, for

Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar utilized to track oil spills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Migliaccio, Maurizio; Nunziata, Ferdinando; Brown, Carl E.; Holt, Benjamin; Li, Xiaofeng; Pichel, William; Shimada, Masanobu

2012-04-01

The continued demand for crude oil and related petroleum products along with the resulting upward spiral of the market price of oil have forced oil exploration and production companies to seek out new reserves farther offshore and in deeper waters. The United States is among the top five nations globally in terms of estimated offshore oil reserves and petroleum production. Yet deepwater drilling to extract these reserves is a major engineering challenge for oil companies. Moreover, such drilling activity also comes with a significant environmental risk, and the extremely high pressures associated with deepwater oil wells mean that the mitigation of accidental releases from a deepwater spill is truly a challenging endeavor.

Geology and total petroleum systems of the Gulf of Guinea province of West Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.

2006-01-01

The Gulf of Guinea Province as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) consists of the coastal and offshore areas of Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin, and the western part of the coast of Nigeria, from the Liberian border east to the west edge of the Niger Delta. The province includes the Ivory Coast, Tano, Central, Saltpond, Keta, and Benin Basins and the Dahomey Embayment. The area has had relatively little hydrocarbon exploration since 1968, with only 33 small to moderate-sized oil and gas fields having been discovered prior to the USGS assessment. Most discoveries to 1995 have been located in water depths less than 500 m. Since 1995, only eight new offshore discoveries have been made, with four of the discoveries in the deep-water area of the province. Although as many as five total petroleum systems exist in the Gulf of Guinea Province, only one, the Cretaceous Composite Total Petroleum System, and its assessment unit, the Coastal Plain and Offshore Assessment Unit, had sufficient data to allow assessment. The province shows two important differences compared to the passive-margin basins south of the Niger Delta: (1) the influence of transform tectonics, and (2) the absence of evaporites and salt deformation. The province also lacks long-lived, large deltaic systems that typically result in rapid source rock burial and abundant high-quality hydrocarbon reservoirs. The USGS assessed the potential for undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Gulf of Guinea Province as part of its World Petroleum Assessment 2000, estimating a mean of 1,004 million barrels of conventional undiscovered oil, 10,071 billion cubic feet of gas, and 282 million barrels of natural gas liquids. Most of the hydrocarbon potential is postulated to be in the offshore, deeper waters of the province. Gas resources may be large, as well as accessible, in areas where the zone of hydrocarbon generation is relatively shallow.

Statistics of Petroleum Exploration in the World Outside the United States and Canada Through 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.; Freeman, P.A.; Glovier, Jennifer A.

2007-01-01

Future oil and gas supplies depend, in part, on the reserves that are expected to be added through exploration and new discoveries. This Circular presents a summary of the statistics and an analysis of petroleum exploration in the world outside the United States and Canada (the study area) through 2001. It updates U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1096 (by E.D. Attanasi and D.H. Root, 1993) and expands coverage of the statistics to areas where drilling and discovery data have recently become available. These new areas include China, the formerly Communist countries of Eastern Europe, and the countries that once were part of the former Soviet Union in Europe and Asia. Data are presented by country but are organized by petroleum provinces delineated by the U.S. Geological Survey World Energy Assessment Team (USGS Digital Data Series DDS?60, published in 2000). The data and analysis are presented in maps and graphs, providing a visual summary of the exploration maturity of an area. The maps show the delineated prospective areas and explored areas through 2001; explored areas have a drilling density that would rule out the occurrence of undetected large petroleum accumulations. Graphs summarize the exploration yields in terms of cumulative recoverable discovered oil and gas by delineated prospective area. From 1992 through 2001 in areas outside the United States and Canada, the delineated prospective area expanded at a rate of about 50,000 square miles per year while the explored area grew at the rate of about 11,000 square miles per year. The delineated prospective area established by 1970 contains about 75 percent of the oil discovered to date in the study area. This area is slightly less than 40 percent of the delineated prospective area established through 2001. Maps and graphs show the extension of the delineated prospective area to deepwater areas offshore of Brazil and West Africa. From 1991 through 2000, offshore discoveries accounted for 59 percent of the oil and 77 percent of the gas discovered in the study area. The petroleum industry's decision to incur the greater costs of moving offshore and into deeper waters appears to be a response to the absence of onshore prospects of comparable quality. Where natural gas can be commercially developed and marketed, data show an expansion of exploration to target gas-prone areas.

The challenge and prevention of epidemics: experience from offshore petroleum installations and its extrapolation to ships.

PubMed

Ulven, Arne Johan

2011-01-01

The risk of epidemics represents an important challenge in offshore petroleum activities. All personnel are needed for regular operations, and the outbreak of an epidemic will soon affect the operations. The economical consequences can be vast. The risk of an epidemic is raised due to the closeness of living and catering offshore combined with frequent changes of personnel who travel offshore from many nations. The article is based on the experience gained by the author during 22 years as a senior medical officer in a Norwegian oil company. Some endemics and epidemics are described. None of these resulted in the shutdown of production, but they still represented a major challenge to the company and to the medical staff in particular. The transfer value from experience offshore to ships is obvious but there are differences. Risk analysis and quality assurance systems play an important part in the prevention and limitation of epidemics offshore. The infrastructure of the food supply chain as well as education and training of personnel are key elements. Campaigns on different hygiene topics that address all personnel are launched at regular intervals. Contingency plans must be established and be ready for use in case of a threatening epidemic. Identification of the type and source of the infection or food poisoning, isolation of the infected personnel, safe evacuation of patients, and the establishment of other necessary barriers for reduction of spread of infection are necessary to control an outbreak of an epidemic.

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

Christie, H.B.

This is about the comprehensive guide to Norwegian oil and gas activities, very useful to anyone in the industry. Material includes political guidelines, control institutions, work possibilities and licenses, working environment law, employer and employee organizations, national insurance, taxes, communication, rescue operations and standby. Contents: Oil and the economy; Petroleum technology research; Responsibilities of different authorities; The Labour Inspection Directorate; The Health Directorate Offshore Office; The Coastal Directorate; Helicopter traffic; The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate; The Maritime Directorate; Det norske Veritas; The Norwegian Waterways and Electricity Board; The State Institute for Radiation Hygiene; The State Explosive Inspection; Work possibilities in themore » North Sea; Working environment legislation on the Continental Shelf; Collective bargaining agreements, labor conflicts and the right to organize; Taxation Rules; National health insurance and the petroleum activity; Occupational injuries on the Norwegian Continental Shelf; Company insurances; The private pension scheme; Other types of insuracne common among oil companies; The rescue service in Norway; Oganizations within the oil industry offshore and onshore; and Law of aliens admission to the Kindgom.« less

Carboniferous-Rotliegend total petroleum system; description and assessment results summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gautier, Donald L.

2003-01-01

The Anglo-Dutch Basin and the Northwest German Basin are two of the 76 priority basins assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey World Energy Project. The basins were assessed together because most of the resources occur within a single petroleum system (the Carboniferous-Rotliegend Total Petroleum System) that transcends the combined Anglo-Dutch Basin and Northwest German Basin boundary. The juxtaposition of thermally mature coals and carbonaceous shales of the Carboniferous Coal Measures (source rock), sandstones of the Rotliegend sedimentary systems (reservoir rock), and the Zechstein evaporites (seal) define the total petroleum system (TPS). Three assessment units were defined, based upon technological and geographic (rather than geological) criteria, that subdivide the Carboniferous-Rotliegend Total Petroleum System. These assessment units are (1) the Southern Permian Basin-Offshore Europe Assessment Unit, (2) the Southern Permian Basin Onshore Europe Assessment Unit, and (3) the Southern Permian Basin Onshore United Kingdom Assessment Unit. Although the Carboniferous-Rotliegend Total Petroleum System is one of the most intensely explored volumes of rock in the world, potential remains for undiscovered resources. Undiscovered conventional resources associated with the TPS range from 22 to 184 million barrels of oil, and from 3.6 to 14.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Of these amounts, approximately 62 million barrels of oil and 13 trillion cubic feet of gas are expected in offshore areas, and 26 million barrels of oil and 1.9 trillion cubic feet of gas are predicted in onshore areas.

Laboratory simulation of hydrothermal petroleum formation from sediment in Escanaba Trough, offshore from northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kvenvolden, K.A.; Rapp, J.B.; Hostettler, F.D.; Rosenbauer, R.J.

1994-01-01

Petroleum associated with sulfide-rich sediment is present in Escanaba Trough at the southern end of the Gorda Ridge spreading axis offshore from northern California within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the U.S. This location and occurrence are important for evaluation of the mineral and energy resource potential of the seafloor under U.S. jurisdiction. In Escanaba Trough, petroleum is believed to be formed by hydrothermal processes acting on mainly terrigenous organic material in Quaternary, river-derived sediment. To attempt to simulate these processes in the laboratory, portions of a Pleistocene gray-green mud, obtained from ??? 1.5 m below the seafloor at a water depth of ??? 3250 m in Escanaba Trough, were heated in the presence of water in four hydrous-pyrolysis experiments conducted at temperatures ranging from 250 to 350??C and at a pressure of 350 bar for 1.0-4.5 days. Distributions of n-alkanes, isoprenoid hydrocarbons, triterpanes, and steranes in the heated samples were compared with those in a sample of hydrothermal petroleum from the same area. Mud samples heated for less than 4.5 days at less than 350??C show changes in some, but not all, molecular marker ratios of organic compounds that are consistent with those expected during hydrothermal petroleum formation. Our results suggest that the organic matter in this type of sediment serves as one possible source for some of the compounds found in the hydrothermal petroleum. ?? 1994.

Human Resource Local Content in Ghana's Upstream Petroleum Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benin, Papa

Enactment of Ghana's Petroleum (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations, 2013 (L.I. 2204) was intended to regulate the percentage of local products, personnel, financing, and goods and services rendered within Ghana's upstream petroleum industry value chain. Five years after the inception of Ghana's upstream oil and gas industry, a gap is evident between the requirements of L.I. 2204 and professional practice. Drawing on Lewin's change theory, a cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the extent of differences between the prevailing human resource local content and the requirements of L.I. 2204 in Ghana's upstream petroleum industry. The extent to which training acquired by indigenous Ghanaians seeking jobs in Ghana's oil fields affects the prevalent local content in its upstream petroleum industry was also examined. Survey data were collected from 97 management, technical, and other staff in 2 multinational petroleum companies whose oil and gas development plans have been approved by the Petroleum Commission of Ghana. To answer the research questions and test their hypotheses, one-way ANOVA was performed with staff category (management, technical, and other) as the independent variable and prevalent local content as the dependent variable. Results indicated that prevailing local content in Ghana's upstream petroleum industry meets the requirements of L.I. 2204. Further, training acquired by indigenous Ghanaians seeking jobs in Ghana's oil fields affects the prevalent local content in its offshore petroleum industry. Findings may encourage leaders within multinational oil companies and the Petroleum Commission of Ghana to organize educational seminars that equip indigenous Ghanaians with specialized skills for working in Ghana's upstream petroleum industry.

Aerospace technology can be applied to exploration 'back on earth'. [offshore petroleum resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L. D.

1977-01-01

Applications of aerospace technology to petroleum exploration are described. Attention is given to seismic reflection techniques, sea-floor mapping, remote geochemical sensing, improved drilling methods and down-hole acoustic concepts, such as down-hole seismic tomography. The seismic reflection techniques include monitoring of swept-frequency explosive or solid-propellant seismic sources, as well as aerial seismic surveys. Telemetry and processing of seismic data may also be performed through use of aerospace technology. Sea-floor sonor imaging and a computer-aided system of geologic analogies for petroleum exploration are also considered.

Towards sustainability in offshore oil and gas operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, M. Ibrahim

Human activities are causing irreversible damage to the natural world and threaten our ability to sustain future generations. According to Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of 2005, sixty percent of world pristine habitats are destroyed or disturbed and species extinction rate is 100-1000 times higher than the normal background rate. One of the main reasons of these problems is the use of unsustainable technology. In this dissertation, the essential features of the modern technology development are discussed and a new single-parameter screening criterion is proposed. This criterion will allow the development of truly sustainable technologies. Previously developed technologies, particularly the ones developed after the industrial revolution, are evaluated based on the new criterion. The root cause for unsustainability of these technologies especially in the energy sector is discussed. The proposed criterion is applied to the petroleum sector. Petroleum hydrocarbons are considered to be the lifeblood of the modern society. Petroleum industry that took off from the golden era of 1930's never ceased to dominate all aspects of our society. Until now, there is no suitable alternative to fossil fuel and all trends indicate continued dominance of the petroleum industry in the foreseeable future. Even though petroleum operations have been based on solid scientific excellence and engineering marvels; only recently it has been discovered that many of the practices are not environmentally sustainable. Practically all activities of hydrocarbon operations are accompanied by undesirable discharges of liquid, solid, and gaseous wastes, which have enormous impacts on the environment. Consequently, reducing environmental impact is the most pressing issue today and many environmentalist groups are calling for curtailing petroleum operations altogether. There is clearly a need to develop a new management approach in hydrocarbon operations. This approach will have to be environmentally acceptable, economically profitable and socially responsible. This dissertation discusses the framework of true 'sustainability' for practically all aspects oil and gas operations and nature-based resource operations. Sustainability of existing offshore oil and gas operations techniques are analyzed and new nature-based technologies are proposed. Also evaluated are the fate and effect, environmental impact, risk factors, and the green supply chain in the case of seismic, drilling, production and decommissioning of oil operations. It is demonstrated with detailed examples that using the new approach will be economically more beneficial than the conventional approach, even in the short-term. The dissertation also examines the present status of petroleum operations with respect to waste generation, improper resource management, and the usage of toxic compounds in the overall lifecycle. To achieve true sustainability, some innovative models and technologies are presented. They include achievement of zero emissions, zero waste of resources, zero waste in activities, zero use of toxics, and zero waste in product life-cycle. This dissertation also discusses the environmental and technological problems of the petroleum sector and provides guidelines to achieve overall sustainability in oil company activities. Finally, this dissertation shows that inherent sustainability can be achieved by the involvement of community participation. The new screening tool proposed in this dissertation provides proper guidelines to achieve true sustainability in the technology development and other resource development operations.

Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic Basin framework and petroleum potential of Panama and Costa Rica

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

Mann, P.; Kolarsky, R.

Despite its location between major petroleum provinces in northwestern South America and northern Central America, there is a widespread negative perception of the petroleum potential of Panama and Costa Rica in southern Central America. Several factors may contribute to this perception: (1) the on and offshore geology of many areas has only be studied in a reconnaissance fashion; (2) sandstone reservoirs and source rocks are likely to be of poor quality because Upper Cretaceous-Cenozoic sandstones are eroded from island arc or oceanic basement rocks and because oil-prone source rocks are likely to be scarce in near-arc basins; and (3) structuralmore » traps are likely to be small and fragmented because of complex late Cenozoic thrust and strike-slip tectonics. On the other hand, onshore oil and gas seeps, shows and small production in wildcat wells, and source rocks with TOC values up to 26% suggest the possibility of future discoveries. In this talk, we present the results of a regional study using 3100 km of offshore seismic lines kindly provided by industry. Age and stratigraphic control of offshore lines is constrained by limited well data and detailed field studies of basin outcrops in coastal areas. We describe the major structures, stratigraphy, and tectonic history of the following areas: Gulf of Panama and Gulf of Chiriqui of Panama and the Pacific and Caribbean margins of Costa Rica.« less

AAPG-CSD geologic provinces code map

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

Meyer, R.F.; Wallace, L.G.; Wagner, F.J. Jr.

1991-10-01

This article provides the history of a revised geologic map which was drawn based on both surface geology and petroleum occurrence. The map includes offshore maps for California and the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. For onshore sites it provides geologic province boundaries which were drawn along county boundaries to approximate their position relative to oil and gas production. The offshore sites are drawn based on the universal transverse Mercator system.

Review and Recommendations for the Interagency Ship Structure Committee’s Fiscal 1984 Research Program,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

Daily. Proposal Evaluation Procedure Organizations interested in doing the work adverstised submit proposals and cost estimates. The USCG contracting...types of offshore structures. These structures have largely been fixed platforms for petroleum drilling and production, and mobile offshore drilling...structures and of those mobile drilling units that are bottom supported, such as jack-ups and submersibles. Structures which are held in place by anchors

Eastern Europe: USSR aims to improve production

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

Rigassi, D.A.

1986-08-01

This article details the perspectives for Eastern European petroleum development. Observations include: Oil output in Russia declined 2.6% last year, a drop more than twice as bad as 1984; Gorbachev cleaned house in 1985 after inspecting production problems in West Siberia; USSR exploratory/appraisal drilling the next five years should exceed 1981-85 by 40%; Gas output in USSR for '85 was 57.5 bcfd. A peak of 64 bcfd was reached last February; Poland hit a major offshore oil and gas find in the Baltic Sea during October 1985; Cash-short Yugoslavia plans to develop Ivana offshore gas field in the Adriatic Sea;more » Faced with stumbling domestic oil production, Romania turns to the USSR to fill the gap; Gas production in Hungary may drop despite added production from new and old fields.« less

Geologic appraisal of the petroleum potential of offshore southern California; the borderland compared to onshore coastal basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, James Carlton

1976-01-01

Offshore southern California is part of a much larger Pacific continental margin, and the two areas have a similar geologic history at least as far back as middle Tertiary time. Assessment of the petroleum potential of the offshore Southern California borderland is accomplished by examining the adjacent highly explored productive coastal basins in the tectonically unstable area west of the San Andreas fault. Known oil and gas accumulations in this region can be characterized as follows: 88 percent comes from the Los Angeles and Ventura basins; 87 percent has been found in late Miocene and younger strata and only 0.2 percent has been found in Eocene strata; 80 percent has been found in thick deposits of deep-water turbidite reservoirs; and 5 percent has been found in fractured Miocene siliceous shale reservoirs. The percentage of siliceous shale reservoirs will increase as a result of recent discoveries in this rock type in the Santa Barbara Channel. Of the 212 known fields only 5 are giants (greater than 500 million barrels), and these fields account for 52 percent of all past production from the region. Most fields are faulted anticlines, and the largest fields have the highest oil recoveries per acre. Geologic knowledge of the offshore is limited by the availability of data. Data have been obtained from geophysical surveys, analyses of bedrock samples from the sea floor, and extrapolations of data from the mainland and offshore islands. Several factors have a negative effect on the assessment of the petroleum potential of the southern California borderland. They are: 1. The Neogene section is relatively thin, and the Paleogene section is thin and has a limited distribution. 2. Over large areas, Miocene sediments apparently rest directly on basement. 3. Along much of the Santa Rosa-Cortes Ridge, sediments are uplifted and truncated, exposing Paleogene rocks. 4. Organic content in Paleogene sediments is believed too low to generate large amounts of petroleum. 5. Source rocks are immature, even in sediments as old as Eocene. 6. Burial and thermal history are insufficient for the generaton of hydrocarbons over much of the borderland area. 7. Documented oil and gas seeps are unknown seaward of the Channel Islands. 8. Limited exploratory drilling nearshore, the best prospective area, has not been favorable. 9. Adequate or thick reservoirs of deep-water turbidire origin are not evident. These negative factors are partly offset by the following positive factors: 1. Miocene sediments are excellent potential source rocks. 2. Asphaltic oil in rocks of Monterey-type lithology may be generated at lower than normal temperatures. 3. Shallow-water sands of reservoir quality possibly are present in the uppermost Paleogene and lowermost Neogene section. 4. Potential structural traps may be analogous to major structural producing trends onshore. 5. Fractured shale reservoirs may be present along flanks of major banks and ridges. 6. Buried and unsampled Paleogene and Late Cretaceous sediments may be better source rocks than those sampled and measured. The southern California borderland, although a part of a locally rich petroliferous region, has no known basins with geologic histories or characteristics similar to the Los Angeles and Ventura basins. Some offshore basins are similar to less endowed basins in terms of petroleum potential such as the Santa Maria and Salinas basins. Areas with the best petroleum potential may be in deep water (greater than 500 m). Some of the past high estimates of the petroleum potential may have been overstated; the existing geologic data tend to substantiate low estimates of 0.6 to 5.8 billion barrels of oil and 0.6 to 5.8 trillion ft3 of gas for the southern California borderland at the 5 and 95 percent probability level.

Viet Nam steps up offshore E and D push

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

Not Available

1992-06-22

This paper reports on Viet Nam's offshore exploration and development. Hanoi tentatively awarded three of five remaining blocks of prime offshore South China Sea acreage to companies from Europe and the Far East, with a fourth such award reported imminent. And state owned Petrovietnam signed a production sharing contract (PSC) covering acreage in the same area to a combine of British Petroleum Co. plc and Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS. Retention of one block in the area covered by Viet Nam's second bidding round fueled speculation Hanoi is holding it in reserve for U.S. companies to enter bidding, pendingmore » easing of U.S. trade sanctions against Viet Nam, Agence France France (AFP) reported. Second round blocks have been carved from a concession held by Vietsovpetro, a joint venture of Petrovietnam and the former Soviet Union. All are in the southern Con Sun basin of the South China Sea off the port of Vung Tao and on trend with Viet Nam's only producing oil fields.« less

The Talara Basin province of northwestern Peru: cretaceous-tertiary total petroleum system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Higley, Debra K.

2004-01-01

More than 1.68 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and 340 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFG) have been produced from the Cretaceous-Tertiary Total Petroleum System in the Talara Basin province, northwestern Peru. Oil and minor gas fields are concentrated in the onshore northern third of the province. Current production is primarily oil, but there is excellent potential for offshore gas resources, which is a mostly untapped resource because of the limited local market for gas and because there are few pipelines. Estimated mean recoverable resources from undiscovered fields in the basin are 1.71 billion barrels of oil (BBO), 4.79 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG), and 255 million barrels of natural gas liquids (NGL). Of this total resource, 15 percent has been allocated to onshore and 85 percent to offshore; volumes are 0.26 BBO and 0.72 TCFG onshore, and 1.45 BBO and 4.08 TCFG offshore. The mean estimate of numbers of undiscovered oil and gas fields is 83 and 27, respectively. Minimum size of fields that were used in this analysis is 1 million barrels of oil equivalent and (or) 6 BCFG. The Paleocene Talara forearc basin is superimposed on a larger, Mesozoic and pre-Mesozoic basin. Producing formations, ranging in age from Pennsylvanian to Oligocene, are mainly Upper Cretaceous through Oligocene sandstones of fluvial, deltaic, and nearshore to deep-marine depositional origins. The primary reservoirs and greatest potential for future development are Eocene sandstones that include turbidites of the Talara and Salinas Groups. Additional production and undiscovered resources exist within Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Oligocene formations. Pennsylvanian Amotape quartzites may be productive where fractured. Trap types in this block-faulted basin are mainly structural or a combination of structure and stratigraphy. Primary reservoir seals are interbedded and overlying marine shales. Most fields produce from multiple reservoirs, and production is reported commingled. For this reason, and also because geochemical data on oils and source rocks is very limited, Tertiary and Cretaceous production is grouped into one total petroleum system. The most likely source rocks are Tertiary marine shales, but some of the Cretaceous marine shales are also probable source rocks, and these would represent separate total petroleum systems. Geochemical data on one oil sample from Pennsylvanian rock indicates that it was probably also sourced from Tertiary shales.

Interactive Model Centric Systems Engineering (IMCSE) Phase 4

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

traditional deep‐sea cargo ships, are designed to provide special operational services typically  related  to  the  offshore  oil   and  gas  industry...OCV), to mention a few. A recent period of high  oil  prices and deep sea petroleum discoveries  has  spurred  the development of offshore  oil   and...their  price  competitiveness.  Additionally,  the  Deepwater Horizon  oil  spill in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico has changed some of the focus for the

The Canadian experience in frontier environmental protection

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

Jones, G.H.

1991-03-01

Early Canadian frontier exploration (from 1955 onshore and from 1966 for offshore drilling) caused insignificant public concern. The 1967-1968 Torrey Canyon Tanker and Santa Barbara disasters roused public opinion and governments. In Canada, 1969-1970 Arctic gas blowouts, a tanker disaster, and damage to the 'Manhattan' exacerbated concerns and resulted in new environmental regulatory constraints. From 1970, the Arctic Petroleum Operations Association learned to operate safely with environmental responsibility. It studied physical environment for design criteria, and the biological and human environment to ameliorate impact. APOA's research projects covered sea-ice, permafrost, sea-bottom, oil-spills, bird and mammal migration, fish habitat, food chains,more » oceanography, meteorology, hunters'/trappers' harvests, etc. In 1971 Eastcoast Petroleum Operators' Association and Alaska Oil and Gas Association followed APOA's cooperative research model. EPOA stressed icebergs and fisheries. Certain research was handled by the Canadian Offshore Oil Spill Research Association. By the mid-1980s these associations had undertaken $70,000,000 of environmental oriented research, with equivalent additional work by member companies on specific needs and similar sums by Federal agencies often working with industry on complementary research. The frontier associations then merged with the Canadian Petroleum Association, already active environmentally in western Canada. Working with government and informing environmental interest groups, the public, natives, and local groups, most Canadian frontier petroleum operations proceeded with minimal delay and environmental disturbance.« less

Summary report on the regional geology, environmental considerations for development, petroleum potential, and estimates of undiscovered recoverable oil and gas resources of the United States southeastern Atlantic continental margin in the area of proposed oil and gas lease sale No. 78

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.

1981-01-01

This report summarizes our general knowledge of the geology and petroleum potential, as well as potential problems and hazards associated with development of petroleum resources, of the area proposed for nominations for lease sale number 78. This area includes the U.S. eastern continental margin from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay to approximately Cape Canaveral, Florida, including the upper Continental Slope and inner Blake Plateau. The area for possible sales and the previous areas leased are shown in figure 1; physiographic features of the region are shown in figure 2. Six exploration wells have been drilled within the proposed lease area (figs. 3 and 4) but no commercial discoveries have been made. All six wells were drilled on the Continental Shelf in the Southeast Georgia Embayment. No commercial production has been obtained onshore in the region. The areas already drilled have thin sedimentary sections, and the deeper rocks are dominantly continental facies. Petroleum formation may have been hindered by a lack of organic material and sufficient burial for thermal maturation. Analysis of drill and seismic profiling data presented here, however, indicates that a much thicker sedimentary rock section containing a much higher proportion of marine deposits exists seaward of the exploratory wells on the Continental Shelf. These geologic conditions imply that the offshore basins may be more favorable environments for generating petroleum.

Petroleum systems of the Northwest Java Province, Java and offshore southeast Sumatra, Indonesia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bishop, Michele G.

2000-01-01

Mature, synrift lacustrine shales of Eocene to Oligocene age and mature, late-rift coals and coaly shales of Oligocene to Miocene age are source rocks for oil and gas in two important petroleum systems of the onshore and offshore areas of the Northwest Java Basin. Biogenic gas and carbonate-sourced gas have also been identified. These hydrocarbons are trapped primarily in anticlines and fault blocks involving sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. These source rocks and reservoir rocks were deposited in a complex of Tertiary rift basins formed from single or multiple half-grabens on the south edge of the Sunda Shelf plate. The overall transgressive succession was punctuated by clastic input from the exposed Sunda Shelf and marine transgressions from the south. The Northwest Java province may contain more than 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent in addition to the 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent already identified.

Anatomy of the petroleum geology in Chukchi Sea basin: Two-dimensional simulation

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

Wei Zengpu; Lerche, I.

1991-03-01

The Chukchi Sea basin is located offshore from the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA). The petroleum exploration history of the Chukchi Sea basin goes back to 1969. Although several wells were drilled, none of them revealed encouraging amounts of oil and gas accumulations. Exploration efforts have been limited mainly to geophysical exploratory work. Increasing recent interest in this area has led to a basin analysis study using available data acquired over the past two decades, in relation to petroleum evolution. This study applies a two-dimensional computer simulation model to the Chukchi Sea basin. An automatic procedure, termed dynamical tomography,more » uses available measured data to search for the best parameters within a specified range. In an integrated manner the model then simulates (1) geohistory and structural development, (2) thermal history, and (3) organic matter evolution. The outputs include both data tables and plots (in both one and two dimensions). These outputs provide detailed information on the spatial evolution with time of fluid pressure, formation temperature, thermal indicator indices (like Waples' TTI and vitrinite reflectance), porosity, and hydrocarbon generation, migration, and accumulation. In this way the hydrocarbon proneness of various parts of the basin can be evaluated.« less

Inadequate environmental monitoring around offshore oil and gas platforms on the Grand Bank of Eastern Canada: are risks to marine birds known?

PubMed

Burke, C M; Montevecchi, W A; Wiese, F K

2012-08-15

Petroleum exploration and production on the Grand Bank of eastern Canada overlaps with productive marine habitat that supports over 40 million marine birds annually. Environmental assessments for oil and gas projects in the region predict insignificant adverse effects on marine birds from oil spills, incineration in platform flares and collisions. Limited baseline data on seasonal occupancies and a failure to quantify the nature and extent of marine bird attraction to platforms and related mortality undermines these assessments. We conducted 22 surveys to offshore platforms on the Grand Bank during 1999-2003 to measure avian associations with platforms and to determine the level of monitoring needed to assess the risks to marine birds. We document seasonal shifts in marine bird occurrences and higher densities of auks (fall) and shearwaters (summer) around platforms relative to surrounding areas. The limited temporal and spatial coverage of our surveys is more robust than existing industry monitoring efforts, yet it is still inadequate to quantify the scale of marine bird associations with platforms or their associated mortality risks. Systematic observations by independent biologists on vessels and platforms are needed to generate reliable assessments of risks to marine birds. Instead, the regulatory body for offshore oil and gas in eastern Canada (Canada - Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board; C-NLOPB) supports industry self-reporting as the accepted form of environmental monitoring. Conflicting responsibilities of oil and gas regulatory agencies for both energy development and environmental monitoring are major barriers to transparency, unbiased scientific inquiry and adequate environmental protection. Similar conflicts with the oil and gas regulatory body in the United States, the former Minerals and Management Service (MMS) were identified by the U.S. President as a major contributor to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The MMS has since been restructured into the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, (BOEM) with separate departments responsible for drilling leases and the regulation of drilling activities. Similar restructuring of the oil and gas regulatory bodies in Canada is needed for better public information, scientific investigation and environmental protection in the offshore. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Not Available

Ghana National Petroleum Corp. (GNPC) plans a two well offshore drilling program it hopes will lead to a resumption of hydrocarbon production in the West African state. The wells will be drilled in South Tano field in the extreme western sector of Ghana's offshore area, near the boundary with Ivory Coast. If the program is successful, the state company will develop a novel floating production system to handle and export oil. Gas will provide fuel for an electrical power generating unit integrated into a floating production system. Power will move ashore through a submarine cable. North and south Tano fieldsmore » were discovered by Phillips Petroleum Corp., which relinquished the acreage in 1982. The South Tano discovery well flowed 1,614 b/d of oil and 8.2 MMCfd of gas. Studies by a unit of ARCO, when it was a partner in a group that later acquired the Tano block, pegged North Tano hydrocarbons in place at 53.6 million bbl of oil and 102 bcf of gas. Braspetro, under contract with GNPC, estimated South Tano hydrocarbons in place at 82 million bbl of oil and 100 bcf of gas. GNPC is evaluating the possibility of rehabilitating Saltpond oil field about 150 miles east-northeast of North and South Tano. Saltpond has been shut in since 1985.« less

A user-centred design process of new cold-protective clothing for offshore petroleum workers operating in the Barents Sea

PubMed Central

NAESGAARD, Ole Petter; STORHOLMEN, Tore Christian Bjørsvik; WIGGEN, Øystein Nordrum; REITAN, Jarl

2017-01-01

Petroleum operations in the Barents Sea require personal protective clothing (PPC) to ensure the safety and performance of the workers. This paper describes the accomplishment of a user-centred design process of new PPC for offshore workers operating in this area. The user-centred design process was accomplished by mixed-methods. Insights into user needs and context of use were established by group interviews and on-the-job observations during a field-trip. The design was developed based on these insights, and refined by user feedback and participatory design. The new PPC was evaluated via field-tests and cold climate chamber tests. The insight into user needs and context of use provided useful input to the design process and contributed to tailored solutions. Providing users with clothing prototypes facilitated participatory design and iterations of design refinement. The group interviews following the final field test showed consensus of enhanced user satisfaction compared to PPC in current use. The final cold chamber test indicated that the new PPC provides sufficient thermal protection during the 60 min of simulated work in a wind-chill temperature of −25°C. Conclusion: Accomplishing a user-centred design process contributed to new PPC with enhanced user satisfaction and included relevant functional solutions. PMID:29046494

A user-centred design process of new cold-protective clothing for offshore petroleum workers operating in the Barents Sea.

PubMed

Naesgaard, Ole Petter; Storholmen, Tore Christian Bjørsvik; Wiggen, Øystein Nordrum; Reitan, Jarl

2017-12-07

Petroleum operations in the Barents Sea require personal protective clothing (PPC) to ensure the safety and performance of the workers. This paper describes the accomplishment of a user-centred design process of new PPC for offshore workers operating in this area. The user-centred design process was accomplished by mixed-methods. Insights into user needs and context of use were established by group interviews and on-the-job observations during a field-trip. The design was developed based on these insights, and refined by user feedback and participatory design. The new PPC was evaluated via field-tests and cold climate chamber tests. The insight into user needs and context of use provided useful input to the design process and contributed to tailored solutions. Providing users with clothing prototypes facilitated participatory design and iterations of design refinement. The group interviews following the final field test showed consensus of enhanced user satisfaction compared to PPC in current use. The final cold chamber test indicated that the new PPC provides sufficient thermal protection during the 60 min of simulated work in a wind-chill temperature of -25°C. Accomplishing a user-centred design process contributed to new PPC with enhanced user satisfaction and included relevant functional solutions.

Feasible application of offshore wind turbines in Labuan Island, Sabah for energy complementary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salleh, Nur Farahin; Chew, Boon Cheong; Hamid, Syaiful Rizal

2017-03-01

Nowadays, the world energy requirements are increasing at an alarming rate and the power demand is running ahead of supply. It is widely recognized that the fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are presently being used for electricity generation. Therefore, in future it may not be sufficient to keep pace with ever increasing demand of the electrical energy of the world. The renewable energy can provide clean sources of energy which is reliable and secure to society. This paper analyzed renewable energy adoption, focusing on offshore wind turbines. In this case study, Labuan, Sabah has been selected and suggested as the location to install the offshore wind turbines because of geographical advantage of the South China Sea. The technology is expected to provide great power energy with least environment impact and high sustainability as it is located within the windy area with no terrain features, buildings or other obstruction. This study used qualitative methods for both data collection and data analysis. This study proved the feasible application of offshore wind turbines in the South China Sea, Sabah produced the complementary energy to fossil fuels. Hence, the offshore wind turbines might become one of main energy sources in Sabah. The application of the offshore wind turbines to Sabah residential area develops a lot of benefit and support Malaysian government goal which is to be more competitive in renewable energy generation while sustaining national economic growth.

Regional resource depletion and industry activity: The case of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.

1986-01-01

Stable and declining oil and gas prices have changed the industry's price expectations and, along with depletion of promising exploration prospects, has resulted in reduced exploration. Even with intensive additional exploration, production in most U.S. areas is expected to decline. What does this imply for the drilling and petroleum industry suppliers in particular regions? How should planners in government and the private sector project and incorporate the consequences of these changes in their strategies? This paper answers these questions for the industry operating in the offshore Gulf of Mexico. Future oil and gas production, as well as demand for offshore drilling and production facilities, are shown to depend on the size distribution of undiscovered fields, their associated production costs, and oil and gas prices. Declining well productivity is a consequence of development of progressively smaller fields so that long-run drilling demand should not decline in proportion to the expected production decline. Calculations show a substantial payoff to the drilling industry, in terms of potential demand increases, if it can develop and implement cost reducing technologies. Implications of these results for other offshore producing areas such as the North Sea are also discussed. ?? 1986.

Radar imagery interpretation to assess the hydrocarbon potential of four sites in the Philippines

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

Not Available

1988-11-17

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines has invited new bids from international companies to explore for oil and gas in onshore and offshore sedimentary basins. To assist the private oil industry in the evaluation of the petroleum potential of these basins, the Government, with the assistance of a loan from the World Bank has completed a nation-wide basin evaluation program. The primary objective of the project is to further the goals of international energy development by aiding the Republic of the Philippines in the assessment of potential petroleum prospects within the areas imaged by radar. Secondary goals aremore » to assist the Republic of the Philippines in utilizing state-of-the-art radar remote sensing technology for resource exploration, and to train key Philippines scientists in the use of imaging radar data. Geologic maps were prepared for each petroleum prospect region and are included in this report. A discussion on radar principles, lithography, and stratigraphy of the areas is also included. 29 refs., 27 figs., 12 tabs.« less

Nighttime approaches to offshore installations in Brazil: Safety shortcomings experienced by helicopter pilots.

PubMed

Nascimento, Felipe A C; Majumdar, Arnab; Jarvis, Steve

2012-07-01

Accident rates for night sorties by helicopters traveling to offshore oil and gas platforms are at least five times higher than those during the daytime. Because pilots need to transition from automated flight to a manually flown night visual segment during arrival, the approach and landing phases cause great concern. Despite this, in Brazil, regulatory changes have been sought to allow for the execution of offshore night flights because of the rapid expansion of the petroleum industry. This study explores the factors that affect safety during night visual segments in Brazil using 28 semi-structured interviews with offshore helicopter pilots, followed by a template analysis of the narratives. The relationships among the factors suggest that flawed safety oversights, caused by a combination of lack of infrastructure for night flights offshore and declining training, currently favor spatial disorientation on the approach and near misses when close to the destination. Safety initiatives can be derived on the basis of these results. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma among upstream petroleum workers

PubMed Central

Kirkeleit, Jorunn; Riise, Trond; Bjørge, Tone; Moen, Bente E; Bråtveit, Magne; Christiani, David C

2013-01-01

Objectives To investigate cancer risk, particularly oesophageal cancer, among male upstream petroleum workers offshore potentially exposed to various carcinogenic agents. Methods Using the Norwegian Registry of Employers and Employees, 24 765 male offshore workers registered from 1981 to 2003 was compared with 283 002 male referents from the general working population matched by age and community of residence. The historical cohort was linked to the Cancer Registry of Norway and the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry. Results Male offshore workers had excess risk of oesophageal cancer (RR 2.6, 95% CI 1.4 to 4.8) compared with the reference population. Only the adenocarcinoma type had a significantly increased risk (RR 2.7, 95% CI 1.0 to 7.0), mainly because of an increased risk among upstream operators (RR 4.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 14.5). Upstream operators did not have significant excess of respiratory system or colon cancer or mortality from any other lifestyle-related diseases investigated. Conclusion We found a fourfold excess risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma among male workers assumed to have had the most extensive contact with crude oil. Due to the small number of cases, and a lack of detailed data on occupational exposure and lifestyle factors associated with oesophageal adenocarcinoma, the results must be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, given the low risk of lifestyle-related cancers and causes of death in this working group, the results add to the observations in other low-powered studies on oesophageal cancer, further suggesting that factors related to the petroleum stream or carcinogenic agents used in the production process might be associated with risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. PMID:19858535

Effects of Shift and Night Work in the Offshore Petroleum Industry: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

FOSSUM, Ingrid Nesdal; BJORVATN, Bjørn; WAAGE, Siri; PALLESEN, Ståle

2013-01-01

Shift and night work are associated with several negative outcomes. The aim of this study was to make a systematic review of all studies which examine effects of shift and night work in the offshore petroleum industry, to synthesize the knowledge of how shift work offshore may affect the workers. Searches for studies concerning effects on health, sleep, adaptation, safety, working conditions, family- and social life and turnover were conducted via the databases Web of Knowledge, PsycINFO and PubMed. Search was also conducted through inspection of reference lists of relevant literature. We identified studies describing effects of shift work in terms of sleep, adaptation and re-adaptation of circadian rhythms, health outcomes, safety and accidents, family and social life, and work perceptions. Twenty-nine studies were included. In conclusion, the longitudinal studies were generally consistent in showing that adaptation to night work was complete within one to two weeks of work, while re-adaptation to a daytime schedule was slower. Shift workers reported more sleep problems than day workers. The data regarding mental and physical health, family and social life, and accidents yielded inconsistent results, and were insufficient as a base for drawing general conclusions. More research in the field is warranted. PMID:23803497

Mental distress among shift workers in Norwegian offshore petroleum industry--relative influence of individual and psychosocial work factors.

PubMed

Ljoså, Cathrine Haugene; Tyssen, Reidar; Lau, Bjørn

2011-11-01

This study aimed to investigate the association between individual and psychosocial work factors and mental distress among offshore shift workers in the Norwegian petroleum industry. All 2406 employees of a large Norwegian oil and gas company, who worked offshore during a two-week period in August 2006, were invited to participate in the web-based survey. Completed questionnaires were received from 1336 employees (56% response rate). The outcome variable was mental distress, assessed with a shortened version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-5). The following individual factors were adjusted for: age, gender, marital status, and shift work locus of control. Psychosocial work factors included: night work, demands, control and support, and shift work-home interference. The level of mental distress was higher among men than women. In the adjusted regression model, the following were associated with mental distress: (i) high scores on quantitative demands, (ii) low level of support, and (iii) high level of shift work-home interference. Psychosocial work factors explained 76% of the total explained variance (adjusted R (²)=0.21) in the final adjusted model. Psychosocial work factors, such as quantitative demands, support, and shift work-home interference were independently associated with mental distress. Shift schedules were only univariately associated with mental distress.

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

Risk of MS is not associated with exposure to crude oil, but increases with low level of education.

PubMed

Riise, Trond; Kirkeleit, Jorunn; Aarseth, Jan Harald; Farbu, Elisabeth; Midgard, Rune; Mygland, Åse; Eikeland, Randi; Mørland, Tore Jørgen; Telstad, Wenche; Førland, Per Tore; Myhr, Kjell-Morten

2011-07-01

Offshore workers in the Norwegian upstream petroleum industry are exposed to a number of chemicals such as organic solvents, mineral oils and other hydrocarbons, possibly contributing to an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). To estimate the risk of MS in this population compared with the general working population in Norway, adjusting for education. Using the Norwegian Registry of Employers and Employees we included all 27,900 offshore workers registered from 1981 to 2003 and 366,805 referents from the general working population matched by gender, age and community of residence. The cohort was linked to the Norwegian MS Registry and the Norwegian Education Registry. There was no increased risk of MS among the offshore workers. We found a marked and linear inverse relationship between level of education and the risk of MS in the total study population, with a rate ratio of 0.48 (95% CI, 0.53 to 0.88) for workers with a graduate degree compared to workers with elementary school only. These findings do not support a major aetiological role of petroleum-based products, but rather point to smoking and other lifestyle factors related to the level of education as being important for the risk of MS.

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

NONE

The first controlled-temperature ice plug in the bend of an offshore gas trunkline has been carried out for Phillips Petroleum Co. Norway on its Norpipe A.S. platform in the German sector of the North Sea. The procedure was part of a subsea valve repair operation. The ice plug was successfully formed offshore and tested to a differential pressure of 1,450 psi. Repair of two valves required only 5 days during which time gas production was operating at close to 50--60% via the platform bypass, says the service company. The paper discusses the procedure.

Geology and petroleum resources of the Barents-northern Kara shelf in light of new geologic data

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

Ulmishek, G.

1985-10-01

The Barents-northern Kara shelf, one of the largest continental shelves in the world, is still in the earliest stage of exploration for oil and gas. During the last several years, numerous seismic surveys have been conducted, a number of wells have been drilled, and several gas fields have been discovered. This report summarizes the geological data gathered during recent exploration activities and presents the changes in earlier concepts necessitated by consideration of these new data. The revised assessment of undiscovered petroleum resources is based on new information about the distribution and quality of source rocks and reservoir rocks and themore » structural framework of the shelf. Special attention is paid to evaluating the oil versus gas potential of the shelf, an evaluation that strongly depends on the expected offshore extension of oil-source facies in the Lower-Middle Triassic section. The most probable amounts of undiscovered petroleum resources of the shelf are estimated at 14.2 x 10/sup 9/ barrels of oil and 312.2 x 10/sup 12/ cubic feet of gas. The Finnmark trough, the south Barents and North Novaya Zemlya depressions, and the offshore continuation of the Timan-Pechora basin possess the great majority of these resources. 103 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.« less

Geology of continental margins

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

Not Available

With continued high interest in offshore petroleum exploration, the 1977 AAPG Short Course presents the latest interpretations of new data bearing on the geology and geophysics of continental margins. Seven well-known earth scientists have organized an integrated program covering major topics involved in the development of ocean basins and continental margins with emphasis on the slopes and rises. The discussion of plate tectonics and evolution of continental margins is followed by presentations on the stratigraphy and structure of pull-apart and compressional margins. Prospective petroleum source rocks, their organic content, rate of burial, and distribution on slopes and rises of differentmore » margin types is covered. Prospective reservoir rock patterns are related to depositional processes and to the sedimentary and structural histories for different types of continental margins. Finally, the seismic recognition of depositional facies on slopes and rises for different margin types with varying rates of sediment supply during eustatic sea-level changes are discussed. The course with this syllabus offers an invaluable opportunity for explorationists to refresh their understanding of the geology associated with an important petroleum frontier. In addition, the course sets forth a technical frame of reference for the case-histoy papers to be presented later in the AAPG Research Symposium on the Petroleum Potential of Slopes, Rises, and Plateaus.« less

Petroleum geology and resources of the North Ustyurt Basin, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ulmishek, Gregory F.

2001-01-01

The triangular-shaped North Ustyurt basin is located between the Caspian Sea and the Aral Lake in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and extends offshore both on the west and east. Along all its sides, the basin is bounded by the late Paleozoic and Triassic foldbelts that are partially overlain by Jurassic and younger rocks. The basin formed on a cratonic microcontinental block that was accreted northward to the Russian craton in Visean or Early Permian time. Continental collision and deformation along the southern and eastern basin margins occurred in Early Permian time. In Late Triassic time, the basin was subjected to strong compression that resulted in intrabasinal thrusting and faulting. Jurassic-Tertiary, mostly clastic rocks several hundred meters to 5 km thick overlie an older sequence of Devonian?Middle Carboniferous carbonates, Upper Precambrian massifs and deformed Caledonian foldbelts. The Carboniferous?Lower Permian clastics, carbonates, and volca-basement is at depths from 5.5 km on the highest uplifts to 11 nics, and Upper Permian?Triassic continental clastic rocks, pri-km in the deepest depressions. marily red beds. Paleogeographic conditions of sedimentation, Three total petroleum systems are identified in the basin. the distribution of rock types, and the thicknesses of pre-Triassic Combined volumes of discovered hydrocarbons in these sysstratigraphic units are poorly known because the rocks have been tems are nearly 2.4 billion barrels of oil and 2.4 trillion cubic penetrated by only a few wells in the western and eastern basin feet of gas. Almost all of the oil reserves are in the Buzachi Arch areas. The basement probably is heterogeneous; it includes and Surrounding Areas Composite Total Petroleum System in 2 Petroleum Geology, Resources?North Ustyurt Basin, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan the western part of the basin. Oil pools are in shallow Jurassic and Neocomian sandstone reservoirs, in structural traps. Source rocks are absent in the total petroleum system area; therefore, the oil could have migrated from the adjacent North Caspian basin. The North Ustyurt Jurassic Total Petroleum System encompasses the rest of the basin area and includes Jurassic and younger rocks. Several oil and gas fields have been discovered in this total petroleum system. Oil accumulations are in Jurassic clastic reservoirs, in structural traps at depths of 2.5?3 km. Source rocks for the oil are lacustrine beds and coals in the continental Jurassic sequence. Gas fields are in shallow Eocene sandstones in the northern part of the total petroleum system. The origin of the gas is unknown. The North Ustyurt Paleozoic Total Petroleum System stratigraphically underlies the North Ustyurt Jurassic system and occupies the same geographic area. The total petroleum system is almost unexplored. Two commercial flows of gas and several oil and gas shows have been tested in Carboniferous shelf carbonates in the eastern part of the total petroleum system. Source rocks probably are adjacent Carboniferous deep-water facies interpreted from seismic data. The western extent of the total petroleum system is conjectural. Almost all exploration drilling in the North Ustyurt basin has been limited to Jurassic and younger targets. The underlying Paleozoic-Triassic sequence is poorly known and completely unexplored. No wells have been drilled in offshore parts of the basin. Each of three total petroleum systems was assessed as a single assessment unit. Undiscovered resources of the basin are small to moderate. Most of the undiscovered oil probably will be discovered in Jurassic and Neocomian stratigraphic and structural traps on the Buzachi arch, especially on its undrilled off-shore extension. Most of the gas discoveries are expected to be in Paleozoic carbonate reservoirs in the eastern part of the basin.

30 CFR 250.1628 - Design, installation, and operation of production systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... mechanical and electrical systems to be installed was approved by registered professional engineers. After... Installation of Offshore Production Platform Piping Systems; (3) Electrical system information including a plan... Practice for Classification of Locations for Electrical Installations at Petroleum Facilities Classified as...

30 CFR 250.300 - Pollution prevention.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... environment. No petroleum-based substances, including diesel fuel, may be added to the drilling mud system... Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL... oil and gas or sulphur, the lessee shall take measures to prevent unauthorized discharge of pollutants...

30 CFR 250.300 - Pollution prevention.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... environment. No petroleum-based substances, including diesel fuel, may be added to the drilling mud system... Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL... oil and gas or sulphur, the lessee shall take measures to prevent unauthorized discharge of pollutants...

30 CFR 250.300 - Pollution prevention.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... environment. No petroleum-based substances, including diesel fuel, may be added to the drilling mud system... Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL... oil and gas or sulphur, the lessee shall take measures to prevent unauthorized discharge of pollutants...

46 CFR 110.10-1 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Classing Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, Part 4 Machinery and Systems, 2001 (“ABS MODU Rules”), IBR... Hazardous (Classified) Locations: Type of Protection—Encapsulation “m”, approved July 31, 2009 (“ANSI/ISA... Practice for Classification of Locations for Electrical Installations at Petroleum Facilities Classified as...

Digital depth horizon compilations of the Alaskan North Slope and adjacent Arctic regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saltus, Richard W.; Bird, Kenneth J.

2003-01-01

Data have been digitized and combined to create four detailed depth horizon grids spanning the Alaskan North Slope and adjacent offshore areas. These map horizon compilations were created to aid in petroleum system modeling and related studies. Topography/bathymetry is extracted from a recent Arctic compilation of global onshore DEM and satellite altimetry and ship soundings offshore. The Lower Cretaceous Unconformity (LCU), the top of the Triassic Shublik Formation, and the pre-Carboniferous acoustic basement horizon grids are created from numerous seismic studies, drill hole information, and interpolation. These horizons were selected because they mark critical times in the geologic evolution of the region as it relates to petroleum. The various horizons clearly show the major tectonic elements of this region including the Brooks Range, Colville Trough, Barrow Arch, Hanna Trough, Chukchi Platform, Nuwuk Basin, Kaktovik Basin, and Canada Basin. The gridded data are available in a variety of data formats for use in regional studies.

Concentration, composition and sources of PAHs in the coastal sediments of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Qatar, Arabian Gulf.

PubMed

Soliman, Y S; Al Ansari, E M S; Wade, T L

2014-08-30

Surface sediments were collected from sixteen locations in order to assess levels and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments of Qatar exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Samples were analyzed for 16 parent PAHs, 18 alkyl homologs and for dibenzothiophenes. Total PAHs concentration (∑PAHs) ranged from 2.6 ng g(-1) to 1025 ng g(-1). The highest PAHs concentrations were in sediments in and adjacent to harbors. Alkylated PAHs predominated most of the sampling locations reaching up to 80% in offshore locations. Parent PAHs and parent high molecular weight PAHs dominated location adjacent to industrial activities and urban areas. The origin of PAHs sources to the sediments was elucidated using ternary plot, indices, and molecular ratios of specific compounds such as (Ant/Phe+Ant), (Flt/Flt+Pyr). PAHs inputs to most coastal sites consisted of mixture of petroleum and combustion derived sources. However, inputs to the offshore sediments were mainly of petroleum origin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Total petroleum systems of the Pelagian Province, Tunisia, Libya, Italy, and Malta; the Bou Dabbous, Tertiary and Jurassic-Cretaceous composite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klett, T.R.

2001-01-01

Undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources were assessed within total petroleum systems of the Pelagian Province (2048) as part of the U.S. Geological Survey World Petroleum Assessment 2000. The Pelagian Province is located mainly in eastern Tunisia and northwestern Libya. Small portions of the province extend into Malta and offshore Italy. Although several petroleum systems may exist, only two ?composite? total petroleum systems were identified. Each total petroleum system comprises a single assessment unit. These total petroleum systems are called the Bou Dabbous?Tertiary and Jurassic-Cretaceous Composite, named after the source-rock intervals and reservoir-rock ages. The main source rocks include mudstone of the Eocene Bou Dabbous Formation; Cretaceous Bahloul, Lower Fahdene, and M?Cherga Formations; and Jurassic Nara Formation. Known reservoirs are in carbonate rocks and sandstone intervals throughout the Upper Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary sections. Traps for known accumulations include fault blocks, low-amplitude anticlines, high-amplitude anticlines associated with reverse faults, wrench fault structures, and stratigraphic traps. The estimated means of the undiscovered conventional petroleum volumes in total petroleum systems of the Pelagian Province are as follows: [MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; MMBNGL, million barrels of natural gas liquids] Total Petroleum System MMBO BCFG MMBNGL Bou Dabbous?Tertiary 667 2,746 64 Jurassic-Cretaceous Composite 403 2,280 27

Petroleum prospects for offshore sedimentary basins in the eastern Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands regions

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

Bruns, T.R.; Vedder, J.G.

Intra-arc basins in the Buka-Bougainville region of Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands contain thick sedimentary sequences that may be prospective for petroleum. The Queen Emma basin, between Bougainville and New Ireland, contains as much as 8 km of deformed Oligocene and younger strata. The Central Solomons Trough, which underlies New Georgia Sound, is a composite intra-arc basin that contains late Oligocene and younger strata as much as 7 km thick. Farther east, beneath Indispensable Strait, the down-faulted Indispensable basin locally contains as much as 5.4 km of Miocene( ) and younger strata, and the offshore part ofmore » Mbokokimbo basin off eastern Guadalcanal includes 6 km or more of late Miocene and younger strata. All of these basins have some of the attributes necessary to generate and trap petroleum. Structural and stratigraphic traps are common, including faulted anticlines, sedimentary wedges, and carbonate reefs and reef-derived deposits on submarine ridges and along the basin margins. The thickness of the basin deposits ensures that some strata are buried deeply enough to be within the thermal regime required for hydrocarbon generation. However, little source or reservoir rock information is available because of the lack of detailed surface and subsurface stratigraphy. Moreover, much of the basin sediment is likely to consist of volcaniclastic material, derived from uplifted volcanogenic rocks surrounding the basins, and may be poor in source and reservoir rocks. Until additional stratigraphic information is available, analysis of the petroleum potential of these basins is a matter of conjecture.« less

Proceedings of a workshop on cetaceans and sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico: study planning for effects of Outer Continental Shelf development

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

Keller, C.E.; Adams, J.K.

1983-02-01

The purpose of the workshop was to assemble scientists knowledgeable about cetaceans, sea turtles, and the Gulf of Mexico to discuss the potential impacts of offshore oil and gas development on these animals and make recommendations for future research. The workshop began with brief presentations about the environment of the Gulf of Mexico and the cetaceans and sea turtles found there, and a review of petroleum effects on these animals. The following points were then discussed: (1) ways in which cetaceans and sea turtles have been or could be affected, either directly or indirectly by activities and events associated withmore » offshore oil and gas development were identified; (2) the types and specificity of data needed to predict, detect, and mitigate possible adverse effects were identified; (3) the advantages and disadvatages of various methods that might be used to obtain needed data were discussed; and (4) specific research and monitoring programs that would be required to obtain needed data, including the necessary expertise, level of effort, equipment, and facilities were identified.« less

30 CFR 256.43 - Chargeability for production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Issuance of... oil, gas, or other mineral rights, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a... crude oil, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum products which it owned worldwide; (2) The average daily...

Tectonics of East Siberian Sea Basin and its influence on petroleum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpov, Yury; Antonina, Stoupakova; Anna, Suslova; Mariia, Agasheva

2016-04-01

The East Siberian Sea basin (ESSB) is the largest part of the Siberian Arctic shelf, extending for over 1000 km from New Siberian Islands archipelago to Wrangel Island. Nowadays East Siberian Sea margin is considered as a region with probable high petroleum potential. This part of Russian Arctic shelf is the least studied. The major problems in geological investigation of East Siberian Sea shelf are absence of deep wells in area and low seismic exploration maturity. Only general conclusions on its geology and hydrocarbon systems can be drawn based on limited seismic, gravity and magnetic data, supported by projection of onshore geological data to offshore. So, that's why now only complex geological and seismic stratigraphy interpretations are provided. Today we have several concepts and can summarize the tectonic history of the basin. The basin is filled with siliclastic sediments. In the deepest depocentres sediments thickness exceed 8 km in average. Seismic data was interpreted using methods of seismic stratigraphy. Stratigraphic interpretation was possible to achieve because seismic reflections follow chronostratigraphic correlations. Finally, main seismic horizons were indicated. Each indicated horizon follows regional stratigraphic unconformity. In case of absence of deep wells in ESSB, we can only prove possible source rocks by projection of data about New Siberian Islands archipelago source rocks on offshore. The petroleum potential of these rocks was investigated by several authors [1, 2, 3]. Perspective structures, investigated in ESSB were founded out by comparing seismogeological cross-sections with explored analogs in other Russian and foreign onshore and offshore basins. The majority of structures could be connected with stratigraphic and fault traps. New data on possible petroleum plays was analyzed, large massif of data on geology and tectonic history of the region was collected, so now we can use method of basin modelling to evaluate hydrocarbon saturation in most perspective prospects. Factors of tectonic history, high thickness of sediments in basin, founded possible oil and gas source rocks promise success in future exploration, but in ESSB we also recommend further geophysical investigations (seismic, gravy and magnetic) and well testing of some most perspective prospects, despite of high cost of these activities. We suppose, that investigations of ESSB should be continued to receive positive effects for Russian national economy in the nearest future. References [1] Kirillova (eds) [2013] Geological setting and petroleum potential of sedimentary basins of East Siberian Sea continental margin, v. 1, (in Russian) 249. [2] Sobolev (eds) [2012] Investigation of main sequences of Paleozoic and Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary and magmatic complexes of New Siberian Islands Archipelago, (in Russian), 143. [3] Suprunenko (eds) [2005] Petroleum zoning of Russian East Arctic shelf, Comparative analysis of petroleum potential of this aquatories with definition of perspective prospects and choise of most perspective objects for future projects, v. 1, (in Russian), 264.

The British Geological Survey and the petroleum industry

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

Chesher, J.A.

1995-08-01

The British Geological Survey is the UK`s national centre for earth science information with a parallel remit to operate internationally. The Survey`s work covers the full geoscience spectrum in energy, mineral and groundwater resources and associated implications for land use, geological hazards and environmental impact. Much of the work is conducted in collaboration with industry and academia, including joint funding opportunities. Activities relating directly to hydrocarbons include basin analysis, offshore geoscience mapping, hazard assessment, fracture characterization, biostratigraphy, sedimentology, seismology, geomagnetism and frontier data acquisition techniques, offshore. The BGS poster presentation illustrates the value of the collaborative approach through consortia supportmore » for regional offshore surveys, geotechnical hazard assessments and state-of-the-art R & D into multicomponent seismic imaging techniques, among others.« less

Association of sea turtles with petroleum platforms in the north-central Gulf of Mexico

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

Lohoefener, R.; Hoggard, W.; Mullin, K.

1990-06-01

There are over 4,500 petroleum platforms in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Explosives are commonly used to remove platforms and have the potential to kill nearby sea turtles. From June 1988-June 1990, the authors used aerial surveys to study turtle density and the spatial relationship between turtles and platforms offshore of Louisiana. They sighted 316 turtles most of which (92%) were loggerheads. Seventy-eight percent were sighted just east of the Mississippi River offshore of the Chandeleur Islands. East of the river, turtle densities ranged from 0.92 (winter) to 4.83 turtles/100 sq km (spring). West of the river, annual densities rangedmore » from 0.11-0.50 turtles/100 sq km. East of the river, three statistical tests indicated that turtles were generally closer to platforms than expected by chance alone. West of the river, turtles were randomly located with respect to platform locations. Before explosives are used, current mitigation measures require that no turtle can be sighted within 1,000 m of the platform. East of the river, the probability of a turtle being within 1,000 m of any platform selected at random was about 60%; west of the river, 2-7%. West of the river to about 92 W, the mitigation measures should protect turtles but offshore of the Chandeleur Islands, special precautions should be taken.« less

Offshore industry: management of health hazards in the upstream petroleum industry.

PubMed

Niven, Karen; McLeod, Ron

2009-08-01

Upstream oil and gas operations involve a range of activities, including exploration and drilling, conventional oil and gas production, extraction and processing of 'tar sands', heavy oil processing and pipeline operations. Firstly, to outline the nature of health risks in the offshore oil and gas industry to date. Secondly, to outline the commercial, technical and social challenges that could influence the future context of health management in the industry. Thirdly, to speculate how the health function within the industry needs to respond to these challenges. A review of the published literature was supplemented with industry subject matter and expert opinion. There was a relatively light peer-reviewed published literature base in an industry which is perceived as having changed little over three decades, so far as offshore health hazards for physical, chemical, biological hazards are concerned. Recent focus has been on musculoskeletal disorders and stress. The relative stability of the knowledge base regarding health hazards offshore may change as more innovative methods are employed to develop hydrocarbon resources in more 'difficult' environments. Society's willingness to accept risk is changing. Addressing potential health risks should be done much earlier in the planning process of major projects. This may reveal a skills gap in health professionals as a consequence of needing to employ more anticipatory tools, such as modelling exposure estimations and the skills and willingness to engage effectively with engineers and other HSSE professionals.

Development and characterization of a cell line from Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, sensitive to both naphthalene cytotoxicity and infection by viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus.

PubMed

Ganassin, R C; Sanders, S M; Kennedy, C J; Joyce, E M; Bols, N C

1999-01-01

A cell line, PHL, has been successfully established from newly hatched herring larvae. The cells are maintained in growth medium consisting of Leibovitz's L-15 supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum (FBS), and have been cryopreserved and maintain viability after thawing. These cells retain a diploid karotype after 65 population doublings. PHL are susceptible to infection by the North American strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) virus, and are sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of naphthalene, a common environmental contaminant. Naphthalene is a component of crude and refined oil, and may be found in the marine environment following acute events such as oil spills. In addition, chronic sources of naphthalene contamination include offshore drilling and petroleum contamination from areas such as docks and marinas that have creosote-treated docks and pilings and also receive constant small inputs of petroleum products. This cell line should be useful for investigations of the toxicity of naphthalene and other petroleum components to juvenile herring. In addition, studies of the VHS virus will be facilitated by the availability of a susceptible cell line from an alternative species.

The Niger Delta petroleum system; Niger Delta Province, Nigeria, Cameroon, and equatorial Guinea, Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tuttle, Michele L.W.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Brownfield, Michael E.

1999-01-01

In the Niger Delta province, we have identified one petroleum system--the Tertiary Niger Delta (Akata-Agbada) petroleum system. The delta formed at the site of a rift triple junction related to the opening of the southern Atlantic starting in the Late Jurassic and continuing into the Cretaceous. The delta proper began developing in the Eocene, accumulating sediments that now are over 10 kilometers thick. The primary source rock is the upper Akata Formation, the marine-shale facies of the delta, with possibly contribution from interbedded marine shale of the lowermost Agbada Formation. Oil is produced from sandstone facies within the Agbada Formation, however, turbidite sand in the upper Akata Formation is a potential target in deep water offshore and possibly beneath currently producing intervals onshore. Known oil and gas resources of the Niger Delta rank the province as the twelfth largest in the world. To date, 34.5 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 93.8 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas have been discovered. In 1997, Nigeria was the fifth largest crude oil supplier to the United States, supplying 689,000 barrels/day of crude.

US program in anchored data buoy and the other fixed observation platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCall, J. C.

The NOAA Data Buoy Office (NOBO) develops and operates moored buoys in all U.S. coastal and offshore waters from New England to Hawaii (including the Great Lakes) to provide real-time environmental measurements in data-sparse areas for the National Weather Service and other public and private users. The NOBO also has a program for development, deployment, and operation of drifting buoys, which provide environmental measurements in the South Atlantic and Pacific from Chili to Australia and in the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, NOBO develops, deploys, and operates special purpose environmental measuring systems for other government agencies, particularly for petroleum-related purposes, and has an engineering development effort in procuring new and improved sensor and communications systems.

46 CFR 108.601 - Crane design.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Crane design. 108.601 Section 108.601 Shipping COAST... Cranes Cranes § 108.601 Crane design. (a) Each crane and crane foundation on a unit must be designed in accordance with the American Petroleum Institute Specification for Offshore Cranes, API Spec. 2C, Second...

46 CFR 108.601 - Crane design.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Crane design. 108.601 Section 108.601 Shipping COAST... Cranes Cranes § 108.601 Crane design. (a) Each crane and crane foundation on a unit must be designed in accordance with the American Petroleum Institute Specification for Offshore Cranes, API Spec. 2C, Second...

Petroleum geology of the Gulf of Lion (Mediterranean offshore-France)

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

Vially, R.; Jean-Jacques, B.; Alain, I.E.M.

1995-08-01

The onshore sedimentary basins of Camargue and the northern edge of the Gulf of Lion have been explored since the middle of the last century. The results of this petroleum exploration were poor despite two small oil discoveries: the Oligocene onshore Gallician field and the Triassic onshore Gabian field (respectively 7000 tons and 23000 tons of oil production). Eleven wells were drilled offshore (from 1968 to 1985), all located on highs of the pre-Tertiary substratum. Few oil and gas shows were proven by only three of these wells. The seismic data base has been fully reinterpreted. The mapping of themore » pre-Tertiary substratum shows wide unexplored grabens in the Gulf of Lion. Some Oligocene prospects have been evidenced which are either stratigraphic traps or faulted blocks associated to salt seals. A new set of geochemical analysis of the Oligocene source rock has been performed as well as systematic generation and migration models (1D and 2D models) leading to the definition of an effective oil kitchen of an Oligocene lacustrine source rock (type 1).« less

Oil, biological communities and contingency planning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Albers, P.H.; Frink, Lynne; Ball-Weir, Katherine; Smith, Charlotte

1995-01-01

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 mandates the inclusion of a fish and wildlife response plan in the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and the creation of Area Committees that must develop an Area Contingency Plan (ACP). Area Contingency Plans must include a detailed annex containing a Fish and Wildlife and Sensitive Environments Plan. Tank vessels, offshore facilities, and certain onshore facilities must have response plans consistent with the requirements of the NCP and the ACP. New regulations to supersede the Type A and B procedures of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment Regulations are being developed for oil spills. Currently, four assessment methods have been proposed: (1) Type A, (2) comprehensive (Type B), (3) intermediate (between types A and B), and (4) compensation tables. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is approaching its ceiling of $1 billion, but only $50 million has been appropriated. Effective biological contingency planning requires extensive knowledge of (1) the environmental fate of petroleum, (2) the effects of petroleum on organisms, (3) the existing biological resources, and (4) the establishment of a system of biological priorities. The characteristics and fate of petroleum and the biological effects of petroleum are reviewed. Assessment of biological resources includes plant and animal distributions, important habitat, endangered or threatened species, and economic considerations. The establishment by Area Committees of priorities for environmental protection, injury assessment, and restoration will promote efficient spill response. Three special issues are discussed: (1) improving our ability to restore natural resources, (2) the potential role of biological diversity in spill response planning, and (3) planning for animal rehabilitation.

Alaskan North Slope petroleum systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Magoon, L.B.; Lillis, P.G.; Bird, K.J.; Lampe, C.; Peters, K.E.

2003-01-01

Six North Slope petroleum systems are identified, described, and mapped using oil-to-oil and oil-to-source rock correlations, pods of active source rock, and overburden rock packages. To map these systems, we assumed that: a) petroleum source rocks contain 3.2 wt. % organic carbon (TOC); b) immature oil-prone source rocks have hydrogen indices (HI) >300 (mg HC/gm TOC); c) the top and bottom of the petroleum (oil plus gas) window occur at vitrinite reflectance values of 0.6 and 1.0% Ro, respectively; and d) most hydrocarbons are expelled within the petroleum window. The six petroleum systems we have identified and mapped are: a) a southern system involving the Kuna-Lisburne source rock unit that was active during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous; b) two western systems involving source rock in the Kingak-Blankenship, and GRZ-lower Torok source rock units that were active during the Albian; and c) three eastern systems involving the Shublik-Otuk, Hue Shale and Canning source rock units that were active during the Cenozoic. The GRZ-lower Torok in the west is correlative with the Hue Shale to the east. Four overburden rock packages controlled the time of expulsion and gross geometry of migration paths: a) a southern package of Early Cretaceous and older rocks structurally-thickened by early Brooks Range thrusting; b) a western package of Early Cretaceous rocks that filled the western part of the foreland basin; c) an eastern package of Late Cretaceous and Paleogene rocks that filled the eastern part of the foreland basin; and d) an offshore deltaic package of Neogene rocks deposited by the Colville, Canning, and Mackenzie rivers. This petroleum system poster is part of a series of Northern Alaska posters on modeling. The poster in this session by Saltus and Bird present gridded maps for the greater Northern Alaskan onshore and offshore that are used in the 3D modeling poster by Lampe and others. Posters on source rock units are by Keller and Bird as well as Peters and others. Sandstone and shale compaction properties used in sedimentary basin modeling are covered in a poster by Rowan and others. The results of this modeling exercise will be used in our next Northern Alaska oil and gas resource assessment.

The effect of oil-water-rock partitioning on the occurrence of alkylphenols in petroleum systems

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

Taylor, P.; Larter, S.; Jones, M.

1997-05-01

Low molecular weight (C{sub 0}-C{sub 3}) alkylphenols are ubiquitous constituents of crude oils and formation waters of petroleum systems, and they represent legislatively monitored pollutants in produced oils and waters from offshore petroleum facilities. Their origin and the controls on their abundance are uncertain. Analysis of forty-four oils from various petroleum provinces, together with laboratory partitioning experiments, has provided further information on these controls. Although phenols are clearly partitioned between oil and water in petroleum systems, the consistency of most nondegraded petroleum phenol distributions (despite the apparent decrease of phenol concentrations in petroleums with increasing secondary migration distance) requires phenolmore » partitioning between petroleum, water, and solid phases-chiefly kerogen in the carrier bed. The retention of significant phenol concentrations in petroleums that have migrated tens of kilometres does indicate that petroleum typically only equilibrates with minor volumes of rock and associated waters. Laboratory experiments indicate that oils which have migrated approximately 25 km in the North Sea Tampen Spur through Jurassic sandstones may have equilibrated with less than 20 vol of rock and water, and possibly much less than 1 vol, depending on the sorbing phases within the rock (i.e., mineral or organic matter) and the wetting phase (oil or water). We conclude, supporting the hypothesis of Ioppolo-Armanios et al. (1995), that although ortho-substituted isomers dominate the phenol distributions of many petroleums, this reflects catalytic alkylation/isomerisation of unknown alkylphenol precursors in source rocks, rather than selective removal of meta- and para-substituted alkylphenol isomers from petroleum by water washing. 35 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Grouted pile to sleeves connections: Design provisions for the new ISO Standard for offshore structures

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

Harwood, R.G.; Billington, C.J.; Buitrago, J.

1996-12-01

A Technical Core Group (TCG) was set up in March 1994 to review the design practice provisions for grouted pile to sleeve connections, mechanical connections and repairs as part of the international harmonization process for the new ISO Standard, ISO 13819-2, Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries--Offshore Structures, Part 2: Fixed Steel Structures. This paper provides an overview of the development of the proposed new design provisions for grouted connections including, the gathering and screening of the data, the evolution of the design formulae, and the evaluation of the resistance factor. Detailed comparisons of the new formulae with current design practicemore » (API, HSE and DnV) are also included. In the development of the new provisions the TCG has been given access to the largest database ever assembled on this topic. This database includes all the major testing programs performed over the last 20 years, and recent UK and Norwegian research projects not previously reported. The limitations in the database are discussed and the areas where future research would be of benefit are highlighted.« less

The Sirte Basin province of Libya; Sirte-Zelten total petroleum system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ahlbrandt, Thomas S.

2001-01-01

The Sirte (Sirt) Basin province ranks 13th among the world?s petroleum provinces, having known reserves of 43.1 bil-lion barrels of oil equivalent (36.7 billion barrels of oil, 37.7 tril-lion cubic feet of gas, 0.1 billion barrels of natural gas liquids). It includes an area about the size of the Williston Basin of the north-ern United States and southern Canada (?490,000 square kilome-ters). The province contains one dominant total petroleum system, the Sirte-Zelten, based on geochemical data. The Upper Cretaceous Sirte Shale is the primary hydrocarbon source bed. Reservoirs range in rock type and age from fractured Precam-brian basement, clastic reservoirs in the Cambrian-Ordovician Gargaf sandstones, and Lower Cretaceous Nubian (Sarir) Sand-stone to Paleocene Zelten Formation and Eocene carbonates commonly in the form of bioherms. More than 23 large oil fields (>100 million barrels of oil equivalent) and 16 giant oil fields (>500 million barrels of oil equivalent) occur in the province. Abstract 1 Production from both clastic and carbonate onshore reservoirs is associated with well-defined horst blocks related to a triple junc-tion with three arms?an eastern Sarir arm, a northern Sirte arm, and a southwestern Tibesti arm. Stratigraphic traps in combina-tion with these horsts in the Sarir arm are shown as giant fields (for example, Messla and Sarir fields in the southeastern portion of the province). Significant potential is identified in areas marginal to the horsts, in the deeper grabens and in the offshore area. Four assessment units are defined in the Sirte Basin prov-ince, two reflecting established clastic and carbonate reservoir areas and two defined as hypothetical units. Of the latter, one is offshore in water depths greater than 200 meters, and the other is onshore where clastic units, mainly of Mesozoic age, may be res-ervoirs for laterally migrating hydrocarbons that were generated in the deep-graben areas. The Sirte Basin reflects significant rifting in the Early Cre-taceous and syn-rift sedimentary filling during Cretaceous through Eocene time, and post-rift deposition in the Oligocene and Miocene. Multiple reservoirs are charged largely by verti-cally migrating hydrocarbons along horst block faults from Upper Cretaceous source rocks that occupy structurally low posi-tions in the grabens. Evaporites in the middle Eocene, mostly post-rift, provide an excellent seal for the Sirte-Zelten hydrocarbon system. The offshore part of the Sirte Basin is complex, with subduction occurring to the northeast of the province boundary, which is drawn at the 2,000-meter isobath. Possible petroleum systems may be present in the deep offshore grabens on the Sirte Rise such as those involving Silurian and Eocene rocks; however, potential of these systems remains speculative and was not assessed.

Martian Oceans: Old Debate - New Insights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oehler, Dorothy Z.; Allen, Carlton C.

2014-01-01

The possibility of an ancient ocean in the northern lowlands of Mars has been discussed for decades [1-14], but the subject remains controversial [15-20]. Among the many unique features of the northern lowlands is the extensive development of "giant polygons" - polygonal landforms that range from 1 to 20 km across. The kilometer-scale size of these features distinguishes them from a variety of smaller polygons (usually < 250 m) on Mars that have been compared to terrestrial analogs such as ice-wedge and desiccation features. However, until recently, geologists were aware of no examples of polygons on Earth comparable in scale to the giant polygons of Mars, so there were no good analogs from which to draw interpretations. That picture has changed with 3D seismic data acquired by the petroleum industry in exploration of offshore basins. The new data reveal kilometer-scale polygonal features in more than 50 offshore basins on Earth]. These features provide a credible analog for the giant polygons of Mars.

Oil mist and vapour concentrations from drilling fluids: inter- and intra-laboratory comparison of chemical analyses.

PubMed

Galea, Karen S; Searl, Alison; Sánchez-Jiménez, Araceli; Woldbæk, Torill; Halgard, Kristin; Thorud, Syvert; Steinsvåg, Kjersti; Krüger, Kirsti; Maccalman, Laura; Cherrie, John W; van Tongeren, Martie

2012-01-01

There are no recognized analytical methods for measuring oil mist and vapours arising from drilling fluids used in offshore petroleum drilling industry. To inform the future development of improved methods of analysis for oil mist and vapours this study assessed the inter- and intra-laboratory variability in oil mist and vapour analysis. In addition, sample losses during transportation and storage were assessed. Replicate samples for oil mist and vapour were collected using the 37-mm Millipore closed cassette and charcoal tube assembly. Sampling was conducted in a simulated shale shaker room, similar to that found offshore for processing drilling fluids. Samples were analysed at two different laboratories, one in Norway and one in the UK. Oil mist samples were analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), while oil vapour samples were analysed by gas chromatography (GC). The comparison of replicate samples showed substantial within- and between-laboratory variability in reported oil mist concentrations. The variability in oil vapour results was considerably reduced compared to oil mist, provided that a common method of calibration and quantification was adopted. The study also showed that losses can occur during transportation and storage of samples. There is a need to develop a harmonized method for the quantification of oil mist on filter and oil vapour on charcoal supported by a suitable proficiency testing scheme for laboratories involved in the analysis of occupational hygiene samples for the petroleum industry. The uncertainties in oil mist and vapour measurement have substantial implications in relation to compliance with occupational exposure limits and also in the reliability of any exposure-response information reported in epidemiological studies.

Regional maps of subsurface geopressure gradients of the onshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burke, Lauri A.; Kinney, Scott A.; Dubiel, Russell F.; Pitman, Janet K.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey created a comprehensive geopressure-gradient model of the regional pressure system spanning the onshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico basin, USA. This model was used to generate ten maps that included (1) five contour maps characterizing the depth to the surface defined by the first occurrence of isopressure gradients ranging from 0.60 psi/ft to 1.00 psi/ft, in 0.10-psi/ft increments; and (2) five supporting maps illustrating the spatial density of the data used to construct the contour maps. These contour maps of isopressure-gradients at various increments enable the identification and quantification of the occurrence, magnitude, location, and depth of the subsurface pressure system, which allows for the broad characterization of regions exhibiting overpressured, underpressured, and normally pressured strata. Identification of overpressured regions is critical for exploration and evaluation of potential undiscovered hydrocarbon accumulations based on petroleum-generation pressure signatures and pressure-retention properties of reservoir seals. Characterization of normally pressured regions is essential for field development decisions such as determining the dominant production drive mechanisms, evaluating well placement and drainage patterns, and deciding on well stimulation methods such as hydraulic fracturing. Identification of underpressured regions is essential for evaluating the feasibility of geological sequestration and long-term containment of fluids such as supercritical carbon dioxide for alternative disposal methods of greenhouse gases. This study is the first, quantitative investigation of the regional pressure systems of one of the most important petroleum provinces in the United States. Although this methodology was developed for pressure studies in the Gulf of Mexico basin, it is applicable to any basin worldwide.

Radiorespirometric assays for the detection of biogenic sulfides from sulfate-reducing bacteria.

PubMed

de Queiroz, J C; de Melo Ferreira, A C; da Costa, A C A

2013-04-01

The detection of trace concentrations of biogenic sulfides can be carried out through radiorespirometric assays. The objective of this work was to improve the methodology for detection of H2 S in trace concentrations, to correlate with sulfate-reducing bacterial activity. Serial dilutions of synthetic sea water with a pure culture of Desulfovibrio alaskensis, a mixed anaerobic microbial culture and a natural saline sample from a petroleum offshore platform indicated that dilutions were followed, accordingly, by sulfate reduction. Tests performed indicated that increasing the time of incubation of a mixed anaerobic microbial culture contributed to an increase in the sulfate reduction rates, as well as the amount of carbon source and inoculum. The technique here developed proved to be a rapid test for the detection of biogenic sulfides, particularly those associated with corrosion products, being an useful tool for monitoring and controlling oil/water storage tanks, petroleum continental platforms and several types of reservoirs. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Simulating Gas-Liquid-Water Partitioning and Fluid Properties of Petroleum under Pressure: Implications for Deep-Sea Blowouts.

PubMed

Gros, Jonas; Reddy, Christopher M; Nelson, Robert K; Socolofsky, Scott A; Arey, J Samuel

2016-07-19

With the expansion of offshore petroleum extraction, validated models are needed to simulate the behaviors of petroleum compounds released in deep (>100 m) waters. We present a thermodynamic model of the densities, viscosities, and gas-liquid-water partitioning of petroleum mixtures with varying pressure, temperature, and composition based on the Peng-Robinson equation-of-state and the modified Henry's law (Krychevsky-Kasarnovsky equation). The model is applied to Macondo reservoir fluid released during the Deepwater Horizon disaster, represented with 279-280 pseudocomponents, including 131-132 individual compounds. We define >n-C8 pseudocomponents based on comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) measurements, which enable the modeling of aqueous partitioning for n-C8 to n-C26 fractions not quantified individually. Thermodynamic model predictions are tested against available laboratory data on petroleum liquid densities, gas/liquid volume fractions, and liquid viscosities. We find that the emitted petroleum mixture was ∼29-44% gas and ∼56-71% liquid, after cooling to local conditions near the broken Macondo riser stub (∼153 atm and 4.3 °C). High pressure conditions dramatically favor the aqueous dissolution of C1-C4 hydrocarbons and also influence the buoyancies of bubbles and droplets. Additionally, the simulated densities of emitted petroleum fluids affect previous estimates of the volumetric flow rate of dead oil from the emission source.

User's guide: Minerals management service outer continental shelf activity database (moad). Final report

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

Steiner, C.K.; Causley, M.C.; Yocke, M.A.

1994-04-01

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments require the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to conduct a research study to assess the potential onshore air quality impact from the development of outer continental shelf (OCS) petroleum resources in the Gulf of Mexico. The need for this study arises from concern about the cumulative impacts of current and future OCS emissions on ozone concentrations on nonattainment areas, particularly in Texas and Louisiana. To make quantitative assessments of these impacts, MMS has commissioned an air quality study which includes as a major component the development of a comprehensive emission inventory for photochemical grid modeling.more » The emission inventories prepared in this study include both onshore and offshore emissions. All relevant emissions from anthropogenic and biogenic sources are considered, with special attention focused on offshore anthropogenic sources, including OCS oil and gas production facilities, crew and supply vessels and helicopters serving OCS facilities, commercial shipping and fishing, recreational boating, intercoastal barge traffic and other sources located in the adjacent state waters. This document describes the database created during this study that contains the activity information collected for the development of the OCS platform, and crew/supply vessel and helicopter emission inventories.« less

46 CFR 108.601 - Crane design.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Crane design. 108.601 Section 108.601 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Cranes Cranes § 108.601 Crane design. (a) Each crane and crane foundation on a unit must be designed in accordance with the American Petroleum...

46 CFR 108.601 - Crane design.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Crane design. 108.601 Section 108.601 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Cranes Cranes § 108.601 Crane design. (a) Each crane and crane foundation on a unit must be designed in accordance with the American Petroleum...

31 CFR 575.408 - Offshore transactions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... person knows, or has reason to know, that the Government of Iraq has or has had an interest since the..., transport, act as a broker for the sale or transport of, or otherwise deal in, Iraqi crude oil or petroleum products refined in Iraq. (2) A U.S. person may not, within the United States or abroad, conduct...

Geology report for proposed oil and gas lease sale No. 90; continental margin off the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.

1983-01-01

This report summarizes our general knowledge of the geology and petroleum potential, as well as potential problems and hazards associated with development of petroleum resources, within the area proposed for nominations for lease sale number 90. This area includes the U.S. eastern continental margin from Raleigh Bay, just south of Cape Hatteras, to southern Florida, including the upper Continental Slope and inner Blake Plateau. The area for possible sales for lease sale number 90, as well as the area for lease sale number 78 and the previous areas leased are shown in figure 1; physiographic features of the region are shown in figure 2. Six exploration wells have been drilled within the proposed lease area (figs. 3 and 4), but no commercial discoveries have been made. All six wells were drilled on the Continental Shelf. No commercial production has been obtained onshore in the region. The areas already drilled have thin sedimentary rock sections, and the deeper strata are dominantly of continental facies. Petroleum formation may have been hindered by a lack of organic material and lack of sufficient burial for thermal maturation. However, analyses of drilling and seismic profiling data presented here indicate that a much thicker section of sedimentary rocks containing a much higher proportion of marine deposits, exists seaward of the Continental Shelf. These geologic conditions imply that the basins farther offshore may be more favorable environments for generating petroleum.

Visayan Basin - the birthplace of Philippine petroleum exploration revisited

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

Rillera, F.G.; Durkee, E.F.

1994-07-01

Petroleum exploration in the Philippines has its roots in the Visayan Basin in the central Philippines. This is a Tertiary basin with up to 30,000 ft of sedimentary fill. With numerous surface oil and gas manifestations known as early as 1888, the area was the site of the first attempts to establish commercial petroleum production in the country. Over the past 100 years, more than 200 wells have been drilled in the basin. Several of these have yielded significant oil and gas shows. Production, albeit noncommercial in scale, has been demonstrated to be present in some places. A review ofmore » past exploration data reveals that many of the earlier efforts failed due to poorly located tests from both structural and stratigraphic standpoints. Poor drilling and completion technology and lack of funding compounded the problems of early explorationists. Because of this, the basin remains relatively underexplored. A recent assessment by COPLEX and E.F. Durkee and Associates demonstrates the presence of many untested prospects in the basin. These prospects may contain recoverable oil and gas potential on the order of 5 to 10 MMBO onshore and 25 to 100 MMBO offshore. With new exploration ideas, innovative development concepts, and the benefit of modern technology, commercial oil and gas production from the basin may yet be realized.« less

Petroleum Science and Technology Institute with the TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, H. C.; Olson, J. E.; Bryant, S. L.; Lake, L. W.; Bommer, P.; Torres-Verdin, C.; Jablonowski, C.; Willis, M.

2009-12-01

The TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, a professional development program for 8th- thru 12th-grade Earth Science teachers, presented a one-week Petroleum Science and Technology Institute at The University of Texas at Austin campus. The summer program was a joint effort between the Jackson School of Geosciences and the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. The goal of the institute was to focus on the STEM components involved in the petroleum industry and to introduce teachers to the larger energy resources theme. The institute kicked off with a welcoming event and tour of a green, energy-efficient home (LEED Platinum certified) owned by one of the petroleum engineering faculty. Tours of the home included an introduction to rainwater harvesting, solar energy, sustainable building materials and other topics on energy efficiency. Classroom topics included drilling technology (including a simulator lab and an overview of the history of the technology), energy use and petroleum geology, well-logging technology and interpretation, reservoir engineering and volumetrics (including numerous labs combining chemistry and physics), risk assessment and economics, carbon capture and storage (CO2 sequestration technology) and hydraulic fracturing. A mid-week field trip included visiting the Ocean Star offshore platform in Galveston, the Weiss Energy Hall at the Houston Museum of Science and Schlumberger (to view 3-D visualization technology) in Houston. Teachers remarked that they really appreciated the focused nature of the institute and especially found the increased use of mathematics both a tool for professional growth, as well as a challenge for them to use more math in their science classes. STEM integration was an important feature of the summer institute, and teachers found the integration of science (earth sciences, geophysics), technology, engineering (petroleum, chemical and reservoir) and mathematics particularly valuable. Pre-conception surveys and post-tests indicate a significant gain in these teachers' knowledge of petroleum science and technology. In particular, teachers noted that a large area of new knowledge was gained in the area of carbon capture and storage technology.

Succession in the petroleum reservoir microbiome through an oil field production lifecycle.

PubMed

Vigneron, Adrien; Alsop, Eric B; Lomans, Bartholomeus P; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Head, Ian M; Tsesmetzis, Nicolas

2017-09-01

Subsurface petroleum reservoirs are an important component of the deep biosphere where indigenous microorganisms live under extreme conditions and in isolation from the Earth's surface for millions of years. However, unlike the bulk of the deep biosphere, the petroleum reservoir deep biosphere is subject to extreme anthropogenic perturbation, with the introduction of new electron acceptors, donors and exogenous microbes during oil exploration and production. Despite the fundamental and practical significance of this perturbation, there has never been a systematic evaluation of the ecological changes that occur over the production lifetime of an active offshore petroleum production system. Analysis of the entire Halfdan oil field in the North Sea (32 producing wells in production for 1-15 years) using quantitative PCR, multigenic sequencing, comparative metagenomic and genomic bins reconstruction revealed systematic shifts in microbial community composition and metabolic potential, as well as changing ecological strategies in response to anthropogenic perturbation of the oil field ecosystem, related to length of time in production. The microbial communities were initially dominated by slow growing anaerobes such as members of the Thermotogales and Clostridiales adapted to living on hydrocarbons and complex refractory organic matter. However, as seawater and nitrate injection (used for secondary oil production) delivered oxidants, the microbial community composition progressively changed to fast growing opportunists such as members of the Deferribacteres, Delta-, Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, with energetically more favorable metabolism (for example, nitrate reduction, H 2 S, sulfide and sulfur oxidation). This perturbation has profound consequences for understanding the microbial ecology of the system and is of considerable practical importance as it promotes detrimental processes such as reservoir souring and metal corrosion. These findings provide a new conceptual framework for understanding the petroleum reservoir biosphere and have consequences for developing strategies to manage microbiological problems in the oil industry.

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of Bonaparte Basin, Browse Basin, Northwest Shelf, and Gippsland Basin Provinces, Australia, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollastro, Richard M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Cook, Troy A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Kirschbaum, Mark A.; Pitman, Janet K.; Schenk, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 4.7 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 227 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in three major offshore petroleum basins of northwest Australia and in the Gippsland Basin of southeast Australia.

Middle and upper Miocene natural gas sands in onshore and offshore Alabama

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

Mink, R.M.; Mancini, E.A.; Bearden, B.L.

1988-09-01

Thirty Miocene natural gas fields have been established in onshore and offshore Alabama since the discovery of Miocene gas in this area in 1979. These fields have produced over 16 bcf of natural gas from the middle Miocene Amos sand (24 fields) and upper Miocene Luce (3 fields), Escambia (1 field), and Meyer (3 fields) sands. Production from the Amos transgressive sands represents over 92% of the cumulative shallow Miocene natural gas produced in onshore and offshore Alabama. In addition, over 127 bcf of natural gas has been produced from upper Miocene sands in the Chandeleur area. The productive Miocenemore » section in onshore and coastal Alabama is interpreted to present transgressive marine shelf and regressive shoreface sands. The middle Miocene Amos sand bars are the most productive reservoirs of natural gas in onshore and coastal Alabama, principally due to the porous and permeable nature of these transgressive sands and their stratigraphic relationship to the underlying basinal clays in this area. In offshore Alabama the upper Miocene sands become thicker and are generally more porous and permeable than their onshore equivalents. Because of their deeper burial depth in offshore Alabama, these upper Miocene sands are associated with marine clays that are thermally more mature. The combination of reservoir grade lithologies associated with moderately mature petroleum source rocks enhances the natural gas potential of the upper Miocene sands in offshore Alabama.« less

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

Fischer, F.J.

As the petroleum industry has moved into deeper and deeper water for the recovery of oil and gas, weight-sensitive floating platforms have replaced stationary, bottom-founded structures. The cost penalty for weight or vertical tension supported by floaters such as tension leg platforms (TLPs) is in the range of $10--20/kg. Hence, there is considerable incentive to reduce the weight of equipment or structural members on these platforms and downward forces exerted on these platforms by production and export risers, and mooring lines. Thus, there are numerous opportunities for utilizing light-weight, high-strength composites. The offshore petroleum industry has acknowledged the desirable performancemore » characteristics of composites for some time but only recently has there been some optimism that composites could be cost-effective. For most, if not all perceived applications, advanced composites are not considered to be technically enabling for current water depths of interest, i.e., 600--1,200m. However, in a very real sense, they may be economically enabling. In particular, they may allow marginal prospects to be developed or may expedite field development subject to capital constraints. The paper discusses composite production risers, break-even costs and savings, and riser tensioners.« less

Navy Shipbuilding: Opportunities Exist to Improve Practices Affecting Quality

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

Displacement (tons) Notable characteristics Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil Q-Max – Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Carrier (lead ship delivered June 2008...5In some instances, commercial ships, such as liquefied natural gas carriers or drill ships, may undergo additional sea trials...passengers; liquefied natural gas carriers; and offshore drilling ships, which in some instances can sit unanchored and drill for oil in water

Summary of regional geology, petroleum potential, resource assessment and environmental considerations for oil and gas lease sale area No. 56

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.; Klitgord, Kim D.; Paull, Charles K.; Grow, John A.; Ball, Mahlon M.; Dolton, Gordon L.; Powers, Richard B.; Khan, Abdul S.; Popenoe, Peter; Robb, James M.; Dillon, William P.

1980-01-01

This report summarizes our general knowledge of the petroleum potential, as well as problems and hazards associated with development of petroleum resources in the area proposed for nominations for lease sale number 56. This area includes the U.S. eastern continental margin from the North Carolina-Virginia border south to approximately Cape Canaveral, Florida and from three miles from shore, seaward to include the upper Continental Slope and inner Blake Plateau. The area for possible sales is shown in figure 1; major physiographic features of the region are shown in figure 2.No wells have been drilled for petroleum within this proposed lease area and no significant commercial production has been obtained onshore in the Southeast Georgia Embayment. The COST GE-1 stratigraphic test well, drilled on the Continental Shelf off Jacksonville, Fla. (fig- 1), reached basement at 3,300 m. The bottom third of the section consists of dominantly continental rocks that are typically poor sources of petroleum (Scholle, 1979) and the rocks that contain organic carbon adequate for generation of petroleum at the well are seen in seismic profiles always at shallow subbottom depths, so they probably have not reached thermal maturity. However, seismic profiles indicate that the sedimentary deposits thicken markedly in a seaward direction where more of the section was deposited under marine conditions; therefore, commercial accumulations of petroleum offshore are more likely.Several potential sources of environmental hazard exist. Among the most important are hurricanes, the Gulf Stream, and earthquakes. The potential danger from high wind, waves, storm surges, and storm-driven currents associated with hurricanes is obvious. Evidence for significant bottom scour by the Gulf Stream is abundant; such scour is a threat to the stability of bottom-mounted structures. The fast-flowing water also will hamper floating drill rigs and control of drill strings. A major earthquake of about magnitude 6.8 struck Charleston in 1886; it may have been associated with a zone of active seismicity that crosses South Carolina. The likelihood of a repetition of the 1886 event is presently not predictable but a seismic hazard must be assumed to exist.

Viet Nam, once isolated, poised for significant role in oil and gas

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

Not Available

1991-07-15

This paper reports that Viet Nam is on its way up in the petroleum world. After years of international isolation, the country is poised for a flurry of exploration by international oil companies in the early 1990s. Viet Nam has joined the Soviet Union as the only members of the now dissolved, formerly Moscow dominated, 10 nation Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) that are self-sufficient in oil production. Moreover, Viet Nam has far outstripped neighboring China, which was not a CMEA member, in offshore oil flow even though China has a much larger Outer Continental Shelf. Prospects are thatmore » Viet Nam will continue to lead China in offshore oil production until 1995 at least.« less

Review of technology for Arctic offshore oil and gas recovery

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

Sackinger, W. M.

1980-08-01

The technical background briefing report is the first step in the preparation of a plan for engineering research oriented toward Arctic offshore oil and gas recovery. A five-year leasing schedule for the ice-prone waters of the Arctic offshore is presented, which also shows the projected dates of the lease sale for each area. The estimated peak production rates for these areas are given. There is considerable uncertainty for all these production estimates, since no exploratory drilling has yet taken place. A flow chart is presented which relates the special Arctic factors, such as ice and permafrost, to the normal petroleummore » production sequence. Some highlights from the chart and from the technical review are: (1) in many Arctic offshore locations the movement of sea ice causes major lateral forces on offshore structures, which are much greater than wave forces; (2) spray ice buildup on structures, ships and aircraft will be considerable, and must be prevented or accommodated with special designs; (3) the time available for summer exploratory drilling, and for deployment of permanent production structures, is limited by the return of the pack ice. This time may be extended by ice-breaking vessels in some cases; (4) during production, icebreaking workboats will service the offshore platforms in most areas throughout the year; (5) transportation of petroleum by icebreaking tankers from offshore tanker loading points is a highly probable situation, except in the Alaskan Beaufort; and (6) Arctic pipelines must contend with permafrost, making instrumentation necessary to detect subtle changes of the pipe before rupture occurs.« less

Screening of biosurfactant-producing bacteria from offshore oil and gas platforms in North Atlantic Canada.

PubMed

Cai, Qinhong; Zhang, Baiyu; Chen, Bing; Song, Xing; Zhu, Zhiwen; Cao, Tong

2015-05-01

From offshore oil and gas platforms in North Atlantic Canada, crude oil, formation water, drilling mud, treated produced water and seawater samples were collected for screening potential biosurfactant producers. In total, 59 biosurfactant producers belong to 4 genera, namely, Bacillus, Rhodococcus, Halomonas, and Pseudomonas were identified and characterized. Phytogenetic trees based on 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (16S rDNA) were constructed with isolated strains plus their closely related strains and isolated strains with biosurfactant producers in the literature, respectively. The distributions of the isolates were site and medium specific. The richness, diversity, and evenness of biosurfactant producer communities in oil and gas platform samples have been analyzed. Diverse isolates were found with featured properties such as effective reduction of surface tension, producing biosurfactants at high rate and stabilization of water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsion. The producers and their corresponding biosurfactants had promising potential in applications such as offshore oil spill control, enhancing oil recovery and soil washing treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated sites.

Geologic implications of gas hydrates in the offshore of India: Krishna-Godavari Basin, Mahanadi Basin, Andaman Sea, Kerala-Konkan Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kumar, Pushpendra; Collett, Timothy S.; Boswell, Ray; Cochran, James R.; Lall, Malcolm; Mazumdar, Aninda; Ramana, Mangipudi Venkata; Ramprasad, Tammisetti; Riedel, Michael; Sain, Kalachand; Sathe, Arun Vasant; Vishwanath, Krishna; Yadav, U.S.

2014-01-01

NGHP-01 yielded evidence of gas hydrate from downhole log and core data obtained from all the sites in the Krishna–Godavari Basin, the Mahanadi Basin, and in the Andaman Sea. The site drilled in the Kerala–Konkan Basin during NGHP-01 did not yield any evidence of gas hydrate. Most of the downhole log-inferred gas hydrate and core-recovered gas hydrate were characterized as either fracture-filling in clay-dominated sediments or as pore-filling or grain-displacement particles disseminated in both fine- and coarse-grained sediments. Geochemical analyses of gases obtained from sediment cores recovered during NGHP-01 indicated that the gas in most all of the hydrates in the offshore of India is derived from microbial sources; only one site in the Andaman Sea exhibited limited evidence of a thermogenic gas source. The gas hydrate petroleum system concept has been used to effectively characterize the geologic controls on the occurrence of gas hydrates in the offshore of India.

Petroleum exploration and the Atlantic OCS

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

Edson, G.; Adinolfi, F.; Gray, F.

1993-08-01

The largest Atlantic outer continental shelf (OCS) lease sale was the first one, Sale 40 in 1976. Ninety-three Baltimore Canyon Trough petroleum leases were issued, and industry's winning bids total $1.1 billion. The highest bonus bids were for leases overlying the Schlee Dome, then called Great Stone Dome, a large structure with a very large fetch area. By 1981, seven dry wells on the dome moderated this initial flush of optimism. However, subeconomic quantities of gas and light oil were discovered on the nearby Hudson Canyon Block 598-642 structure. Now after 9 lease sales, 410 lease awards, and 46 explorationmore » wells, United States Atlantic petroleum exploration activity is in a hiatus. Fifty-three leases remain active under suspensions of operation. Twenty-one lease blocks, about 50 mi offshore from Cape Hatteras, have been combined as the Manteo Exploration Unit. Mobil and partners submitted an exploration plant for the unit in 1989. The Atlantic OCS has petroleum potential, especially for gas. With only 46 exploration wells, entire basins and plays remain untested. During the present exploration inactivity, some petroleum evaluation of the Atlantic OCS continues by the Minerals Management Service and others. Similarities and differences are being documented between United States basins and the Canadian Scotian Basin, which contains oil and gas in commercial quantities. Other initiatives include geochemical, thermal history, seismic stratigraphic, and petroleum system modeling studies. The gas-prone Atlantic OCS eventually may make an energy contribution, especially to nearby East Coast markets.« less

The oil and gas industry of coastal Louisiana and its effects on land use and other socioeconomic patterns

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, Donald W.; Place, John L.

1983-01-01

Louisiana's coastal wetlands, alone with their well-drained urbanized strips, have been significantly affected by the oil and gas industry. Onshore, more than 6,300 exploratory wells and more than 21,000 development wells were drilled in Louisiana's eight southernmost parishes between 1937 and 1977. Nearly all those wells were in wetlands or inland water bodies. The wetlands, totaling more than 2 million hectares (ha), extend inland to roughly latitude 30? N, and are about 15 percent forested swamp and 85 percent nonforested marsh. Inland waters within the Louisiana coastal zone total more than 1 million ha. Nearly all these waters are quite shallow. More than 235,000 ha of this coastal area is used for major activities associated with the extraction of oil and gas. Production in the eight southern parishes peaked in 1970 to 120 million m3 of oil and 172 billion m 3 of gas. Connecting extensive onshore fields--and also servicing offshore fields--are intricate networks of canals for pipelines and maritime traffic related to the oil and gas industry. Offshore, more than 2,400 drilling and production platforms had been installed by May of 1981. Oil production from wells in both Federal and State waters off Louisiana peaked at 71 million m3 in 1972. Offshore gas production continues to increase, with 131 billion m3, in 1979. Since the early 1950's southern Louisiana's population has shifted from remote rural areas in the marshes to the more densely settled areas on the natural levees and beach ridges where employment is available in oil-field support industries and businesses. In 1975, in the 14 primary settlement clusters within the coastal wetlands, more than 3,600 advertised business activities were connected directly to the oil and gas industry. This compares to about 1,200 such activities in 1955, at the start of offshore development. These businesses are listed as water transportation, transportation equipment, pipelines, chemicals, special trade contractors, and petroleum refining, as well as actual oil and gas extraction. Area measurements of urban land uses reveal a major concentration of industry and transportation facilities along the navigable waterways. Ship and rig construction are important activities; of 148 fixed drilling platforms under construction in the United States in March 1981, 94 were being built in Louisiana to be barged out into the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Of the 122 petroleum-industry support boats being built in the United States in 1976, 82 were in Louisiana shipyards; the worldwide total was estimated to be only about 200. In 1980, the Nation's marine con- tractors were building 129 logistic support vessels. Louisiana-based firms had 98 vessels under construction.

Petroleum and mineral resources of Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kovar, Karel; Behrendt, John Charles

1983-01-01

No known petroleum or mineral resources occur in Antarctica. The data on these subjects have been collected, mainly since the IGY (International Geophysical Year), 1957-58, as a part of other research carried out by geologists and geophysicists from a number of countries. Specific resource-related studies have not been made. Wright and Williams (1974) summarized what was known of Antarctic mineral resources a decade ago.The U.S. Geological Survey has been actively pursuing various investigations in Antarctica since 194 7. In the course of this work and that of our colleagues elsewhere in the United States and in other countries, much information relevant to petroleum and mineral resources has been obtained. Since 1976, modern state-of-the-art multichannel seismic reflection and aeromagnetic surveys by several countries over the continental margin of Antarctica have indicated thick sedimentary basins. However, no offshore drilling beneath the continental shelf has taken place since the DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) holes in the Ross Sea in 1973. Geologic field investigations begun at the turn of the twentieth century have been intensified in the past two decades; most rock outcrops have been visited and samples collected. Technology to exploit resources, particularly in the Arctic, has been developing at a rapid rate, and much of it could be applied to Antarctica. As a result of the petroleum price increases of the past decade, the attention of a number of countries has turned to Antarctica, but under the policy of "voluntary restraint" adopted by the Antarctic Treaty nations, no active petroleum or mineral exploration is taking place. The Antarctic treaty countries are in the process of negotiating an Antarctic mineral resources regime that is anticipated to be completed within the next several years. Therefore it seemed timely to us to readdress the question of petroleum and mineral resources. These reports review and summarize the available information. The first report summarizes the information relevant to petroleum resources. Although uneconomic at present, petroleum is generally considered more likely to be exploited (if supergiant fields were ever found) in the next few decades than hard minerals. The second report reviews the reported occurrences of minerals in Antarctica and discusses their significance. The final report discusses the Dufek layered mafic intrusion, second only to the Bushveld Complex in size in the world; the Dufek intrusion might be considered as a potential target for mineral exploration. 

QATAR offshore oil

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

Not Available

The Qatar Petroleum Producing Authority is presently operating three offshore fields - Idd al-Shargi, Maydan Mahzam and Bul Hanine. The Idd al-Shargi field consists of 14 naturally flowing wells and three suspended wells. Individual flow rates of the producing wells range from 250 to 3000 barrels per day (b/d). The Maydan Mahzam field produces from 11 naturally flowing wells. Reservoir energy in the field is maintained by water injection. Each of the wells produce oil at rates ranging from 2500 to 20,000 b/d. The Bul Hanine field comprises 10 producing wells supported by 9 dumpflooders. Production rates of the individualmore » wells reach 29,000 b/d, making them among the world's highest. In 1978 the completion of a major acceleration project for the Bul Hanine Arab IV reservoir added more than 40,000 b/d to the production potential of the field. Total Qatari oil exports in 1978 were 91,708,000 barrels, equivalent to an average export rate of 25,000 b/d. Total production in Qatar in 1979 was 100,641,394 barrels (offshore) and 84,130,917 (onshore), an increase of 11% and a decrease of 3%, respectively, over 1978. Halal Island provides offshore storage for oil and gas berthing and loading operations. A natural gas liquids offshore complex, including a fractionation plant, is nearing completion at Umm Said. (SAC)« less

Our national energy future - The role of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmitt, H. H.

1975-01-01

An overview of problems and opportunities in remote sensing of resources. The need for independence from foreign and precarious energy sources, availability of fossil fuel materials for other purposes (petrochemicals, fertilizer), environmental conservation, and new energy sources are singled out as the main topics. Phases of response include: (1) crisis, with reduced use of petroleum and tapping of on-shore and off-shore resources combined; (2) a transition phase involving a shift from petroleum to coal and oil shale; and (3) exploitation of renewable (inexhaustible and clean) energy. Opportunities for remote sensing in fuel production and energy conservation are discussed along with problems in identifying the spectral signatures of productive and unproductive regions. Mapping of water resources, waste heat, byproducts, and wastes is considered in addition to opportunities for international collaboration.

Hydrocarbons in recent sediment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kvenvolden, K.A.; Hostettler, F.D.; Rosenbauer, R.W.; Lorenson, T.D.; Castle, W.T.; Sugarman, S.

2002-01-01

A complex mixture of hydrocarbons is present in the recent sediment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Eighteen samples from the continental shelf between San Francisco and Monterey contain aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons showing biological contributions from both marine and terrigenous sources, with the terrigenous indicators more pronounced near Monterey. Of particular interest, however, is a low-level background of petroleum-related compounds, including 28,30-bisnorhopane and 18??+??(H)-oleanane, which are characteristic of many crude oils from the Monterey Formation of California. Thus, the sediments are overprinted by a regional chemical signature which may be derived from eroded Monterey Formation rocks and from onshore and offshore seeps releasing petroleum from Monterey Formation source rocks. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Succession in the petroleum reservoir microbiome through an oil field production lifecycle

DOE PAGES

Vigneron, Adrien; Alsop, Eric B.; Lomans, Bartholomeus P.; ...

2017-05-19

Subsurface petroleum reservoirs are an important component of the deep biosphere where indigenous microorganisms live under extreme conditions and in isolation from the Earth's surface for millions of years. However, unlike the bulk of the deep biosphere, the petroleum reservoir deep biosphere is subject to extreme anthropogenic perturbation, with the introduction of new electron acceptors, donors and exogenous microbes during oil exploration and production. Despite the fundamental and practical significance of this perturbation, there has never been a systematic evaluation of the ecological changes that occur over the production lifetime of an active offshore petroleum production system. Analysis of themore » entire Halfdan oil field in the North Sea (32 producing wells in production for 1-15 years) using quantitative PCR, multigenic sequencing, comparative metagenomic and genomic bins reconstruction revealed systematic shifts in microbial community composition and metabolic potential, as well as changing ecological strategies in response to anthropogenic perturbation of the oil field ecosystem, related to length of time in production. The microbial communities were initially dominated by slow growing anaerobes such as members of the Thermotogales and Clostridiales adapted to living on hydrocarbons and complex refractory organic matter. However, as seawater and nitrate injection (used for secondary oil production) delivered oxidants, the microbial community composition progressively changed to fast growing opportunists such as members of the Deferribacteres, Delta-, Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, with energetically more favorable metabolism (for example, nitrate reduction, H2S, sulfide and sulfur oxidation). This perturbation has profound consequences for understanding the microbial ecology of the system and is of considerable practical importance as it promotes detrimental processes such as reservoir souring and metal corrosion. These findings provide a new conceptual framework for understanding the petroleum reservoir biosphere and have consequences for developing strategies to manage microbiological problems in the oil industry.« less

Succession in the petroleum reservoir microbiome through an oil field production lifecycle

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

Vigneron, Adrien; Alsop, Eric B.; Lomans, Bartholomeus P.

Subsurface petroleum reservoirs are an important component of the deep biosphere where indigenous microorganisms live under extreme conditions and in isolation from the Earth's surface for millions of years. However, unlike the bulk of the deep biosphere, the petroleum reservoir deep biosphere is subject to extreme anthropogenic perturbation, with the introduction of new electron acceptors, donors and exogenous microbes during oil exploration and production. Despite the fundamental and practical significance of this perturbation, there has never been a systematic evaluation of the ecological changes that occur over the production lifetime of an active offshore petroleum production system. Analysis of themore » entire Halfdan oil field in the North Sea (32 producing wells in production for 1-15 years) using quantitative PCR, multigenic sequencing, comparative metagenomic and genomic bins reconstruction revealed systematic shifts in microbial community composition and metabolic potential, as well as changing ecological strategies in response to anthropogenic perturbation of the oil field ecosystem, related to length of time in production. The microbial communities were initially dominated by slow growing anaerobes such as members of the Thermotogales and Clostridiales adapted to living on hydrocarbons and complex refractory organic matter. However, as seawater and nitrate injection (used for secondary oil production) delivered oxidants, the microbial community composition progressively changed to fast growing opportunists such as members of the Deferribacteres, Delta-, Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, with energetically more favorable metabolism (for example, nitrate reduction, H2S, sulfide and sulfur oxidation). This perturbation has profound consequences for understanding the microbial ecology of the system and is of considerable practical importance as it promotes detrimental processes such as reservoir souring and metal corrosion. These findings provide a new conceptual framework for understanding the petroleum reservoir biosphere and have consequences for developing strategies to manage microbiological problems in the oil industry.« less

Solving geoscience problems in the coming century by integrating new technologies and different disciplines

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

Duval, B.C.

1995-11-01

At the turn of the century, oil and gas exploration is becoming more difficult as petroleum provinces are attaining maturity. Geoscientists can make a major contribution, at technical and management levels, provided they take into account all parameters controlling petroleum systems, make the best use of available technologies, and are prepared to work within integrated teams. This trend can be illustrated by recent applications carried out in several types of basins. The first application case is the Mahakam delta of Kalimantan, Indonesia. The use of sequence stratigraphy, and integrating well and seismic data at a regional scale, allowed the completemore » reconstruction of the basin history. Sedimentological studies in the modern delta, used as analogs for the Miocene delta, served to understand the distribution of mouth-bar sands and led to development of a new highly productive reservoir model. Regional work involving geochemical modeling, hydrodynamics, and the distribution of undercompacted high-pressure marine shales in the prodelta, has led to the understanding of the totality of the petroleum system and helped discover a new giant field in a mature area. The second case, taken from an active operation in the Bongkot field, Gulf of Thailand, shows how detailed 3-D seismic interpretation is critical in identifying targets in a highly complex structural and stratigraphic setting (densely faulted trap with numerous thin fluvio-deltaic sands). Continued application of geosciences; to all phases of an {open_quotes}upstream{close_quotes} operation-exploration, field appraisal and development-resulted in a successful interplay with other disciplines (drilling, reservoir, engineering, and production). The last example is taken from the west coast of Africa (off-shore Cuenza Basin, Angola). The relationship between salt tectonics, and particularly {open_quotes}raft{close_quotes} tectonics, and the dynamics of the petroleum system is analyzed.« less

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

Bryngelson, R.H.

Describes installation of 3 wet, diver-assist trees, in the Espoir field offshore Ivory Coast, as part of Phillips Petroleum's plans to use 5 satellite wells with downhole completion equipment and subsea production trees. Simplicity in design and attention to training has resulted in an installation time of about 3 weeks for one of the largest subsea trees in the industry. Presents diagram showing the converted jackup, Dan Duke drilling unit, which supports equipment to handle production from subsea wells.

TRENDS IN ENGINEERING GEOLOGIC AND RELATED MAPPING.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Varnes, David J.; Keaton, Jeffrey R.

1983-01-01

Progress is reviewed that has been made during the period 1972-1982 in producing medium- and small-scale engineering geologic maps with a variety of content. Improved methods to obtain and present information are evolving. Standards concerning text and map content, soil and rock classification, and map symbols have been proposed. Application of geomorphological techniques in terrain evaluation has increased, as has the use of aerial photography and other remote sensing. Computers are being used to store, analyze, retrieve, and print both text and map information. Development of offshore resources, especially petroleum, has led to marked improvement and growth in marine engineering geology and geotechnology. Coordinated planning for societal needs has required broader scope and increased complexity of both engineering geologic and environmental geologic studies. Refs.

Seismic lateral prediction in chalky limestone reservoirs offshore Qatar

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

Rubbens, I.B.H.M.; Murat, R.C.; Vankeulen, J.

Following the discovery of non-structurally trapped oil accumulations in Cretaceous chalky reservoirs on the northern flank of the North Dome offshore QATAR, a seismic lateral prediction study was carried out for QATAR GENERAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (Offshore Operations). The objectives of this study were to assist in the appraisal of these oil accumulations by predicting their possible lateral extent and to investigate if the technique applied could be used as a basis for further exploration of similar oil prospects in the area. Wireline logs of eight wells and some 1000 km of high quality seismic data were processed into acoustic impedancemore » (A.I.) logs and seismic A.I. sections. Having obtained a satisfactory match of the A.I. well logs and the A.I. of the seismic traces at the well locations, relationships were established by the use of well log data which allowed the interpretation of the seismic A.I. in terms of reservoir quality. Measurements of the relevant A.I. characteristics were then carried out by computer along all seismic lines and porosity distribution maps prepared for some of the reservoirs. These maps, combined with detailed seismic depth contour maps at reservoir tops, lead to definition of good reservoir development areas downdip from poor reservoir quality zones i.e. of the stratigraphic trap areas, and drilling locations could thus be proposed. The system remains to be adequately calibrated when core material becomes available in the area of study.« less

Petroleum systems of the Po Basin Province of northern Italy and the northern Adriatic Sea; Porto Garibaldi (biogenic), Meride/Riva di Solto (thermal), and Marnoso Arenacea (thermal)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindquist, Sandra J.

1999-01-01

The Porto Garibaldi total petroleum system dominates the Po Basin Province of onshore northern Italy and offshore Italy and Croatia in the northern Adriatic Sea. Porto Garibaldi contains Pliocene (primarily) and Pleistocene (secondarily) biogenic gas ? approximately 16 TCF (2.66 BBOE) ultimately recoverable ? accumulated in co-eval siliciclastic reservoirs. This area was the northwestern edge of the Gondwanan (African) continental plate in pre-Hercynian time until the assembly of Pangea, a dominantly carbonate passive continental margin during the Mesozoic breakup of Pangea, and a Cenozoic collision zone with siliciclastic foredeep and foreland regions surrounded by thrust belts. At least two other petroleum systems, with Triassic (Meride / Riva di Solto) and Miocene (Marnoso Arenacea) source rocks, contribute oil and thermal gas reserves (nearly 1 BBOE) to the province. The major time of hydrocarbon expulsion of the thermal systems was Late Neogene during the Alpine and Apennine orogenies. Local Mesozoic oil expulsion from Triassic rocks also occurred, but those oils either were not trapped or were leaked from faulty traps through time.

Stratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale (upper part) and Mesaverde Group in the southern part of the Uinta and Piceance basins, Utah and Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hettinger, R.D.; Kirschbaum, M.A.

2002-01-01

Cross section A–A' was constructed in support of the oil and gas assessments of the Mesaverde and Mancos/Mowry Total Petroleum Systems in the Uinta and Piceance Basins of Utah and Colorado (fig. 1) (U.S. Geological Survey Uinta-Piceance Province Assessment Team, in press). This citation is referred to henceforth as simply “USGS, in press.” The Mesaverde Total Petroleum System contains continuous gas derived primarily from carbonaceous shale and coal in the Mesaverde Group [chapter by Johnson and Roberts in USGS (in press)]. The Mancos/Mowry Total Petroleum System contains continuous gas derived primarily from marine source rocks in the Mancos and Mowry Shales [chapter by Kirschbaum in USGS (in press)]. Cross section A–A' illustrates the stratigraphy of these Upper Cretaceous rocks, emphasizing the fluvial, coal-bearing coastal plain, nearshore marine, and offshore marine strata. The cross section is presented as a hard copy in this report and as a chapter by Hettinger and Kirschbaum (USGS, in press).

Assessment of potential additions to conventional oil and gas resources in discovered fields of the United States from reserve growth, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated volumes of technically recoverable, conventional petroleum resources that have the potential to be added to reserves from reserve growth in 70 discovered oil and gas accumulations of the United States, excluding Federal offshore areas. The mean estimated volumes are 32 billion barrels of crude oil, 291 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 10 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.

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

Analysis of petroleum potential of Philippine sedimentary basins

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

Saldivar-Sali, A.; Harrison, J.; Flower, L.

1986-07-01

An extensive reevaluation of the petroleum potential of all sedimentary basins in the Philippine Archipelago was recently completed using World Bank funds. The study was conducted jointly by the technical staff of the Bureau of Energy Development (BED)/Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) and senior consultants from Robertson Research, and Flower, Doery, Buchan Pty. Ltd., from 1983 to 1986. The joint team spent 2 1/2 years on the study and produced detailed reports and atlases, which constitute the most comprehensive basin analysis and petroleum potential assessment of the 13 major basins in the Philippines. Voluminous data available at the start ofmore » the project were supplemented by a countrywide aeromagnetic survey (216,000 km) and 9200 km of new marine seismic in 15 different areas. These surveys were also funded by the World Bank. The integration of all relevant geoscientific disciplines resulted in a better understanding of the geologic evolution of each basin and its bearing on the generation, migration, and entrapment of hydrocarbons. Many similarities and common characteristics were noted in the evolution and sedimentation of some basins. Play concepts have been developed and proposed for each basin, many of which are new plays that were not the objectives of previous exploration. The degree of exploration in these basins varies, and clearly, exploration activity has not reached a mature stage in any basin. Even where wells are numerous, many of them are old and shallow and of limited geologic value. Elsewhere, particularly offshore, there are large areas where no wells have been drilled. In conclusion, the bilateral cooperation between the Philippine government and the World Bank, particularly when exploration activity in the private sector was at a low level, proved most timely and beneficial.« less

A NOVEL PROCESS TO USE SALT CAVERNS TO RECEIVE SHIP BORNE LNG

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

Michael M. McCall; William M. Bishop; Marcus Krekel

2005-05-31

This cooperative research project validates use of man made salt caverns to receive and store the cargoes of LNG ships in lieu of large liquid LNG tanks. Salt caverns will not tolerate direct injection of LNG because it is a cryogenic liquid, too cold for contact with salt. This research confirmed the technical processes and the economic benefits of pressuring the LNG up to dense phase, warming it to salt compatible temperatures and then directly injecting the dense phase gas into salt caverns for storage. The use of salt caverns to store natural gas sourced from LNG imports, particularly whenmore » located offshore, provides a highly secure, large scale and lower cost import facility as an alternative to tank based LNG import terminals. This design can unload a ship in the same time as unloading at a tank based terminal. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve uses man made salt caverns to securely store large quantities of crude oil. Similarly, this project describes a novel application of salt cavern gas storage technologies used for the first time in conjunction with LNG receiving. The energy industry uses man made salt caverns to store an array of gases and liquids but has never used man made salt caverns directly in the importation of LNG. This project has adapted and expanded the field of salt cavern storage technology and combined it with novel equipment and processes to accommodate LNG importation. The salt cavern based LNG receiving terminal described in the project can be located onshore or offshore, but the focus of the design and cost estimates has been on an offshore location, away from congested channels and ports. The salt cavern based terminal can provide large volumes of gas storage, high deliverability from storage, and is simplified in operation compared to tank based LNG terminals. Phase I of this project included mathematical modeling that proved a salt cavern based receiving terminal could be built at lower capital cost, and would have significantly higher delivery capacity, shorter construction time, and be much more secure than a conventional liquid tank based terminal. Operating costs of a salt cavern terminal are lower than tank based terminals because ''boil off'' is eliminated and maintenance costs of caverns are lower than LNG tanks. Phase II included the development of offshore mooring designs, wave tank tests, high pressure LNG pump field tests, heat exchanger field tests, and development of a model offshore LNG facility and cavern design. Engineers designed a model facility, prepared equipment lists, and confirmed capital and operating costs. In addition, vendors quoted fabrication and installation costs, confirming that an offshore salt cavern based LNG terminal would have lower capital and operating costs than a similarly sized offshore tank based terminal. Salt cavern storage is infinitely more secure than surface storage tanks, far less susceptible to accidents or purposeful damage, and much more acceptable to the community. More than thirty industry participants provided cost sharing, technical expertise, and guidance in the conduct and evaluation of the field tests, facility design and operating and cost estimates. Their close participation has accelerated the industry's acceptance of the conclusions of this research. The industry participants also developed and submitted several alternative designs for offshore mooring and for high pressure LNG heat exchangers in addition to those that were field tested in this project. HNG Storage, a developer, owner, and operator of natural gas storage facilities, and a participant in the DOE research has announced they will lead the development of the first offshore salt cavern based LNG import facility. Which will be called the Freedom LNG Terminal. It will be located offshore Louisiana, and is expected to be jointly developed with other members of the research group yet to be named. An offshore port license application is scheduled to be filed by fourth quarter 2005 and the terminal could be operational by 2009. This terminal allows the large volume importation of LNG without disrupting coastal port operations by being offshore, out of sight of land.« less

Assessment of the undiscovered oil and gas of the Senegal province, Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau, northwest Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.

2003-01-01

Undiscovered, conventional oil and gas resources were assessed in the Senegal Province as part of the U.S. Geological Survey World Petroleum Assessment 2000 (U.S. Geological Survey World Energy Assessment Team, 2000). Although several total petroleum systems may exist in the province, only one composite total petroleum system, the Cretaceous-Tertiary Composite Total Petroleum System, was defined with one assessment unit, the Coastal Plain and Offshore Assessment Unit, having sufficient data to allow quantitative assessment. The primary source rocks for the Cretaceous-Tertiary Composite Total Petroleum System are the Cenomanian-Turonian marine shales. The Turonian shales can be as much as 150 meters thick and contain Type II organic carbon ranging from 3 to 10 weight percent. In the Senegal Province, source rocks are mature even when situated at depths relatively shallow for continental passive margin basins. Reservoir rocks consist of Upper Cretaceous sandstones and lower Tertiary clastic and carbonate rocks. The Lower Cretaceous platform carbonate rocks (sealed by Cenomanian shales) have porosities ranging from 10 to 23 percent. Oligocene carbonate rock reservoirs exist, such as the Dome Flore field, which contains as much as 1 billion barrels of heavy oil (10? API, 1.6 percent sulfur) in place. The traps are a combination of structural closures and stratigraphic pinch-outs. Hydrocarbon production in the Senegal Province to date has been limited to several small oil and gas fields around Cape Verde (also known as the Dakar Peninsula) from Upper Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs bounded by normal faults, of which three fields (two gas and one oil) exceed the minimum size assessed in this study (1 MMBO; 6 BCFG). Discovered known oil resources in the Senegal Province are 10 MMBO, with known gas resources of 49 BCFG (Petroconsultants, 1996). This study estimates that 10 percent of the total number of potential oil and gas fields (both discovered and undiscovered) of at least the minimum size have been discovered. The estimated mean size and number of assessed, undiscovered oil fields are 13 MMBO and 13 fields, respectively, whereas the mean size and number of undiscovered gas fields are estimated to be 50 BCFG and 11 fields. The mean estimates for undiscovered conventional petroleum resources are 157 MMBO, 856 BCFG, and 43 MMBNGL (table 2). The mean sizes of the largest anticipated undiscovered oil and gas fields are 66 MMBO and 208 BCFG, respectively. The Senegal Province is underexplored considering its large size. The province has hydrocarbon potential in both the offshore and onshore, and undiscovered gas resources may be significant and accessible in areas where the zone of oil generation is relatively shallow.

Fire Protection Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Avco has drawn upon its heat shield experience to develop a number of widely-accepted commercial fire protection materials. Originating from NASA's space shuttle thermal protection system, one such material is Chartek 59 fireproofing, an intumescent epoxy coating specifically designed for outdoor use by industrial facilities dealing with highly flammable products such as oil refineries and chemical plants. The coating is applied usually by spray gun to exterior structural steel conduits, pipes and valves, offshore platforms and liquefied petroleum gas tanks. Fireproofing provides two types of protection: ablation or dissipation of heat by burn-off and "intumescence" or swelling; the coating swells to about five times its original size, forming a protective blanket of char which retards transfer of heat to the metal structure preventing loss of structural strength and possible collapse which would compound the fire fighting problem.

The Vietnam Petroleum Industry: Positioned for Growth but Ripe for Regional Complications

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-30

monopolistic character of PVN means the Vietnamese government is a major part of all aspects of the industry. Secondly, faced with increasing demand for...2013, JSTOR. 17 “U.S. EIA, “Vietnam” 20 18 Trong Vu and Simon Hall, “Oil Market Changes as Vietnam Build Another Refinery,” The Wall...Vietnam to Push Ahead with Offshore Exploration.” 23 Ibid. 24 Ibid. 25 Vu and Hall, “Oil Market Changes as Vietnam Build Another Refinery

Characterization of the Hosgri Fault Zone and adjacent structures in the offshore Santa Maria Basin, south-central California: Chapter CC of Evolution of sedimentary basins/onshore oil and gas investigations - Santa Maria province

USGS Publications Warehouse

Willingham, C. Richard; Rietman, Jan D.; Heck, Ronald G.; Lettis, William R.

2013-01-01

The Hosgri Fault Zone trends subparallel to the south-central California coast for 110 km from north of Point Estero to south of Purisima Point and forms the eastern margin of the present offshore Santa Maria Basin. Knowledge of the attributes of the Hosgri Fault Zone is important for petroleum development, seismic engineering, and environmental planning in the region. Because it lies offshore along its entire reach, our characterizations of the Hosgri Fault Zone and adjacent structures are primarily based on the analysis of over 10,000 km of common-depth-point marine seismic reflection data collected from a 5,000-km2 area of the central and eastern parts of the offshore Santa Maria Basin. We describe and illustrate the along-strike and downdip geometry of the Hosgri Fault Zone over its entire length and provide examples of interpreted seismic reflection records and a map of the structural trends of the fault zone and adjacent structures in the eastern offshore Santa Maria Basin. The seismic data are integrated with offshore well and seafloor geologic data to describe the age and seismic appearance of offshore geologic units and marker horizons. We develop a basin-wide seismic velocity model for depth conversions and map three major unconformities along the eastern offshore Santa Maria Basin. Accompanying plates include maps that are also presented as figures in the report. Appendix A provides microfossil data from selected wells and appendix B includes uninterpreted copies of the annotated seismic record sections illustrated in the chapter. Features of the Hosgri Fault Zone documented in this investigation are suggestive of both lateral and reverse slip. Characteristics indicative of lateral slip include (1) the linear to curvilinear character of the mapped trace of the fault zone, (2) changes in structural trend along and across the fault zone that diminish in magnitude toward the ends of the fault zone, (3) localized compressional and extensional structures characteristic of constraining and releasing bends and stepovers, (4) changes in the sense and magnitude of vertical separation along strike within the fault zone, and (5) changes in downdip geometry between the major traces and segments of the fault zone. Characteristics indicative of reverse slip include (1) reverse fault geometries that occur across major strands of the fault zone and (2) fault-bend folds and localized thrust faults that occur along the northern and southern reaches of the fault. Analyses of high-resolution, subbottom profiler and side-scan sonar records indicate localized Holocene activity along most of the extent of the fault zone. Collectively, these features are the basis of our characterization of the Hosgri Fault Zone as an active, 110-km-long, convergent right-oblique slip (transpressional) fault with identified northern and southern terminations. This interpretation is consistent with recently published analyses of onshore geologic data, regional tectonic kinematic models, and instrumental seismicity.

Southeast Offshore Storage Resource Assessment (SOSRA): Evaluation of CO2 Storage Potential on the Continental Shelf from North Carolina to Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, J. H.; Knapp, C. C.; Brantley, D.; Lakshmi, V.; Howard, S.

2016-12-01

The Southeast Offshore Storage Resource Assessment (SOSRA) project is part of a major new program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy for the next two and a half years, to evaluate the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico offshore margins of the United States for geologic storage capacity of CO2. Collaborating organizations include the Southern States Energy Board, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, University of South Carolina, Oklahoma State University, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy, South Carolina Geological Survey, and Geological Survey of Alabama. Team members from South Carolina are focused on the Atlantic offshore, from North Carolina to Florida. Geologic sequestration of CO2 is a major research focus globally, and requires robust knowledge of the porosity and permeability distribution in upper crustal sediments. Using legacy seismic reflection, refraction, and well data from a previous phase of offshore petroleum exploration on the Atlantic margin, we are analyzing the rock physics characteristics of the offshore Mesozoic and Cenozoic stratigraphy on a regional scale from North Carolina to Florida. Major features of the margin include the Carolina Trough, the Southeast Georgia Embayment, the Blake Plateau basin, and the Blake Outer Ridge. Previous studies indicate sediment accumulations on this margin may be as thick as 12-15 km. The study will apply a diverse suite of data analysis techniques designed to meet the goal of predicting storage capacity to within ±30%. Synthetic seismograms and checkshot surveys will be used to tie well and seismic data. Seismic interpretation and geophysical log analysis will employ leading-edge software technology and state-of-the art techniques for stratigraphic and structural interpretation and the definition of storage units and their physical and chemical properties. This approach will result in a robust characterization of offshore CO2 storage opportunities, as well as a volumetric analysis that is consistent with established procedures.

Air emissions assessment from offshore oil activities in Sonda de Campeche, Mexico.

PubMed

Schifter, I; González-Macías, C; Miranda, A; López-Salinas, E

2005-10-01

Air emission data from offshore oil platforms, gas and oil processing installations and contribution of marine activities at the Sonda de Campeche, located at the Gulf of Mexico, were compiled and integrated to facilitate the study of long range transport of pollutants into the region. From this important region, roughly 76% of the total Mexican oil and gas production is obtained. It was estimated that the total air emissions of all contaminants are approximately 821,000 tons per year. Hydrocarbons are the largest pollutant emissions with 277,590 tons per year, generated during flaring activities, and SOx in second place with 185,907 tons per year. Marine and aviation activities contribute with less than 2% of total emissions. Mass of pollutants emitted per barrel of petroleum produced calculated in this work, are in the range reported by similar oil companies.

Impact of coastal processes on resource development with an example from Icy Bay, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Molnia, Bruce F.

1978-01-01

The coastline of Alaska is dynamic and continually readjusting to changes in the many processes that operate in the coastal zone. Because of this dynamic nature, special consideration must be made in planning for development, and. caution must be exercised in site selection for facilities to be emplaced in the coastal zone. All types of coastal processes from continuously active normal processes to the low frequency-high intensity rare event must be considered. Site-specific evaluation-s considering the broad range of possible processes must precede initiation of development. An example of the relation between coastal processes and a proposed resource treatment facility is presented for Icy Bay, Alaska. Icy Bay is the only sheltered bay near many of the offshore tracts leased for petroleum exploration in the 1976 northern Gulf of Alaska OCS (Outer Continental Shelf) lease sale. Consequently, it has been selected as a primary onshore staging site for the support of offshore exploration and development. The environment of Icy Bay has many potentially hazardous features, including a submarine moraine at the bay mouth and actively calving glaciers at the bay's head which produce many icebergs. But most significant from the point of view of locating onshore facilities and pipeline corridors are the high rates of shoreline erosion and sediment deposition. If pipelines or any onshore staging facilities are to be placed in the coastal areas of Icy Bay, then the dynamic changes in shoreline position must be considered so that man-made structures will not be eroded away or be silted in before the completion of development.

A Preliminary Teleseismic Investigation of the Crust and Mantle Lithosphere Obtained from BISN in the Western Canadian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaeffer, A. J.; Snyder, D. B.; Cairns, S.; Elliot, B.; Audet, P.; Esteve, C.; Murray-Bergquist, L.; Falck, H.

2016-12-01

The tectonic evolution of the Beaufort Sea continental margin has contributed to the maturation of these rocks into a major petroleum reservoir. Recent shallow offshore seismic reflection data suggest that Banks Island represents thin crust along a rifted margin established during the opening of the Arctic Ocean. In this case, rifting of the margin caused Banks Island to subside and accumulate sediments rich in petroleum source material. The cooling history and further subsidence of these sediments is important for understanding the thermal maturation of petroleum products. Recently published surface-wave velocity models of North America indicate seismic velocities at 100-150 km depths similar to those beneath Canada's diamond mines in the central Slave craton north of Yellowknife. These results imply that Banks Island is part of the Canadian Shield and that any kimberlites found thereon might contain diamonds. However, the fast velocities are inconsistent with this being a tectonically disrupted and thinned lithosphere along the Arctic margin of the Canada Basin. The problem is therefore to reconcile mantle structure typical of the Canadian Shield with crust typical of a rifted passive margin. Possibly related seismicity beneath the Mackenize River Delta and offshore in the Beaufort Sea has been observed for decades but its origin remains unknown, although has been suggested as due to incipient subduction of oceanic lithosphere beneath the North American craton. Resolving these questions requires high-resolution 3-D seismic models obtained from an array of broadband seismograph stations. Here we present preliminary results on the structure of the crust and uppermost mantle underlying the western Canadian Arctic. These results are generated using new data from the Banks Island Seismograph Network (BISN), three stations installed over the summer of 2014 and 2015; augmented with several USArray Transportable Array stations and older POLARIS and CNSN stations on neighbouring Arctic Islands.

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Hope Basin Province, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bird, Kenneth J.; Houseknecht, David W.; Pitman, Janet K.; Moore, Thomas E.; Gautier, Donald L.

2018-01-04

The Hope Basin, an independent petroleum province that lies mostly offshore in the southern Chukchi Sea north of the Chukotka and Seward Peninsulas and south of Wrangel Island, the Herald Arch, and the Lisburne Peninsula, is the largest in a series of postorogenic (successor) basins in the East Siberian-Chukchi Sea region and the only one with exploratory-well control and extensive seismic coverage.In spite of the seismic coverage and well data, the petroleum potential of the Hope Basin Province is poorly known. The adequacy of hydrocarbon charge, in combination with uncertainties in source-rock potential and maturation, was the greatest risk in this assessment. A single assessment unit was defined and assessed, resulting in mean estimates of undiscovered, technically recoverable resources that include ~3 million barrels of oil and 650 billion cubic feet of nonassociated gas.

Seismic-reflection studies, offshore Santa Maria Province, California

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

Bird, K.J.; Childs, J.R.; Taylor, D.J.

1991-02-01

Well data and seismic-reflection records are being analyzed to provide a subsurface geologic framework for the US Geological Survey's Santa Maria Province project. This project, jointly sponsored by the Evolution of Sedimentary Basins and Onshore Oil and Gas Investigations Programs, in a basin-evolution and petroleum geology study focusing on the geologically complex and tectonically active south-central California margin. The area embraces several basins and basin fragments including the onshore Santa Maria, offshore Santa Maria, Pismo, Huasna, Sur, Santa Lucia, and western Santa Barbara-Ventura. These basins have many similarities, including generally synchronous formation at about the end of the Oligocene, developmentmore » on a complex assemblage of Mesozoic tectonostratigraphic terranes, and basin fill consisting of Neogene clastic marine and nonmarine deposits, minor volcanic rocks, and organic-rich biogenous deposits of the Monterey Formation. Despite these similarities, basin origins are controversial and paleogeographies uncertain. In 1990, the US Geological Survey collected approximately 130 line-mi of multichannel seismic reflection data in seven profiles off-shore California from Morro Bay south to the western Santa Barbara Channel. These are the first US Geological Survey seismic data collected in this area since the early 1980s exploratory drilling began in the offshore Santa Maria basin. Profiles were generally oriented perpendicular to structural grain and located to intersect as many well-sites and pre-existing seismic profiles as possible. Profile orientation and spacing were designed to provide the offshore extensions of onshore well-correlation profiles currently under construction. With synthetic seismograms the authors are integrating the stratigraphy of the wells with these seismic-reflection records.« less

A reappraisal of the petroleum prospectivity of the Torquay Sub-basin, offshore southern Victoria, Australia

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

West, B.G.; Collins, G.

1996-01-01

The Torquay Sub-basin is located in the offshore part of the eastern Otway Basin, some 50km southwest of Melbourne. Three wells, all dry holes, were drilled between 1967 and 1992. Nerita-1 drilled in 1967 tested Eocene and Early Cretaceous reservoirs in a Miocene anticline. Snail-1 drilled in 1972 was not a valid structural test, and Wild Dog-1 drilled in 1992 tested Late Eocene sands in an Oligocene inversion faulted anticline sourced from Early Cretaceous coals. The area was assessed by previous explorers as lacking effective source. Work currently underway indicates these wells were dry because of lack of migration pathwaysmore » to the Tertiary. To the west, significant gas has been discovered in Late Cretaceous reservoirs offshore at Minerva-11 and LaBella-1, and onshore in wells in the Port Campbell Embayment. In the Bass Basin to the south, there have been consistent oil, condensate and gas shows. Geochemical analysis of the Early Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation and Casterton beds throughout the Otway Basin demonstrate they contain source rocks capable of generating both oil and gas. Our study indicates that early Cretaceous sandstones with porosities better than 20%, may be present at depths of less than 2000m in the Torquay Sub-basin in tilted fault blocks. Source would be from down-dip lacustrine shales of the Casterton Beds. The general basement high area in which this play is developed is some 15km by 15 km with up to 400m of relief.« less

A reappraisal of the petroleum prospectivity of the Torquay Sub-basin, offshore southern Victoria, Australia

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

West, B.G.; Collins, G.

1996-12-31

The Torquay Sub-basin is located in the offshore part of the eastern Otway Basin, some 50km southwest of Melbourne. Three wells, all dry holes, were drilled between 1967 and 1992. Nerita-1 drilled in 1967 tested Eocene and Early Cretaceous reservoirs in a Miocene anticline. Snail-1 drilled in 1972 was not a valid structural test, and Wild Dog-1 drilled in 1992 tested Late Eocene sands in an Oligocene inversion faulted anticline sourced from Early Cretaceous coals. The area was assessed by previous explorers as lacking effective source. Work currently underway indicates these wells were dry because of lack of migration pathwaysmore » to the Tertiary. To the west, significant gas has been discovered in Late Cretaceous reservoirs offshore at Minerva-11 and LaBella-1, and onshore in wells in the Port Campbell Embayment. In the Bass Basin to the south, there have been consistent oil, condensate and gas shows. Geochemical analysis of the Early Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation and Casterton beds throughout the Otway Basin demonstrate they contain source rocks capable of generating both oil and gas. Our study indicates that early Cretaceous sandstones with porosities better than 20%, may be present at depths of less than 2000m in the Torquay Sub-basin in tilted fault blocks. Source would be from down-dip lacustrine shales of the Casterton Beds. The general basement high area in which this play is developed is some 15km by 15 km with up to 400m of relief.« less

A new petroleum system in offshore Campeche, Mexico

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

Limon, M.

1996-08-01

A new petroleum system in the Sonda de Campeche of Mexico has been recently defined. This system is entirely Oxfordian in age, comprising eolian and beach sandstone reservoirs overlain by evaporates, which provide the seal, and in turn, overlain by organically rich, low energy carbonate mudstones, which are source rocks. This petroleum system was created during the late stages of opening of the Gulf of Mexico. The source rocks are composed of an algal mudstone overlying the evaporite sequence. Geochemistry, isotopic and biomarkers analyses allowed us to identify the Oxfordian source rock and also to obtain an excellent correlation withmore » the Oxfordian oils reservoired in the discoveries. Oxfordian sandstones in the Sonda de Campeche exhibit excellent reservoir quality, ranging from 6 to 26% porosity and 2 to 2730 md permeability. The porosity is principally secondary due to the dissolution of dolomite, anhydrite and cement, but intergranular porosity can also be observed. The tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Mexico in the Sonda de Campeche produced three types of traps (1) faulted blocks of {open_quotes}domino{close_quotes} style, developed during the extensional stage; (2) faulted anticlines formed during the Middle Miocene compressive event; and (3) traps related to diapirism of salt of the Middle Miocene-Pleistocene. The seal rocks are mainly composed by Oxfordian evaporates. Oil generation was initiated in the Middle Miocene following the compressional stage. The potential source rocks reached maturity beneath a thick Tertiary overburden in downthrown fault blocks and expelled hydrocarbons which migrated in a predominantly vertical direction. The oils do not show any diagnostic evidence of bacterial alteration.« less

A new petroleum system in offshore Campeche, Mexico

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

Gonzalez, R.; Cruz, P.; Limon, M.

1995-08-01

A new petroleum system in the Sonda de Campeche of Mexico has been recently defined. This system is entirely Oxfordian in age, comprising eolian and beach sandstone reservoirs overlain by evaporites, which provide the seal, and in turn, overlain by organically rich, low energy carbonate mudstones, which are source rocks. This petroleum system was created during the late stages of opening of the Gulf of Mexico. The source rocks are composed of an algal mudstone overlying the evaporite sequence. Geochemistry, isotopic and biomarkers analyses allowed us to identify the Oxfordian source rock and also to obtain an excellent correlation withmore » the oils Oxfordian reservoired in the discoveries. Oxfordian sandstones in the Sonda de Campeche exhibit excellent reservoir quality, ranging from 6 to 26% porosity and 2 to 2730 md permeability. The porosity is principally secondary due to the dissolution of dolomite anhydrite and cement but intergranular porosity can also be observed. The tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Mexico, in the Sonda de Campeche produced three types of traps (1) faulted blocks of {open_quotes}domino{close_quotes} style, developed during the extensional stage; (2) faulted anticlines formed during the Middle Miocene compressive event; and (3) traps related to diapirism of salt of the Middle Miocene-Pleistocene. The seal rocks are mainly composed by Oxfordian evaporates. Oil generation was initiated in the Middle Miocene following the compressional stage. The potential source rocks reached maturity beneath a thick Tertiary overburden in downthrown fault blocks and expelled hydrocarbons which migrated in a predominantly vertical direction. The oils do not show any diagnostic evidence of bacterial alteration.« less

[Isolation and Identification of Petroleum Degradation Bacteria and Interspecific Interactions Among Four Bacillus Strains].

PubMed

Wang, Jia-nan; Shi, Yan-yun; Zheng, Li-yan; Wang, Zhe; Cai, Zhang; Liu, Jie

2015-06-01

Six petroleum-degrading strains were isolated from oil-contaminated soil at Dagang oil field and oil sewage on Bohai offshore drilling platform in Tianjin using enrichment culture and isolation method. The physiological biochemical test together with 16S rDNA sequencing analysis indicated that they belonged to Bacillus (S1, S2, S3, S4), Pseudomonas (W1) and Ochrobactrum (W2), respectively. The strain S3 had the maximum degradation rate of alkane (41.3%) and aromatic hydrocarbon (30.9%) among all isolated strains showing the better degradation efficiency by endogenous bacteria when compared to that by the exogenous bacteria. The four Bacillus strains were used to construct microbiome, thereafter subjected to petroleum degradation efficiency test and analyzed. The results showed that microbiome F3 consisting of S1 and S4 had the maximum degradation rates of alkane (50.5%) and aromatic hydrocarbon (54.0%), which were 69.9% and 156.1% higher than those by single bacterium, respectively. Furthermore, they were 22.1% and 74.6% respectively higher than those by the most optimal degradation bacterium S3. Microbiome F4 consisting of S2 and S3 had the minimum degradation rates of alkane (18.5%) and aromatic hydrocarbon (18.9%) which were 55.3% and 39.0% lower than the degradation rates of single bacterium, respectively. The results also demonstrated that there were both microbial synergy promotion and antagonism inhibition among bacteria of the same genus in the petroleum degradation period. Bacteria with close affinity in Bacillus genus displayed mainly promoted petroleum degradation effect.

Digitally enhanced GLORIA images for petroleum exploration

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

Prindle, R.O.; Lanz, K

1990-05-01

This poster presentation graphically depicts the geological and structural information that can be derived from digitally enhanced Geological Long Range Inclined Asdic (GLORIA) sonar images. This presentation illustrates the advantages of scale enlargement as an interpreter's tool in an offshore area within the Eel River Basin, Northern California. Sonographs were produced from digital tapes originally collected for the exclusive economic zone (EEZ)-SCAN 1984 survey, which was published in the Atlas of the Western Conterminous US at a scale of 1:500,000. This scale is suitable for displaying regional offshore tectonic features but does not have the resolution required for detailed geologicalmore » mapping necessary for petroleum exploration. Applications of digital enhancing techniques which utilize contrast stretching and assign false colors to wide-swath sonar imagery (approximately 40 km) with 50-m resolution enables the acquisition and interpretation of significantly more geological and structural data. This, combined with a scale enlargement to 1:100,000 and high contrast contact prints vs. the offset prints of the atlas, increases the resolution and sharpness of bathymetric features so that many more subtle features may be mapped in detail. A tectonic interpretation of these digitally enhanced GLORIA sonographs from the Eel River basin is presented, displaying anticlines, lineaments, ridge axis, pathways of sediment flow, and subtle doming. Many of these features are not present on published bathymetric maps and have not been derived from seismic data because the plan view spatial resolution is much less than that available from the GLORIA imagery.« less

U.S. Geological Survey 2002 Petroleum Resource Assessment of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA): GIS Play Maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garrity, Christopher P.; Houseknecht, David W.; Bird, Kenneth J.

2002-01-01

This report provides digital GIS files of maps for each of the 24 plays evaluated in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2002 petroleum resource assessment of the NPRA (Bird and Houseknecht, 2002a). These are the same maps released in pdf format by Bird and Houseknecht (2002b). The USGS released in 2002 a summary of the estimated volume of technically recoverable, undiscovered oil and nonassociated gas resources for 24 plays in NPRA (Bird and Houseknecht, 2002b). The NPRA assessment study area includes Federal and Native onshore land and adjacent State offshore areas. A map showing the areal extent of each play was prepared by USGS geologists as a preliminary step in the assessment process. Boundaries were drawn on the basis of a variety of information, including seismic reflection data, results of previous exploration drilling, and regional patterns of rock properties. Play boundary polygons were captured by digitizing the play maps prepared by USGS geologists. Federal, Native, and State areas were later clipped from the play boundary polygons, allowing for acreages to be calculated for entire plays and for various subareas within plays.

Directional frequency and recording (DIFAR) sensors in seafloor recorders to locate calling bowhead whales during their fall migration.

PubMed

Greene, Charles R; McLennan, Miles Wm; Norman, Robert G; McDonald, Trent L; Jakubczak, Ray S; Richardson, W John

2004-08-01

Bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, migrate west during fall approximately 10-75 km off the north coast of Alaska, passing the petroleum developments around Prudhoe Bay. Oil production operations on an artificial island 5 km offshore create sounds heard by some whales. As part of an effort to assess whether migrating whales deflect farther offshore at times with high industrial noise, an acoustical approach was selected for localizing calling whales. The technique incorporated DIFAR (directional frequency and recording) sonobuoy techniques. An array of 11 DASARs (directional autonomous seafloor acoustic recorders) was built and installed with unit-to-unit separation of 5 km. When two or more DASARs detected the same call, the whale location was determined from the bearing intersections. This article describes the acoustic methods used to determine the locations of the calling bowhead whales and shows the types and precision of the data acquired. Calibration transmissions at GPS-measured times and locations provided measures of the individual DASAR clock drift and directional orientation. The standard error of the bearing measurements at distances of 3-4 km was approximately 1.35 degrees after corrections for gain imbalance in the two directional sensors. During 23 days in 2002, 10,587 bowhead calls were detected and 8383 were localized.

Potential Arctic sea ice refuge for sustaining a remnant polar bear population (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durner, G. M.; Amstrup, S. C.; Douglas, D. C.; Gautier, D. L.

2010-12-01

Polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform from which they capture seals. Sea ice availability must be spatially and temporally adequate for birth and weaning of seal pups, and to maximize seal hunting opportunities for polar bears. Projected declines in the spatial and temporal extent of summer and autumn sea ice could potentially limit the ability of polar bears to build up body stores sufficient to maintain reproductive fitness. General circulation models, however, suggest that summer and autumn sea ice may persist in the shelf waters of the Canadian Archipelago and northern Greenland adjacent to the Arctic basin. While winter-formed ice is important, a primary mechanism for sea ice accumulation in this region is by mechanical thickening of the sea ice facilitated by convergent forces from the Beaufort Gyre and the Transpolar Drift Stream. Collectively these areas could provide a polar bear refugium when other regions have lost the sea ice necessary to support viable populations. The potential for a polar bear refugium, however, must include other resource considerations. Projected declines of sea ice in the Northwest Passage may expose polar bears to hazards related to increase shipping and other commerce. Increasing global demands and limited opportunities elsewhere make the Arctic an increasingly attractive area for petroleum exploration. The Canadian Archipelago coincides with the Sverdrup basin, where petroleum accumulations have already been discovered but as yet are undeveloped. The Lincoln Sea Basin offshore of northern Greenland has the geological possibility of significant petroleum accumulations, and northeastern Greenland is one of the most prospective areas in the Arctic for undiscovered oil. Activities associated with commerce and petroleum development could reduce the potential viability of the region as a polar bear refugium. Hence, if the goal is a sustainable (albeit reduced) polar bear population, important considerations include commerce, hydrocarbon extraction and polar bear habitat.

Decontamination of produced water containing petroleum hydrocarbons by electrochemical methods: a minireview.

PubMed

dos Santos, Elisama Vieira; Bezerra Rocha, Jessica Horacina; de Araújo, Danyelle Medeiros; de Moura, Dayanne Chianca; Martínez-Huitle, Carlos Alberto

2014-01-01

Produced water (PW) is the largest waste stream generated in oil and gas industries. The drilling and extraction operations that are aimed to maximize the production of oil may be counterbalanced by the huge production of contaminated water (called PW) with pollutants, such as heavy metals, dissolved/suspended solids, and organic compounds. PW is conventionally treated through different physical, chemical, and biological methods. In offshore platforms, because of space constraints, compact physical and chemical systems are used. However, major research efforts are being developed with innovative technologies for treating PW in order to comply with reuse and discharge limits. Among them, electrochemical technologies have been proposed as a promising alternative for the treatment of this kind of wastewaters. Then, this paper presents a minireview of efficient electrochemical technologies used until now for treating PW generated by petrochemical industry.

Earth observations taken from shuttle Discovery during STS-85 mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-09-02

STS085-502-104 (7 - 19 August 1997) --- The abundant plankton, microscopic organisms, are taking the shape of the currents in the Baltic Sea offshore from Gdansk, Poland. Plankton blooms occur when there is enough nutrient in the water to support rapid growth and reproduction of the microorganisms. Gdansk is situated at the mouth of the Vistula River on the north coast of Poland. It is a major industrial center for shipyards, metallurgical and chemical plants, timber mills, food-processing facilities and more recently (since 1975) for coal exports and petroleum imports.

DOE tallies Class III oil recovery field projects

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

Not Available

1994-07-25

Here are details from midterm proposals submitted as part of the US Department of Energy's Class 3 oil recovery field demonstration candidate projects. All of the proposals emphasize dissemination of project details so that the results, if successful, can be applied widely in similar reservoirs. Project results will also be fed into a national petroleum technology transfer network. The proposals include: Gulf of Mexico, Gulf coast, offshore California, a California thermal, immiscible CO[sub 2], produced/potable water, microbial EOR, California diatomite, West Texas Spraberry field, and other Permian Basin fields.

Tectonic controls on the hydrocarbon habitats of the Barito, Kutei, and Tarakan Basins, Eastern Kalimantan, Indonesia: major dissimilarities in adjoining basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satyana, Awang Harun; Nugroho, Djoko; Surantoko, Imanhardjo

1999-04-01

The Barito, Kutei, and Tarakan Basins are located in the eastern half of Kalimantan (Borneo) Island, Indonesia. The basins are distinguished by their different tectonic styles during Tertiary and Pleistocene times. In the Barito Basin, the deformation is a consequence of two distinct, separate, regimes. Firstly, an initial transtensional regime during which sinistral shear resulted in the formation of a series of wrench-related rifts, and secondly, a subsequent transpressional regime involving convergent uplift, reactivating old structures and resulting in wrenching, reverse faulting and folding within the basin. Presently, NNE-SSW and E-W trending structures are concentrated in the northeastern and northern parts of the basin, respectively. In the northeastern part, the structures become increasingly imbricated towards the Meratus Mountains and involve the basement. The western and southern parts of the Barito Basin are only weakly deformed. In the Kutei Basin, the present day dominant structural trend is a series of tightly folded, NNE-SSW trending anticlines and synclines forming the Samarinda Anticlinorium which is dominant in the eastern part of the basin. Deformation is less intense offshore. Middle Miocene to Recent structural growth is suggested by depositional thinning over the structures. The western basin area is uplifted, large structures are evident in several places. The origin of the Kutei structures is still in question and proposed mechanisms include vertical diapirism, gravitational gliding, inversion through regional wrenching, detachment folds over inverted structures, and inverted delta growth-fault system. In the Tarakan Basin, the present structural grain is typified by NNE-SSW normal faults which are mostly developed in the marginal and offshore areas. These structures formed on older NW-SE trending folds and are normal to the direction of the basin sedimentary thickening suggesting that they developed contemporaneously with deposition, as growth-faults, and may be the direct result of sedimentary loading by successive deltaic deposits. Older structures were formed in the onshore basin, characterized by the N-S trending folds resulting from the collision of the Central Range terranes to the west of the basin. Hydrocarbon accumulations in the three basins are strongly controlled by their tectonic styles. In the Barito Basin, all fields are located in west-verging faulted anticlines. The history of tectonic inversion and convergent uplift of the Meratus Mountains, isostatically, have caused the generation, migration, and trapping of hydrocarbons. In the Kutei Basin, the onshore Samarinda Anticlinorium and the offshore Mahakam Foldbelt are prolific petroleum provinces, within which most Indonesian giant fields are located. In the offshore, very gentle folds also play a role as hydrocarbon traps, in association with stratigraphic entrapment. These structures have recently become primary targets for exploratory drilling. In the Tarakan Basin, the prominent NW-SE anticlines, fragmented by NE-SW growth-faults, have proved to be petroleum traps. The main producing pools are located in the downthrown blocks of the faults. Diverse tectonic styles within the producing basins of Kalimantan compel separate exploration approaches to each basin. To discover new opportunities in exploration, it is important to understand the structural evolution of neighbouring basins.

Austin Chalk (!) Petroleum System: Upper Cretaceous, Southeastern Texas

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

Dawson, W.C.; Katz, B.J.; Robison, V.D.

1995-10-01

The Austin Group (Coniacian-Santonian) is a sequence of interstratified chalk and marl deposited during a sea-level highstand as a transgressive unit. Austin Chalk deposition occurred on a southeastward-dipping carbonate ramp that exhibits distinctive onshore and offshore chalk lithofacies. Discrete intervals within offshore Austin lithofacies display good to excellent source rock potential. Organic carbon content ranges upward to 20.0 wt. % with generation potentials exceeding 45 mg HC/g of rock measured. Source potential increases basinward where offshore chalk units exhibit increases in both organic richness and net thickness. These organically rich units display an affinity for the Type II reference curve.more » Hydrogen index values typically exceed 300 mg HC/g TOC. Several geochemical indices suggest that the oil-window is located at relatively shallow depths (6,700 ft). Offshore chalks sourced onshore Austin reservoirs through lateral migration (along fractures and stylolites) which occurred during the middle Tertiary. Hydrocarbons may also have been sourced from the underlying Eagle Ford Shale (Turonian). Austin Shale reservoirs are characterized by low porosity/low permeability dual pore systems consisting of microporous matrix and fractures. Diagenesis (mechanical compaction, styloitization, and calcite cementation) has strongly modified Austin Chalk pore systems. Matrix porosity generally decreases with increasing depth because of progressive burial diagenesis. Austin reservoirs typically have two major sets of fractures; reservoir performance is related to fracture connectivity. Austin Chalk reservoirs are sealed by the overlying Taylor Marl (Campanian).« less

Egret-Hibernia(!), a significant petroleum system, northern Grand Banks area, offshore eastern Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Magoon, L.B.; Hudson, T.L.; Peters, K.E.

2005-01-01

Egret-Hibernia(!) is a well-explored petroleum system (3.25 billion barrels oil equivalent [BOE]) located in the Jeanne d'Arc Basin on the Labrador - Newfoundland shelf. Rifting and sediment fill began in the Late Triassic. Egret source rock was deposited in the Late Jurassic at about 153 Ma. After this time, alternating reservoir rock and seal rock were deposited with some syndepositional faulting. By the end of the Early Cretaceous, faults and folds had formed numerous structural traps. For the next 100 m.y., overburden rock thermally matured the source rock when it reached almost 4 km (2.5 mi) burial depth. For 2 km (1.25 mi) below this depth, oil and gas were expelled, until the source was depleted. The expelled petroleum migrated updip to nearby faulted, anticlinal traps, where much of it migrated across faults and upsection to the Hibernia Formation (44% recoverable oil) and Avalon Formation (28%). Accumulation size decreased, and gas content increased from west to east, independent of trap size. These changes correspond to a decrease in source rock richness and quality from west to east. Almost all (96%) of the discovered petroleum resides in the Lower Cretaceous or older reservoir rock units. All accumulations found to date are normally pressured in structural traps. Fifty-two exploration wells found eighteen discoveries. Their size ranges from 1.2 to 0.01 billion BOE. Most discoveries were made between 1979 and 1991. The discovery cycle began with larger accumulations and progressed to smaller accumulations. The estimated sizes of the larger accumulations have grown since 1990. Estimated mean value for undiscovered hydrocarbons is 3.8 billion BOE, thereby raising the ultimate size of Egret-Hibernia(!) to 6.19 billion BOE. Copyright ?? 2005. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the North Cuba Basin, Cuba

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, Christopher J.

2010-01-01

Petroleum generation in the North Cuba Basin is primarily the result of thrust loading of Jurassic and Cretaceous source rocks during formation of the North Cuba fold and thrust belt in the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene. The fold and thrust belt formed as Cuban arc-forearc rocks along the leading edge of the Caribbean plate translated northward during the opening of the Yucatan Basin and collided with the passive margin of southern North America in the Paleogene. Petroleum fluids generated during thrust loading migrated vertically into complex structures in the fold and thrust belt, into structures in the foreland basin, and possibly into carbonate reservoirs along the margins of the Yucatan and Bahama carbonate platforms. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) defined a Jurassic-Cretaceous Composite Total Petroleum System (TPS) and three assessment units (AU)-North Cuba Fold and Thrust Belt AU, North Cuba Foreland Basin AU, and the North Cuba Platform Margin Carbonate AU-within this TPS based mainly on structure and reservoir type (fig. 1). There is considerable geologic uncertainty as to the extent of petroleum migration that might have occurred within this TPS to form potential petroleum accumulations. Taking this geologic uncertainty into account, especially in the offshore area, the mean volumes of undiscovered resources in the composite TPS of the North Cuba Basin are estimated at (1) 4.6 billion barrels of oil (BBO), with means ranging from an F95 probability of 1 BBO to an F5 probability of 9 BBO; and (2) 8.6 trillion cubic feet of of gas (TCFG), of which 8.6 TCFG is associated with oil fields, and about 1.2 TCFG is in nonassociated gas fields in the North Cuba Foreland Basin AU.

Generation and migration of Bitumen and oil from the oil shale interval of the Eocene Green River formation, Uinta Basin, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Ronald C.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Mercier, Tracey J.

2016-01-01

The results from the recent U.S. Geological Survey assessment of in-place oil shale resources of the Eocene Green River Formation, based primarily on the Fischer assay method, are applied herein to define areas where the oil shale interval is depleted of some of its petroleum-generating potential along the deep structural trough of the basin and to make: (1) a general estimates of the amount of this depletion, and (2) estimate the total volume of petroleum generated. Oil yields (gallons of oil per ton of rock, GPT) and in-place oil (barrels of oil per acre, BPA) decrease toward the structural trough of the basin, which represents an offshore lacustrine area that is believed to have originally contained greater petroleum-generating potential than is currently indicated by measured Fischer assay oil yields. Although this interval is considered to be largely immature for oil generation based on vitrinite reflectance measurements, the oil shale interval is a likely source for the gilsonite deposits and much of the tar sands in the basin. Early expulsion of petroleum may have occurred due to the very high organic carbon content and oil-prone nature of the Type I kerogen present in Green River oil shale. In order to examine the possible sources and migration pathways for the tar sands and gilsonite deposits, we have created paleogeographic reconstructions of several oil shale zones in the basin as part of this study.

2011, 2010 petroleum resource assessment of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska: GIS play maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garrity, Christopher P.; Houseknecht, David W.; Bird, Kenneth J.

2011-01-01

This report provides digital geographic information systems (GIS) files of maps for each of the 24 plays considered in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2010 updated petroleum resource assessment of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) (Houseknecht and others, 2010). These are the sample plays evaluated in a previous USGS assessment of the NPRA (Bird and Houseknecht, 2002a), maps of which were released in pdf format (Bird and Houseknecht, 2002b). The 2010 updated assessment of the NPRA evaluated each of the previously used 24 plays based on new geologic data available from exploration activities and scientific research. Quantitative assessments were revised for 11 plays, and no revisions were made for 9 plays. Estimates of the volume of technically recoverable, undiscovered oil, and nonassociated gas resources in these 20 plays are reported elsewhere (Houseknecht and others, 2010). Four plays quantitatively assessed in 2002 were eliminated from quantitative assessment for reasons explained by Houseknecht and others (2010). The NPRA assessment study area includes Federal and native onshore land and adjacent State offshore areas. A map showing the areal extent of each play was prepared by USGS geologists as a preliminary step in the assessment process. Boundaries were drawn on the basis of a variety of information, including seismic reflection data, results of exploration drilling, and regional patterns of rock properties. Play boundary polygons were captured by digitizing the play maps prepared by USGS geologists.

JEDI Petroleum Model | Jobs and Economic Development Impact Models | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Petroleum Model JEDI Petroleum Model The Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) Petroleum Model allows users to estimate economic development impacts from petroleum projects and includes default

A review on multicomponent seismology: A potential seismic application for reservoir characterization

PubMed Central

Farfour, Mohammed; Yoon, Wang Jung

2015-01-01

Searching for hydrocarbon reserves in deep subsurface is the main concern of wide community of geophysicists and geoscientists in petroleum industry. Exploration seismology has substantially contributed to finding and developing giant fields worldwide. The technology has evolved from two to three-dimensional method, and later added a fourth dimension for reservoir monitoring. Continuous depletion of many old fields and the increasing world consumption of crude oil pushed to consistently search for techniques that help recover more reserves from old fields and find alternative fields in more complex and deeper formations either on land and in offshore. In such environments, conventional seismic with the compressional (P) wave alone proved to be insufficient. Multicomponent seismology came as a solution to most limitations encountered in P-wave imaging. That is, recording different components of the seismic wave field allowed geophysicists to map complex reservoirs and extract information that could not be extracted previously. The technology demonstrated its value in many fields and gained popularity in basins worldwide. In this review study, we give an overview about multicomponent seismology, its history, data acquisition, processing and interpretation as well as the state-of the-art of its applications. Recent examples from world basins are highlighted. The study concludes that despite the success achieved in many geographical areas such as deep offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), North Sea, Offshore Brazil, China and Australia, much work remains for the technology to gain similar acceptance in other areas such as Middle East, East Asia, West Africa and North Africa. However, with the tremendous advances reported in data recording, processing and interpretation, the situation may change. PMID:27222756

A review on multicomponent seismology: A potential seismic application for reservoir characterization.

PubMed

Farfour, Mohammed; Yoon, Wang Jung

2016-05-01

Searching for hydrocarbon reserves in deep subsurface is the main concern of wide community of geophysicists and geoscientists in petroleum industry. Exploration seismology has substantially contributed to finding and developing giant fields worldwide. The technology has evolved from two to three-dimensional method, and later added a fourth dimension for reservoir monitoring. Continuous depletion of many old fields and the increasing world consumption of crude oil pushed to consistently search for techniques that help recover more reserves from old fields and find alternative fields in more complex and deeper formations either on land and in offshore. In such environments, conventional seismic with the compressional (P) wave alone proved to be insufficient. Multicomponent seismology came as a solution to most limitations encountered in P-wave imaging. That is, recording different components of the seismic wave field allowed geophysicists to map complex reservoirs and extract information that could not be extracted previously. The technology demonstrated its value in many fields and gained popularity in basins worldwide. In this review study, we give an overview about multicomponent seismology, its history, data acquisition, processing and interpretation as well as the state-of the-art of its applications. Recent examples from world basins are highlighted. The study concludes that despite the success achieved in many geographical areas such as deep offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), North Sea, Offshore Brazil, China and Australia, much work remains for the technology to gain similar acceptance in other areas such as Middle East, East Asia, West Africa and North Africa. However, with the tremendous advances reported in data recording, processing and interpretation, the situation may change.

31 CFR 576.206 - Protection granted to the Development Fund for Iraq, Iraqi Petroleum and Petroleum Products, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Fund for Iraq, Iraqi Petroleum and Petroleum Products, and the Central Bank of Iraq. 576.206 Section... Prohibitions § 576.206 Protection granted to the Development Fund for Iraq, Iraqi Petroleum and Petroleum... petroleum and petroleum products, and interests therein, but only until title passes to the initial...

U.S. Geological Survey circum-arctic resource appraisal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gautier, D.L.

2011-01-01

Among the greatest uncertainties in future energy supply is the amount of oil and gas yet to be found in the Arctic. Using a probabilistic geology-based methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey has assessed the area north of the Arctic Circle. The Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal (CARA) consists of three parts: (1) Mapping the sedimentary sequences of the Arctic (Grantz and others 2009), (2) Geologically based estimation of undiscovered technically recoverable petroleum (Gautier and others 2009, discussed in this presentation) and (3) Economic appraisal of the cost of delivering the undiscovered resources to major markets (also reported at this conference by White and others). We estimate that about 30% of the world's undiscovered gas and about 13% of the world's undiscovered oil may be present in the Arctic, mostly offshore under less than 500m of water. Billion BOE-plus accumulations of gas and oil are predicted at a 50% probability in the Kara Sea, Barents Sea, offshore East and West Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. On a BOE basis, undiscovered natural gas is three times more abundant than oil in the Arctic and is concentrated in Russian territory. Oil resources, while critically important to the interests of Arctic countries, are probably not sufficient to significantly shift the current geographic patterns of world oil production. Copyright 2011, Offshore Technology Conference.

Offshore drilling effects in Brazilian SE marine sediments: a meta-analytical approach.

PubMed

Dore, Marina Pereira; Farias, Cássia; Hamacher, Cláudia

2017-01-01

The exploration and production of oil and gas reserves often result to drill cutting accumulations on the seafloor adjacent to drill locations. In this study, the detection of drilling influence on marine sediments was performed by meta-analytical comparison between data from pre- and post-drilling surveys undertaken in offshore Campos Basin, southeast of Brazil. Besides this overall appraisal on the geochemical variables, a multivariate assessment, considering only the post-drilling data, was performed. Among the variables, fines content, carbonates, total organic carbon, barium, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, vanadium, zinc, and total petroleum hydrocarbons, only barium, copper, and hydrocarbons were related to drilling impacts. In relation to the point of discharge, relative elevated levels in the post-drilling campaigns were observed preferentially up to 500 m in the northeast and southwest directions, associated to the Brazil Current-predominant direction. Other distributed concentrations in the surroundings seem to indicate the dilution and dispersion of drilling waste promoted by meteoceanographic factors.

Offshore oceanographic and environmental monitoring services for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Annual report for the Bryan Mound site, September 1982-August 1983. Volume III. Executive summary

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

Hann, R.W. Jr.; Giammona, C.P.; Randall, R.E.

1984-03-01

This report describes the findings for the 12 months of postdisposal study conducted from September 1982 through August 1983. The areas of investigation are benthos, brine plume, data management, nekton, physical oceanography, and water and sediment quality. The specific objectives of this report are: (1) to describe the physical oceanographic and meteorological conditions which have been measured at the offshore diffuser site and in the surrounding waters; (2) to describe the effect of brine discharge on the benthic community in the diffuser site area; (3) to discuss the effect of the brine discharge on the quality of the water andmore » sediment in the vicinity of the diffuser site; (4) to describe the measurement and empirical prediction of the areal and vertical extent of the brine plume; and (5) to characterize the effect of brine discharge on the nekton community in the vicinity of the diffuser. 2 figures.« less

Statistical analysis on the signals monitoring multiphase flow patterns in pipeline-riser system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Jing; Guo, Liejin

2013-07-01

The signals monitoring petroleum transmission pipeline in offshore oil industry usually contain abundant information about the multiphase flow on flow assurance which includes the avoidance of most undesirable flow pattern. Therefore, extracting reliable features form these signals to analyze is an alternative way to examine the potential risks to oil platform. This paper is focused on characterizing multiphase flow patterns in pipeline-riser system that is often appeared in offshore oil industry and finding an objective criterion to describe the transition of flow patterns. Statistical analysis on pressure signal at the riser top is proposed, instead of normal prediction method based on inlet and outlet flow conditions which could not be easily determined during most situations. Besides, machine learning method (least square supported vector machine) is also performed to classify automatically the different flow patterns. The experiment results from a small-scale loop show that the proposed method is effective for analyzing the multiphase flow pattern.

A total petroleum system of the Browse Basin, Australia; Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bishop, M.G.

1999-01-01

The Browse Basin Province 3913, offshore northern Australia, contains one important petroleum system, Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic. It is comprised of Late Jurassic through Early Cretaceous source rocks deposited in restricted marine environments and various Mesozoic reservoir rocks deposited in deep-water fan to fluvial settings. Jurassic age intraformational shales and claystones and Cretaceous regional claystones seal the reservoirs. Since 1967, when exploration began in this 105,000 km2 area, fewer than 40 wells have been drilled and only one recent oil discovery is considered potentially commercial. Prior to the most recent oil discovery, on the eastern side of the basin, a giant gas field was discovered in 1971, under a modern reef on the west side of the basin. Several additional oil and gas discoveries and shows were made elsewhere. A portion of the Vulcan sub-basin lies within Province 3913 where a small field, confirmed in 1987, produced 18.8 million barrels of oil (MMBO) up to 1995 and has since been shut in.

Pimienta-Tamabra(!) - A giant supercharged petroleum system in the southern Gulf of Mexico, onshore and offshore Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Magoon, L.B.; Hudson, T.L.; Cook, H.E.

2001-01-01

Pimienta-Tamabra(!) is a giant supercharged petroleum system in the southern Gulf of Mexico with cumulative production and total reserves of 66.3 billion barrels of oil and 103.7 tcf of natural gas, or 83.6 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE). The effectiveness of this system results largely from the widespread distribution of good to excellent thermally mature, Upper Jurassic source rock underlying numerous stratigraphic and structural traps that contain excellent carbonate reservoirs. Expulsion of oil and gas as a supercritical fluid from Upper Jurassic source rock occurred when the thickness of overburden rock exceeded 5 km. This burial event started in the Eocene, culminated in the Miocene, and continues to a lesser extent today. The expelled hydrocarbons started migrating laterally and then upward as a gas-saturated 35-40??API oil with less than 1 wt.% sulfur and a gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) of 500-1000 ft3/BO. The generation-accumulation efficiency is about 6%.

Spatial distribution and historical trends of heavy metals in the sediments of petroleum producing regions of the Beibu Gulf, China.

PubMed

Yang, Jichao; Wang, Weiguo; Zhao, Mengwei; Chen, Bin; Dada, Olusegun A; Chu, Zhihui

2015-02-15

The concentrations of As, Sb, Hg, Pb, Cd, and Ba in the surface and core sediments of the oil and gas producing region of the Beibu Gulf were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (AFS), and the spatial distribution and historical trends of these elements are discussed. The results show that the concentrations of these elements are highest near the platforms. The results of Enrichment Factor (EF) and Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) also reveal significantly higher enrichment around the platforms, which imply that the offshore petroleum production was the cause of the unusual distribution and severe enrichment of these elements in the study area. The environment around the platforms was highly laden with toxic elements, thereby representing a very high ecological risk to the environment of the study area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oil and gas developments in South Africa, Central America, Caribbean Area, and Mexico in 1984

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

Tappmeyer, D.M.

1985-10-01

For the 25 countries described in the region, exploration activity continued to be centered in proven petroleum provinces in 1984. Exploration activity increased in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. Important, successful exploration efforts continued in areas around Cano Limon field in Colombia, and Guafita and La Victoria fields in Venezuela. Notable discoveries in South America included the 42-46-1X San Martin Cretaceous discovery by Shell in the Ucayali basin in Peru, the significant oil and gas discovery at Palmar Largo ES-1 by YPF in Argentina, and the first offshore gas discovery, the Pecten 1-SPS-20 wildcat in the Santo basin in Brazil. Oilmore » production increased in Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. A notable increase (40%) in oil production occurred in Brazil. Gas production increased in Argentina, Barbados, Colombia, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. 8 figures, 8 tables.« less

Oil and gas developments in South America, Central America, Caribbean Area, and Mexico in 1984

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

Tappmeyer, D.M.

1985-10-01

For the 25 countries described in the region, exploration activity continued to be centered in proven petroleum provinces in 1984. Exploration activity increased in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. Important, successful exploration efforts continued in areas around Cano Limon field in Colombia, and Guafita and La Victoria fields in Venezuela. Notable discoveries in South America included the 42-461X San Martin Cretaceous discovery by Shell in the Ucayali basin in Peru, the significant oil and gas discovery at Palmar Largo ES-1 by YPF in Argentina, and the first offshore gas discovery, the Pecten 1-SPS-20 wildcat in the Santo basin in Brazil. Oilmore » production increased in Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. A notable increase (40%) in oil production occurred in Brazil. Gas production increased in Argentina, Barbados, Colombia, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.« less

Reefal petroleum prospects possible in Pakistan

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

Quadri, V.N.; Quadri, S.M.G.J.

1996-03-25

Carbonate buildups including reefs and banks have proven to be prolific hydrocarbon reservoirs in the US, Canada, Mexico, North Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Seismic interpretation, particularly of high quality marine data, and geological analyses, including petrographic studies of selected formations, reveal a broad spectrum of possible reefal prospects in formations of different ages in Pakistan. However, the region with good seismic that provides good recognition of possible reefal buildups remains to date devoid of well confirmation. Oil and Gas Development Corp. of Pakistan formed the technical services department in 1976 for a systematic scientific review of allmore » exploration data and basin analysis. In 1985 this department was renamed offshore department, with responsibility for all offshore exploration. This article is based on the department`s work in collaboration with geoscientists from Russia, the US, Norway, and Canada covering the area shown. Four major types of carbonate buildups, easily recognized from seismic interpretation, include: barrier buildups that are linear with relatively deep water on both sides during deposition; pinnacle buildups that are roughly equidimensional and were surrounded by deep water during deposition; shelf margin buildups that are linear with deep water on one side and shallow water on the other; and patch buildups that form in shallow water either in close proximity to shelf margins, or over broad shallow seas.« less

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.

Risks to global biodiversity from fossil-fuel production exceed those from biofuel production

DOE PAGES

Dale, Virginia H.; Parish, Esther S.; Kline, Keith L.

2014-12-02

Potential global biodiversity impacts from near-term gasoline production are compared to biofuel, a renewable liquid transportation fuel expected to substitute for gasoline in the near term (i.e., from now until c. 2030). Petroleum exploration activities are projected to extend across more than 5.8 billion ha of land and ocean worldwide (of which 3.1 billion is on land), much of which is in remote, fragile terrestrial ecosystems or off-shore oil fields that would remain relatively undisturbed if not for interest in fossil fuel production. Future biomass production for biofuels is projected to fall within 2.0 billion ha of land, most ofmore » which is located in areas already impacted by human activities. A comparison of likely fuel-source areas to the geospatial distribution of species reveals that both energy sources overlap with areas with high species richness and large numbers of threatened species. At the global scale, future petroleum production areas intersect more than double the area and higher total number of threatened species than future biofuel production. Energy options should be developed to optimize provisioning of ecosystem services while minimizing negative effects, which requires information about potential impacts on critical resources. Furthermore, energy conservation and identifying and effectively protecting habitats with high-conservation value are critical first steps toward protecting biodiversity under any fuel production scenario.« less

Risks to global biodiversity from fossil-fuel production exceed those from biofuel production

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

Dale, Virginia H.; Parish, Esther S.; Kline, Keith L.

Potential global biodiversity impacts from near-term gasoline production are compared to biofuel, a renewable liquid transportation fuel expected to substitute for gasoline in the near term (i.e., from now until c. 2030). Petroleum exploration activities are projected to extend across more than 5.8 billion ha of land and ocean worldwide (of which 3.1 billion is on land), much of which is in remote, fragile terrestrial ecosystems or off-shore oil fields that would remain relatively undisturbed if not for interest in fossil fuel production. Future biomass production for biofuels is projected to fall within 2.0 billion ha of land, most ofmore » which is located in areas already impacted by human activities. A comparison of likely fuel-source areas to the geospatial distribution of species reveals that both energy sources overlap with areas with high species richness and large numbers of threatened species. At the global scale, future petroleum production areas intersect more than double the area and higher total number of threatened species than future biofuel production. Energy options should be developed to optimize provisioning of ecosystem services while minimizing negative effects, which requires information about potential impacts on critical resources. Furthermore, energy conservation and identifying and effectively protecting habitats with high-conservation value are critical first steps toward protecting biodiversity under any fuel production scenario.« less

Shiftwork in the Norwegian petroleum industry: overcoming difficulties with family and social life – a cross sectional study

PubMed Central

Ljoså, Cathrine Haugene; Lau, Bjørn

2009-01-01

Background Continuous shift schedules are required in the petroleum industry because of its dependency on uninterrupted production. Although shiftwork affects health, less is known about its effects on social and domestic life. Methods Consequently, we studied these relationships in a sample of 1697 (response rate 55.9%) petroleum workers who worked onshore and offshore for a Norwegian oil and gas company. We also examined the roles of coping strategies and locus of control for handling self-reported problems with social and domestic life. A questionnaire containing scales from the Standard Shiftwork Index and Shiftwork Locus of Control was answered electronically. Results In general, only a few participants reported that their shift schedule affected their social and domestic/family life, and several participants had enough time to spend by themselves and with their partner, close family, friends, and children. Despite this general positive trend, differences were found for shift type and individual factors such as locus of control and coping strategies. Internal locus of control was associated positively with all the dependent variables. However, engaging problem-focused coping strategies were associated only slightly with the dependent variables, while disengaging emotion-focused coping strategies were negatively associated with the dependent variables. Conclusion Since most participants reported few problems with social and domestic/family life, the availability of more leisure time may be a positive feature of shiftwork in the Norwegian petroleum industry. Locus of control and the use of coping strategies were important for shiftworkers' social and domestic/family life. PMID:19650903

Shallow gas in Cenozoic sediments of the Southern North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trampe, Anna F.; Lutz, Rüdiger; Franke, Dieter; Thöle, Hauke; Arfai, Jashar

2013-04-01

Shallow petroleum systems in the southern North Sea are known for several decades but they were not actively explored for a long time. In recent years these unconventional shallow petroleum systems are studied in greater detail and one shallow gas field (A-12) is in production in the Netherlands. Additionally, oil was encountered in Miocene sandstones in the southern Danish North Sea (Lille John well) just north of the Danish-German border. Seismic amplitude anomalies are an indication for hydrocarbons in sediments. Therefore we have mapped the occurrence of seismic amplitude anomalies in the German North Sea based on more than 25.000 km of 2D seismic data and around 4.000 km2 of 3D seismic data. Amplitude anomalies are ubiquitous phenomena in the study area. These anomalies are not only caused by hydrocarbons but also by changing lithologies e.g. peat or fluid migration. Therefore several classes of seismic anomalies, e.g. bright spots, chimneys, blanking areas and velocity pull-down were mapped. Examples for these classes were studied with AVO (amplitude variation with offset) analyses to verify the existence or non-existence of gas in the sediments. Shallow gas can be produced and transported through the dense pipeline grid of the southern and central North Sea or it could be burned offshore close to wind parks in small power plants and the electric energy then transported through the existing power connections of the wind parks. Thus enabling a continuous energy supply during calm wind periods. This study is carried out within the framework of the project "Geoscientific Potential of the German North Sea (GPDN)" in which the Cenozoic sedimentary system was mapped in great detail. A detailed model of delta evolution (Baltic river system) was developed which serves as a structural framework. The studied interval is time equivalent to the Utsira formation which is used offshore Norway for sequestration of CO2. These different possibilities of using or exploiting the underground emphasize the need for detailed knowledge on the underground for sound decisions on the future use of this area.

The Anthropogenic Effects of Hydrocarbon Inputs to Coastal Seas: Are There Potential Biogeochemical Impacts?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, M. R.; Rivkin, R. B.

2016-02-01

Petroleum hydrocarbon discharges related to fossil fuel exploitation have the potential to alter microbial processes in the upper ocean. While the ecotoxicological effects of such inputs are commonly evaluated, the potential for eutrophication from the constituent organic and inorganic nutrients has been largely ignored. Hydrocarbons from natural seeps and anthropogenic sources represent a measurable source of organic carbon for surface waters. The most recent (1989-1997) estimate of average world-wide input of hydrocarbons to the sea is 1.250 x 1012 g/yr ≈ 1.0 x 1012g C/year. Produced water from offshore platforms is the largest waste stream from oil and gas exploitation and contributes significant quantities of inorganic nutrients such as N, P and Fe. In coastal areas where such inputs are a significant source of these nutrients, model studies show the potential to shift production toward smaller cells and net heterotrophy. The consequences of these nutrient sources for coastal systems and semi enclosed seas are complex and difficult to predict, because (1) there is a lack of comprehensive data on inputs and in situ concentrations and (2) the is no conceptual or quantitative framework to consider their effects on ocean biogeochemical processes. Here we use examples from the North Sea (produced water discharges 1% total riverine input and NH4 3% of the annual riverine nitrogen load), the South China Sea (total petroleum hydrocarbons = 10-1750 μg/l in offshore waters), and the Gulf of Mexico (seeps = 76-106 x 109 gC/yr, Macondo blowout 545 x 109 gC) to demonstrate how hydrocarbon and produced water inputs can influence basin scale biogeochemical and ecosystem processes and to propose a framework to consider these effects on larger scales.

Petroleum geology of the mid-Atlantic continental margin, offshore Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bayer, K.C.; Milici, R.C.

1989-01-01

The Baltimore Canyon Trough, a major sedimentary basin on the Atlantic continental shelf, contains up to 18 km of Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata. The basin has been studied extensively by multichannel common depth point (CDP) seismic reflection profiles and has been tested by drilling for hydrocarbon resources in several places. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata contained in the basin were deposited in littoral to bathyal depositional settings and contain immature to marginally mature oil-prone and gas-prone kerogen. The more deeply buried strata of Early Mesozoic age are more likely to be thermally mature than are the younger strata with respect to hydrocarbon generation, but contain terrestrially derived coaly organic matter that would be prone to yield gas, rather than oil. An analysis of available CDP seismic reflection data has indicated that there are several potential hydrocarbon plays in the area offshore of Virginia. These include: (1) Lower Mesozoic synrift basins that appear similar to those exposed in the Appalachian Piedmont, (2) a stratigraphic updip pinchout of strata of Early Mesozoic age in the offshore region near the coast, (3) a deeply buried paleoshelf edge, where seismic reflectors dip sharply seaward; and (4) a Cretaceous/Jurassic shelf edge beneath the present continental rise. Of these, the synrift basins and Cretaceous/Jurassic shelf edge are considered to be the best targets for exploration. ?? 1989.

Offshore Wind Market and Economic Analysis

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

Hamilton, Bruce Duncan

2014-08-27

This report is the third annual assessment of the U.S. offshore wind market. It includes the following major sections: Section 1: key data on developments in the offshore wind technology sector and the global development of offshore wind projects, with a particular focus on progress in the United States; Section 2: analysis of policy developments at the federal and state levels that have been effective in advancing offshore wind deployment in the United States; Section 3: analysis of actual and projected economic impact, including regional development and job creation; Section 4: analysis of developments in relevant sectors of the economymore » with the potential to affect offshore wind deployment in the United States« less

Large scale treatment of total petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater using bioaugmentation.

PubMed

Poi, Gregory; Shahsavari, Esmaeil; Aburto-Medina, Arturo; Mok, Puah Chum; Ball, Andrew S

2018-05-15

Bioaugmentation or the addition of microbes to contaminated sites has been widely used to treat contaminated soil or water; however this approach is often limited to laboratory based studies. In the present study, large scale bioaugmentation has been applied to total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)-contaminated groundwater at a petroleum facility. Initial TPH concentrations of 1564 mg L -1 in the field were reduced to 89 mg L -1 over 32 days. This reduction was accompanied by improved ecotoxicity, as shown by Brassica rapa germination numbers that increased from 52 at day 0 to 82% by the end of the treatment. Metagenomic analysis indicated that there was a shift in the microbial community when compared to the beginning of the treatment. The microbial community was dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes from day 0 to day 32, although differences at the genus level were observed. The predominant genera at the beginning of the treatment (day 0 just after inoculation) were Cloacibacterium, Sediminibacterium and Brevundimonas while at the end of the treatment members of Flavobacterium dominated, reaching almost half the population (41%), followed by Pseudomonas (6%) and Limnobacter (5.8%). To the author's knowledge, this is among the first studies to report the successful large scale biodegradation of TPH-contaminated groundwater (18,000 L per treatment session) at an offshore petrochemical facility. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental Forensics: Molecular Insight into Oil Spill Weathering Helps Advance High Magnetic Field FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenna, Amy

2013-03-01

The depletion of terrestrial global oil reserves has shifted oil exploration into offshore and ultra-deep water (> 5000 ft) oil reserves to meet global energy demands. Deep water reservoirs are currently in production in many parts of the world, including the Gulf of Mexico, but production is complicated by the water depth and thick salt caps that challenge reservoir characterization / production. The explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon in April 2010 resulted in an estimated total release of ~5 million barrels (BP claims that they collected ~1M barrels, for a net release of 4 M) of light, sweet crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico and shifted attention toward the environmental risks associated with offshore oil production. The growing emphasis on deep water and ultra-deep water oil production poses a significant environmental threat, and increased regulations require that oil companies minimize environmental impact to prevent oil spills, and mitigate environmental damage when spills occur. Every oil spill is unique. The molecular transformations that occur to petroleum after contact with seawater depend on the physical and chemical properties of the spilled oil, environmental conditions, and deposition environment. Molecular-level knowledge of the composition, distribution, and total mass of released hydrocarbons is essential to disentangle photo- and bio-degradation, source identification, and long-term environmental impact of hydrocarbons released into the environment. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) is unsurpassed in its ability to characterize complex mixtures at the level of elemental composition assignment. Only FT-ICR mass spectrometry can routinely achieve the required minimum resolving power necessary to elucidate molecular-level characterization of crude oil. Conversely, the spectral complexity of petroleum facilitates identification of systematic errors in the accumulation, transfer, excitation, and detection events in the FT-ICR experiment. For example, the high density of peaks at each nominal mass unit provides unprecedented insight into how excitation conditions affect ion motion during detection. Aggregated oil (i.e., tar balls, tar mats) that reached the surface exhibits a more than two-fold increase in the total number of detected species, with an increased number of oxygenated species. Principal component analysis (PCA) applied to two possible source oils (contained within the same ship) and weathered samples provide the first application of FT-ICR MS for source identification. Molecular formulae from parent and weathered oil indicate that the lightest petroleum fractions (saturated hydrocarbons) are the most readily oxidized components, and can serve as a template to determine chemical transformations that occur throughout the water column. The ability to differentiate and catalogue compositional changes that occur to oil after its release into the environment relies heavily on gains achieved in nearly all steps in the FT-ICR mass spectral experiment required to accommodate larger ion populations inherent to heavily weathered crude oil. Here, we present the requirement for FT-ICR MS for comprehensive oil spill characterization, and highlight advances made to FT-ICR MS experimental conditions developed from petroleum characterization. Work supported by DMR-06-54118, NSF CHE-10-49753 (RAPID), BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and the State of Florida

77 FR 5545 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... to encourage and incentivize offshore wind energy development. While a state may promote such development through activities such as the creation of financial incentives, an offshore wind project cannot... information resource for the state on Virginia's coastal energy resources, including offshore wind. For more...

Breath-holding ability of offshore workers inadequate to ensure escape from ditched helicopters.

PubMed

Cheung, S S; D'Eon, N J; Brooks, C J

2001-10-01

Following a helicopter ditching in water, the survival rate of individuals not mortally injured by the impact ranges from 50-85%. One possible cause for this low survival rate is that the crew and passengers cannot hold their breath underwater long enough to make the often difficult escape from an inverted and submerged helicopter. We investigated pulmonary function, breath-holding times in air (BHTa) and water (BHTw) of 228 students enrolled in offshore survival courses required to work in either the offshore petroleum industry or in military marine aviation. Comparisons were performed based on occupation, SCUBA experience, and smoking. In 25 degrees C pool water, the overall BHTw ranged from 5.4 to 120 s with a median of 37 s. Of the 228 subjects, 34% had a BHTw less than the 28 s required for the complete evacuation of a Super Puma helicopter under ideal conditions. No significant differences in BHTw were observed based on either smoking history (Non-Smoker, 41.5 +/- 21.6 s; Smoker, 37.2 +/- 20.2 s) or occupation (Novice, 37.5 +/- 21.1 s; Offshore, 40.5 +/- 21.1 s; Military, 45.2 +/- 20.9 s). However, SCUBA-trained individuals had a significantly longer BHT, (47.4 +/- 21.6 s) than non-SCUBA (37.6 +/- 20.6 s), as well as a greater force vital capacity (FVC), BHTa, and subjective comfort in water. It is concluded that the inability to breath-hold in emergency situations is a major contributor to the low survival rates of marine helicopter ditchings. Therefore, efforts must be made to both decrease escape times and to increase survival time underwater.

The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Thomas E.; Gautier, Donald L.

2017-11-15

Professional Paper 1824 comprises 30 chapters by various U.S. Geological Survey authors, including introduction and methodology chapters, which together provide documentation of the geological basis and methodology of the 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal, results of which were first released in August 2008.  Twenty-eight chapters summarize the petroleum geology and resource potential of individual, geologically defined provinces north of the Arctic Circle, including those of northern Alaska, northern Canada, east and west Greenland, and most of Arctic Russia, as well as certain offshore areas of the north Atlantic Basin and the Polar Sea. Appendixes tabulate the input and output information used during the assessment.

A cross-taxa study using environmental DNA/RNA metabarcoding to measure biological impacts of offshore oil and gas drilling and production operations.

PubMed

Laroche, Olivier; Wood, Susanna A; Tremblay, Louis A; Ellis, Joanne I; Lear, Gavin; Pochon, Xavier

2018-02-01

Standardized ecosystem-based monitoring surveys are critical for providing information on marine ecosystem health. Environmental DNA/RNA (eDNA/eRNA) metabarcoding may facilitate such surveys by quickly and effectively characterizing multi-trophic levels. In this study, we assessed the suitability of eDNA/eRNA metabarcoding to evaluate changes in benthic assemblages of bacteria, Foraminifera and other eukaryotes along transects at three offshore oil and gas (O&G) drilling and production sites, and compared these to morphologically characterized macro-faunal assemblages. Bacterial communities were the most responsive to O&G activities, followed by Foraminifera, and macro-fauna (the latter assessed by morphology). The molecular approach enabled detection of hydrocarbon degrading taxa such as the bacteria Alcanivorax and Microbulbifer at petroleum impacted stations. Most identified indicator taxa, notably among macro-fauna, were highly specific to site conditions. Based on our results we suggest that eDNA/eRNA metabarcoding can be used as a stand-alone method for biodiversity assessment or as a complement to morphology-based monitoring approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Offshore multiphase meter nears acceptable accuracy level

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

Gaisford, S.; Amdal, J.; Berentsen, H.

1993-05-17

Companies worldwide are looking for new production methods for offshore oil fields. In many areas, undeveloped smaller fields cannot bear the cost of dedicated production facilities. Multiphase transportation to existing production facilities can extend the distance over which unseparated oil, water, and gas streams can be transported, from a limit of several kilometers today to perhaps 200 km in the future. An encouraging multiphase meter test was sponsored by Saga Petroleum AS and carried out by Den norske stats oljeselskap AS (Statoil) on the Gullfaks B platform, Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The complete multiphase meter has two separatemore » meters. One is the composition meter for measuring the instantaneous volume or mass fractions of oil, water, and gas in the sensor. The other is a velocity meter for determining the speed of the mixture through the sensor. An instantaneous volume or mass production rate for each component is calculated by combining the outputs from the two meters. The paper describes the multiphase meter; measurements; limitations; the test setup; calibration; test results for the composition meter, velocity meter, and production rates; and future plans.« less

Offshore oil and the coastline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Peter M.

A radical, accelerated 5-year plan to offer 875 million acres (of which 20 million could actually be leased for oil and gas extraction purposes) on the outer continental shelf (OCS) could result in the release of large volumes of drilling wastes and spillage (Environ. Sci. Tech., Nov. 1981). The actual leasing, under the 5-year plan proposed by Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt, could amount to 4-5 million acres per year—about 10 times as much, on the average, as had been leased over the past 25 years. Regulations on the environmental effects may be less complicated yet more effective in that impact statements will cover large areas instead of the tract-by-tract statements now required. A number of the new offshore leasing areas, for example, the Alaska Coast (Cook Inlet, Beaufort Bay, Gulf of Alaska), the Blake Plateau and Baltimore Canyon, and the Georges Bank, are extremely valuable in terms of renewable resources and potentially fragile in terms of environmental conditions. Fishing interests in these areas have produced considerable controversy over the planned sale of petroleum rights.

A Review on overboard CEOR discharged produced water treatment and remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawindran, H.; Krishnan, S.; Sinnathambi, C. M.

2017-06-01

Produced water is a waste by-product generated during oil and gas recovery operations. It contains the mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. Produced water management is a challenge faced by the petroleum practitioners worldwide. Build-up of chemical wastes from produced water causes huge footprint, which results in high CapEx and OpEx. Different technologies are practiced by various practitioners to treat the produced waste water. However, the constituents removed by each technology and the degree of organic compound removal has to be considered to identify the potential and effective treatment technologies for offshore industrial applications. Current produced water technologies and their successful applications have advantages and disadvantages and can be ranked on the basis of several factors, such as their discharge limit into water bodies, reinjection in producing well, or for any miscellaneous beneficial use. This paper attempts to provide a review of existing physical and chemical treatment technologies used for management of produced water. Based on our analysis, suitable methods will be recommended for offshore waste water treatment technologies.

Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, Christopher J.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province as part of the USGS Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal program. The province lies in the offshore area between western Greenland and eastern Canada and includes Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound, and Nares Strait west of and including part of Kane Basin. A series of major tectonic events led to the formation of several distinct structural domains that are the geologic basis for defining five assessment units (AU) in the province, all of which are within the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum System (TPS). Potential petroleum source rocks within the TPS include strata of Ordovician, Early and Late Cretaceous, and Paleogene ages. The five AUs defined for this study-the Eurekan Structures AU, Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU, Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU, Baffin Bay Basin AU, and the Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU-encompass the entire province and were assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable resources.

77 FR 5552 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maryland-Call for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... incentivize offshore wind energy development. While a state may promote such development through activities such as the creation of financial incentives, it is important to note that an offshore wind project... evaluate and determine areas of the OCS that may be suitable for offshore wind energy development. This...

Criteria for successful exploration for Miocene reef production in the Philippines

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

Downey, M.W.

1990-06-01

An abundance of modern geologic, geophysical, and geochemical data has been provided to interested members of the petroleum industry by the Philippine government, in cooperation with the World Bank. These data have been analyzed to assess whether more, and larger, Miocene reef fields should be expected in the Philippines. In the past decade, exploration by Cities Service (OXY), Amoco, Alcorn, and others has resulted in the discovery of several small Miocene reef and Miocene sandstone oil fields in offshore Palawan. Phillips/Shell also made a significant gas discovery of about 750 bcf in a Palawan Miocene reef that is currently uneconomicmore » to develop given the water depth (1,090 ft) and distance from users. Miocene reefs are commonly buried within Miocene clastics, and, where these impinging clastics are porous, they allow pathways for hydrocarbons to leak from the Miocene reefs. Drape closure is an important positive factor in assessing seal risk for Philippine Miocene reefs. Source rocks to charge middle and upper Miocene reefs are typically restricted to lower Miocene horizons. Geothermal gradients are modest in much of the Philippine offshore, and only select areas provide sufficient burial to mature and expel significant hydrocarbons. It is predicted by the author that additional, larger, and highly profitable Miocene reef fields will be found by future explorers in areas where Miocene reefs have drape closure top seals and are adjacent to deeply buried Miocene source rocks.« less

Human factors engineering in oil and gas--a review of industry guidance.

PubMed

Robb, Martin; Miller, Gerald

2012-01-01

Oil and gas exploration and production activities are carried out in hazardous environments in many parts of the world. Recent events in the Gulf of Mexico highlight those risks and underline the importance of considering human factors during facility design. Ergonomic factors such as machinery design, facility and accommodation layout and the organization of work activities have been systematically considered over the past twenty years on a limited number of offshore facility design projects to a) minimize the occupational risks to personnel, b) support operations and maintenance tasks and c) improve personnel wellbeing. During this period, several regulators and industry bodies such as the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Oil and Gas Producers (OGP), and Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) have developed specific HFE design standards and guidance documents for the application of Human Factors Engineering (HFE) to the design and operation of Oil and Gas projects. However, despite the existence of these guidance and recommended design practise documents, and documented proof of their value in enhancing crew safety and efficiency, HFE is still not well understood across the industry and application across projects is inconsistent. This paper summarizes the key Oil and Gas industry bodies' HFE guidance documents, identifies recurring themes and current trends in the use of these standards, provides examples of where and how these HFE standards have been used on past major offshore facility design projects, and suggests criteria for selecting the appropriate HFE strategy and tasks for future major oil and gas projects. It also provides a short history of the application of HFE to the offshore industry, beginning with the use of ASTM F 1166 to a major operator's Deepwater Gulf of Mexico facility in 1990 and the application of HFE to diverse world regions. This latter point highlights the need to consider user populations when selecting HFE design criteria, an aspect strongly emphasized in current industry guidance.

Offshore Wind Jobs and Economic Development Impact: Four Regional Scenarios (Presentation)

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

Tegen, S.

NREL's Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model for Offshore Wind, is a computer tool for studying the economic impacts of fixed-bottom offshore wind projects in the United States. This presentation provides the results of an analysis of four offshore wind development scenarios in the Southeast Atlantic, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico regions.

Basin Analysis and Petroleum System Characterisation of Western Bredasdorp Basin, Southern Offshore of South Africa: Insights from a 3d Crust-Scale Basin Model - (Phase 1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonibare, W. A.; Scheck-Wenderoth, M.; Sippel, J.; Mikeš, D.

2012-04-01

In recent years, construction of 3D geological models and their subsequent upscaling for reservoir simulation has become an important tool within the oil industry for managing hydrocarbon reservoirs and increasing recovery rate. Incorporating petroleum system elements (i.e. source, reservoir and trap) into these models is a relatively new concept that seems very promising to play/prospect risk assessment and reservoir characterisation alike. However, yet to be fully integrated into this multi-disciplinary modelling approach are the qualitative and quantitative impacts of crust-scale basin dynamics on the observed basin-fill architecture and geometries. The focus of this study i.e. Western Bredasdorp Basin constitutes the extreme western section of the larger Bredasdorp sub-basin, which is the westernmost depocentre of the four southern Africa offshore sub-basins (others being Pletmos, Gamtoos and Algoa). These basins, which appear to be initiated by volcanically influenced continental rifting and break-up related to passive margin evolution (during the Mid-Late Jurassic to latest Valanginian), remain previously unstudied for crust-scale basin margin evolution, and particularly in terms of relating deep crustal processes to depo-system reconstruction and petroleum system evolution. Seismic interpretation of 42 2D seismic-reflection profiles forms the basis for maps of 6 stratigraphic horizons which record the syn-rift to post-rift (i.e. early drift and late drift to present-day seafloor) successions. In addition to this established seismic markers, high quality seismic profiles have shown evidence for a pre-rift sequence (i.e. older than Late Jurassic >130 Ma). The first goal of this study is the construction of a 3D gravity-constrained, crust-scale basin model from integration of seismics, well data and cores. This basin model is constructed using GMS (in-house GFZ Geo-Modelling Software) while testing its consistency with the gravity field is performed using IGMAS+ (Interactive Gravity and Magnetic Assistant System; Götze et al., 2010 and Schmidt et al., 2011). The ensuing model will be applied to predict the present-day deep crustal configuration and thermal field characteristics of the basin. Thereafter, 3D volumetric backstripping analysis will be performed to predict basin subsidence mechanisms (i.e. tectonic, thermal and sediment load) through time as well as to estimate paleo-water depths for paleogeographic reconstruction. The information gathered from crust-scale basin dynamics will be subsequently used at the petroleum system modelling stage to holistically assess the hydrocarbon potential of the basin in terms of source rock maturity and hydrocarbon generation, migration, timing and accumulation.

Engaging a Diverse Group of Students with a Broad Spectrum of Geological Experience: The CSUN Catalyst Approach and a MARGINS Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsaglia, K. M.; Vazquez, J.; Yule, J. D.; Simila, G.

2007-12-01

Imagine the challenge of teaching a one-unit Geoscience course composed of a diverse mix of first-year graduate majors, senior to freshman majors, and high school students with little earth science background. With the help of Geodiversity grants from NSF (CSUN Catalyst program), we have developed a successful environment for learning and mentorship via a series of short (2-3 week) inquiry-based exercises that emphasize teamwork. Each exercise is organized around research projects headed by Catalyst Faculty members: Northridge Earthquake, San Andreas Fault System, Yellowstone and Long Valley supervolcanoes, and New Zealand MARGIN geology. After participating in the course, students conduct independent research within one of four research groups as part of their MS or BS theses including summer research experiences. One exercise, constructed as a version of "The Oil Game," is meant to familiarize students with MARGINS Source-to-Sink focus (Waipaoa Sedimentary System, North Island) and alternate focus (Bounty Fan, South Island) sites in New Zealand. Students are divided into rival petroleum companies (Tiger Oil and Flower Petroleum) and asked to evaluate offshore areas for an impending government lease sale and to provide the rationale for competitive sealed bids that they recommend in a final presentation to management (Catalyst Faculty). To accomplish this they are supplied with reference materials on onshore geology and known petroleum production, samples of New Zealand rock units and stream sediments, and a limited budget. In addition to geological parameters (source rocks, seals, reservoir rocks, trapping mechanisms) they must also take into account environmental, economic and infrastructure concerns. Other projects included documenting volcanic hazards around Long Valley caldera and evaluating seismic hazards of local high school sites. The tiered structure of the projects perhaps best serves the undergraduate participants, who benefit from being mentored by graduate students as well as serving as mentors for the high school students.

Offshore Wind Jobs and Economic Development Impacts in the United States: Four Regional Scenarios

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

Tegen, S.; Keyser, D.; Flores-Espino, F.

This report uses the offshore wind Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) model and provides four case studies of potential offshore deployment scenarios in different regions of the United States: the Southeast, the Great Lakes, the Gulf Coast, and the Mid-Atlantic. Researchers worked with developers and industry representatives in each region to create potential offshore wind deployment and supply chain growth scenarios, specific to their locations. These scenarios were used as inputs into the offshore JEDI model to estimate jobs and other gross economic impacts in each region.

Estimating the Economic Potential of Offshore Wind in the United States

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

Beiter, P.; Musial, W.; Smith, A.

The potential for cost reduction and market deployment for offshore wind varies considerably within the United States. This analysis estimates the future economic viability of offshore wind at more than 7,000 sites under a variety of electric sector and cost reduction scenarios. Identifying the economic potential of offshore wind at a high geospatial resolution can capture the significant variation in local offshore resource quality, costs, and revenue potential. In estimating economic potential, this article applies a method initially developed in Brown et al. (2015) to offshore wind and estimates the sensitivity of results under a variety of most likely electricmore » sector scenarios. For the purposes of this analysis, a theoretical framework is developed introducing a novel offshore resource classification system that is analogous to established resource classifications from the oil and gas sector. Analyzing economic potential within this framework can help establish a refined understanding across industries of the technology and site-specific risks and opportunities associated with future offshore wind development. The results of this analysis are intended to inform the development of the U.S. Department of Energy's offshore wind strategy.« less

Study on optimized decision-making model of offshore wind power projects investment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Tian; Yang, Shangdong; Gao, Guowei; Ma, Li

2018-02-01

China’s offshore wind energy is of great potential and plays an important role in promoting China’s energy structure adjustment. However, the current development of offshore wind power in China is inadequate, and is much less developed than that of onshore wind power. On the basis of considering all kinds of risks faced by offshore wind power development, an optimized model of offshore wind power investment decision is established in this paper by proposing the risk-benefit assessment method. To prove the practicability of this method in improving the selection of wind power projects, python programming is used to simulate the investment analysis of a large number of projects. Therefore, the paper is dedicated to provide decision-making support for the sound development of offshore wind power industry.

The role of analytical chemistry in Niger Delta petroleum exploration: a review.

PubMed

Akinlua, Akinsehinwa

2012-06-12

Petroleum and organic matter from which the petroleum is derived are composed of organic compounds with some trace elements. These compounds give an insight into the origin, thermal maturity and paleoenvironmental history of petroleum, which are essential elements in petroleum exploration. The main tool to acquire the geochemical data is analytical techniques. Due to progress in the development of new analytical techniques, many hitherto petroleum exploration problems have been resolved. Analytical chemistry has played a significant role in the development of petroleum resources of Niger Delta. Various analytical techniques that have aided the success of petroleum exploration in the Niger Delta are discussed. The analytical techniques that have helped to understand the petroleum system of the basin are also described. Recent and emerging analytical methodologies including green analytical methods as applicable to petroleum exploration particularly Niger Delta petroleum province are discussed in this paper. Analytical chemistry is an invaluable tool in finding the Niger Delta oils. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chapter 41: Geology and petroleum potential of the West Greenland-East Canada Province

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, C.J.

2011-01-01

The US Geological Survey (USGS) assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province as part of the USGS Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal programme. The province lies in the offshore area between western Greenland and eastern Canada and includes Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound and Nares Strait west of and including part of Kane Basin. A series of major tectonic events led to the formation of several distinct structural domains that are the geological basis for defining five assessment units (AU) in the province, all of which are within the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Petroleum System. Potential petroleum source rocks include strata of Ordovician, Lower and Upper Cretaceous, and Palaeogene ages. The five AUs defined for this study - the Eurekan Structures AU, NW Greenland Rifted Margin AU, NE Canada Rifted Margin AU, Baffin Bay Basin AU and the Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU - encompass the entire province and were assessed for undiscovered technically recoverable resources. The mean volumes of undiscovered resources for the West Greenland-East Canada Province are 10.7 ?? 109 barrels of oil, 75 ?? 1012 cubic feet of gas, and 1.7 ?? 109 barrels of natural gas liquids. For the part of the province that is north of the Arctic Circle, the estimated mean volumes of these undiscovered resources are 7.3 ?? 109 barrels of oil, 52 ?? 1012 cubic feet of natural gas, and 1.1 ?? 109 barrels of natural gas liquids. ?? 2011 The Geological Society of London.

Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment for Alaska

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

Doubrawa Moreira, Paula; Scott, George N.; Musial, Walter D.

This report quantifies Alaska's offshore wind resource capacity while focusing on its unique nature. It is a supplement to the existing U.S. Offshore Wind Resource Assessment, which evaluated the offshore wind resource for all other U.S. states. Together, these reports provide the foundation for the nation's offshore wind value proposition. Both studies were developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The analysis presented herein represents the first quantitative evidence of the offshore wind energy potential of Alaska. The technical offshore wind resource area in Alaska is larger than the technical offshore resource area of all other coastal U.S. states combined.more » Despite the abundant wind resource available, significant challenges inhibit large-scale offshore wind deployment in Alaska, such as the remoteness of the resource, its distance from load centers, and the wealth of land available for onshore wind development. Throughout this report, the energy landscape of Alaska is reviewed and a resource assessment analysis is performed in terms of gross and technical offshore capacity and energy potential.« less

NREL/University of Delaware Offshore Wind R&D Collaboration: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-10-393

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

Musial, Walt

2015-11-12

Specifically, the work under this CRADA includes, but is not limited to, the development of test procedures for an offshore test site in Delaware waters; testing of installed offshore wind turbines; performance monitoring of those turbines; and a program of research and development on offshore wind turbine blades, components, coatings, foundations, installation and construction of bottom-fixed structures, environmental impacts, policies, and more generally on means to enhance the reliability, facilitate permitting, and reduce costs for offshore wind turbines. This work will be conducted both at NREL's National Wind Technology Center and participant facilities, as well as the established offshore windmore » test sites.« less

Shell appraising deepwater discovery off Philippines

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

Scherer, M.; Lambers, E.J.T.; Steffens, G.S.

1993-05-10

Shell International Petroleum Co. Ltd. negotiated a farmout in 1990 from Occidental International Exploration and Production Co. for Block SC-38 in the South China Sea off Palawan, Philippines, following Oxy's discovery of gas in 1989 in a Miocene Nido limestone buildup. Under the terms of the farmout agreement, Shell became operator with a 50% share. Following the disappointing well North Iloc 1, Shell was successful in finding oil and gas in Malampaya 1. Water 700-1,000 m deep, remoteness, and adverse weather conditions have imposed major challenges for offshore operations. The paper describes the tectonic setting; the Nido limestone play; themore » Malampaya discovery; and Shell's appraisal studies.« less

31 CFR 560.209 - Prohibited transactions with respect to the development of Iranian petroleum resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... development of petroleum resources located in Iran, or (2) A guaranty of another person's performance under... person, of (1) A contract for the financing of the development of petroleum resources located in Iran, or...

31 CFR 560.209 - Prohibited transactions with respect to the development of Iranian petroleum resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... development of petroleum resources located in Iran, or (2) A guaranty of another person's performance under... person, of (1) A contract for the financing of the development of petroleum resources located in Iran, or...

31 CFR 560.209 - Prohibited transactions with respect to the development of Iranian petroleum resources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... development of petroleum resources located in Iran, or (2) A guaranty of another person's performance under... person, of (1) A contract for the financing of the development of petroleum resources located in Iran, or...

Proceedings of the Conference Arctic '85; Civil Engineering in the Artic offshore

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

Bennett, F.L.; Machemehl, J.L.

1985-01-01

Topics of the 1985 Conference included: Arctic construction, Arctic foundation, Arctic structures, and ocean effects. Arctic terminals and coastal offshore bases, protecting the Arctic environment, and probabilistic methods in Arctic offshore engineering were also discussed. Ice mechanics, marine pipelines in the Arctic, and the role of universities in training civil engineers for Arctic offshore development were highlighted. Sessions on remote sensing, surveying, and mapping were included, and offshore installations in the Bering Sea were discussed. Another topic of discussion was research in Civil Engineering for development of the Arctic offshore. The overall thrust of the conference was the application ofmore » Arctic offshore engineering principles and research in the field of oil and gas exploration and exploitation activity.« less

Damage to offshore infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico by hurricanes Katrina and Rita

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz, A. M.; Krausmann, E.

2009-04-01

The damage inflicted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita to the Gulf-of-Mexico's (GoM) oil and gas production, both onshore and offshore, has shown the proneness of industry to Natech accidents (natural hazard-triggered hazardous-materials releases). In order to contribute towards a better understanding of Natech events, we assessed the damage to and hazardous-materials releases from offshore oil and natural-gas platforms and pipelines induced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Data was obtained through a review of published literature and interviews with government officials and industry representatives from the affected region. We also reviewed over 60,000 records of reported hazardous-materials releases from the National Response Center's (NRC) database to identify and analyze the hazardous-materials releases directly attributed to offshore oil and gas platforms and pipelines affected by the two hurricanes. Our results show that hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed at least 113 platforms, and severely damaged at least 53 others. Sixty percent of the facilities destroyed were built 30 years ago or more prior to the adoption of the more stringent design standards that went into effect after 1977. The storms also destroyed 5 drilling rigs and severely damaged 19 mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs). Some 19 MODUs lost their moorings and became adrift during the storms which not only posed a danger to existing facilities but the dragging anchors also damaged pipelines and other infrastructure. Structural damage to platforms included toppling of sections, and tilting or leaning of platforms. Possible causes for failure of structural and non-structural components of platforms included loading caused by wave inundation of the deck. Failure of rigs attached to platforms was also observed resulting in significant damage to the platform or adjacent infrastructure, as well as damage to equipment, living quarters and helipads. The failures are attributable to tie-down components and occurred on both fixed and floating platforms. The total number of pipelines damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as of May 1, 2006, was 457. Pipeline damage was mostly caused by damage or failure of the host platform or its development and production piping, the impact of dragging and displaced objects, and pipeline interaction at a crossing. Damage to pipelines was a major contributing factor in delaying start up of offshore oil and gas production. During our analysis of the NRC database we identified 611 reported hazardous-materials releases directly attributed to offshore platforms and pipelines affected by the two hurricanes. There were twice as many releases during Hurricane Katrina than during Rita; 80% or more of the releases reported in the NRC database occurred from platforms. Our analysis suggests that the majority of releases were petroleum products, such as crude oil and condensate, followed by natural gas. In both Katrina and Rita, releases were more likely in the front, right quadrant of the storm. Storm-surge values were highest closer to the coastline. This may help explain the higher number of releases in shallow waters. The higher number of hazardous-materials releases from platforms during Katrina may partly be attributed to the higher wind speeds for this storm as it approached land.

NREL Offshore Balance-of-System Model

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

Maness, Michael; Maples, Benjamin; Smith, Aaron

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has investigated the potential for 20% of nationwide electricity demand to be generated from wind by 2030 and, more recently, 35% by 2050. Achieving this level of wind power generation may require the development and deployment of offshore wind technologies. DOE (2008) has indicated that reaching these 2030 and 2050 scenarios could result in approximately 10% and 20%, respectively, of wind energy generation to come from offshore resources. By the end of 2013, 6.5 gigawatts of offshore wind were installed globally. The first U.S. project, the Block Island Wind Farm off the coast ofmore » Rhode Island, has recently begun operations. One of the major reasons that offshore wind development in the United States is lagging behind global trends is the high capital expenditures required. An understanding of the costs and associated drivers of building a commercial-scale offshore wind plant in the United States will inform future research and help U.S. investors feel more confident in offshore wind development. In an effort to explain these costs, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has developed the Offshore Balance-of-System model.« less

Development of an Extratropical Storm Wind, Wave, and Water Level Climatology for the Offshore Mid-Atlantic

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

ER D C/ CH L TR -1 5- 11 Development of an Extratropical Storm Wind, Wave, and Water Level Climatology for the Offshore Mid-Atlantic...Development of an Extratropical Storm Wind, Wave, and Water Level Climatology for the Offshore Mid-Atlantic Michael F. Forte Field Research Facility...standards for offshore wind farm design and to establish a 100-year (yr) extratropical wind speed, wave height, and water level climatology for the

Offshore wind development research.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

Offshore wind (OSW) development is a new undertaking in the US. This project is a response to : New Jerseys 2011 Energy Master Plan that envisions procuring 22.5% of the states power : originating from renewable sources by 2021. The Offshore Wi...

Investigations of attitudes towards offshore wind farm development in ireland: their implications towards future development of the industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melia, Aidan

This current research investigates what the attitudes of Irish people are towards the development of offshore wind farms in Ireland. Using a qualitative approach, a questionnaire is carefully designed and distributed among a sample population from three coastal communities. One is located on the west coast and two on the east coast. The two locations on the east coast have an involvement in offshore wind farms. One of the locations plays host to Ireland's only offshore wind farm, while there are plans in place for an offshore wind farm at the other location. The results from the questionnaires are analyzed with regard to the respondent's proximity to the coast, their age, their gender and their educational levels. This analysis results in a number of conclusions being generated. Overall, it is found that there is a strong support among the respondents for the development of offshore wind farms in Ireland.

Depositional and diagenetic history and petroleum geology of the Jurassic Norphlet Formation of the Alabama coastal waters area and adjacent federal waters area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kugler, R.L.; Mink, R.M.

1999-01-01

The discovery of deep (>20,000 ft) gas reservoirs in eolian sandstone of the Upper Jurassic Norphlet Formation in Mobile Bay and offshore Alabama in the late 1970s represents one of the most significant hydrocarbon discoveries in the nation during the past several decades. Estimated original proved gas from Norphlet reservoirs in the Alabama coastal waters and adjacent federal waters is 7.462 trillion ft3 (Tcf) (75% recovery factor). Fifteen fields have been established in the offshore Alabama area. Norphlet sediment was deposited in an arid environment in alluvial fans, alluvial plains, and wadis in updip areas. In downdip areas, the Norphlet was deposited in a broad desert plain, with erg development in some areas. Marine transgression, near the end of Norphlet deposition, resulted in reworking of the upper part of the Norphlet Formation. Norphlet reservoir sandstone is arkose and subarkose, consisting of a simple assemblage of three minerals, quartz, albite, and K-feldspar. The present framework grain assemblage of the Norphlet is dominantly diagenetic, owing to albitization and dissolution of feldspar. Despite the simple framework composition, the diagenetic character of the Norphlet is complex. Important authigenic minerals include carbonate phases (calcite, dolomite, Fe-dolomite, and breunnerite), feldspar (albite and K-feldspar), evaporite minerals (anhydrite and halite), clay minerals (illite and chlorite), quartz, and pyrobitumen. The abundance and distribution of these minerals varies significantly between onshore and offshore regions of Norphlet production. The lack of sufficient internal sources of components for authigenic minerals, combined with unusual chemical compositions of chloride (Mg-rich), breunnerite, and some minor authigenic minerals, suggests that Louann-derived fluids influenced Norphlet diagenesis. In offshore Alabama reservoirs, porosity is dominantly modified primary porosity. Preservation of porosity in deep Norphlet reservoirs is due to a combination of factors, including a lack of sources of cement components and lack of pervasive early cement, so that fluid-flow pathways remained open during burial. Below the dominantly quartz-cemented tight zone near the top of the Norphlet, pyrobitumen is a major contributor to reduction in reservoir quality in offshore Alabama. The highest reservoir quality occurs in those wells where the present gas-water contact is below the paleohydrocarbon-water contact. Thiz zone of highest reservoir quality is between the lowermost occurrence of pyrobitumen and the present gas-water contact.The Upper Jurassic Norphlet Formation sediment was deposited in an arid environment in alluvial fans, alluvial plains, and wadis in undip areas. In downdip areas, the Norphlet was deposited in a broad desert plain, with erg development in some areas. Marine transgression, near the end of Norphlet deposition resulted in reworking of the upper part of the formation. he present framework grain assemblage of the Norphlet is dominantly diagenetic, owing to albitization and dissolution of feldspar. Despite the simple framework composition, the diagenetic character of the Norphlet is complex.

Tectonic structure and petroleum potential of TayabasBay southeast Luzon, Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacud, Jaime; Moore, Aidan; Lee, Chao-Skiing

Tayabas Bay is one of four offshore Philippine areas where the Australian GeologicalSurvey Organization and the Philippine Department of Energy conducted a cooperative marine seismic, gravity, magnetic, bathymetry and geochemical survey. The project acquired new seismic data and reprocessed the 1983 World Bank seismic sections which were all integrated with previous oil company data. the absence of wells drilled offshore, interpretation of offshore seismic data was complemented by onshore well log information and stratigraphy of the Bondoc Peninsula. Geochemistry data, both offshore and onshore, were analyzed to confirm the presence of mature source rocks and hydrocarbon migration. A new seismic interpretation has revealed the structure of this tectonically active geologically complex area. A major structural feature interpreted in offshore Tayabas Bay was a N-NW-trending strike-slip fault which is believed to be a northern splay of the Sibuyan Sea Fault. The authors named this fault the Tayabas Bay Fault and due to its association with the Philippine Fault System the movement is assumed to be left-lateral. The present study suggested the presence of a prolific source rock in the Middle Miocene Vigo Formation and/or the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene Panaon Limestone. Oil and gas generation have been and are occurring in the Bondoc Sub-basin. Two groups of reservoirs were identified, the shelf carbonates beneath the Middle Miocene shales on the Marinduque Platform and the early Middle Miocene carbonates and basin-floor clastics near the base of the Vigo Formation. Carbonate reservoirs are believed to be present in traps formed when the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene carbonate reefs and shelf deposits of the Panaon Limestone were buried by the Middle Miocene shales. A later set of traps was formed and possibly superimposed by the intense deformation associated with the Philippine Fault System which has continued from the Late Pliocene up to the present. Evaluation for hydrocarbon reserves of several possible traps identified three significant leads, namely the Yuni Lead in the south, the Mulanay in the central area and the Mabio in the North.

Future petroleum energy resources of the world

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ahlbrandt, T.S.

2002-01-01

Is the world running out of oil? Where will future oil and gas supplies come from? To help answer these questions, in 2000 the U.S. Geological Survey completed a new world assessment, exclusive of the United States, of the undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources and potential additions to reserves from field growth.2 One hundred and twenty-eight provinces were assessed in a 100 man-year effort from 1995-2000. The assessed provinces included 76 priority provinces containing 95% of the world's discovered oil and gas and an additional 52 "boutique" provinces, many of which may be highly prospective. Total Petroleum Systems (TPS) were identified and described for each of these provinces along with associated Assessment Units (AU) that are the basic units for assessing undiscovered petroleum. The assessment process coupled geologic analysis with a probabilistic methodology to estimate remaining potential. Within the 128 assessed provinces were 159 TPS and 274 AU. For these provinces, the endowment of recoverable oil-which includes cumulative production, remaining reserves, reserve growth, and undiscovered resources-is estimated at about 3 trillion barrels of oil (TBO). The natural gas endowment is estimated at 2.6 trillion barrels of oil equivalent (TBOE). Oil reserves are currently 1.1 TBO; world consumption is about .028 TBO per year. Natural gas reserves are about 0.8 TBOE; world consumption is about 0.014 TBOE per year. Thus, without any additional discoveries of oil, gas or natural gas liquids, we have about 2 TBOE of proved petroleum reserves. Of the oil and gas endowment of about 5.6 TBOE, we estimate that the world has consumed about 1 TBOE, or 18%, leaving about 82% of the endowment to be utilized or found. Half of the world's undiscovered potential is offshore. Arctic basins with about 25% of undiscovered petroleum resources make up the next great frontier. An additional 279 provinces contain some oil and gas and, if considered, would increase the oil and gas endowment estimates. Whereas petroleum resources in the world appear to be significant, certain countries such as the United States may run into import deficits, particularly oil imports from Mexico and natural gas from both Canada and Mexico. The new assessment has been used as the reference supply case in energy supply models by the International Energy Agency and the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy. Climate energy modeling groups such as those at Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and others have also used USGS estimates in global climate models. Many of these models using the USGS estimates converge on potential oil shortfalls in 2036-2040. However, recent articles using the USGS (2000) estimates suggest peaking of oil in 2020-2035 and peaking of non-OPEC (Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries) oil in 2015-2020. Such a short time framework places greater emphasis on a transition to increased use of natural gas; i.e., a methane economy. Natural gas in turn may experience similar supply concerns in the 2050-2060 time frame according to some authors. Coal resources are considerable and provide significant petroleum potential either by extracting natural gas from them, by directly converting them into petroleum products, or by utilizing them to generate electricity, thereby reducing natural gas and oil requirements by fuel substitution. Non-conventional oil and gas are quite common in petroleum provinces of the world and represent a significant resources yet to be fully studied and developed. Seventeen non-conventional AU including coal-bed methane, basin-center gas, continuous oil, and gas hydrate occurrences have been preliminarily identified for future assessment. Initial efforts to assess heavy oil deposits and other non-conventional oil and gas deposits also are under way.

10 CFR 474.3 - Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. 474.3..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION § 474.3 Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. (a) The petroleum-equivalent fuel economy for an electric vehicle is...

10 CFR 474.3 - Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. 474.3..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION § 474.3 Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. (a) The petroleum-equivalent fuel economy for an electric vehicle is...

10 CFR 474.3 - Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. 474.3..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION § 474.3 Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. (a) The petroleum-equivalent fuel economy for an electric vehicle is...

10 CFR 474.3 - Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. 474.3..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION § 474.3 Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. (a) The petroleum-equivalent fuel economy for an electric vehicle is...

Fair shares: a preliminary framework and case analyzing the ethics of offshoring.

PubMed

Gordon, Cameron; Zimmerman, Alan

2010-06-01

Much has been written about the offshoring phenomenon from an economic efficiency perspective. Most authors have attempted to measure the net economic effects of the strategy and many purport to show that "in the long run" that benefits will outweigh the costs. There is also a relatively large literature on implementation which describes the best way to manage the offshoring process. But what is the morality of offshoring? What is its "rightness" or "wrongness?" Little analysis of the ethics of offshoring has been completed thus far. This paper develops a preliminary framework for analyzing the ethics of offshoring and then applies this framework to basic case study of offshoring in the U.S. The paper following discusses the definition of offshoring; shifts to the basic philosophical grounding of the ethical concepts; develops a template for conducting an ethics analysis of offshoring; applies this template using basic data for offshoring in the United States; and conducts a preliminary ethical analysis of the phenomenon in that country, using a form of utilitarianism as an analytical baseline. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research.

A comparative study of the rheological and sensory properties of a petroleum-free and a petroleum-based cosmetic cream.

PubMed

Wang, Fan C; Marangoni, Alejandro G

A petroleum-free skin cream was developed using food-grade ingredients. The rheological and sensorial properties of this petroleum-free skin cream were compared to a commercially available petroleum-based skin cream. Specifically, large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) characterization of the two skin creams was performed. The petroleum-free skin cream showed similar linear and nonlinear viscoelastic rheological properties, comparable skin hydration functions, and consumer acceptance as the commercially available skin cream. A schematic diagram aiming to correlate the physical and sensorial properties of skin cream was also proposed at the end of the work. Results of this work could provide the cosmetic industry necessary information for the development of alternatives for petroleum-based skin creams.

33 CFR 155.1052 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for vessels carrying group V petroleum oil as a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... evaluation criteria for vessels carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo. 155.1052 Section 155.1052....1052 Response plan development and evaluation criteria for vessels carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo. (a) Owners and operators of vessels that carry group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo...

Updated estimation of energy efficiencies of U.S. petroleum refineries.

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

Palou-Rivera, I.; Wang, M. Q.

2010-12-08

Evaluation of life-cycle (or well-to-wheels, WTW) energy and emission impacts of vehicle/fuel systems requires energy use (or energy efficiencies) of energy processing or conversion activities. In most such studies, petroleum fuels are included. Thus, determination of energy efficiencies of petroleum refineries becomes a necessary step for life-cycle analyses of vehicle/fuel systems. Petroleum refinery energy efficiencies can then be used to determine the total amount of process energy use for refinery operation. Furthermore, since refineries produce multiple products, allocation of energy use and emissions associated with petroleum refineries to various petroleum products is needed for WTW analysis of individual fuels suchmore » as gasoline and diesel. In particular, GREET, the life-cycle model developed at Argonne National Laboratory with DOE sponsorship, compares energy use and emissions of various transportation fuels including gasoline and diesel. Energy use in petroleum refineries is key components of well-to-pump (WTP) energy use and emissions of gasoline and diesel. In GREET, petroleum refinery overall energy efficiencies are used to determine petroleum product specific energy efficiencies. Argonne has developed petroleum refining efficiencies from LP simulations of petroleum refineries and EIA survey data of petroleum refineries up to 2006 (see Wang, 2008). This memo documents Argonne's most recent update of petroleum refining efficiencies.« less

Evaluation of brine disposal from the Bryan Mound site of the strategic petroleum reserve program. Final report

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

Case, Robert J.; Chittenden, Jr, Mark E.; Harper, Jr, Donald E.

1981-01-01

On March 10, 1980, the Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program began leaching the Bryan Mound salt dome and discharging the resulting brine into the coastal waters off Freeport, Texas. During the months of March and April, a team of scientists and engineers from Texas A and M University conducted an intensive environmental study of the area surrounding the diffuser site. A pipeline has been laid from the Bryan Mound site to a location 12.5 statute miles (20 km) offshore. The last 3060 ft (933 m) of this pipeline is a 52-port diffuser through which brine can be dischargedmore » at a maximum rate of 680,000 barrels per day. Initially, 16 ports were open which permitted a maximum discharge rate of 350,000 barrels per day and a continuous brine discharge was achieved on March 13, 1980. The purpose of this report is to describe the findings of the project team during the intensive postdisposal study period of March and April, 1980. The major areas of investigation are physical oceanography, analysis of the discharge plume, water and sediment quality, nekton, benthos, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and data management.« less

Petroleum production structures: economic resources for Louisiana sport divers

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

Roberts, K.J.; Thompson, M.E.

1983-08-01

The era of expanding petroleum production from marine waters began 12 miles off the Louisiana coast in 1947 with a joint operation. Since then, the expansion of drilling and production operations has continued until, in 1981, approximately 3,500 structures were located in the Gulf of Mexico. Of the total number of structures, federal and state waters off Louisiana contain 3,100. Scientific articles dealing with the role of structures in marine habitat and their relationship to sport fishing in the Gulf of Mexico increased over the decade. This newly publicized beneficial aspect of structures is particularly important to the marine fisherymore » off Louisiana. The structures (to which Dugas et al. attribute 'nearly all of the offshore sport fishery') are called as platforms in their description: These platforms are supported by a prewelded framework of steel pipe. Structures in other areas of the country also attract marine life and sport fishermen. Catch rates by sport fishermen were two to three times higher near structures off California than near natural reefs. (Turner et al. 1969). This may be the result of the 'fish-concentrating' nature of structures.« less

Environmental assessment of the brine pipeline replacement for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Bryan Mound Facility in Brazoria County, Texas

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

Not Available

1993-09-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA), DOE/EA-0804, for the proposed replacement of a deteriorated brine disposal pipeline from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Bryan Mound storage facility in Brazoria County, Texas, into the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the ocean discharge outfall would be moved shoreward by locating the brine diffuser at the end of the pipeline 3.5 miles offshore at a minimum depth of 30 feet. The action would occur in a floodplain and wetlands; therefore, a floodplain/wetlands assessment has been prepared in conjunction with this EA. Based on the analyses in the EA,more » DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 USC. 4321, et seg.). Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required, and the Department is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). This FONSI also includes a Floodplain Statement of Findings in accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022.« less

The heat flow study in the Tertiary Basin of Vietnam offshore

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

Huyen, T.

1994-07-01

In Vietnam, study of heat flow has paralleled petroleum exploration activities. For a long time there had only been results on temperature gradients in the Tertiary basin. Recently, with its participation in CCOP's project on the establishment of heat flow regional maps (1992-1993) and the government's mineral resources program (1993-1995) (Coded KT-01-18), Vietnam Petroleum Institute's group on heat flow obtained results on heat flow. A heat flow study in the oil basinal area in Vietnam has been conducted using data from 76 exploratory wells. Thermal conductivity of 427 cores was measured using the quick thermal conductivity meter (QTM) within temperaturemore » gradients of wells calculated from well log data and from testing data. The average heat flow of sedimentary basins in Vietnam follows: Hanoi graben, 125 Q (mW/m2); north Gulf of Tonkin, 87 Q (mW/m2); south Gulf of Tonkin, 119 Q (mW/m2); Danang Graben, 89 Q (mW/m2); northeast-south Conson, 88 Q (mW/m2); southwest-south Conson, 85 Q (mW/m2); Mekong Basin, 64 Q (mW/m2).« less

Influence of natural inshore and offshore thermal regimes on egg development and time of hatch in American lobsters, Homarus americanus.

PubMed

Goldstein, Jason S; Watson, Winsor H

2015-02-01

Some egg-bearing (ovigerous) American lobsters (Homarus americanus) make seasonal inshore-to-offshore movements, subjecting their eggs to different thermal regimes than those of eggs carried by lobsters that do not make these movements. Our goal was to determine if differences in thermal regimes influence the rate of egg development and the subsequent time of hatch. We subjected ovigerous lobsters to typical inshore or offshore water temperatures from September to August in the laboratory (n=8 inshore and 8 offshore, each year) and in the field (n=8 each, inshore and offshore), over 2 successive years. Although the rate of egg development did not differ significantly between treatments in the fall (P∼0.570), eggs exposed to inshore thermal regimes developed faster in the spring (P<0.001). "Inshore" eggs hatched about 30 days earlier (mean=26 June) than "offshore" eggs (mean=27 July), and their time of development from the onset of eyespot to hatch was significantly shorter (inshore=287±11 days vs. offshore: 311.5±7.5 days, P=0.034). Associated growing degree-days (GDD) did not differ significantly between inshore and offshore thermal treatments (P=0.061). However, eggs retained by lobsters exposed to offshore thermal regimes accumulated more GDD in the winter than did eggs carried by inshore lobsters, while eggs exposed to inshore temperatures acquired them more rapidly in the spring. Results suggest that seasonal movements of ovigerous lobsters influence the time and location of hatching, and thus the transport and recruitment of larvae to coastal and offshore locations. © 2015 Marine Biological Laboratory.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) and hopanes in stranded tar-balls on the coasts of Peninsular Malaysia: applications of biomarkers for identifying sources of oil pollution.

PubMed

Zakaria, M P; Okuda, T; Takada, H

2001-12-01

Malaysian coasts are subjected to various threats of petroleum pollution including routine and accidental oil spill from tankers, spillage of crude oils from inland and off-shore oil fields, and run-off from land-based human activities. Due to its strategic location, the Straits of Malacca serves as a major shipping lane. This paper expands the utility of biomarker compounds, hopanes, in identifying the source of tar-balls stranded on Malaysian coasts. 20 tar-ball samples collected from the east and west coast were analyzed for hopanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Four of the 13 tar-ball samples collected from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia were identified as the Middle East crude oil (MECO) based on their biomarker signatures, suggesting tanker-derived sources significantly contributing the petroleum pollution in the Straits of Malacca. The tar-balls found on the east coast seem to originate from the offshore oil platforms in the South China Sea. The presence of South East Asian crude oil (SEACO) tar-balls on the west coast carry several plausible explanations. Some of the tar-balls could have been transported via sea currents from the east coast. The tankers carrying SEACO to other countries could have accidentally spilt the oil as well. Furthermore, discharge of tank washings and ballast water from the tankers were suggested based on the abundance in higher molecular weight n-alkanes and the absence of unresolved complex mixture (UCM) in the tar-ball samples. The other possibilities are that the tar-balls may have been originated from the Sumatran oil fields and spillage of domestic oil from oil refineries in Port Dickson and Malacca. The results of PAHs analysis suggest that all the tar-ball samples have undergone various extent of weathering through evaporation, dissolution and photooxidation.

Assessment of the petroleum, coal, and geothermal resources of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattick, R. E.

1982-01-01

Approximately 85 percent of the land area of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) region is covered by basement rocks (igneous and highly metamorphosed rocks) or relatively thin layers of Paleozoic, Upper Precambrian, and 'Continental Intercalaire? sedimentary rocks. These areas have little or no petroleum potential. Areas of the ECOWAS region that have potential for petroleum production or potential for increased petroleum production include the narrow belt of sedimentary rocks that stretches along the continental margin from Mauritania to Nigeria and the Niger Delta and the Benue depression. The Senegal Basin, located on the continental margin of Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Guinea, has been intensely explored by the oil industry and most of the larger structures onshore and on the shelf probably have been tested by drilling with little or no resulting commercial production. Unless basic ideas pertaining to the petroleum geology of the Senegal Basin are revised, future discoveries are expected to be limited to small fields overlooked by industry at a time when petroleum prices were low. On the continental shelf of Sierra Leone and the continental shelf of northeast and central Liberia, the sedimentary rocks are relatively thin, and industry has shown little interest in the area. On the continental rise of these countries, however, the sedimentary section, deposited in a complex fault-block system, increases in thickness. A renewal of industry interest in this deep-water area will probably follow further development of deep-water production technology. A recent oil discovery on the continental slope off the Ivory Coast is expected to spur further exploration offshore of southeastern Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. This relatively unexplored area in the Gulf of Guinea has good possibilities .for the discovery of giant oil fields. Nigeria's oil development from the Niger Delta may have peaked, as 13 of 14 giant oil fields were discovered prior to 1969 and the greatest number of fields were discovered in the period 1965 through 1967. Like delta regions in other parts of the world, individual oil fields of the Niger Delta are small to medium by world standards and future discoveries, therefore, are likely to reflect this reality. The natural gas resources of the Niger Delta, unlike its oil resources, are comparatively underdeveloped. Parts of the Benue depression in Nigeria and Niger could contain significant deposits of petroleum. The lower Benue depression, immediately north of the Niger Delta, has been extensively explored by drilling. Except for noncommercial discoveries of oil and gas and traces of oil and gas on the ground surface, the results of exploration in the lower Benue depression were negative. However, in the Lake Chad area of Chad and in southern Chad near the Central African Republic boundary, oil and gas discoveries were made just prior to the cessation of all drilling and exploration activity in early 1979. It is rumored that these discoveries may be large although little information is available. The relation between the two areas in Chad and their overall relation to the Benue depression is poorly understood; however, the possibility of thick sedimentary sections containing Cretaceous marine source rock and Tertiary reservoir beds-all contained within grabens in a highly faulted failed-arm system subjected to high heat flow--is attractive. Of the ECOWAS countries, only Nigeria and Niger produce coal commercially. Nigeria produces subbituminous coal from Paleocene-Maestrichtian and Maestrichtian (Late Cretaceous) age rocks of the Niger Delta region; reserves are estimated, on the basis of extensive drilling, to be 350 million tons (standard coal equivalent). In addition, lignite deposits of the Niger Delta appear to be large but have not been developed. Niger produces small amounts of coal used locally by uranium mine and mill operations from C

Observations on the geology and petroleum potential of the Cold Bay-False Pass area, Alaska Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

McLean, Hugh James

1979-01-01

Upper Jurassic strata in the Black Hills area consist mainly of fossiliferous, tightly cemented, gently folded sandstone deposited in a shallow marine environment. Upper Cretaceous strata on Sanak Island are strongly deformed and show structural features of broken formations similar to those observed in the Franciscan assemblage of California. Rocks exposed on Sanak Island do not crop out on the peninsular mainland or on Unimak Island, and probably make up the acoustic and economic basement of nearby Sanak basin. Tertiary sedimentary rocks on the outermost part of the Alaska Peninsula consist of Oligocene, Miocene, and lower Pliocene volcaniclastic sandstone, siltstone, and conglomerate deposited in nonmarine and very shallow marine environments. Interbedded airfall and ash-flow tuff deposits indicate active volcanism during Oligocene time. Locally, Oligocene strata are intruded by quartz diorite plutons of probable Miocene age. Reservoir properties of Mesozoic and Tertiary rocks are generally poor due to alteration of chemically unstable volcanic rock fragments. Igneous intrusions have further reduced porosity and permeability by silicification of sandstone. Organic-rich source rocks for petroleum generation are not abundant in Neogene strata. Upper Jurassic rocks in the Black Hills area have total organic carbon contents of less than 0.5 percent. Deep sediment-filled basins on the Shumagin Shelf probably contain more source rocks than onshore correlatives, but reservoir quality is not likely to be better than in onshore outcrops. The absence of well-developed folds in most Tertiary rocks, both onshore and in nearby offshore basins, reduces the possibility of hydrocarbon entrapment in anticlines.

Advancing strategic environmental assessment in the offshore oil and gas sector: Lessons from Norway, Canada, and the United Kingdom

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

Fidler, Courtney, E-mail: crfidler@gmail.com; Noble, Bram, E-mail: b.noble@usask.ca

2012-04-15

Abstract: Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for offshore oil and gas planning and development is utilized in select international jurisdictions, but the sector has received limited attention in the SEA literature. While the potential benefits of and rationale for SEA are well argued, there have been few empirical studies of SEA processes for the offshore sector. Hence, little is known about the efficacy of SEA offshore, in particular its influence on planning and development decisions. This paper examines SEA practice and influence in three international offshore systems: Norway, Atlantic Canada and the United Kingdom, with the intent to identify the challenges,more » lessons and opportunities for advancing SEA in offshore planning and impact assessment. Results demonstrate that SEA can help inform and improve the efficacy and efficiency of project-based assessment in the offshore sector, however weak coordination between higher and lower tiers limit SEA's ability to influence planning and development decisions in a broad regional environmental and socioeconomic context. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SEA can inform and improve the efficacy and efficiency of project EA offshore Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Scope and deliverables of SEA offshore often differ from stakeholder expectations Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Considerable variability in influence of SEA output beyond licensing decisions Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sector-based SEA offshore is often too restrictive to generate expected benefits.« less

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)

Optimization of Installation, Operation and Maintenance at Offshore Wind Projects in the U.S.: Review and Modeling of Existing and Emerging Approaches

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

Baldock, Nick; Sevilla, Fernando; Redfern, Robin

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a grant to GL Garrad Hassan (GL GH) to investigate the logistics, opportunities, and costs associated with existing and emerging installation and operation and maintenance (O&M) activities at offshore wind projects as part of the DOE’s program to reduce barriers facing offshore wind project development in the United States (U.S.). This report (the Report) forms part of Subtopic 5.3 “Optimized Installation, Operation and Maintenance Strategies Study” which in turn is part of the “Removing Market Barriers in U.S. Offshore Wind” set of projects for the DOE. The purpose of Subtopic 5.3 ismore » to aid and facilitate informed decision-making regarding installation and O&M during the development, installation, and operation of offshore wind projects in order to increase efficiency and reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCoE). Given the large area of U.S. territorial waters, the generally higher mean wind speeds offshore, and the proximity to the coast of many large U.S. cities, offshore wind power has the potential to become a significant contributor of energy to U.S. markets. However, for the U.S. to ensure that the development of offshore wind energy projects is carried out in an efficient and cost-effective manner, it is important to be cognizant of the current and emerging practices in both the domestic and international offshore wind energy industries. The U.S. can harness the experience gained globally and combine this with the skills and assets of an already sizeable onshore wind industry, as well as the resources of a mature offshore oil and gas industry, to develop a strong offshore wind sector. The work detailed in this report is aimed at assisting with that learning curve, particularly in terms of offshore specific installation and O&M activities. This Report and the Installation and O&M LCoE Analysis Tool, which were developed together by GL GH as part of this study, allow readers to identify, model and probe the economic merits and sensitivities of various approaches to construction and O&M practices, using illustrative offshore projects across a wide range of alternative offshore development areas located in U.S. waters. The intention is to assist decision-makers in clearly understanding the relative economic benefits of both conventional and novel construction installation methodologies and maintenance techniques within the critical parameters of a Project’s LCoE.« less

Development of Interspecies Correlation Models for Petroleum Hydrocarbons

EPA Science Inventory

Estimating the consequences of petroleum products to water column organisms has commonly been hampered by limited acute toxicity data, which exists only for a relatively small number of test species. In this study, we developed petroleum-specific Interspecies Correlation Estimati...

Acquisition Regulations and Offshore Software Development: Implications for Cybersecurity of DOD Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-14

Kessler, “Protection and Protectionism: The Practicalities of Offshore Software Devleopment in Government Procurement,” Public Contract Law Journal, Volume...Protection and Protectionism: The Practicalities of Offshore Software Development In Government Procurement,” Public Contract Law Journal, Volume 38, No. 1

2016 Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report

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

Musial, Walter; Beiter, Philipp; Schwabe, Paul

The 2016 Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is intended to provide offshore wind policymakers, regulators, developers, researchers, engineers, financiers, and supply chain participants, with quantitative information about the offshore wind market, technology, and cost trends in the United States and worldwide. In particular, this report is intended to provide detailed information on the domestic offshore wind industry to provide context to help navigate technical and market barriers and opportunities. The scope of the report covers the status of the 111 operating offshore windmore » projects in the global fleet through December 31, 2016, and provides the status and analysis on a broader pipeline of 593 projects at some stage of development. In addition, this report provides a wider assessment of domestic developments and events through the second quarter of 2017 to provide a more up-to-date discussion of this dynamically evolving industry.« less

The onshore influence of offshore fresh groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, Andrew C.; Werner, Adrian D.; Morgan, Leanne K.

2018-06-01

Freshwater contained within the submarine extensions of coastal aquifers is increasingly proposed as a freshwater source for coastal communities. However, the extent to which offshore freshwater supports onshore pumping is currently unknown on a global scale. This study provides the first attempt to examine the likely prevalence of situations where offshore freshwater influences onshore salinities, considering various sites from around the world. The groundwater conditions in twenty-seven confined and semi-confined coastal aquifers with plausible connections to inferred or observed offshore freshwater are explored. The investigation uses available onshore salinities and groundwater levels, and offshore salinity knowledge, in combination with analytical modelling, to develop simplified conceptual models of the study sites. Seven different conceptual models are proposed based on the freshwater-saltwater extent and insights gained from analytical modelling. We consider both present-day and pre-development conditions in assessing potential modern contributions to offshore fresh groundwater. Conceptual models also include interpretations of whether offshore freshwater is a significant factor influencing onshore salinities and well pumping sustainability. The results indicate that onshore water levels have declined between pre-development and present-day conditions in fourteen of the fifteen regions for which pre-development data are available. Estimates of the associated steady-state freshwater extents show the potential for considerable offshore fresh groundwater losses accompanying these declines. Both present-day and pre-development heads are insufficient to account for the observed offshore freshwater in all cases where adequate data exist. This suggests that paleo-freshwater and/or aquifer heterogeneities contribute significantly to offshore freshwater extent. Present-day heads indicate that active seawater intrusion (SWI) will eventually impact onshore pumping wells at fourteen of the twenty-seven sites, while passive SWI is expected onshore in an additional ten regions. Albeit the number of field sites is limited, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that when offshore freshwater has an onshore linkage, it is being mined either passively or actively by onshore use. Thus, offshore freshwater should be assessed in coastal water balances presuming that it serves as an existing freshwater input, rather than as a new potential freshwater resource.

The Investigation of Active Tectonism Offshore Cide-Sinop, Southern Black Sea by Seismic Reflection and Bathymetric Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alp, Y. I.; Ocakoglu, N.; Kılıc, F.; Ozel, A. O.

2017-12-01

The active tectonism offshore Cide-Sinop at the Southern Black Sea shelf area was first time investigated by multi-beam bathymetric and multi-channel seismic reflection data under the Research Project of The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBİTAK-ÇAYDAG-114Y057). The multi-channel seismic reflection data of about 700 km length were acquired in 1991 by Turkish Petroleum Company (TP). Multibeam bathymetric data were collected between 2002-2008 by the Turkish Navy, Department of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography (TN-DNHO). Conventional data processing steps were applied as follows: in-line geometry definition, shot-receiver static correction, editing, shot muting, gain correction, CDP sorting, velocity analysis, NMO correction, muting, stacking, predictive deconvolution, band-pass filtering, finite-difference time migration, and automatic gain correction. Offshore area is represented by a quite smooth and large shelf plain with an approx. 25 km wide and the water depth of about -100 m. The shelf gently deepens and it is limited by the shelf break with average of -120 m contour. The seafloor morphology is charasterised by an erosional surface. Structurally, E-W trending strike-slip faults with generally compression components and reverse/thrust faults have been regionally mapped for the first time. Most of these faults deform all seismic units and reach the seafloor delimiting the morphological highs and submarine plains. Thus, these faults are intepreted as active faults. These results support the idea that the area is under the active compressional tectonic regime

A framework for offshore vendor capability development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusuf Wibisono, Yogi; Govindaraju, Rajesri; Irianto, Dradjad; Sudirman, Iman

2016-02-01

Offshore outsourcing is a common practice conducted by companies, especially in developed countries, by relocating one or more their business processes to other companies abroad, especially in developing countries. This practice grows rapidly owing to the ease of accessing qualified vendors with a lower cost. Vendors in developing countries compete more intensely to acquire offshore projects. Indonesia is still below India, China, Malaysia as main global offshore destinations. Vendor capability is among other factors that contribute to the inability of Indonesian vendor in competing with other companies in the global market. Therefore, it is essential to study how to increase the vendor's capability in Indonesia, in the context of global offshore outsourcing. Previous studies on the vendor's capability mainly focus on capabilities without considering the dynamic of capabilities due to the environmental changes. In order to be able to compete with competitors and maintain the competitive advantage, it is necessary for vendors to develop their capabilities continuously. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework that describes offshore vendor capability development along the client-vendor relationship stages. The framework consists of three main components, i.e. the stages of client-vendor relationship, the success of each stage, and the capabilities of vendor at each stage.

Offshore safety case approach and formal safety assessment of ships.

PubMed

Wang, J

2002-01-01

Tragic marine and offshore accidents have caused serious consequences including loss of lives, loss of property, and damage of the environment. A proactive, risk-based "goal setting" regime is introduced to the marine and offshore industries to increase the level of safety. To maximize marine and offshore safety, risks need to be modeled and safety-based decisions need to be made in a logical and confident way. Risk modeling and decision-making tools need to be developed and applied in a practical environment. This paper describes both the offshore safety case approach and formal safety assessment of ships in detail with particular reference to the design aspects. The current practices and the latest development in safety assessment in both the marine and offshore industries are described. The relationship between the offshore safety case approach and formal ship safety assessment is described and discussed. Three examples are used to demonstrate both the offshore safety case approach and formal ship safety assessment. The study of risk criteria in marine and offshore safety assessment is carried out. The recommendations on further work required are given. This paper gives safety engineers in the marine and offshore industries an overview of the offshore safety case approach and formal ship safety assessment. The significance of moving toward a risk-based "goal setting" regime is given.

Energy resources of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Theobald, P.K.; Schweinfurth, Stanley P.; Duncan, Donald Cave

1972-01-01

Estimates are made of United States resources of coal, petroleum liquids, natural gas, uranium, geothermal energy, and oil from oil shale. The estimates, compiled by specialists of the U.S. Geological Survey, are generally made on geologic projections of favorable rocks and on anticipated frequency of the energy resource in the favorable rocks. Accuracy of the estimates probably ranges from 20 to 50 percent for identified-recoverable resources to about an order of magnitude for undiscovered-submarginal resources. The total coal resource base in the United States is estimated to be about 3,200 billion tons, of which 200-390 billion tons can be considered in the category identified and recoverable. More than 70 percent of current production comes from the Appalachian basin where the resource base, better known than for the United States as a whole, is about 330 billion tons, of which 22 billion tons is identified and recoverable. Coals containing less than 1 percent sulfur are the premium coals. These are abundant in the western coal fields, but in the Appalachian basin the resource base for low-sulfur coal is estimated to be only a little more than 100 billion tons, of which 12 billion tons is identified and recoverable. Of the many estimates of petroleum liquids and natural-gas resources, those of the U.S. Geological Survey are the largest because, in general, our estimates include the largest proportion of favorable ground for exploration. We estimate the total resource base for petroleum liquids to be about 2,900 billion barrels, of which 52 billion barrels is identified and recoverable. Of the total resource base, some 600 billion barrels is in Alaska or offshore from Alaska, 1,500 billion barrels is offshore from the United States, and 1,300 billion barrels is onshore in the conterminous United States. Identified-recoverable resources of petroleum liquids corresponding to these geographic units are 11, 6, and 36 billion barrels, respectively. The total natural-gas resource of the United States is estimated to be about 6,600 trillion cubic feet, of which 290 trillion cubic feet is identified and recoverable. In geographic units comparable to those for petroleum liquids, the resource bases are 1,400, 3,400, and 2,900 trillion cubic feet, and the identified-recoverable resources are 31, 40, and 220 trillion cubic feet, respectively. Uranium resources in conventional deposits, where uranium is the major product, are estimated at 1,600,000 tons of U3O8, of which 250,000 tons is identified and recoverable. A potential byproduct resource of more than 7 million tons of U3O8, is estimated for phosphate rock, but none of this resource is recoverable under present economic conditions. The resources of heat in potential geothermal energy sources are poorly known. The total resource base for the United States is certainly greater than 10 22 calories, of which only 2.5 ? 10 18 calories can be considered identified and recoverable at present. Oil shale is estimated to contain 26 trillion barrels of oil. None of this resource is economic at present, but if prices increase moderately, 160-600 billion barrels of this oil could be shifted into the identified-recoverable category.

Anatomy of success in oil and gas exploration in Pakistan, 1915--94

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

Quadri, V.N.; Quadri, S.M.G.J.

1996-05-13

Pakistan, flanked by Iran, Afghanistan, China, and India, is the size of Texas and Louisiana combined. The Indus and Baluchistan basins cover 80% of Pakistan`s total area. The country also has 230,000 sq km of marine Exclusive Economic Zone. The law regarding E and P activity was promulgated in 1986, replacing the previous Petroleum (Production) Rules of 1949. As a result of the new Petroleum Policy implemented in March 1994 and streamlining of the bid review and award process, acreage leased including reconnaissance during 1994 was 355,541 sq km onshore and 120,640 sq km offshore, with the number of operatingmore » groups also a record high of 46. Although complex and disturbed as a result of collision tectonics, Pakistan`s geology is as fascinating as the surface geomorphology, from the complex compressional thrusted to the relatively simple extensional rifted, salt related to transform fault associated, the reefs, too, all impressive traps for petroleum, at times almost textbook examples. However, domestic oil production at yearend 1994 was about 53,251 b/d of oil and 1.7 bcfd of gas. Oil and gas have been found in the Potwar/Upper Indus basin and Lower Indus basin, and mainly gas with one gas/condensate discovery in the Sulaiman/Middle Indus basin. This article attempts to present brief case history outlines of typical, significant oil and gas discoveries of Pakistan 1915--94 with respect to the two main productive basins, their source and reservoir sequences, in order to determine the anatomy of success in exploration in Pakistan.« less

Subsychronous vibration of multistage centrifugal compressors forced by rotating stall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fulton, J. W.

1987-01-01

A multistage centrifugal compressor, in natural gas re-injection service on an offshore petroleum production platform, experienced subsynchronous vibrations which caused excessive bearing wear. Field performance testing correlated the subsynchronous amplitude with the discharge flow coefficient, demonstrating the excitation to be aerodynamic. Adding two impellers allowed an increase in the diffuser flow angle (with respect to tangential) to meet the diffuser stability criteria based on factory and field tests correlated using the theory of Senoo (for rotating stall in a vaneless diffuser). This modification eliminated all significant subsynchronous vibrations in field service, thus confirming the correctness of the solution. Other possible sources of aerodynamically induced vibrations were considered, but the judgment that those are unlikely has been confirmed by subsequent experience with other similar compressors.

Offshore Wind Energy Systems Engineering Curriculum Development

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

McGowan, Jon G.; Manwell, James F.; Lackner, Matthew A.

2012-12-31

Utility-scale electricity produced from offshore wind farms has the potential to contribute significantly to the energy production of the United States. In order for the U.S. to rapidly develop these abundant resources, knowledgeable scientists and engineers with sound understanding of offshore wind energy systems are critical. This report summarizes the development of an upper-level engineering course in "Offshore Wind Energy Systems Engineering." This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of both the technical challenges of offshore wind energy and the practical regulatory, permitting, and planning aspects of developing offshore wind farms in the U.S. This coursemore » was offered on a pilot basis in 2011 at the University of Massachusetts and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), TU Delft, and GL Garrad Hassan have reviewed its content. As summarized in this report, the course consists of 17 separate topic areas emphasizing appropriate engineering fundamentals as well as development, planning, and regulatory issues. In addition to the course summary, the report gives the details of a public Internet site where references and related course material can be obtained. This course will fill a pressing need for the education and training of the U.S. workforce in this critically important area. Fundamentally, this course will be unique due to two attributes: an emphasis on the engineering and technical aspects of offshore wind energy systems, and a focus on offshore wind energy issues specific to the United States.« less

Offshore Wind Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Energy

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

None, None

Coastal and Great Lakes states account for nearly 80% of U.S. electricity demand, and the winds off the shores of these coastal load centers have a technical resource potential twice as large as the nation’s current electricity use. With the costs of offshore wind energy falling globally and the first U.S. offshore wind farm installed off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island in 2016, offshore wind has the potential to contribute significantly to a clean, affordable, and secure national energy mix. To support the development of a world-class offshore wind industry, the U.S. Department of Energy has been supportingmore » a broad portfolio of offshore wind research, development, and demonstration projects since 2011 and released a new National Offshore Wind Strategy jointly with the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2016.« less

Boundary Spanning in Offshored Information Systems Development Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krishnan, Poornima

2010-01-01

Recent growth in offshore outsourcing of information systems (IS) services is accompanied by managing the offshore projects successfully. Much of the project failures can be attributed to geographic and organizational boundaries which create differences in culture, language, work patterns, and decision making processes among the offshore project…

76 FR 78938 - Carpinteria Offshore Field Redevelopment Project-Developmental Drilling Into the Carpinteria...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-20

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Carpinteria Offshore Field Redevelopment Project--Developmental Drilling Into the Carpinteria Offshore Field Oil and Gas Reserves... Lands Commission (CSLC) intend to jointly review a proposal to develop offshore oil and gas resources...

The ARGO Project: assessing NA-TECH risks on off-shore oil platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capuano, Paolo; Basco, Anna; Di Ruocco, Angela; Esposito, Simona; Fusco, Giannetta; Garcia-Aristizabal, Alexander; Mercogliano, Paola; Salzano, Ernesto; Solaro, Giuseppe; Teofilo, Gianvito; Scandone, Paolo; Gasparini, Paolo

2017-04-01

ARGO (Analysis of natural and anthropogenic risks on off-shore oil platforms) is a 2 years project, funded by the DGS-UNMIG (Directorate General for Safety of Mining and Energy Activities - National Mining Office for Hydrocarbons and Georesources) of Italian Ministry of Economic Development. The project, coordinated by AMRA (Center for the Analysis and Monitoring of Environmental Risk), aims at providing technical support for the analysis of natural and anthropogenic risks on offshore oil platforms. In order to achieve this challenging objective, ARGO brings together climate experts, risk management experts, seismologists, geologists, chemical engineers, earth and coastal observation experts. ARGO has developed methodologies for the probabilistic analysis of industrial accidents triggered by natural events (NA-TECH) on offshore oil platforms in the Italian seas, including extreme events related to climate changes. Furthermore the environmental effect of offshore activities has been investigated, including: changes on seismicity and on the evolution of coastal areas close to offshore platforms. Then a probabilistic multi-risk framework has been developed for the analysis of NA-TECH events on offshore installations for hydrocarbon extraction.

A Spatial-Economic Cost-Reduction Pathway Analysis for U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Development from 2015–2030

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

Beiter, Philipp; Musial, Walter; Smith, Aaron

This report describes a comprehensive effort undertaken by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to understand the cost of offshore wind energy for markets in the United States. The study models the cost impacts of a range of offshore wind locational cost variables for more than 7,000 potential coastal sites in U.S. offshore wind resource areas. It also assesses the impact of more than 50 technology innovations on potential future costs for both fixed-bottom and floating wind systems. Comparing these costs to an initial site-specific assessment of local avoided generating costs, the analysis provides a framework for estimating the economicmore » potential for offshore wind. The analysis is intended to inform a broad set of stakeholders and enable an assessment of offshore wind as part of energy development and energy portfolio planning. It provides information that federal and state agencies and planning commissions could use to inform initial strategic decisions about offshore wind developments in the United States.« less

Supervising development in petroleum industry of the Russian Federation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sizov, A.; Tretyakov, K.; Boyarko, G.; Shenderova, I.; Shakirov, A.

2015-11-01

Supervising has strongly consolidated in the domestic petroleum services market of the Russian Federation. But despite the rapid growth of the supervising services market, there is a definite need for its further development. In the article, the developments of supervising in petroleum industry of the Russian Federation, as well as possible ways of its improvement are considered.

Atmospheric Characterization of the US Offshore Sites and Impact on Turbine Performance (Poster)

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

Arora, Dhiraj; Ehrmann, Robert; Zuo, Delong

Reliable, long term offshore atmospheric data is critical to development of the US offshore wind industry. There exists significant lack of meteorological, oceanographic, and geological data at potential US offshore sites. Assessment of wind resources at heights in the range of 25-200m is needed to understand and characterize offshore wind turbine performance. Data from the US Department of Energy owned WindSentinel buoy from two US offshore sites and one European site is analyzed. Low Level Jet (LLJ) phenomena and its potential impact on the performance of an offshore wind turbine is investigated.

National Offshore Wind Energy Grid Interconnection Study

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

Daniel, John P.; Liu, Shu; Ibanez, Eduardo

2014-07-30

The National Offshore Wind Energy Grid Interconnection Study (NOWEGIS) considers the availability and potential impacts of interconnecting large amounts of offshore wind energy into the transmission system of the lower 48 contiguous United States. A total of 54GW of offshore wind was assumed to be the target for the analyses conducted. A variety of issues are considered including: the anticipated staging of offshore wind; the offshore wind resource availability; offshore wind energy power production profiles; offshore wind variability; present and potential technologies for collection and delivery of offshore wind energy to the onshore grid; potential impacts to existing utility systemsmore » most likely to receive large amounts of offshore wind; and regulatory influences on offshore wind development. The technologies considered the reliability of various high-voltage ac (HVAC) and high-voltage dc (HVDC) technology options and configurations. The utility system impacts of GW-scale integration of offshore wind are considered from an operational steady-state perspective and from a regional and national production cost perspective.« less

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

Bryngelson, R.H.

Describes installation of 3 satellite subsea trees in 500 ft of water from a semisubmersible drilling rig. These wet, diver-assist trees are part of Phillips Petroleum's early development and production program (EDPP) for the Espoir field offshore Ivory Coast, with plans calling for 5 satellite wells with downhole completion equipment and subsea production trees. Diagram shows how a converted jackup, Dan Duke, supports equipment to handle production from subsea wells. Table gives time breakdown of subsea tree installation. Before mobilizing the subsea trees, control system, and tubulars to the rig, a study of deck layout, payloads, and traffic patterns wasmore » performed. Concludes that, based on experience in this project and the cost differences between purchase and installation costs, final success is 90% dependent on informed and trained field personnel after engineering, design, and manufacturing; attention to installation procedures and training of field and operational personnel are as critical or more critical than design changes to equipment; and selection of a supplier for high technology equipment, based on a low bid alone, may not translate into lower installation costs.« less

National Offshore Wind Strategy: Facilitating the Development of the Offshore Wind Industry in the United States

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

Patrick Gilman; Maurer, Ben; Feinberg, Luke

2016-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy, through its Wind Energy Technologies Office, and U.S. Department of the Interior, through its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, have jointly produced this updated national strategy to facilitate the responsible development of offshore wind energy in the United States.

Determining fine-scale use and movement patterns of diving bird species in federal waters of the Mid-Atlantic United States using satellite telemetry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spiegel, Caleb; Berlin, Alicia; Gilbert, Andrew; Gray, Carrie E.; Montevecchi, William; Stenhouse, Iain; Ford, Scott; Olsen, Glenn H.; Fiely, Jonathan; Savoy, Lucas; Goodale, M. Wing; Burke, Chantelle

2017-01-01

Offshore wind energy development in the United States is projected to expand in the upcoming decades to meet growing energy demands and reduce fossil fuel emissions. There is particular interest in commercial offshore wind development within Federal waters (i.e., > 3 nautical miles from shore) of the mid-Atlantic. In order to understand the potential for adverse effects on marine birds in this area, information on distribution and behavior (e.g., flight pathways, timing, etc.) is required for a broad suite of species. In areas where offshore wind development is likely to occur, such information can be used to identify high use areas during critical life stages, which can inform the siting of offshore facilities. It can also be used to provide baseline data for understanding broad changes in distributions that occur after offshore wind developments are constructed in a specific area.

Recent developments in understanding the tectonic evolution of the Southern California offshore area: Implications for earthquake-hazard analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, M.A.; Langenheim, V.E.; Nicholson, C.; Ryan, H.F.; Sliter, R.W.

2009-01-01

During late Mesozoic and Cenozoic time, three main tectonic episodes affected the Southern California offshore area. Each episode imposed its unique structural imprint such that early-formed structures controlled or at least influenced the location and development of later ones. This cascaded structural inheritance greatly complicates analysis of the extent, orientation, and activity of modern faults. These fault attributes play key roles in estimates of earthquake magnitude and recurrence interval. Hence, understanding the earthquake hazard posed by offshore and coastal faults requires an understanding of the history of structural inheritance and modifi-cation. In this report we review recent (mainly since 1987) findings about the tectonic development of the Southern California offshore area and use analog models of fault deformation as guides to comprehend the bewildering variety of offshore structures that developed over time. This report also provides a background in regional tectonics for other chapters in this section that deal with the threat from offshore geologic hazards in Southern California. ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) Model: Offshore Wind User Reference Guide

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

Lantz, E.; Goldberg, M.; Keyser, D.

2013-06-01

The Offshore Wind Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model, developed by NREL and MRG & Associates, is a spreadsheet based input-output tool. JEDI is meant to be a user friendly and transparent tool to estimate potential economic impacts supported by the development and operation of offshore wind projects. This guide describes how to use the model as well as technical information such as methodology, limitations, and data sources.

Assessment of Ports for Offshore Wind Development in the United States

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

Elkinton, Chris; Blatiak, Alicia; Ameen, Hafsa

As offshore wind energy develops in the United States, port facilities will become strategic hubs in the offshore wind farm supply chain because all plant and transport logistics must transit through these facilities. Therefore, these facilities must provide suitable infrastructure to meet the specific requirements of the offshore wind industry. As a result, it is crucial that federal and state policy-makers and port authorities take effective action to position ports in the offshore wind value chain to take best advantage of their economic potential. The U.S. Department of Energy tasked the independent consultancy GL Garrad Hassan (GL GH) with carryingmore » out a review of the current capability of U.S. ports to support offshore wind project development and an assessment of the challenges and opportunities related to upgrading this capability to support the growth of as many as 54 gigawatts of offshore wind installed in U.S. waters by 2030. The GL GH report and the open-access web-based Ports Assessment Tool resulting from this study will aid decision-makers in making informed decisions regarding the choice of ports for specific offshore projects, and the types of investments that would be required to make individual port facilities suitable to serve offshore wind manufacturing, installation and/or operations. The offshore wind industry in the United States is still in its infancy and this study finds that additional port facilities capable of supporting offshore wind projects are needed to meet the anticipated project build-out by 2030; however, no significant barriers exist to prevent the development of such facilities. Furthermore, significant port capabilities are in place today with purpose-build port infrastructure currently being built. While there are currently no offshore wind farms operating in the United States, much of the infrastructure critical to the success of such projects does exist, albeit in the service of other industries. This conclusion is based on GL GH’s review of U.S. ports infrastructure and its readiness to support the development of proposed offshore wind projects in U.S. waters. Specific examples of facility costs and benefits are provided for five coastal regions (North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, and Pacific) around the country. GL GH began this study by identifying the logistical requirements of offshore wind ports to service offshore wind. This review was based on lessons learned through industry practice in Northern Europe. A web-based port readiness assessment tool was developed to allow a capability gap analysis to be conducted on existing port facilities based on the identified requirements. Cost models were added to the assessment tool, which allowed GL GH to estimate the total upgrade cost to a port over the period 2014-2030 based on a set of regional project build-out scenarios. Port fee information was gathered from each port allowing an estimate of the potential revenue to the port under this same set of scenarios. The comparison of these revenue and improvement cost figures provides an initial indication of the level of offshore wind port readiness. To facilitate a more in-depth infrastructure analysis, six ports from different geographic regions, with varied levels of interest and preparedness towards offshore wind, were evaluated by modeling a range of installation strategies and port use types to identify gaps in capability and potential opportunities for economic development. Commonalities, trends, and specific examples from these case studies are presented and provide a summary of the current state of offshore wind port readiness in the U.S. and also illustrate the direction some ports have chosen to take to prepare for offshore wind projects. For example, the land area required for wind turbine and foundation manufacturing is substantial, particularly due to the large size of offshore wind components. Also, the necessary bearing capacities of the quayside and storage area are typically greater for offshore wind components than for more conventional cargo handling. As a result, most U.S. ports will likely require soil strength improvements before they can fully support offshore wind project construction. As U.S. ports and offshore wind developers look to work together on specific projects, they will encounter synergies and challenges. The challenges they face will include identifying sources of funding for the facility improvements required, and addressing ports’ typical desire to engage in long-term partnerships on the order of 10-20 years. Early projects will especially feel these challenges as they set the precedent for these partnerships in the United States. This study seeks to provide information about gaps, costs, and opportunities to aid these discussions.« less

Geologic framework of the offshore region adjacent to Delaware

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benson, R.N.; Roberts, J.H.

1989-01-01

Several multichannel, common depth point (CDP) seismic reflection profiles concentrated in the area of the entrance to Delaware Bay provide a tie between the known onshore geology of the Coastal Plain of Delaware and the offshore geology of the Baltimore Canyon Trough. The data provide a basis for understanding the geologic framework and petroleum resource potential of the area immediately offshore Delaware. Our research has focused on buried early Mesozoic rift basins and their geologic history. Assuming that the buried basins are analogous to the exposed Newark Supergroup basins of Late Triassic-Early Jurassic age, the most likely possibility for occurrence of hydrocarbon source beds in the area of the landward margin of the Baltimore Canyon Trough is presumed to be lacustrine, organic-rich shales probably present in the basins. Although buried basins mapped offshore Delaware are within reach of drilling, no holes have been drilled to date; therefore, direct knowledge of source, reservoir, and sealing beds is absent. Buried rift basins offshore Delaware show axial trends ranging from NW-SE to NNE-SSW. Seismic reflection profiles are too widely spaced to delineate basin boundaries accurately. Isopleths of two-way travel time representing basin fill suggest that, structurally, the basins are grabens and half-grabens. As shown on seismic reflection profiles, bounding faults of the basins intersect or merge with low-angle fault surfaces that cut the pre-Mesozoic basement. The rift basins appear to have formed by Mesozoic extension that resulted in reverse motion on reactivated basement thrust faults that originated from compressional tectonics during the Paleozoic. Computer-plotted structure contour maps derived from analysis of seismic reflection profiles provide information on the burial history of the rift basins. The postrift unconformity bevels the rift basins and, in the offshore area mapped, ranges from 2000 to 12,000 m below present sea level. The oldest postrift sediments that cover the more deeply buried rift basins are estimated to be of Middle Jurassic age (Bajocian-Bathonian), the probable time of opening of the Atlantic Ocean basin and onset of continental drift about 175-180 m.y. ago. By late Oxfordian-early Kimmeridgian time, the less deeply buried basins nearshore Delaware had been covered. A time-temperature index of maturity plot of one of the basins indicates that only dry gas would be present in reservoirs in synrift rocks buried by more than 6000 m of postrift sediments and in the oldest (Bathonian?-Callovian?) postrift rocks. Less deeply buried synrift rocks landward of the basin modeled might still be within the oil generation window. ?? 1989.

Offshore Fish Community: Ecological Interactions | Science ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The offshore (>80 m) fish community of Lake Superior is made up of predominately native species. The most prominent species are deepwater sculpin, kiyi, cisco, siscowet lake trout, burbot, and the exotic sea lamprey. Bloater and shortjaw cisco are also found in the offshore zone. Bloater is abundant in the offshore zone but appears restricted to depths shallower than 150 m (Selgeby and Hoff 1996; Stockwell et al. 2010), although it occuppied greater depths several decades ago (Dryer 1966; Peck 1977). Shortjaw is relatively rare in the offshore zone (Hoff and Todd 2004; Gorman and Hoff 2009; Gorman and Todd 2007). Lake whitefish is also known to frequent bathymetric depths >100 m (Yule et al. 2008b). In this chapter, we develop a conceptual model of the offshore food web based on data collected during 2001-2005 and on inferences from species interactions known for the nearshore fish community. We then develop a framework for examination of energy and nutrient movements within the pelagic and benthic habitats of the offshore zone and across the offshore and nearshore zones. To document research results.

10 CFR 474.3 - Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. 474.3 Section 474.3 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION § 474.3 Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. (a) The...

10 CFR Appendix to Part 474 - Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION Pt. 474, App. Appendix to Part 474—Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations Example 1: An electric vehicle is...

10 CFR Appendix to Part 474 - Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION Pt. 474, App. Appendix to Part 474—Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations Example 1: An electric vehicle is...

10 CFR Appendix to Part 474 - Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION Pt. 474, App. Appendix to Part 474—Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations Example 1: An electric vehicle is...

10 CFR Appendix to Part 474 - Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION Pt. 474, App. Appendix to Part 474—Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations Example 1: An electric vehicle is...

Strategic Orientation in the Globalization of Software Firms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dedrick, Jason; Kraemer, Kenneth L.; Carmel, Erran; Dunkle, Debora

In the search for profits, software firms are globalizing their development activities. Some firms achieve greater profits by becoming more efficient, whereas others do so by reaching new markets; some do both. This paper creates an a priori typology of strategies based on the extent to which firms are focused on operational improvement or market access, have a dual focus or are unfocused. We find that firms with these strategies differ in degree of internationalization, organization of offshoring and performance outcomes related to offshoring. Market-oriented firms receive a greater proportion of their total revenue from sales outside the U.S., showing a greater international orientation. They keep more of their offshore development in-house via captive operations. They also are most likely to report increased non-U.S. sales as a result of offshoring. On the other hand, operations-oriented firms have lower levels of international sales, are more likely to go offshore via outsourced software development, and achieve greater costs savings and labor force flexibility as a result of offshoring. Operations-oriented firms also face more obstacles in offshoring, perhaps because of their reliance on outsourcing. Dual focus firms generally achieve some of the best of both strategies, whereas unfocused firms achieve lower cost benefits.

Responses of two marine top predators to an offshore wind farm.

PubMed

Vallejo, Gillian C; Grellier, Kate; Nelson, Emily J; McGregor, Ross M; Canning, Sarah J; Caryl, Fiona M; McLean, Nancy

2017-11-01

Quantifying the likely effects of offshore wind farms on wildlife is fundamental before permission for development can be granted by any Determining Authority. The effects on marine top predators from displacement from important habitat are key concerns during offshore wind farm construction and operation. In this respect, we present evidence for no significant displacement from a UK offshore wind farm for two broadly distributed species of conservation concern: common guillemot ( Uria aalge ) and harbor porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena ). Data were collected during boat-based line transect surveys across a 360 km 2 study area that included the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm. Surveys were conducted over 10 years across the preconstruction, construction, and operational phases of the development. Changes in guillemot and harbor porpoise abundance and distribution in response to offshore wind farm construction and operation were estimated using generalized mixed models to test for evidence of displacement. Both common guillemot and harbor porpoise were present across the Robin Rigg study area throughout all three development phases. There was a significant reduction in relative harbor porpoise abundance both within and surrounding the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm during construction, but no significant difference was detected between the preconstruction and operational phases. Relative common guillemot abundance remained similar within the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm across all development phases. Offshore wind farms have the potential to negatively affect wildlife, but further evidence regarding the magnitude of effect is needed. The empirical data presented here for two marine top predators provide a valuable addition to the evidence base, allowing future decision making to be improved by reducing the uncertainty of displacement effects and increasing the accuracy of impact assessments.

Approaches for derivation of environmental quality criteria for substances applied in risk assessment of discharges from offshore drilling operations.

PubMed

Altin, Dag; Frost, Tone Karin; Nilssen, Ingunn

2008-04-01

In order to achieve the offshore petroleum industries "zero harm" goal to the environment, the environmental impact factor for drilling discharges was developed as a tool to identify and quantify the environmental risks associated with disposal of drilling discharges to the marine environment. As an initial step in this work the main categories of substances associated with drilling discharges and assumed to contribute to toxic or nontoxic stress were identified and evaluated for inclusion in the risk assessment. The selection were based on the known toxicological properties of the substances, or the total amount discharged together with their potential for accumulation in the water column or sediments to levels that could be expected to cause toxic or nontoxic stress to the biota. Based on these criteria 3 categories of chemicals were identified for risk assessment the water column and sediments: Natural organic substances, metals, and drilling fluid chemicals. Several approaches for deriving the environmentally safe threshold concentrations as predicted no effect concentrations were evaluated in the process. For the water column consensus were reached for using the species sensitivity distribution approach for metals and the assessment factor approach for natural organic substances and added drilling chemicals. For the sediments the equilibrium partitioning approach was selected for all three categories of chemicals. The theoretically derived sediment quality criteria were compared to field-derived threshold effect values based on statistical approaches applied on sediment monitoring data from the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The basis for derivation of predicted no effect concentration values for drilling discharges should be consistent with the principles of environmental risk assessment as described in the Technical Guidance Document on Risk Assessment issued by the European Union.

Unit: Petroleum, Inspection Pack, National Trial Print.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Science Education Project, Toorak, Victoria.

This is a National Trial Print of a unit on petroleum developed for the Australian Science Education Project. The package contains the teacher's edition of the written material and a script for a film entitled "The Extraordinary Experience of Nicholas Nodwell" emphasizing the uses of petroleum and petroleum products in daily life and…

SEASAT economic assessment. Volume 3: Offshore oil and natural gas industry case study and generalization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The economic benefits of improved ocean condition, weather and ice forecasts by SEASAT satellites to the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas in the offshore regions are considered. The results of case studies which investigate the effects of forecast accuracy on offshore operations in the North Sea, the Celtic Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico are reported. A methodology for generalizing the results to other geographic regions of offshore oil and natural gas exploration and development is described.

Shift schedules, work factors, and mental health among onshore and offshore workers in the Norwegian petroleum industry

PubMed Central

BERTHELSEN, Mona; PALLESEN, Ståle; BJORVATN, Bjørn; KNARDAHL, Stein

2015-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to answer the following research questions: (1) Do workers in different shift schedules differ in mental distress? (2) Do workers in different shift schedules differ in neuroticism? (3) Do shift schedules differ in psychosocial work exposures? (4) Do psychosocial work exposures contribute to mental distress among onshore- and offshore workers? (5) Does neuroticism confound the association between work exposures and mental distress? Workers on six shift-schedules answered a questionnaire (1,471 of 2,628 employees). Psychological and social work factors were measured by QPSNordic, mental distress was measured by HADS and neuroticism was measured by EPQ. The results showed 1) No differences in mental distress between workers in different shift schedules, 2) Revolving-shift workers reported higher neuroticism compared to day workers, 3) Swing-shift workers and revolving-shift workers reported lower job control compared to permanent-night and -day workers, 4) Job demands and role conflict were associated with more mental distress. Job control, role clarity, support, and leadership were associated with lower mental distress, 5) Neuroticism influenced the relationship between psychosocial work factors and mental distress. The present study did not find differences in mental distress between shift schedules. Job characteristics may be contributing factors when determining health effects of shift work. PMID:25740007

Shift schedules, work factors, and mental health among onshore and offshore workers in the Norwegian petroleum industry.

PubMed

Berthelsen, Mona; Pallesen, Ståle; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Knardahl, Stein

2015-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to answer the following research questions: (1) Do workers in different shift schedules differ in mental distress? (2) Do workers in different shift schedules differ in neuroticism? (3) Do shift schedules differ in psychosocial work exposures? (4) Do psychosocial work exposures contribute to mental distress among onshore- and offshore workers? (5) Does neuroticism confound the association between work exposures and mental distress? Workers on six shift-schedules answered a questionnaire (1,471 of 2,628 employees). Psychological and social work factors were measured by QPSNordic, mental distress was measured by HADS and neuroticism was measured by EPQ. The results showed 1) No differences in mental distress between workers in different shift schedules, 2) Revolving-shift workers reported higher neuroticism compared to day workers, 3) Swing-shift workers and revolving-shift workers reported lower job control compared to permanent-night and -day workers, 4) Job demands and role conflict were associated with more mental distress. Job control, role clarity, support, and leadership were associated with lower mental distress, 5) Neuroticism influenced the relationship between psychosocial work factors and mental distress. The present study did not find differences in mental distress between shift schedules. Job characteristics may be contributing factors when determining health effects of shift work.

Environmental impacts of produced water and drilling waste discharges from the Norwegian offshore petroleum industry.

PubMed

Bakke, Torgeir; Klungsøyr, Jarle; Sanni, Steinar

2013-12-01

Operational discharges of produced water and drill cuttings from offshore oil and gas platforms are a continuous source of contaminants to continental shelf ecosystems. This paper reviews recent research on the biological effects of such discharges with focus on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The greatest concern is linked to effects of produced water. Alkylphenols (AP) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from produced water accumulate in cod and blue mussel caged near outlets, but are rapidly metabolized in cod. APs, naphtenic acids, and PAHs may disturb reproductive functions, and affect several chemical, biochemical and genetic biomarkers. Toxic concentrations seem restricted to <2 km distance. At the peak of discharge of oil-contaminated cuttings fauna disturbance was found at more than 5 km from some platforms, but is now seldom detected beyond 500 m. Water-based cuttings may seriously affect biomarkers in filter feeding bivalves, and cause elevated sediment oxygen consumption and mortality in benthic fauna. Effects levels occur within 0.5-1 km distance. The stress is mainly physical. The risk of widespread, long term impact from the operational discharges on populations and the ecosystem is presently considered low, but this cannot be verified from the published literature. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Bacterial diversity in water injection systems of Brazilian offshore oil platforms.

PubMed

Korenblum, Elisa; Valoni, Erika; Penna, Mônica; Seldin, Lucy

2010-01-01

Biogenic souring and microbial-influenced corrosion is a common scenario in water-flooded petroleum reservoirs. Water injection systems are continuously treated to control bacterial contamination, but some bacteria that cause souring and corrosion can persist even after different treatments have been applied. Our aim was to increase our knowledge of the bacterial communities that persist in the water injection systems of three offshore oil platforms in Brazil. To achieve this goal, we used a culture-independent molecular approach (16S ribosomal RNA gene clone libraries) to analyze seawater samples that had been subjected to different treatments. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the bacterial communities from the different platforms were taxonomically different. A predominance of bacterial clones affiliated with Gammaproteobacteria, mostly belonging to the genus Marinobacter (60.7%), were observed in the platform A samples. Clones from platform B were mainly related to the genera Colwellia (37.9%) and Achromobacter (24.6%), whereas clones obtained from platform C were all related to unclassified bacteria. Canonical correspondence analyses showed that different treatments such as chlorination, deoxygenation, and biocide addition did not significantly influence the bacterial diversity in the platforms studied. Our results demonstrated that the injection water used in secondary oil recovery procedures contained potentially hazardous bacteria, which may ultimately cause souring and corrosion.

Geologic assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources of the Western Oregon and Washington Province

USGS Publications Warehouse

,; Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Cook, Troy A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Pollastro, Richard M.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Le, P.A.; ,

2011-01-01

The purpose of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Oil and Gas Assessment is to develop geology-based hypotheses regarding the potential for additions to oil and gas reserves in priority areas of the United States, focusing on the distribution, quantity, and availability of oil and natural gas resources. The USGS has completed an assessment of the undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in western Oregon and Washington (USGS Western Oregon and Washington Province 5004). The province includes all of Oregon and Washington north of the Klamath Mountains and west of the crest of the Cascade Range, and extends offshore to the 3-mi limit of State waters on the west and to the International Boundary in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Canada on the north. It measures about 450 mi north-south and 50 to 160 mi east-west, encompassing more than 51,000 mi2. The assessment of the Western Oregon and Washington Province is geology based and used the total petroleum system (TPS) concept. The geologic elements of a TPS include hydrocarbon source rocks (source rock maturation and hydrocarbon generation and migration), reservoir rocks (quality and distribution), and traps for hydrocarbon accumulation. Using these geologic criteria, two conventional and one unconventional (continuous) total petroleum systems were defined, with one assessment unit (AU) in each TPS: (1) the Cretaceous-Tertiary Composite TPS and the Western Oregon and Washington Conventional Gas AU, (2) the Tertiary Marine TPS and the Tertiary-Marine Gas AU, and (3) the Tertiary Coalbed Gas TPS and the Eocene Coalbed Gas AU, in which a cell-based methodology was used to estimate coalbed-gas resources.

Potential of carbon dioxide storage from petroleum industries in the Gulf of Thailand for green production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawangphai, M.; Maneeintr, K.

2018-04-01

Recently, climate change and global warming are the global concern because of an increase in the huge amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. This gas comes from energy activities and industries like petroleum industries. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the practical technology to reduce and storage CO2. In Thailand, one of the main potential sites for storage is the Gulf of Thailand. However, the research on this issue is very rare in Thailand. Consequently, this work is aiming on the potential study of CO2 geological storage in formations in the Gulf of Thailand by using simulation. The CO2 storage capacity, pressure buildup and plume migration have been estimated. Also, this study has been simulated with various conditions. CO2 injection is used from 1,000-4,000 tons per day with the depth from 2,200-2,330 meters and the results are studied for 50 years as a monitoring period. The results present that with the formation characteristics, CO2 storage in this area has potential. Moreover, pressure buildup and plume migration are illustrated for the period of 50 years. As a fundamental knowledge, this study can contribute to CO2 storage in an offshore area in Thailand.

Removal of ammonium ion from produced waters in petroleum offshore exploitation by a batch single-stage electrolytic process.

PubMed

de Lima, Rosilda Maria Gomes; da Silva Wildhagen, Glória Regina; da Cunha, José Waldemar Silva Dias; Afonso, Julio Carlos

2009-01-30

This work describes a batch single-stage electrochemical process to remove quantitatively the ammonium ion from produced waters from petroleum exploration of the Campos' Basin, seeking to fulfil the directories of the National Brazilian Environmental Council. The anode was made out of titanium covered by a layer of RuO(2)+TiO(2) oxides (Dimensionally Stable Anode), whereas the cathode was made out of pure titanium. Anodic and cathodic compartments were separated by a membrane. The applied current varied from 0.3 to 1.5A. As the current increased NH(4)(+) removal was faster and pH was rapidly decreased to 3. The pH of the anodic compartment increased to approximately 10. When the current was 0.92 A chlorine evolution was observed after 40 min or only 15 min when that current was 1.50 A. In this voltage a deposit containing alkali-earth metal hydroxides/sulphates was formed on the membrane surface of the cathode side, thus suggesting a diffusion process from the anodic to the cathodic compartment. The maximum current applied to the cell must not exceed approximately 0.70 A in order to avoid chlorine evolution. Ammonia removal was over 99.9 wt% at 0.68 A in about 75 min.

Geologic distributions of US oil and gas

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

Not Available

1992-07-31

This publication presents nonproprietary field size distributions that encompass most domestic oil and gas fields at year-end 1989. These data are organized by geologic provinces as defined by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists` Committee on Statistics of Drilling (AAPG/CSD), by regional geographic aggregates of the AAPG/CSD provinces, and Nationally. The report also provides partial volumetric distributions of petroleum liquid and natural gas ultimate recoveries for three macro-geologic variables: principal lithology of the reservoir rock, principal trapping condition and geologic age of the reservoir rock, The former two variables are presented Nationally and by geographic region, in more detail thanmore » has heretofore been available. The latter variable is provided Nationally at the same level of detail previously available. Eighteen tables and 66 figures present original data on domestic oil and gas occurrence. Unfortunately, volumetric data inadequacy dictated exclusion of Appalachian region oil and gas fields from the study. All other areas of the United States known to be productive of crude oil or natural gas through year-end 1989, onshore and offshore, were included. It should be noted that none of the results and conclusions would be expected to substantively differ had data for the Appalachian region been available for inclusion in the study.« less

Geologic distributions of US oil and gas

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

Not Available

1992-07-31

This publication presents nonproprietary field size distributions that encompass most domestic oil and gas fields at year-end 1989. These data are organized by geologic provinces as defined by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists' Committee on Statistics of Drilling (AAPG/CSD), by regional geographic aggregates of the AAPG/CSD provinces, and Nationally. The report also provides partial volumetric distributions of petroleum liquid and natural gas ultimate recoveries for three macro-geologic variables: principal lithology of the reservoir rock, principal trapping condition and geologic age of the reservoir rock, The former two variables are presented Nationally and by geographic region, in more detail thanmore » has heretofore been available. The latter variable is provided Nationally at the same level of detail previously available. Eighteen tables and 66 figures present original data on domestic oil and gas occurrence. Unfortunately, volumetric data inadequacy dictated exclusion of Appalachian region oil and gas fields from the study. All other areas of the United States known to be productive of crude oil or natural gas through year-end 1989, onshore and offshore, were included. It should be noted that none of the results and conclusions would be expected to substantively differ had data for the Appalachian region been available for inclusion in the study.« less

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.

The healthcare off-shoring industry in developing economies--institutional and economic foundations: an Indian case.

PubMed

Kshetri, Nir

2011-01-01

Industrialized world-based healthcare providers are increasingly off-shoring low-end healthcare services such as medical transcription, billing and insurance claims. High-skill medical jobs such as tele-imaging and tele-pathology are also being sub-contracted to developing countries. Despite its importance, little theory or research exists to explain what factors affect industry growth. The article's goals, therefore, are to examine economic processes associated with developing economies' shift from low- to high-value information technology enabled healthcare services, and to investigate how these differ in terms of legitimacy from regulative, normative and cognitive institutions in the sending country and how healthcare services differ from other services. This research is conceptual and theory-building. Broadly, its approach can be described as a positivistic epistemology. Anti off-shoring regulative, normative and cognitive pressures in the sending country are likely to be stronger in healthcare than in most business process outsourcing. Moreover, such pressures are likely to be stronger in high-value rather than in low-value healthcare off-shoring. The findings also indicate that off-shoring low-value healthcare services and emergent healthcare industries in a developing economy help accumulate implicit and tacit knowledge required for off-shoring high-value healthcare services. The approach lacks primary data and empirical documentation. The article helps in understanding industry drivers and its possible future direction. The findings help in understanding the lens through which various institutional actors in a sending country view healthcare service off-shoring. The article's value stems from its analytical context, mechanisms and processes associated with developing economies' shift to high-value healthcare off-shoring services.

Petroleum Based Development and the Private Sector: A Critique of the Saudi Arabian Industrialization Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

1985 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-1985 to 00-00-1985 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Petroleum Based Development and the Private Sector : A...PETROLEUM BASED DEVELOPMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR : A CRITIQUE OF THE SAUDI ARABIAN INDUSTRIALIZATION STRATEGY By Robert E. Looney In almost every country...providing incentives and external economies to the private sector to establish a number of industries supplying the basic consumer and development needs of

Aeroelastic Modeling of Offshore Turbines and Support Structures in Hurricane-Prone Regions (Poster)

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

Damiani, R.

US offshore wind turbines (OWTs) will likely have to contend with hurricanes and the associated loading conditions. Current industry standards do not account for these design load cases (DLCs), thus a new approach is required to guarantee that the OWTs achieve an appropriate level of reliability. In this study, a sequentially coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic modeling technique was used to address two design approaches: 1.) The ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) approach; and 2.) The Hazard Curve or API (American Petroleum Institute) approach. The former employs IEC partial load factors (PSFs) and 100-yr return-period (RP) metocean events. The latter allows setting PSFsmore » and RP to a prescribed level of system reliability. The 500-yr RP robustness check (appearing in [2] and [3] upcoming editions) is a good indicator of the target reliability for L2 structures. CAE tools such as NREL's FAST and Bentley's' SACS (offshore analysis and design software) can be efficiently coupled to simulate system loads under hurricane DLCs. For this task, we augmented the latest FAST version (v. 8) to include tower aerodynamic drag that cannot be ignored in hurricane DLCs. In this project, a 6 MW turbine was simulated on a typical 4-legged jacket for a mid-Atlantic site. FAST-calculated tower base loads were fed to SACS at the interface level (transition piece); SACS added hydrodynamic and wind loads on the exposed substructure, and calculated mudline overturning moments, and member and joint utilization. Results show that CAE tools can be effectively used to compare design approaches for the design of OWTs in hurricane regions and to achieve a well-balanced design, where reliability levels and costs are optimized.« less

Distortionary effects of a production-sharing fiscal system in a sequential modular offshore petroleum project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neves de Campos, Thiago

This research examines the distortionary effects of a discovered and undeveloped sequential modular offshore project under five different designs for a production-sharing agreement (PSA). The model differs from previous research by looking at the effect of taxation from the perspective of a host government, where the objective is to maximize government utility over government revenue generated by the project and the non-pecuniary benefits to society. This research uses Modern Asset Pricing (MAP) theory, which is able to provide a good measure of the asset value accruing to various stakeholders in the project combined with the optimal decision rule for the development of the investment opportunity. Monte Carlo simulation was also applied to incorporate into the model the most important sources of risk associated with the project and to account for non-linearity in the cash flows. For a complete evaluation of how the fiscal system affects the project development, an investor's behavioral model was constructed, incorporating three operational decisions: investment timing, capacity size and early abandonment. The model considers four sources of uncertainty that affect the project value and the firm's optimal decision: the long run oil price and short-run deviations from that price, cost escalation and the reservoir recovery rate. The optimizations outcomes show that all fiscal systems evaluated produce distortion over the companies' optimal decisions, and companies adjust their choices to avoid taxation in different ways according to the fiscal system characteristics. Moreover, it is revealed that fiscal systems with tax provisions that try to capture additional project profits based on production profitability measures leads to stronger distortions in the project investment and output profile. It is also shown that a model based on a fixed percentage rate is the system that creates the least distortion. This is because companies will be subjected to the same government share of profit oil independently of any operational decision which they can make to change the production profile to evade taxation.

Egypt`s first subsea completion: A Gulf of Suez case history

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

El Hawary, A.; Hoffman, J.G.

1996-06-01

A case history of the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Co.`s (Gupco) first subsea completion is provided. The first completion was for Well GS 373-2, a previously drilled and tested exploration well located in the south portion of the gulf of Suez. Subsea technology was used to economically justify development of this one-well marginal field, which was discovered in 1978. Traditional methods proved to be too costly for development, therefore application of a low-cost subsea tree was used to capture the resources. In the Gulf of Suez, many fields have been discovered but have not been developed because of low reserves.more » These marginal projects can have a profound impact on the revenue and shareholder value if an economic method is used to exploit these opportunities. Platform installation was not feasible because of reserve size, hence the well has remained abandoned until recently. This paper presents a summarized look at subsea completion technology. The cost comparison of traditional development methods will be made, given the local cost structure in Egypt. The application of this technology has some limitations and constraints that will be discussed in the paper. Furthermore, the actual field installation of Egypt`s first subsea tree will be summarized. Also included is a discussion on simple remote controls and offshore installation operations.« less

The east coast petroleum province: Science and society

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jordan, R.R.

1999-01-01

The U.S. Atlantic offshore, especially the mid-Atlantic, was an exciting exploration area from the 1970s into the 1980s. Much pioneering 'frontier' activity in both scientific and policy matters occurred in this area. Although production was not achieved, objective geological evidence indicates that the province does have potential. Major population centers of the mid-Atlantic area demand large amounts of energy and enormous amounts of crude and product are shipped through East Coast waters. Nevertheless, exploration has been shut down by moratoria, environmental concerns, and international pricing. It is suggested that the province will be revisited in the future and that the geologic and environmental information that has been generated at great cost should be preserved for use by the next generation of explorationists and policy-makers.

3D thermal history and maturity modelling of the Levant Basin and Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daher, Samer Bou; Ducros, Mathieu; Michel, Pauline; Nader, Fadi H.; Littke, Ralf

2015-04-01

The gas discoveries recorded in the Levant Basin in the last decade have redirected the industrial and academic communities' interest to this frontier basin and its surroundings. The reported gas in Miocene reservoirs has been assumed to be derived from biogenic sources, although little data has been published so far. The thickness of the sedimentary column and the presence of direct hydrocarbon indicators (DHI) observed in the seismic data suggest the presence of promising prospective thermogenic petroleum systems in deeper intervals in the Levant Basin and along its Margin. In this study we present a large scale 3D thermal history and maturity model of the Levant Basin and Margin, integrating all available calibration data, source rock information collected from onshore Lebanon, and published data. In the first part we will present the main input and assumptions that were made in terms of thicknesses, lithologies, and boundary conditions. In the second part we will discuss the analysed source rocks, their petroleum generation potential and their kinetics. In the third part we will present modelling results including depth maps for key isotherms in addition to transformation ratio and vitrinite reflectance maps for proven and speculative source rocks at different time steps. This will provide a comprehensive assessment of the potential thermogenic petroleum systems in the study area, and allow us to illustrate and discuss the differences between the basinal, marginal, and onshore part of the study area as well as the potential of the northern vis a vis the southern offshore Levant Basin. This model will also allow us to analyse the sensitivity of the system to the various poorly constrained parameters in frontier basins (e.g. crustal thickness, rifting phases, lithologies) and thus identify the most critical data to be collected for future exploration and de-risking strategies.

[Offshore substation workers' exposure to harmful factors - Actions minimizing risk of hazards].

PubMed

Piotrowski, Paweł Janusz; Robak, Sylwester; Polewaczyk, Mateusz Maksymilian; Raczkowski, Robert

2016-01-01

The current development of electric power industry in Poland, especially in the field of renewable energy sources, including wind power, brings about the need to introduce legislation on new work environment. The development of occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations that must be met by new workplaces, such as offshore substations becomes necessary in view of the construction of modern offshore wind power plants - offshore wind farms. Staying on offshore substation is associated with an increased exposure to harmful health factors: physical, chemical, biological and psychophysical. The main sources of health risks on offshore substations are: temperature, electromagnetic field, noise from operating wind turbines, direct and alternating current, chemicals, Legionella bacteria and social isolation of people. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the problem of offshore substation workers' exposure to harmful factors and to present methods of preventing and reducing the risk-related adverse health effects. In this paper, there are identified and described risks occurring on offshore substations (fire, explosion, lightning, accidents at work). Some examples of the means and the methods for reducing the negative impact of exposure on the human health are presented and discussed. The article also highlights the need to develop appropriate laws and health and safety regulations concerning the new working environment at the offshore substations. The review of researches and international standards shows that some of them can be introduced into the Polish labor market. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

An advocacy coalition framework analysis of the development of offshore wind energy in South Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bishop, Marines

Offshore winds blow considerably harder and more uniformly than on land, and can thus produce higher amounts of electricity. Design, installation, and distribution of an offshore wind farm is more difficult and expensive, but is nevertheless a compelling energy source. With its relatively shallow offshore waters South Carolina has the potential to offer one of the first offshore wind farms in the United States, arguably ideal for wind-farm construction and presenting outstanding potential for the state's growth and innovation. This study analyzes the policy process involved in the establishment of an offshore wind industry in South Carolina through the use of Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) concepts. The ACF studies policy process by analyzing policy subsystems, understanding that stakeholders motivated by belief systems influence policy subsystem affairs, and recognizing the assembly of these stakeholders into coalitions as the best way to simplify the analysis. The study interviewed and analyzed responses from stakeholders involved to different but significant degrees with South Carolina offshore wind industry development, allowing for their categorization into coalitions. Responses and discussion analysis through the implementation of ACF concepts revealed, among other observations, direct relationships of opinions to stakeholder's belief systems. Most stakeholders agreed that a potential for positive outputs is real and substantial, but differed in opinion when discussing challenges for offshore wind development in South Carolina. The study importantly considers policy subsystem implications at national and regional levels, underlining the importance of learning from other offshore wind markets and policy arenas worldwide. In this sense, this study's discussions and conclusions are a step towards the right direction.

Potential Economic Impacts from Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Mexico Region (Fact Sheet)

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

Flores, F.; Keyser, D.; Tegen, S.

2014-01-01

Offshore wind is a clean, renewable source of energy and can be an economic driver in the United States. To better understand the employment opportunities and other potential regional economic impacts from offshore wind development, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded research that focuses on four regions of the country. The studies use multiple scenarios with various local job and domestic manufacturing content assumptions. Each regional study uses the new offshore wind Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) model, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This fact sheet summarizes the potential economic impacts for the Gulf of Mexicomore » region.« less

High-resolution computational algorithms for simulating offshore wind turbines and farms: Model development and validation

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

Calderer, Antoni; Yang, Xiaolei; Angelidis, Dionysios

2015-10-30

The present project involves the development of modeling and analysis design tools for assessing offshore wind turbine technologies. The computational tools developed herein are able to resolve the effects of the coupled interaction of atmospheric turbulence and ocean waves on aerodynamic performance and structural stability and reliability of offshore wind turbines and farms. Laboratory scale experiments have been carried out to derive data sets for validating the computational models.

Potential for Jobs and Economic Development from Offshore Wind in California

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

Tegen, Suzanne

In California's future scenarios, energy demand increases with population growth and productivity. Decision-makers will have to make choices about which energy resources to utilize, and offshore wind offers one option for carbon-free electricity with the potential for increased local jobs. This presentation discusses results from an NREL report, Floating Offshore Wind in California: Gross Potential for Jobs and Economic Impacts from Two Future Scenarios. Presenter Suzanne Tegen describes the Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model and its results for two offshore wind scenarios in California. She discusses different assumptions and how they affect the scenarios.

A Spatial-Economic Cost-Reduction Pathway Analysis for U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Development from 2015-2030

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

Beiter, Philipp; Stehly, Tyler

The potential for cost reduction and economic viability for offshore wind varies considerably within the United States. This analysis models the cost impact of a range of offshore wind locational cost variables across more than 7,000 potential coastal sites in the United States' offshore wind resource area. It also assesses the impact of over 50 technology innovations on potential future costs between 2015 and 2027 (Commercial Operation Date) for both fixed-bottom and floating wind systems. Comparing these costs to an initial assessment of local avoided generating costs, this analysis provides a framework for estimating the economic potential for offshore wind.more » Analyzing economic potential within this framework can help establish a refined understanding across industries of the technology and site-specific risks and opportunities associated with future offshore wind development. The findings from the original report indicate that under the modeled scenario, offshore wind can be expected to achieve significant cost reductions and may approach economic viability in some parts of the United States within the next 15 years.« less

Key challenges of offshore wind power: Three essays addressing public acceptance, stakeholder conflict, and wildlife impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bates, Alison Waterbury

Society is facing a pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit anthropogenic climate change, which has far reaching implications for humans and the environment. Transforming the energy infrastructure to carbon-free sources is one solution to curb greenhouse gas emissions, but this transformation has been slow to materialize in many places, such as the United States (U.S.). Offshore wind energy is one of the most promising renewable energy sources available, which can be deployed in large-scale developments in many parts of the world. Yet, offshore wind has faced many challenges, which are more social and regulatory than technical. This dissertation addresses social and regulatory issues surrounding offshore wind development through three stand-alone essays, which, in combination, address a decision-making framework of where to locate offshore wind turbines, by minimizing effects on people and wildlife. The challenges to offshore wind that are addressed by this dissertation include (1) understanding underlying factors that drive support for or opposition to offshore wind energy; (2) conflict with existing ocean uses and users; and (3) public concern and regulatory processes related to wildlife impacts. The first paper identifies unique factors that drive public opinion of proposed offshore wind projects in nearby coastal communities. Wind energy development on land has faced local opposition for reasons such as effects on cultural landscapes and wildlife, which can be instrumental in whether or not and the speed with which a project moves ahead toward completion. Factors leading to support for, or opposition to, offshore wind energy are not well known, particularly for developments that are near-shore and in-view of coastal communities. Results are presented from a survey of 699 residents (35.5% response rate) completed in 2013 in greater Atlantic City, New Jersey and coastal Delaware, United States, where near-shore wind demonstration projects had been proposed. The essay examines how the public considers the societal tradeoffs that are made to develop small-scale, in-view demonstration wind projects instead of larger facilities farther offshore. Results indicate that a strong majority of the public supports near-shore demonstration wind projects in both states. Primary reasons for support include benefits to wildlife, cost of electricity, and job creation, while the primary reasons for opposition include wildlife impacts, aesthetics, tourism, and user conflicts. These factors differ between coastal Delaware and greater Atlantic City and highlight the importance of local, community engagement in the early stages of development. The second essay examines the interaction of a new proposed use of the ocean---offshore wind---and a key existing ocean user group---commercial fishers. A key component of offshore wind planning includes consideration of existing uses of the marine environment in order to optimally site wind projects while minimizing conflicts. Commercial fisheries comprise an important stakeholder group, and may be one of the most impacted stakeholders from offshore renewable energy development. Concern of the fishing industry stems from possible interference with productive fishing grounds and access within wind developments resulting in costs from increased effort or reduction in catch. Success of offshore wind development may in part depend on the acceptance of commercial fishers, who are concerned about loss of access to fishing grounds. Using a quantitative, marine spatial planning approach in the siting of offshore wind projects with respect to commercial fishing in the mid-Atlantic, U.S., this essay develops a spatially explicit representation of potential conflicts and compatibilities between these two industries in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Areas that are highly valuable to the wind industry are determined through a spatial suitability model using variable cost per unit energy. Areas that are highly valuable to the fishing industry are determined by examining fishing effort in three high-value fishing sectors (sea scallops, clam fisheries, and high-value mobile fisheries). Ultimately, the results identify locations where the industries are conflicting and where they are compatible. This quantitative analysis of the potential tradeoffs between the commercial fishing industry and offshore wind development benefits wind developers, states, and federal regulators by helping advance offshore wind power to meet national priorities. Finally, the third essay addresses wildlife impacts through a comprehensive review of the impacts to marine mammals and the regulatory context to manage these impacts. Regulators, scientists, and stakeholders are interested in the potential impacts from pre-construction surveys, turbine installation, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning of offshore wind sites. This article reviews both commissioned reports and peer-reviewed literature to provide a comprehensive overview of the expected impacts of offshore wind energy to marine mammals. Impacts include noise, which is generated during three stages of development: investigation/construction, operation, and decommissioning. Additional potential effects arise from electromagnetic fields, changes in prey abundance and distribution, and the creation of artificial reefs and 'de-facto' marine protected areas. Because offshore wind power may also deliver substantial long-term benefits to wildlife and humans in the form of reduced CO2 emissions, implementation of mitigation measures to reduce negative impacts to marine mammals may be a plausible option to help this industry advance. An overview of mitigation options is reviewed, as well as the legal framework protecting marine mammals from anthropogenic impacts. Finally, the essay makes several recommendations where government and wind developers can improve research and regulatory processes to increase efficiency and streamline the application and review process.

Development of mooring-anchor program in public domain for coupling with floater program for FOWTs (Floating Offshore Wind Turbines)

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

Kim, MooHyun

2014-08-01

This report presents the development of offshore anchor data sets which are intended to be used to develop a database that allows preliminary selection and sizing of anchors for the conceptual design of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs). The study is part of a project entitled “Development of Mooring-Anchor Program in Public Domain for Coupling with Floater Program for FOWTs (Floating Offshore Wind Turbines)”, under the direction of Dr. Moo-Hyun Kim at the Texas A&M University and with the sponsorship from the US Department of Energy (Contract No. DE-EE0005479, CFDA # 81.087 for DE-FOA-0000415, Topic Area 1.3: Subsurface Mooring andmore » Anchoring Dynamics Models).« less

The harm of petroleum-polluted soil and its remediation research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shuguang; Xu, Yan; Lin, Zhaofeng; Zhang, Jishi; Norbu, Namkha; Liu, Wei

2017-08-01

Land resources are the foundation of human's survival and development, and it's one of the most valuable natural resources of each country. In view of the serious problems of petroleum pollution to soil caused during the exploration and development processes, this article based on a large number of literature researches, firstly discussed the compositions and properties of petroleum contaminants, secondly investigated some restoration methods for the current situation of petroleum polluted soil, compared and analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of three kinds of bioremediation technologies. Finally, according to the deficiencies of previous research and existing problems, made an outlook of the physical and chemical remediation, bioremediation, and microbe-plant remediation, to provide some enlightenments for petroleum-contaminated soil remediation.

A framework for assessing water and proppant use and flowback water extraction associated with development of continuous petroleum resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haines, Seth S.; Cook, Troy; Thamke, Joanna N.; Davis, Kyle W.; Long, Andrew J.; Healy, Richard W.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Engle, Mark A.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey is developing approaches for the quantitative assessment of water and proppant involved with possible future production of continuous petroleum deposits. The assessment approach is an extension of existing U.S. Geological Survey petroleum-assessment methods, and it aims to provide objective information that helps decision makers understand the tradeoffs inherent in resource-development decisions. This fact sheet provides an overview of U.S. Geological Survey assessments for quantities of water and proppant required for drilling and hydraulic fracturing and for flowback water extracted with petroleum; the report also presents the form of the intended assessment output information.

Petroleum Release Assessment and Impacts of Weather Extremes

EPA Science Inventory

Contaminated ground water and vapor intrusion are two major exposure pathways of concern at petroleum release sites. EPA has recently developed a model for petroleum vapor intrusion, called PVIScreen, which incorporates variability and uncertainty in input parameters. This ap...

Parametric study on the behavior of an innovative subsurface tension leg platform in ultra-deep water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhen, Xing-wei; Huang, Yi

2017-10-01

This study focuses on a new technology of Subsurface Tension Leg Platform (STLP), which utilizes the shallowwater rated well completion equipment and technology for the development of large oil and gas fields in ultra-deep water (UDW). Thus, the STLP concept offers attractive advantages over conventional field development concepts. STLP is basically a pre-installed Subsurface Sea-star Platform (SSP), which supports rigid risers and shallow-water rated well completion equipment. The paper details the results of the parametric study on the behavior of STLP at a water depth of 3000 m. At first, a general description of the STLP configuration and working principle is introduced. Then, the numerical models for the global analysis of the STLP in waves and current are presented. After that, extensive parametric studies are carried out with regarding to SSP/tethers system analysis, global dynamic analysis and riser interference analysis. Critical points are addressed on the mooring pattern and riser arrangement under the influence of ocean current, to ensure that the requirements on SSP stability and riser interference are well satisfied. Finally, conclusions and discussions are made. The results indicate that STLP is a competitive well and riser solution in up to 3000 m water depth for offshore petroleum production.

Engineering and Economics of the USGS Circum-Arctic Oil and Gas Resource Appraisal (CARA) Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verma, Mahendra K.; White, Loring P.; Gautier, Donald L.

2008-01-01

This Open-File report contains illustrative materials, in the form of PowerPoint slides, used for an oral presentation given at the Fourth U.S. Geological Survey Workshop on Reserve Growth of petroleum resources held on March 10-11, 2008. The presentation focused on engineering and economic aspects of the Circum-Arctic Oil and Gas Resource Appraisal (CARA) project, with a special emphasis on the costs related to the development of hypothetical oil and gas fields of different sizes and reservoir characteristics in the North Danmarkshavn Basin off the northeast coast of Greenland. The individual PowerPoint slides highlight the topics being addressed in an abbreviated format; they are discussed below, and are amplified with additional text as appropriate. Also included in this report are the summary results of a typical ?run? to generate the necessary capital and operating costs for the development of an offshore oil field off the northeast coast of Greenland; the data are displayed in MS Excel format generated using Questor software (IHS Energy, Inc.). U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) acknowledges that this report includes data supplied by IHS Energy, Inc.; Copyright (2008) all rights reserved. IHS Energy has granted USGS the permission to publish this report.

Offshore wind development research (technical brief).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

The study addresses all aspects of Offshore Wind (OSW) development. This includes identifying : vessel types, vessel installation methods, needs and operating characteristics through all phases : of OSW installation, construction, operations and main...

Organic matter variations in transgressive and regressive shales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pasley, M.A.; Gregory, W.A.; Hart, G.F.

1991-01-01

Organic matter in the Upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale adjacent to the Tocito Sandstone in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico was characterized using organic petrology and organic geochemistry. Differences in the organic matter found in these regressive and transgressive offshore marine sediments have been documented and assessed within a sequence stratigraphic framework. The regressive Lower Mancos Shale below the Tocito Sandstone contains abundant well preserved phytoclasts and correspondingly low hydrogen indices. Total organic carbon values for the regressive shale are low. Sediments from the transgressive systems tract (Tocito Sandstone and overlying Upper Mancos Shale) contain less terrestrially derived organic matter, more amorphous non-structured protistoclasts, higher hydrogen indices and more total organic carbon. Advanced stages of degradation are characteristic of the phytoclasts found in the transgressive shale. Amorphous material in the transgressive shale fluoresces strongly while that found in the regressive shale is typically non-fluorescent. Data from pyrolysis-gas chromatography confirm these observations. These differences are apparently related to the contrasting depositional styles that were active on the shelf during regression and subsequent transgression. It is suggested that data from organic petrology and organic geochemistry provide greater resolution in sedimentologic and stratigraphic interpretations, particularly when working with basinward, fine-grained sediments. Petroleum source potential for the regressive Lower Mancos Shale below the Tocito Sandstone is poor. Based on abundant fluorescent amorphous material, high hydrogen indices, and high total organic carbon, the transgressive Upper Mancos Shale above the Tocito Sandstone possesses excellent source potential. This suggests that appreciable source potential can be found in offshore, fine-grained sediments of the transgressive systems tract below the condensed section and associated downlap surface. Organic petrology can be used to accurately predict petroleum source potential. The addition of simple fluorescence microscopy greatly enhances this predictive ability because non-generative amorphous material is generally non-fluorescent. Organic petrology must also be used to properly evaluate the utility of Tmax from programmed pyrolysis as a thermal maturity indicator. Organic matter dominated by autochthonous amorphous protistoclasts exhibits lower Tmax values than that which is composed of mostly phytoclasts. ?? 1991.

The United Nations Framework Classification for World Petroleum Resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ahlbrandt, T.S.; Blystad, P.; Young, E.D.; Slavov, S.; Heiberg, S.

2003-01-01

The United Nations has developed an international framework classification for solid fuels and minerals (UNFC). This is now being extended to petroleum by building on the joint classification of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the World Petroleum Congresses (WPC) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). The UNFC is a 3-dimansional classification. This: Is necessary in order to migrate accounts of resource quantities that are developed on one or two of the axes to the common basis; Provides for more precise reporting and analysis. This is particularly useful in analyses of contingent resources. The characteristics of the SPE/WPC/AAPG classification has been preserved and enhanced to facilitate improved international and national petroleum resource management, corporate business process management and financial reporting. A UN intergovernmental committee responsible for extending the UNFC to extractive energy resources (coal, petroleum and uranium) will meet in Geneva on October 30th and 31st to review experiences gained and comments received during 2003. A recommended classification will then be delivered for consideration to the United Nations through the Committee on Sustainable Energy of the Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE).

An Approach for Developing Site-Specific Lateral and Vertical Inclusion Zones within which Structures Should be Evaluated for Petroleum Vapor Intrusion due to Releases of Motor Fuel from Underground Storage Tanks

EPA Science Inventory

Buildings may be at risk from Petroleum Vapor Intrusion (PVI) when they overlie petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in the unsaturated zone or dissolved in groundwater. The U.S. EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) is preparing Guidance for Addressing Petroleum Vapor I...

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

Hamilton, Bruce Duncan

The objective of the report is to provide an assessment of the domestic supply chain and manufacturing infrastructure supporting the U.S. offshore wind market. The report provides baseline information and develops a strategy for future development of the supply chain required to support projected offshore wind deployment levels. A brief description of each of the key chapters includes: » Chapter 1: Offshore Wind Plant Costs and Anticipated Technology Advancements. Determines the cost breakdown of offshore wind plants and identifies technical trends and anticipated advancements in offshore wind manufacturing and construction. » Chapter 2: Potential Supply Chain Requirements and Opportunities. Providesmore » an organized, analytical approach to identifying and bounding the uncertainties associated with a future U.S. offshore wind market. It projects potential component-level supply chain needs under three demand scenarios and identifies key supply chain challenges and opportunities facing the future U.S. market as well as current suppliers of the nation’s land-based wind market. » Chapter 3: Strategy for Future Development. Evaluates the gap or competitive advantage of adding manufacturing capacity in the U.S. vs. overseas, and evaluates examples of policies that have been successful . » Chapter 4: Pathways for Market Entry. Identifies technical and business pathways for market entry by potential suppliers of large-scale offshore turbine components and technical services. The report is intended for use by the following industry stakeholder groups: (a) Industry participants who seek baseline cost and supplier information for key component segments and the overall U.S. offshore wind market (Chapters 1 and 2). The component-level requirements and opportunities presented in Section 2.3 will be particularly useful in identifying market sizes, competition, and risks for the various component segments. (b) Federal, state, and local policymakers and economic development agencies, to assist in identifying policies with low effort and high impact (Chapter 3). Section 3.3 provides specific policy examples that have been demonstrated to be effective in removing barriers to development. (c) Current and potential domestic suppliers in the offshore wind market, in evaluating areas of opportunity and understanding requirements for participation (Chapter 4). Section 4.4 provides a step-by-step description of the qualification process that suppliers looking to sell components into a future U.S. offshore wind market will need to follow.« less

Petroleum resource potential GIS of northern Afghanistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steinshouer, Douglas W.; Klett, Timothy R.; Ulmishek, Gregory F.; Wandrey, Craig J.; Wahl, Ronald R.; Hill, Ronald J.; Pribil, Michael J.; Pawlewicz, Mark J.; King, J. David; Agena, Warren F.; Taylor, David J.; Amirzada, Abdulla; Selab, Amir Mohammad; Mutteh, Abdul-Salam; Haidari, Ghulam Naqshband; Wardak, Moeengul Gullabudeen

2006-01-01

The CD-ROM contains an ESRI ArcReader format GIS project presenting the results of a petroleum resource assessment of Northern Afghanistan, and other data used in the petroleum assessment. Geologic, structural, field, well, political, and other GIS layers covering Afghanistan, Northern Afghanistan and adjacent areas, along with associated geochemical and other data tables pertinent to a petroleum assessment are included. The purpose of this GIS is to provide the basic data layers and tables required to support the petroleum assessment, data for further exploration and development, and an index of known data.

Jason Jonkman | NREL

Science.gov Websites

-based and offshore wind turbines. He also guides projects aimed at verifying, validating, and applying developing, verifying, and validating simulation models for offshore wind turbines. He is the principal investigator for a DOE-funded project to improve the modeling of offshore floating wind system dynamics. He

2014-2015 Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report

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

Smith, Aaron

2015-11-18

This presentation provides an overview of progress toward offshore wind cost reduction in Europe and implications for the U.S. market. The presentation covers an overview of offshore wind developments, economic and performance trends, empirical evidence of LCOE reduction, and challenges and opportunities in the U.S. market.

2014–2015 Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report

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

Smith, Aaron; Stehly, Tyler; Musial, Walter

2015-09-30

This report provides data and analysis to assess the status of the U.S. offshore wind industry through June 30, 2015. It builds on the foundation laid by the Navigant Consortium, which produced three market reports between 2012 and 2014. The report summarizes domestic and global market developments, technology trends, and economic data to help U.S. offshore wind industry stakeholders, including policymakers, regulators, developers, financiers, and supply chain participants, to identify barriers and opportunities.

Theory of bargaining between multinational corporations and developing countries over mineral and petroleum-extraction contracts

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

King, P.G.

1987-01-01

The history of negotiations between multinational corporations and less-developed countries involved in mineral and petroleum extraction has been widely examined. Virtually all case studies of the history of negotiations over these contracts demonstrate that, over time, the contracts tend to be renegotiated on terms more favorable to the developing country. This thesis begins by examining three case studies of negotiations between Third World countries and mineral or petroleum extracting multinational corporations: bauxite in Jamaica, petroleum in Indonesia, and copper in Chile. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that the history of negotiations in Jamaica and Indonesia is inconsistent with the oftenmore » cited theory (Morgan (1975)) that the LDC's increase in profit-share stems from the country's development of negotiating, supervisory, and operating skills. However, in all of these case studies, renegotiations often took place when the country was experiencing an economic or political crisis. The contract renegotiations appear to be an (often successful) attempt by the ruling regime to maintain power. Another aspect of mineral and petroleum extraction is that investment tends to be lumpy. Typically, mineral and petroleum extraction involves an enormous initial investment within the sovereign territory of the LDC, generally financed by the MNC.« less

Terminology Guideline for Classifying Offshore Wind Energy Resources

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

Beiter, Philipp; Musial, Walt

The purpose of this guideline is to establish a clear and consistent vocabulary for conveying offshore wind resource potential and to interpret this vocabulary in terms that are familiar to the oil and gas (O&G) industry. This involves clarifying and refining existing definitions of offshore wind energy resource classes. The terminology developed in this guideline represents one of several possible sets of vocabulary that may differ with respect to their purpose, data availability, and comprehensiveness. It was customized to correspond with established offshore wind practices and existing renewable energy industry terminology (e.g. DOE 2013, Brown et al. 2015) while conformingmore » to established fossil resource classification as best as possible. The developers of the guideline recognize the fundamental differences that exist between fossil and renewable energy resources with respect to availability, accessibility, lifetime, and quality. Any quantitative comparison between fossil and renewable energy resources, including offshore wind, is therefore limited. For instance, O&G resources are finite and there may be significant uncertainty associated with the amount of the resource. In contrast, aboveground renewable resources, such as offshore wind, do not generally deplete over time but can vary significantly subhourly, daily, seasonally, and annually. The intent of this guideline is to make these differences transparent and develop an offshore wind resource classification that conforms to established fossil resource classifications where possible. This guideline also provides methods to quantitatively compare certain offshore wind energy resources to O&G resource classes for specific applications. Finally, this guideline identifies areas where analogies to established O&G terminology may be inappropriate or subject to misinterpretation.« less

Monitoring of Hydrocarbons in Sediment and Biota Related to Oil and Gas Development in Near- and Off-Shore Areas of the Arctic Beaufort Sea, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durell, G.; Hardin, J.; Libby, S.

2016-02-01

There is increasing interest in extracting oil and gas from offshore environments of Alaska. The Arctic Nearshore Impact Monitoring in Development Area (ANIMIDA) project, started in 1999, has been producing information to evaluate potential effects of oil and gas activities in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. ANIMIDA was preceded by the Beaufort Sea Monitoring Program. Monitoring has mostly been in pre-drilling locations, but also during development and production periods. Surveys were conducted to assess bottom sediment, sediment cores, suspended sediment, and biota for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), saturated hydrocarbons, biological and petroleum markers, and geophysical parameters. The concentrations measured in sediments and biota were at or near background throughout most of the Beaufort Sea. There were no significant differences between exploration, production, and background locations, and the concentrations were consistently below those of ecological concern. For instance, TPAH in sediment ranged from below 100 to about 1,000 µg/kg and were controlled primarily by sediment characteristics (e.g., grain size and organic carbon). Hydrocarbons in sediments were from petrogenic, pyrogenic, and biogenic sources. Small areas with indications of input of anthropogenic chemicals were identified by sensitive diagnostic analysis techniques and are possibly associated with historic exploratory drilling and vessels. Sediment cores indicate a uniform historical deposition of hydrocarbons, although some evidence of past drilling activities were observed. Fish, amphipods, and clams contained background levels of hydrocarbons and showed no evidence of effects from accumulation of contaminants; TPAH concentrations were below 100 µg/kg in most biota. Noteworthy interannual fluctuations were observed for PAH concentrations in sediment and biota, likely due to winnowing of sediment fines by large storms and annual variations in river discharges. Significant natural sources were identified; rivers deliver about 80% of the annual suspended solids to Beaufort Sea within a 2-3 week period each spring with significant input of hydrocarbons from terrestrial sources. The ANIMIDA project has provided monitoring information that can confidently be used for future environmental management.

Assessment of Technologies Used to Characterize Wildlife Populations in the Offshore Environment

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

Duberstein, Corey A.; Tagestad, Jerry D.; Larson, Kyle B.

Wind energy development in the offshore environment can have both direct and indirect effects on wildlife, yet little is known about most species that use near-shore and offshore waters due in part to the difficulty involved in studying animals in remote, challenging environments. Traditional methods to characterize offshore wildlife populations include shipboard observations. Technological advances have provided researches with an array of technologies to gather information about fauna from afar. This report describes the use and application of radar, thermal and optical imagery, and acoustic detection technologies for monitoring birds, bats, and marine mammals in offshore environments.

Senu Sirnivas | NREL

Science.gov Websites

issues in the development of offshore wind energy technology. He advises, facilitates, and executes laboratory initiatives in offshore wind, working closely with DOE, industry, and university research partners . Prior to joining NREL, he worked in the offshore oil and gas industry for 20 years. Education M.S. in

Reservoirs and petroleum systems of the Gulf Coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitman, Janet K.

2010-01-01

This GIS product was designed to provide a quick look at the ages and products (oil or gas) of major reservoir intervals with respect to the different petroleum systems that have been identified in the Gulf Coast Region. The three major petroleum source-rock systems are the Tertiary (Paleocene-Eocene) Wilcox Formation, Cretaceous (Turonian) Eagle Ford Formation, and Jurassic (Oxfordian) Smackover Formation. The ages of the reservoir units extend from Jurassic to Pleistocene. By combining various GIS layers, the user can gain insights into the maximum extent of each petroleum system and the pathways for petroleum migration from the source rocks to traps. Interpretations based on these data should improve development of exploration models for this petroleum-rich province.

Qatar chooses Snam to market LNG in Europe

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

Not Available

This paper reports that Qatar has chosen Italy's Snam SpA as its European partner to sell liquefied natural gas to Europe from a $4.8 billion joint venture project involving supergiant North offshore gas field. State owned Qatar General petroleum Corp. (QGPC) and Snam signed an agreement in Doha to create a joint company owned 65% by QGPC and the remainder by Snam. Italy's state electricity monopoly, ENEL, which is seeking Qatari gas a fuel for its power plants, may later acquire part of Snam's interest in the project. The joint venture will transport and market North LNG to Europe. Exportsmore » to Europe by Snam via Italy, to begin in 1997, are expected to be 283 bcf/year at first and may climb to 459 bcf/year, depending upon demand.« less

Thermal alteration experiments on organic matter from recent marine sediments in relation to petroleum genesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ishiwatari, R.; Ishiwatari, M.; Rohrback, B. G.; Kaplan, I. R.

1977-01-01

Three fractions of organic matter: lipid (benzene:methanol-extractable), humic acid (alkali-extractable) and kerogen (residue) were extracted from a young marine sediment (Tanner Basin, offshore southern California) and heated for different times (5-116 hr) and temperatures (150-410 C). The volatile (gases) and liquid products, as well as residual material, were then analyzed. On a weight basis, the lipid fraction produced 58% of the total identified n-alkanes, the kerogen fraction 41%, and the humic acid less than 1%. The volatiles produced by heating the lipid and humic acid fractions were largely CO2 and water, whereas those produced from heated kerogen also included methane, hydrogen gas and small amounts of C2-C4 hydrocarbons. A mechanism for hydrocarbon production due to the thermal alteration of organic constituents of marine sediment is discussed.

Seismic data compression speeds exploration projects

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

Galibert, P.Y.

As part of an ongoing commitment to ensure industry-wide distribution of its revolutionary seismic data compression technology, Chevron Petroleum Technology Co. (CPTC) has entered into licensing agreements with Compagnie Generale de Geophysique (CGG) and other seismic contractors for use of its software in oil and gas exploration programs. CPTC expects use of the technology to be far-reaching to all of its industry partners involved in seismic data collection, processing, analysis and storage. Here, CGG--one of the world`s leading seismic acquisition and processing companies--talks about its success in applying the new methodology to replace full on-board seismic processing. Chevron`s technology ismore » already being applied on large off-shore 3-D seismic surveys. Worldwide, CGG has acquired more than 80,000 km of seismic data using the data compression technology.« less

Definition of a 5-MW Reference Wind Turbine for Offshore System Development

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

Jonkman, J.; Butterfield, S.; Musial, W.

2009-02-01

This report describes a three-bladed, upwind, variable-speed, variable blade-pitch-to-feather-controlled multimegawatt wind turbine model developed by NREL to support concept studies aimed at assessing offshore wind technology.

Lessons in microbial geochemistry from the Coal Oil Point seep field: progress as prospects.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentine, D. L.; Kinnaman, F.; Wardlaw, G.; Redmond, M.; Ding, H.; Kimball, J.; Busso, L.; Larson, A.

2005-12-01

The hydrocarbon seeps located offshore Coal Oil Point, Santa Barbara, CA, are estimated to emit 1010 grams of methane and 50 thousand barrels of oil annually, and are among the most prolific in the world. The seep field spans a range of shelf depths and many of the seeps are accessible by SCUBA, making this an ideal location to investigate the impact of microbes on the biogeochemical cycling of methane and other hydrocarbons. With funding provided by the National Science Foundation, the Minerals Management Service and the Petroleum Research Fund, we have begun to investigate the interactions between microbes, hydrocarbon distributions, and environmental dynamics in the seep environment. This presentation will provide an overview of Coal Oil Point seep field and the biogeochemical research being conducted there. Several topics will be incorporated including i) the dynamics of oil and gas seepage, ii) the microbial consumption of methane, ethane, propane, butane and crude oil, iii) the distribution and composition of microbial mats, iv) redox differentiation in seep sediments and the importance of advection, and v) the development of experimental tools for the investigation of seep environments. Prospects for future biochemical research in the Coal Oil Point seep field will also be discussed.

Thermal Tracker: The Secret Lives of Bats and Birds Revealed

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

None

Offshore wind developers and stakeholders can accelerate the sustainable, widespread deployment of offshore wind using a new open-source software program, called ThermalTracker. Researchers can now collect the data they need to better understand the potential effects of offshore wind turbines on bird and bat populations. This plug and play software can be used with any standard desktop computer, thermal camera, and statistical software to identify species and behaviors of animals in offshore locations.

Future Oil and Gas Resources of the World: A Coming Supply Crisis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahlbrandt, T. S.

2002-05-01

Is the world running out of oil? Where will future oil and gas supplies come from? To help answer these questions, the U.S. Geological Survey completed in 2000 a new assessment of the undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources and potential additions to reserves from field growth. One hundred and twenty-eight provinces were assessed in a 100 man-year effort from 1995-2000. The assessed provinces included 76 priority provinces containing 95 percent of the world's discovered oil and gas and an additional 52 "boutique" provinces, many of which may be highly prospective. Total Petroleum Systems (TPS) were identified and described for each of these provinces along with associated Assessment Units (AU) that are the basic units for assessing undiscovered petroleum. The assessment process coupled geologic analysis with a probabilistic methodology to estimate remaining potential. Within the 128 assessed provinces, were 159 TPS and 274 AU. For these provinces, the endowment of recoverable oil, which includes cumulative production, remaining reserves, reserve growth, and undiscovered resources is estimated at about 3 trillion barrels of oil (TBO). The natural gas endowment is estimated at 2.6 trillion barrels of oil equivalent (TBOE). Oil reserves are currently 1.1 TBO; world consumption is about .028 TBO per year. Natural gas reserves are about .8 TBOE; world consumption is about .014 TBOE. Thus, without any additional discoveries of oil, gas or natural gas liquids, we have about 2 TBOE of proved petroleum reserves. Of the oil and gas endowment of about 5.6 TBOE, we estimate that the world has consumed about 1 TBOE, or 18 percent leaving about 82 percent of endowment to be utilized or found. Half of the world's undiscovered potential is offshore. Arctic basins with about 25 percent of undiscovered petroleum resources make up the next great frontier. An additional 279 provinces contain some oil and gas and, if considered, would increase the oil and gas endowment estimates. While petroleum resources in the world appear to be significant, certain countries such as the U.S. may run into import deficits particularly oil imports from Mexico and natural gas from Canada. The new assessment has been used as the reference supply case in energy supply models by the International Energy Agency and the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy. Climate energy modeling groups such as Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and others have also used the estimates in global climate models. Many of these models using the USGS estimates, converge on potential oil shortfalls in 2036-2040. A transition to increased use of natural gas is expected, but gas in turn may experience similar supply concerns in the 2050-2060 time frame. A coal bridge-to-the-future model as well a realistic view of non-renewable resources in the future will be discussed. Non-conventional oil and gas are quite common in the petroleum provinces of the world and represent a significant resource yet to be fully studied and developed. Seventeen non-conventional AU, including coal-bed methane, basin-center gas, continuous oil, and gas hydrate occurrences, have been preliminarily identified for future assessment. Initial efforts to assess heavy oil deposits and other non-conventional oil and gas deposits are also underway. Digital products from the World Energy Project may be downloaded at (http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/energy/WorldEnergy/WEnergy.html).

Petroleum: An energy profile. [CONTAINS GLOSSARY

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

Not Available

1991-08-01

This publication is intended as a general reference about petroleum: its origins, production, refining, marketing, and use. This report presents an overview of refined petroleum products and their use, crude oil reserves and production, refining technology and US refining capacity, the development and operation of petroleum markets, and foreign trade. A statistical supplement, an appendix describing refining operations, a glossary, and bibliographic references for additional sources of information are also included. 36 figs., 4 tabs.

Petroleum geology and resources of the middle Caspian Basin, Former Soviet Union

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ulmishek, Gregory F.

2001-01-01

The Middle Caspian basin occupies a large area between the Great Caucasus foldbelt and the southern edge of the Precambrian Russian craton. The basin also includes the central part of the Caspian Sea and the South Mangyshlak subbasin east of the sea. The basin was formed on the Hercynian accreted terrane during Late Permian?Triassic through Quaternary time. Structurally, the basin consists of the fold-and-thrust zone of the northern Caucasus foothills, the foredeep and foreland slope, the Stavropol-Prikumsk uplift and East Manych trough to the north of the slope, and the South Mangyshlak subbasin and slope of the Karabogaz arch east of the Caspian Sea. All these major structures extend offshore. Four total petroleum systems (TPS) have been identified in the basin. The South Mangyshlak TPS contains more than 40 discovered fields. The principal reserves are in Lower?Middle Jurassic sandstone reservoirs in structural traps. Source rocks are poorly known, but geologic data indicate that they are in the Triassic taphrogenic sequence. Migration of oil and gas significantly postdated maturation of source rocks and was related to faulting and fracturing during middle Miocene to present time. A single assessment unit covers the entire TPS. Largest undiscovered resources of this assessment unit are expected in the largely undrilled offshore portion of the TPS, especially on the western plunge of the Mangyshlak meganticline. The Terek-Caspian TPS occupies the fold-and-thrust belt, foredeep, and adjoining foreland slope. About 50 hydrocarbon fields, primarily oil, have been discovered in the TPS. Almost all hydrocarbon reserves are in faulted structural traps related to thrusting of the foldbelt, and most traps are in frontal edges of the thrust sheets. The traps are further complicated by plastic deformation of Upper Jurassic salt and Maykop series (Oligocene? lower Miocene) shale. Principal reservoirs are fractured Upper Cretaceous carbonates and middle Miocene sandstones. Principal source rocks are organic-rich shales in the lower part of the Maykop series. Source rocks may also be present in the Eocene, Upper Jurassic, and Middle Jurassic sections, but their contribution to discovered reserves is probably small. Three assessment units are delineated in the TPS. One of them encompasses the thrust-and-fold belt of northern Caucasus foothills. This assessment unit contains most of the undiscovered oil resources. The second assessment unit occupies the foredeep and largely undeformed foreland slope. Undiscovered resources of this unit are relatively small and primarily related to stratigraphic traps. The third unit is identified in almost untested subsalt Jurassic rocks occurring at great depths and is speculative. The unit may contain significant amounts of gas under the Upper Jurassic salt seal. The Stavropol-Prikumsk TPS lies north of the Terek-Caspian TPS and extends offshore into the central Caspian Sea where geologic data are scarce. More than one hundred oil and gas fields have been found onshore. Offshore, only one well was recently drilled, and this well discovered a large oil and gas field. Almost the entire sedimentary section of the TPS is productive; however, the principal oil reserves are in Lower Cretaceous clastic reservoirs in structural traps of the Prikumsk uplift. Most original gas reserves are in Paleogene reservoirs of the Stavropol arch and these reservoirs are largely depleted. At least three source rock formations, in the Lower Triassic, Middle Jurassic, and Oligocene?lower Miocene (Maykop series), are present in the TPS. Geochemical data are inadequate to correlate oils and gases in most reservoirs with particular source rocks, and widespread mixing of hydrocarbons apparently took place. Three assessment units encompassing the onshore area of the TPS, the offshore continuation of the Prikumsk uplift, and the central Caspian area, are identified. The

78 FR 13631 - Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Request for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-28

... Services Limited Chongqing Petroleum Special Pipeline Factory of CNPC Sichuan Petroleum Goods & Material... Pipeline Materials Company Limited Shanghai Baodi Petroleum Pipe Development Co., Ltd Shanghai Baofu Steel... request. Respondent Selection In the event the Department limits the number of respondents for individual...

77 FR 14343 - Announcement of the American Petroleum Institute's Standards Activities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-09

... Petroleum Institute develops and publishes voluntary standards for equipment, materials, operations, and processes for the petroleum and natural gas industry. These standards are used by both private industry and... Transportation of Line Pipe, 1st Edition. Recommended Practice 6DR, Repair and Remanufacture of Pipeline Valves...

Petroleum geology and resources of southeastern Mexico, northern Guatemala, and Belize

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, James A.

1983-01-01

Petroleum deposits in southeastern Mexico and Guatemala occur in two main basinal provinces, the Gulf Coast Tertiary basin area, which includes the Reforma and offshore Campeche Mesozoic fields, and the Peten basin of eastern Chiapas State (Mexico) and Guatemala. Gas production is mainly from Tertiary sandstone reservoirs of Miocene age. Major oil production, in order of importance, is from Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Jurassic carbonate reservoirs in the Reforma and offshore Campeche areas. Several small oil fields have been discovered in Cretaceous carbonate reservoirs in west-central Guatemala, and one major discovery has been reported in northwestern Guatemala. Small- to medium-sized oil accumulations also occur in Miocene sandstone reservoirs on salt structures in the Isthmus Saline basin of western Tabasco State, Mexico. Almost all important production is in salt structure traps or on domes and anticlines that may be related to deep-seated salt structures. Some minor oil production has occurred in Cretaceous carbonate reservoirs in a buried overthrust belt along the west flank of the Veracruz basin. The sedimentary cover of Paleozoic through Tertiary rocks ranges in thickness from about 6,000 m (20,000 ft) to as much as 12,000 m (40,000 ft) or more in most of the region. Paleozoic marine carbonate and clastic rocks 1,000 to 2,000 m (3,300 to 6,500 ft) thick overlie the metamorphic and igneous basement in part of the region; Triassic through Middle Jurassic red beds and evaporite deposits, including halite, apparently are present throughout the region, deposited in part in a Triassic graben system. Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) through Cretaceous rocks make up the bulk of the Mesozoic regional carbonate bank complex, which dominates most of the area. Tertiary marine and continental clastic rocks, some of deep water origin, 3,000 to 10,000 m (10,000 to 35,000 ft) thick, are present in the coastal plain Tertiary basins. These beds grade eastward into a carbonate sequence that overlies the Mesozoic carbonate complex on the Yucatan platform. During the past 10 years, about 50 large oil fields were discovered in the Reforma and offshore Campeche areas. Oil is produced from intensely microfractured Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Upper Jurassic dolomite reservoirs on blockfaulted salt swells or domes. Most fields are located in the Mesozoic carbonate-bank margin and forebank talus (Tamabra) facies, which passes through the offshore Campeche and onshore Reforma areas. Oil source rocks are believed to be organic-rich shales and shaly carbonate rocks of latest Jurassic and possibly Early Cretaceous age. At least six of the Mesozoic discoveries are giant or supergiant fields. The largest is the Cantarell complex (about 8 billion to 10 billion barrels (BB)) in the offshore Campeche area and the Bermudez complex (about 8 BB) in the Reforma onshore area. Oil columns are unusually large (from 50 m to as much as 1,000 m, or 160 ft to 3,300 ft). Production rates are extremely high, averaging at least 3,000 to 5,000 barrels of oil per day (bo/d); some wells produce more than 20,000 bo/d, particularly in the offshore Campeche area, where 30,000- to 60,000-bo/d wells are reported. Tertiary basin fields produce primarily from Miocene sandstone reservoirs. About 50 of these are oil fields ranging from 1 million barrels (MMB) to 200 MMB in size, located on faulted salt structures in the Isthmus Saline basin. Another 30 are gas or gas-condensate fields of a few billion cubic feet to 3 trillion to 4 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) located on salt structures or probable salt structures in the Macuspana, Comalcalco, Isthmus Saline, and Veracruz basins. Source rocks for the gas are believed to be carbonaceous shales interbedded with the sandstone reservoir bodies. Identified reserves in the southeastern Mexico-Guatemala area, almost all in the Mesozoic fields, are about 53 BB of oil, 3 BB of natural gas liquids, and 65 Tcf of gas. The estimat

Civil engineering in the Arctic offshore

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

Bennett, F.L.; Machemehl, J.L.

1985-01-01

This book presents the current state of practice and theory in the civil engineering aspects of offshore development in the Arctic. It also covers the emerging concepts and requirements, research and development needs, and a critique of present undergraduate programmes.

77 FR 5830 - Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-06

...] Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore... governments, offshore wind energy developers, and the public in the Department of the Interior's (DOI) ``Smart from the Start'' wind energy initiative offshore Massachusetts. The purpose of the ``Smart from the...

Canadian Offshore Schools in China: A Comparative Policy Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Fei

2017-01-01

Internationalisation is no longer a well-recognised feature unique to higher education. It has permeated K-12 education. However, little research has been done on internationalisation at the K-12 level, particularly on offshore schools. This study examines how Canadian and Chinese policies regarding offshore schools have developed over the years,…

Rapid fingerprinting of spilled petroleum products using fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor and principal component analysis.

PubMed

Mirnaghi, Fatemeh S; Soucy, Nicholas; Hollebone, Bruce P; Brown, Carl E

2018-05-19

The characterization of spilled petroleum products in an oil spill is necessary for identifying the spill source, selection of clean-up strategies, and evaluating potential environmental and ecological impacts. Existing standard methods for the chemical characterization of spilled oils are time-consuming due to the lengthy sample preparation for analysis. The main objective of this study is the development of a rapid screening method for the fingerprinting of spilled petroleum products using excitation/emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy, thereby delivering a preliminary evaluation of the petroleum products within hours after a spill. In addition, the developed model can be used for monitoring the changes of aromatic compositions of known spilled oils over time. This study involves establishing a fingerprinting model based on the composition of polycyclic and heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH and HAHs, respectively) of 130 petroleum products at different states of evaporative weathering. The screening model was developed using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) of a large EEM dataset. The significant fluorescing components for each sample class were determined. After which, through principal component analysis (PCA), the variation of scores of their modeled factors was discriminated based on the different classes of petroleum products. This model was then validated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The rapid fingerprinting and the identification of unknown and new spilled oils occurs through matching the spilled product with the products of the developed model. Finally, it was shown that HAH compounds in asphaltene and resins contribute to ≥4-ring PAHs compounds in petroleum products. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Offshoring of healthcare services: the case of US-India trade in medical transcription services.

PubMed

Kshetri, Nir; Dholakia, Nikhilesh

2011-01-01

- The issue of offshore outsourcing of healthcare services is a critical but little-examined problem in healthcare research. The purpose of this study is to contribute to filling this void. A library-based study was carried out of the development of the Indian medical transcription offshoring industry. Findings- Cost-saving potential and the degree of outsourceability are higher for medical transcription compared with most services. Offshoring experience, typically in a low-value BPO, helps to enhance productivity and international linkages required for the success of medical transcription. Research limitations/implications - An important area of future research concerns comparing India's factor endowments in medical transcription outsourcing with other services. Further research is also needed to examine how India differs from its regional competitors in terms of factors endowments associated with these services. Another extension would be to investigate the drivers of offshoring of higher value services such as radiological readings. Practical implications - ICT infrastructures needed for outsourcing require much less investment compared with leading capital-intensive industries. The development patterns of the Indian medical and offshoring industries indicate that India may attract higher skilled medical functions in the future. The Indian offshoring industry is shifting its focus from BPO to knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). Developing countries need to shift to greater automation and greater levels of skill training to retain and reinforce their comparative advantages. This paper's greatest value stems from the fact that it examines the drivers of a new but rapidly growing healthcare industry.

Navigating a sea of values: Understanding public attitudes toward the ocean and ocean energy resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilley, Jonathan Charles

In examining ocean values and beliefs, this study investigates the moral and ethical aspects of the relationships that exist between humans and the marine environment. In short, this dissertation explores what the American public thinks of the ocean. The study places a specific focus upon attitudes to ocean energy development. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, this research: elicits mental models that exist in society regarding the ocean; unearths what philosophies underpin people's attitudes toward the ocean and offshore energy development; assesses whether these views have any bearing on pro-environmental behavior; and gauges support for offshore drilling and offshore wind development. Despite the fact that the ocean is frequently ranked as a second-tier environmental issue, Americans are concerned about the state of the marine environment. Additionally, the data show that lack of knowledge, rather than apathy, prevents people from undertaking pro-environmental action. With regard to philosophical beliefs, Americans hold slightly more nonanthropocentric than anthropocentric views toward the environment. Neither anthropocentrism nor nonanthropocentrism has any real impact on pro-environmental behavior, although nonanthropocentric attitudes reduce support for offshore wind. This research also uncovers two gaps between scientific and public perceptions of offshore wind power with respect to: 1) overall environmental effects; and 2) the size of the resource. Providing better information to the public in the first area may lead to a shift toward offshore wind support among opponents with nonanthropocentric attitudes, and in both areas, is likely to increase offshore wind support.

Idealized WRF model sensitivity simulations of sea breeze types and their effects on offshore windfields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, C. J.; Dorling, S. R.; von Glasow, R.; Bacon, J.

2012-06-01

The behaviour and characteristics of the marine component of sea breeze cells have received little attention relative to their onshore counterparts. Yet there is a growing interest and dependence on the offshore wind climate from, for example, a wind energy perspective. Using idealized model experiments, we investigate the sea breeze circulation at scales which approximate to those of the Southern North Sea, a region of major ongoing offshore wind farm development. We also contrast the scales and characteristics of the pure and the little known corkscrew and backdoor sea breeze types, where the type is pre-defined by the orientation of the synoptic scale flow relative to the shoreline. We find, crucially, that pure sea breezes, in contrast to corkscrew and backdoor types, can lead to substantial wind speed reductions offshore and that the addition of a second eastern coastline emphasises this effect through generation of offshore "calm zones". The offshore extent of all sea breeze types is found to be sensitive to both the influence of Coriolis acceleration and to the boundary layer scheme selected. These extents range, for example for a pure sea breeze produced in a 2 m s-1 offshore gradient wind, from 10 km to 40 km between the Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino and the Yonsei State University schemes, respectively. The corkscrew type restricts the development of a backdoor sea breeze on the eastern coast and is also capable of traversing a 100 km offshore domain even under high gradient wind speed (>15 m s-1) conditions. Realistic variations in sea surface skin temperature during the sea breeze season do not significantly affect the circulation, suggesting that a thermal contrast is only needed as a precondition to the development of the sea breeze. We highlight how sea breeze impacts on circulation need to be considered in order to improve the accuracy of assessments of the offshore wind energy climate.

Offshore Wind Plant Balance-of-Station Cost Drivers and Sensitivities (Poster)

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

Saur, G.; Maples, B.; Meadows, B.

2012-09-01

With Balance of System (BOS) costs contributing up to 70% of the installed capital cost, it is fundamental to understanding the BOS costs for offshore wind projects as well as potential cost trends for larger offshore turbines. NREL developed a BOS model using project cost estimates developed by GL Garrad Hassan. Aspects of BOS covered include engineering and permitting, ports and staging, transportation and installation, vessels, foundations, and electrical. The data introduce new scaling relationships for each BOS component to estimate cost as a function of turbine parameters and size, project parameters and size, and soil type. Based on themore » new BOS model, an analysis to understand the non-turbine costs associated with offshore turbine sizes ranging from 3 MW to 6 MW and offshore wind plant sizes ranging from 100 MW to 1000 MW has been conducted. This analysis establishes a more robust baseline cost estimate, identifies the largest cost components of offshore wind project BOS, and explores the sensitivity of the levelized cost of energy to permutations in each BOS cost element. This presentation shows results from the model that illustrates the potential impact of turbine size and project size on the cost of energy from US offshore wind plants.« less

Restoration of Circum-Arctic Upper Jurassic source rock paleolatitude based on crude oil geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, K.E.; Ramos, L.S.; Zumberge, J.E.; Valin, Z.C.; Scotese, C.R.

2008-01-01

Tectonic geochemical paleolatitude (TGP) models were developed to predict the paleolatitude of petroleum source rock from the geochemical composition of crude oil. The results validate studies designed to reconstruct ancient source rock depositional environments using oil chemistry and tectonic reconstruction of paleogeography from coordinates of the present day collection site. TGP models can also be used to corroborate tectonic paleolatitude in cases where the predicted paleogeography conflicts with the depositional setting predicted by the oil chemistry, or to predict paleolatitude when the present day collection locality is far removed from the source rock, as might occur due to long distance subsurface migration or transport of tarballs by ocean currents. Biomarker and stable carbon isotope ratios were measured for 496 crude oil samples inferred to originate from Upper Jurassic source rock in West Siberia, the North Sea and offshore Labrador. First, a unique, multi-tiered chemometric (multivariate statistics) decision tree was used to classify these samples into seven oil families and infer the type of organic matter, lithology and depositional environment of each organofacies of source rock [Peters, K.E., Ramos, L.S., Zumberge, J.E., Valin, Z.C., Scotese, C.R., Gautier, D.L., 2007. Circum-Arctic petroleum systems identified using decision-tree chemometrics. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 91, 877-913]. Second, present day geographic locations for each sample were used to restore the tectonic paleolatitude of the source rock during Late Jurassic time (???150 Ma). Third, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to construct linear TGP models that relate tectonic and geochemical paleolatitude, where the latter is based on 19 source-related biomarker and isotope ratios for each oil family. The TGP models were calibrated using 70% of the samples in each family and the remaining 30% of samples were used for model validation. Positive relationships exist between tectonic and geochemical paleolatitude for each family. Standard error of prediction for geochemical paleolatitude ranges from 0.9?? to 2.6?? of tectonic paleolatitude, which translates to a relative standard error of prediction in the range 1.5-4.8%. The results suggest that the observed effect of source rock paleolatitude on crude oil composition is caused by (i) stable carbon isotope fractionation during photosynthetic fixation of carbon and (ii) species diversity at different latitudes during Late Jurassic time. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Online recognition of the multiphase flow regime and study of slug flow in pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liejin, Guo; Bofeng, Bai; Liang, Zhao; Xin, Wang; Hanyang, Gu

2009-02-01

Multiphase flow is the phenomenon existing widely in nature, daily life, as well as petroleum and chemical engineering industrial fields. The interface structure among multiphase and their movement are complicated, which distribute random and heterogeneously in the spatial and temporal scales and have multivalue of the flow structure and state[1]. Flow regime is defined as the macro feature about the multiphase interface structure and its distribution, which is an important feature to describe multiphase flow. The energy and mass transport mechanism differ much for each flow regimes. It is necessary to solve the flow regime recognition to get a clear understanding of the physical phenomena and their mechanism of multiphase flow. And the flow regime is one of the main factors affecting the online measurement accuracy of phase fraction, flow rate and other phase parameters. Therefore, it is of great scientific and technological importance to develop new principles and methods of multiphase flow regime online recognition, and of great industrial background. In this paper, the key reasons that the present method cannot be used to solve the industrial multiphase flow pattern recognition are clarified firstly. Then the prerequisite to realize the online recognition of multiphase flow regime is analyzed, and the recognition rules for partial flow pattern are obtained based on the massive experimental data. The standard templates for every flow regime feature are calculated with self-organization cluster algorithm. The multi-sensor data fusion method is proposed to realize the online recognition of multiphase flow regime with the pressure and differential pressure signals, which overcomes the severe influence of fluid flow velocity and the oil fraction on the recognition. The online recognition method is tested in the practice, which has less than 10 percent measurement error. The method takes advantages of high confidence, good fault tolerance and less requirement of single sensor performance. Among various flow patterns of gas-liquid flow, slug flow occurs frequently in the petroleum, chemical, civil and nuclear industries. In the offshore oil and gas field, the maximum slug length and its statistical distribution are very important for the design of separator and downstream processing facility at steady state operations. However transient conditions may be encountered in the production, such as operational upsets, start-up, shut-down, pigging and blowdown, which are key operational and safety issues related to oil field development. So it is necessary to have an understanding the flow parameters under transient conditions. In this paper, the evolution of slug length along a horizontal pipe in gas-liquid flow is also studied in details and then an experimental study of flowrate transients in slug flow is provided. Also, the special gas-liquid flow phenomena easily encountered in the life span of offshore oil fields, called severe slugging, is studied experimentally and some results are presented.

10 CFR Appendix to Part 474 - Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sample Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculations Appendix to Part 474 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION Pt. 474, App. Appendix to Part 474—Sample...

2016 Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment for the United States

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

Musial, Walt; Heimiller, Donna; Beiter, Philipp

2016-09-01

This report, the 2016 Offshore Wind Energy Resource Assessment for the United States, was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and updates a previous national resource assessment study, and refines and reaffirms that the available wind resource is sufficient for offshore wind to be a large-scale contributor to the nation's electric energy supply.

Spatial distribution and composition of aliphatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and hopanes in superficial sediments of the coral reefs of the Persian Gulf, Iran.

PubMed

Ranjbar Jafarabadi, Ali; Riyahi Bakhtiari, Alireza; Aliabadian, Mansour; Shadmehri Toosi, Amirhossein

2017-05-01

This study is the first quantitative report on petroleum biomarkers from the coral reefs systems of the Persian Gulf. 120 reef surface sediment samples from ten fragile coral reef ecosystems were collected and analyzed for grain size, biogenic elements, elemental ratios, and petroleum biomarkers (n-alkanes, PAHs 1 and Hopanes) to assess the sources and early diagenesis of sedimentary organic matter. The mean grain size of the reef sediments ranged from 13.56 to 37.11% (Clay), 26.92 to 51.73% (Sand) and 35.97 to 43.85% (Silt). TOC 2 (3.35-9.72 mg.g -1 ) and TON 3 (0.4-1.10 mg.g -1 ) were identified as influencing factors on the accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons, whilst BC 4 (1.08-3.28 mg.g -1 ) and TIN 5 (0.13-0.86) did not exhibit any determining effect. Although BC and TIN demonstrated heterogeneous spatial distribution, TOC and TON indicated homogenous distribution with continually upward trend in concentration from the east to west ward of the Gulf. The mean calculated TOC/TN ratios vacillated according to the stations (p < 0.05) from 2.96 at Shidvar Island to 8.64 at Hengam Island. The high TOC/TN ratios were observed in the Hengam (8.64), Kharg (8.04) and Siri (6.29), respectively, suggesting a predominant marine origin. The mean concentrations of ∑C 11-35 n-alkanes, ∑30 PAHs and ∑9Hopanes were found in the ranges of 385-937 μg.g -1 dw, (overall mean:590 μg.g -1 dw), 326-793 ng.g -1 dw (499 ng.g -1 dw), 88 to 568 ng.g -1 d (258 ng.g -1 dw), respectively. Higher concentrations of detected petroleum biomarkers in reef sediments were chiefly distributed near main industrial areas, Kharg, Lavan and Siri, whilst the lower concentrations were in Hormoz and Qeshm. In addition, one-way ANOVA 6 analysis demonstrated considerably significant differences (p < 0.05) among concentration of detected total petroleum hydrocarbons between most sampling locations. Some sampling sites especially Kharg, Lavan, Siri and Lark indicated higher concentration of n-alkanes due to the higher maintenance of organic matter by high clay content in the sediments. Furthermore, most sediment samples, except for Hormoz, Qeshm and Hengam showed an even carbon preference for n-alkanes which could be correlated to bacterial input. NPMDS 7 analysis also demonstrated that among the congeners of petroleum biomarkers, n-C 12 ,n-C 14 , n-C 16 ,n-C 18 and n-C 20 for n-alkanes, Phe 8 and Naph 9 along with their Alkyl homologues for PAHs (2-3 rings accounted for 60%) and C 30 αβ and C 29 αβ for Hopanes were discriminated from their other congeners in the whole study area. Our results based on the PCA 10 analysis and diagnostic indices of AHs 11 and PAHs along with ring classification of PAHs, in addition, the ubiquitous presence of UCM, 12 and Hopanes revealed that the main sources of the pollution were petroleum and petroleum combustion mainly from offshore oil exploration and extraction, discharge of pollutants from shipping activities. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Alaska OCS socioeconomic studies program: St. George basin petroleum development scenarios, Anchorage impact analysis. Final report

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

Ender, R.L.; Gorski, S.

1981-10-01

The report consists of an update to the Anchorage socioeconomic and physical baseline and infrastructure standards used to forecast impacts with and without OCS oil and gas development in Alaska. This material is found in Technical Report 43, Volumes 1 and 2 entitled 'Gulf of Alaska and Lower Cook Inlet Petroleum Development Scenarios, Anchorage Socioeconomic and Physical Baseline and Anchorage Impact Analysis.' These updates should be read in conjunction with the above report. In addition, the Anchorage base case and petroleum development scenarios for the St. George Basin are given. These sections are written to stand alone without reference.

Applications of aerospace technology to petroleum extraction and reservoir engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, L. D.; Back, L. H.; Berdahl, C. M.; Collins, E. E., Jr.; Gordon, P. G.; Houseman, J.; Humphrey, M. F.; Hsu, G. C.; Ham, J. D.; Marte, J. E.;

Online Petroleum Industry Bibliographic Databases: A Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Margaret B.

This paper discusses the present status of the bibliographic database industry, reviews the development of online databases of interest to the petroleum industry, and considers future developments in online searching and their effect on libraries and information centers. Three groups of databases are described: (1) databases developed by the…

Developing an automated risk management tool to minimize bird and bat mortality at wind facilities.

PubMed

Robinson Willmott, Julia; Forcey, Greg M; Hooton, Lauren A

2015-11-01

A scarcity of baseline data is a significant barrier to understanding and mitigating potential impacts of offshore development on birds and bats. Difficult and sometimes unpredictable conditions coupled with high expense make gathering such data a challenge. The Acoustic and Thermographic Offshore Monitoring (ATOM) system combines thermal imaging with acoustic and ultrasound sensors to continuously monitor bird and bat abundance, flight height, direction, and speed. ATOM's development and potential capabilities are discussed, and illustrated using onshore and offshore test data obtained over 16 months in the eastern USA. Offshore deployment demonstrated birds tending to fly into winds and activity declining sharply in winds >10 km h(-1). Passerines showed distinct seasonal changes in flight bearing and flew higher than non-passerines. ATOM data could be used to automatically shut down wind turbines to minimize collision mortality while simultaneously providing information for modeling activity in relation to weather and season.

Work, eat and sleep: towards a healthy ageing at work program offshore.

PubMed

Riethmeister, Vanessa; Brouwer, Sandra; van der Klink, Jac; Bültmann, Ute

2016-02-09

Health management tools need to be developed to foster healthy ageing at work and sustain employability of ageing work-forces. The objectives of this study were to 1) perform a needs assessment to identify the needs of offshore workers in the Dutch Continental Shelf with regard to healthy ageing at work and 2) to define suitable program objectives for a future healthy ageing at work program in the offshore working population. A mixed methods design was used applying an intervention mapping procedure. Qualitative data were gathered in N = 19 semi-structured interviews and six focus-group sessions (N = 49). Qualitative data were used to develop a questionnaire, which was administered among N = 450 offshore workers. Subgroup analyses were performed to investigate age-related differences relating to health status and work-related factors. The importance of good working environments, food, as well as sleep/fatigue management was identified by the qualitative data analysis. A total of 260 offshore workers completed the questionnaire. Significant differences in work ability were found between offshore workers aged <45 and 45-54 years (mean 8.63 vs. 8.19; p = 0.005) and offshore workers aged <45 and >55 years (mean 8.63 vs. 8.22; p = 0.028). Offshore workers had a high BMI (M = 27.06, SD = 3.67), with 46 % classified as overweight (BMI 25-30) and 21 % classified as obese (BMI >30). A significant difference in BMI was found between offshore workers aged <45 and ≥55 years (mean 26.3 vs. 28.6; p <0.001). In total, 73 % of offshore workers reported prolonged fatigue. A significant difference in fatigue scores was found between offshore workers aged <45 and ≥55 years (mean 36.0 vs. 37.6; p = 0.024). Further, a "dip" was reported by 41 % of offshore workers. Dips were mainly experienced at day 10 or 11 (60 %), with 45 % experiencing the dip both as physical and mental fatigue, whereas 39 % experienced the dip as only mental fatigue. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses identified work, food and sleep/fatigue management as most important program objectives for a healthy ageing at work and sustainable employability program offshore. Future studies should investigate possible causes of dip occurrences and high fatigue scores to identify suitable interventions.

33 CFR 154.1325 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport other non-petroleum oils. 154.1325...) POLLUTION FACILITIES TRANSFERRING OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IN BULK Response Plans for Other Non-Petroleum..., store, or transport other non-petroleum oils. (a) An owner or operator of a facility that handles...

33 CFR 154.1325 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport other non-petroleum oils. 154.1325...) POLLUTION FACILITIES TRANSFERRING OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IN BULK Response Plans for Other Non-Petroleum..., store, or transport other non-petroleum oils. (a) An owner or operator of a facility that handles...

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT "FIELD MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IN SOIL" CHEMETRICS, INC., AND AZUR ENVIRONMENTAL LTD REMEDIAID TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON STARTER KIT

EPA Science Inventory

The RemediAidTm Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Starter Kit (RemediAidTm kit) developed by CHEMetries, Inc. (CHEMetrics), and AZUR Environmental Ltd was demonstrated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Program in June 2000 at the ...

Planners to the rescue: spatial planning facilitating the development of offshore wind energy.

PubMed

Jay, Stephen

2010-04-01

The development of offshore wind energy has started to take place surprisingly quickly, especially in North European waters. This has taken the wind energy industry out of the territory of planning systems that usually govern the siting of wind farms on land, and into the world of departmental, sectoral regulation of marine activities. Although this has favoured the expansion of offshore wind energy in some respects, evidence suggests that the practice and principles of spatial planning can make an important contribution to the proper consideration of proposals for offshore wind arrays. This is especially so when a strategic planning process is put in place for marine areas, in which offshore wind is treated as part of the overall configuration of marine interests, so that adjustments can be made in the interests of wind energy. The current process of marine planning in the Netherlands is described as an illustration of this. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alaska OCS socioeconomic studies program. Technical report number 44. Lower Cook Inlet petroleum development scenarios: commercial fishing industry analysis. Final report

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

Terry, J.M.; Scoles, R.G.; Larson, D.M.

1980-07-01

The objectives of the report are to increase the understanding of the potential relationships between the commercial fishing and Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) petroleum industries and to project the potential impacts on the commercial fishing industry of Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait that may occur as a result of the proposed OCS Lease Sale Number 60. To meet this objective, the report consists of: (1) the documentation and examination of the history and current trends of the Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait commercial fishing industry as necessary to develop a basis for projecting fishery development and potential interactions with themore » OCS petroleum industry, (2) the development of models used to forecast the level of commercial fishing industry activity through the year 2000 in the absence of OCS development pursuant to Lease Sale Number 60, and (3) an analysis of the potential impacts of Lease Sale Number 60 based on the hypothesized nature and magnitude of the activities of the commercial fishing and OCS petroleum industries. Both the harvesting and processing sectors of the fishing industry are considered. The sources of impacts considered are the competition for labor, ocean space use, and the infrastructure. Potential impacts due to environmental or biological changes resulting from OCS petroleum development are not considered.« less

[Medical Emergency Preparedness in offshore wind farms : New challenges in the german north and baltic seas].

PubMed

Stuhr, M; Dethleff, D; Weinrich, N; Nielsen, M; Hory, D; Kowald, B; Seide, K; Kerner, T; Nau, C; Jürgens, C

2016-05-01

Offshore windfarms are constructed in the German North and Baltic Seas. The off-coast remoteness of the windfarms, particular environmental conditions, limitations in offshore structure access, working in heights and depths, and the vast extent of the offshore windfarms cause significant challenges for offshore rescue. Emergency response systems comparable to onshore procedures are not fully established yet. Further, rescue from offshore windfarms is not part of the duty of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Organization or SAR-Services due to statute and mandate reasons. Scientific recommendations or guidelines for rescue from offshore windfarms are not available yet. The present article reflects the current state of medical care and rescue from German offshore windfarms and related questions. The extended therapy-free interval until arrival of the rescue helicopter requires advanced first-aid measures as well as improved first-aider qualification. Rescue helicopters need to be equipped with a winch system in order to dispose rescue personnel on the wind turbines, and to hoist-up patients. For redundancy reasons and for conducting rendezvous procedures, adequate sea-bound rescue units need to be provided. In the light of experiences from the offshore oil and gas industry and first offshore wind analyses, the availability of professional medical personnel in offshore windfarms seems advisible. Operational air medical rescue services and specific offshore emergency reaction teams have established a powerful rescue chain. Besides the present development of medical standards, more studies are necessary in order to place the rescue chain on a long-term, evidence-based groundwork. A central medical offshore registry may help to make a significant contribution at this point.

Hydrocarbon Mineralization in Sediments and Plasmid Incidence in Sediment Bacteria from the Campeche Bank

PubMed Central

Leahy, Joseph G.; Somerville, Charles C.; Cunningham, Kelly A.; Adamantiades, Grammenos A.; Byrd, Jeffrey J.; Colwell, Rita R.

1990-01-01

Rates of degradation of radiolabeled hydrocarbons and incidence of bacterial plasmid DNA were investigated in sediment samples collected from the Campeche Bank, Gulf of Mexico, site of an offshore oil field containing several petroleum platforms. Overall rates of mineralization of [14C]hexadecane and [14C]phenanthrene measured for sediments were negligible; <1% of the substrate was converted to CO2 in all cases. Low mineralization rates are ascribed to nutrient limitations and to lack of adaptation by microbial communities to hydrocarbon contaminants. Plasmid frequency data for sediment bacteria similarly showed no correlation with proximity to the oil field, but, instead, showed correlation with water column depth at each sampling site. Significant differences between sites were observed for proportion of isolates carrying single or multiple plasmids and mean number of plasmids per isolate, each of which increased as a function of depth. PMID:16348204

Biomarker chemistry and flux quantification methods for natural petroleum seeps and produced oils, offshore southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lorenson, T.D.; Leifer, Ira; Wong, Florence L.; Rosenbauer, Robert J.; Campbell, Pamela L.; Lam, Angela; Hostettler, Frances D.; Greinert, Jens; Finlayson, David P.; Bradley, Eliza S.; Luyendyk, Bruce P.

2011-01-01

Sustained, natural oil seepage from the seafloor is common off southern California, and is of great interest to resource managers, who are tasked with distinguishing natural from anthropogenic oil sources. The major purpose of this study was to build upon the work previously funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that has refined the oil-fingerprinting process to enable differentiation of the highly similar Monterey Formation oils from Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) production and adjacent natural seeps. In these initial studies, biomarker and stable carbon isotope ratios were used to infer the age, lithology, organic-matter input, and depositional environment of the source rocks for 388 samples of produced crude oil, seep oil, and tarballs mainly from coastal California. The analysis resulted in a predictive model of oil source families that could be applied to samples of unknown origin.

Offshore finfish aquaculture in the United States: An examination of federal laws that could be used to address environmental and occupational public health risks.

PubMed

Fry, Jillian P; Love, David C; Shukla, Arunima; Lee, Ryan M

2014-11-19

Half of the world's edible seafood comes from aquaculture, and the United States (US) government is working to develop an offshore finfish aquaculture industry in federal waters. To date, US aquaculture has largely been regulated at the state level, and creating an offshore aquaculture industry will require the development of a new regulatory structure. Some aquaculture practices involve hazardous working conditions and the use of veterinary drugs, agrochemicals, and questionable farming methods, which could raise environmental and occupational public health concerns if these methods are employed in the offshore finfish industry in the US. This policy analysis aims to inform public health professionals and other stakeholders in the policy debate regarding how offshore finfish aquaculture should be regulated in the US to protect human health; previous policy analyses on this topic have focused on environmental impacts. We identified 20 federal laws related to offshore finfish aquaculture, including 11 that are relevant to preventing, controlling, or monitoring potential public health risks. Given the novelty of the industry in the US, myriad relevant laws, and jurisdictional issues in an offshore setting, federal agencies need to work collaboratively and transparently to ensure that a comprehensive and functional regulatory structure is established that addresses the potential public health risks associated with this type of food production.

Offshore Finfish Aquaculture in the United States: An Examination of Federal Laws That Could be Used to Address Environmental and Occupational Public Health Risks

PubMed Central

Fry, Jillian P.; Love, David C.; Shukla, Arunima; Lee, Ryan M.

2014-01-01

Half of the world’s edible seafood comes from aquaculture, and the United States (US) government is working to develop an offshore finfish aquaculture industry in federal waters. To date, US aquaculture has largely been regulated at the state level, and creating an offshore aquaculture industry will require the development of a new regulatory structure. Some aquaculture practices involve hazardous working conditions and the use of veterinary drugs, agrochemicals, and questionable farming methods, which could raise environmental and occupational public health concerns if these methods are employed in the offshore finfish industry in the US. This policy analysis aims to inform public health professionals and other stakeholders in the policy debate regarding how offshore finfish aquaculture should be regulated in the US to protect human health; previous policy analyses on this topic have focused on environmental impacts. We identified 20 federal laws related to offshore finfish aquaculture, including 11 that are relevant to preventing, controlling, or monitoring potential public health risks. Given the novelty of the industry in the US, myriad relevant laws, and jurisdictional issues in an offshore setting, federal agencies need to work collaboratively and transparently to ensure that a comprehensive and functional regulatory structure is established that addresses the potential public health risks associated with this type of food production. PMID:25415208

[The application of genetic engineering to the petroleum biodesulfurization].

PubMed

Tong, M Y; Fang, X C; Ma, T; Zhang, Q

2001-11-01

The developed course and reaction mechanisms of petroleum biodesulfurization were introduced. The recent development of genetic engineering technology, which used in desulfuration strain's construction, reconstruction and other fields, was summarized emphatically. Its current research situation internal and overseas and the developing prospect were simply analyzed, and our research designs were submitted.

Separations and characterizations of fractions from Mayan, Heavy Arabian, and Hondo crude oils

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

Kircher, C.C.

1989-04-01

The results from hydrotreating the atmospheric residua of Hondo, Heavy Arabian, and Mayan crude oils have been reported recently. Over the same fixed-bed catalyst, the hydrosulfurization activities varied by a factor of two and the hydrodemetallation activities varied almost four-fold. Correlations among the relative activities and the elemental compositions of the feed oils showed a direct relationship between the hydrodemetallation activity and the metals content of the petroleum resins fractions, hereafter called polars. Thus, to discover chemical differences in feed oils and polars that may affect a catalysts activity, they have developed separation schemes to separate the oils into theirmore » component fractions and used various analytical techniques to characterize the fractions. The separation scheme developed is a modification and extension of the ASTM D2007 procedure. The sample is separated into saturates, aromatics, polars, and asphaltenes by precipitation/filtration and chromatography with Attapulgus cla and silica gel; then the polars are separated into various acids, bases, and neutral polars with macroporous ion exchange resins. This separation scheme has been applied to 650{degree}F + cut from Hondo (offshore California) crude. The fractions were characterized with carbon and hydrogen elemental analysis, XRF spectrometry for nickel, vanadium, and sulfur, chemiluminescence spectrometry for nitrogen. GC simulated distillations (saturates only), vapor pressure osmetry (number-average molecular weight) in toluene, flame emission spectrometry, and {sup 13}C-NMR spectroscopy.« less

Connecting onshore and offshore near-surface geology: Delaware's sand inventory project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramsey, K.W.; Jordan, R.R.; Talley, J.H.

1999-01-01

Beginning in 1988, the Delaware Geological Survey began a program to inventory on-land sand resources suitable for beach nourishment. The inventory included an assessment of the native beach textures using existing data and developing parameters of what would be considered suitable sand textures for Delaware's Atlantic beaches. An assessment of the economics of on-land sand resources was also conducted, and it was determined that the cost of the sand was competitive with offshore dredging costs. In addition, the sand resources were put into a geologic context for purposes of predicting which depositional environments and lithostratigraphic units were most likely to produce suitable sand resources. The results of the work identified several suitable on-land sand resource areas in the Omar and Beaverdam formations that were deposited in barrier-tidal delta and fluvial-estuarine environments, respectively. The identified on-land resources areas have not been utilized due to difficulties of truck transport and development pressures in the resource areas. The Delaware Geological Survey's participation in years 8, 9, and 10 of the Continental Margins Program was developed to extend the known resource areas onshore to offshore Delaware in order to determine potential offshore sand resources for beach nourishment. Years 8 and 9 involved primarily the collection of all available data on the offshore geology. These data included all seismic lines, surface grab samples, and cores. The data were filtered for those that had reliable locations and geologic information that could be used for geologic investigations. Year 10 completed the investigations onshore by construction of a geologic cross-section from data along the coast of Delaware from Cape Henlopen to Fenwick. This cross section identified the geologic units and potential sand resource bodies as found immediately along the coast. These units and resources are currently being extended offshore and tied to known and potential sand resources as part of the continuing cooperative effort between the Delaware Geological Survey and the Minerals Management Service's INTERMAR office as sand resources are identified in federal waters off Delaware. Offshore sand resources are found in the Pliocene Beaverdam Formation offshore where overlying Quaternary units have been stripped, in the tidal delta complexes of several Quaternary units likely equivalent to the onshore Omar Formation, and in late Pleistocene- and Holocene-age shoal complexes. Onshore lithostratigraphic units can be traced offshore and show another reason for continued geologic mapping both onshore and offshore.The Delaware Geological Survey's participation in years 8, 9, and 10 of the Continental Margins Program was developed to extend the known resource areas onshore to offshore Delaware in order to determine potential offshore sand resources for beach nourishment. Years 8 and 9 involved primarily the collection of all available data on the offshore geology. These data included all seismic lines, surface grab samples, and cores. The data were filtered for those that had reliable locations and geologic information that could be used for geologic investigations. Year 10 completed the investigations onshore by construction of a geologic cross-section from data along the coast of Delaware from cape Henlopen to Fenwick.

Assessing storm events for energy meteorology: using media and scientific reports to track a North Sea autumn storm.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettle, Anthony

2016-04-01

Important issues for energy meteorology are to assess meteorological conditions for normal operating conditions and extreme events for the ultimate limit state of engineering structures. For the offshore environment in northwest Europe, energy meteorology encompasses weather conditions relevant for petroleum production infrastructure and also the new field of offshore wind energy production. Autumn and winter storms are an important issue for offshore operations in the North Sea. The weather in this region is considered as challenging for extreme meteorological events as the Gulf of Mexico with its attendant hurricane risk. The rise of the Internet and proliferation of digital recording devices has placed a much greater amount of information in the public domain than was available to national meteorological agencies even 20 years ago. This contribution looks at reports of meteorology and infrastructure damage from a storm in the autumn of 2006 to trace the spatial and temporal record of meteorological events. Media reports give key information to assess the events of the storm. The storm passed over northern Europe between Oct.31-Nov. 2, 2006, and press reports from the time indicate that its most important feature was a high surge that inundated coastal areas. Sections of the Dutch and German North Sea coast were affected, and there was record flooding in Denmark and East Germany in the southern Baltic Sea. Extreme wind gusts were also reported that were strong enough to damage roofs and trees, and there was even tornado recorded near the Dutch-German border. Offshore, there were a series of damage reports from ship and platforms that were linked with sea state, and reports of rogue waves were explicitly mentioned. Many regional government authorities published summaries of geophysical information related to the storm, and these form part of a regular series of online winter storm reports that started as a public service about 15 years ago. Depending on the issuing authority, these reports include wind speed and atmospheric pressure for a number of stations. However, there is also important ancillary information that includes satellite images, weather radar pictures, sea state recordings, tide gauge records, and coastal surveys. When collated together, the literature survey gives good view of events related to the autumn storm. The key information from media reports is backed up by quantitative numbers from the scientific literature. For energy meteorology in the offshore environment, there is an outline of extreme wave events that may be important to help define the ultimate limit state of engineering structures and the return periods of extreme waves. While this contribution focusses on events from an old storm in the autumn of 2006, more severe regional storms have occurred since then, and the scientific literature indicates that these may be linked with climate warming. Literature surveys may help to fully define extreme meteorological conditions offshore and benefit different branches of the energy industry in Europe.

Venezuela offshore oil and gas production development: Past, present and future

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

Perez La Salvia, H.; Schwartz, E.; Contreras, M.

1995-12-01

This paper presents a short history of offshore oil and gas production in Venezuela starting in Lake Maracaibo in 1923. The main emphasis has been the results of the recent R and D and the exploratory offshore programs in areas like Orinoco Delta located in the Atlantic Ocean, Northeast and Northwest Venezuela in the Caribbean sea. In the R and D offshore program the main objectives were: (1) To establish the local environmental, oceanographical, geotechnical and seismicity conditions for the Venezuelan Continental Platform. (2) To give a technical support to the PDVSA Operating Affiliates during the exploratory programs including: (a)more » to develop accurate drilling vessel positioning systems; (b) evaluation of sea bottom geotechnical conditions for safely operating the jack-ups and drilling vessels involved in the exploratory wells and (c) to identify those areas which because of their special nature require further investigation to establish preliminary type of platforms required for the areas to be developed or to evaluate other solutions proposed by Foreign Consultant Engineering Companies to the PDVSA Operating Affiliated Companies. The main objective of PDVSA for the coming future will be to develop the North of Paria Gas Field through the initially named Christopher Columbus Project now Sucre Gas, S.A., a consortium conformed by LaGoven, S.A. Shell, Exxon and Mitsubishi. objective of this paper is to give an idea of the history of the Venezuelan Oil and Gas Offshore development giving emphasis to the results of the INTEVEP S.A. Red offshore program and to show some results of the particular characteristics of oceanographical, environmental, geotechnical and seismic conditions in the main areas evaluated during the exploratory program: Orinoco Delta, Gulf of Paria and North of Paria.« less

Novel nanoporous sorbent for solid-phase extraction in petroleum fingerprinting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alayande, S. Oluwagbemiga; Hlengilizwe, Nyoni; Dare, E. Olugbenga; Msagati, Titus A. M.; Akinlabi, A. Kehinde; Aiyedun, P. O.

2016-04-01

Sample preparation is crucial in the analysis of petroleum and its derivatives. In this study, developing affordable sorbent for petroleum fingerprinting analysis using polymer waste such expanded polystyrene was explored. The potential of electrospun expanded polystyrene (EPS) as a sorbent for the solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique was investigated, and its efficiency was compared with commercial cartridges such as alumina, silica and alumina/silica hybrid commercial for petroleum fingerprinting analysis. The chromatograms showed that the packed electrospun EPS fibre demonstrated excellent properties for SPE applications relative to the hybrid cartridges.

Petroleum taxation and efficiency: the Canadian system in question

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

Wahby, M.J.

1983-08-01

The question considered in this article is whether it is possible to have a tax that appropriates resource rents without imposing a penalty on potential petroleum production. It is submitted that a system of income taxes exists which partially fulfills the above requirements. The Canadian government has been moving towards this system of taxation since 1962 but its historical development has been slow. Topics discussed include: the efficient taxation of resource rents, a history of Canadian petroleum taxation, and the efficiency of the present petroleum tax system.

Floating Offshore Wind in Hawaii: Potential for Jobs and Economic Impacts from Three Future Scenarios

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

Jimenez, Tony; Keyser, David; Tegen, Suzanne

Construction of the first offshore wind power plant in the United States began in 2015, off the coast of Rhode Island, using fixed platform structures that are appropriate for shallow seafloors, like those located off the East Coast and mid-Atlantic. However, floating platforms, which have yet to be deployed commercially, will likely need to be anchored to the deeper seafloor if deployed in Hawaiian waters. To analyze the employment and economic potential for floating offshore wind off Hawaii's coasts, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management commissioned the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to analyze two hypothetical deployment scenarios for Hawaii:more » 400 MW of offshore wind by 2050 and 800 MW of offshore wind by 2050. The results of this analysis can be used to better understand the general scale of economic opportunities that could result from offshore wind development.« less

An assessment of electric vehicles: technology, infrastructure requirements, greenhouse-gas emissions, petroleum use, material use, lifetime cost, consumer acceptance and policy initiatives.

PubMed

Delucchi, M A; Yang, C; Burke, A F; Ogden, J M; Kurani, K; Kessler, J; Sperling, D

2014-01-13

Concerns about climate change, urban air pollution and dependence on unstable and expensive supplies of foreign oil have led policy-makers and researchers to investigate alternatives to conventional petroleum-fuelled internal-combustion-engine vehicles in transportation. Because vehicles that get some or all of their power from an electric drivetrain can have low or even zero emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and urban air pollutants, and can consume little or no petroleum, there is considerable interest in developing and evaluating advanced electric vehicles (EVs), including pure battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles. To help researchers and policy-makers assess the potential of EVs to mitigate climate change and reduce petroleum use, this paper discusses the technology of EVs, the infrastructure needed for their development, impacts on emissions of GHGs, petroleum use, materials use, lifetime costs, consumer acceptance and policy considerations.

Subsurface Hybrid Power Options for Oil & Gas Production at Deep Ocean Sites

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

Farmer, J C; Haut, R; Jahn, G

2010-02-19

An investment in deep-sea (deep-ocean) hybrid power systems may enable certain off-shore oil and gas exploration and production. Advanced deep-ocean drilling and production operations, locally powered, may provide commercial access to oil and gas reserves otherwise inaccessible. Further, subsea generation of electrical power has the potential of featuring a low carbon output resulting in improved environmental conditions. Such technology therefore, enhances the energy security of the United States in a green and environmentally friendly manner. The objective of this study is to evaluate alternatives and recommend equipment to develop into hybrid energy conversion and storage systems for deep ocean operations.more » Such power systems will be located on the ocean floor and will be used to power offshore oil and gas exploration and production operations. Such power systems will be located on the oceans floor, and will be used to supply oil and gas exploration activities, as well as drilling operations required to harvest petroleum reserves. The following conceptual hybrid systems have been identified as candidates for powering sub-surface oil and gas production operations: (1) PWR = Pressurized-Water Nuclear Reactor + Lead-Acid Battery; (2) FC1 = Line for Surface O{sub 2} + Well Head Gas + Reformer + PEMFC + Lead-Acid & Li-Ion Batteries; (3) FC2 = Stored O2 + Well Head Gas + Reformer + Fuel Cell + Lead-Acid & Li-Ion Batteries; (4) SV1 = Submersible Vehicle + Stored O{sub 2} + Fuel Cell + Lead-Acid & Li-Ion Batteries; (5) SV2 = Submersible Vehicle + Stored O{sub 2} + Engine or Turbine + Lead-Acid & Li-Ion Batteries; (6) SV3 = Submersible Vehicle + Charge at Docking Station + ZEBRA & Li-Ion Batteries; (7) PWR TEG = PWR + Thermoelectric Generator + Lead-Acid Battery; (8) WELL TEG = Thermoelectric Generator + Well Head Waste Heat + Lead-Acid Battery; (9) GRID = Ocean Floor Electrical Grid + Lead-Acid Battery; and (10) DOC = Deep Ocean Current + Lead-Acid Battery.« less

33 CFR 154.1047 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport Group V petroleum oils. 154.1047 Section... Group V petroleum oils. (a) An owner or operator of a facility that handles, stores, or transports Group...) Procedures and strategies for responding to a worst case discharge of Group V petroleum oils to the maximum...

33 CFR 154.1047 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport Group V petroleum oils. 154.1047 Section... Group V petroleum oils. (a) An owner or operator of a facility that handles, stores, or transports Group...) Procedures and strategies for responding to a worst case discharge of Group V petroleum oils to the maximum...

33 CFR 154.1047 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport Group V petroleum oils. 154.1047 Section... Group V petroleum oils. (a) An owner or operator of a facility that handles, stores, or transports Group...) Procedures and strategies for responding to a worst case discharge of Group V petroleum oils to the maximum...

33 CFR 154.1047 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport Group V petroleum oils. 154.1047 Section... Group V petroleum oils. (a) An owner or operator of a facility that handles, stores, or transports Group...) Procedures and strategies for responding to a worst case discharge of Group V petroleum oils to the maximum...

33 CFR 154.1047 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... evaluation criteria for facilities that handle, store, or transport Group V petroleum oils. 154.1047 Section... Group V petroleum oils. (a) An owner or operator of a facility that handles, stores, or transports Group...) Procedures and strategies for responding to a worst case discharge of Group V petroleum oils to the maximum...

Probabilistic assessment methodology for continuous-type petroleum accumulations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crovelli, R.A.

2003-01-01

The analytic resource assessment method, called ACCESS (Analytic Cell-based Continuous Energy Spreadsheet System), was developed to calculate estimates of petroleum resources for the geologic assessment model, called FORSPAN, in continuous-type petroleum accumulations. The ACCESS method is based upon mathematical equations derived from probability theory in the form of a computer spreadsheet system. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Software Development Offshoring Competitiveness: A Case Study of ASEAN Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bui, Minh Q.

2011-01-01

With the success of offshoring within the American software industry, corporate executives are moving their software developments overseas. The member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have become a preferred destination. However, there is a lack of published studies on the region's software competitiveness in…

Regional geologic framework and petroleum occurrences

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

Murray, E.J.; Jewell, G.A.

1993-02-01

The Falcon Basin developed during the late Eocene as a result of dextral strike slip movement along the Caribbean-South American plate boundary. During the Oligocene and early Miocene as much as 16,000 ft. of sediment, predominantly sandstones and shales, accumulated within the east-west trending pull-apart basin. Localized carbonate buildups were also developing in association with the Paraguana and Dabajuro Platforms. During the middle to late Miocene, uplift of the now emergent Central Falcon Basin Anticlinorium resulted in the northward progradation of delta systems. Sandstones associated with these deltas now make up the producing reservoirs within the basin. The complex presentmore » day structural configuration is the result of continued movement along the Caribbean-South American plate boundary. Landsat imagery and field mapping indicate a basin dominated by northeast trending folds and thrust faults and fracture patterns commonly associated with dextral strike-slip movement. Commercial production is currently limited to the Tiguaje and Cumarebo areas. The former occurs as four small fields ([plus minus]52 MMBO) related to structures developed by dextral movement along the Oca fault. The latter Cumarebo Field ([plus minus]60 MMBO) is a thrusted anticline on the northern flank of the Falcon foldbelt. The tectonic complexity and sandstone-dominated nature of the onshore Falcon Basin severely limit potential field size. Significant, yet currently undeveloped, reserves have also been discovered offshore in the Gulf of La Vela. Fractured granite, carbonates and sandstones associated with tilted fault block structures have tested hydrocarbons in several wells.« less

Establishment of a National Wind Energy Center at University of Houston

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

Wang, Su Su

The DOE-supported project objectives are to: establish a national wind energy center (NWEC) at University of Houston and conduct research to address critical science and engineering issues for the development of future large MW-scale wind energy production systems, especially offshore wind turbines. The goals of the project are to: (1) establish a sound scientific/technical knowledge base of solutions to critical science and engineering issues for developing future MW-scale large wind energy production systems, (2) develop a state-of-the-art wind rotor blade research facility at the University of Houston, and (3) through multi-disciplinary research, introducing technology innovations on advanced wind-turbine materials, processing/manufacturingmore » technology, design and simulation, testing and reliability assessment methods related to future wind turbine systems for cost-effective production of offshore wind energy. To achieve the goals of the project, the following technical tasks were planned and executed during the period from April 15, 2010 to October 31, 2014 at the University of Houston: (1) Basic research on large offshore wind turbine systems (2) Applied research on innovative wind turbine rotors for large offshore wind energy systems (3) Integration of offshore wind-turbine design, advanced materials and manufacturing technologies (4) Integrity and reliability of large offshore wind turbine blades and scaled model testing (5) Education and training of graduate and undergraduate students and post- doctoral researchers (6) Development of a national offshore wind turbine blade research facility The research program addresses both basic science and engineering of current and future large wind turbine systems, especially offshore wind turbines, for MW-scale power generation. The results of the research advance current understanding of many important scientific issues and provide technical information for solving future large wind turbines with advanced design, composite materials, integrated manufacturing, and structural reliability and integrity. The educational program have trained many graduate and undergraduate students and post-doctoral level researchers to learn critical science and engineering of wind energy production systems through graduate-level courses and research, and participating in various projects in center’s large multi-disciplinary research. These students and researchers are now employed by the wind industry, national labs and universities to support the US and international wind energy industry. The national offshore wind turbine blade research facility developed in the project has been used to support the technical and training tasks planned in the program to accomplish their goals, and it is a national asset which is available for used by domestic and international researchers in the wind energy arena.« less

Stratigraphic, regional unconformity analysis and potential petroleum plays of East Siberian Sea Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpov, Yury; Stoupakova, Antonina; Suslova, Anna; Agasheva, Mariia

2017-04-01

The East Siberian Sea basin (ESSB) one of the most unexplored part of the Russian Arctic shelf, extending for over 1000 km from New Siberian Islands archipelago to Wrangel Island. This region is considered as a region with probable high petroleum potential. Within the ESSB several phases of orogeny are recognized [1]: Elsmerian orogeny in Early Devonian, Early Brooks orogeny in Early Cretaceous, Late Brooks orogeny in Late Cretaceous. Two generations of the basins could be outlined. Both of these generations are controlled by the basement domains [1]: Paleozoic (post-Devonian) to Mesozoic basins preserved north of the Late Mesozoic frontal thrusts; Aptian-Albian to Quaternary basins, postdating the Verkhoyansk-Brookian orogeny, and evolving mainly over the New-Siberian-Chukchi Fold Belt. Basin is filled with siliclastic sediments and in the deepest depocentres sediments thickness exceeds 8-10 km in average. Seismic data was interpreted using methods of seismic stratigraphy. Finally, main seismic horizons were indicated and each horizon follows regional stratigraphic unconformities: mBU - in base of Cenozoic, BU - in base of Upper Cretaceous, LCU - in base of Cretaceous, JU - in middle of Jurassic, F - in top of Basement. In ESSB, we can identify Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene seismic stratigraphy complexes. Perspective structures, investigated in ESSB were founded out by comparing seismogeological cross-sections with explored analogs in other onshore and offshore basins [2, 3, 4]. The majority of structures could be connected with stratigraphic and fault traps. The most perspective prospects are probably connected with grabens and depressions, where thickness of sediments exceed 10 km. Reservoirs in ESSB are proposed by regional geological explorations on New Siberian Islands Archipelago and Wrangel Island. Potential seals are predominantly assigned to Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Thick clinoform units of various geometry and trajectories were found in Southern part of ESSB. These clinoform sequences could be formed as a result of significant subsidence followed by rapid sedimentary influx. All possible perspective structures were mapped on tectonic scheme of basin. References: [1] Drachev S.S., Malyshev N.A. and Nikishin A.M., 2010 Tectonic history and petroleum geology of the Russian Arctic Shelves: an overview. Petroleum Geology Conference series, 7, 591-619. [2] Spencer A.M., Embry A.F., Gautier D.L., Stoupakova A.V. and Sorensen K., 2011 An overview of the petroleum geology of the Arctic, Geological Society Memoirs, 35, 1-15. [3] Stoupakova A., Kirykhina T., Suslova A., Kirykhina N., Sautkin R. and Bordunov S., 2012 Structure, hydrocarbon prospects of the Russian Western arctic shelf. AAPG Arctic technology conference. Manuscript. Electronic version. AAPG Houston, USA. [4] Verzhbitsky V.E., Sokolov, S.D., Tuchkova M.I., Frantzen E.M., Little A., Lobkovsky L.I., 2012 The South Chukchi Sedimentary Basin (Chukchi Sea, Russian Arctic): Age, Structural Pattern, and Hydrocarbon Potential in D. Gao, ed., Tectonics and sedimentation: Implications for petroleum systems: AAPG Memoir, 100, 267-290.

First Results from the Multi-beam Bathymetry and Multi-channel Seismic Reflection Data offshore Cide-Sinop, Southern Black Sea shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alp, Y. I.; Ocakoglu, N.; Kılıc, F.; Ozel, A. O.

2016-12-01

The morphological and seismic features offshore Cide-Sinop at the Southern Black Sea shelf area were first time investigated by multi-beam bathymetric and multi-channel seismic reflection data under the Research Project of The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBİTAK-ÇAYDAG-114Y057). Multi-beam bathymetric data were collected between 2002-2008 from onboard the research vessels TCG Çubuklu and TCG Çeşme run by the Turkish Navy, Department of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography (TN-DNHO) with the system an Elac-Nautic 1050D. Multi-channel seismic reflection data were collected by Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) Company in 1991. Multi-beam measurements cover 2.59 km2 areas and depths change from -1 to -500 m. Elevation data were digitized from contour lines of 1/25K topo-maps of General Command of Mapping, with the contour interval of 10 m and supplementary 5 m contours in areas of low relief. Contour and shore lines, multi-beam points were interpolated into DEMs of pixel size 10 m and 5 m respectively, using Annudem algorithm. The Geographic Information System (GIS) software was used to analyse and visualize the two data sets. Seismic reflection data were processed by conventional methods under `Echos' seismic data processing software and time migrated seismic sections were produced. DEMs were combined with seismic reflection sections to understand the morphological and morphodynamic character of the study area. First results indicate that offshore Cide-Sinop is characterised by a quite smooth and large shelf plain with an approx. 25 km wide and the water depth of about -100 m. The bathymetry gently deepens from inner shelf toward shelf break at -120 m isobath. Slope angles from 0 to 1 degrees at the shelf plain, increases about to 10 degrees beyond the shelf edge. The large shelf plain is widely characterized by sand dunes with an average height of 10 meters form E-W oriented belts of 500-1000 m in width. Toward offshore İnebolu, an eroded anticline was observed in NW-SE orientation. This erosional surface was also observed on the time-migrated seismic sections. In addition, there are some active strike-slip faults were interpreted in the study area.

Towards a mature offshore wind energy technology - guidelines from the opti-OWECS project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kühn, M.; Bierbooms, W. A. A. M.; van Bussel, G. J. W.; Cockerill, T. T.; Harrison, R.; Ferguson, M. C.; Göransson, B.; Harland, L. A.; Vugts, J. H.; Wiecherink, R.

1999-01-01

The article reviews the main results of the recent European research project Opti-OWECS (Structural and Economic Optimisation of Bottom-Mounted Offshore Wind Energy Converters'), which has significantly improved the understanding of the requirements for a large-scale utilization of offshore wind energy. An integrated design approach was demonstrated for a 300 MW offshore wind farm at a demanding North Sea site. Several viable solutions were obtained and one was elaborated to include the design of all major components. Simultaneous structural and economic optimization took place during the different design stages. An offshore wind energy converter founded on a soft-soft monopile was tailored with respect to the distinct characteristics of dynamic wind and wave loading. The operation and maintenance behaviour of the wind farm was analysed by Monte Carlo simulations. With an optimized maintenance strategy and suitable hardware a high availability was achieved. Based upon the experience from the structural design, cost models for offshore wind farms were developed and linked to a European database of the offshore wind energy potential. This enabled the first consistent estimate of cost of offshore wind energy for entire European regions.

Offshore Wind Turbines - Estimated Noise from Offshore Wind Turbine, Monhegan Island, Maine: Environmental Effects of Offshore Wind Energy Development

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

Aker, Pamela M.; Jones, Anthony M.; Copping, Andrea E.

2010-11-23

Deep C Wind, a consortium headed by the University of Maine will test the first U.S. offshore wind platforms in 2012. In advance of final siting and permitting of the test turbines off Monhegan Island, residents of the island off Maine require reassurance that the noise levels from the test turbines will not disturb them. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, at the request of the University of Maine, and with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Program, modeled the acoustic output of the planned test turbines.

NREL Software Aids Offshore Wind Turbine Designs (Fact Sheet)

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

Not Available

2013-10-01

NREL researchers are supporting offshore wind power development with computer models that allow detailed analyses of both fixed and floating offshore wind turbines. While existing computer-aided engineering (CAE) models can simulate the conditions and stresses that a land-based wind turbine experiences over its lifetime, offshore turbines require the additional considerations of variations in water depth, soil type, and wind and wave severity, which also necessitate the use of a variety of support-structure types. NREL's core wind CAE tool, FAST, models the additional effects of incident waves, sea currents, and the foundation dynamics of the support structures.

"It's still a great adventure" - exploring offshore employees' working conditions in a qualitative study.

PubMed

Mette, Janika; Velasco Garrido, Marcial; Harth, Volker; Preisser, Alexandra M; Mache, Stefanie

2017-01-01

Despite the particular demands inherent to offshore work, little is known about the working conditions of employees in the German offshore wind industry. To date, neither offshore employees' job demands and resources, nor their needs for improving the working conditions have been explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative analysis to gain further insight into these topics. Forty-two semi-structured telephone interviews with German offshore employees ( n  = 21) and offshore experts ( n  = 21) were conducted. Employees and experts were interviewed with regard to their perceptions of their working conditions offshore. In addition, employees were asked to identify areas with potential need for improvement. The interviews were analysed in a deductive-inductive process according to Mayring's qualitative content analysis. Employees and experts reported various demands of offshore work, including challenging physical labour, long shifts, inactive waiting times, and recurrent absences from home. In contrast, the high personal meaning of the work, regular work schedule (14 days offshore, 14 days onshore), and strong comradeship were highlighted as job resources. Interviewees' working conditions varied considerably, e.g. regarding their work tasks and accommodations. Most of the job demands were perceived in terms of the work organization and living conditions offshore. Likewise, employees expressed the majority of needs for improvement in these areas. Our study offers important insight into the working conditions of employees in the German offshore wind industry. The results can provide a basis for further quantitative research in order to generalize the findings. Moreover, they can be utilized to develop needs-based interventions to improve the working conditions offshore.

Dynamic monitoring of water petroleum substance using HJ-1/CCD remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Miaofen; Xing, Xufeng; Zhao, Zulong; Li, Zhanqiang

2014-03-01

The experiment data used in this paper include CDOM(Chromophoric dissolved organic matter) absorption coefficient, water apparent optical properties and petroleum pollution concentration, which were obtained in May 2008, August 2009 and June 2010 respectively at Liaohe Oilfield in Panjin city, Liaoning province of China. A model between CDOM absorption coefficient and petroleum pollution concentration was developed, and then was applied to eight HJ-1CCD remote sense images obtained from 2009 to 2011, to produce multi-period temporal and spatial distribution maps of petroleum concentration in costal waters. Based on these thematic maps, the dynamic monitoring of petroleum pollution concentration distribution was done. The results showed that (1)There was a decreasing trend of petroleum concentration from costal waters to open sea, which manifest itself as an approximately zonal distribution;(2) due to low precipitation in May and June every year, the concentration of petroleum keeps in a relatively high value state; (3) in September, the concentration of petroleum decreases dramatically as pre increases, most of the area below 0.29 mg/L; (4) compared with that in the same period, the concentration of petroleum in April 2010 is apparently higher than in April 2011, and among the images in September from 2009 to 2011,the highest concentration of petroleum appears in 2010, and the lowest in 2009.

Economic Geology (Oil & Gas)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geotimes, 1972

1972-01-01

Briefly reviews the worldwide developments in petroleum geology in 1971, including exploration, new fields, and oil production. This report is condensed from the October Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. (PR)

California State Waters Map Series—Offshore of Gaviota, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Dartnell, Peter; Cochrane, Guy R.; Hartwell, Stephen R.; Golden, Nadine E.; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Davenport, Clifton W.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochran, Susan A.

2018-04-20

IntroductionIn 2007, the California Ocean Protection Council initiated the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP), designed to create a comprehensive seafloor map of high-resolution bathymetry, marine benthic habitats, and geology within the 3-nautical-mile limit of California’s State Waters. The CSMP approach is to create highly detailed seafloor maps through collection, integration, interpretation, and visualization of swath sonar data, acoustic backscatter, seafloor video, seafloor photography, high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles, and bottom-sediment sampling data. The map products display seafloor morphology and character, identify potential marine benthic habitats, and illustrate both the surficial seafloor geology and shallow subsurface geology.The map area is in the southern part of the Western Transverse Ranges geologic province, which is north of the California Continental Borderland. Significant clockwise rotation—at least 90°—since the early Miocene has been proposed for the Western Transverse Ranges province, and the region is presently undergoing north-south shortening. The offshore part of the map area lies south of the steep south flank of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The crest of the range, which has a maximum elevation of about 760 m in the map area, lies about 4 km north of the shoreline.Gaviota is an unincorporated community that has a sparse population (less than 100), and the coastal zone is largely open space that is locally used for cattle grazing. The Union Pacific railroad tracks extend westward along the coast through the entire map area, within a few hundred meters of the shoreline. Highway 101 crosses the eastern part of the map area, also along the coast, then turns north (inland) and travels through Cañada de la Gaviota and Gaviota Pass en route to Buellton. Gaviota State Park lies at the mouth of Cañada de la Gaviota. West of Gaviota, the onland coastal zone is occupied by the Hollister Ranch, a privately owned, gated community that has no public access.The map area has a long history of petroleum exploration and development. Several offshore gas fields were discovered and were developed by onshore directional drilling in the 1950s and 1960s. Three offshore petroleum platforms were installed in adjacent federal waters in 1976 (platform “Honda”) and 1989 (platforms “Heritage” and “Harmony”). Local offshore and onshore operations were serviced for more than a century by the Gaviota marine terminal, which is currently being decommissioned and will be abandoned in an intended transition to public open space. The Offshore of Gaviota map area lies within the western Santa Barbara Channel region of the Southern California Bight, and it is somewhat protected from large Pacific swells from the north and northwest by Point Conception and from south and southwest swells by offshore islands and banks. Much of the shoreline in the map area is characterized by narrow beaches that have thin sediment cover, backed by low (10- to 20-m-high) cliffs that are capped by a narrow coastal terrace. Beaches are subject to wave erosion during winter storms, followed by gradual sediment recovery or accretion in the late spring, summer, and fall months during the gentler wave climate.The map area lies in the western-central part of the Santa Barbara littoral cell, which is characterized by west-to-east transport of sediment from Point Arguello on the northwest to Hueneme and Mugu Canyons on the southeast. Sediment supply to the western and central part of the littoral cell is mainly from relatively small coastal watersheds. In the map area, sediment sources include Cañada de la Gaviota (52 km2), as well as Cañada de la Llegua, Arroyo el Bulito, Cañada de Santa Anita, Cañada de Alegria, Cañada del Agua Caliente, Cañada del Barro, Cañada del Leon, Cañada San Onofre, and many others. Coastal-watershed discharge and sediment load are highly variable, characterized by brief large events during major winter storms and long periods of low (or no) flow and minimal sediment load between storms. In recent (recorded) history, the majority of high-discharge, high-sediment-flux events have been associated with El Niño phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation climatic pattern.Shelf width in the Offshore of Gaviota map area ranges from about 4.3 to 4.7 km, and shelf slopes average about 1.0° to 1.2° but are highly variable because of the presence of the large Gaviota sediment bar. This bar extends southwestward for about 9 km from the mouth of Cañada de la Gaviota to the shelf break, is as wide as 2 km, and is by far the largest shore-attached sediment bar in the Santa Barbara Channel. The shelf is underlain by bedrock and variable amounts (0 to as much as 36 m in the Gaviota bar) of upper Quaternary sediments deposited as sea level fluctuated in the late Pleistocene. The trend of the shelf break changes from about 276° to 236° azimuth over a distance of about 12 km, and it ranges in depth from about 91 m to as shallow as 62 to 73 m where significant shelf-break and upper-slope failure and landsliding has apparently occurred. The shelf break in the western part of the map area is notably embayed by the heads of three large (150- to 300-m-wide) channels that have been referred to as “the Gaviota Canyons” or as “Drake Canyon,” “Sacate Canyon,” and “Alegria Canyon.”Seafloor habitats in the broad Santa Barbara Channel region consist of significant amounts of soft, unconsolidated sediment interspersed with isolated areas of rocky habitat that support kelp-forest communities in the nearshore and rocky-reef communities in deeper water. The potential marine benthic habitat types mapped in the Offshore of Gaviota map area are directly related to its Quaternary geologic history, geomorphology, and active sedimentary processes. These potential habitats lie primarily within the Shelf (continental shelf) but also partly within the Flank (basin flank or continental slope) megahabitats. The fairly homogeneous seafloor of sediment and low-relief bedrock provides characteristic habitat for rockfish, groundfish, crabs, shrimp, and other marine benthic organisms. Several areas of smooth sediment form nearshore terraces that have relatively steep, smooth fronts, which may be attractive to groundfish. Below the steep shelf break, soft, unconsolidated sediment is interrupted by the heads of several submarine canyons and rills, some bedrock exposures, and small carbonate mounds associated with asphalt mounds and pockmarks, also good potential habitat for rockfish. The map area includes the relatively small (5.2 km2) Kashtayit State Marine Conservation Area, which largely occupies the inner part of the Gaviota sediment bar.

Noble gas as tracers for CO2 deep input in petroleum reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pujol, Magali; Stuart, Finlay; Gilfillan, Stuart; Montel, François; Masini, Emmanuel

2016-04-01

The sub-salt hydrocarbon reservoirs in the deep offshore part of the Atlantic Ocean passive margins are a new key target for frontier oil and gas exploration. Type I source rocks locally rich in TOC (Total Organic Carbon) combined with an important secondary connected porosity of carbonate reservoirs overlain by an impermeable salt layer gives rise to reservoirs with high petroleum potential. However, some target structures have been found to be mainly filled with CO2 rich fluids. δ13C of the CO2 is generally between -9 and -4 permil, compatible with a deep source (metamorphic or mantle). Understanding the origin of the CO2 and the relative timing of its input into reservoir layers in regard to the geodynamic context appears to be a key issue for CO2 risk evaluation. The inertness and ubiquity of noble gases in crustal fluids make them powerful tools to trace the origin and migration of mixed fluids (Ballentine and Burnard 2002). The isotopic signature of He, Ne and Ar and the elemental pattern (He to Xe) of reservoir fluid from pressurized bottom hole samples provide an insight into fluid source influences at each reservoir depth. Three main end-members can be mixed into reservoir fluids (e.g. Gilfillan et al., 2008): atmospheric signature due to aquifer recharge, radiogenic component from organic fluid ± metamorphic influence, and mantle input. Their relative fractionation provides insights into the nature of fluid transport (Burnard et al., 2012)and its relative migration timing. In the studied offshore passive margin reservoirs, from both sides of South Atlantic margin, a strong MORB-like magmatic CO2 influence is clear. Hence, CO2 charge must have occurred during or after lithospheric break-up. CO2 charge(s) history appears to be complex, and in some cases requires several inputs to generate the observed noble gas pattern. Combining the knowledge obtained from noble gas (origin, relative timing, number of charges) with organic geochemical and thermodynamic understanding of the fluid, in regards with the geodynamical context, helps us to unravel the complex fluid history of these deep environments. Ballentine C.J. and Burnard P.G. (2002). Rev. Mineral. Geochem., vol. 47, pp 481-538. Burnard P et al. (2012) EPSL 341, pp 68-78. Gilfillan, S.M.V. et al. (2008) GCA, vol. 72, pp 1174-1198.

OMEGA for the Future of Biofuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trent, Jonathan

2010-01-01

OMEGA: Offshore Membrane Enclosure for Growing Algae. To develop a photobioreactor (PBR) for growing algae (Oil, food, fertilizer) that does not compete with agriculture for land (deployed offshore), water or fertilizer (uses/treats wastewater).

Complementary Microorganisms in Highly Corrosive Biofilms from an Offshore Oil Production Facility.

PubMed

Vigneron, Adrien; Alsop, Eric B; Chambers, Brian; Lomans, Bartholomeus P; Head, Ian M; Tsesmetzis, Nicolas

2016-04-01

Offshore oil production facilities are frequently victims of internal piping corrosion, potentially leading to human and environmental risks and significant economic losses. Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is believed to be an important factor in this major problem for the petroleum industry. However, knowledge of the microbial communities and metabolic processes leading to corrosion is still limited. Therefore, the microbial communities from three anaerobic biofilms recovered from the inside of a steel pipe exhibiting high corrosion rates, iron oxide deposits, and substantial amounts of sulfur, which are characteristic of MIC, were analyzed in detail. Bacterial and archaeal community structures were investigated by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis, multigenic (16S rRNA and functional genes) high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing, and quantitative PCR analysis. The microbial community analysis indicated that bacteria, particularly Desulfovibrio species, dominated the biofilm microbial communities. However, other bacteria, such as Pelobacter, Pseudomonas, and Geotoga, as well as various methanogenic archaea, previously detected in oil facilities were also detected. The microbial taxa and functional genes identified suggested that the biofilm communities harbored the potential for a number of different but complementary metabolic processes and that MIC in oil facilities likely involves a range of microbial metabolisms such as sulfate, iron, and elemental sulfur reduction. Furthermore, extreme corrosion leading to leakage and exposure of the biofilms to the external environment modify the microbial community structure by promoting the growth of aerobic hydrocarbon-degrading organisms. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

In situ, one step removal of ammonia from onshore and offshore formation water of petroleum production fields.

PubMed

Awad Abouelata, Ahmed M; Elhadad, Adel M A; Hammad, Samir

2018-04-21

Fish, crustaceans and other living organisms are threatened due to disposal of harmful contaminants in sea water. Ammonia is considered one of harmful contaminants due to industrial activities of oil companies, where excess ammonia in the formation water is discharged into sea water. Electrochemical treatment (EC) was used in one step for total removal of ammonia and remediation of other contaminants. Three working electrodes were examined EC cell, aluminum, iron and modified electrode (Ti/IrO 2 ). Graphite electrode was used as counter electrode in all processes of binary system. Both ionized and unionized ammonia of onshore (5.54 mg L -1 ) and off shore (110 mg L -1 ) were totally undetected after one step using all types of electrodes. The study was extended also to check the removal efficiency of other contaminants, where the analysis indicated the alleviation of them. Total suspended solid (TSS) of both onshore 64 mg L -1 and offshore 228 mg L -1 samples was reduced to 4 mg L -1 . Total dissolved solids (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) of high values, 232,000, 8500 and 2442 mg L -1 were also reduced to lower levels 18,400, 4000 and 1600 mg L -1 , respectively. The formed sludge after EC treatment was also investigated using XRD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Petroleum geology of Campos Basin, Brazil: A successful case history of deep water exploration

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

Franke, M.R.; Lugon, H.A.F.; Beraldo, W.L.

1990-05-01

Campos Basin, the most prolific Brazilian basin, produces almost 400,000 bbl of oil per day and contains 70% of the national reserves. The basin is located on the southeastern coast of Brazil, covering a prospectable area of 100,000 km{sup 2} Campos is a passive continental margin basin originated by the breakup of Pangea and the rifting of the South American and African plates in the Early Cretaceous. The basin's sedimentary section encompasses three megasequences: nonmarine, transitional, and marine, ranging in age from Neocomian to Holocene. Hydrocarbon generation is related to nonmarine organic-rich shales and marls, and hydrocarbon entrapment assumes ascendentmore » migration along fault planes and through salt gaps toward reservoirs ranging in age from Neocomian to Tertiary (mainly turbiditic sandstones). The first onshore stratigraphic well was drilled based on gravity surveys in 1958. The acquisition of new geophysical data, mainly seismic reflection data, followed after 1968. The first offshore well was drilled in 1971, and in 1974, the first oil field, Garopua, was discovered. Giant hydrocarbon accumulations have been discovered in water depths ranging from 400 to 1,800 m since 1984. As of mid-1989, 35 offshore oil fields have been discovered, 760 million bbl of oil, and 490 bcf of gas have been produced. The basin oil and equivalent gas reserves are estimated in 6.0 billion bbl, 60% of which is located in the deep-water giant oil fields.« less

Complementary Microorganisms in Highly Corrosive Biofilms from an Offshore Oil Production Facility

PubMed Central

Alsop, Eric B.; Chambers, Brian; Lomans, Bartholomeus P.; Head, Ian M.; Tsesmetzis, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Offshore oil production facilities are frequently victims of internal piping corrosion, potentially leading to human and environmental risks and significant economic losses. Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is believed to be an important factor in this major problem for the petroleum industry. However, knowledge of the microbial communities and metabolic processes leading to corrosion is still limited. Therefore, the microbial communities from three anaerobic biofilms recovered from the inside of a steel pipe exhibiting high corrosion rates, iron oxide deposits, and substantial amounts of sulfur, which are characteristic of MIC, were analyzed in detail. Bacterial and archaeal community structures were investigated by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis, multigenic (16S rRNA and functional genes) high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing, and quantitative PCR analysis. The microbial community analysis indicated that bacteria, particularly Desulfovibrio species, dominated the biofilm microbial communities. However, other bacteria, such as Pelobacter, Pseudomonas, and Geotoga, as well as various methanogenic archaea, previously detected in oil facilities were also detected. The microbial taxa and functional genes identified suggested that the biofilm communities harbored the potential for a number of different but complementary metabolic processes and that MIC in oil facilities likely involves a range of microbial metabolisms such as sulfate, iron, and elemental sulfur reduction. Furthermore, extreme corrosion leading to leakage and exposure of the biofilms to the external environment modify the microbial community structure by promoting the growth of aerobic hydrocarbon-degrading organisms. PMID:26896143

Analysis of offshore platforms lifting with fixed pile structure type (fixed platform) based on ASD89

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugianto, Agus; Indriani, Andi Marini

2017-11-01

Platform construction GTS (Gathering Testing Sattelite) is offshore construction platform with fix pile structure type/fixed platform functioning to support the mining of petroleum exploitation. After construction fabrication process platform was moved to barges, then shipped to the installation site. Moving process is generally done by pull or push based on construction design determined when planning. But at the time of lifting equipment/cranes available in the work area then the moving process can be done by lifting so that moving activity can be implemented more quickly of work. This analysis moving process of GTS platform in a different way that is generally done to GTS platform types by lifting using problem is construction reinforcement required, so the construction can be moved by lifting with analyzing and checking structure working stress that occurs due to construction moving process by lifting AISC code standard and analysis using the SAP2000 structure analysis program. The analysis result showed that existing condition cannot be moved by lifting because stress ratio is above maximum allowable value that is 0.950 (AISC-ASD89). Overstress occurs on the member 295 and 324 with stress ratio value 0.97 and 0.95 so that it is required structural reinforcement. Box plate aplication at both members so that it produces stress ratio values 0.78 at the member 295 and stress ratio of 0.77 at the member 324. These results indicate that the construction have qualified structural reinforcement for being moved by lifting.

2014-2015 Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report

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

Smith, Aaron; Stehly, Tyler; Musial, Walter

2015-09-01

This report provides data and analysis to assess the status of the U.S. offshore wind industry through June 30, 2015. It builds on the foundation laid by the Navigant Consortium, which produced three market reports between 2012 and 2014. The report summarizes domestic and global market developments, technology trends, and economic data to help U.S. offshore wind industry stakeholders, including policymakers, regulators, developers, financiers, and supply chain participants, to identify barriers and opportunities. Title page contains link to associated data tables posted at http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy15osti/64283_data_tables.xlsx.

[Recent advances in analysis of petroleum geological samples by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography].

PubMed

Gao, Xuanbo; Chang, Zhenyang; Dai, Wei; Tong, Ting; Zhang, Wanfeng; He, Sheng; Zhu, Shukui

2014-10-01

Abundant geochemical information can be acquired by analyzing the chemical compositions of petroleum geological samples. The information obtained from the analysis provides scientifical evidences for petroleum exploration. However, these samples are complicated and can be easily influenced by physical (e. g. evaporation, emulsification, natural dispersion, dissolution and sorption), chemical (photodegradation) and biological (mainly microbial degradation) weathering processes. Therefore, it is very difficult to analyze the petroleum geological samples and they cannot be effectively separated by traditional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A newly developed separation technique, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC), has unique advantages in complex sample analysis, and recently it has been applied to petroleum geological samples. This article mainly reviews the research progres- ses in the last five years, the main problems and the future research about GC x GC applied in the area of petroleum geology.

Investigating the Environment: Investigating Resource Acquisition and Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan, Jack

This unit provides the student with a simulated experience in the development of decision making skills. The acquisition of petroleum resources in a hypothetical republic provides the basic scenario around which the simulation develops. Students are supplied with specific information about petroleum geology, finances, and drilling. With this…

Oil Industry, Solar Energy Industry, and Mining Occupations. Curriculum for Petroleum, Mining and Solar Energy Secretaries. July 1, 1977-June 30, 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Gloria E.

This document is a packet of instructional materials for training secretaries and clerks for the petroleum, mining, and solar energy fields. Developed by Eastern New Mexico University and the New Mexico State Department of Vocational Education, and aimed at New Mexico industry, the curriculum is divided into three units of petroleum, mining, and…

NOx Emissions from Oil and Gas Production in the North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J. D.; Foulds, A.; Purvis, R.; Vaughan, A. R.; Carslaw, D.; Lewis, A. C.

2015-12-01

North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid petroleum and natural gas, produced from petroleum reservoirs beneath the North Sea. As of January 2015, the North Sea is the world's most active offshore drilling region with 173 rigs drilling. During the summer of 2015, a series of survey flights took place on the UKs FAAM BAe 146 research aircraft with the primary aim to assess background methane (and other hydrocarbons) levels in the drilling areas of the North Sea. Also measured were Nitrogen Oxides (NO and NO2), which are emitted from almost all combustion processes and are a key air pollutant, both directly and as a precursor to ozone (O3). The oil and gas platforms in the North Sea are often manned and require significant power generation and support vessels for their continued operation, processes that potentially emit significant amounts of NOx into an otherwise relative clean environment. During these flights we were able to measure the NO­­­x (and any subsequently produced O3) emitted from specific rigs, as well as the NOx levels in the wider North Sea oil and gas production region (see figure for example). NOx mixing ratios of <10 ppbv were frequently observed in plumes, with significant perturbation to the wider North Sea background levels. NOx emissions from the rigs are point sources within the UKs National Atmospheric Emission Inventory (NAEI) and the measurements taken in plumes from individual rigs are used to assess the accuracy of these estimates.

Forecasting Crude Oil Spot Price Using OECD Petroleum Inventory Levels

EIA Publications

2003-01-01

This paper presents a short-term monthly forecasting model of West Texas Intermediate crude oil spot price using Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) petroleum inventory levels.

2014 Offshore Wind Market and Economic Analysis

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

Hamilton, Bruce

2014-08-25

The objective of this report is to provide a comprehensive annual assessment of the U.S. offshore wind market.This 3rd annual report focuses on new developments that have occurred in 2014. The report provides stakeholders with a reliable and consistent data source addressing entry barriers and U.S. competitiveness in the offshore wind market. Available for download are both the full report and the report's underlying data.

Maritime Spatial Planning supported by systematic site selection: Applying Marxan for offshore wind power in the western Baltic Sea

PubMed Central

Dahl, Karsten; Mohn, Christian

2018-01-01

The development of offshore wind energy and other competing interests in sea space are a major incentive for designating marine and coastal areas for specific human activities. Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) considers human activities at sea in a more integrated way by analysing and designating spatial and temporal distributions of human activities based on ecological, economic and social targets. However, specific tools supporting spatial decisions at sea incorporating all relevant sectors are rarely adopted. The decision support tool Marxan is traditionally used for systematic selection and designation of nature protection and conservation areas. In this study, Marxan was applied as a support tool to identify suitable sites for offshore wind power in the pilot area Pomeranian Bight / Arkona Basin in the western Baltic Sea. The software was successfully tested and scenarios were developed that support the sites indicated in existing national plans, but also show options for alternative developments of offshore wind power in the Pomeranian Bight / Arkona Basin area. PMID:29543878

Characteristics of petroleum contaminants and their distribution in Lake Taihu, China.

PubMed

Guo, Jixiang; Fang, Jia; Cao, Jingjing

2012-08-31

Taihu Lake is a typical plain eutrophic shallow lake. With rapidly economic development of the lake area, the petroleum products and oil wastewater produced in various processes have been inevitably discharged into Taihu Lake. As the major fresh water resource in the economically developed region of Yangtze River Delta, the water quality and environmental condition of Taihu Lake have the direct bearing on the natural environment and sustainable development of economy in this region. For this reason we carried out the study to explore the composition, distribution characteristics and sources of petroleum contaminants in Taihu Lake. The aim of this study was to provide the basis for standard management and pollution control of the Taihu Lake environment. The result showed that water samples from near industrial locations were of relatively higher petroleum contaminants concentrations. The oil pollutants concentrations in different areas of Lake Taihu ranged from 0.106 mg/L to 1.168 mg/L, and the sequence of total contents distribution characteristics of petroleum pollutants from high to low in different regions of Taihu Lake was: "Dapu", "Xiaomeikou", "Zhushan Bay", "Lake center", "Qidu". The results showed that total concentrations of n-alkanes and PAHs ranged from 0.045 to 0.281 mg/L and from 0.011 to 0.034 mg/L respectively. In the same region, the concentrations of hydrocarbon pollutants in the surface and bottom of the lake were higher than that in the middle. This paper reached a conclusion that the petroleum contaminants in Taihu Lake mainly derived from petroleum pollution caused by human activities as indicated by OEP, bimodal distribution, CPI, Pr/Ph ratio, the LMW/HMW ratio and other evaluation indices for sources of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Mild Biomass Liquefaction Process for Economic Production of Stabilized Refinery-Ready Bio-oil

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

Gangwal, Santosh; Meng, Jiajia; McCabe, Kevin

Southern Research (SR) in cooperation with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO), investigated a biomass liquefaction process for economic production of stabilized refinery-ready bio-oil. The project was awarded by DOE under a Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0000686) for Bio-oil Stabilization and Commoditization that intended to evaluate the feasibility of using bio-oil as a potential feedstock in an existing petroleum refinery. SR investigated Topic Area 1 of the FOA at Technology Readiness Level 2-3 to develop thermochemical liquefaction technologies for producing a bio-oil feedstock from high-impact biomass that can be utilized within a petroleum refinery. Bio-oil obtained from fastmore » pyrolysis of biomass is a green intermediate that can be further upgraded into a biofuel for blending in a petroleum refinery using a hydro-deoxygenation (HDO) route. Co-processing pyrolysis bio-oil in a petroleum refinery is an attractive approach to leverage the refinery’s existing capital. However, the petroleum industry is reluctant to accept pyrolysis bio-oil because of a lack of a standard definition for an acceptable bio-oil feedstock in existing refinery processes. Also per BETO’s multiyear program plan, fast pyrolysis-based bio-fuel is presently not cost competitive with petroleum-based transportation fuels. SR aims to develop and demonstrate a cost-effective low-severity thermal liquefaction and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) process to convert woody biomass to stabilized bio-oils that can be directly blended with hydrotreater input streams in a petroleum refinery for production of gasoline and/or diesel range hydrocarbons. The specific project objectives are to demonstrate the processes at laboratory scale, characterize the bio-oil product and develop a plan in partnership with a refinery company to move the technology towards commercialization.« less

Hydrotreating of coal-derived liquids

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

Lott, S.E.; Stohl, F.V.; Diegert, K.V.

1995-12-31

To develop a database relating hydrotreating parameters to feed and product quality by experimentally evaluating options for hydrotreating whole coal liquids, distillate cuts of coal liquids, petroleum, and blends of coal liquids with petroleum.

Idealized WRF model sensitivity simulations of sea breeze types and their effects on offshore windfields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, C. J.; Dorling, S. R.; von Glasow, R.; Bacon, J.

2013-01-01

The behaviour and characteristics of the marine component of sea breeze cells have received little attention relative to their onshore counterparts. Yet there is a growing interest and dependence on the offshore wind climate from, for example, a wind energy perspective. Using idealized model experiments, we investigate the sea breeze circulation at scales which approximate to those of the southern North Sea, a region of major ongoing offshore wind farm development. We also contrast the scales and characteristics of the pure and the little known corkscrew and backdoor sea breeze types, where the type is pre-defined by the orientation of the synoptic scale flow relative to the shoreline. We find, crucially, that pure sea breezes, in contrast to corkscrew and backdoor types, can lead to substantial wind speed reductions offshore and that the addition of a second eastern coastline emphasises this effect through generation of offshore "calm zones". The offshore extent of all sea breeze types is found to be sensitive to both the influence of Coriolis acceleration and to the boundary layer scheme selected. These extents range, for example for a pure sea breeze produced in a 2 m s-1 offshore gradient wind, from 0 km to 21 km between the Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino and the Yonsei State University schemes respectively. The corkscrew type restricts the development of a backdoor sea breeze on the opposite coast and is also capable of traversing a 100 km offshore domain even under high along-shore gradient wind speed (>15 m s-1) conditions. Realistic variations in sea surface skin temperature and initializing vertical thermodynamic profile do not significantly alter the resulting circulation, though the strengths of the simulated sea breezes are modulated if the effective land-sea thermal contrast is altered. We highlight how sea breeze impacts on circulation need to be considered in order to improve the accuracy of both assessments of the offshore wind energy climate and forecasts of wind energy output.

Final Environmental Impact Statement. Potential Exploration, Development, and Production of Oil and Gas Resources, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-18

Leases 9 36 1 0 0 Grace Petroleum Leases 10 1 2 3 0 Hunter Resources Lease 3 10 1 2 0 Petroleum Marketing 1 0 294 0 0 0 Petroleum Productioni 117 2,294...of fact, it is Newhall Resources’ intention to actively market its acreage for leasing purposes to other oil companies once the EIS is finalized and...consciously slower pace than existing development procedures might warrant" means that if oil and gas market conditions were such that they exceeded the

2013 strategic petroleum reserve big hill well integrity grading report.

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

Lord, David L.; Roberts, Barry L.; Lord, Anna C. Snider

2014-02-01

This report summarizes the work performed in developing a framework for the prioritization of cavern access wells for remediation and monitoring at the Big Hill Strategic Petroleum Reserve site. This framework was then applied to all 28 wells at the Big Hill site with each well receiving a grade for remediation and monitoring. Numerous factors affecting well integrity were incorporated into the grading framework including casing survey results, cavern pressure history, results from geomechanical simulations, and site geologic factors. The framework was developed in a way as to be applicable to all four of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve sites.

Philippine Islands: a tectonic railroad siding

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

Gallagher, J.J. Jr.

1984-09-01

In 1976, significant quantities of oil were discovered offshore northwest of Palawan Island by a Philippine-American consortium led by Philippines-Cities Service Inc. This was the first commercial oil found in the Philippine Islands. Other exploration companies had decided that there was no commercial oil in the Philippines. They fell prey to a situation Wallace E. Pratt, who began his career in 1909 in the Philippines, later described: There are many instances where our knowledge, supported in some cases by elaborate and detailed studies has convinced us that no petroleum resources were present in areas which subsequently became sites of importantmore » oil fields. Some explorers are blinded by the negative implications of the same knowledge that successful explorers use to find important oil fields. The Palawan discoveries are examples of successful use of knowledge. Recognition that the Philippine Islands are a tectonic railroad siding may be the key to future exploration success. These islands are continental fragments, each with its own individual geologic characteristics, that have moved from elsewhere to their present positions along a major strike-slip zone. Play concepts can be developed in the Philippines for continental fragments in each of the three major present-day tectono-stratigraphic systems that are dominated by strike-slip, but include subduction and extension tectonics, with both carbonate and clastic sediments.« less

Mexico's Luna discoveries are more than moonshine

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

Stewart-Gordon, T.J.; Baker, G.T.

1987-05-01

Just when it seemed that Mexico's petroleum reserves may have been overstated, the state oil company opened a new province. Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) geologists think the Luna area of Tabasco State and the Gulf of Mexico could add the condensate and gas equivalent of 20 billion bbl of light oil to Mexico's proven reserves. If true, this would be the largest discovery in Mexico since the Campeche Sound fields in 1976. To date, the new province stretches about 50 miles between the Caribbean coastal towns of Frontera and Puerto Ceiba in Tabasco State, and extends some 31 miles offshore (seemore » map). Since the early 1970s, Pemex geologists have postulated that the entire Yucatan platform will prove productive. Luna finds reduce the distance between Campeche fields and onshore production to 93 miles. The Luna area is ideally suited for rapid development - it is about 40 miles northeast of Villahermosa, Tabasco, and within 60 miles of the export terminal at Dos Bocas near the border between Tabasco and Vera Cruz states. It is also less than 50 miles from the Cactus gas-processing and petrochemical plants in Chiapas State, which means that gas can be put into the country's trunk line that extends to the U.S. grid at Reynosa.« less

Egypt`s first remotely controlled subsea completion -- A Gulf of Suez case history

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

El Hawary, A.; Hoffman, J.G.

1995-11-01

A case history of the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company`s (GUPCO) first remotely controlled subsea completion is provided. The first completion was for well GS 373-2, a previously drilled and tested exploration well located in the south portion of the Gulf of Suez. Subsea technology was utilized to economically justify development of this one well marginal field which was discovered in 1978. Traditional methods proved to be too costly for development, therefore application of a low cost subsea tree was utilized to capture the resources. In the Gulf of Suez many fields have been discovered by have not been developedmore » due to low reserves. These marginal projects can have a profound impact on the revenue and shareholder value if any economic method is used to exploit these opportunities. Platform installation was not feasible due to reserve size, hence the well has remained abandoned until recently. Capturing the experience of Amoco in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Dutch North Sea, GUPCO was able to build a low cost subsea system which would allow for the economic development of the marginal fields discovered in the past. This paper presents a summarized look at subsea completion technology. The cost comparison of traditional development methods will be made, given the local cost structure in Egypt. The application of this technology has some limitations and constraints which will be discussed in the paper. Furthermore the actual field installation of Egypt`s first remotely controlled subsea tree will be summarized. Also included is a discussion on simple remote controls,and offshore installation operations.« less

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

Fugate, Grover J.

In 2010, the University of Rhode Island (URI) secured $2,000,000 from the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) to support research studies for the identification of preferred sites for offshore renewable energy development in Rhode Island’s offshore waters. This research will provide the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) with sound technical information to assist in the siting of wind turbines in Rhode Island’s offshore waters. CRMC is the state agency with jurisdiction over development, preservation and restoration of Rhode Island’s coasts out to the three-mile limit, and is the state’s authority for federal consistency. With technical supportmore » from URI, CRMC is currently leading the implementation of the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP) with the purpose of developing policies and standards to guide the development of offshore renewable energy. The justification behind renewable energy development in Rhode Island includes diversifying the energy sources supplying electricity consumed in the state, stabilizing long-term energy prices, enhancing environmental quality – including the reduction of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions – reducing the state’s reliance on fossil fuels, and creating jobs in Rhode Island in the renewable energy sector.« less

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: United States energy security, oil politics, and petroleum reserves policies in the twentieth century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaubouef, Bruce Andre

The history of U.S. petroleum reserves policies in the twentieth century, including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) program, provides a case study of the economic and political aspects of national security, and shows the ways in which the American political economy influences national security. One key problem plagued federal petroleum reserve programs and proposals throughout the twentieth century. In a political economy which traditionally placed strong emphasis upon the sanctity of private property and free markets, could the government develop an emergency petroleum reserve policy despite opposition from the private sector? Previous literature on the SPR and oil-stockpiling programs has largely disregarded the historical perspective, focusing instead upon econometric models, suggesting future oil-stockpiling policy options. This study will also make conclusions about the future of governmental oil-stockpiling policies, particularly with regard to the SPR program, but it will do so informed by a systematic history of the emergency petroleum reserve impulse in the twentieth century. Through a study of the emergency petroleum reserve impulse, one can see how the American political economy of oil and energy changed over the twentieth century. As petroleum became crucial to the military and then economic security of the United States, the federal government sought to develop emergency petroleum reserves first for the military, then for the civilian economy. But while the American petroleum industry could deliver the energy "goods" to American energy consumers at a reasonable price, the companies reigned supreme in the political equation. While that was true, federal petroleum reserve programs and proposals conflicted with and were overwhelmed by the historic American tradition of individual economic and private property rights. The depletion of American petroleum reserves changed that political equation, and the ensuing energy crises of the 1970s not only brought the issue of national energy autonomy into the realm of national security considerations, but also allowed for an unprecedented level of government intervention into the marketplace of oil and energy in peacetime. The federal government assumed the role of protecting and serving the interests of energy consumers, a role which had previously been the sole purview of the private sector. What resulted was a complex, chaotic, and controversial regulatory nightmare that highlighted the deficiencies of micro-management, and stoked the political momentum for deregulation in the 1980s, which continued into the 1990s. Gradually, government micro-management of the energy economy was abandoned. That left the SPR, a passive, market-conforming policy tool as the government's primary mechanism for combating energy crises. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

WIND Toolkit Offshore Summary Dataset

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

Draxl, Caroline; Musial, Walt; Scott, George

This dataset contains summary statistics for offshore wind resources for the continental United States derived from the Wind Integration National Datatset (WIND) Toolkit. These data are available in two formats: GDB - Compressed geodatabases containing statistical summaries aligned with lease blocks (aliquots) stored in a GIS format. These data are partitioned into Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf resource regions. HDF5 - Statistical summaries of all points in the offshore Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf offshore regions. These data are located on the original WIND Toolkit grid and have not been reassigned or downsampled to lease blocks. These data were developed under contractmore » by NREL for the Bureau of Oceanic Energy Management (BOEM).« less

Assessment of Offshore Wind System Design, Safety, and Operation Standards

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

Sirnivas, Senu; Musial, Walt; Bailey, Bruce

This report is a deliverable for a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) entitled National Offshore Wind Energy Resource and Design Data Campaign -- Analysis and Collaboration (contract number DE-EE0005372; prime contractor -- AWS Truepower). The project objective is to supplement, facilitate, and enhance ongoing multiagency efforts to develop an integrated national offshore wind energy data network. The results of this initiative are intended to 1) produce a comprehensive definition of relevant met-ocean resource assets and needs and design standards, and 2) provide a basis for recommendations for meeting offshore wind energy industry data and design certificationmore » requirements.« less

Aquatic toxicity of petroleum products and dispersant agents determined under the U.S. EPA Oil Spill Research Program

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development has developed baseline data on the ecotoxicity of selected petroleum products and several chemical dispersants as part of its oil spills research program. Two diluted bitumens (dilbits) from the Alberta Tar Sands were tested for acu...

Quantifying the hurricane catastrophe risk to offshore wind power.

PubMed

Rose, Stephen; Jaramillo, Paulina; Small, Mitchell J; Apt, Jay

2013-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that over 50 GW of offshore wind power will be required for the United States to generate 20% of its electricity from wind. Developers are actively planning offshore wind farms along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts and several leases have been signed for offshore sites. These planned projects are in areas that are sometimes struck by hurricanes. We present a method to estimate the catastrophe risk to offshore wind power using simulated hurricanes. Using this method, we estimate the fraction of offshore wind power simultaneously offline and the cumulative damage in a region. In Texas, the most vulnerable region we studied, 10% of offshore wind power could be offline simultaneously because of hurricane damage with a 100-year return period and 6% could be destroyed in any 10-year period. We also estimate the risks to single wind farms in four representative locations; we find the risks are significant but lower than those estimated in previously published results. Much of the hurricane risk to offshore wind turbines can be mitigated by designing turbines for higher maximum wind speeds, ensuring that turbine nacelles can turn quickly to track the wind direction even when grid power is lost, and building in areas with lower risk. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

Engineering Challenges for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

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

Butterfield, S.; Musial, W.; Jonkman, J.

The major objective of this paper is to survey the technical challenges that must be overcome to develop deepwater offshore wind energy technologies and to provide a framework from which the first-order economics can be assessed.

“Open Hatch” Tour of Offshore Wind Buoy

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

Zayas, Jose

2015-09-18

Wind and Water Power Technologies Office Director, Jose Zayas gives a behind the scenes tour of the AXYS WindSentinel research buoy, which uses high-tech instruments to measure conditions for potential offshore wind energy development.

Operational management of offshore energy assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolios, A. J.; Martinez Luengo, M.

2016-02-01

Energy assets and especially those deployed offshore are subject to a variety of harsh operational and environmental conditions which lead to deterioration of their performance and structural capacity over time. The aim of reduction of CAPEX in new installations shifts focus to operational management to monitor and assess performance of critical assets ensuring their fitness for service throughout their service life and also to provide appropriate and effective information towards requalification or other end of life scenarios, optimizing the OPEX. Over the last decades, the offshore oil & gas industry has developed and applied various approaches in operational management of assets through Structural Health and Condition Monitoring (SHM/CM) systems which can be, at a certain level, transferable to offshore renewable installations. This paper aims to highlight the key differences between offshore oil & gas and renewable energy assets from a structural integrity and reliability perspective, provide a comprehensive overview of different approaches that are available and applicable, and distinguish the benefits of such systems in the efficient operation of offshore energy assets.

Investigation of Wind Turbine Rotor Concepts for Offshore Wind Farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceyhan, Özlem; Grasso, Francesco

2014-06-01

Current plans in offshore wind energy developments call for further reduction of cost of energy. In order to contribute to this goal, several wind turbine rotor concepts have been investigated. Assuming the future offshore wind turbines will operate only in the offshore wind farms, the rotor concepts are not only evaluated for their stand-alone performances and their potential in reducing the loads, but also for their performance in an offshore wind farm. In order to do that, the 10MW reference wind turbine designed in Innwind.EU project is chosen as baseline. Several rotor parameters have been modified and their influences are investigated for offshore wind turbine design purposes. This investigation is carried out as a conceptual parametrical study. All concepts are evaluated numerically with BOT (Blade optimisation tool) software in wind turbine level and with Farmflow software in wind farm level for two wind farm layouts. At the end, all these concepts are compared with each other in terms of their advantages and disadvantages.

Field observations of Flood Basalt structure: Implications for offshore interpretation and sub-volcanic investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Single, R.; Jerram, D.; Pearson, D.; Hobbs, R.

2003-04-01

Field investigations in Skye and Namibia have provided insight into structure and architecture of CFBs. The studies have been developed into lava sequence models in 3-D software GoCad. The understanding has been applied to interpretation of lavas in the Faeroe-Shetland trough. Volcanics hinder petroleum exploration in this play due to their complex internal geometries and velocity structure. Seismic resolution is poor beneath volcanics. Fieldwork has shown that lavas on Skye have developed from (olivine-phyric) compound basalts towards the base of the sequence, into more massive flows higher up the succession. Fieldwork in the Etendeka CFBs reveal a similar style of lava field development. The focus of the offshore study is through the area of the GFA-99 seismic data. Detailed 3-D interpretation over the central data area is 20x20km in dimensions. The lava sequence present may be sub-divided vertically and laterally into 4 zones between the following seismic picks: Base basalt/sub-basalt sills, top compound lava-dominated series, top Middle Series, top hyaloclastites, top massive basalt. Within the lava sequence, the surfaces have rugose topographies. Lower zone lavas are characterised by discontinuous, indistinct reflectors. These are interpreted to be sub-aerially effused basalts with compound-braided architecture. Middle Series basalts are considered to be a combination of compound lavas and more massive, tabular flows. Steeply dipping seismic reflectors also form part of the Middle Series and are interpreted as foreset-bedded hyaloclastites. The uppermost lavas have strong reflection characteristics and are laterally extensive. These are interpreted to be massive tabular lavas covering an area >8.4 x10^3 km^2. Such flows exist in upper parts of CFB sequences as evidenced from fieldwork. Complex stacking arrangements of lavas seen in the field, and the complexities observed in seismic, suggest that many factors need to be considered within CFBs for improved sub-volcanic imaging. Factors include understanding: The facies-zones present, changes in velocity structure and the geometries present within facies types. EU 5th Framework Project SIMBA is a collaborative research project combining industrial and academic partners in flood basalt research. SIMBA incorporates: TotalFinaElf GRC, ARK Geophysics, Norsk Hydro, Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP) and Universities of Durham, Cambridge, UC Dublin and Brest.

New Approaches for Responsible Management of Offshore Springs in Semi-arid Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaban, Amin; de Jong, Carmen; Al-Sulaimani, Zaher

2017-04-01

In arid and semi-arid regions, such as the Mediterranean and Gulf Region where water is scarce water demand has been exacerbated and become a major environmental challenge. Presently there is massive pressure to develop new water sources to alleviate existing water stress. In the quest for more freshwater even groundwater discharge into the sea in the form of "off-shore freshwater springs" (or submarine groundwater discharge) has been contemplated as a potential source of unconventional water in coastal zones. Offshore-springs are derived from aquifers with complex geological controls mainly in the form of faults and karst conduits. Representing a border-line discipline, they have been poorly studied with only few submarine groundwater monitoring sites existing worldwide. Recently, innovative techniques have been developed enabling springs to be detected via remote sensing such as airborne surveys or satellite images. "Thermal Anomalies" can be clearly identified as evidence for groundwater discharge into the marine environment. A diversity of groundwater routes along which off-shore springs are fed from land sources can be recognized and near-shore and offshore springs differentiated and classified according to their geometry. This is well pronounced along the coast of Lebanon and offshore of Oman. Offshore springs play an important role in the marine ecosystem as natural sources of mercury, metals, nutrients, dissolved carbon species and in cooling or warming ocean water. However, they are extremely sensitive to variations in qualitative and quantitative water inputs triggered by climate change and anthropogenic impacts especially in their recharge zones. Pollutants such as sewage, detergents, heavy metals or herbicides that negatively affect water quality of offshore springs can transit the groundwater rapidly. Recently these springs have also been severely affected by uncontrolled water abstraction from land aquifers. In Bahrain, overpumping combined with burial under land reclamation rubble has caused the disappearance of offshore springs inducing a drastic decline in the pearl oyster population. Climate change related precipitation decrease and temperature increase is likely to further decrease groundwater and surface water recharge, increase irrigation and domestic water demand, increase water extraction from aquifers and in turn decrease water availability for offshore springs.. Thus in future, continuous monitoring of water quantity and quality as well as new remote sensing approach in addition to observations by citizens such as fishermen and tourist guides are becoming essential to ensure responsible management of offshore freshwater springs.

The Role of Well Control Training in Developing Safe Onshore and Offshore Oil Drilling Operations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abulhassn, Aber

2016-01-01

This research investigates the role of the International Well Control Forum (IWCF) Rotary Drilling Well Control Training Program in developing safe oil drilling operations from the perspective of onshore and offshore drilling crews. The research methodology is a qualitative case study. A total of 40 IWCF candidates were interviewed, with 10 from…

Ocean Pollution as a Result of Onshore Offshore Petroleum Activities in the African Gulf of Guinea Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abubakar, B.

2007-05-01

The Gulf of Guinea region is located on the Atlantic side of Africa; the sub region has a total population of approximately 190million people. It comprises of five different countries and their territorial waters, which are as follows: Nigeria, Sao Tome & Principe, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon. The sub region is blessed with so many types of natural resources ranging from petroleum, Natural gas, Bitumen, Uranium Diamond and Gold to mention but a few. However the region since the last two decades started attracting the World's attention as a result of the continuous increasing discoveries of new oil fields on both its on shores and off shores. In view of this extra ordinary increasing discoveries of new oil fields in the region, the Gulf of Guinea has become a "Gold rush" to the oil companies and it has so far attracted almost all the top oil firms in the world including; Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total, Texaco, Agip, Chevron, Slumberger, Stat Oil and Conoco Phillips among many other oil giants. In the more recent time even the U.S. Marine Corp have stationed their War Ship in the territorial waters of the Gulf in the name of providing protection to the "Liquid Gold" (Petroleum) underlying the beneath of the region. OIL ACTIVITIES AND ITS ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS IN THE GULF OF GUINEA As a result of the geometrically increasing oil activities in the region ranging from Drilling, Gas flaring, Bunkering and Exploration activities, there was increase in the general pollution of the region. For example recent reports released in June, 2005 by the internationally renown nongovernmental organization on environmental pollution the Netherlands based Climate Justice programme and the Nigeria's Environmental Rights Action, Under the aegis of friends of the Earth, had it that the region is ranked top on the world's total flare with Nigeria along accounting for 16 percent of the world's total flare. Another example is the increasing cases of oil spillages leading to the increasing cases of pollution of farmlands, rivers, wells and the environment in general. Apart from all these, what is even becoming more worrisome is that none of all these oil firms operating in the region is able to account on how it disposes its industrial toxic waste generated as a result of its industrial activities within the region. Finally Geological strata are adversely destroyed by seismographic activities, Sea creatures are destroyed by oil pollution and Means of livelihood of revering dwellers are often threatened by pollution. RECOMMENDATIONS After identifying how the pollution in the Gulf of Guinea region is increasing in relation to the increasing petroleum activities, I have come up with the following suggestions/recommendations. 1. AFRICAN UNION RESOLUTION The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in conjunction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should use their capacity to be able to influence the African Union (AU) to pass a resolution banning the illegal dumping of radioactive waste, Gas flaring and Costal bunkering in this part of the world. 2. RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, in conjunction with the United Nations Environmental Agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency and with the corporation of the African Union should send team of researchers to come and investigate this trend on petroleum pollution in the Gulf of Guinea region and proffer possible solutions in checking the menace.

Research on comprehensive performance evaluation technology of wind turbine based on Analytic Hierarchy Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xiangsheng; Zhong, Mingqiu; Li, Ying; Yang, Hongyuan

2018-05-01

High-power of the offshore wind turbine is in the early stage of development, then how to establish a scientific and impartial performance evaluation system of the offshore wind turbine becomes the key to the health development of the industry. This paper adopts the method of multi-level analysis and site testing, which can reduce the impact of human factors on evaluation to the most extent. A more reasonable judging criterion with the relative importance of different factors of the same criterion level is also put forward, which constructs a more scientific and fair evaluation system of the high-power offshore wind turbine.

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

Melancon, R.

In June, 1995, the National Petroleum Refiners Association (NPRA) adhoc committee on Contractor Safety Training, turned over the task of developing reciprocity agreements with all Contractor Safety Training Councils to the Executive Directors of each of the Council`s. The Council representatives were to develop these agreements based on the NPRA adhoc committee training objectives that were developed jointly by representatives of the petroleum industry, chemical industry, contractors and the Council`s.

Mapping Seabird Sensitivity to Offshore Wind Farms

PubMed Central

Bradbury, Gareth; Trinder, Mark; Furness, Bob; Banks, Alex N.; Caldow, Richard W. G.; Hume, Duncan

2014-01-01

We present a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool, SeaMaST (Seabird Mapping and Sensitivity Tool), to provide evidence on the use of sea areas by seabirds and inshore waterbirds in English territorial waters, mapping their relative sensitivity to offshore wind farms. SeaMaST is a freely available evidence source for use by all connected to the offshore wind industry and will assist statutory agencies in assessing potential risks to seabird populations from planned developments. Data were compiled from offshore boat and aerial observer surveys spanning the period 1979–2012. The data were analysed using distance analysis and Density Surface Modelling to produce predicted bird densities across a grid covering English territorial waters at a resolution of 3 km×3 km. Coefficients of Variation were estimated for each grid cell density, as an indication of confidence in predictions. Offshore wind farm sensitivity scores were compiled for seabird species using English territorial waters. The comparative risks to each species of collision with turbines and displacement from operational turbines were reviewed and scored separately, and the scores were multiplied by the bird density estimates to produce relative sensitivity maps. The sensitivity maps reflected well the amassed distributions of the most sensitive species. SeaMaST is an important new tool for assessing potential impacts on seabird populations from offshore development at a time when multiple large areas of development are proposed which overlap with many seabird species’ ranges. It will inform marine spatial planning as well as identifying priority areas of sea usage by marine birds. Example SeaMaST outputs are presented. PMID:25210739

Mapping seabird sensitivity to offshore wind farms.

PubMed

Bradbury, Gareth; Trinder, Mark; Furness, Bob; Banks, Alex N; Caldow, Richard W G; Hume, Duncan

2014-01-01

We present a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool, SeaMaST (Seabird Mapping and Sensitivity Tool), to provide evidence on the use of sea areas by seabirds and inshore waterbirds in English territorial waters, mapping their relative sensitivity to offshore wind farms. SeaMaST is a freely available evidence source for use by all connected to the offshore wind industry and will assist statutory agencies in assessing potential risks to seabird populations from planned developments. Data were compiled from offshore boat and aerial observer surveys spanning the period 1979-2012. The data were analysed using distance analysis and Density Surface Modelling to produce predicted bird densities across a grid covering English territorial waters at a resolution of 3 km×3 km. Coefficients of Variation were estimated for each grid cell density, as an indication of confidence in predictions. Offshore wind farm sensitivity scores were compiled for seabird species using English territorial waters. The comparative risks to each species of collision with turbines and displacement from operational turbines were reviewed and scored separately, and the scores were multiplied by the bird density estimates to produce relative sensitivity maps. The sensitivity maps reflected well the amassed distributions of the most sensitive species. SeaMaST is an important new tool for assessing potential impacts on seabird populations from offshore development at a time when multiple large areas of development are proposed which overlap with many seabird species' ranges. It will inform marine spatial planning as well as identifying priority areas of sea usage by marine birds. Example SeaMaST outputs are presented.

Offshore Wind Energy Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musgrove, P.

1978-01-01

Explores the possibility of installing offshore windmills to provide electricity and to save fuel for the United Kingdom. Favors their deployment in clusters to facilitate supervision and minimize cost. Discusses the power output and the cost involved and urges their quick development. (GA)

Final Report DE-EE0005380: Assessment of Offshore Wind Farm Effects on Sea Surface, Subsurface and Airborne Electronic Systems

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

Ling, Hao; Hamilton, Mark F.; Bhalla, Rajan

2013-09-30

Offshore wind energy is a valuable resource that can provide a significant boost to the US renewable energy portfolio. A current constraint to the development of offshore wind farms is the potential for interference to be caused by large wind farms on existing electronic and acoustical equipment such as radar and sonar systems for surveillance, navigation and communications. The US Department of Energy funded this study as an objective assessment of possible interference to various types of equipment operating in the marine environment where offshore wind farms could be installed. The objective of this project was to conduct a baselinemore » evaluation of electromagnetic and acoustical challenges to sea surface, subsurface and airborne electronic systems presented by offshore wind farms. To accomplish this goal, the following tasks were carried out: (1) survey electronic systems that can potentially be impacted by large offshore wind farms, and identify impact assessment studies and research and development activities both within and outside the US, (2) engage key stakeholders to identify their possible concerns and operating requirements, (3) conduct first-principle modeling on the interactions of electromagnetic signals with, and the radiation of underwater acoustic signals from, offshore wind farms to evaluate the effect of such interactions on electronic systems, and (4) provide impact assessments, recommend mitigation methods, prioritize future research directions, and disseminate project findings. This report provides a detailed description of the methodologies used to carry out the study, key findings of the study, and a list of recommendations derived based the findings.« less

Offshore Wind Energy

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

Strach-Sonsalla, Mareike; Stammler, Matthias; Wenske, Jan

In 1991, the Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm in the world, started feeding electricity to the grid off the coast of Lolland, Denmark. Since then, offshore wind energy has developed from this early experiment to a multibillion dollar market and an important pillar of worldwide renewable energy production. Unit sizes grew from 450 kW at Vindeby to the 7.5 MW-class offshore wind turbines (OWT ) that are currently (by October 2014) in the prototyping phase. This chapter gives an overview of the state of the art in offshore wind turbine (OWT) technology and introduces the principlesmore » of modeling and simulating an OWT. The OWT components -- including the rotor, nacelle, support structure, control system, and power electronics -- are introduced, and current technological challenges are presented. The OWT system dynamics and the environment (wind and ocean waves) are described from the perspective of OWT modelers and designers. Finally, an outlook on future technology is provided. The descriptions in this chapter are focused on a single OWT -- more precisely, a horizontal-axis wind turbine -- as a dynamic system. Offshore wind farms and wind farm effects are not described in detail in this chapter, but an introduction and further references are given.« less

OC5 Project Phase Ib: Validation of hydrodynamic loading on a fixed, flexible cylinder for offshore wind applications

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

Robertson, Amy N.; Wendt, Fabian; Jonkman, Jason M.

This paper summarizes the findings from Phase Ib of the Offshore Code Comparison, Collaboration, Continued with Correlation (OC5) project. OC5 is a project run under the International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Research Task 30, and is focused on validating the tools used for modelling offshore wind systems through the comparison of simulated responses of select offshore wind systems (and components) to physical test data. For Phase Ib of the project, simulated hydrodynamic loads on a flexible cylinder fixed to a sloped bed were validated against test measurements made in the shallow water basin at the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) withmore » support from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The first phase of OC5 examined two simple cylinder structures (Phase Ia and Ib) to focus on validation of hydrodynamic models used in the various tools before moving on to more complex offshore wind systems and the associated coupled physics. As a result, verification and validation activities such as these lead to improvement of offshore wind modelling tools, which will enable the development of more innovative and cost-effective offshore wind designs.« less

Aeroelastic Stability Investigations for Large-scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, B. C.; Griffith, D. T.

2014-06-01

The availability of offshore wind resources in coastal regions, along with a high concentration of load centers in these areas, makes offshore wind energy an attractive opportunity for clean renewable electricity production. High infrastructure costs such as the offshore support structure and operation and maintenance costs for offshore wind technology, however, are significant obstacles that need to be overcome to make offshore wind a more cost-effective option. A vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) rotor configuration offers a potential transformative technology solution that significantly lowers cost of energy for offshore wind due to its inherent advantages for the offshore market. However, several potential challenges exist for VAWTs and this paper addresses one of them with an initial investigation of dynamic aeroelastic stability for large-scale, multi-megawatt VAWTs. The aeroelastic formulation and solution method from the BLade Aeroelastic STability Tool (BLAST) for HAWT blades was employed to extend the analysis capability of a newly developed structural dynamics design tool for VAWTs. This investigation considers the effect of configuration geometry, material system choice, and number of blades on the aeroelastic stability of a VAWT, and provides an initial scoping for potential aeroelastic instabilities in large-scale VAWT designs.

OC5 Project Phase Ib: Validation of hydrodynamic loading on a fixed, flexible cylinder for offshore wind applications

DOE PAGES

Robertson, Amy N.; Wendt, Fabian; Jonkman, Jason M.; ...

2016-10-13

This paper summarizes the findings from Phase Ib of the Offshore Code Comparison, Collaboration, Continued with Correlation (OC5) project. OC5 is a project run under the International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Research Task 30, and is focused on validating the tools used for modelling offshore wind systems through the comparison of simulated responses of select offshore wind systems (and components) to physical test data. For Phase Ib of the project, simulated hydrodynamic loads on a flexible cylinder fixed to a sloped bed were validated against test measurements made in the shallow water basin at the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) withmore » support from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The first phase of OC5 examined two simple cylinder structures (Phase Ia and Ib) to focus on validation of hydrodynamic models used in the various tools before moving on to more complex offshore wind systems and the associated coupled physics. As a result, verification and validation activities such as these lead to improvement of offshore wind modelling tools, which will enable the development of more innovative and cost-effective offshore wind designs.« less

Freight Transportation Petroleum Conservation - Viability Evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-03-01

This report develops a comprehensive perspective of current and near-term future energy demand in U.S. freight transportation. Synthesis of studies of many agencies indicate that the annual petroleum fuel demand for freight transportation in 1985 wil...

Bioassay-Directed Fractionation of Diesel and Biodiesel Emissions

EPA Science Inventory

Biofuels are being developed as alternatives to petroleum-derived products, but published research is contradictory regarding the mutagenic activity of such emissions relative to those from petroleum diesel. We performed bioassay-directed fractionation and analyzed the polycyclic...

Health Effects of Cut Gas Lines and Other Petroleum Product Release Incidents - Seven States, 2010-2012.

PubMed

Anderson, Ayana R

2015-06-12

Large mass casualty gas explosions and catastrophic oil spills are widely reported and receive considerable regulatory attention. Smaller, less catastrophic petroleum product releases are less likely to receive publicity, although study of these incidents might help focus and prioritize prevention efforts. To describe the causes and health impacts of petroleum product release incidents (including gas explosions and oil spills), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) analyzed 2010-2012 data from the National Toxic Substance Incidents Program (NTSIP). A total of 1,369 petroleum product release incidents were reported from seven states, resulting in 512 injuries and 36 deaths. Approximately one fourth of the incidents were associated with utilities, and approximately one fifth were associated with private vehicles or residences. Approximately 10% of petroleum product releases resulted from inadvertent damage to utility lines. Understanding the characteristics of acute petroleum product releases can aid the public and utility workers in the development of preventive strategies and reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with such releases.

Real-time Monitoring of Subsea Gas Pipelines, Offshore Platforms, and Ship Inspection Scores Using an Automatic Identification System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artana, K. B.; Pitana, T.; Dinariyana, D. P.; Ariana, M.; Kristianto, D.; Pratiwi, E.

2018-06-01

The aim of this research is to develop an algorithm and application that can perform real-time monitoring of the safety operation of offshore platforms and subsea gas pipelines as well as determine the need for ship inspection using data obtained from automatic identification system (AIS). The research also focuses on the integration of shipping database, AIS data, and others to develop a prototype for designing a real-time monitoring system of offshore platforms and pipelines. A simple concept is used in the development of this prototype, which is achieved by using an overlaying map that outlines the coordinates of the offshore platform and subsea gas pipeline with the ship's coordinates (longitude/latitude) as detected by AIS. Using such information, we can then build an early warning system (EWS) relayed through short message service (SMS), email, or other means when the ship enters the restricted and exclusion zone of platforms and pipelines. The ship inspection system is developed by combining several attributes. Then, decision analysis software is employed to prioritize the vessel's four attributes, including ship age, ship type, classification, and flag state. Results show that the EWS can increase the safety level of offshore platforms and pipelines, as well as the efficient use of patrol boats in monitoring the safety of the facilities. Meanwhile, ship inspection enables the port to prioritize the ship to be inspected in accordance with the priority ranking inspection score.

Influence of Offshore Initial Moisture Field and Convection on the Development of Coastal Convection in a Heavy Rainfall Event over South China during the Pre-summer Rainy Season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Rong; Sun, Jianhua; Fu, Shenming

2017-04-01

This paper utilizes the observation data from the Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (SCMREX) and the numerical experiments to investigate the influence of moisture amount and convection development over the northern South China Sea on a heavy rainfall event in coastal South China on May 8, 2014. Intensive sounding and wind profiles data reveal that there existed a convergence region formed by the southwesterly and easterly jet in the Pearl River delta, which provided favorable conditions for the development of convection. Whether the initial relative humidity field was increased or decreased in the offshore area, or turning off sensible and latent heat release from the cumulus and microphysical processes, had significant effects on the intensity and movement of convection in the coastal areas of Guangdong owing to the adjustment of temperature and wind fields. Especially, when increasing offshore initial humidity, prosperous sea convection modified the circulation in the entire simulation area, and suppressed the development of convection over land. Moreover, if sensible and latent heat from cumulus and microphysical processes was turned off, the low-level jets could reach further north, and the convective system moved to the northeast in the later stage. These experiments indicate that offshore initial moisture filed and convection activity are indeed important for precipitation forecast in the coastal areas, therefore it's necessary to enhance offshore observation and data assimilation methods in the future.

Managing the visual effects of outer continental shelf and other petroleum-related coastal development

Treesearch

Philip A. Marcus; Ethan T. Smith

1979-01-01

Five petroleum-related facilities often sited in the coastal zone during development of Outer Continental oil and gas can change the visual appearance of coastal areas. These facilities are service bases, platform fabrication yards, marine terminals and associated storage facilities, oil and gas processing facilities, and liquified natural gas terminals. Examples of...

Nearshore bars and the break-point hypothesis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sallenger, A.H.; Howd, P.A.

1989-01-01

The set of hypotheses calling for bar formation at the break point was tested with field data. During two different experiments, waves were measured across the surf zone coincident with the development of a nearshore bar. We use a criterion, based on the wave height to depth ratio, to determine the offshore limit of the inner surf zone. During the first experiment, the bar became better developed and migrated offshore while remaining well within the inner surf zone. During the second experiment, the surf zone was narrower and we cannot rule out the possibility of break point processes contributing to bar development. We conclude that bars are not necessarily coupled with the break point and can become better developed and migrate offshore while being in the inner surf zone landward from initial wave breaking in the outer surf zone. ?? 1989.

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

Knott, D.

Northwest Europe`s offshore operators have boosted their oil and gas production dramatically in recent years, and while the area is now mature, a steady stream of developments continues. In the boom days of the late 1970s and 1980s, a typical North Sea installation was a large platform, which occasionally a new pipeline or, more commonly, a tie-in to the area`s massive export grids. These days, now that technical developments have enabled operators to justify developments of smaller, once uneconomic, discoveries, it is pointless to talk of a typical offshore development. Northwest Europe`s offshore operators have learned that it is worthwhilemore » to rack their brains for the most economic development concepts. This creativity is reflected in recent development plans. While operators are now snatching up the small accumulations in and around the mature North Sea producing fields, they are also seeking develop frontier regions. The paper discusses development activities in UK, Ireland, Denmark and Greenland, and Norway in gas, oil, and gas condensate deposits.« less

Identifying polar bear resource selection patterns to inform offshore development in a dynamic and changing Arctic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Ryan R.; Horne, Jon S.; Rode, Karyn D.; Regehr, Eric V.; Durner, George M.

2014-01-01

Although sea ice loss is the primary threat to polar bears (Ursus maritimus), little can be done to mitigate its effects without global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Other factors, however, could exacerbate the impacts of sea ice loss on polar bears, such as exposure to increased industrial activity. The Arctic Ocean has enormous oil and gas potential, and its development is expected to increase in the coming decades. Estimates of polar bear resource selection will inform managers how bears use areas slated for oil development and to help guide conservation planning. We estimated temporally-varying resource selection patterns for non-denning adult female polar bears in the Chukchi Sea population (2008–2012) at two scales (i.e., home range and weekly steps) to identify factors predictive of polar bear use throughout the year, before any offshore development. From the best models at each scale, we estimated scale-integrated resource selection functions to predict polar bear space use across the population's range and determined when bears were most likely to use the region where offshore oil and gas development in the United States is slated to occur. Polar bears exhibited significant intra-annual variation in selection patterns at both scales but the strength and annual patterns of selection differed between scales for most variables. Bears were most likely to use the offshore oil and gas planning area during ice retreat and growth with the highest predicted use occurring in the southern portion of the planning area. The average proportion of predicted high-value habitat in the planning area was >15% of the total high-value habitat for the population during sea ice retreat and growth and reached a high of 50% during November 2010. Our results provide a baseline on which to judge future changes to non-denning adult female polar bear resource selection in the Chukchi Sea and help guide offshore development in the region. Lastly, our study provides a framework for assessing potential impacts of offshore oil and gas development to other polar bear populations around the Arctic.

“Open Hatch” Tour of Offshore Wind Buoy

ScienceCinema

Zayas, Jose

2018-01-16

Wind and Water Power Technologies Office Director, Jose Zayas gives a behind the scenes tour of the AXYS WindSentinel research buoy, which uses high-tech instruments to measure conditions for potential offshore wind energy development.

A Grounded Theory for Regional Development through the IT Offshoring Industry with the Triple-Helix Involvment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villarreal de la Garza, Sonia

2011-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative grounded study was to explore the thoughts, experiences, and needs of potential clients and of the triple-helix members with the intention to establish a framework to support the development of the regional economy through the information technology (IT) and business processing outsourcing (BPO) offshoring industry.…

''I'd Love to Put Someone in Jail for This:" An Initial Investigation of English in the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forey, Gail; Lockwood, Jane

2007-01-01

In the global workplace, there has been tremendous growth in business processing outsourcing (BPO). Many industries are establishing call centers, back offices and other offshore enterprises in developing countries in an attempt to reduce costs. This development has far-reaching implications for language in these offshore destinations. Despite…

Quantitative CMMI Assessment for Offshoring through the Analysis of Project Management Repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunetnanta, Thanwadee; Nobprapai, Ni-On; Gotel, Olly

The nature of distributed teams and the existence of multiple sites in offshore software development projects pose a challenging setting for software process improvement. Often, the improvement and appraisal of software processes is achieved through a turnkey solution where best practices are imposed or transferred from a company’s headquarters to its offshore units. In so doing, successful project health checks and monitoring for quality on software processes requires strong project management skills, well-built onshore-offshore coordination, and often needs regular onsite visits by software process improvement consultants from the headquarters’ team. This paper focuses on software process improvement as guided by the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) and proposes a model to evaluate the status of such improvement efforts in the context of distributed multi-site projects without some of this overhead. The paper discusses the application of quantitative CMMI assessment through the collection and analysis of project data gathered directly from project repositories to facilitate CMMI implementation and reduce the cost of such implementation for offshore-outsourced software development projects. We exemplify this approach to quantitative CMMI assessment through the analysis of project management data and discuss the future directions of this work in progress.

Transmission system protection screening for integration of offshore wind power plants

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

Sajadi, A.; Strezoski, L.; Clark, K.

This paper develops an efficient methodology for protection screening of large-scale transmission systems as part of the planning studies for the integration of offshore wind power plants into the power grid. This methodology avails to determine whether any upgrades are required to the protection system. The uncertainty is considered in form of variability of the power generation by offshore wind power plant. This paper uses the integration of a 1000 MW offshore wind power plant operating in Lake Erie into the FirstEnergy/PJM service territory as a case study. This study uses a realistic model of a 63,000-bus test system thatmore » represents the U.S. Eastern Interconnection.« less

Transmission system protection screening for integration of offshore wind power plants

DOE PAGES

Sajadi, A.; Strezoski, L.; Clark, K.; ...

2018-02-21

This paper develops an efficient methodology for protection screening of large-scale transmission systems as part of the planning studies for the integration of offshore wind power plants into the power grid. This methodology avails to determine whether any upgrades are required to the protection system. The uncertainty is considered in form of variability of the power generation by offshore wind power plant. This paper uses the integration of a 1000 MW offshore wind power plant operating in Lake Erie into the FirstEnergy/PJM service territory as a case study. This study uses a realistic model of a 63,000-bus test system thatmore » represents the U.S. Eastern Interconnection.« less

Preliminary test of the prototype modular cryostat for a 10 MW offshore superconducting wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jiuce; Ramalingam, R.; Sanz, Santiago; Neumann, Holger

2017-02-01

The SUPerconducting Reliable lightweight And more POWERful offshore wind turbine (SUPRAPOWER), an EU FP7 funded research project, are under development for an innovative superconducting 10 MW class offshore wind turbine. Due to the requirements of handling, maintenance, reliability of long term and offshore operation, the cryostats are divided in two major parts: the modular cryostat able to accommodate a single coil and a thermal collector that links all the modules. The prototype modular cryostat was designed, manufactured and assembled in Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The paper reports preliminary test results of proto-type modular cryostat with a two-stage Gifford-McMahon (GM) cryocooler.

Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Feasibility Assessment

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

Boezaart, Arnold; Edmonson, James; Standridge, Charles

The purpose of this project was to conduct the first comprehensive offshore wind assessment over Lake Michigan and to advance the body of knowledge needed to support future commercial wind energy development on the Great Lakes. The project involved evaluation and selection of emerging wind measurement technology and the permitting, installation and operation of the first mid-lake wind assessment meteorological (MET) facilities in Michigan’s Great Lakes. In addition, the project provided the first opportunity to deploy and field test floating LIDAR and Laser Wind Sensor (LWS) technology, and important research related equipment key to the sitting and permitting of futuremore » offshore wind energy development in accordance with public participation guidelines established by the Michigan Great Lakes Wind Council (GLOW). The project created opportunities for public dialogue and community education about offshore wind resource management and continued the dialogue to foster Great Lake wind resource utilization consistent with the focus of the GLOW Council. The technology proved to be effective, affordable, mobile, and the methods of data measurement accurate. The public benefited from a substantial increase in knowledge of the wind resources over Lake Michigan and gained insights about the potential environmental impacts of offshore wind turbine placements in the future. The unique first ever hub height wind resource assessment using LWS technology over water and development of related research data along with the permitting, sitting, and deployment of the WindSentinel MET buoy has captured public attention and has helped to increase awareness of the potential of future offshore wind energy development on the Great Lakes. Specifically, this project supported the acquisition and operation of a WindSentinel (WS) MET wind assessment buoy, and associated research for 549 days over multiple years at three locations on Lake Michigan. Four research objectives were defined for the project including to: 1) test and validate floating LIDAR technology; 2) collect and access offshore wind data; 3) detect and measure bird and bat activity over Lake Michigan; 4) conduct an over water sound propagation study; 5) prepare and offer a college course on offshore energy, and; 6) collect other environmental, bathometric, and atmospheric data. Desk-top research was performed to select anchorage sites and to secure permits to deploy the buoy. The project also collected and analyzed data essential to wind industry investment decision-making including: deploying highly mobile floating equipment to gather offshore wind data; correlating offshore wind data with conventional on-shore MET tower data; and performing studies that can contribute to the advancement and deployment of offshore wind technologies. Related activities included: • Siting, permitting, and deploying an offshore floating MET facility; • Validating the accuracy of floating LWS using near shoreline cup anemometer MET instruments; • Assessment of laser pulse technology (LIDAR) capability to establish hub height measurement of wind conditions at multiple locations on Lake Michigan; • Utilizing an extended-season (9-10 month) strategy to collect hub height wind data and weather conditions on Lake Michigan; • Investigation of technology best suited for wireless data transmission from distant offshore structures; • Conducting field-validated sound propagation study for a hypothetical offshore wind farm from shoreline locations; • Identifying the presence or absence of bird and bat species near wind assessment facilities; • Identifying the presence or absence of benthic and pelagic species near wind assessment facilities; All proposed project activities were completed with the following major findings: • Floating Laser Wind Sensors are capable of high quality measurement and recordings of wind resources. The WindSentinel presented no significant operational or statistical limitations in recording wind data technology at a at a high confidence level as compared to traditional anemometer cup technology. • During storms, mean Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) increases with height above water; • Sufficient wind resources exist over Lake Michigan to generate 7,684 kWh of power using a 850 kW rated turbine at elevations between 90 - 125 meters, a height lower than originally anticipated for optimum power generation; • Based on initial assessments, wind characteristics are not significantly different at distant (thirty-two mile) offshore locations as compared to near-shore (six mile) locations; • Significant cost savings can be achieved in generation wind energy at lower turbine heights and locating closer to shore. • Siting must be sufficiently distant from shore to minimize visual impact and to address public sentiment about offshore wind development; • Project results show that birds and bats do frequent the middle of Lake Michigan, bats more so than birds; • Based on the wind resource assessment and depths of Lake Michigan encountered during the project, future turbine placement will most likely need to incorporate floating or anchored technology; • The most appropriate siting of offshore wind energy locations will enable direct routing of transmission cables to existing generating and transmission facilities located along the Michigan shoreline; • Wind turbine noise propagation from a wind energy generating facility at a five mile offshore location will not be audible at the shoreline over normal background sound levels.« less

Accord near for offshore California oil shipments

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

Not Available

There are faint glimmers of hope again for offshore California operators. After more than a decade of often bitter strife over offshore oil and gas development and transportation issues, state officials and oil producers may be moving toward compromise solutions. One such solution may be forthcoming on offshore development. But the real change came with the turnabout of the California Coastal Commission (CCC), which last month approved a permit for interim tankering of crude from Point Arguello oil field in the Santa Barbara Channel to Los Angeles. The dispute over how to ship offshore California crude to market has draggedmore » on since before Point Arguelo development plans were unveiled. The project's status has become a flashpoint in the U.S. debate over resource use and environmental concerns. The controversy flared anew in the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spill off Alaska, when CCC voided a Santa Barbara County permit for interim tankering, a move project operator Chevron Corp. linked to the Exxon Valdez accident. Faced with litigation, the state's economic devastation, and acrimonious debate over transporting California crude, Gov. Pete Wilson and other agencies approved the CCC permit. But there's a catch: A permanent pipeline must be built to handle full production within 3 years. The paper discusses permit concerns, the turnaround decision, the anger of environmental groups, and pipeline proposals.« less

Assessment of the present and future offshore wind power potential: a case study in a target territory of the Baltic Sea near the Latvian coast.

PubMed

Lizuma, Lita; Avotniece, Zanita; Rupainis, Sergejs; Teilans, Artis

2013-01-01

Offshore wind energy development promises to be a significant domestic renewable energy source in Latvia. The reliable prediction of present and future wind resources at offshore sites is crucial for planning and selecting the location for wind farms. The overall goal of this paper is the assessment of offshore wind power potential in a target territory of the Baltic Sea near the Latvian coast as well as the identification of a trend in the future wind energy potential for the study territory. The regional climate model CLM and High Resolution Limited Area Model (Hirlam) simulations were used to obtain the wind climatology data for the study area. The results indicated that offshore wind energy is promising for expanding the national electricity generation and will continue to be a stable resource for electricity generation in the region over the 21st century.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve Plan. Distribution Plan for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Amendment No. 3. Energy Action DOE No. 5

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

Not Available

Purpose of this Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Plan Amendment is to provide a Distribution Plan, setting forth the method of drawdown and distribution of the Reserve. Chapter VII of the SPR Plan contained a Distribution Plan which identified and discussed the major objectives, criteria and other factors that will be considered in developing the detailed plan. This Amendment replaces Chapter VII of the SPR Plan in its entirety.

Vehicle Technologies Office FY 2017 Budget At-A-Glance

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

None

2016-03-01

Transportation accounts for two-thirds of U.S. petroleum use, and on-road vehicles are responsible for nearly 85% of this amount. U.S. dependence on petroleum affects the national economy and potential for future growth—making it a high-value opportunity for change. The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) develops and overcomes barriers to the widespread use of advanced highway transportation technologies that reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, while meeting or exceeding vehicle performance expectations.

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

Graham, R.; Howe, S.; O`Leary, J.

The Piedemonte Llanero petroleum trend of the Cordillera Oriental in Colombia has proven to be one of the most prolific hydrocarbon provinces discovered in recent years. The Piedemonte Llanero is a fold and thrust belt of complex, multi-phase structuration and hydrocarbon generation. Following the discovery of the Cusiana and Cupiagua fields in the southern part of the trend, BP and its partners began exploration further to the northeast. Early seismic data showed the existence of two structural trends: the frontal (or basal) thrust trend, with structures similar to Cusiana; and the overthrust (or duplex) trend, with multiple imbricated structures. Improvedmore » quality seismic data defined the gross structures and allowed them to be successfully drilled, but did not give a constrained model for the kinematic evolution of the fold and thrust belt nor the petroleum play. This resulted in no clear predictive models for reservoir quality and hydrocarbon phase distribution in the undrilled parts of the trend. A wide variety of geological and geochemical analytical techniques including biostratigraphy, reservoir petrology, petroleum geochemistry, thermal maturity data, basin modelling and fluid inclusion studies were undertaken. These were iteratively integrated into the seismo-structural model to develop a constrained interpretation for the evolution of the Piedemonte Llanero petroleum system. This paper summarizes the current understanding of the structural evolution of the trend and the development of a major petroleum system. A companion paper details the reservoir petrography and petroleum geochemistry studies.« less

Process simulation and dynamic control for marine oily wastewater treatment using UV irradiation.

PubMed

Jing, Liang; Chen, Bing; Zhang, Baiyu; Li, Pu

2015-09-15

UV irradiation and advanced oxidation processes have been recently regarded as promising solutions in removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from marine oily wastewater. However, such treatment methods are generally not sufficiently understood in terms of reaction mechanisms, process simulation and process control. These deficiencies can drastically hinder their application in shipping and offshore petroleum industries which produce bilge/ballast water and produced water as the main streams of marine oily wastewater. In this study, the factorial design of experiment was carried out to investigate the degradation mechanism of a typical PAH, namely naphthalene, under UV irradiation in seawater. Based on the experimental results, a three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network simulation model was developed to simulate the treatment process and to forecast the removal performance. A simulation-based dynamic mixed integer nonlinear programming (SDMINP) approach was then proposed to intelligently control the treatment process by integrating the developed simulation model, genetic algorithm and multi-stage programming. The applicability and effectiveness of the developed approach were further tested though a case study. The experimental results showed that the influences of fluence rate and temperature on the removal of naphthalene were greater than those of salinity and initial concentration. The developed simulation model could well predict the UV-induced removal process under varying conditions. The case study suggested that the SDMINP approach, with the aid of the multi-stage control strategy, was able to significantly reduce treatment cost when comparing to the traditional single-stage process optimization. The developed approach and its concept/framework have high potential of applicability in other environmental fields where a treatment process is involved and experimentation and modeling are used for process simulation and control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Volatile Fuel Hydrocarbons and MTBE in the Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cozzarelli, I. M.; Baehr, A. L.

2003-12-01

Petroleum hydrocarbons (hydrocarbons that result from petroleum products such as oil, gasoline, or diesel fuel) are among the most commonly occurring and widely distributed contaminants in the environment. Volatile hydrocarbons are the lighter fraction of the petroleum hydrocarbons and, together with fuel oxygenates, are most often released from crude oil and liquid petroleum products produced from crude oil. The demand for crude oil stems from the world's ever-growing energy need. From 1970 to 1999, primary energy production of the world grew by 76% (Energy Information Administration, 2001), with fossil fuels (crude oil, natural gas, and coal) accounting for ˜85% of all energy produced worldwide (Figure 1). World crude oil production reached a record 68 million barrels (bbl) per day (1.08×1010 L d-1) in 2000. The world's dependence on oil as an energy source clearly is identified as contributing to global warming and worsening air and water quality. (7K)Figure 1. World primary energy production by source from 1970 to 1999 (Energy Information Administration, 2001). Petroleum products are present in Earth's subsurface as solids, liquids, or gases. This chapter presents a summary of the environmental problems and issues related to the use of liquid petroleum, or oil. The focus is on the sources of volatile hydrocarbons and fuel oxygenates and the geochemical behavior of these compounds when they are released into the environment. Although oxygenates currently in commercial use include compounds other than methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE), such as ethanol (ETOH), most of the information presented here focuses on MTBE because of its widespread occurrence. The environmental impact of higher molecular weight hydrocarbons that also originate from petroleum products is described in (Chapter 9.13, Abrajano et al.).Crude oil occurs within the Earth and is a complex mixture of natural compounds composed largely of hydrocarbons containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms. The minor elements of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen constitute less than 3% of most petroleum (Hunt, 1996). Releases to the environment occur during the production, transport, processing, storage, use and disposal of these hydrocarbons. The petroleum industry classifies oil naturally occurring in a liquid phase as either conventional oil or nonconventional oil. Conventional oils can be explored and produced by conventional primary and secondary recovery techniques, whereas nonconventional oils, such as heavy oils, tar sands, and synthetic oils, are more difficult to extract from the host rock ( Tissot and Welte, 1984). The history of liquid petroleum usage dates back centuries. Marco Polo described its use as a fuel for lamps in 1291 ( Testa and Winegardner, 2000). In the mid-nineteenth century, Native Americans used crude oil skimmed from creeks and rivers as a medicinal ointment ( Energy Information Administration, 1999). Commercial production in the United States began in 1859, with kerosene production for use in lamps. At the turn of the century, emphasis shifted to gasoline with the invention of the automobile, and in the 1930s and 1940s a substantial market for heating oil developed.In 2000, over 85% of the world's energy came from fossil fuels (Table 1), with oil production alone supplying 40% of that energy (Edwards, 2001). Oil, with its high British Thermal Unit (BTU) density and ease of transport, is the most valuable fuel in the world today, and the demand for world crude oil is ever increasing. Annual world crude-oil demand increased from 22 billion to 28 billion bbl of oil (BBO) ((3.5-4.5)×1012 L) from 1990 to 2000. Increasing population growth and industrialization in developing countries is expected to drive this annual oil demand up 1.5% annually to ˜38 BBO (6.0×1012 L) by 2030. As demand increases and known oil reserves are depleted, more emphasis will be placed on new discoveries and improved recovery technologies. Sources such as tar sands and oil shales are likely to become more important, bringing environmental problems inherent to the production, transport, and processing of these resources to new sectors of the environment. Table 1. United States and world energy consumption by source (January 2000) Energy SourceUnited StatesWorld BBOEPercentBBOEPercent Petroleum6.84127.140 Natural gas4.224.214.421.2 Coal3.923.216.724.7 Nuclear1.37.94.56.7 Hydroelectric0.733.71.62.4 Biomass3.45 Total7.610069.3100 Source: Edwards (2001). BBOE=billion barrels of oil equivalent. Reserves of crude oil, the raw material used to make petroleum products, are not evenly distributed around the world. The production levels of the major oil-producing nations in the world, shown in Figure 2, are based on data collected by the US Department of Energy's (DOEs) Energy Information Administration (EIA). Nations in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) produce ˜43% of the world's total of nearly 68 million bbl per day (bpd) (1.08×1010 L d-1), with Saudi Arabia as the world's largest producer at 8.3 million bpd (12% of total) (1.33×109 L d-1), followed by Russia and the former Soviet Union at 6.4 million bpd (9%) (1.02×109 L d-1). The United States produced ˜5.7 million bpd (8%) (9.06×108 L d-1). Oil and gas are being produced in virtually all geographic areas intersecting a wide range of ecological habitats, including tropical rain forests, Middle Eastern deserts, Arctic regions, and deep offshore marine environments. (6K)Figure 2. World crude-oil production from leading producers, 1960-2000, in million barrels per day (Energy Information Administration, 2001). The petroleum industry has two main components, exploration/recovery and refinement/delivery. Crude oil is delivered to refineries and refined products are delivered to consumers through a large transportation network that includes tankers, barges, pipelines, and railroads. This transportation network links suppliers and producers across the world. Above-ground tanks, below-ground tanks and caverns, and offshore facilities store petroleum at various stages in this distribution system. The largest underground storage facilities in the US are part of the US. Strategic Petroleum Reserve maintained by the US government for times of supply shortage (Energy Information Administration, 1999). The global and complex nature of this industry means that every environmental compartment (air, land, water, biota) and all nations are affected by petroleum spills and waste products.Petroleum products are released into the environment inadvertently and intentionally at all stages of petroleum use, from exploration, production, transportation, storage, use and disposal (Figure 3). The more volatile components of oil partition preferentially into the atmosphere and hydrosphere, and to a lesser extent, the geosphere (e.g., sorption onto sediments), and biosphere (i.e., bioaccumulation), whereas the higher molecular weight fraction of oil is less soluble and less volatile and impacts the biosphere and geosphere more directly as described by Abrajano et al. (see Chapter 9.13). Usage causes compounds from petroleum products to separate and enter the environment. For example, incomplete fuel combustion in an automobile engine or a home heating furnace results in the release of compounds to the atmosphere, where they can be widely dispersed. Compounds in the exhaust gas of a motor boat partition in river or lake water, allowing for mixing and transport in the water body. These examples are illustrative of chronic low-level and widespread release of compounds referred to as nonpoint sources. (10K)Figure 3. Modes of contamination by petroleum products during production, transport, use, and disposal (after Fetter, 1993). Concentrated releases of compounds to the environment generally are associated with product mishandling and accidents during storage and transportation. For example, gasoline leaking from an underground storage tank (UST) releases compounds to the air, water, and solids of the subsurface. An oil tanker spill at sea can result in the rapid dispersal of large amounts of product. These two examples of more concentrated release are referred to as point sources. However, in the case of a tanker spill, the point release can result in a serious regional problem such as the spill of the Exxon Valdez that spilled oil that spread 750 km from the original spill site and impacted 1,750 km of shoreline (Wolfe et al., 1994).Nonpoint sources can cause compounds to be dispersed throughout the hydrosphere, which can complicate efforts to evaluate the effect of spills. Current sampling and analytical techniques allow for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low concentrations (0.1 μg L-1 and less). As a result, VOCs have been detected frequently in ambient shallow groundwater in urban areas across the country in studies conducted as part of the US Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program (Squillace et al., 1996). The importance of VOCs at low concentrations in ambient water is unclear. If these low concentrations are the result of plumes emanating from point sources, then concentrations could possibly increase with time. If the source were diffuse (nonpoint), as in the case of atmospheric sources, then changes in VOC concentrations in groundwater over time would be constrained by atmospheric concentrations.Widely distributed and frequent point source spills can be considered nonpoint sources when the scale of concern is large in space or time. For example, the United States generates 1.3 billion gallons (4.9×109 L) of used motor oil each year, of which ˜13% is disposed of improperly (Motor Oil Facts, http://www.epa.gov/seahome/housewaste/src/oilfact.htm). This large quantity of improperly disposed motor oil could be a regional source of MTBE and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) as used motor oil contains BTEX and MTBE, ˜500-2,000 mg L-1 for BTEX and 100 mg L-1 for MTBE (Baker et al., 2002; Chen et al., 1994). In a survey of 946 domestic wells designed to assess ambient groundwater quality in Maine, MTBE was detected in 15.8% of the wells, mostly at concentrations less than 0.1 μg L-1 (State of Maine Bureau of Health, 1998). Small and widely distributed spills of fuel-related products not necessarily associated with leaking storage tanks were identified as likely sources.

Oil and gas reserve growth-a model for the Volga-Ural Province, Russia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verma, M.K.; Ulmishek, G.F.; Gilbershtein, A.P.

2000-01-01

An understanding of reserve growth in known oil and gas fields has become a critical component of energy resource analysis. Significant statistical studies of reserve growth have been published in the U.S., whereas little information is available on other regions of the world. It may be expected that in many countries the magnitude of reserve growth is different from that in the U.S. because of differences in reporting systems and in exploration and production practices. This paper describes the results of a reserve growth study in a group of largest oil and gas fields of the Volga-Ural petroleum province, Russia. The dynamics of reserve growth in these fields shows rapid reserve additions during the first 5 years of field exploration and development, which results from intensive step-out and delineation drilling. Later reserve growth is slow and is related to improvements in recovery technologies and discoveries of new pools and extensions. These two stages of reserve growth are described by two different groups of empirical models. A comparison of these models with the models developed for the lower 48 states and Gulf Coast offshore of the U.S. demonstrates that the reserve growth in the Volga-Ural province is significantly lower than in the U.S. The proposed models may be used for assessment of future reserve additions in known fields of countries that presently have or recently had a centrally-planned economic system.

Petroleum geology and resources of the West Siberian Basin, Russia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ulmishek, Gregory F.

2003-01-01

The West Siberian basin is the largest petroleum basin in the world covering an area of about 2.2 million km2. The basin occupies a swampy plain between the Ural Mountains and the Yenisey River. On the north, the basin extends offshore into the southern Kara Sea. On the west, north, and east, the basin is surrounded by the Ural, Yenisey Ridge, and Turukhan-Igarka foldbelts that experienced major deformations during the Hercynian tectonic event and the Novaya Zemlya foldbelt that was deformed in early Cimmerian (Triassic) time. On the south, the folded Caledonian structures of the Central Kazakhstan and Altay-Sayan regions dip northward beneath the basin?s sedimentary cover. The basin is a relatively undeformed Mesozoic sag that overlies the Hercynian accreted terrane and the Early Triassic rift system. The basement is composed of foldbelts that were deformed in Late Carboniferous?Permian time during collision of the Siberian and Kazakhstan continents with the Russian craton. The basement also includes several microcontinental blocks with a relatively undeformed Paleozoic sedimentary sequence. The sedimentary succession of the basin is composed of Middle Triassic through Tertiary clastic rocks. The lower part of this succession is present only in the northern part of the basin; southward, progressively younger strata onlap the basement, so that in the southern areas the basement is overlain by Toarcian and younger rocks. The important stage in tectono-stratigraphic development of the basin was formation of a deep-water sea in Volgian?early Berriasian time. The sea covered more than one million km2 in the central basin area. Highly organic-rich siliceous shales of the Bazhenov Formation were deposited during this time in anoxic conditions on the sea bottom. Rocks of this formation have generated more than 80 percent of West Siberian oil reserves and probably a substantial part of its gas reserves. The deep-water basin was filled by prograding clastic clinoforms during Neocomian time. The clastic material was transported by a system of rivers dominantly from the eastern provenance. Sandstones within the Neocomian clinoforms contain the principal oil reservoirs. The thick continental Aptian?Cenomanian Pokur Formation above the Neocomian sequence contains giant gas reserves in the northern part of the basin. Three total petroleum systems are identified in the West Siberian basin. Volumes of discovered hydrocarbons in these systems are 144 billion barrels of oil and more than 1,300 trillion cubic feet of gas. The assessed mean undiscovered resources are 55.2 billion barrels of oil, 642.9 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 20.5 billion barrels of natural gas liquids. The largest known oil reserves are in the Bazhenov-Neocomian total petroleum system that includes Upper Jurassic and younger rocks of the central and southern parts of the basin. Oil reservoirs are mainly in Neocomian and Upper Jurassic clastic strata. Source rocks are organic-rich siliceous shales of the Bazhenov Formation. Most discovered reserves are in structural traps, but stratigraphic traps in the Neocomian clinoform sequence are pro-ductive and are expected to contain much of the undiscovered resources. Two assessment units are identified in this total petroleum system. The first assessment unit includes all conventional reservoirs in the stratigraphic interval from the Upper Jurassic to the Cenomanian. The second unit includes unconventional (or continuous), self-sourced, fractured reservoirs in the Bazhenov Formation. This unit was not assessed quantitatively. The Togur-Tyumen total petroleum system covers the same geographic area as the Bazhenov-Neocomian system, but it includes older, Lower?Middle Jurassic strata and weathered rocks at the top of the pre-Jurassic sequence. A Callovian regional shale seal of the Abalak and lower Vasyugan Formations separates the two systems. The Togur-Tyumen system is oil-prone; gas reserves are insignificant. The principal o

75 FR 10301 - MMS Information Collection Activity: 1010-0006, Leasing of Sulphur or Oil and Gas in the Outer...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-05

... offshore drilling and development. MMS-152--Relinquishment of Federal OCS Oil and Gas Lease Form Once a...) 208-7744. Dated: January 19, 2010. William S. Hauser, Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory...

Gulf of Mexico Helicopter Offshore System Technologies Recommended Development Path

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koenke, Edmund J.; Williams, Larry; Calafa, Caesar

1999-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) project in cooperation with the Department of Transportation (DOT) Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (VNTSC) contracted with the System Resources Corporation (SRC) for the evaluation of the existing environment and the identification of user and service provider needs in the Gulf of Mexico low-altitude Offshore Sector. The results of this contractor activity are reported in the Gulf of Mexico Helicopter Offshore System Technologies Engineering Needs Assessment. A recommended system design and transition strategy was then developed to satisfy the identified needs within the constraints of the environment. This work, also performed under contract to NASA, is the subject of this report.

Quantifying the hurricane risk to offshore wind turbines.

PubMed

Rose, Stephen; Jaramillo, Paulina; Small, Mitchell J; Grossmann, Iris; Apt, Jay

2012-02-28

The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that if the United States is to generate 20% of its electricity from wind, over 50 GW will be required from shallow offshore turbines. Hurricanes are a potential risk to these turbines. Turbine tower buckling has been observed in typhoons, but no offshore wind turbines have yet been built in the United States. We present a probabilistic model to estimate the number of turbines that would be destroyed by hurricanes in an offshore wind farm. We apply this model to estimate the risk to offshore wind farms in four representative locations in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal waters of the United States. In the most vulnerable areas now being actively considered by developers, nearly half the turbines in a farm are likely to be destroyed in a 20-y period. Reasonable mitigation measures--increasing the design reference wind load, ensuring that the nacelle can be turned into rapidly changing winds, and building most wind plants in the areas with lower risk--can greatly enhance the probability that offshore wind can help to meet the United States' electricity needs.

Quantifying the hurricane risk to offshore wind turbines

PubMed Central

Rose, Stephen; Jaramillo, Paulina; Small, Mitchell J.; Grossmann, Iris; Apt, Jay

2012-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that if the United States is to generate 20% of its electricity from wind, over 50 GW will be required from shallow offshore turbines. Hurricanes are a potential risk to these turbines. Turbine tower buckling has been observed in typhoons, but no offshore wind turbines have yet been built in the United States. We present a probabilistic model to estimate the number of turbines that would be destroyed by hurricanes in an offshore wind farm. We apply this model to estimate the risk to offshore wind farms in four representative locations in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal waters of the United States. In the most vulnerable areas now being actively considered by developers, nearly half the turbines in a farm are likely to be destroyed in a 20-y period. Reasonable mitigation measures—increasing the design reference wind load, ensuring that the nacelle can be turned into rapidly changing winds, and building most wind plants in the areas with lower risk—can greatly enhance the probability that offshore wind can help to meet the United States’ electricity needs. PMID:22331894

Development of a portable petroleum by-products chemical sensor, phase 1 and 2 report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-07-31

We have proposed to tailor design nanoparticle based chemical sensors for the sensitive, selective and field portable analyses of soil samples for petroleum spill indicating hydrocarbons (such as benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzenes, xylenes, PCBs, trich...

Responsive copolymers for enhanced petroleum recovery. Final report

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

NONE

This report describes the development of new synthetic polymers to be used in petroleum recovery. The solution behavior and rheology properties, as well as new techniques for measuring extensional flow behavior under controlled conditions in packed bed geometries is described.

Systematic approach in petroleum personnel competence assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanyuk, Vera; Nekhoda, Evgeniya; Dmitriev, Andrey; Khudyakov, Dmitriy; Pozdeeva, Galina

2016-09-01

The article is devoted to professional competence improvement of personnel in the petroleum industry. The technique for competence assessment optimization in oil and gas well drilling is developed. The specification for the oil and gas industry competence profiles has been provided.

Low NO/x/ heavy fuel combustor program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lister, E.; Niedzwiecki, R. W.; Nichols, L.

1980-01-01

The paper deals with the 'Low NO/x/ Heavy Fuel Combustor Program'. Main program objectives are to generate and demonstrate the technology required to develop durable gas turbine combustors for utility and industrial applications, which are capable of sustained, environmentally acceptable operation with minimally processed petroleum residual fuels. The program will focus on 'dry' reductions of oxides of nitrogen (NO/x/), improved combustor durability and satisfactory combustion of minimally processed petroleum residual fuels. Other technology advancements sought include: fuel flexibility for operation with petroleum distillates, blends of petroleum distillates and residual fuels, and synfuels (fuel oils derived from coal or shale); acceptable exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides and smoke; and retrofit capability to existing engines.

Low NO(x) heavy fuel combustor program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lister, E.; Niedzwiecki, R. W.; Nichols, L.

1979-01-01

The 'low nitrogen oxides heavy fuel combustor' program is described. Main program objectives are to generate and demonstrate the technology required to develop durable gas turbine combustors for utility and industrial applications, which are capable of sustained, environmentally acceptable operation with minimally processed petroleum residual fuels. The program will focus on 'dry' reductions of oxides of nitrogen, improved combustor durability, and satisfactory combustion of minimally processed petroleum residual fuels. Other technology advancements sought include: fuel flexibility for operation with petroleum distillates, blends of petroleum distillates and residual fuels, and synfuels (fuel oils derived from coal or shale); acceptable exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides and smoke; and retrofit capability to existing engines.

Petroleum source rock evaluation of the Alum and Dictyonema Shales (Upper Cambrian-Lower Ordovician) in the Baltic Basin and Podlasie Depression (eastern Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosakowski, Paweł; Kotarba, Maciej J.; Piestrzyński, Adam; Shogenova, Alla; Więcław, Dariusz

2017-03-01

We present geochemical characteristics of the Lower Palaeozoic shales deposited in the Baltic Basin and Podlasie Depression. In the study area, this strata are represented by the Upper Cambrian-Lower Ordovician Alum Shale recognized in southern Scandinavia and Polish offshore and a equivalent the Lower Tremadocian Dictyonema Shale from the northern Estonia and the Podlasie Depression in Poland. Geochemical analyses reveal that the Alum Shale and Dictyonema Shale present high contents of organic carbon. These deposits have the best source quality among the Lower Palaeozoic strata, and they are the best source rocks in the Baltic region. The bituminous shales complex has TOC contents up to ca. 22 wt%. The analysed rocks contain low-sulphur, oil-prone Type-II kerogen deposited in anoxic or sub-oxic conditions. The maturity of the Alum and Dictyonema Shales changes gradually, from the east and north-east to the west and south-west, i.e. in the direction of the Tornquist-Teisseyre Zone. Samples, located in the seashore of Estonia and in the Podlasie region, are immature and in the initial phase of "oil window". The mature shales were found in the central offshore part of the Polish Baltic Basin, and the late mature and overmature are located in the western part of the Baltic Basin. The Alum and Dictyonema Shales are characterized by a high grade of radioactive elements, especially uranium. The enrichment has a syngenetic or early diagenetic origin. The measured content of uranium reached up to 750 ppm and thorium up to 37 ppm.

Assessment of organic pollutants in the offshore sediments of Dubai, United Arab Emirates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darwish, H. A. Al; El-Gawad, E. A. Abd; Mohammed, F. H.; Lotfy, M. M.

2005-08-01

Fifteen stations (st) were selected along Dubai coastal region to delineate the distribution and the source of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total organic carbon (TOC), total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls. The concentrations of TPH fluctuated between 2 μg g -1 and 48018 μg g -1 and the values of TOC were in the range of 0.16-5.9 wt%, while TPAHs ranged from 0.09 μg g -1 to 161.72 μg g -1. On the other hand, TPCBs showed values between 0.8 μg kg-1 and 93.3 μg kg-1 and TKN values varied from 218 μg g-1 to 2457 μg g -1. Distribution of oil and organic compounds in Dubai sediments are safe compared with previous studies except for limited areas at the northeastern offshore. These readings are probably due to: (1) presence of commercial or industrial ports, dry docks and fishing harbours and (2) population centers mainly concentrated at the northern part of the study area. Results indicate that TOC can be used as indicator of oil pollution only in heavily oiled sediments. The highest values of TOC, TPH, TPAHs and TPCBs corresponded to the stations covered with fine sand, due to adsorption properties and larger surface area. The evaporation of low boiling point compounds from surface layers led to enrichment of sediments with the thick residual. Al-Hamriya St 3 exhibited the highest values of TPH, TOC, TPAHs and TPCBs and the second highest value of TKN.

Practical management of cumulative anthropogenic impacts with working marine examples.

PubMed

Wright, Andrew J; Kyhn, Line A

2015-04-01

Human pressure on the environment is expanding and intensifying, especially in coastal and offshore areas. Major contributors to this are the current push for offshore renewable energy sources, which are thought of as environmentally friendly sources of power, as well as the continued demand for petroleum. Human disturbances, including the noise almost ubiquitously associated with human activity, are likely to increase the incidence, magnitude, and duration of adverse effects on marine life, including stress responses. Stress responses have the potential to induce fitness consequences for individuals, which add to more obvious directed takes (e.g., hunting or fishing) to increase the overall population-level impact. To meet the requirements of marine spatial planning and ecosystem-based management, many efforts are ongoing to quantify the cumulative impacts of all human actions on marine species or populations. Meanwhile, regulators face the challenge of managing these accumulating and interacting impacts with limited scientific guidance. We believe there is scientific support for capping the level of impact for (at a minimum) populations in decline or with unknown statuses. This cap on impact can be facilitated through implementation of regular application cycles for project authorization or improved programmatic and aggregated impact assessments that simultaneously consider multiple projects. Cross-company collaborations and a better incorporation of uncertainty into decision making could also help limit, if not reduce, cumulative impacts of multiple human activities. These simple management steps may also form the basis of a rudimentary form of marine spatial planning and could be used in support of future ecosystem-based management efforts. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Jurassic-Cretaceous Composite Total Petroleum System and Geologic Assessment of Oil and Gas Resources of the North Cuba Basin, Cuba

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2008-01-01

The purpose of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) World Oil and Gas Assessment is to develop geologically based hypotheses regarding the potential for additions to oil and gas reserves in priority areas of the world. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment of the undiscovered oil and gas potential of the North Cuba Basin. The assessment is based on the geologic elements of the total petroleum system (TPS) defined in the province, including petroleum source rocks (source-rock maturation, generation, and migration), reservoir rocks (sequence stratigraphy and petrophysical properties), and petroleum traps (Trap formation and timing). Using this geologic framework, the USGS defined a Jurassic-Cretaceous Total Petroleum System in the North Cuba Basin Province. Within this TPS, three assessment units were defined and assessed for undiscovered oil and gas resources.

Chemical and physical aspects of refining coal liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Y. T.; Stiegel, G. J.; Krishnamurthy, S.

1981-02-01

Increasing costs and declining reserves of petroleum are forcing oil importing countries to develop alternate energy sources. The direct liquefaction of coal is currently being investigated as a viable means of producing substitute liquid fuels. The coal liquids derived from such processes are typically high in nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur besides having a high aromatic and metals content. It is therefore envisaged that modifications to existing petroleum refining technology will be necessary in order to economically upgrade coal liquids. In this review, compositional data for various coal liquids are presented and compared with those for petroleum fuels. Studies reported on the stability of coal liquids are discussed. The feasibility of processing blends of coal liquids with petroleum feedstocks in existing refineries is evaluated. The chemistry of hydroprocessing is discussed through kinetic and mechanistic studies using compounds which are commonly detected in coal liquids. The pros and cons of using conventional petroleum refining catalysts for upgrading coal liquids are discussed.

Potential Offshore Wind Energy Areas in California: An Assessment of Locations, Technology, and Costs

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

Musial, Walter; Beiter, Philipp; Tegen, Suzanne

This report summarizes a study of possible offshore wind energy locations, technologies, and levelized cost of energy in the state of California between 2015 and 2030. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the federal agency responsible for regulating renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf. It is based on reference wind energy areas where representative technology and performance characteristics were evaluated. These reference areas were identified as sites that were suitable to represent offshore wind cost and technology based on physical site conditions, wind resource quality, known existingmore » site use, and proximity to necessary infrastructure. The purpose of this study is to assist energy policy decision-making by state utilities, independent system operators, state government officials and policymakers, BOEM, and its key stakeholders. The report is not intended to serve as a prescreening exercise for possible future offshore wind development.« less

Offshore Europe 95: Securing the future: 12th Aberdeen-based conference & exhibition to examine future of European oil & gas industry

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

NONE

1995-08-01

Offshore Europe 95 - which will be held September 5-8, 1995, in Aberdeen, Scotland - was designed to generate interest across the oil and gas industry and to be relevant to everyone from CEOs to trainee engineers. While the European offshore oil and gas industry has had some remarkable success in reducing its costs, it faces difficult and growing challenges, and Offshore Eurpoe is the perfect opportunity for companies to learn from each other how to successfully face these hurdles. Sessions will be held on every aspect of the oil and gas industry and are organized under eight technical categories:more » drilling; exploration; management and economics; development and abandonment; well intervention; health, safety, and environment; production; and reservoir management. Much greater operating effectiveness and striking technological advances have enabled us to maintain reserves, prolong the lives of mature producing fields, and continue the pace of new development.« less

History of the recognition of organic geochemistry in geoscience

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kvenvolden, K.A.

2002-01-01

The discipline of organic geochemistry is an outgrowth of the application of the principles and methods of organic chemistry to sedimentary geology. Its origin goes back to the last part of the nineteenth century and the first part of the twentieth century concurrent with the evolution of the applied discipline of petroleum geochemistry. In fact, organic geochemistry was strongly influenced by developments in petroleum geochemistry. Now, however, organic geochemistry is considered an umbrella geoscience discipline of which petroleum geochemistry is an important component.

Geomorphological context of the basins of Northwestern Peninsular Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sautter, Benjamin; Pubellier, Manuel; Menier, David

2014-05-01

Geomorphological context of the basins of Northwestern Peninsular Malaysia Benjamin Sautter, Manuel Pubellier, David Menier Department of Petroleum Geosciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS CNRS-UMR 8538, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24, Rue Lhomond, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France Petroleum basins of Western Malaysia are poorly known and their formation is controlled by the Tertiary stress variations applied on Mesozoic basement structures. Among these are the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Bentong Raub, Inthanon, and Nan suture zones. By the end of Mesozoic times, the arrival of Indian plate was accompanied by strike slip deformation, accommodated by several Major Faults (Sagaing, Three Pagodas, Mae Ping, Red River, Ranong and Klong Marui Faults). Due to changes in the boundary forces, these areas of weakness (faults) were reactivated during the Tertiary, leading to the opening of basins in most of Sundaland. Within this framework, while most of the Sundaland records stretching of the crust and opening of basins (SCS, Malay, Penyu, Natuna, Mergui) during the Cenozoics, Peninsular Malaysia and the Strait of Malacca are considered to be in tectonic quiescence by most of the authors. We present the geomorphology of the Northwestern Malaysia Peninsula with emphasis on the deformations onshore from the Bentong Raub Suture Zone to the Bok Bak Fault, via the Kinta Valley, and offshore from the Port Klang Graben to the North Penang Graben. By analyzing Digital Elevation Model from ASTER and SRTM data, two main directions of fractures in the granitic plutons are highlighted: NW-SE to W-E sigmoidal faults and N-S to NE-SW linear fractures which seem to cross-cut the others. In the field in the area of the Kinta Valley (Western Belt, NW Peninsular Malaysia), granitic bodies show intense fracturation reflecting several stages of deformation. The granites are generally syntectonic and do not cut fully across the Late Paleozoic platform limestone. Two sets of fractures (NW-SE and NE-SW) appear more penetrative in both granitic and limestone units. On most of the studied outcrops, exfoliation fractures are reactivated into normal faults. Deformation is particularly severe at the contact of the granites and the sediments which is underlined by cataclasic quartz dykes and hornfelds. Off-shore, in the Straits of Malacca, nine tertiary half-grabens are present, all oriented in N-S to NE-SW direction with N-S boundary faults on their western margin. We propose a tectonic scenario for the north-western Malaysia Peninsula according to which the northward motion of India induced first right-lateral transpressionnal tectonics at the End of the Mesozoics (Cretaceous early Tertiary). This system is illustrated in the NW-SE trending fractures of the Main Range Batholith and other Triassic plutons within a system bounded and controlled by the Bok Bak Fault, the KL fault zone and the Bentong Raub Suture Zone. Later, a second stage of transtension led to the opening of the en echelon onshore basins in a tear-faults system, and to the opening of half grabens offshore in the Straits of Malacca.

The Progreso Basin Province of Northwestern Peru and Southwestern Ecuador: Neogene and Cretaceous-Paleogene Total Petroleum Systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Higley, Debra K.

2004-01-01

The Progreso Basin province (6083) in northwestern Peru and southwestern Ecuador consists of the Paleogene Santa Elena block and Peru Bank, and the Neogene Tumbes-Progreso subbasin. The Santa Elena block and Peru Bank are part of the Cretaceous-Paleogene Total Petroleum System (TPS)(608302), which contains the Cretaceous-Paleogene Santa Elena Block Assessment Unit (60830201). The Tumbes- Progreso subbasin includes the Neogene TPS (608301) and associated Neogene Pull-Apart Basin Assessment Unit (60830101). The complex tectonic history of the Progreso Basin province influenced depositional and erosional patterns across the region, and also the location, timing, and types of seals, traps, possible source and reservoir rocks, and hydrocarbon generation and migration. Marine shales that are interbedded with and overlie reservoir intervals are the probable hydrocarbon source rocks. Timing of hydrocarbon generation and migration was probably Miocene and younger, following creation of the Tumbes-Progreso subbasin by movement along the Dolores-Guayaquil megashear. More than 220 million barrels of oil (MMBO) and 255 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFG) have been produced from the Progreso Basin province. The means of estimated recoverable oil, gas, and natural gas liquids (NGL) resources from undiscovered fields in the province are 237 MMBO, 695 BCFG, and 32 MMB NGL, respectively. The means of estimated recoverable oil, gas, and NGL resources from undiscovered onshore fields are 45 MMBO, 113 BCFG, and 5 MMBNGL, and from undiscovered offshore fields are 192 BBO, 582 BCFG, and 27 MMBNGL. These are USGS grown undiscovered resources that were determined by using a minimum field size of 1 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, Christopher J.; Moore, Thomas E.; Gautier, Donald L.

2018-01-05

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province as part of the USGS Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal program. The province lies in the offshore area between western Greenland and eastern Canada and includes Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound, and Nares Strait west of, and including, part of Kane Basin. A series of major tectonic events led to the formation of several distinct structural domains that are the geologic basis for defining five assessment units (AU ) in the province, all of which are within the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum System (TPS). Potential petroleum source rocks within the TPS include strata of Ordovician, Lower and Upper Cretaceous, and Paleogene ages. The five AUs defined for this study—the Eurekan Structures AU, Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU, Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU, Baffin Bay Basin AU, and the Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU— encompass the entire province and were assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable resources. The estimated mean volumes of undiscovered resources for the West GreenlandEast Canada Province are 10.7 billion barrels of oil, 75 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 1.7 billion barrels of natural gas liquids. For the part of the province that is north of the Arctic Circle, the estimated mean volumes of these undiscovered resources are 7.3 billion barrels of oil, 52 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1.1 billion barrels of natural-gas liquids.

DEMONSTRATION BULLETIN: TEXACO GASIFICATION PROCESS TEXACO, INC.

EPA Science Inventory

The Texaco Gasification Process (TGP) has operated commercially for nearly 45 years on feeds such as natural gas, liquid petroleum fractions, coal, and petroleum coke. More than 45 plants are either operational or under development in the United States and abroad. Texaco has dev...

Natural Gas and Petroleum Systems in the GHG Inventory: Memos Previously Posted in Development of the 1990-2015 Inventory

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA memo describing revisions under consideration to the estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas and petroleum systems production, as presented in the U.S. Inventory of Greenhouse Gases and Sinks.

DEVELOPMENT AND VERIFICATION OF A SCREENING MODEL FOR SURFACE SPREADING OF PETROLEUM

EPA Science Inventory

Overflows and leakage from aboveground storage tanks and pipelines carrying crude oil and petroleum products occur frequently. The spilled hydrocarbons pose environmental threats by contaminating the surrounding soil and the underlying ground water. Predicting the fate and transp...

Petroleum Vapor - Field Technical

EPA Science Inventory

The screening approach being developed by EPA OUST to evaluate petroleum vapor intrusion (PVI) requires information that has not be routinely collected in the past at vapor intrusion sites. What is the best way to collect this data? What are the relevant data quality issues and ...

Equitable Redevelopment of Petroleum Brownfields for Zuni Pueblo and Other Tribal Communities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA worked with the Zuni Environmental Protection Program to develop a step-by-step guide to redeveloping petroleum brownfields sites. The guide focuses on three sites on Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico but provides information useful to tribes nationwide.

Global Petroleum Corporation (MA0003425) | NPDES | New ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2017-04-10

EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) have developed final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for seven bulk petroleum storage facilities located along Chelsea River (Creek) in Chelsea and Revere, Massachusetts to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act.

OCD: The offshore and coastal dispersion model. Volume 2. Appendices

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

DiCristofaro, D.C.; Hanna, S.R.

1989-11-01

The Offshore and Coastal Dispersion (OCD) Model has been developed to simulate the effect of offshore emissions from point, area, or line sources on the air quality of coastal regions. The OCD model was adapted from the EPA guideline model MPTER (EPA, 1980). Modifications were made to incorporate overwater plume transport and dispersion as well as changes that occur as the plume crosses the shoreline. This is a revised OCD model, the fourth version to date. The volume is an appendices for the OCD documentation, included are three appendices: Appendix A the OCD computer program, Appendix B an Analysis Post-processor,more » Appendix C Offshore Meteorological data Collection Instrumentation, also included are general References.« less

Combining molecular fingerprints with multidimensional scaling analyses to identify the source of spilled oil from highly similar suspected oils.

PubMed

Zhou, Peiyu; Chen, Changshu; Ye, Jianjun; Shen, Wenjie; Xiong, Xiaofei; Hu, Ping; Fang, Hongda; Huang, Chuguang; Sun, Yongge

2015-04-15

Oil fingerprints have been a powerful tool widely used for determining the source of spilled oil. In most cases, this tool works well. However, it is usually difficult to identify the source if the oil spill accident occurs during offshore petroleum exploration due to the highly similar physiochemical characteristics of suspected oils from the same drilling platform. In this report, a case study from the waters of the South China Sea is presented, and multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) is introduced to demonstrate how oil fingerprints can be combined with mathematical methods to identify the source of spilled oil from highly similar suspected sources. The results suggest that the MDS calculation based on oil fingerprints and subsequently integrated with specific biomarkers in spilled oils is the most effective method with a great potential for determining the source in terms of highly similar suspected oils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts on seafloor geology of drilling disturbance in shallow waters.

PubMed

Corrêa, Iran C S; Toldo, Elírio E; Toledo, Felipe A L

2010-08-01

This paper describes the effects of drilling disturbance on the seafloor of the upper continental slope of the Campos Basin, Brazil, as a result of the project Environmental Monitoring of Offshore Drilling for Petroleum Exploration--MAPEM. Field sampling was carried out surrounding wells, operated by the company PETROBRAS, to compare sediment properties of the seafloor, including grain-size distribution, total organic carbon, and clay mineral composition, prior to drilling with samples obtained 3 and 22 months after drilling. The sampling grid used had 74 stations, 68 of which were located along 7 radials from the well up to a distance of 500 m. The other 6 stations were used as reference, and were located 2,500 m from the well. The results show no significant sedimentological variation in the area affected by drilling activity. The observed sedimentological changes include a fining of grain size, increase in total organic carbon, an increase in gibbsite, illite, and smectite, and a decrease in kaolinite after drilling took place.