dew journal issue april 2016

March 2016 DEW JOURNAL 1

dewjournal.com

2 DEW JOURNAL March 2016

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Chairman Editorial Board andChief EditorArun Kumar Singhal

DirectorShrey Singhal

Editorial AdvisorsSatish Kumar Mathurformer General Manager (E&S), ONGC

Prof (Dr.) Nikolay P. ZapivalovChairman of Novosibirsk Centre ofRussian Academy of Natural Sciencesand Professor of NovosibirskUniversity, Russia

Dr. Himmat SinghHead of Department - PetroleumEngineering, Chandigarh Universityformer Distinguished Professor,Hydrocarbon Engineering, UPES,former Advisor (R&D), Bharat PetroleumCorp. Limited, former Sr. Dy. Director(Scientist “G”), Indian Institute of Petroleum

S K DasFormer Executive Director, ONGC

PublisherArun Kumar SinghalAdvertising ManagerMs. SarojCirculation ManagerPramil KhanduriDesign & GraphicsAbhinav AryaFinance ManagerPramod KumarRegional Coordinator - New DelhiMukesh GuptaRegional Coordinator - MumbaiJ. ChakarbortyRegional Coordinator -South East Asia & ChinaTony Chen W. K.

Annual Subscription Rs. 3000US $ 150 £ 90 (inclusive of Postage).Cover Price US$30 £25 Rs.300For details of how to subscribe toDrilling & Exploration World journal andrates for individuals countries email :[email protected] all payments in favour ofTECHNOLOGY PUBLICATIONS Fordetails of wireline transfer ofpayment, contact the Publisher.

Prepress processing & Printing at Saraswati PressDrilling & Exploration World (DEW) publishedsince 1989 by Technology Publications fromDehradun is an internationally circulatedEnergy and Oil & Gas journal. The journalholds the dist inct ion of being the onlyMONTHLY Energy and Oil & Gas journalpublished from India.

All r ights reserved in respect of al lar t ic les, i l lustrat ions, photography etc.published in Drilling & Exploration World(DEW). Reproductions or imitations areexpressly forbidden without the permissionof the publisher. The opinions expressedby contributors (editorial and advertising)are not necessarily those of the publisher/editor, who can not accept responsibilityfor any errors or omissions.

While every effort is made to ensure thatthe contents published in the journal arecorrect and up-to-date, the Publisher, Editorsand Advisors do not accept any responsibilityfor any error, omissions and factual lyincorrect statements published. This impliesfor both editorial and advertising contents.

Editorial and Advertising Office15/19, Kalidas RoadP.B. No. 271, Dehradun - 248 001(Uttarakhand) [email protected]@dewjournal.comTel./Fax : +91 - 135 - 2740559

CONTENTSISSN-0971-7242 R.N.I. No. 51048/89 © 2015 Technology Publications

Cover Focus

Technology/ Technical Papers

Special Report

March 2016 - Volume 25, No.05

16

AxeBlade ridgeddiamond element bithelp reduce the cost ofdrilling operations

New-gen. land seismicacquisition systemsuccessfully field-provenin the toughest conditions

18

37 Space heating and cooling using geothermal energy43 Understanding the oil market46 Laser well logging: An innovative data recording technology

for the oil and gas sector54 Enhanced coal bed methane production using chemoautotroph

bacteria on CO2 and aldehyde sequestration57 Analysis of rheological properties of light crude under the

effect of surfactants64 Determining shale parameters using MDS technology:

A review on the changes observed in shale due to MDS72 Adverse environmental impacts of shale gas extraction81 Inhibition of SRB count in hydrofracking fluid using NRB

5 Investor friendly Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy

Scienti f ic ideas, breakthrough innanoporous materials for clean energyapplications discussed during India-Australia Symposium on “NanoporousMaterials for Clean Energy Application”

20 A perfect mix of intelligentsia and academeICEIM 2016 addresses core issues related toenergy & infrastructure management

13

Face to Face86

Mr. Rajesh Ahuja, Executive Director,Indian Oil Corporation Limited andConvenor, PETROTECH-2016 talks to DEW

PETROTECH-2016 returnsto the iconic Vigyan Bhavan


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dewjournal.com Petro-Events CalenderFrom the Editor

Despite understandable pessimism due to the current landscape, the downturn inthe oil price is strengthening the need for innovation, not weakening it.

Oil and gas exploration and production dates back to the 19th century. However,the oil and gas industry employs emerging technologies and is constantly striving tomodernize exploration drilling, well completion and production techniques.

The days of so-called “easy” or conventional oil are dwindling; so the oil andgas industry has focused on developing technological solutions, thereby increasingthe world’s producible reserves and creating the “new normal” of exploration andproduction. Oil companies of all sizes have used technology to find quantities of oiland natural gas so substantial that worries about running out have dissipated.

Whether we like it or not, hydrocarbon fuels are not going away any timesoon, and innovations in oil and gas technology have the potential to influenceeveryone. If technology makes oil and gas easier, safer, cleaner, and cheaper toextract, energy prices and quality of life could improve for everybody. And if thatdoesn’t appeal to the better angels of your nature, it presents a huge businessopportunity. This issue covers some of the technologies and equipment that aremaking waves.

The cover focus of this issue is the novel equipment the AxeBlade ridgeddiamond element bit and the new-generation land seismic acquisition system.

The AxeBlade ridged diamond element bit incorporates new-geometry Axeridged diamond elements across the bit face. AxeBlade bits successfully fieldtested in a variety of applications, drilling more than a cumulative total of 200,000 ft(60,960 m) improve rate of penetration (ROP) in a wide range of formations andsteering response in directional applications.

This latest generation of Smith Bits three-dimensional cutting technology, Axeelement shave a distinctive ridge shape that combines the shearing action of aconventional PDC bit with the crushing action of a roller cone bit. The uniquegeometry of the element breaks rock more efficiently, requires 30% less force. Italso delivers improved control compared with conventional PDC cutters whendrilling directionally.

Another technology marvel showcased in this issue is the Sercel’s new-generation 508XT land seismic acquisition system which has been successfullyfield-proven in the toughest conditions in various environments, such as Arctic,farmland and desert areas. The 508XT’s unique X-Tech recording capabilitiesrepresent a breakthrough. In addition, the 508XT equipment is easy to manage andits reliability so far has been rated excellent.

The reality is, oil and gas is adopting a lot of new technologies and equipment,and a lot of funding is going into innovative companies that can help oil and gascompanies work smarter.

Covered in this issue is also the declaration made by the government onMarch 10, 2016 of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP). HELPis aimed to provide uniform license for exploration and production of all forms ofhydrocarbon; an open acreage policy; easy to administer revenue sharing modeland marketing and pricing freedom for the crude oil and natural gas produced. Thisis in tune with Government’s policy of “Minimum Government - Maximum Governance.Initiatives like this will certainly go a long way in furthering the efforts to make theoil and gas sector a vibrant one and undoubtedly investor friendly.

This edition of the journal also carries six (page nos.47 to 84) of the fifteentechnical papers adjudged best by a panel of eminent experts at the Society ofPetroleum Engineers - Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University Fest (SPE-PDPU Fest).The March issue carried three papers while the balance six will be published in theup-coming April issue. All fifteen papers reflect innovative and a fresh approach tovarious technical issues related to oil, gas and environment management by theyoung researchers.

I hope you will find the contents of this issue interesting and value adding.

March 15-17, 2016, JAKARTA, IndonesiaGas Indonesia - Summit & Exhibitionwww.gasindosummit.com

March 22-25, 2016, KL, MalaysiaThe OTC Asia 2016www.2016.otcasia.org

March 29, 2016, GANDHINAGAR, IndiaThe 2nd International Conference onGeothermal Energywww.pdpu.ac.in

May 9-13, 2016, KL, MalaysiaGas / LNG Contractsinfocusinternational.com/gascontracts

May 10-12, 2016, KL, MalaysiaEPC Contracts for Energy Industryinfocusinternational.com/epcenergy

May 10-13, CAPE TOWN, South AfricaHuman Capital & Talent Mgt in Public Sectorsinfocusinternational.com/talent

May 23-24, 2016, KOTA KINABALU, MalaysiaThe 5th Sabah Oil and Gas Conference& Exhibitionwww.sahahoilandgas.com.my

June 7-9, 2016, KL, MalaysiaThe 6th Annual HSE Forum in Oil, Gasand Petrochemicalswww.fleminggulf.com

August 15-18, JOHANNESBURG, S.AfricaStrategic Workforce Planninginfocusinternational.com/workforce

August 22-25, 2016, KL, MalaysiaIFRS for Oil & Gas Accountingwww.infocusinternational.com/ifrs

September 22-24, 2016, YANGON, MyanmarManufacturing 2016 - 3rd InternationalManufacturing Machinery, Equipment,Materials and Services Exhibitionwww.manufacturingmayanmar.com

September 28-30, 2016, KL, MalaysiaThe 3rd MOGSEC 2016www.mogsec.com.my

Oct 10-13 2016, JOHANNESBURG, S.AfricaSuccession Planning, Performance Mgt.,and ROI on Training & Developmentinfocusinternational.com/successionplan

October 18-21, 2016, S I N G A P O R EAdvanced Oil & Gas Accountinginfocusinternational.com/oil-gas-accounting

November 15-17, 2016, SHANGHAI, ChinaSIPPE 2016www.sippe.org.cn

November 16-17, 2016, KL, MalaysiaThe 4th Offshore Engineering Malaysiawww.fleminggulf.com

November 29-December 2, 2016, SINGAPOREThe 21st OSEA 2016www.osea-asia.com

December 5-7, 2016, NEW DELHI, IndiaThe 12th PETROTECH 2016www.petrotech.inAKS

The entire team of DEW Journalwish you a

Very Happy and Colorful Holi

(* Holi is on March 23, 2016)


dewjournal.comNews

The Government of India hasapproved the HydrocarbonExploration and Licensing Policy(HELP) on March 10 2016. Thedecision will enhance domestic oil& gas production, bring substantialinvestment in the sector andgenerate sizable employment. Thepolicy is also aimed at enhancingtransparency and reducingadministrative discretion.

The uniform licence will enablethe contractor to exploreconvent ional as wel l asunconvent ional oi l and gasresources including CBM, shalegas/oil, tight gas and gas hydratesunder a single l icense. Theconcept of Open Acreage Policy willenable E&P companies choose theblocks from the designated area.

Present f iscal system ofproduction sharing based onInvestment Mult iple and costrecovery /production linked paymentwil l be replaced by a easy toadminister revenue sharing model.

Investor friendly HELP

• Uniform l icense forexploration and productionof all forms of hydrocarbon

• An open acreage policy

• Easy to administer revenuesharing model

• Marketing and pricingfreedom for the crude oiland natural gas produced.

Four main facets of theHydrocarbon Exploration

and Licensing Policy (HELP)The earlier contracts were based onthe concept of profit sharing whereprofi ts are shared betweenGovernment and the contractor afterrecovery of cost. Under the profitsharing methodology, it becamenecessary for the Government toscrutinize cost details of privateparticipants and this led to manydelays and disputes. Under the newregime, the Government will not beconcerned with the cost incurredand will receive a share of the grossrevenue from the sale of oil, gas etc.This is in tune with Government’spolicy of “Ease of Doing Business”.

Recognising the higher risksand costs involved in explorationand product ion from offshoreareas, lower royalty rates for suchareas have been provided ascompared to NELP royalty rates toencourage explorat ion andproduction. A graded system ofroyalty rates have been introduced,in which royalty rates decreasesfrom shallow water to deepwater

and ultra-deep water. At the sametime, royalty rate for onland areashave been kept intact so thatrevenues to the state governmentsare not affected. On the lines ofNELP, cess and import duty will notbe applicable on blocks awardedunder the new policy. This policyalso provides for market ingfreedom for crude oil and naturalgas produced from these blocks.This is in tune with Government’spolicy of “Minimum Government –Maximum Governance”

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,Government of India chaired by the Prime MinisterMr. Narendra Modi, has approved cancellation ofthe Letter of Award dated March 12, 1996. issued infavour of consortium of Essar Oil Limited and OilPacific UK Ltd awarding the medium sized discoveredfield of Ratna& R-Series and decided to revert theRatna and R-Series Fields to ONGC.

These Fields were planned to be awarded underthe Discovered Field Policy of the Governmentannounced during 1992 - 93 in the wake of economicliberalization. It was envisaged that the developmentof these fields through private sector / joint sectordevelopment by signing the Production SharingContract (PSC) would facilitate in creating additionalvalue for the country from such projects. However,the PSC in respect of these Fields could not be signedduring last two decades owing to number of reasons

ONGC get back Ratna and R-series Fieldsand the intended contribution of the Ratna andR-series fields in achievement of overall policyobjective could not be attained.

The Government noted that in the interveningperiod of more than twenty years there have beensubstantial changes in the terms and conditionsprevalent at the time of issue of Letter of Award datedMarch 12, 1996.

Consider ing huge f inancial stakes for theGovernment in terms of the statutory levies accruingfrom crude and natural gas production from thesefields and with an overall objective of increasingdomestic hydrocarbon production by expeditiousdevelopment of these fields, the Government decidedthat the Fields may be reverted back to the originallicensee, ONGC, who had initially developed thesefields partially and operated and obtained productionfrom these fields till 1994.


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Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas(MoPNG), Government of India has establishedIndian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE),Visakhapatnam, as noted in the Andhra PradeshReorganisation Act (2014), with the mandate to leadthe nation forward in education, research and trainingrelated to all areas of Petroleum and Energy. AMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) has beensigned on February 4, 2016 between IIPE and AndhraUniversity (AU) to start the IIPE sessions during the

IIPE and Andhra University sign MoUacademic year 2016-17. The MoU is for a period ofthree years t i l l the per iod I IPE sets up theinfrastructure in its own premises. The session of2016-17 shall start using the resources of AndhraUniversity College of Engineering. Mutual knowledgeexchange amongst the two prestigious educationalinstitutes shall be facilitated by giving opportunity tofaculty members of IIPE to attend a set of lectures /course(s) at Andhra University. The MoU is facilitatedby Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.

The Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum &Natural Gas Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan said thataccording to World Energy Outlook-2015, arecent release of International Energy Agency,India’s oil demand is estimated to grow by 6million barrels per day (mb/d), which is thelargest projected for any country’s oil demand,from 3.8 mb/d in 2014 to 9.8 mb/d by 2040.

According to this report, it has been statedthat given the expected avai labi l i ty ofinternational Liquefied Natural Gas at markedlylower prices over the medium term, there isscope for gas demand to rebound and, recoverto 68 bcm by 2020, before rising to almost 175bcm in 2040.

In order to meet the rising demand of oiland gas, the Government has taken variouspol icy ini t iat ives to enhance oi l and gasproduction including inter alia, approving theMarginal Field Policy, linking the transparentnew gas pricing formula to the global market,reassessing the hydrocarbon potential in

India’s oil demandestimated to grow to

9.8 mbpd by 2040

The Minister of State forPetroleum & Natural GasMr. Dharmendra Pradhan

said that according toWorld Energy Outlook-

2015, a recent release ofIEA, India’s oil demand isestimated to grow by 6

million barrels per day (mb/d),which is the largest

projected for any country’soil demand, from 3.8 mb/d

in 2014 to 9.8 mb/d by 2040

India’s sedimentary basins,appraising about 1.5 million sq.km. of un-appraised basins andsett ing up of Nat ional DataRepository. Further, theGovernment is encouraging FDI tosupplement domestic investmentand technological capabilities inthe petroleum sector. The presentFDI policy for oil and gas sectorallows 100% automatic route forexploration and production subjectto the existing sectoral policy andregulatory framework in this sector.

News

SNAPSHOTS

Governmentapproves decision

on marketingincluding pricing

freedom for the gasto be produced fromdiscoveries in High

Pressure-HighTemperature,

Deepwater and UltraDeepwater Areas

Governmentapproves policy for

the grant ofextension to the

production sharingcontracts signed by

governmentawarding small,

medium sized anddiscovered fields to

private joint ventures

Governmentapproves Pradhan

Mantri UjjwalaYojana - Scheme forProviding Free LPG

connections toWomen from BPL

Households


dewjournal.comNews

The Internat ional EnergyAgency (IEA) will enhance itsco-operat ion with India innumerous f ie lds includingforecasting and data as partof an agreement signed onMarch 4, 2016 between IEAExecutive Director Dr. FatihBirol and Dr. ArvindPanagariya, the Vice-Chairman of the Nat ional Inst i tut ion for theTransformation of India (NITI) Aayog.

The Statement of Intent, signed during Dr.Panagariya's visit to IEA headquarters, provides anumbrella accord for the many IEA research and policyinitiatives that apply to broader energy issues.

"As India moves to the centre of the global energystage, it is vital that the IEA and our members step upour level of engagement," said Dr. Birol. "Thisagreement wil l al low us to do that byimproving mutual understanding of thefunctioning of energy markets in the world."

The IEA already shareswith India best energypractices it has gleaned fromits own analysis as well as theexperiences of its membercountries. The Statement ofIntent wi l l push forwardongoing IEA-India work in anumber of cross-cutt ingissues that apply to thecountry 's energy system.These issues include work forthe Agency's f lagshippubl icat ion, World EnergyOutlook (WEO), as well asmodell ing, forecasting andidentification of data needs.

The agreement alsoexpands on ongoing jointresearch on relevanttechnologies and analysis ofglobal trends in pricing andsupply of energy supplies,

IEA enhances co-operation with India in fieldsas diverse as energy forecasting and data

plus development of humanresources developmentstrategies for the energy sector.The two parties agree to lookinto regular exchange ofstatistics and other energysector information as well asincreased seminars, training,and visits involvingresearchers and other experts.

Dr. Birol was one of a handful of energy expertsrecently invited by Prime Minister Modi to brief him onthe global energy outlook. The meeting followedpublication of the WEO Special Report India EnergyOutlook 2015 and India's participation in the 2015IEA Ministerial meeting.

India participates in seven IEA TechnologyCollaboration Programmes (TCPs), furthering

research in demand-side management,fusion and fossil fuels. TCPs bring togethergovernment, academic and other expertsfrom around the world to share latest

developments anddiscoveries in a host of energytechnology and policy subjects.

During his visit to the IEA, Dr.Panagariya delivered a speechas part of the big IdEAsdistinguished lecture serieson the Indian economy'sdevelopment and outlook.

The International EnergyAgency (IEA) has launched anew high-level distinguishedspeaker series, big IdEAs.Top thinkers, decisionmakers and global leaderswill give talks that are idea-focused on a wide range ofsubjects that are timely andrelevant but not alwaysdirectly related to energy. Theaim is to foster learning andinspirat ion – and provokediscussions that matter.

Dr. Arvind Panagariya was the fourthspeaker in the big IdEAs series. On March4,2016 he spoke at the IEA Headquartersin Paris on “The Indian economy: wherefrom and where to” which touched upon thegrowth and progress of India's economy asthe country moves to the centre of the globalenergy stage, addressing the uniqueaspects of the path India has followed andis pursuing in its economic development.His speech was followed by a question-and-answer session and then the signingof a Statement of Intent with the IEA.

Dr. Arvind Panagariya and Dr. Fatih Birol signing the accord.


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Growing global energy demandand requirements for additionalpipeline capacity are driving thepipel ine segment. However,pipel ine related innovat ion isprioritized by only 4% of senior oil& gas professionals, according toresearch1 by DNV GL, thetechnical advisor to the oil & gasindustry. Further, the researchshows that nearly one in five oil &gas companies (18%) do not havea strategy in place to maintaininnovat ion. Six in ten (61%)respondents agree that operatorswi l l increasingly push tostandardize their delivery globally,

up from 55% in 2015 and 52% in 2014. The mostcommon strategy for maintaining innovation withlower budgets is to increase collaboration with otherindustry players (45%).

“The standard anticipates what’s coming nextthrough collaboration with the pipeline industry. At alltimes there are 5-10 ongoing pipeline related jointindustry projects run by DNV GL and we provide a

forum for 30 leading companies to discusschallenges and priorities,” says Asle Venås, GlobalSegment Director for Pipelines, DNV GL – Oil & Gas.

The industry’s focus on cost makes the standardeven more beneficial for the industry as it enablesflexibility in design and this optimization results in costefficiency while maintaining an acceptable safety level.DNV GL is actively embracing the current industry pushfor cost saving, and has launched the EC-PIPEinitiative2 as part of its innovation programme. Theproject aims to identify measures to safely reducecosts through effective risk management, developingnew technologies & solutions, effective pipelineintegrity management tools, reducing installationcosts, and life extension program.

DNV-OS-F101 provides firm guidance for design,construction and operation, which has made it theglobal leading standard pr imari ly for of fshoresubmarine pipelines. The standard is risk based andbased on load and resistance factor design (LRFD)format with calibrated design factors and it meetsthe requirements of ISO.

Looking ahead, the pipeline segment will bechallenged to use the ever increasing amounts ofdata in a smart way.

“DNV GL’spipeline

standard is agreat example

of whatindustry

collaborationcan achieveregardless ofthe peaks andtroughs in oil

price”- Asle Venås

Standardization key enabler for safe andcost-effective pipeline innovation, DNV GL

5,000th cargo delivery in Helium 1 Plant by RasGasRasGas, the operatorof Ras Laffan’s helium

production, storage, loading andsales faci l i t ies, reached asignificant milestone recently whenit delivered its 5,000th cargo ofhelium from Helium-1 plant, furthercementing Qatar’s position as oneof the world’s leading hel iumproducers and exporters.

This achievement marks a keymoment in RasGas’ optimisationof Qatar’s North Field resourcesand demonstrates that Qatar ihelium is playing its part in shapingthe world of the future.

Reflecting on the company’ssuccess in helium production and

export, RasGas’ Chief Marketing &Shipping Officer, Mr. Khalid SultanR. Al Kuwari said, “Qatar has twokey advantages as one of the mostprominent helium exporters. First,our liquefied natural gas (LNG), andthus helium, is derived from multipleupstream projects, positioning usas a reliable choice in the marketand setting us apart from single-source suppliers. Second, ourmultiple LNG trains and two heliumplants make Qatar uniquely flexiblein our production capabilities.”

RasGas, which recent lyawarded the Sales and PurchaseAgreement and EPC Agreement forthe Hel ium 3 plant, has

successfully diversified into theproduct ion of hel ium, a non-hydrocarbon, non-renewableresource.

Market studies show that worlddemand for helium has increasedby 2.7 per cent since 2013, anddemand in Asia is expected to growat 4.5 per cent per year to 2020.

Hel ium has high valueapplications in science, medicineand high-tech industries, such asmagnet ic resonance imaging(MRI), fibre optics and metallurgy.

RasGas currently operates theRas Laffan Helium Plant whichwas established in 2003 and cameon stream in 2005.


dewjournal.comNews

New equipment survey provides acost effective solution for assessingthe integrity of land rigs. It helpsoperators and rig contractors limitdowntime, improve the reliability,safety and environmental impact ofdri l l ing programs. It reducesinspection costs by up to 50%.

Launched on March 7, 2016, thenew service from Lloyd’s RegisterEnergy has been developed in lightof significant market challenges inthe upstream oil and gas market,low oil prices and client mandatesto achieve leaner operations.

The equipment survey serviceincludes a newly refined set ofinspection tools focused on safetycritical equipment used in drillingoperations. It covers anassessment of both capital andsafety critical drilling equipment,mud systems, BOP and well controlequipment, electrical equipmentand systems, power plant, safety

New land rig critical equipment survey launched

equipment and the maintenanceand spare parts system.

The process developed byexperts at Lloyd’s Register Energyin consultation with industry, filterslow risk items which can reduce thenumber of equipment items thatneed to be inspected by at least35%, and the number of checklistitems by up to 60%.

The service can also be usedto help companies assess thesuitability of a rig for pre-bid or pre-hire, or provide an approach forcost-effective periodic rig healthchecks, and can demonstrateasset condit ion to potent ialfinanciers or investors.

Teril Smith, SVP of Lloyd’sRegister Energy’s Drilling servicesdivision, says: “At around half of thecost of a traditional full inspection,

our land r ig cr i t ical equipmentsurvey service is a cost efficient, fastturnaround inspect ion processaimed at assessing drilling capitaland safety critical equipment todeliver a snapshot of rig conditionand to highlight any major issuesfor our clients. We are also in thef inal stages of developing theservice for jackup rigs and plan torelease a similar service for semi-submersible rigs and drillships inthe near future.”

Lloyd’s Register Energy hasan enviable track record in drillinginspection services with the deliveryof more than 9,000 rig inspectionsacross the world. The service is thelatest edition in Lloyd’s RegisterEnergy’s growing sui te of r iginspection services including theDropped-objects Survey, Full rigcondition survey, People-Systems-Equipment audit , Acceptancesurvey and Valuation assessment.

The th i rd edi t ion ofInternational Conference &Exhibition on Health, Safety& Environment covering allmajor industr ia l sectorsheld on Feburary 25-26,2016 at New Delhi saw thelaunch of SESPA - Safety,Envi ronment &Susta inabi l i ty Profess-ionals Associat ion. Theassociation was formallyinaugurated by Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak, Director-Projects, GAIL India Limted.

The conference under the theme of “CreatingSafe and Sustainable Future through BusinessExcellence” upheld the objectives i.e. spreading theHSE standards and protecting the lives of people andthe environment. The forum witnessed a balanced

Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak launches SESPA at Global HSE 2016

Mr. Srinivasan Ramabhadran, Global Director, Process Safety &Operational Risk Management and Managing Partner, Asia PacificDuPont Sustainable Solutions honouring on behalf of the eventorganiser Dr. Ashutosh Karnatak after the launch of SESPA atGlobal HSE 2016

mix of key note speakersfrom Industry Leaders,Regulators and NGOsalong with interact iveConference paneldiscussions, workshopsand an integrated 2 daystargeted exhibi t ioninaugurated by Dr. ShaikhMohamed bin Khali fa AlKhalifa, CEO, BANA Gas,Kingdom of Bahrain.

Earlier Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister of State(I/C), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Governmentof India and Mr. A. P. Jithender Reddy, Member ofParliament, Telangana inaugurated the Conference.Special key note address was delivered by Mr. V. V.Surya Rau, Group President, Safety and OperationalRisk, Reliance Industries Limited.


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Gujarat-cadre IAS officer AtanuChakraborty has been appointedas Director General of theDirectorate General ofHydrocarbons (DGH), Oi l

Ministry’s technical advisory arm for exploration andproduction. Mr. Chakraborty has been appointed for

Atanu Chakraborty is Director General, DGHfour-year term in the rank of Additional Secretary asChief of Directorate General of Hydrocarbons. A 1985-batch officer, he is at present working as ManagingDirector of Gujarat State Petroleum CorporationLimited, a state-run energy player. Chakraborty is anengineering graduate with special izat ion inelectronics and communication.

The International Association of Oil& Gas Producers (IOGP) has a newChair. She is Monika Hausenblas,Royal Dutch Shell’s Executive VicePresident Safety & Environment.

Ms. Hausenblas was electedat the February meeting of theAssociat ion’s Manage-mentCommittee – IOGP’s equivalent ofa board of directors. She succeedsJohn Chaplin of ExxonMobil.

The International Associationof Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) is

Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) elect new Chair

the voice of theglobal upstreamindustry. Oil andnatural gascont inue to

provide a significant proportion ofthe world’s energy to meet growingdemands for heat, l ight andtransport. Its members producemore a third of the world’s oil andgas. They operate in all producing

regions including the Americas,Africa, Europe, the Middle East, theCaspian, Asia and Australia.

IOGP serves industryregulators as a global partner forimproving safety, environmentaland social performance. We alsoact as a uniquely upstream forumin which its members identify andshare knowledge and goodpractices to achieve improvementsin health, safety, the environment,security and social responsibility.

The Union Minister of State, AtomicEnergy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singhsaid, India’s nuclear programme isgoing to play a crucial role to meetthe growing energy needs of thecountry. Addressing Internationalconference on “India’s role in GlobalNuclear Governance”, organized bythe Institute for Defence Studies andAnalyses on February 26, 2016, hesaid that India’s nuclear programmetoday is moving shoulder toshoulder with all the developednations of the world and while theconcerns are the same as those ofthe rest of the world, the futurechallenges are also the same. Indiasupports the concept of globalnuclear governance as a part of it isalso evolving to a level of higherunderstanding in this country, headded. Dr.Singh also emphasized

Monika Hausenblas

‘Nuclear programme to meet growing energy needs’

the urgent need to start a countrywide awareness campaign toeducate the public about enormouspeaceful benefits of nuclear energyand to clear the air about theapprehensions which sometimescome in the way of setting up of newatomic and nuclear plants under theDepartment of Atomic Energy. Toeffectively carry forward anawareness campaign like this, theDepartment of Atomic Energysolicits the support and cooperationof like-minded scientific groups,social scientists and voluntary

agencies who can carry forward themessage to every section of society,he added. The safeguardsobserved in our nuclear plants areas per the rules, procedures andprinciples laid down by the AtomicEnergy Regulatory Board under theDepartment of Atomic Energy andare among the best practices in theworld, he said.

Dr Singh recalled that Dr HomiBhabha had started India’s nuclearprogramme primarily for peacefulpurposes and today we have notonly vindicated Dr Homi Bhabha’sdream, but also presented aglorious example for the rest of theworld. Along with solar energy,nuclear energy is going to be one ofthe richest resources for India as itmoves ahead to become the Asiangiant of 21st century, he added.

Dr. Jitendra Singh addressing the Conference


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Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS)and DNV GL has announced thelaunch of a new Fuel Analyticssolution. As part of DNV GL’s ECOInsight f leet performancemanagement portal, the tool willenable a systematic assessment ofthe impact of fuel quality on vesselperformance, for the first time ever.The Fuel Analytics solution is theresult of an ongoing cooperationbetween VPS and DNV GL.

“We have been the largest fueltesting services provider since ourinception in 1981,” says GerardRohaan, CEO, VPS. “We have theworld’s largest fuel sampl ingdatabase - over two million testedsamples. By extracting informationfrom this database with state-of-the-art analytical tools, we help ourcustomers get the best value from

New fuel analytics solution

their bunker purchases throughfast, accurate performancemonitoring and decision making.”

The new fuel analytics solutionis a online benchmarking tool thatshipping companies can usealongside ECO Insight’s existingmodules, to answer questions like:• What impact does my bunkered

fuel quality have on my vessel’sperformance?

• What bunker qual i ty have Ireceived compared to a worldfleet average of similar vesselsin the same time period?

• Where do I f ind good qualitybunker locations and suppliers?

Fuel quality is calculated interms of four major benchmarks:technical qual i ty (meet ing thespecif icat ions of ISO standard8217), financial quality (energy,

water content) , statutorycompliance as well as reportingquality (deviation from the bunkerdel ivery note). By providingaggregated and comparablebenchmarks, ship operators caneasily assess ports and suppliersglobally on a common scale.

“By integrating Fuel Analyticswithin our ECO Insight solution,shipping companies can now geteven more analytical depth from themost comprehensive f leetperformance portal on the market,”says Dr. Torsten Büssow, DNV GL’sHead of Fleet PerformanceManagement. “For the first time,shipping companies can now easilydifferentiate between the efficiencyloss due to fuel quality, voyageperformance, and hull, propeller,engine and systems degradation.”

Gerard Rohaan (Right) and Dr. Torsten Büssow signing the agreement

The new fuel analytics solution is a powerfulonline benchmarking tool that shipping

companies can use alongside ECO Insight’sexisting modules, to answer key questions

A world’s most ethical company for the eighth yearThe Ethisphere Institute has recognisedRockwell Automation, the world’s largestcompany dedicated to industrial automation andinformation, as a 2016 World’s Most EthicalCompany®. This is the eighth time that Ethisphere®,a global leader in advancing the standards of ethical-business practices, named Rockwell Automation tothe distinguished list, which recognises companieswhich align principle with action, work tirelessly tomake trust part of their corporate DNA, and in doingso, shape future industry standards by introducingtomorrow’s best practices today.

“Companies rely on Ethisphere to continuallyraise and measure the standards of corporatebehaviour. Those, like Rockwell Automation, thatdemonstrate leadership in areas like citizenship,

integrity and transparency create morevalue for their investors, communities,

customers and employees; thus, sol idi fy ing asustainable business advantage,” explainedEthisphere’s CEO, Timothy Erblich.

“The importance of ethics and the transparencyof integrity – both ingrained in our culture – continuesto increase for current and potential employees,” saidKeith D. Nosbusch, Rockwell Automation Chairmanand CEO. “Our ethical culture is a differentiator, acompetit ive advantage and makes RockwellAutomation a great place to do your best work.”

The Ethisphere Institute is the global leader indefining and advancing the standards of ethicalbusiness practices that fuel corporate character,marketplace trust and business success.


dewjournal.com News

Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) andPalo Alto Networks® are collaborating toboost the cyber security capabilities of control systemsused by industrial facilities and critical infrastructure.

Honeywell’s Industrial Cyber Security businessis now offer ing the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform to industrial customers.The collaboration enables customers to better preventcyberattacks against their Process Control Networks(PCN) and Operational Technology (OT) environmentsin order to protect their assets and maximizeproduction uptime and safety.

The joint solut ion offers unrivaled processnetwork traffic monitoring and advanced threatprevention across the automation environment. Itcombines Palo Alto Networks’ advanced and nativelyintegrated security platformwith Honeywell’s uniqueprocess control domainexpertise to provide a cybersecurity solution tailoredfor industrial customers.This next-generat ionoffer ing enhancesHoneywel l ’s compreh-ensive portfolio of cybersecuri ty solut ions,

Honeywell and Palo Alto Networks team to protectindustrial control systems from cyber attacks

including its Industrial Cyber SecurityRisk Manager platform.

Honeywell Industrial Cyber Security is the leadingprovider of cyber security solutions that help protectthe availability, safety, and reliability of industrialfacilities, critical infrastructure and the IndustrialInternet of Things. Leveraging industry-leadingprocess control and cyber security expertise andexperience, highly advanced technology, andintegrated partner security products, Honeywelldelivers proven, complete solutions designed for thespecific needs of industrial environments.

Honeywell Process Solutions is a pioneer inautomation control, instrumentation and services.Process Solutions is part of Honeywell’s PerformanceMaterials and Technologies strategic business

group, which also includesHoneywell UOP.

Palo Alto Networks isthe next-generat ionsecurity company, leadinga new era in cybersecurityby safely enabl ingappl icat ions andpreventing cyber breachesfor tens of thousands oforganizations worldwide.

The Union Minister forScience & Technology andEarth Sciences Dr. HarshVardhan said variousexperiments are beingconducted for studyingeff icacy of varioustechniques in extraction ofgas from the hydrates.Experiments at the potentialgas hydrates sites havealso been planned in association with offshoreindustry for establishing the technical feasibility of

Development of technology for extraction ofgas from the marine gas hydrates in deep sea

extraction of gas from themarine gas hydrates. It maybe noted that the NationalInstitute of Ocean Technology(NIOT) under the aegis ofMinistry of Earth Science,Government of India isengaged in developingtechnologies for establishingthe feasibility of. A RemotelyOperated Underwater Vehicle

and an Autonomous Coring System have beendeveloped for the exploration of gas hydrates.

“Potential gas hydrate sitesare being extensively studied”


dewjournal.comNews

Indian Inst i tutePetroleum (I IP) aconst i tuent Nat ionalLaborator ies of theCouncil of Scientific andIndustr ial Research(CSIR), India andCouncil of Scientific andIndustr ial ResearchOrganisation (CSIRO) -Manufacturing, Australiajointly organised a day-long symposium on thetheme “NanoporousMater ials for Clean EnergyApplication” at IIP Dehradun March,8 2016. The symposium wassponsored by the Austral iaGovernment through the Australian-India Council of the Department ofForeign Affairs and Trade.

CSIRO has advanced Australiawith a range of inventions andinnovat ions that have hadsignificant positive impact on thelives of people around the world.

CSIRO Manufacturing createsinnovative new material-basedsolut ions to reduce carbonemissions and efficiently store andseparate gases. It alsoworks with industry forenergy efficientseparation and capture ofharmful contaminants inindustrial waste and soil.

The symposiumsaw participation fromIndian Insti tute ofTechnology (IIT)-Mumbai,Guwahati, Roorkee,different Universit ies,industrial organisationsand companies like Oil& Natural Gas

Scientific ideas, breakthrough in nanoporousmaterials for clean energy applications discussed

Corporation Ltd., RelianceIndustries Ltd., GAIL India Ltd.,National Thermal PowerCorporation Ltd., Bharat PetroleumCorp. Ltd., Hindustan PetroleumCorp. Ltd., Engineers India Ltd.(EIL), Indraprastha Gas Ltd. andTechnip. Scientists from variousNational Laboratories of CSIR likeIndian Insti tute of ChemicalTechnology Hyderabad, Central SaltAnd Marine Chemicals ResearchInstitute Bhavnagar-Gujarat,National Chemical Laboratory Pune,Central Electro Chemical ResearchInsti tute Karaikudi-Tamil Nadu

besides Indian Instituteof Petroleum alsoparticipated.

CSIR-IIP and CSIROManufacturing, Australiaare both committedtowards thedevelopment of energyefficient technologiesrelated to clean fuelproduct ion, energystorage, c l imatechange mitigation, etc.The symposium aimed

at developing a platform for detaileddiscussion among pract ic ingscient ists and engineers fromacademia and industry of both thecountries to share scientific ideasand breakthrough in the field ofnanoporous materials for cleanenergy applications.

Nanoporous materials consistof a regular organic or inorganicframework supporting a regular,porous structure. The size of thepores is generally 100 nanometersor smal ler. Most nanoporousmaterials can be classified as bulkmaterials or membranes. Activated

carbon and zeolites aretwo examples of bulknanoporous materials,while cell membranescan be thought of asnanoporous membranes.

There are manynatural nanoporousmaterials, but artificialmaterials can also bemanufactured. Onemethod of doing so is tocombine polymers withdifferent melting points,so that upon heating one

Ms. Hilary McGeachy, First Secretary (Economic), Australian HighCommission, New Delhi delivering the inaugural address at the symposium

L to R: Dr. Anshu Nanoti, Dr. M.O. Garg, Ms. Hilary McGeachy, Prof. MatthewHill and Dr. Ravichandar Babarao during the inauguration of the symposium


dewjournal.com

polymer degrades. A nanoporousmaterial with consistently sized porehas the property of letting onlycertain substances pass through,while blocking others.

Nano-porous materials are atthe heart of many industr ia lprocesses related to catalysis,separation, purification and energystorage. Intervent ion of highperforming funct ional porousmater ials in c lean energyapplications will become more andmore important in coming years forbringing sustainabil i ty and lowcarbon footpr int in ourdevelopmental agenda. This alsogains significance in view of therecent pledge undertaken by theglobal community at COP21summit at Paris to l imit theincrease in the global averagetemperature to well below 2°Cabove pre-industrial levels. Efficientproduction and use of energy willbe crucial in meeting this goal.

The symposium wasaddressed by eminent scientists,researchers and engineers fromAustralia and India engaged in thefield of advanced material synthesisand application for gas separation,storage, catalysis, membraneapplications, solar and molecularmodelling who deliberated on therole of advance porous materials inclean energy application.

Presenting an overview theCoordinator of the symposiumDr.(Mrs) Anshu Nanoti , SeniorPrincipal Scientist, CSIR-IndianInstitute of Petroleum said theevent has been an attempt to bringtogether scientists and engineersof both the countries working in thefield of nanoporous materials toshare scient i f ic ideas andbreakthrough in the f ie ld ofnanoporous materials for clean

energy applications. The theme ofthe symposium aligned well withone of the priority areas proposedin the Austral ia-India Counci lStrategic Plan 2015-2019.

Dr.(Mrs.) Nanoti added thissymposium wi l l enhance theawareness creation towards theR&D efforts being undertaken inIndia and by overseas researchorganisat ions in the f ie ld ofnanoporous materials for cleanenergy applications.

The Convenor of thesymposium Dr.M.O.Garg formerDirector General , Counci l ofScientific & Industrial Research(CSIR), Government of Indiaemphasised IIP has a very fruitfulongoing collaboration with manyAustral ian Universi t ies andInstitutes for joint development ofcatalysis and separation basedtechnologies in several areasincluding utilization of strandednatural gas, biogas upgrading, etc.

The symposium was dividedinto four thematic sessions namelyDesign of Porous Mater ials;Nanoporous Materials in Catalysisand Adsorptive separation; PorusMaterials in Action; and EmergingEnergy Materials in Membrane andSolar application addressed byeminent and world renownedscientists like Prof. Sourav Pal fromIIT Bombay, Mumbai; Dr. R.V. Jasrafrom Reliance Technology Group,Vadodara; Prof. Matthew Hi l l ,CSIRO Manufacturing, Victoria,Australia; Dr. James McGregor,CSIRO Energy, Australia and Dr.Ravichandar Babarao, CSIROManufacturing, Austral ia; Prof.Sasidhar Gumma from I ITGuwahati; Dr. Nettem V. Choudary,GM (R&D), Hindustan PetroleumCorporate R&D, Bengaluru; Dr.Anshu Nanoti Senior Principal

Dr. Anshu Nanoti

Dr. M.O. Garg

Prof. Matthew Hill

Dr. Ravichandar Babarao

Prof. Sourav Pal

News


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Scientist, CSIR-Indian Institute ofPetroleum; Dr. Ulhas Kharul, CSIR-NCL Pune; Dr. S.Sridhar, CSIR-IICTHyderabad; and Dr.S.Dasguptafrom CSIP-IIP, Dehradun.

Inaugurating the symposiumMs. Hi lary McGeachy, FirstSecretary (Economic), AustralianHigh Commission, New Delhistressed the importance ofacademic and industry interactionin tackling scientific and technicalchallenges of the future. She alsointroduced the funct ioning ofAustral ia India Counci l as aninterface for promoting suchtechnical interactions.

Earl ier world renownedscient ist Prof. Matthew R Hil l ,Principal Research Scientist, ARCFuture Fellow, CSIRO and MonashUniversity, Australia presented theAustral ian perspect ive of thesymposium subject. His talkfocused on what’s next for MetalOrganic Frameworks (MOFs).

Mr.James McGregor, ProjectDirector (Major Projects), EnergyFlagship, CSIRO Energy, Australiatalked about developments inconcentrated solar thermaltechnologies and its application inIndia.

The talk by Dr.RavichandarBabaroa, Research Scient ist ,Manufactur ing Business uni t ,CSIRO, Australia was titled “Porousframeworks for energy andenvironmental applications: Whatwe learned from molecularmodel ing”. The presentat ioncovered Metal-OrganicFrameworks (MOFs) that haveemerged as a special class ofhybrid nanoporous materials andpresented an overview onunderstanding the macroscopicphenomenon at a microscopic levelfor diverse appl icat ions using

advanced simulation techniques.Dr.Babarao pointed out, the

variation of metal oxides and thevast choice of controllable organiclinkers allow the pore size, volumeand functionality of MOFs to betailored in a rational manner fordesignable architectures. MOFsthus provide a wealth ofopportunities for engineering newfunct ional mater ials and areconsidered as versatile candidatesfor storage, separation, sensing,catalysis, drug delivery and otherimportant applications. With ever-growing computational resourcesand advance in mathematicaltechniques, molecular simulationshave become an indispensabletool for materials characterization,screening and design. At amolecular level, simulations canprovide microscopic insights fromthe bottom-up and establ ishstructure-function relationships.

Dr. Sourav Pal, Professor(HAG), Department of Chemistry,Indian Inst i tute of TechnologyBombay, Mumbai and FormerDirector, CSIR-National ChemicalLaboratory, Pune talked aboutmult i -scale simulat ion andcomputat ional chemistry –materials for effective catalysis and

onboard hydrogen storage.The Head of Rel iance

Technology Group, Rel ianceIndustries Limited Dr.R.V.Jasrathrew l ight on Metal OrganicFrameworks (MOFs), the newmaterials for adsorption separationand catalysis.

Dr.N.V.Choudary, GeneralManager and Incharge R&D,Hindustan Petroleum CorporationLimited spoke on Graphene Nano-composites for Naphthaisomerisation.

The other presentations wereon “Understanding and Exploitingthe Structure-Propertyrelat ionships in metal organicframework for gas adsorption” byProf. Sasidhar Gumma from IITGuwahati; “Low carbon emittingadsorpt ive process fordesulphurization of transport fuel”by and Dr.S.Dasgupta from CSIP-IIP, Dehradun; “Structural tuning ofPolymer to modulate gaspermeability and selectivity in ZIF-8 based composite membranes byDr. Ulhas Kharul, CSIR-NCL Pune;and “Development of cost effectivemembrane devices for the growthof industrial and societal sectors”by Dr. Sundergopal Sridhar, CSIR-IICT Hyderabad.

News


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CGG has announced thesuccessful large-scale

deployment of Sercel ’s new-generation 508XT land seismicacquisi t ion system on a high-productivity super crew conductinga seismic survey in Saudi Arabia.The system is currently deployedon a crew operated by ARGAS,CGG’s joint venture with TAQA, andachieved the milestone of onemillion VPs (Vibrated Points) inJanuary 2016. Since its launch in2013, the 508XT has been

successfully field-proven in thetoughest condit ions in variousenvironments, such as Arct ic,farmland and desert areas.

The ARGAS land crew hasbeen working in Saudi Arabia sinceOctober 2015, where it hasconsistently provided outstandingvibroseis production rates whilerecording highly accurate seismicdata. The crew is currently operatingwith 12 fleets of two Sercel Nomad65 Neo al l-terrain broadbandvibrators using the DS4 (Distance-Separated Simultaneous Slip-Sweep) vibroseis source method.For data recording, the crew isemploying nearly 40,000channelsand 360,000 sensors in a150 km2active spread.

Its deployment on this high-channel-count survey enables theSercel 508XT system todemonstrate the full benefits of itsgame-changing cross-technology(X-Tech™) architecture, whichcombines the best of cabled andwireless system characteristics tooptimize crew productivity andreduce operational downtime.

Pascal Rouiller, Sercel CEO,said: “This new performancemilestone underl ines Sercel ’ssuccess at designing the mostadvanced equipment solutions tomeet the needs of high-productivity

s e i s m i ca c q u i s i t i o nprograms. Webelieve that our508XT’s uniqueX-Tech recording capabi l i t iesrepresent a breakthrough for all ourcustomers, whether they wish tomaximize crew product iv i ty orincrease their operating flexibility.”

Saad S. Al-Akeel, ARGAS CEO,said: “In addit ion to the directbenefits of its X-Tech architecture,the 508XT’slow powerconsumption combined with arequirement for less field units andbatter ies br ings a signi f icantweight saving, directly impactingour crew product iv i ty andminimizing our HSE exposure. Inaddition, the 508XT equipment iseasy to manage and its reliabilityso far has been excellent.”

CGG is a ful ly integratedGeoscience company providingleading geological, geophysicaland reservoir capabilities to itsbroad base of customers primarilyfrom the global oil and gas industry.Through i ts businesses ofEquipment, Acquisi t ion andGeology, Geophysics & Reservoir(GGR), CGG brings valueacross al l aspects of naturalresource explorat ion andexploitation.

“This new performancemilestone underlinesSercel’s success atdesigning the most

advanced equipmentsolutions to meet the

needs of high-productivity seismic

acquisition programs.We believe that our

508XT’s unique X-Techrecording capabilities

represent abreakthrough”- Pascal Rouiller

Chief Executive Officer, Sercel

Technology

dewjournal.com

New-gen. land seismic acquisitionsystem successfully field-proven

in the toughest conditions

Sercel’s new-generation508XT land

seismicacquisitionsystem hasachieved themilestone ofone million

VibratedPoints in the

toughestconditionssuch asArctic,

farmland anddesert areas


dewjournal.com

Sercel 508XT acquisition system in operation in Saudi Arabia (image courtesy of Sercel).

Sercel 508XT systemdemonstrates the full benefitsof its game-changing cross-

technology (X-Tech™)architecture, which combines

the best of cabled andwireless system

characteristics to optimizecrew productivity and reduce

operational downtime

“The 508XT equipment iseasy to manage and its

reliability so far hasbeen excellent”- Saad S. Al-Akeel

Chief Executive Officer, ARGAS

Technology


dewjournal.com

Smith Bits, a Schlumbergercompany has announced the

release of the AxeBlade* ridgeddiamond element bi t , whichincorporates new-geometry Axe*ridged diamond elements acrossthe bit face. AxeBlade bits improverate of penetration (ROP) in a widerange of formations and steering

AxeBlade ridged diamond element bithelp reduce the cost of drilling operations

Drill bit with unique ridge-shaped cutting elementsreduces drilling costs by improving ROP

response in direct ionalapplications.

“The dri l l bit market isperformance-driven and seekspolycrystalline diamond compact(PDC) bits that provide differentiatedperformance in ROP,” said MuratAksoy, President, Bits & DrillingTools, Schlumberger. “The cuttingefficiency delivered by the AxeBladebit addresses our customers’needs by helping to reduce the costof drilling operations.”

The latest generation of SmithBits three-dimensional cutt ingtechnologies, Axe elements have adist inct ive r idge shape thatcombines the shearing action of aconvent ional PDC bi t wi th thecrushing action of a roller cone bit.The unique geometry of theelement breaks rock moreefficiently, requiring 30% less force.It also delivers improved controlcompared with conventional PDCcutters when drilling directionally.

The AxeBlade bit has beensuccessfully field tested in a varietyof applications, drilling more than acumulative total of 200,000ft [60,960m]. In a field trial in South Texas, theAxeBlade bit kicked off from verticalto a 90° angle and continued drillingthe lateral section for a total of3,586ft [1,093m] with 29% fasterROP compared to offset wells.

Schlumberger is the world’sleading supplier of technology, * Mark of Schlumberger

“The drill bit market isperformance-driven

and seekspolycrystalline

diamond compact(PDC) bits that

provide differentiatedperformance in rate of

penetration (ROP).The cutting efficiency

delivered by theAxeBlade bit

addresses ourcustomers’ needs byhelping to reduce the

cost of drillingoperations”- Murat Aksoy

President, Bits & DrillingTools, Schlumberger

integrated project management,and information solut ions tocustomers working in the oil andgas industry worldwide. Employingapproximately 95,000 peoplerepresenting over 140 nationalitiesand working in more than 85countries, It provides the industry’swidest range of products andservices from exploration throughproduction.

The latest generationof Smith Bits three-dimensional cuttingtechnologies, Axeelements have a

distinctive ridge shapethat combines the

shearing action of aconventional

polycrystallinediamond compact(PDC) bit with the

crushing action of aroller cone bit. It

delivers improvedcontrol compared with

conventional PDCcutters when drilling

directionally

Technology

dewjournal.com


dewjournal.com

The AxeBlade bit has been successfully field testedin a variety of applications, drilling more than a

cumulative total of 200,000ft [60,960 m]. In a fieldtrial in South Texas, the AxeBlade bit kicked off from

vertical to a 90° angle and continued drillingthe lateral section for a total of 3,586ft [1,093m] with

29 percent faster ROP compared to offset wells

Technology


dewjournal.com

The 5th biennial International Conference on Energyand Infrastructure Management 2016 (ICEIM 2016)

organised by the School of Petroleum Management(SPM), Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) onFebruary 18 and 19, 2016 at the sprawling universitycampus in Gandhinagar saw a perfect mix of intelligentsiaand academe address the intricacies of the subject of theenergy and infrastructure. Gandhinagar is the capital ofthe state of Gujarat in Western India located about 23 kmnorth of Ahmedabad, on the west-central point of theindustrial corridor between Delhi, the political capital ofIndia, and Mumbai, the financial capital of India.

A special report by DEW

ICEIM 2016 addressescore issues related toenergy & infrastructuremanagement

A perfect mix of

A section of the audience at the International Conference on Energy and Infrastructure Management (ICEIM 2016) organised by SPM, PDPU

Dignitaries lighting the lamp at the inaugural function - ICEIM 2016

The theme of ICEIM 2016 was “Energy & Infrastructure Managementin changing global dynamics”. The context of the conference carried

significance as much of today’s prosperity rests on secure and stableaccess to energy. Without requisite energy and infrastructure, anyeconomy grinds to a halt, as saw in parts of the developing world

Special Report


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Dignitaries on the dais at the inaugural session of the 5th biennial International Conference on Energy and Infrastructure Management. L to R:Prof. (Dr.) Kaushal Kishore, Faculty, SPM, PDPU and Organizing Secretary, ICEIM-2016, Mr. Arun Kr. Singhal, Author and Chief Editor, DEWJournal, Mr. B.N.Talukdar former Director General, DGH, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, Mr. Narendra Taneja,veteran journalist and now National Convener, Energy Cell, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Dr. D.J.Pandian, Director General, PDPU andChairman-Standing Committee and Member-Board of Governors, PDPU and designated Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, AsianInfrastructure Investment Bank, Mr. Raymond E. Vickery Jr., leading author and advisor on US-India relations and former U.S. AssistantSecretary of Commerce, Trade Development and Dr. C. Gopalkrishnan, Director, School of Petroleum Management (SPM), PDPU.

intelligentsia and academe(Left) Mr. B.N. Talukdar (right) Mr. Arun Kr. Singhal lighting the lamp at the inaugural function - ICEIM 2016 at PDPU, Gandhinagar.

The 600 participants including international and national experts from the industry, academia,intellectuals and PSU companies hammered out the many issues and related challenges in the field ofenergy and infrastructure. The theme of the conference “Energy & Infrastructure Management in changingglobal dynamics” held importance in the wake of the many recent initiatives taken by the government andthe Prime Minister himself involved to see India expand and strengthen its infrastructure development inall the sectors of economy at par to any developed nation.

The Prime Minister of India has emphasised on many occasions that in infrastructure, the comingage is to move ahead from highways to "i-ways", and optical fibre networks. The cities in the pastaccording to him were near river-banks. They are now built along highways. But in future, they will beaccording to the availability of “i-ways” i.e. optical-fibre networks a part of the next-generationinfrastructure. Hence, India lays utmost importance on its infrastructure development in all sectors ofeconomy to stay abreast on this front with the developed economies in the ever evolving global dynamics.

“India lays utmost importance on its infrastructure development in all sectors of economy.The coming age is to move ahead from highways to i-ways, and optical fibre networks”

- The Prime Minister of India

Special Report


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The context of the conference also carriedsignificance as much of today’s prosperity rests onsecure and stable access to energy. Without requisiteenergy and infrastructure, any economy grinds to ahalt, as saw in parts of the developing world. Withfew exceptions, countries that are rich have becomeso through industrial development.

The issues related to energy and infrastructuremanagement tabled by the School of PetroleumManagement, PDPU were therefore considered veryprompt and apt for discussion with the intelligentsia.PDPU is a domain specific university in the field ofenergy education and research with a special focuson the energy and oil & gas sector. Its vision is onlineto that of the Prime Minister of India who wantsuniversities actively involved in research and analysisof the developmental process, to give in the bestpossible way for policy-related decisions.

The conference had two round table panel and76 technical paper from researchers and practitionersengaged in energy studies that focused on identifyingnew opportunities, challenges, best practices andstrategies for global economy on var iouscomplementing issues like business and techno-

managerial issues, regulatory and policy matters,marketing issues, financial and accounting issues,operational excellence and management, socialand human resource management and capacitybuilding in context of make in India campaign.

Interesting was the students of PDPU and manyother universities from length and breath of thecountry actively took part in the deliberations. Whilethe experts pondered on the many issues, theevent offered a big learning experience for thestudents to listen to the renowned people of theindustry and intel lectuals to enhance theirknowledge base.

The United States-India Business Counci l(USIBC), the premier business advocacyorganisat ion dedicated to strengthening theeconomic and commercial relationship between theUnited States and India along with the AssociatedChambers of Commerce & Industry of India(ASSOCHAM), the noted industry association havingin its fold more than 400 Chambers and TradeAssociat ions and serving more than four lakhmembers from al l over India were among theprominent supporters’. The other supporters wereMaharatna PSU companies the Indian Oil CorporationLimited, National Thermal Power Corporation Limitedand the leading internationally acclaimed energy andoil & gas journal – DEW. The ICEIM 2016 OrganisingSecretary Prof. (Dr) Kaushal Kishore, Faculty(Marketing Area), SPM, PDPU and his core team withmembers Akshay Shah, Sanjeev Kumar, Nikita Sood,Pranjal Kishore, Indranil Joshi and Saumya Sahoowere the other force behind this important conclave.This biennial conference is a flagship event of theSchool of Petroleum Management, PDPU which overthe years has seen an increasing participation inevery edition.

Prof.Kaushal whi leproviding an overview of theevent reemphasized on whythe energy andinfrastructure landscapewas so important for thedeveloping world andhighl ighted some of i tsmost critical issues.

According to him, themost direct role of energy istowards production. A world

Prof. (Dr.) Kaushal Kishore, Faculty (Marketing Area), SPM, PDPU andOrganizing Secretary, ICEIM-2016 delivering the welcome address.

Special Report

Dignitaries at the ICEIM-2016 inaugural session jointly releasing the Proceedings of the Conference


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without energy (both primary and secondary)amounts to non-mechanized production. Whileerrat ic supplies of electr ici ty due to lack ofinfrastructure disrupts product ion, vol tagefluctuations negatively affect machines. Betterenergy related infrastructure can thus, raise theeff iciency and durabil i ty of physical capital.Furthermore, economic growth and developmentare closely linked to embodied technologicalprogress and capital accumulation. Comparedwith agriculture and services, manufacturingproduction is relatively energy-intensive, whichimplies that industrialization increases demandfor energy and, thus, a need for adequate energy andinfrastructure. Importance of energy is clear from therecent vagaries of oil price, mainly spurring innovativeactivities to come up with alternative energy sourcesand means of exploiting it, Prof. Kaushal points out.

Truly, a major reason which can therefore bringparity among nations is through access to energy bybuilding infrastructure. The challenge going forwardis to manage the increased complexity of an energy-interdependent world while striving to meet economic,security and environmental need. This requires amuch more advanced approach to energy policymaking, one that ful ly appreciates the inter-dependence of global markets, the complex natureof energy security and the need to manage thetrade-offs inherent in the energy decision-making.

Hence robust infrastructure, sufficiency ofenergy and proper policy-decisions, considering theinterdependence that exists within nations, areimperative for development of any economy aroundthe globe. Key determinant of economic, social, anddevelopmental sustainability is development ofenergy and infrastructure sector. Energy &Infrastructure (E&I) sector issues are thus ofparamount signif icance for deliberation anddiscussions leading to policy improvements andimplementation Prof. Kaushal substantiated inresponse to why energy and infrastructure isimportant.

The inaugural ceremony graced by Mr.Narendra Taneja, veteran journalist and nowNational Convener, Energy Cell, Bhartiya JantaParty (BJP), Dr. D.J.Pandian, Director General,PDPU and Chairman-Standing Committee andMember-Board of Governors, PDPU and VicePresident and Chief Investment Of f icer

Dr. D.J.Pandian and Mr. Raymond E. Vickery Jr. honoring each other withthe traditional shawls (woolen wraps) at the inaugural session of ICEIM-2016.

An initiative by the students of SPM, PDPU. Energy and Infrastructuredepicted by “Rangoli” (traditional Indian decoration and patterns made onground with rice powder and herbal colors, Rangoli is an expression of thecreative self, often viewed as a form of self-portraiture) at ICEIM-2016

(designate), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank,Mr. Raymond E. Vickery Jr., advisor on US-Indiarelations and former U.S. Assistant Secretary ofCommerce, Trade Development, Mr. Arun Kr. Singhal,author and Chief Edi tor, DEW Journal , Mr.B.N.Talukdar former Director General, DirectorateGeneral of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Petroleum andNatura l Gas, Government of Ind ia, Dr. C.Gopalkr ishnan, Director, School of PetroleumManagement (SPM), PDPU, and Prof. (Dr.) KaushalKishore, Faculty (Marketing Area), SPM, PDPU andOrganizing Secretary, ICEIM-2016.

Mr. Narendra Taneja, veteran journalist and nowNational Convener, Energy Cell, Bhartiya Janta Party

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Mr. Narendra Taneja speaking at ICEIM - 2016

Dr. D.J.Pandian speaking at ICEIM - 2016

Mr. Raymond E. Vickery Jr. speaking at ICEIM - 2016

Dr. C. Gopalkrishnan speaking at ICEIM - 2016

“Renewableenergy is an

answer to thepresent

increasingenergy demandof the countryand to batterthe climate

change issues”

- Mr.Narendra Taneja

“There is anurgentneed tokeep abalance

between theconventional

and non-conventional

energy”

- Dr. D. J. Pandian

“Need forcollaborative

joint efforts byIndia and US to

come at acommon

meeting groundon the currentenergy issues”

- Mr. Raymond E.Vickery Jr.

“The focus ofICEIM 2016 is

issues related tothe changing

energy dynamics,growth and

development ofnatural gas and

renewableenergy in India”

- Dr.C.Gopalkrishnan

(BJP) spoke on a wholegamut of energy issuesespecially those that loomlarge for India. Headvocated, renewableenergy as an answer to thepresent increasing energydemand of the country andto batter the climate changeissues.

Cit ing the Pr imeMinister, he said, saffroncolour represents energy –and we need a saffronrevolution that focuses onrenewable energy sourcessuch as solar energy, tomeet India's growing energydemand. Solar energy hesaid needs to be harnessedto its fullest. He referred tosun as a nuclear reactor.

The vis ion of thegovernment he said was ofaffordable energy to all anderadicating energy poverty.

Mr. Taneja talked aboutissues l ike incent iv is ingrenewables, Indian energyservices and need forencouraging best talent inenergy sector.

When the country isaspiring (for rapid growth),when country is at the cuspof a big economic leap,government focus is on'Swacch Indhan (clean fuel)'.To bring change in the livesof people clean andaffordable fuel is essential.The government will do thatin a time-bound way to bring100% population underclean fuel umbrella throughCNG, PNG, biomassMr.Taneja pointed out.

He also touched uponthe Prime Minister’s desire

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that India reduces (oil) import dependence by 10%by 2022. To this effect, he added besides increasingpresent oi l product ion new f inds are needed.Mr.Taneja also spoke of the natural gas revolution.

On the issue of sustainable energy for al l ,Dr.Pandian remarked, energy is fundamental toeconomic growth and environmental sustainability.Access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energyis vital to ending extreme poverty and promotingshared prosperity. Modern energy services can helpimprove the quality of life for millions around the worldand underpin progress in all areas of development.

He added, around 1.1 billion people worldwide—roughly the population of India—still live withoutaccess to electricity with most concentrated in Africaand Asia. Another 2.9 billion rely on wood or otherbiomass for cooking and heating, resulting in indoorand outdoor air pollution attributable for 4.3 milliondeaths each year.

The need of the hour is therefore to secureaffordable, reliable and sustainable energy supply toend poverty and promote shared prosperity hestressed.

Mr. Raymond E. Vickery Jr., advisor on US-Indiarelations and former U.S. Assistant Secretary ofCommerce, Trade Development mentioned about thecollaborative joint efforts by India and US to come ata common meeting ground on the current energyissues.

He mention of hisrecently published bookIndia Energy – Thestruggle for power. Thebook according toMr.Vickery explainsIndia’s chief energychal lenges andconsiders what policiesIndia might pursue topromote greater energysecurity.

Mr.Vickery is a GlobalFellow at the WoodrowWilson Internat ionalCenter for Scholars inWashington, DC. Hiswork on US-Indiaeconomic engagementduring 2008-2009

resulted in a book on the subject. The book wasfollowed by a study on India’s struggle for energyenough to sustain its aspirations as a major power.

Dr. C. Gopalkr ishnan, Director, School ofPetroleum Management (SPM), PDPU talked aboutthe issues related to the changing energy dynamics,growth and development of natural gas and renewableenergy in India.

The high point of the conference was the tworound tables one each on both the days whichcomprised panel of eminent experts, academiciansand industry leaders. The round tables discussed“Indo-USA Co-operation in Energy Sector with a focuson Natural Gas Scenario” and “Capability building inIndian energy & Infrastructure sector in context of Makein India campaign with a focus on Renewable Energy”.

Mr. B N Talukdar, former Director General,Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Ministry ofPetroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India wassession chair during the first round table. The panelcomposed of Mr. Raymond Vickery Jr., leading authorand advisor on US-India relations and former U.S.Assistant Secretary of Commerce, TradeDevelopment, Mr. Bal j i t Singh, Vice President(Operations) Jubilant Energy, Mr. Anindya Chowdhury,General Manager – Gas, Shell India Markets PrivateLimited, Mr. Dev Dutt Sharma, internat ional lyrenowned Geologist and energy expert and Dr.

The guest speakers at the first round table at ICEIM 2016. Mr. B N Talukdar (Session Chair), former DirectorGeneral, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.The panel composed of Mr. Raymond Vickery Jr., leading author and advisor on US-India relations and formerU.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Trade Development, Mr. Baljit Singh, the vice President (Operations)Jubilant Energy, Mr. Anindya Chowdhury, General Manager – Gas-Shell India Markets Private Limited, Mr.Dev Dutt Sharma, internationally renowned Geologist and energy expert and Dr. Pramod Paliwal, Dean andFaculty, School of Petroleum Management, PDPU.

Focus: First round table “Indo-USA Co-operation inEnergy Sector with a focus on Natural Gas Scenario”

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Pramod Pal iwal, Dean and Faculty, School ofPetroleum Management, PDPU.

The round-table focused on natural gasscenario, its demand-supply and its environmentbenign properties that have made it a favoured fuelfor 21st Century.

Opening the session Mr.Talukdar stressed, Indiahas all the vital ingredients for gas based economy forclean and efficient energy security. The share of gashe said is 8% in the present energy mix which willincrease up to 20% by 2030. The total gas consumption(2015) is 115 mmscmd, he added. His talk focused

Mr. B N Talukdar (Session Chair) Round Table 1 Panelist Round Table 1: Mr. Raymond Vickery Jr.

Panelist Round Table 1: Mr. Dev Dutt Sharma Panelist Round Table 1: Mr. Anindya Chowdhury

Panelist Round Table 1: Dr. Pramod Paliwal Panelist Round Table 1: Mr. Baljit Singh

on the global and Indian scenario of natural gas.Mr. Talukdar mentioned of the crude oil and gas

production trends in India over the last six decadesand the Hydrocarbon Resources Base for bothconventional and un-conventional. While comparingthe prognosticated to discovered resources ofconventional and unconventional, he said around35% discovered resources are in conventional whilein unconventional barring CBM, Gas Hydrate in sands,shale gas/oil prospects are under evaluation.

India, he added has the fifth largest proven coalreserves in the world and thus appears to hold

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significant prospects for exploration and exploitationof CBM, the prognosticated CBM resources in thecountry are about 92 TCF (2600 BCM), Totalprognosticated CBM resource for awarded 33 CBMblocks, is about 62.4 TCF (1767 BCM), ofwhich, so far, 9.9 TCF (280.34 BCM) is Gasin Place (GIP). The current CBM productiontill March 2015 was around 0.77 MMSCMD.

On the Gas Hydrate front, Mr. Talukdarsaid NGHP had carried out the expedition-1 in 2006. Significant quantities of GasHydrate are in the KG, Mahanadi andAndaman basins. NGHP Expedit ion-2carried out in 2015 for identifying siteswhich would ideally have: Sand dominatedgas hydrate occurrence, reasonablycompacted sediments and occurrence offree gas below the gas. Both Expedition-1and Expedition-2 he mentioned ended upwith encouraging results with great hopespinned on the next expedition for testing ofthe hydrate zones in 2017.

On the gas pipeline infrastructure hesaid i t is present ly 15,000 kms, 319MMSCMD and will increase by 14,215 kmsplus 541 MMSCMD in the next 5 years asprojected by the government.

He also covered LNG infrastructure andimports where India is the fourth largestimporter of LNG.

On the City Gas Distribution (CGD), Mr.Talukdar said the total gas consumption inCGD in India 16.3 MMSCMD and theGovernment targets to reach 10 million PNGconnections in next 2-3 years.

Covering the progress made by Indiaso far and Indian companies’ shale gasventures abroad he also mentioned of thechallenges which were primarily related towater avai labi l i ty and treatment, landacquisition and availability of HF services.

He also covered the many governmentinitiatives towards ease of business forexploration and exploitation of conventionaland unconvent ional resources andemphasised clean energy security is theway forward for India.

According to Mr. Raymond E. Vickery Jrin recent years one hears a lot about India’s

rising global clout, however considerably less aboutIndia and a different type of power: The kind thatelectrifies households, fires up factories, lights upbuildings—and, overall, sustains nations and their

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economies. On this count, India faces greatchallenges. In India with 1.2 billion people about 400mil l ion are off the gr id. Given i ts immensepopulation—expected to soon become the world’sbiggest—and large economy, energy demand in Indiawill continue to grow for the foreseeable future,Mr.Vickery added.

Mr. Anindya Chowdhury, General Manager – Gas-Shel l India Markets Pr ivate Limited spoke ofenhancing the pipeline infrastructure in the country.

As energy expert who has very closely studiedthe geology and petroliferous basins in his long anddiverse career in the oil and gas industry Mr. Dev DuttSharma argued that with mult i -prong gasdevelopment strategy India can very well meet self-suff iciency in gas production as envisaged byHydrocarbon Vision 2025.

He advocated, special thrust is needed fordevelopment of unconventional gas resources ofTight Gas, Shale Gas and CBM while applying newtechnologies of formation evaluation, horizontaldr i l l ing, mult i stage fractur ing, micro-seismicmonitoring and extended production testing to excel.Mr.Sharma suggested dedicated efforts for acquiringlow risk - high resource acreage internationally,preferably in nearby friendly countries like Myanmarand Madagascar in Indian Ocean, which have hugeundiscovered gas resources. R&D efforts need beintensi f ied to make UCG and Gas Hydratescommercially viable. Simultaneously, commissioningand expansion of scheduled LNG plants shouldcomplete soon, which have about 25 MMpa(110MMcmd) gas supply capacity. Sourcing gasthrough cross border pipelines like TAPI and IPI need

to be taken care, which can supply about 20 MMcmdand 80 MMcmd gas.

Calling gas resource as dynamic in nature, headded, while conventional gas occurs at the top ofpyramid because of i ts smal l volume, highpermeability and productivity, unconventional TightGas Sand, Shale Gas and Coal Bed Methane (CBM)occur at the middle because of large volume, lowpermeabi l i ty and product iv i ty. Gas hydratesconsidered as future energy source occurs at thebottom because of huge volume and difficult todevelop. With improved geological knowledge andadvancement in technology, unconventional gasresources, which were uneconomical earlier, havebecome commercial now and moved up in theresource pyramid, he pointed out.

Mr. Sharma said on the gas crunch faced by India,it should aggressively explore vast hydrocarbonresource in its 26 sedimentary basins covering 3.14million sq.km area in onshore and offshore (shallow& deep water). Total estimated hydrocarbon resourcesare about 32 bt, while recoverable hydrocarbons areabout 12 bt, of which 7 bt is oil and 5,000 bcm is gas.These he added have gas production potential ofabout 685 MMcmd for 20 years against the projectedgas demand of 548 MMcmd. Estimated deep waterhydrocarbon resource is about 11 bt of which 7bt isoil and 4,000 bcm is gas. Deep water gas productionpotential is about 410 MMcmd for 20 yrs. Proved oilreserves are 765 MMt and conventional gas reservesare 1490 BCM, which have production potential of105,000 t/d and 205,000m3/d, respectively for 20yrs,Mr.Sharma stressed.

Besides huge conventional gas, India has vastunconventional gas resources of Tight GasSand, Shale Gas and CBM Mr.Sharma said.While estimates for Tight Gas Sand andCBM are highly variable; USGS initiallyestimated 6.1 TCF of recoverable ShaleGas reserves in 3 prospective basins i.eCambay, KG and Cauvery. EIA (2013) toohas reported 94 TCF of technical lyrecoverable Shale Gas revised from earlierestimates of 63 TCF. Shale Gas estimatesby other agencies too is quite high with 200TCF in Cambay Basin alone and 38 TCF inDamodar Basin. While CBM production isat nascent stage, Tight Gas Sand producedwith limited knowledge and Shale Gas

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development is yet tobegin even though oil andgas produced fromunconventional fracturedshale reservoirs inCambay Basing during90’s but that could not betaken further in view ofrapid decl ine inproduction and lack ofadequate hydro-fractur ing and focusremained on easy toproduce conventional sand reservoirs, Mr.Sharmadisclosed.

On the issue of world gas resource andproduction, he said, the proved natural gas reservesof world are estimated at 6606.4 TCF (187.1tcm) withR/P ratio of 54.1, while Asia-Pacific gas reserves are592.5 TCF. India occurs at 22nd position with havinga R/P ratio of 29.8. Russia holds no.1 position withestimated reserves of 1688 TCF, 2nd Iran with 1187TCF and Qatar 3rd with 890 TCF reserves. Estimatedgas reserves of USA are 308 TCF, which is 4th inrank. World Natural Gas production is about 3461bcmpa (9481MMcmd), he pointed out.

He also said low rank unmineable coals too havesigni f icant gas product ion potent ial throughUnderground Coal Gasif icat ion (UCG) whosecommercial viability seen in countries like USA andRussia. Vast Gas Hydrate deposits in deep watersalong both the coasts of India and permafrost regionof Himalaya are future source of energy in view ofongoing R&D work under National Gas HydrateProgram, Mr.Sharma reiterated.

On the hydrocarbon prospectivity of Indian basinsMr.Sharma stressed these are almost at par withproducing internat ional basins. While onshorebasins have geological analogy with di f ferentinternational basins, Eastern offshore (shallow &deep water) basins, including Bay of Bengal andAndaman Sea have regional analogy with prolific gas-producing Gulf of Mexico, USA. Western offshorebasins including Mumbai-Bassein have analogy withEast African Mozambique-Tanzania-Kenya basins.With systematic and accelerated E&P campaign asenvisaged by Hydrocarbon Vision-2025, not only wecan bridge the demand-supply gap of gas but alsocan meet self-sufficiency in phased way through

successive five-year plans, Mr.Sharma added.Commenting on the recent s igni f icant gas

discoveries, Mr.Sharma said with new thrust givenon hydrocarbon exploration under NELP significantgas discoveries made in India like KG D6 along EastCoast and Vasai along West Coast. Thesediscoveries are comparable to the giant gasdiscoveries internat ional ly l ike Leviathan inMediterranean Sea, Israel he said.

Dr. Pramod Paliwal, Dean and Faculty, School ofPetroleum Management spoke about bilateral andmultilateral relationships by India in the wake of itsgrowing international role. He mentioned of India-Iranbilateral relations which has thrown open greatopportunities post l ift ing of sanctions in Trade,Infrastructure and Energy to strengthen bilateraleconomic co-operation. A new chapter of peace,progress and prosperity for Iran and our region isopening up vast opportunities for our two countriesto expand their ongoing mutually beneficial co-operation in a number of spheres including energyinfrastructure and regional connectivity he added.

He also mentioned of Indian oil companiesnegot iat ing with their I ranian counterparts forinvestment in development and exploration of naturalgas in Farzad B upstream project. Negotiations onan Agreement on India-Iran-Afghanistan TrilateralTransit Corridor was also thrown light in his talk.

India's foreign policy also recognizes that theissues such as climate change and energy and foodsecurity that are crucial to India's transformation areglobal and need global cooperative solutions. Giventhe high priority attached by the Government of Indiato socio-economic development, India has a vitalstake in a supportive external environment both inour region and globally, he added.

“Besides huge conventional gas, India has vastunconventional gas resources of Tight Gas Sand,Shale Gas and CBM. Special thrust is needed fordevelopment of unconventional gas resources whileapplying new technologies of formation evaluation,horizontal drilling, multi stage fracturing, micro-seismicmonitoring and extended production testing to excel”

- Mr. Dev Dutt SharmaInternationally renowned Geologist and energy expert

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Mr. Kaushik Deb, Head of Gas Analysis, BP GroupEconomic Team was the Session Chair at the secondround table focusing on “Capability building in Indianenergy & Infrastructure sector in context of Make inIndia campaign with a focus on Renewable Energy”.The panel composed of Mr. Anil Sachan ExecutiveDirector and Head Institute of Drilling Technology,ONGC, Mr. Arvind Mahajan, Senior Director, KPMGIndia, Dr. Himmat Singh, eminent Scientist, formerDy.Director, Indian Institute of Petroleum- a NationalLaboratory under CSIR, former Advisor, BharatPetroleum and present ly Head of PetroleumEngineering Department, Chandigarh University, Dr.Ahindra Chakrabarti, Professor, Energy, Finance andAccounting, Great Lakes Institute of Management,Gurgaon, Dr. Mahendra Pratap, Executive Director,ONGC’s Ahmedabad Asset and Mr. Bhavin Kamdar,Deputy General Manager-Crude Oil Trading, EssarOil Limited.

The second round tables discussion revolvedaround var ious ways of at tract ing people andindustries to renewable energy. It also talked aboutthe transition required for the infrastructure to movefrom a conventional to the cleaner and greenertechnology especially as we are preparing to becomethe global manufacturing hub. The panellists alsodiscussed on the untapped potential in the rural India

due to lack of proper transmission and distribution ofpower issues and how scaling up of renewable cancope up with this in the near future. As countries acrossthe globe are joining hands to cut the usage of coal,crude oil to cut the carbon emissions it has alsobecome important for Indian government to reachtheir target of generating 100GW electricity from solarby 2022 and cut carbon emissions through moreintensive usage of bio fuels and other greenertechnologies.

Sharing his thoughts on the theme of the roundtable Mr.Anil Sachan, Executive Director and Head,Institute of Drilling Technology, ONGC emphasised“India has one of the most aggressive clean energygoals of any nation in the world, with a plan to haveover 100 gigawatt of solar capacity installed by 2022”.Elaborating further Mr.Sachan said, of this 100gigawatt solar capacity, India hopes to garner 40gigawatt of utility-scale solar, 40 gigawatts of roof topsolar and around 20 gigawatts that may vary byindividual project. India’s Prime Minister he addedhas been the biggest proponent of the aggressiverenewable energy goal for the country.

He also cited a report by E&Y projecting that themacro-economic outlook for India remains strong,ranking it ninth overall on E&Y LLPs renewable energyattractiveness index.

On the key driversof renewable energy inIndia, Mr.Sachan pointedout that vast untappedpotent ial , d istr ibutedelectr ic i ty demand,cl imate change,increasing costcompeti t iveness ofrenewable energytechnology andfavourable foreigninvestment pol icy aremajor contributors.

On India’sabundant untappedrenewable energyresources, he said thecountry’s large landmass receives one of thehighest levels of solarradiation in the world. It

The guest speakers at the first round table at ICEIM 2016. Mr. Kaushik Deb, (Session Chair), Head of GasAnalysis, BP Group Economic Team. The panel composed of Mr. Anil Sachan Executive Director, ONGC,Institute of Drilling Technology, Mr. Arvind Mahajan, Senior Director, KPMG India, Dr. Himmat Singh, eminentScientist, former Dy.Director, IIP- a National Laboratory under CSIR, former Advisor, Bharat Petroleum andpresently HoD Petroleum Engineering, Chandigarh University, Dr. Ahindra Chakrabarti, Professor, Energy,Finance and Accounting, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Dr. Mahendra Pratap, Executive Director,ONGC’s Ahmedabad Asset and Mr. Bhavin Kamdar, Dy. General Manager-Crude Oil Trading, Essar Oil Limited.

Focus: Second round table “Capability building in Indianenergy & Infrastructure sector in context of Make in Indiacampaign with a focus on Renewable Energy”

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has an extensive coastline and high wind speed inmany areas. This provides ample opportunities forestablishment of land-based renewable energygeneration, as well as for offshore wind farms. Inaddit ion, the country’s numerous r ivers andwaterways have strong potent ial to generatehydropower. India also has significant potential toproduce energy from biomass der ived fromagricultural and forestry residues, he remarked.

Mr. Sachan pointed out that the dollar power rapidgrowth over the last few years with Gujarat leading interms of capacity commissioned, accounting for morethan four-fifth of the total installed solar power capacityin the country.

While solar energy is still largely underutilised inIndia, the country has scored well in its ranking onthe solar index. With planned use of solar powerIndia can not only be energy rich but energy exportingcountry he remarked.

Mr. Sachan asked for more use of solar powerfor street lights, transport sector i.e. solar chargedbattery driven vehicles.

It is worth noting that with a view to give impetusto domestic manufacturing of hybrid & electricvehicles, the Government of India approved theNational Mission on Electric Mobility in 2011 andearlier National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020declared in 2013. In order to promote manufacturingof hybrid and electr ic vehicles and make suresustainable growth of the same and as a follow-up ofthe mission, Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) hasformulated a scheme namely FAME India (FasterAdoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) ElectricVehicles in India) for the first period of two-yearstarting from 1st April 2015. The main purpose of thisscheme is to promote use of Electric and HybridVehicles in the country.

On the Make in India initiative, he called BHELand L&T among the biggest initiatives of the countryin this direction. Mr. Sachan hoped that India’s megacompanies like ONGC, Oil India, IndianOil, GAIL,Engineers India, BHEL and many others join handsto bid together in the international arena to have anedge over the competitors. We need to create megabrands to excel Mr.Sachan emphasised.

Dr. Himmat Singh, eminent scientist said “Makein India”- a subject which is receiving lot of focus now-a-days, promises of providing jobs to the younggeneration and uplifting the manufacturing sector to

give boost to the industrialization. We should supportthis idea, but with due considerations, he cautioned.

Talking first about the renewable energy he saidrenewable energy is an answer to climate changeissues, Dr Singh said India is the only country whichhas a dedicated Ministry dealing with the new andrenewable energy that act as the nodal point for thecountry. India’s Minister of State for New andRenewable Energy Mr Piyush Goyal in the recentlyconcluded “Make in India week” at Mumbai stated thatrenewable energy has arrived and is the future ofIndia. He hailed solar energy program of the countryand said 25 solar parks are coming up in India. Inaddition there is an ambitious target of scaling upfrom 35 GW installed capacity in early 2015 to 175GW by 2022. The rapid expansion of India’srenewable energy sector has generatedunprecedented global buzz, he remarked.

The thrust in the coming years will also be onhydro and bio-fuels areas. With special mention aboutBio diesel he said successful trail of bio dieselcarried out by the Indian Railways to run a train fromNew Delhi to Amritsar few years back is noteworthy.Bio ethanol as a part in gasoline (Petrol) and bio-jetfuel being developed at Indian Institute of Petroleumalong with an Australian scientific set-up were alsobriefly mentioned by him.

On capabi l i ty bui ld up, i t was stated thatequipment for both wind and solar power are nowmanufactured in India.

Dr. Singh stressed “renewable energy isessential to fulfil the Government’s aim to offer 24x7power for all citizen by 2019”- a thought that has beenrecently expressed by India’s Prime Minister duringMake in India week in Mumbai. This confidence hesaid comes from the example set by Germany whichnow generates 31% of its total energy from renewablesources like solar and wind which will further in theyears to come.

Touching upon the Make in India aspect of thediscussion intended at creating new horizons ofindustrialization-making India a manufacturing hubat least for Asia, in addit ion to i ts increasedcontribution in GDP Dr. Singh said it is a laudableconcept but need be viewed with other sectors thatadd to the overall GDP of the country, particularly theservice and agriculture sectors. Many advantages arelisted in favour of this campaign, but there are fewthoughts which await elaboration/clari f icat ions

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namely, (1) Reiterat ing the point made by DrRaghuraman, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Indiaunlike China does not have the time advantage as itundertakes a manufacturing spree. The essentialquestion is – is the world ready for a second China?(2) This campaign will lead to an unsustainable focuson export promotion measures. One such measureis artificially undervaluing the Rupee. This will havedevastating consequences for the import bill.

Dr. Singh posed the question to the house toponder on these thoughts and find proper path toprogress with the campaign further. He also putforward the thoughts “Let the industry and servicesdevelop simultaneously to create a larger economicgrowth”. This will also provide stability since theeconomy is not dependent on a single industry.

Dr. Mahendra Pratap, Executive Director andAsset Manager, Ahmedabad Asset, ONGC whileexpressing his thoughts on the theme of the roundtable emphasised ONGC a Maharatna and India’spremier nat ional oi l company has played afundamental role in steering the domestic energysector’s growth as well as the country’s economicprogress.

Global primary energy consumption backdrophighlights India as the 4th largest primary energyconsumer making it imperative to enhance the energyproduction. Tracing the growth of oil & gas industry inIndia from 1889 till date, ONGC figures prominentlyduring the last 60 years since its inception, he added.

On the issue of ability building in energy andinfrastructure sector in context of Make in Indiacampaign with a focus on renewable energy Dr. Pratapsaid the birth of ONGC, is in itself, a testimony of thevery indigenized spirit of, “Make in India”, from a smallunit of geo-scientists post independence of thecountry to a global oil and gas giant today withsignificant presence across the energy value chain.

Built with an initial equity infusion of 342 crore byGovernment of India, ONGC’s market capitalizationstands at close to 200,000 crore. Strengthened withinfrastructural development in its 60 years longglorious journey in its domestic operations, ONGC’soverseas business arm, ONGC Videsh has expandedour horizons in the global energy landscape. Beyondconventional oil and gas, ONGC has also prioritizedsuitable actions for exploration and exploitation ofunconventional and alternate sources of energy thusequally focused on the promotion of green energy

initiatives along with its down-stream segment inkeeping with its business motive of value-chainintegration.

ONGC contributes around 70 percent of domesticoil output, yet nation’s impending energy challengelooms large which is quite imposing. Dr.Pratapmentioned that the Prime Minister has given thisissue high priority and has called upon the sector totake all necessary steps to help bring the nationscrude imports down by 10 percent till 2022 to whichONGC stands totally focused and committed.

As the flagship oil and gas explorer, ONGCremains steadfastly committed to the quest for energysecurity with strong belief that a vibrant indigenousoil and gas sector will energize and give a strongfillip to national initiatives like ‘Make in India’ hestressed.

Dr. Ahindra Chakrabarti, Professor, Energy,Finance and Accounting, Great Lakes Institute ofManagement said 100 Smart cities mission andmanufacturing boost is expected from the Make inIndia initiative. This campaign he said will drive thecountry’s oil appetite in the coming years. To copewith this there is a need to strengthen our capacitybuilding efforts in a big way.

Citing Dr. Kelkar Committee Recommendationhe agreed there is a need of strengthening theNational Oi l Companies in supplementing thecountry's energy security.

On the acute shortage of capable workers as oneof the foremost challenges facing the Indian oil andgas sector today Dr. Chakrabarti said while globallythe E&P sector is grappling with similar challenges,India specifically has failed to develop a critical massof oil and gas professionals despite its demographicadvantage of a large and growing working population.The dearth of talent is likely to widen without therequired policy actions. It is the need of the hour forcapacity bui lding and development of humanresources he stressed.

Efforts should also be there to developpartnerships with leading global institutes’ to makesure that educational standards are at par with thebest in the world in a bid to improving educationalopportunities at an institutional level.

He pointed out at improving industry-academiacol laborat ion and engaging ret i red experts asmentors.

Dr. Chakrabarti further added, an important touch-

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Infrastructure and Government Services, KPMG inIndia stressed on the KPMG report on solar energy‘Rising Sun: Disruption on the horizon’. Solar energyis one space that is witnessing higher interest froma large number of players, he added.

He said the third edition of the Rising Sun showsclear trend of renewable energy emerging as amainstream energy source globally within the nextdecade. In addition, the edition draws from the recentdevelopments that have taken place in the solar PVcost curves and what those mean for the fast-growingIndian economy.

Mr. Kaushik Deb, (Session Chair) Round Table 2

Panelist Round Table 2: Dr. Mahendra Pratap

Panelist Round Table 2: Dr. Ahindra Chakrabarti

Panelist Round Table 2: Dr. Himmat Singh

Panelist Round Table 2: Mr. Anil Sachan

point for human capital development is vocational orskill based training. The National Skill DevelopmentCouncil (NSDC) in India has identified 21 sectorspecific skill councils in partnership with industryplayers, of which 16 skill councils are working. Theaim of these councils is to complement the existingvocational education system in meeting the industryrequirements for adequate and high quality trainedworkers. NSDC has set itself a target of training about150 million people by year 2022. This he said is animportant aspect.

Mr.Arvind Mahajan, Partner and Head -

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Panelist Round Table 2: Mr. Arvind Mahajan


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ENR value chain, Mr.Mahajan said.Mr.Mahajan emphasised in this backdrop KPMG’s

Infrastructure & Government Services (IGS) practiceprovides an integrated suite of service offeringsranging from strategy and policy advisory to facilitatingproject execut ion, project funding and assetoperations, project management governance, publicservices transformation, and technologytransformation services, among others to help meetthe specific requirements of our private sector andgovernment clients.

REC a leading German global provider of solarenergy solutions highlights the exceptional potentialsolar forecast to close the CO2 emissions gap andlimit the future global temperature increase as setduring the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris,COP21.

Driven mainly by growth in the U.S. and China,REC expects module installations globally in 2016 toreach 67 GW. By 2019, REC forecasts globalinstallations to increase by around 40%, with India’sannual installations expected to exceed Japan’s andapproach those of Europe. However, in its analysis,REC’s calculations clearly show that based on theset COP21 target to limit temperature increase,solar’s potential by 2025 can be much higher thanwhat industry analysts today expect.

Based on the recently seen progress in theenergy markets of the Middle East combined withseveral new incentive programs launched, RECmanagement expects strong potential for solar inmarkets like the U.A.E., Egypt and Jordan, with acombined 2.5-3 GW per year.In Southeast Asia, RECbenefits from a wide presence across nine differentemerging markets.

The speakers at the valedictory session Dr. D. M.Pestonjee, Chair Professor, SPM, PDPU and Dr.Seema Joshi, Associate Professor – Economics,Department of Commerce, Kiror i Mal Col lege,University of Delhi, laid great stress on the wellorganisation of the conference and the very prompt

Panelist Round Table 2: Mr. Bhavin Kamdar

Faculty of various universities and few of the many researchers presented their research work at ICEIM 2016

He said while the report lays stress on renewableenergy, especially solar as the future it is not aboutsolar versus coal. India, he said needs to harnessall its resources to their best potential for its energysecurity.

He also pointed out that India’s emergence asan economic superpower is upon transforming itsbasic infrastructure. The impetus is now towardsrapid industrialization and infrastructure developmentwhere the government and the private sector playersare looking to work in a cohesive manner.

In order to sustain rapid urbanisat ion andindustrialisation, he said it is imperative to invest incritical new infrastructure development initiativeswhere the government and private sector can work intandem. The government is focusing on programmesto help make sure a suff icient supply of basicinfrastructure such roads, water, housing and powerkeeping in mind the nation’s growing population.

With energy being one of the key engines of growthin an economy—India’s included— as the countrytargets a USD20 trillion GDP, the growth of this sectorbecomes crucial. To meet energy security, thegovernment has out l ined a vis ion to increasedomestic fuel (coal, oil, and gas) production, diversifythe fuel supply base and promote energy efficiency,centered on sustainability and affordable tariffs toconsumers. This change offers many opportunities,and presents challenges to stakeholders across the

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Dr. Seema Joshi speaking at the valedictory session, ICEIM 2016

A scintillating evening cultural programme was presented by the students of PDPU at ICEIM 2016

and apt issues related to energy and infrastructurebeing addressed by the experts. The voluminousresearch work presented by researchers of variousuniversities from across the country on the theme ofthe conference was also commended by them.

Stating that ICEIM-2016 was a personal enrichingexperience for her Dr. Joshi said the eminentspeakers in the two round tables involving industry-academia and policy makers were a unique featureof the event. Dr. Joshi herself presented a paper onthe subject infrastructural and institutional challengesconstraining growth in India. The paperthrew light on the key challenges; viz.infrastructural and inst i tut ional dewjournal.com

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Dr. D. M. Pestonjee speaking at the valedictory session, ICEIM 2016

growth on the way of India’s growth recovery path withthe policy initiatives of the government to aggressthese challenges.

Earlier Mr. Palak Sheth, Director – Planning andDevelopment, PDPU shared his views on excellencestrategies and framework of world-class petroleumuniversities. He was of the view that principles,performance analysis and outcome based approachare the key ingredients for transforming educationinto excellence.

A scint i l lat ing evening cultural programmepresented by the students of PDPU for the

conference delegates won hugeaccolades.


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In the scenario of increasingenvironmental pol lut ion,

population growth and dwindlingconventional resources, i t ispractical to explore and establishalternate sustainable cleanersources of energy for satisfyinghuman energy needs. Oil andnatural gas is the preliminary sourceof energy which furnishes the majorportion of energy demand in world

Space heating and coolingusing geothermal energy

Centre of Excellence for Geothermal Energy (CEGE)Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU)

Gandhinagar, India

(Chandrasekhar andChandrasekharam, 2010).

In future, India will need to startdepending on clean eco-friendlyand renewable energy sources forenergy need due to increase indemand of energy in recent era andincreasing environmental problems.In this case, unconventional energysources will play a major role infuture to satisfy need of

energy.Geothermal energy is suchkind of energy stored beneath theEarth’s crust. Geothermal powerprojects are in nascent stage andexploitation has not been done atall, for a variety of reasons, the majorreason being the availability ofplentiful coal at cheaper costs.

India has reasonably goodpotential for geothermal energy; thepotential geothermal provinces can

The world is facing energy crises and challenges such as climate change. Geothermalspace heating and cooling system can provide an alternative which can reduce theconsumption of fossil fuel in the long run. However, in a tropical country like India, theefficacy of this system has to be assessed in a systematic manner, as it largely dependson the ambient temperature. Extensive Research and Development (R&D) activitiesneed to be carried out in this field. By combining various unconventional methods suchas geothermal energy in the form of space heating/ cooling, solar energy, wind energy,futuristic ideas such as net zero and net positive buildings may turn into reality.

Shubhra Dhale Anirbid Sircar Manan Shah Dwijen Vaidya

Anjali Choudhary Shreya Sahajpal Kriti Yadav

Unconventional Energy


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produce 10,600 MW of power.Geothermal resources vary widelyfrom one location to another,depending on the temperature anddepth of their source, the rockchemistry and the abundance ofgroundwater. The resources arepredominantly of two types: hightemperature (>200°C) such asfound in volcanic regions and islandchains, and moderate to-lowtemperature (50–200°C) that areusually found extensively in mostcontinental areas (Bora,2010).Thermal springs on theIndian subcontinent temperatureranges about 30oC to 100oC occurin groups along major tectonictrends, plate boundaries,continental boundaries and riftedstructures.This energy can beutilized for both power generationand direct/indirect uses(Vaidya etal., 2015). High enthalpy geothermalresourcesare generally used forpower generation whereas lowenthalpy resources are used forspace heating and cooling anddirect/ indirect uses.

WORLD SCENARIOUtilization of geothermal energyresources for power generationand direct uses have increased asper the demands and costs ofenergy in the modern society.Direct ut i l izat ion ofgeothermal energy hasincreased in total 82countries reported in2010, 72 reported in2005, 58 reported in2000, and 28 reportedin 1995 (Lund andBoyd, 2015).Worldgeothermal energyinstalled capacity forelectricity generation atthe end of 2009 was

10.7 gigawatts (GWe) and for directuse 50.6 GW (International EnergyAgency Report, 2010).Direct use ofgeothermal energy has largepotential in many part of the world.Low to moderate temperaturegeothermal energy has potential fordirect use rather than converting itinto other form of energy such aselectricity (Gupta and Roy, 2007).United States of America, NorthernEurope and China extensively usesGeothermal Heat pump for spaceheating and cooling.

INDIAN SCENARIOIndia is still strongly promoting coalbased power plants to bridge thesupply-demand gap consideringthe cost of such renewables, waterrequirement and land requirement.India has reasonably good potentialfor geothermal energy. There havebeen many exploration activities inIndia in order to find sub surfacegeothermal prospects. However,there has been no commercialactivity till date regarding exploitationof geothermal energy. Geothermalwaters from Bihar, Jharkhand andwest Bengal are reported and mostinteresting feature is that thethermal gases in these sites arehighly enriched in hel ium(Chandrasekharam andChandrasekhar, 2015).

Countries across the world aremaking giant progress in thegeothermal sector. However,geothermal is upbeat in India asseveral states like Gujarat, arecoming forward to develop thisresource. Many institutions andorganizations are putt ing theirefforts to harness the geothermalenergy by means of indirect usessuch as generating electricity andspace heating/cooling systemsand direct uses such as domesticpurpose, spa and sericulture.

Centre of Excellence forGeothermal Energy (CEGE), PanditDeendayal Petroleum University(PDPU) is carrying out research anddevelopment (R&D) activities in thearea of exploration and exploitationof geothermal energy. Based on theexploration activities carried out,Dholera was shortlisted for furtherexploitation of geothermal energy.CEGE, PDPU has already drilled twobore wells of 1000 ft depth in Dholeraand has initiated the process ofsetting up a space heating andcooling plant in association withGIBSS (Green India BuildingSolution and Services).

SPACE HEATING AND COOLINGSYSTEMFigure 1 depicts schematicdiagram of power generation and

space heat ing andcooling system usinggeothermal energy. Asshown in the Figure 1,the hot water producedfrom geothermal well isutilized as an inputtovarious systems suchas Organic RankineCycle (ORC) for powergenerat ion, spaceheat ing and cool ingand for spa/ bathing/

Fig.1 Schematic of the power plant and space heating and cooling system usinggeothermal energy



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swimming pool indomestic/commercialareas.

To extractgeothermal energyfrom constanttemperature at shallowdepth of the earthgeothermal (groundsource) heat pumps(GSHP) are generallyused.The heat pumpcan be used for bothheating and cooling purpose.

GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP(GSHP)Geothermal ground source heatpump system are the most efficient,cleaner and sustainable system forspace heating and cooling systemusing geothermal energy (Yousefiet al., 2015).A ground source orgeo-exchange system consists ofa heat pump connected to a seriesof bur ied pipes which can beconsidered as a convent ionaltechnology to save up to 50% of theenergy (Phetteplace, 2007).Heatpump is used for both heating andcool ing simultaneously in onesystem. It can install the pipeseither in horizontal trenches justbelow the ground surface or invertical boreholes that go severalhundred feet below ground. Figure2 shows the geo-exchange heatpump for both resident ial andcommercial scale application. Thisfigure illustrates the heat pumpsystem using geothermal waterdur ing summer and winter fordirect/indirect uses. The heat pump(Figure 2) c irculates a heat-conveying fluid, sometimes water,through the pipes to move heat frompoint to point.If the ground watertemperature is warmer than theambient air temperature, the heat

pump can move heat from theground to the building. The heatpump can also operate in reverse,moving heat from the ambient airin a bui ld ing to the ground,providing cooling to the building(Tennokese et al., 2013).

GSHP require a small amountof electricity to drive the heating andcooling process. For every unit ofelectricity used in operating thesystem, the heat pump can deliveras much as five times the energyfrom the ground, resulting in a netenergy benefit.

Geothermal Space CoolingSpacecooling is a system in whichchilled water is distributed in pipesfrom a central cooling plant tobuildings for space cooling andprocess cool ing (Kaushik andNand, 2015). A space cool ingsystem contains three majorelements: cool ing source,distribution system, and customerinstallations which is also referredto as energy transfer stations (ETS).

COOLING SOURCEChilled water is typically generatedat the space cooling plant bycompressor driven chil lers,absorption chillers or other sourceslike ambient cooling or “freecooling” from deep lakes, bore

wells, etc. The coolingsource can be eitherdirectly connected to thedistribution system orindirectly connectedthrough heatexchanger(s). The directsystem is limited to usewhere water is thedistr ibution mediumand where the waterquali ty and pressurerequirements are the

same for the cooling source and thedistribution system (Meyer et al.,2013). Indirect connection allowsthe cooling source and distributionsystem to be operated as separatesystems with different temperaturesand pressures, al lowing moredesign flexibility for both systems.Majorly two types of cooling systemare used for space cooling.• Vapor - Compression Chiller

system• Absorption ChillersVapor-Compression Chiller SystemVapour-compression chillers canbe driven by electricity, turbines orreciprocating engines. The electricdr iven (centr i fugal or screwcompressor) chillers are the mostcommon in central chilled waterappl icat ions. The mechanicalchillers would utilize R22, R-134a,R-123 or ammonia ( in posit ivedisplacement machines).

Absorption ChillersThe two most common absorptionsystems employed in commerciallyavailable absorption chillers areLithium Bromide (LiBr) – Water andAqueous Ammonia solutions. In thecase of the Lithium Bromide – Watersolution, the water is the refrigerant,while for the Ammonia – Watersolution, the ammonia is therefrigerant. The minimum chilled

Fig.2 Geo-exchange- heat pump (Geothermal Heat Pump in New ZealandIntroductory Technical Guide, 2014)



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water outlet temperatures that areachievable from an absorptionchil ler are dependent on therefrigerant system employed. Li Brchiller can produce chilled water aslow as 4o C. The ammonia waterbased absorption chil lers mayproduce chilled water or media wellbelow 0o C.

The absorption chiller can bedescribed by its number of “effects”or the number of “stages”. Effect isessentially the number of times theheat input into the chiller is usedinternally. Stages in an absorptionchil ler refer to the number ofevaporator/absorber pairsoperating at different temperaturelevels within an absorption chiller.

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMThe thermal capacity of the spacecooling/ heating system isdetermined by both the rate of waterflow and the temperature differential( T). Space chil led water isdistr ibuted from the coolingsource(s) to the customers throughsupply pipes and is returned afterextracting heat from the building’ssecondary chilled water systems.Pumps distribute the chilled waterby creating a pressure differential(DP) between the supply and returnl ines. The pump head (PH) isselected to overcome the f lowresistance in the supplyand return lines plusthe pressure differentialin the customerinstallation or energytransfer station at thecrit ical node of thesystem (PC)(Bloomquist, 2003).One or multiple controlvalves, sized for a largeflow operating rangeresponsive to the

variations in the demand for coolingin the building, governs the amountof water that flows through eachbuilding ETS. The supplytemperature for space coolingsystem is ranges from 7 to 12oC forhigh heat loads. Some spacecooling systems would allow ashigh as 10oC supply temperatureduring low load conditions.

ENERGY TRANSFER STATIONThe interface between the spacecooling/ heating system and thebuilding cooling/ heating system iscommonly referred to as the ETS.The ETS consists of isolation andcontrol valves, control lers,measurement instruments, energymeter and heat exchangers.

The system could be designedwith direct and indirect connection.In direct connection, the spacecooling water is distributed withinthe building directly to terminalequipment such as air handlingand fan coil units, induction units,etc. An indirect connection utilizesone or multiple heat exchangersbetween the space system and thebuilding system.

Geothermal HeatingIn the heating cycle the groundwater which is circulated throughthe under- ground piping system

is brought back to the heat pump(evaporator side) unit inside thehouse. In ground water system, itthen passes through the refrigerantfield primary heat exchanger. Theheat transfers to the refrigerantwhich boi ls to become a lowtemperature vapour (Taghaddosiand Porkhial, 2015). In an opensystem the ground water is thenpumped back-out and dischargedinto a pond or down a well. In aclose loop system the refrigerantis pumped back-out to theunderground piping system to beheated again. The reversing valvedirects the refrigerant vapour to thecompressor, where the vapour iscompressed and volume isreduced and causes it to heat up.In the evaporator different workingfluids (such as R134a and CO2) areused based on the operat ingtemperature conditions.

Heat ExchangersThe heat exchanger is one of theimportant components of theenergy transfer station for bothheating and cooling purpose. It istherefore essential that the heatexchangers can provide requiredheat duty, temperature different (“T)and pressure different (DP) as perthe requirements.

Plate heat exchangers, alsoknown as plate-and-frame heat exchangers,or f lat plate heatexchangers, shown inFigure 3 are the onlytype of heat exchangersthat can provide a closetemperature approach(less or equal to 1oC)and in space heatingand cooling system.

Brazed plate heatexchangers, another

Fig.3 Plate type heat exchanger (Steam Consumption of Heat Exchangers,International site for SpiraxSarco)



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type of plate heat exchangerswithout gaskets, could also be usedfor small buildings. Other types ofheat exchangers, i.e. shell & tubeor shell & coil, are not typicallysuitable for space coolingapplications since the requiredclose temperature approach cannotbe achieved with these units.

Control UnitThe control unit is another majorcomponent of the energy transferstation. A great deal of emphasisshould be given to the selection ofcontrol valves and control strategyto ensure optimum functioningcontrols. The object ive of thecontrols is to maintain correctchilled water supply temperature tothe customer and at the sametime, provide high return back to thespace system. This control strategywi l l reduce energy costs andoptimize conditions for the controlvalves, whi le maintainingcomfortable interior temperatures.Microprocessor–based electroniccontrol systems, either direct digitalcontrol (DDC) or programmablelogical control (PLC), are used forcontrol , monitor ing, and dataacquisition at the ETS.

Energy MetersThe energy meter registers thequantity of energy transferred fromthe user’s secondary system to theprimary system. Cooling energy isthe product of mass f low,temperature difference, the specificheat of the water, and time. It isdifficult to measure mass flow inan enclosed pipe system, sovolume f low is measured. Theresult is corrected for the densityand specific heat capacity of thewater, which depends on i tstemperature. The effect of pressure

is so small that it can be neglected.An energy meter consists of a flowmeter, a pair of temperaturesensors, and an energy calculatorthat integrates the flow, temperaturedata and correction factors. It isdesirable that the energy meter besupplied as a complete unit; factorycalibrated with stated accuracyperformance ratings in compliancewith accepted metering standards.

CONCLUSIONThe world is facing energy crisesand challenges such as climatechange. Geothermal space heatingand cooling system can provide analternative which can reduce theconsumption of fossil fuel in thelong run. However, in a tropicalcountry like India, the efficacy of thissystem has to be assessed in asystematic manner, as it largelydepends on the ambienttemperature. Extensive Researchand Development (R&D) activitiesneed to be carried out in this field.By combining var iousunconventional methods such asgeothermal energy in the form ofspace heat ing/ cool ing, solarenergy, wind energy, futuristic ideassuch as net zero and net positivebuildings may turn into reality.

REFERENCES1. Bloomquist G.R., (2003)

Geothermal Space Heating,Geothermics , Elsevier, PP 1-9

2. Bora M. C., (2010) GeothermalEnergy: Indian Scenario,Nat ional Seminar onRenewable EnergyTechnologies.

3. Chandrasekhar V. andChandrasekharam D., (2010)Energy Independence ThroughCDM Using GeothermalResources: Indian Scenario,

Proceedings World GeothermalCongress 2010 PP 1-5

4. Chandrasekharam D., andChandrasekhar V., (2015)Geothermal Energy Resources,India: Country Update,Proceedings World GeothermalCongress 2015 PP 1-8

5. Geothermal Heat Pump in NewZealand Introductory TechnicalGuide, (May 2014) Retrieved22nd February 2016 fromhttp://www.nzgeo- thermal .org .nz/G H A N Z / d o c u m e n t s / G H P -Guide-for-web-May2014.pdf.

6. Gupta H.K. and Roy S., (2007)Geothermal Energy: AnAlternative Resource For The21st Century, Elsevier, PP 199-229

7. International Energy Agency,(2010)Renewable EnergyEssentials: Geothermal, OECD

8. Kaushik G. and Nand S., (2015)Distr ict Cool ing ConversionSystem: A Case Study,Internat ional Journal ofEngineer, Volume 3, Issue 4, PP678-683

9. Lund J. W. and Boyd T.L. (2015)Direct Utilization of GeothermalEnergy 2015 Worldwide Review,In:Proceedings WorldGeothermal Congress 2015, PP1-31

10.Meyer D., Wong C., Engel F. andKrumdieck S., (2013) Designand Bui ld of a 1 Ki lowattOrganic Rankine Cycle PowerGenerator, In Proceedings 35th

New Zealand GeothermalWorkshop, PP 1-7

11.Phetteplace G., (2007)Geothermal Heat Pumps,Journal of Energy Engineering,Vol. 133, Issue , PP 32-38

12.Steam Consumption of HeatExchangers, International sitefor SpiraxSarco (n.d.)Retrieved



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22nd February 2016,from http://www2.spirax-sarco.com/resources/s t e a m - e n g i n - e e r i n g -t u t o r i a l s / s t e a m e n g -ineering-principles-and-hea t - t r ans fe r / s t eam-c o n s u m p t i o n - o f - h e a te x c h a n g e r s . a s p ,Retrieved February 22,2016

13.TaghaddosiM. andPorkhial S., (2015)Geothermal Heat Pumpin Iran, In: ProceedingsWorld GeothermalCongress 2015, PP 1-5

14.Tennokese K., Kõiv T.,Mikola A and Vares V.,(2013)The Application ofthe Ground Source andAir-to-WaterHeat Pumpsin Cold Climate Areas,Smart Grid andRenewable Energy, Vol.4, PP- 473-481

15.Vaidya D., Shah M., SircarA., Sahajpal S. andDhale S., (2015)Geothermal Energy:Explorat ion efforts inIndia, Internat ionalJournal of LatestResearch in Science andTechnology Vol. 4 Issue4, PP 1-23

16.Yousefi H., Noorollahi Y.,Abedi S., Panahian K.,Mir Abadi A. H. and AbediS., (2015) Economic andE n v i r o n m e n t a lFeasibi l i ty Study ofGreenhouse Heat ingand Cool ing usingGeothermal Heat Pumpin Northwest I ran,Proceedings World Geo-thermal Congress 2015,PP 1-7.

about the authorsMs. Shubhra Dhale did her B. Tech degree in Petroleum Engineering fromPandit Deendayal Petroleum University. After passing from the University shejoined Centre of Excellence in Geothermal Energy as Research Assistant.After joining CEGE, she has been actively involved in various activities in thearea of geothermal energy such 3D Magnetotelluric Survey and Gravity survey(Data Acquisition, Interpretation and processing) and space heating andcooling etc.

Dr. Anirbid Sircar is the Director of School of Petroleum Technology, PDPUand Head- Centre of Excellence for Geothermal Energy (CEGE).

Dr. Sircar has about 20 years of industrial and academic experience. Dr.Sircar graduated from IIT Kharagpur and did his Master of Technology and Ph.Dfrom ISM Dhanbad on Reservoir Tomography. His research interest includesPetroleum Exploration, Geothermal Energy, Reservoir Tomography, City GasDistribution and Shale Gas exploration. He is a reviewer in many reputedjournals. He has been associated with reputed organizations and industries asa Management and Technical Consultant. He has published over thirty papersin National and International journals. He has guided 14 M. Tech thesis andsuccessfully completed 2 PhD programs.

Mr. Manan Shah is B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering G. T. University and M.Tech. in Petroleum Engineering from SPT, PDPU. He is currently working as afaculty in SPT, PDPU and Research Scientist in CEGE. He is pursuing his Ph.D.in the area of exploration and exploitation of Geothermal Energy in Gujarat.

Mr. Dwijen Vaidya is B. Tech. in Petroleum Engineering from School ofPetroleum Technology, PDPU, Gandhinagar. He is working as a researchassistant in CEGE. Mr. Dwijen, after joining CEGE, has been actively involvedin various activities in the area of geothermal energy such as remote sensingand geochemical analysis of the hot springs across Gujarat, 2D and 3DMagnetotelluric (MT) and Gravity survey (Data Acquisition, Interpretation andprocessing), Drilling of shallow bore wells at Dholera and Space Heating andcooling at Dholera etc. Currently he is working on Organic Rankine Cycleprocess for generating electricity through geothermal energy.

Ms. Anjali Choudhary is acting as Research Associate in the CEGE. Sheposses Masters Degree in Geology from Ranchi University. In PDPU, she isthe core member working for exploration and exploitation of geothermal energy.

Ms. Shreya Sahajpal is a Chemical Engineer with an M.Tech. Degree inChemical Process & Plant Design from Nirma University, Ahmedabad. Shejoined School of Petroleum Technology in August 2014. Ms. Sahajpal hasworked for 2 years as a Process Engineer with Larsen & Toubro Ltd. in HMD –Engineering & Design, Hydrocarbon Mid & Downstream Unit. She has beenassociated with CEGE as a Consultant and Research Scientist at the centre.She is the Convener of the centre at present.

Ms. Kriti Yadav is pursuing her Ph.D in Geothermal Energy from Centre ofExcellence for Geothermal Energy (CEGE), Pandit Deendayal PetroleumUniversity. She posses Masters Degree in Geology from Patna University. Herarea of research includes geothermal exploration activities using Refractionseismic in Dholera region.dewjournal.com



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Attempting to understand howthe oil market will look during

the next five years is today a task ofenormous complexity. Somecertainties that have guided our pastoutlooks are now not so certain atall: that oil prices falling to twelve-year lows wil l lead to a strongdemand growth spurt; that oil pricesfalling to twelve-year lows will leadto a mass shut-in of so-called highcost oil production; and not least thatoil prices falling to twelve-year lowswil l force the largest group ofproducing countries to cut output tostabilise oil prices.

For some time now analystshave tried to understand when theoil market will return to balance. Ayear ago it was widely believed thatthis would happen by the end of 2015but that view has proved to be verywide of the mark. In 2014 and againin 2015 supply exceeded demandby massive margins, 0.9 mb/d and2 mb/d respectively, and for 2016we expect a further build of 1.1 mb/d. Only in 2017 will we finally see oilsupply and demand aligned but theenormous stocksbeing accumulatedwil l act as adampener on thepace of recovery in oil

prices when the market, havingbalanced, then starts to draw downthose stocks. Unless we see aneven larger than expected fall in non-OPEC oil production in 2016 and/ora major demand growth spurt it ishard to see oil prices recoveringsignificantly in the short term fromthe low levels prevailing at the timeof publication of this report.

It is very tempting, but also verydangerous, to declare that we arein a new era of lower oil prices. Butat the risk of tempting fate, we mustsay that today’s oi l marketconditions do not suggest that pricescan recover sharply in theimmediate future – unless, ofcourse, there is a major geopoliticalevent. Further, it is becoming evenmore obvious that the prevailingwisdom of just a few years ago that“peak oil supply” would cause oilprices to rise relentlessly as outputstruggled to keep pace with ever-rising demand was wrong. Today weare seeing not just an abundanceof resources in the ground but alsotremendous technical innovation

that enables companies to bring oilto the market. Added to this is aremorseless downward pressureon costs and, although we arecurrently seeing major cutbacks inoil investments, there is no doubtthat many projects currently on holdwill be re-evaluated and will see thelight of day at lower costs than werethought possible just a few yearsago. The world of peak oil supplyhas been turned on its head, due tostructural changes in theeconomies of key developingcountries and major efforts toimprove energy eff iciencyeverywhere.

In the meantime, our forecastfor oil demand to 2021 is for annualaverage growth of 1.2 mb/d (1.2%)which represents a very sol idoutlook in historical terms. Oildemand breaks through the 100mb/d barrier at some point in 2019or 2020. A major change from the2015 MTOMR is the higher basefrom which our forecast begins. In2015 world oil demand increasedby 1.6 mb/d (1.7%), one of the

biggest increases inrecent yearsstimulated to a largeextent by the rapidfall in oil prices that

Understanding the oil marketAttempting to understand how the oil market will look duringthe next five years is today a task of enormous complexity.

Does it’s Medium-term oil market report 2016 has an answer?An overview of the IEA’s Medium-term oil market report 2016

In 2016, we are living in perhaps the firsttruly free oil market we have seen since

the pioneering days of the industry

Analysis


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began in the second half of 2014and gained momentum in 2015.However, any expectations that themost recent fall in oil prices to USD30/bbl oi l wi l l provide furtherstimulus to oil demand in the earlyyears of our forecast and sendannual rates of growth above 1.2mb/d are likely to be dashed. In thefirst part of 2016 we have seenmajor turmoil in financial marketsand clear signs that almost anyeconomy you care to look at couldsee i ts GDP growth prospectsdowngraded.

Since 2014 the non-OECDcountries have used more oil thanOECD countries and the gap willwiden in years to come. However,the rate of demand growth in thenon-OECD countries is vulnerableto being pared back as the cost ofenergy subsidies becomes a majorburden and governments takeaction. This will probably not havean immediate impact on demandin the early part of this forecast, butlater on we might see that thereduct ion in expensive fuelsubsidies in many countr ies,including the fast-growing MiddleEast, does have a significant effecton growth. Also, rising energy usehas brought with i t terr ib leenvironmental degradat ion,particularly in the fast-growingAsian economies, and oil’s part inthis is recognised by measures tolimit vehicle registrations and use.Although reducing subsidies and

tackling pollution will affect the rateof demand growth, it should bestressed that non-OECD Asia willstill remain the major source of oildemand growth with volumesincreasing from 23.7 mb/d in 2015to 28.9 mb/d in 2021.

Asia’s key role in the futuredemand picture is reflected in therise in the region’s share of globaloil trade. By 2021 non-OECD Asiawill be importing 16.8 mb/d of crudeoil and products, a rise of 2.8 mb/dcompared to 2015. The People’sRepubl ic of China (hereafter‘China’), remains central to thisgrowth, part ly because of theunderlying rise of oil demand butalso due to its build-up of strategicreserves which will reach at least500 mb by 2020. A trade issue thathas recent ly appeared on theagenda is the possibility of UScrude oil exports. The US is alreadya major exporter of oil products (2.8mb/d in 2015) and the lifting of thecrude export ban potentially opensup another trade opportunity. In ourtrade section we analyse why theeconomics mean that largevolumes of US crude oil will notmove out of the region during theforecast period.

The continued rise in the globaltrade of oil will reach a peak at 37mb/d in 2017 with the long-termeastwards drift continuing. Crude oilwill be processed through refineriesin ever rising volumes, althoughone of the most noticeable trends

in the refining sector in the forecastperiod will be over-capacity. Ourreport points out that it is in Asiawhere most of the 5.3 mb/d of globalspare refining capacity will be found.Although products demand wil lcontinue to grow, it will not keeppace with the expected increase ininvestment in new plant. The MiddleEast will consolidate its place as amajor refining centre and productsexports will grow at a rate exceededonly by the US which will processrising volumes of domestic crudeover the period of the forecast as awhole.

However interesting andimportant oil demand trends are,the major focus in the next fewmonths will be on the supply sideof the balance. In the year since the2015 MTOMR was published, thesupply side has provided manysurprises. By far the most significanthas been the resilience of high costoil production and in particular thatof light, tight, oil (LTO) output in theUS. As oil prices cascaded downfrom more than USD 100/bbl it waswidely predicted at variousmilestones that the extraordinarygrowth in total US crude oi lproduction from 5 mb/d in 2008 to9.4 mb/d in 2015 would grind to ahalt and move rapidly into reverse.Growth certainly ceased in mid-2015 but the intervening period hasseen a relatively modest pull-backand total US crude oil production inearly February 2016 was still closeto 9.0 mb/d, aided by expandingproduction in the Gulf of Mexico. Inour base case outlook, there is anelement of the “straw breaking thecamel’s back” and we expect USLTO production to fall back by 600kb/d this year and by a further 200kb/d in 2017 before a gradualrecovery in oil prices, working in

Table ES.1 Global balance summary (million barrels per day)2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

World Demand 94.4 95.6 96.9 98.2 99.3 100.5 101.6Non-OPEC Supply 57.7 57.1 57.0 57.6 58.3 58.9 59.7OPEC Crude* 32.0 32.8 33.0 33.0 33.2 33.5 33.6OPEC NGLS etc 6.7 6.9 7.0 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.2Total World Supply* 96.4 96.7 97.0 97.8 98.7 99.5 100.5Implied Stock Change 2.0 1.1 0.1 -0.4 -0.7 -1.0 -1.1

*OPEC actual output in 2015. Assumes a post-sanctions increase for Iran in 2016 and adjustsfor OPEC capacity changes thereafter.

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Fig.ES 1 Global balance base case

step with further improvements inoperational efficiencies and costcutting, allows a gradual recovery.Anybody who believes that we haveseen the last of r ising LTOproduction in the United Statesshould think again; by the end of ourforecast in 2021, total US liquidsproduction will have increased by anet 1.3 mb/d compared to 2015.Such has been the element ofsurprise provided by the resilienceof US oil production, and the widedivergence of views as to the future,that we have added a High and LowCase to our non-OPEC productionanalysis and plotted the impact onthe global oil market balance of USLTO production falling by more thanin our base case or, conversely,less. The eventual outturn is one ofthe most important factors – if notthe most important – in assessingwhen the oil market will re-balance.

Elsewhere, the determination ofmembers of the Organisation ofPetroleum Exporting Countries tomaintain and expand their marketshare has clearly been shown bythe fact that at two ministerialmeetings fol lowing the historicNovember 2014 decision not to cutproduction to support oil prices,ministers have resisted anytemptation to change course. In

mid-February some OPECmembers and Russia agreed tofreeze production and they indicatedthat further policy initiatives mayfollow. Rising oil production in 2015,notably from Iraq and Saudi Arabia,will now be joined by Iran, freed fromnuclear sanctions. Within the timeframe of this forecast we do notexpect a major increase in theproduction capacity of either Iran orneighbouring Iraq due to politicaluncertainties, but this outlook could,towards the end of the period, berevised. In other OPEC countries weare seeing one of the downsides oflow oil prices: massive economicretrenchment in countries such asAlgeria, Nigeria and Venezuela willreduce their ability to invest in theoil sector. It is not our role to analysepoli t ical issues, but it is worthflagging up the potential implicationsfor supply stability in countries thathave seen their income collapsedramatically. For OPEC as a wholeoil export revenues slumped from apeak of USD 1.2 trillion in 2012 toUSD 500 billion in 2015 and, if oilprices remain at current levels, thiswill fall in 2016 to approximately USD320 billion

Another downside to low oilprices is the impact on investment.The IEA has regularly warned of the

potential consequences of the 24%fall in investment seen in 2015 andthe expected 17% fall in 2016. Intoday’s oil market there is hardly anyspare production capacity otherthan in Saudi Arabia and Iran andsignificant investment is requiredjust to maintain existing productionbefore we move on to provide thenew capacity needed to meet risingoil demand. The risk of a sharp oilprice rise towards the later part ofour forecast arising from insufficientinvestment is as potentially de-stabilising as the sharp oil price fallhas proved to be.

In 2016, we are living in perhapsthe first truly free oil market we haveseen since the pioneering days ofthe industry. In today’s oil world,anybody who can produce oil sellsas much as possible for whateverprice can be achieved. Just a fewyears ago such a free-for-all wouldhave been unimaginable but today itis the reality and we must get usedto it, unless the producers build onthe recent announcement andchange their output maximisationstrategy. The long-termconsequences of this new era arestill not fully understood but thisreport aids the debate in sheddinglight on the outlook for the next fiveyears. dewjournal.com

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INTRODUCTIONIn today’s world, the two mostcrucial factors that af fect theindustry the most are time andmoney. With millions being spentalmost every day to make theseresources available for the world,it is necessary that the substancesthat l ie below the earth withinformations are identified properly,so that the extraction of resourcesis made easier, economic and

Laser well logging:An innovative data recording

technology for the oil and gas sector

Logging is a process, without which the successful exploration of petroleum from awell is impossible. The existing logging techniques are not very efficient in providingthe necessary information; what our industry needs currently is a better way to developoil well logs.

In the recent past, lasers have been prevalent in various fields such as drilling,surveying and perforation. The applicability of lasers has been proven in these avenues;however one very critical aspect still remains unexplored. We intend to inspect theviability of this technology for Oil Well Logging, which is certainly a challenging prospectin the current scenario.

In this paper, we have proposed the introduction of well-bore casings, embeddedwith optical fibers. After rigorous inspection of various logging methods, we analysedthe advantages and disadvantages of every process. In a critical process like welllogging, the lack of precision in data can eventually lead to significant financial lossesto any organization. After comparing multiple processes, we inferred that the use oflasers is indeed a promising way to revolutionize this industry.

The laser pulses sent through the optical fiber in the casing ensures a properpath for the signals to travel, thereby increasing the efficiency. Instead of using a numberof logging methods such as acoustic logging, resistivity logging, porosity loggingetcetera, the use of a single procedure like laser logging would reveal the majority ofthe information that we wish to seek from the well-bore, conveniently and economically.

In the near future, the Oil and Gas sector will rapidly metamorphose into a data-driven industry. Thus, the introduction of laser logging promises to make path-breakingprogress in a domain which forms a quintessential part of the industry.

efficient. This is where the role oflogging comes in.

Oil and gas reservoirs lie deepbeneath the Earth’s surface.

Exploration

Sagar KalraPetroleum Engineering - Upstream

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, India

Debdeep Ghosal Vasu Purohit

AWARD WINNING PAPER OF SPE - PDPU FEST


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Geologists and engineers cannotexamine the rock formations in site,so tools go there for them.Specialists lower the tools into awel l bore and obtainmeasurements of subsurfaceproperties. The data is displayedas a ser ies of measurementscovering a depth range in a display,known as a well log. Often, severaltools are run simultaneously as alogging string, and the combinationof results is more informative thaneach individual measurement.

The first well log invented in1927 measured the electr icalresistance of the earth. Engineersrecorded a data point each meteras they retrieved the tool that wassuspended from a cable, from theborehole. Their data log of resistivitychanges identified the location of oil.Since then, the advent of logginghas revolutionized the entire sector.Today, geologists depend on setsof well logs to map properties ofsubsurface formations. Bycomparing logs from many wells ina field, geologists and engineerscan develop effective and efficienthydrocarbon production plans.

A number of wel l - loggingtechniques have developed basedon different purposes, such aswireline logging, core logging, mudlogging, logging whi le dr i l l ing(LWD) etc. Al though thesetechniques have helped in manifoldgrowth and progress, there are stillplenty of disadvantages.

Since the results of logging arenot known until returned to surface,any well dynamic changes cannotbe monitored, real time. This limitsthe ability to modify or change thewel l down-hole product ionconditionsaccurately during thememory logging. The failure duringrecording is not known until the

memory tools are retrieved. Thisloss of data can be a major issueon large offshore (expensive)locations. The main disadvantagesare that there can be uncertainty inthe depth at which the sample wasacquired and the tool can fail toacquire the sample.

Also, these logging techniquesare unable to log in high anglewells, they take more rig time andthe data qual i ty is condit ion-dependent. The log resolution isoften poor and the abi l i ty toconf igure the tools is l imited.Furthermore, for a slow drill ingrate, the cost consideration is quitehigh, provided that the equipmentis already expensive.

With the decline in oil prices,companies are making significantlylower profi ts. Therefore, i t isnecessary for them to invest in atechnology that would be aneconomical one-time investment;laser well logging takes care of allthese aspects. It is an amalgam oftechnologies and has sufficientpotential to competently replace theexisting methods and revolutionizethe entire sector pertaining to datarecording and identification.

LOGGING: BASIC TECHNIQUESFormation-Evaluat ion (FE)is aprocess of interpret ing acombinat ion of measurementstaken inside a wellbore to detectand quantify oil and gas reservesin the rock adjacent to the well. FEdata can be gathered with wirelinelogging instruments or logging-whi le-dr i l l ing tools. Data areorganized and interpreted by depthand represented on a graph calleda log.

In this section of the paper, abasic overview of the prinicipallogging techniques existing today

has been provided.1. Wireline Logging: Wireline logsmeasure formation properties in awell through electrical lines of wire.They are constant downholemeasurements sent through theelectrical wireline used to helpgeologists, drillers and engineersmake real-time decisions aboutdrilling operations. Wireline logscan measure resistivity, conductivityand formation pressure, as well assonic propert ies and wel lboredimensions.

The logging tool is located atthe bottom of the wireline. Themeasurements are taken bylowering the wirel ine to theprescribed depth and then raisingi t out of the wel l . Themeasurements are takencontinuously on the way up, in aneffort to sustain tension on the line.2. Core Logging: Core logging isthe systematic recording andmeasuring of as much informationas possible that is required todetermine the l i thology (rocktypes), mineralogy, potent ialgeological history etc. through atiny piece of cylindrical rock drilledand removed from a potent ialmineral deposit.

The purpose of the core log isto enable the person reading thelog to visual ize the cores andhence to draw inferences on thelikely behaviour of the actual rockmass. Only those parameterswhich are significant to the rockmass behaviour or which enablecorrelations between boreholes tobe made or give a betterunderstanding of the generalgeology of the site are recorded.3. Mud Logging: Mud logging (orWellsite Geology) is a well loggingprocess in which drilling mud anddrill bit cuttings from the formation

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are evaluated during drilling andtheir properties recorded on a stripchart as a visual analytical tool andstrat igraphic cross sect ionalrepresentation of the well. Thedrilling mud which is analyzed forhydrocarbon gases, by use of a gaschromatograph, contains drill bitcutt ings which are visual lyevaluated by a mudlogger and thendescribed in the mud log.4. Logging While Drilling (LWD):Logging while drilling (LWD) is atechnique of conveying well loggingtools into the wel l boreholedownhole as part of the bottomhole assembly (BHA).

LWD tools work with i tsMeasurement While Drilling (MWD)system to transmit part ia l orcomplete measurement results tothe surface via improvedtechniques, while LWD tools aresti l l in the borehole. Completemeasurement resul ts can bedownloaded from LWD tools afterthey are pulled out of hole, which iscalled memory data.

EXISTING LOGGING METHODS:DISADVANTAGESA summary of the disadvantagesof the exist ing loggingmethods has beenprovided as follows:• Hole-condit ion is

dependant on variousfactors, which affects thelogging rate.

• There is an inability to login high angle wells (>60degree).

• The data is acquiredafter drilling; thereforemore time is spent in rig.

• There is an uncertainty ofgetting quality data.

• The data quality is alsorate dependant.

• The log resolution and depthcontrol of data is often poor.

• The ability to configure the toolsin the exist ing techniques islimited.

• For a slow drilling rate, the costconsiderations are quite high,especial ly due to expensiveequipment.

LASER-INDUCED BREAKDOWNSPECTROSCOPY (LIBS)Laser- induced breakdownspectroscopy (LIBS) is a typeof atomic emission spectroscopywhich uses a highly energetic laserpulse as the excitation source. Thelaser is focused to form plasma,which atomizes and exci tessamples.

In principle, LIBS can analyseanymatter regardless of i tsphysical state, be it solid, liquid orgas. Because all elements emitlight of characteristic frequencieswhen excited to sufficiently hightemperatures, LIBS can ( inpr inciple) detect al l e lements,limited only by the power of thelaser as well as the sensitivity andwavelength range of thespectrograph & detector. If the

constituents of a material to beanalyzed are known, LIBS may beused to evaluate the relat iveabundance of each constituentelement, or to monitor the presenceof impurities.

AdvantagesBecause such a small amount ofmaterial is consumed during theLIBS process the technique isconsidered essent ial ly non-destruct ive or minimal ly-destructive, and with an averagepower density of less than one wattradiated onto the specimen thereis almost no specimen heatingsurrounding the ablation site. Dueto the nature of this techniquesample preparation is typicallyminimised to homogenisation or isoften unnecessary whereheterogeneity is to be investigatedor where a specimen is known tobe suff ic ient lyhomogeneous,this reduces the possibi l i ty ofcontamination during chemicalpreparation steps.

One of the major advantagesof the LIBS technique is its abilityto depth profi le a specimen byrepeatedly discharging the laser in

the same posi t ion,effectively going deeperinto the specimen witheach shot. This can alsobe applied to the removalof surface contamination,where the laser isdischarged a number oftimes prior to the analysingshot. LIBS is also avery rapid technique givingresults within seconds,making i t part icular lyuseful for high volumeanalyses or on- l ineindustrial monitoring.

LIBS is an ent i relyFig.1 Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Libs) Working System

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opt ical technique, therefore i trequires only optical access to thespecimen. This is of majorsignificance as fiber optics can beemployed for remote analyses. Andbeing an optical techniqueit is non-invasive, non-contact and can even beused as a stand-offanalytical technique whencoupled to appropriatetelescopic apparatus.These attr ibutes havesigni f icance for use inareas from hazardousenvironments to spaceexploration.

Portable LIBSsystems are moresensitive, faster and candetect a wider range ofelements (particularly thel ight elements) thancompeting techniquessuch as portable x-rayfluorescence. And LIBSdoes not use ionizingradiat ion to exci te thesample, which is bothpenetrat ing andpotentially carcinogenic.

The concept of LIBSwill be used to identify thecomposit ion andproperties of the formation,which will be discussed inthe later part of the paper.

LASER LOGGING:METHODOLOGYSince the existing loggingmethods have a number ofdisadvantages, the needfor a new technique hasbeen well-established.This section focuses on themain technology proposedin this paper: laser logging.

The proposal is to use

increasing the efficiency. Laserlogging would reveal the majorityof the information that we wish toseek from the wel l -bore,conveniently and economically.The

detai led working of theproposed system isdescribed as follows:Step 1: The first step is toembed the optical fibers inthe wel l -bore casingsalong their per iphery(sides/linings) before thecasing is put into the well-bore.A databaseinformation system will bekept at the surface forreading the data that isreceived from the well-boreand convert ing i t intouseful information that willhelp in ident i fy ing theproperties of the formationwith the help of LIBS(working and applicationshave been descr ibedpreviously). After ensuringproper connections andthe ent i re mechanicalsupport needed forlogging, the divisions ofthe optical fiber is done asfollows.

From the entire lengthof the optical fiber, half willbe reserved for receivingthe signals and half will bekept for transmitting thelaser. The fiber will thus aidin receiving andtransmitt ing by passingsignals through it.Step 2: After placing theoptical fiber in the casingand when the process ofcementat ion has beendone to ensure properstability of the casing, thecement has to be allowed

Fig.2 Structure of an Optical Fiber

Fig.3 Step 1-Embedding of Optical Fiber in the Casing

Fig.4 Step 2- Cementing of the Various Casings Placed

well-bore casings, embedded withoptical fibers. Laser pulses will besent through the optical fiber in thecasing, thus ensuring a proper pathfor the signals to travel, thereby

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to solidify completely.When this is done, high energy

lasers are sent through the opticalfibers, and the outlets along thelength of the fiber are so locatedthat they help in makingsmall pores/holes withinthe body of the cement thatlies just adjacent to thecasing. Thus the region offormation becomesaccessible for approach byradiation.Step 3: Next, we will besending radiat ions ofdi f ferent wavelengthsthrough the fiber which willpass through to the poresthat have been made Fig.6 Step 4-Transmitting and Processing the Signals

previously. These radiations passthrough the fiber, travel through thepores and reach the formation.Based on their interaction with themater ial(s) present there, the

radiation is reflected back. Thispasses through the optical fiberand is received by the opt icalprocessing machines present onthe surface system.

Step 4: The signals arethen processed by thesystems and the datareceived is compared withthe standard spectrum ofvarious elements, as ispropagated by the conceptof LIBS.

In pract ice, thedetection limit is a functionof a) the plasma excitationtemperature, b) the lightcollection window, and c)the l ine strength of the

Fig.7 Characterisitic Spectrum of Elements

Fig.5 Step 3 – Making Optical Paths inside the Cement using High-Energy Lasers

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the future.• Laser logging helps to gain

tremendously accurate data in ashort time, thus it is competent,reliable and time-saving methodsince this method does notrequire the existence of loggingtool within the borehole for a longtime.

• This method exercizes atechnique that is re-usable. It isdurable and can be used to log awell/different wells a number oftimes.

• Multiple applications of laser areused here, thereby making it asmart choice for the operators.

• The ident i f icat ion of a largenumber of elements is madepossible using one singletechnique.

• This method ensures highefficiency, since optical fibershave 99% transmittability, thuswe do not need to worry aboutdata loss.

Fig.8 Spectrum of the elements-Ba, Pb, Fe, SrFig.9 Analyzing the Wavelength and Corresponding Factors of theFormation

Fig.10 Characteristic Spectrum of Sn using Hg lamp and LIBS

viewed transition.After decoding and analyzing

the data, the engineers will be ableto ident i fy the var iousconcentrations of elements presentin the formation region, theirdensity, resisit ivity etc. - all ofwhichare necessary to be knownprior to drilling.

Thus, the purpose of loggingis fulfil led using this innovativetechnique that promises to shapethe future of this domain.

CONCLUDING REMARKS• We have presented, through

comprehensive analysis, howcritically efficientthe working oflaser loggingis, for a better futurein all areas pertaining to thelogging sector.

• As mentioned earlier, there havebeen many disadvantages in thepreviously existing methods usedfor logging. Laser loggingovercomes these disabi l i t iesand ensures easier logging for

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• Laser logging is an amalgam oftechnologies; therefore it is aquality one-time investment.

• This paper clearly focuses on theneed for a change; a changewhich is no less than arevolution. With innumerableadvantages to support its stance,there is no doubt about the factthat laser logging is a boon forthe future.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSA special thanks to Mr. AamirLokhandwala for providing valuableinsights and support for theproduction of this paper and alsoto the PDPU SPE Student Chapterfor providing us with an opportunityto exhibit this paper.

REFERENCESCarstens, J. P., & Brown, C. O.

(1971, January 1). RockCutting By Laser. Society ofPetroleum Engineers.doi:10.2118/3529-MS

Takahashi, H., Kato, H., Nakamichi,M., Tamuro, M., Kemmochi, Y.,Saito, T., … Ishida, S. (1994,

Fig.11 Impact of Using Lasers Multiple Times

January 1). Underwater LaserViewing System. InternationalSociety of Offshore and PolarEngineers.

Banas, C. M. (1984, January 1).Laser Welding of Steels.Offshore TechnologyConference. doi :10.4043/4743-MS

Pooniwala, S. A. (2006, January 1).Lasers: The Next Bit. Societyof Petroleum Engineers.doi:10.2118/104223-MS

Takahashi, H., Kato, H., Nakamichi,M., Tamuro, M., Kemmochi, Y.,Saito, T., … Ishida, S. (1996,March 1). Underwater LaserViewing System. InternationalSociety of Offshore and PolarEngineers.

Debrule, P., Saade, E., & Palmer, A.(1995, January 1). Laser LineScan. Society of UnderwaterTechnology.

Akselsen, O. M., Ren, X., & Aas, S.K. (2014, August 7). Review ofLaser and Hybrid Laser-ArcWelding. International Societyof Offshore and PolarEngineers. dewjournal.com

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Enhanced coal bed methane productionusing chemoautotroph bacteria

on CO2 and aldehyde sequestration

Sequestration of CO2 in coal is a market-based environmental solution with potential toreduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing Coal bed Methane Recovery. Un-mineable coal beds are one of several potential reservoirs being investigated for geologiccarbon sequestration. Methane is a greenhouse gas; in the atmosphere it acts to trapheat and thus contributes to global warming and Conservative estimates suggest thatin the conterminous United States more than 700 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of coal-bedmethane exists in place, with perhaps 100 TCF economically recoverable with existingtechnology. In this paper attempt has been made to introduce a methodology usingChemoauotroph bacteria will accelerate methane production in naturally occurring coalbed methane reservoirs. When CO2 with Aldehyde is injected in the coal seam withthese bacteria it will start a redox reaction between CO2 and CHO which will convertCHO into COOH and CO2 to CO and lastly to CH4 the ultimate reduced product whichwill enhance the recovery of the methane gas as we are getting earlier. So usage of thismicrobial action on CO2 and CHO injection might increase the productivity of CH4.

, coal bed methane contains verylittle heavier hydrocarbons such aspropane or butane. Coal is formedwhen decomposition of floral takesplace. It will not formed from thedecomposition of faunal species.Methane can be produced in twoways. The f irst process is thethermogenic in which heat isrequired along with the anaerobicand aerobic bacteria. The secondprocess is biogenic in whichbiological organisms are used suchas aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.Fracture permeabilityThe fracture permeability acts asthe major channel for the gas toflow. The higher the permeability,higher is the gas production. The

Aadri VishalDepartment of PEES, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, India

Tonmit Talukdar

INTRODUCTIONCoal Bed MethaneCoal bed methane is a form ofnatural gas extracted from coalbeds. In recent decades it hasbecome an important source ofenergy in United States, Canada,and other countries. Australia hasrich deposits where it is known as

coal seam gas. Coal bed methaneis distinct from typical sandstoneor other conventional gas reservoir,as the methane is stored within thecoal by a process called adsorption.Gas contained in coal bed methaneis mainly methane and tracequantities of ethane, nitrogen andcarbon dioxide and few other gases.

Unconventional EnergyAWARD WINNING PAPER OF SPE - PDPU FEST


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permeability of fractured reservoirschanges with the stress applied tothem. Coal displays a stress-sensit ive permeabil i ty and thisprocess plays an important roleduring stimulation and productionoperations. Hydraulic Fracturing isused to increase the permeabilityof Coal Bed Methane.Adsorption CapacityAdsorpt ion capacity of coal isdef ined as the volume of gasabsorbed per unit of coal usuallyexpressed in SCF. The capacity toadsorb depends on the rank andquality of coal. Most of the gas incoal beds is in the adsorbed form.When the reservoir is put intoproduction, water in the fracturespaces is pumped off first. Thisleads to a reduction of pressureenhancing desorption of gas fromthe matrix.

OCCURRENCE IN INDIAThe above picture shows theGondwana region which contains99% of coal reserves inIndia.

The picture showsjharia, east and westbokaro, north andsouth Karampura inJharkhand, raniganj inWest Bengal, Barmerregion in Rajasthan,and some parts ofAndhra Pradesh,Orissa andMaharashtra. Theproblem in India whileexploring about CBM isthe unawarenessabout the techniquesand the limited use ofHydraulic Fracturing. InIndia students are notaware about the latestthings taking place in

exploration and production of CBM.

CURRENT SCENARIOThe current scenario in theextraction of Coal Bed Methane fromthe coal seam suggests that higherproductivity could be encouragedprovided they are adequate and abit advanced than the technologiesapplied in Pre Mining DrainageMethod and Post Mining DrainageMethod. Increase in permeability ofthe coal seam is necessary forbetter extraction and production ofcoal bed methane. Therefore in thePre Mining Drainage Method apartfrom drilling boreholes or bore wellsthere are activit ies l ike Hydrofracture, Blasting and chemical andnatural spontaneous reactions inthe play. Al l of them providefractures, cracks and in some wayhelps in the production of moreMethane gas simultaneously withits extraction along with the removalof water. Apart from that the VacuumTechnique is used to remove the

extra water which hinders theextraction of Methane applying anexternal pressure, but i t hasresulted in the lowering of waterlevel in the nearby strata. Hence foreffective extraction of the same,parameters such as bore holelocation bore hole spacing and timeavailable time for drainage aretaken into consideration.

The production is basicallylimited by the presence of excesswater as it plays both in the captureof the same and because it hindersin providing a pathway applyingexternal pressure. A hypothesis canbe therefore constructed that theextraction can be increased usingthe water itself by inclusion ofchemical substances and organicbacteria.

NEW ADVANCMENT TECHNOLOGYThe technology will concentrate onreduction of CO2 that will be injectedin the coal seam presently. Themixture of CO2 and CHO will be

injected, in order toextract CH4 in the samemanner that is done inthe carbonsequestration method.After extracting the fullamount CH4 from thecoal seam, the mixtureof CO2 and CHO will beleft out. Hence in orderto convert the CO2 toCH4 present in them i x t u r e ,C h e m o a u t o t r o p hbacteria will be injectedin the coal seam, whichin order to grow surelywil l conduct a redoxreaction between CO2and CHO. When redoxreaction takes place inbetween the two



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substances injected, in orderto get stabilized CHO willrapidly changes to COOH(oxalic acid) and CO2 willreduce to CO. But CO isunstable hence, it might getconverted into lowerhydrocarbons like CH4, thereis also a possibility that it willconvert again to CO2, but dueto redox reaction it will convertto CO yet again. Hence somepercentage of CO2 might getconverted in CH4, and CH4can be extracted in order toincrease the production rate.

But in case i f CO2doesn’t get converted intoCH4, O2 is injected with thebacteria so that they reactamong themselves henceconverting it to the desiredproduct i.e CH4

Underneath the ground whereoxygen is getting depleted, nitratereduction wil l occur. I f oxygenbecomes available again, thennitrate reduction will stop, even ifthere is still NO3 - available in there,and aerobic respirat ion wi l lcontinue.

This shifting of electron donorscontinues till CO2 is left to serve asan oxidant, allowing the bacteria toreduce CO2 to methane, CH4.

REACTIONS INVOLVEDReaction : 1 (REDOX)

CO2 + CHO — CH4 + COOHReaction : 2 (REDOX)

CO2 + CHO — CO3 + CH2OHIf reaction one gets succeeded

then we will not consider the 2nd

reaction further in our experimentalprocedure . But if 2nd reaction takesplace inside the coal seam , thenwe have to mold our technology alittle bit.

If 2nd reaction suppresses then,

we will inject O2 inside the coalseam along with the bacteria so thatit will convert all the CO2 into CH4.

CONCLUSIONCBM is one of the most importantunconventional energy resource forthe future, so through this paper weare target ing to reduce thewastage of the material that we areinjecting in the coal seam, be it CO2in CARBON DIOXIDESEQUESTRATION or tons of waterin HYDRAULIC FRACTURING. Thereview paper here provides anexperimental path through whichwe can extract CH4 in greateramount as compared to theprevious technologies. Redoxreaction between CO2 and CHO isan experiment in which we canassume that it might convert CO2to CH4 and oxidize CHO to COOH.But if it fails to do that, then we caninject O2 along with the bacteria intothe coal seam, which will eventuallyconvert the CO2 to CH4. Hence

through these experimentalmeasures an attempt ismade to increase theproduction rate.

REFRENCES[1] US EnvironmentalProtection Agency. 2001. “EPARequirements for Quali tyAssurance Project Plans”(QA/R-5). EPA/240/B-01/003,March 2001QA/R-5). http://www.epa.gov/quality/QualityAssurance Planps.html.[2] Gidley et al.: “RecentAdvances in Hydraul icFracturing”, SPE Monograph12, Richardson, Texas,(1989).[3] Alabama Oil and GasBoard. 2002. PublicComment OW-2002-0002-

0029 to “Draft Evaluation ofImpacts to UndergroundSources of Drinking Water byHydraulic Fracturing of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs.”Federal Register. Vol. 63, No.185. p. 33992, September 24,2002.

[4] Choate, R, Johnson, D.A., andMcCord, J.P. 1980. “Geologicoverview, coal, and coalbedmethane resources of theWestern Washington coalregion, Lakewood, Colorado”.TRW Energy Systems GroupReport for U.S. Department ofEnergy, Morgantown EnergyTechnology Center, ContractDE-AC21-78MC08089, pp.353372.

[5] Gray, Ian. 1987.” Reservoirengineering in coal seams: thephysical process of gasstorage and movement in coalseams”. SPE ReservoirEngineering, v. 2, no. 1, pp. 7-14.

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of coal seam gas extraction

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Analysis of rheological properties oflight crude under the effect of surfactants

Three Indian light crude oil having different properties with different wells are taken tostudy their properties. The Properties investigated were API gravity, API density, Specificgravity, and pour point. We used pycnometer to find out the specific gravity, API gravityand API density. As per the calculated data, we found that the crude oil was light innature as its API gravity was greater than 320.Pipelines are the foundation of our liquidenergy supply. It is one of the cheapest means to transport crude oil from one place toother. Through this means, we can transport crude oil to any destination as per ourwish which is not possible by other means such as rails, trucks, ships etc. We hadalso studied the effect of surfactant on the pour point of the crude oil. Light crude oilsamples L1, L2and L3 were blended with 2%, 4% and 6% w/w surfactant followed bystirring the samples for one hour before proceeding for tests. We had found that thepour point of crude oil was decreased with increment in the quantity of surfactant. Butafter some time, the pour point was again started to increase due to critical micelleformation. This paper investigates the characteristics of Crude oil after mixing withSurfactants to derive most Remunerative and sustainable way to transport crude oilthrough pipelines. Crude oil samples were separated on the basis of solubility andpolarity, resulting in saturates aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes fractions (SARAfractions), which helps in refinery design and operation. The studied oil sampleswere light and appeared to be mostly of type II, III kerogen mixture origin.Keywords: Crude Oil, Density, Pour Point, Specific Gravity, Pour Point, SARA fractions,Surfactants, Pipeline Transport.

Oil & Gas

Syed BasharathDepartment of Petroleum Engineering

Al Habeeb College of Engineering & Technology, Hyderabad, India

Md. Misbah Uddin Md. Irshad Ansari

INTRODUCTIONThe process by which the materialsand goods are transported throughpipes is known as pipel inetransportation. According to thedata obtained in 2014, there areless than 3.5 million km of pipelinein 120 countries of the world [1].The United States had 65%,

Russia had 8%, and Canadahad 3%, thus 75% of all pipelineswere in three countr ies. Thematerial used for constructing oilpipelines are generally made fromsteel or plastic tubes. The size ofpipe ranges with inner diameter

typically from 4 to 48 inches (100 to1,220 mm). The depth at which thepipelines are buried is about 3 to 6feet (0.91 to 1.83 m) [2]. The oil istransported by pipelines through

pump stations by which the oil iskept under the motion and usuallyf lows at speed of about 1 to6metres per second (3.3 to 19.7 ft/s) [3].For natural gas, the material



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used for pipeline is constructed ofcarbon steel and the size variationis from 2 to 60 inches (51 to 1,524mm) in diameter, depending on thetype of pipeline. In some conditions,a pipeline may have to pass waterexpanses, such as small seas,straits and rivers. They lie entirelyon the seabed. These kinds ofpipel ines are referred to as“marine” pipelines and also knownas “submarine” or “of fshore”pipelines [4]. Light crude oil is akind of liquid petroleum that has alow density and flows freely at roomtemperature. As i t has a highproportion of l ight hydrocarbonfractions, it has low viscosity, lowspecific gravity and high API gravity.It generally has low wax content.Light crude oil is more valuablewhen compared to heavy crude oilbecause it gives more gasoline anddiesel fuel when subjected torefinery process. [5] Oil At 20o Clighter oi ls had greater abioticlosses and was more susceptibleto biodegradation than heavier oils.These light crude oils, however,possessed toxic volat i lecomponents which evaporated onlyslowly and inhibi ted microbialdegradation of these oils at 10O C.No volat i le toxic fract ion wasassociated with the heavier oilstested. Rates of oil mineralizationfor the heavier oi ls weresignificantly lower at 20 C than forthe lighter ones. The objective ofthis study was to investigate therheological properties of the lightcrude oil and its emulsions in orderto obtain more knowledge about therheological behaviour of oil flow inpipelines [6]. Crude oil is one ofthe most important constituents ofthe reservoir fluids. Therefore abetter understanding of the natureand propert ies of the crude

petroleum is important in theviscosity of crude petroleum and itsapplications. The viscosity of theprepared emulsions varied withtheir water contents. In the case of100% light crude oil, the study ofthe funct ional relat ionshipdemonstrated the quasi-Newtonian behaviour with amoderate constant viscosity. It isknown that crude oi l p lays anessential role in giving the energysupply of the world among differentsources of energy. Furthermore, inthe hydrocarbon industry, theexistence of stable water-in-crudeoil emulsion is considered to beundesirable as water should beseparated from oil. In general, themain parameters for identifying thecrude oil are specific gravity (API)and density (d). The knowledge ofthe rheological behaviour ofemulsions is necessary for flowmodeling analysis. The analysis ofthe influence of the viscosity of oil–water emulsions is consideredessential in the field of rheology.Often, crude oil is found in mixedstate in which

The concentration of water isvery consistent. Due to the complexbehaviour of the crude oil, it issubjected to numerous difficultiesduring various processes such asproduct ion, separat ion,transportation, and refining. Withrespect to energy point of view, thepresence of water in the oil is afactor which affects its quality andtherefore the elimination of waterimproves the calorific value of thelight crude oil. In addition, researchon the rheological behavior of thelight crude oil is very important,especially if someone takes intoaccount the presence ofsurfactants. The objective of thiswork was to study the rheological

properties of light crude oil and thecharacteristics of its emulsions.During the transport of oi l v iapipeline, the stability of crude oil ispart icular ly favored by theconcentrat ion of chemicaladdit ives such as surfactantswhich contribute to decrease theinterfacial tension between thecrude oil and the water [7]. It wasnoted that the formation ofemulsions light crude oil–water (O/W) was an alternative for improvingits flow in pipelines. Therefore, thestudy of their rheological propertieswas of great importance in thepetrochemical industry. Thesewere discussed by analyzing theirstability on the basis of the volumeconcentration in water.

MATERIAL AND METHODSMaterialsCrude oil sample was obtainedfrom fields of Dhanbad. The threesamples col lected wi l l besummoned as L1, L2 and L3respect ively unless otherwisementioned. The surfactant usedwas sodium lauryl sulphate with aco-surfactant, most of tencocamidopropyl betaine obtainedfrom the Merck Specialities PrivateLimited. Ethanol, n-heptanes,toluene and methanol werepurchased from Asian chemicals.Hyderabad, India.PYCNOMETERThe Pycnometer (ASTM- D854)(Fig: 1) is an accurately made flask,which can be filled with a knownvolume of liquid. The specific gravityof liquid is defined as the ratio ofthe weight of a volume of the liquidto the weight of an equal volume ofwater at the same temperature.Both weights should be correctedfor buoyancy (due to air) if a highdegree of accuracy is required. The

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rat io of the di f ferencesbetween the weights of theflask filled with

Liquid and emptyweight, to the weight of thef lask f i l led with dist i l ledwater and empty weight, isthe specific gravity of theunknown fluid. The waterand the liquid must both beat the same temperature.SOXHLET ASSEMBLYA Soxhlet assembly consists of 4major components: A round bottomflask, Soxhlet Apparatus,condenser and Heating mandrel.The bottom f lask containsextraction solvent in our case weused Toluene and then subjectedto heat using Heating Mandrel. Thecondenser ensures that anysolvent vapor cools, and drips backdown into the chamber housing thesolid material. While the Soxhletapparatus contains the element tobe extracted, its chamber slowly fillswith solvent. Some of the desiredcompound dissolves in the warmsolvent. When the Soxhletchamber is almost full, thechamber is emptied by thesiphon. The solvent isreturned to the distillationflask. During each cycle, aportion of the non-volatilecompound dissolves in thesolvent. After many cyclesthe desired compound isconcentrated in thedistillation flask.DEEN AND STARKAPPARATUSThe Dean-Stark apparatus(fig 3) typically consists ofvertical cylindrical piece ofglass, of ten with avolumetric graduation on itsfull length and a precisiontap on the bottom very

much like a burette. During thereaction, Vapors containing thereact ion solvent and thecomponent to be removed travelout of reaction flask up into thecondenser, and then drip into thedistil l ing trap. Here, immiscibleliquids separate into layers. Whenthe top (less dense) layer reachesthe level of the side-arm it can flowback to the reactor, while the bottomlayer remains in the trap. It istherefore important to siphon ordrain the lower layer from the Dean-Stark apparatus as much asneeded. Toluene was used as a

suitable Solvent. To recordthe water content we firstintroduced Oil throughfunnel into the measuringcylinder up to 20ml, andthen we raised thetemperature t i l l apart icular point wheresteam movement throughthe graduated glass tubewas observed. The steamthen condensed with the

condenser placed on top and gotcollected in the collector.

MethodsSURFACTANT PREPARATIONSodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) issynthesized by react ing laurylalcohol (dodecanol) with sulphuricacid (sulfation reaction). Sulfationreaction produces hydrogen laurylsulphate that is neutral ized byaddit ion of sodium carbonate.Lauryl alcohol is in turn usuallyderived from either coconut or palmkernel oi l by hydrolysis, whichliberates their fatty acids, followed

by hydrogenation

C12H25OH + H2SO4 C12 H25HSO4

(Lauryl alcohol + Sulfuricacid

Hydrogen lauryl sulfate)

C12H25HSO4 + Na2CO3 NaC12H25SO4

(Hydrogen lauryl sulfate +Sodium carbonate

Sodium lauryl sulfate)

SAMPLE PREPARATIONCrude oil samples weremixed with surfactant in 2%,4%, & 6% weight by weightratio. Measured weight oflight crude was placed in amixing container using MC-

Fig.1 Pycnometer (ASTM D854) along with mass balance

Fig.2 Soxhlet Assemblies Fig.3 Dean and stark equipment

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MSC-WH magnetic st irrer andstirred at 1500 RPM for one hour forproper mixing of the crude with thesurfactant and form a stablehomogeneous mixture. The finalmixture was ready to be studied forpour point and SARA analysis.

SARA ANALYSISThe modif ied SARA proceduredescribed by Vazquez and Mansoori(2000) [8] was used for the heavyfractions of the samples. It is usedto separate a sample into fourclasses of compounds, namelysaturates, aromatic, resins andasphaltenes. The saturate fractionconsists of a viscous whit ishtranslucent liquid mainly composedof paraffin’s and diamondoids. Fromthe four fractions separated from theheavy-end only the saturate fractionis easily dist inguishable andseparated from the rest of the oildue to the absence of ð-bonds inbetween saturate hydrocarbonmolecule. The aromatic fraction isa viscous reddish liquid composedof aromatic hydrocarbons withvarious degrees of condensation,alkyl-substitution and heteroatom(i.e. sulphur, oxygen, nitrogen)content forming a continuum withrespect to polarity, molecular weightand other properties. The resinfraction is a dark brown coloured,thick viscous liquid to semi-solid with a higher degreeof condensation andheteroatom content thanthe aromatics. It plays animportant role inasphaltene flocculation [9].There is however no singleapproach that can rapidly,rel iabi l i ty ands i m u l t a n e o u s l ycharacterize crude oi lfractions and specif ic

classes of compounds andindividual compounds in eachfraction. The total asphaltenecontent of the crude oil samples wasdetermined by using n-heptane asthe precipitating solvent. Manystandard methods(e.g. ASTMD2007, D4124) had beendeveloped for characterizing thecrude oi l fractions but thegravimetric quantification of typicalfractions proved inadequate[10].Coupling fractionation by TLCand quantification using with flameionization detection (FID), the TLC-FID method developed in the 1970sshowed to offer several advantages:(i) simultaneous fractionation crudeoil into saturated, aromatic andpolar classes, (ii) applicability for thedetermination of heavy fractionswith high boiling points, (iii) low cost,simple instrument requirementsand procedure saving. Therefore,TLC method rapidly becameextensively applied for analysis ofdrugs, crude oils, coal-derivedliquids.

EXPERIMENTAL WORKSSaturate, Aromatic, Resin andAsphaltene (SARA) DeterminationSARA analysis was done usingsoxhlet apparatus for L1, L2 andL3 before and after addingsurfactant. Asphaltenes are

defined as the crude oil fraction thatprecipitates upon the addition of ann-alkane (usually n-pentane or n-heptanes) but remains soluble intoluene. Asphaltenes wereextracted from crude oil with a 30:1volume ratio of heptane: bitumen.The mixture was initially mixed witha spatula to enhance bitumen-solvent contact. The mixture wasleft to equilibrate for 24 hours at atemperature of -30oC. Then, thesupernatant was poured throughHM-2 qualitative Filter papers theextract was then dissolved intoluene and the insoluble portionwas removed, dried and weighed.Simi lar ly, asphaltenes wereobtained by drying toluene solutionand then weighed.

The deasphaltened crude oil(maltenes) solut ion extractedabove was then introduced into aliquid chromatography apparatusconsisting of silica gel (80 to 120meshes) at about 50°C allowedsett l ing overnight. Resins andaromatics adsorb on the silica gel,and saturates pass through Silicagel containing resin and aromaticswere extracted by passing n-heptanes through soxhletapparatus then with toluene-methanol mixture (3:1 by volume),and subsequently with toluene.The resin was isolated by

removing solvent from thetoluene-methanol extract;the n-heptanes extractsolvent was removed toobtain saturate or wax andfinally the aromatics wereseparated from thetoluene solution. It shouldbe noted that at the end ofeach soxhlet distillation weuse Petri-dish to measure/calculate the mass of theextract ion i .e. f romFig.4 Experimental work of SARA analysis

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extraction flask collected at thebottom which is dried in ambienttemperature to form a residue andthe mass obtained is divided by 2,which gives the respective contentsfrom the given sample. Similartests were performed after adding4% w/w surfactant to L1, L2 and L3to study the effects of surfactant onthe SARA compositions of the crudeoi ls. The pour point wasdetermined using ASTM D5853method. L1, L2 and L3 were cooledinside a cooling bath to allow theformation of paraffin wax crystals.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONSDetermination of basic propertiesof crude oilDENSITYDensity is a characteristic propertyof a substance. The density of asubstance is the relat ionshipbetween the mass of thesubstance and how much space ittakes up (volume). The mass ofatoms, their size, and how they arearranged determine the density ofa substance. Density equals themass of the substance divided byits volume [11];

mD =

v

API GRAVITYAPI gravity is short for AmericanPetroleum Inst i tute gravity, aninverse measure that is used todetermine the weight of petroleumliquids in comparison to water.Whi le API gravi ty essent ial lymeasures the relative density ofpetroleum liquid and water it isprimari ly used to evaluate andcontrast the relative densities ofpetroleum l iquids. The off ic ialformula used to derive the APIgravity of petroleum liquids is fromthe specific gravity (SG), as follows:

141.5API gravity = - 131.5

SG

API DENSITYThe API Density or relative densityor the specific gravity of petroleumliquids at 600F can be derived fromtheir API gravity value as:

141.5API Density = 131.5 + API Gravity

BARRELS OF CRUDE OILPRODUCED PER METRIC TONAPI gravity can also be used tocalculate how many barrels ofcrude oil can be produced permetric ton. Given that the weight ofoi l p lays an integral role inestablishing its market value thisformula is incredibly important.

Barrels of 1

crude oil per = metric ton

141.5

x 0.159

API Gravity+131.5

SPECIFIC GRAVITYSpecific gravity is defined as theratio of Density of a particular fluidand Density of an Ideal fluid.

Specific Density of a fluid= Gravity Density of an Ideal fluid

POUR POINT DEPRESSIONThe pour point of a liquid is thetemperature at which it becomessemi sol id and loses i ts f lowcharacteristics. In crude oil a highpour point is generally associatedwith high paraffin content, typicallyfound in crude deriving from alarger proportion of plant material.Studies on the effect of pour pointof crude oil on addition of surfactantwere done.

To determine the pour point weused ASTM D5853, a Standard TestMethod for Pour Point of Crude Oil.In this method the specimen wascooled inside a cooling bath andallowed it to freeze. When thespecimen does not flow when tilted,the jar is held horizontally for 5 sec.If it does not flow, 30C is added tothe corresponding temperatureand the result is the pour pointtemperature.

Tests were done to determinethe pour point of the samples afteradding 2%, 4% & 6% w/wsurfactant to them. Pour point ofcrude oi l af ter the addi t ion ofsur factant wi th d i f ferentpercentage composition (w/w) wasrecorded in Table 2. It is clear thatby increasing the percentage of w/

Table-2. Pour point of L1, L2 and L3 before and after addition of surfactantPercentage of Pour Pour point Pour Pour point Pour Pour pointsurfactant point of of L1- point of of L2- point of of L3-

L1, surfactant L2, surfactant L3, surfactant(wt/wt) °C mixture, °C °C mixture, °C °C mixture, °C

0% 7 7 11 11 13.6 13.6

2% 7 2 11 10.5 13.6 10.2

4% 7 “3 11 7 13.6 7

6% 7 “6 11 3 13.6 4.5

Table-1. Basic properties of Crude OilProperties L1 L2 L3Density (mg/ml)1) Crude Oil 0.0009 0.000987 0.0010692) Water 0.00125 0.00125 0.00125Specific gravity 0.72 0.7896 0.8552API gravity 65.027 47.705 33.959API density 0.72 0.7896 0.85520Barrels of crude oil per metric ton 8.7351 7.9651 7.35418

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w of sur factant ,depression in the pourpoint is achieved.

WATER CONTENTDETERMINATIONKnowledge of the watercontent of Crude Oi l isimportant for the refining,purchase, sale andtransport of crude oil. The result ofwater by distillation technology (asdiscussed in 2.1.3) is in percent byvolume, and the result of sedimentby extraction is in percent by weight.A preferred apparatusconsists of a glassdist i l lat ion f lask,condenser, graduatedglass tube and a heatingmandrel . Toluene wasused as a suitable Solvent.To record the water contentwe f i rst introduced Oi lthrough funnel into themeasuring cylinder up to20ml, and then we raisedthe temperature t i l l apart icular point wheresteam movement throughthe graduated glass tubewas observed. The steamthen condensed with thecondenser placed on topand got collected in thecol lector. The fol lowing

were the results.

EFFECT OFSURFACTANT ON SARAFRACTIONSSaturate, Aromatic, Resinand Asphaltene (SARA) isan analytical method thatdivides crude oi lcomponents in basis of

their polarizability and polarity. Thesaturate fraction consists of nonpolar material including l inear,branched, and cyclic saturatedhydrocarbons (paraff in’s).

Aromatics, which containone or more aromaticrings, are sl ightly morepolarisable. Resins andAsphaltenes, have polarsubstituents. Thedistinction between the twois that asphaltenes areinsoluble in an excess ofheptanes (or pentane)whereas resins aremiscible with heptanes (orpentane). SARA analysiswas done to investigate theamount of saturates,aromatics, resins andasphaltenes present in thecrude oil samples and alsohow addition of surfactanteffects their composition.The results are as follows:

Table-3. Water ContentCrude oil sample Water content

(50ml) (%)L1 6.25 mlL2 14.6 mlL3 15.7 ml

Chart-1 Pour Point of different samples vs. %age surfactant added

Chart-4 Decrease of SARA composition ofSample L3



Table-4. SARA analysis of Crude oil Without SurfactantComponent L1 + 2% L2 +2% L3 +2%Saturate (%) 5.5 7.5 6.8Aromatics (%) 6.8 4.5 7.1Resins (%) 2.3 5.7 5.1Asphaltene (%) 7.3 7.4 7.9

Table-5. SARA analysis of Crude oil with 2% SurfactantComponent L1 + 4% L2 + 4% L3 + 4%Saturate (%) 2.1 5.2 4.4Aromatics (%) 5.5 2.1 5.1Resins (%) 1.7 2.9 3.9Asphaltene (%) 6.1 4.9 5.2

Table-6. SARA analysis of Crude oil with 4% SurfactantComponent L1 + 6% L2 + 6% L3 + 6%Saturate (%) 1 2.9 3.1Aromatics (%) 4 1.1 2.2Resins (%) 1 1.3 1.2Asphaltene (%) 5.5 4 3.9

Table-7. SARA analysis of Crude oil with 6% SurfactantComponent L1 L2 L3Saturate (%) 7.2 8.1 7.5Aromatics (%) 8.5 5.6 8.3Resins (%) 2.5 6.5 6.9Asphaltene (%) 8.5 8.9 9.3

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Table-8. Percentage Decrease of Sample L1, L2 & L3Percentage w/w L1 L2 L3

of Surfactant2% 71.42% 4.54% 25%4% 142.85% 36.36% 48.53%6% 185.71% 72.72% 66.91%

CONCLUSIONSThe main objective of thisstudy was to find out thebasic properties of crudeoil and investigate theeffects of novel surfactant, Sodiumlauryl Sulphate on pour point andSARA. The following conclusionscan be drawn from the study:• The addition of 2%, 4% & 6% w/

w surfactant reduced the pourpoint of L1, L2 and L3 as shownin Table 8.

• The precursor organic matters ofthe analyzed oil samples of L1,L2 and L3 are from a low salinitymarine carbonate and reduceddepositional environment. Thestudied oil samples are light andappear to be mostly of type II, IIIkerogen mixture origin. The oilsample is moderately mature

• It can be concluded that Sodiumlauryl sulphate has immensepotential to improve properties oflight crude oil thereby helping inflow assurance. Its application incrude oil industry can be widespread as evident in the testresults.

Moreover, Sodium lauryl sulphatecan be easi ly synthesized inlaboratory with a very reasonablecost.

REFERENCES[1] Pipelines field listing, Central

Intel l igence Agency (CIA)library, 2013.

[2] Mohitpour, Mo (2003). PipelineDesign and Construction: APractical Approach. ASME Press.ISBN 978- 0791802021.

[3] “Transmix Processing”. AlliedEnergy Company, LLC (AEC).Retrieved 30 September 2014.

[4] Palmer & King, p. 2-3[5] “Light crude oil”, about crude

oil, WTI, Google sites.

[6] Meriem Benziane, M., AbdulWahab, S. A., Benaicha, M.,Belhadri, M., ”Investigating therheological properties of lightcrude oi l and thecharacter ist ics of i tsemulsions in order to improvepipeline flow”, Fuel (2012) 9597–107.

[7] J.S. Lim, S.F. Wong, M.C. Law,Y. Samyudia and S.S. Dol,2015. A Review on the Effectsof Emulsions on FlowBehaviours and CommonFactors Affecting the Stability ofEmulsions. Journal of AppliedSciences, 15: 167-172.

[8] Vazquez, D., Mansoori G.A.,2000. Ident i f icat ion andmeasurement of petroleumprecipitates. J.Pet. SCI Eng.26, 49-55.

[9] The National Aeronautic andAtmospheric Administration’sGlenn Research Center. “GasDensity Glenn researchCenter”.grc.nasa.gov

[10] A. Gaspar, E. Zellermann, S.Lababidi , J. Reece, W.Schrader, dx.doi.org/10.1021/ef3001407, Energy Fuels(2012). G.A. Mansoori, KU Int.J. Sci. Technol. Trans., B 1(2002).

[11] S. Chopra, F.J. Ahmad, R.K.Khar, S.K. Motwani , S.M.Zeenat Iqbal, S. Talegaonkar,Anal .Chim. Acta 577, 46(2006). J. Vela, V.L. Cebolla,L. Membrado, J.M. Andrés, J.Chromatogr. Science, 33,417 (1995). N.C. Shanta,J. Chromatogr. , 624, 21(1992). dewjournal.com

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Determining shale parametersusing MDS technology

Commercial production from shale has been obtained in various potential fields acrossthe globe yet the actual physics associated in it is poorly understood. Due to complexitieslike heterogeneity, pore volume associated in organic-inorganic matrix and the existenceof large surface area, Molecular Dynamic Simulation (MDS) is proved to be a better way.Molecular simulation can be implemented for better research for shale gas. It simulatesthe model’s evolution over time by summing the classical equation of motion, giving thepositions, velocities, and accelerations.

An experimental as well as theoretical modeling approach is presented for theproper elucidation of the kerogen pore system together with different mixed wettabilityand surface roughness. Three kerogen models namely activated kerogen, kerogenfree of activated sites, and graphite-slit pore with proper surface-oxidized functionalgroups are constructed by simulation. The basic difference between the activated poremodels and the inactivated pore models is the location of water clusters in presence ofoctane. The results indicate that the presence of surface functional groups may causewettability alteration in kerogen pores from a hydrophobic state to mixed wettability andgraphite silt model results in large water cluster formation in near symmetricarrangement outside the pore. In graphite slit model a distinct adsorbed octane layer isformed in the vicinity of pore space, whereas this high density absorbed layer is notobserved on either activated or inactivated kerogen model due to surface roughness.Lastly, a brief about Dual Porosity Dual Permeability model of shale is stated.Keywords: Shale gas, molecular dynamic simulation, kerogen models, dual porositydual permeability model.

School of Petroleum Technology, PDPU, IndiaKetul Khambhayata

ion-beam scanning-electron-microscopy (SEM) methods (Curtiset al. 2011; Chalmers et al. 2012)provide valuable insights and anenhanced understanding of themicrostructure of shales. Otherexperimental approaches that arebased on mercury- inject ioncapil lary pressure experiments(Sondergeld et al. 2010) reportsuch a high degree of complexityof shale microstructures and of theinternal pore structure can

Hitisha Dadlani

A review on the changes observed inshale due to Molecular Dynamic Simulation


INTRODUCTIONThe development of oil and gasfrom shale resources has been in

the spot l ight for many years.Recent developments of improvedimaging techniques using focused-



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potent ial ly have a signi f icantimpact, observed in the significantvariations in the overall gas-storageand permeabi l i ty est imates inshale. The wetting characteristicsof shale are also critical to theunderstanding of the location anddistribution of hydrocarbons andthe fate of hydraulic-fracture water.The traditional view is that theorganic pores are hydrocarbon-wetting, and the inorganic poresystems are water-wetting in shale(Odusina et al. 2011).research.These recent results demonstratethe need for a careful considerationof the heterogeneous wettability ofshale and kerogen pore systemsfor well deliverability calculations,drainage-area estimates, and lowmodel ing of produced andhydraulic-fracture water. It is alsoexpected that these results arelikely to substantially affect ourestimates of the volumes of sorbedand free hydrocarbons. Currentapproaches for shale gas-in-placeestimates involve the quantificationof free-, adsorbed-, and solution-gas quantities (Ambrose 2011).The free gas is usually associatedwith the inorganic pores and largeorganic pores whereas adsorptivephenomena are considered to berestricted to kerogen.

As insoluble macromolecules,kerogen is formed primarily fromdead organisms under sufficientlyelevated temperature and pressureconditions (Vandenbroucke andLargeau 2007). The chemicalcomposit ion of kerogen in thesource rock var ies dur ingmaturation and indicates the rockmaturity. As kerogen evolves duringmaturat ion, hydrocarbons andfunctionalized molecules are lost.This causes a decrease inhydrogen/carbon (H/C) and oxygen/

carbon (O/C) atomic ratios, andhence a reduced molecular weight.The diverse chemicalcomposit ions associated withkerogen are a consequence of thematurat ion process and are afunction of the source, maturationtime, and geologic processes inachieving the final state of the rock.Therefore, a single chemicalformula cannot adequatelyrepresent these complex organiccompounds (Facelli et al.)

THE MODELING APPROACHA practical modeling approach ispresented for the properdescription of the kerogen poresystems with di f ferent mixedwettabi l i ty, surface roughness,tortuous paths, and mater ialdisorder. Three kerogen models—activated kerogen, kerogen free ofactivated sites, and graphite-slitpore with proper surface-oxidizedfunct ional groups and high-temperature and pressurematurat ion are constructed bysimulation.

The kerogen models of Hu etal. (2013a, 2013b) are consideredto be improvements over theconventional graphite-sl i t poresystems, because the kerogenmodels incorporate structuralfeatures that represent the kerogenpore systems observed in SEMimages, including surfaceroughness, tortuous paths, andmater ial disorder. The studyfocuses on the use of three differentorganic pore systems: an activatedkerogen model, a kerogen modelwith-out any surface-activationsites, and the traditional graphite-sl i t pore model to study thedistribution of water and octane inorganic shale nano pores. Theresults f rom these studies

underscore the need for accuratecharacterization of kerogen poresystems in terms of the poremorphology, level of surfaceact ivat ion, and pore size. Theimproved kerogen modelrepresents shale organic porestructure and surface chemistryhas the potential to provide a betterunderstanding of the placement,distr ibut ion, and trappingmechanisms of hydraulic-fracturewater in shale. I t is alsodemonstrated that the maturity ofthe kerogen controls the wettabilityof organic nanopores, and forintermediate maturity, such as inliquids-rich shale, organic poresystems may have mixed-wetcharacteristics.

THE MOLECULAR DYNAMICSIMULATIONThe MD approach to investigate thebehavior of fluids in nano-poreshas increasingly become popularbecause of the widespreadavai labi l i ty of high-speedcomputational tools and has beenused widely in science andengineering research to examinethe thermodynamic properties andthe dynamics of atomic- levelphenomena. One of the advantagesof the MD approach is that i tprovides a feasible methodology toconduct virtual experiments that arenot practical at the laboratory scale.This approach simulates atomic-level movements caused by inter-and intramolecular forces bysolving Newton’s equat ions ofmotion. Non-bonded interactionsbetween particles of the same ordifferent nature are modeled bydispersive and electrostatic forces.The van der Waal forces arerepresented by the Lenard - Jones(LJ) potential shown in the below



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given equation in which thepotent ial wel l depth,distance of zerointermolecular potential,and the particle distanceare expressed as:

where is the depth of thepotent ial wel l , is thefinite distance at which theinter-particle potential iszero, r is the distance between theparticles, and rm is the distance atwhich the potential reaches itsminimum.

The simulation box used inthis study has the dimensions of4.02 nm by 3.87 nm by 2.00 nm;20 oxygen atoms are grafted ontorandomly chosen edge carbonatoms in the original inactivatedkerogen model in which the totalnumber of carbon atoms is 1,257,bringing the O/C ratio consideredhere to be approximately 1.6%.Although this ratio is smaller thanvalues for typical mature kerogensystems, i t serves as areasonable starting point to under-stand the in f luence of thefunctional group on fluiddistributions. The -C¼Obond length is 0.1214 nm(Brennan et al. 2002). Thedirection assigned to theoxygen atom is based ona summat ion of thevectors formed f romneighbor ing carbons tothe activated ones so thatthe carbonyl-bond axesare generally parallel tothe basal plate. The pointcharge on the oxygen is –1.047e, der ived f rom a

Bazar-Charge analysis describedin Liu and Wilcox (2012). Theelementary charge (e) is theelectric charge carried by a singleproton. To maintain the electronneutrality, a charge of the sameamount but of opposite sign isassigned to the active carbonsconnecting the oxygen atoms, andother carbons in the model remainat zero charge. Vibration of thecarbonyl groups is not allowedduring a simulation run. Fig. 1i l lustrates this activated modelwi th oxygen atoms placedthroughout the structure in whichblack lines are plotted to representcarbon atoms and oxygen isexpressed in green. By placing two

slabs of the mater ia lshown in Fig. 1 across aPV, an activated kerogen-model s l i t pore isobtained. The pore widthcan then be adjusted bychanging the d is tancebetween the two modelsur faces. Fors impl i f icat ion, th iskerogen-model slit poreis referred to as theactivated kerogen pore.The material of the porewall defines the kerogen

body. Fig. 2 provides an exampleof a 5-nm activated kerogen pore.

For this study, the modelconfiguration is a large simulationbox with a pore in the centre, asshown with the activated kerogenmodel as an example in Fig. 2.Because of the size of thesimulation box, fluid molecules arenot constrained to remain eitherwithin the pore or within thekerogen body, and therefore a morerepresentative analysis of fluid/pore-wal l interact ions may beachieved. We compare thesimulation results of the activatedkerogen pore with the inactivatedkerogen pores and smoothgraphite-sl i t pores with similar

planar areas of the organicsurfaces and the samepore width of 5 nm. Thesurface carbons areshown in black, and theoxygen atoms in thefunct ional groups areshown as green dots.Hydrogen and oxygenatoms in water moleculesare represented by whiteand purple colors,respectively. The octanemolecules are shown inyel low. Sizes of the

Fig.1 An illustration of the activated kerogen model. Carbon atoms inkerogen are shown in black lines, and green color represents activeoxygen

Fig.2 An illustration of a 5-nm activated kerogen-model slit pore. Allthe atom colors are the same as in Fig.1.



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spheres do not reflect realsizes of atoms.

We use equalamounts of water andoctane in all studies, andthe compositions of thedif ferent s imulatedsystems are tabulated inTable 1. The octane andwater molecules areinitially placed randomlythroughout the simulationbox to avoid favoring anyparticular configuration.The initial configurationsfor the inactivated kerogenpore and the graphite-slitpore are identical.

All the simulations arecarried out with the MDpackage GRO-MACS (vander Spoel et al . 2005;Hess et al. 2008) with at ime step of 1.0femtosecond implement-ed in the leapfrogalgor i thm. During thesimulation, oxygen atomsin functional groups andcarbon atoms are heldstat ionary. Per iodicboundary conditions areapplied in three directions.Simulations are conductedwith a canonical ensemblein which number ofmolecules, systemvolume, and temperatureare held constant. Al lstudies are run for 35nanoseconds. The last 7.5nanoseconds of eachsystem are used for dataanalysis. During thesimulation, temperature ismaintained at 300 K (80_F)with the Nose-Hooverthermostat and with arelaxat ion t ime of 100

femtoseconds. The finalsystem pressure isapproximately 300 bar(4,351 psi).

DYNAMICS OF WATER ANDOCTANE IN KEROGEN ANDGRAPHITE PORESAs kerogen hastraditionally been viewedas hydrophobic, a mixtureof water and octanemolecules is expected toprovide an understandingof wettability as a functionof surface activation andalso serve to investigatew a t e r - t r a p p i n gmechanisms in thepresence of alkanes. Theevolut ion of water andoctane from their init ialcon- f igurat ion to theirrespective final states in a5-nm-wide act ivatedkerogen pore is shown inFig. 3 the configuration atthe end of the simulationfor the 5-nm-wide activatedkerogen pore is shown inFig. 4. The correspondingfigures for the 5-nm-wideinactivated kerogen poreare shown in Figs. 5,whereas the results for thegraphite-sl i t pore areshown in Figs. 6. The results indicatethat, as time progressesduring the simulation, watermolecules first form smallclusters that then grouptogether to create a largerwater cluster. Because ofthe presence of polar-activated functional groupsin Figs. 4 and 5, the largewater cluster is attractedinto the activated kerogen

Table-1 Composition of the water and octane systems invarious 6-nm Kerogen pores

Fig.3 An orthographic illustration of the initial system configurationsof the water and octane systems for 5-nm activated kerogen pore.Initial configurations for the inactivated kerogen pore and the smoothgraphite-slit pore are identical. Carbon atoms in kerogen are shown inblack lines, and oxygen atoms in the functional group. Oxygen andhydrogen atoms of water are shown in purple and white, respectively;octane molecules are shown in yellow.

Fig.4 Final configuration of the 5-nm activated kerogen pore system.All the atom colors are the same as in Fig.3.

Fig.5 Final configuration of the 5-nm inactivated kerogen pore system.All the atom colors are the same as in Fig.3.



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pore whereas water showsa preference to occupyregions outside the pore inboth the inactivatedkerogen pore model andthe graphite-sl i t poremodel. The asymmetricpore structure tends tocause imbalances in thefinal distribution of water inthe case of the inactivatedkerogen pore. In contrast,when the pore model issymmetric, water distributes itselfin a near-symmetric arrangementoutside the pore.

Hu et al . (2013a, 2013b)discussed the behavior of water inorganic nanopores in the absenceof any hydrocarbon and reportedthat water completely fills largekerogen pores irrespective of thelevel of act ivat ion and canpotentially be adsorbed on the poresurfaces. In this study, it is observedthat water forms large clusters inthe presence of octane irrespectiveof the pore-surface geometry orchemistry, as shown in Figs. 4. Thecluster ing mechanism occursbecause water molecules arepolar ized and have a strongtendency of forming hydrogenbonds with each other in theabsence of a stronger interactionbetween water and other particles.This also governs the formation ofa round or drop-shaped wateraggregat ion, as the exposedhydrogen bonds on other non-polarmaterials are minimized and thehydrogen bonds with other watermolecules are maximized. Thiscan have the following implicationthat during re-stimulation followinga period of depletion or during thesoaking phase of hydraul ic-fracturing operations, water mayenter into kerogen pores and

microcracks. This may beespecially important for shale ofintermediate matur i ty such asthose found in liquids-rich shaleplays (Jarvie 2012). The multiphasedistributions within the activatedkerogen pore in Fig. 4 can lead tothe formation of water trapping orwater blocks, modif ied relativepermeability curves, and modifiedhydrocarbon-storage curves.Potential Wettability AlternationCaused by Surface ActivationThe key difference between theactivated pore models and theinactivated pore models is that thelocation of the water clusters, whenoctane is also present, is stronglyl inked to the presence of theact ivated funct ional groups inkerogen. For the activated poresseen in Fig. 4, it is observed thatthe formation of clusters of waterwithin the pore. For the inactivatedpore systems in Figs. 5 and 6, thewater c lusters preferent ial lyremain in the regions exterior to thepore. These results indicate thatthe presence of surface functionalgroups may cause a wettabilityalteration from a hydrophobic state,or octane- wett ing, toheterogeneous wettabil i ty. It isclear that octane and water occupythe pore simultaneously in Fig. 4,in contrast with observations in

Figs. 5 and 6 in which thepores are largely octane-wetting.

In Fig. 4, we alsoobserve a fairly large watercluster with a diameter thatis comparable to the porelength. The cluster clings tothe upper activatedkerogen body as a result ofthe presence of severalextruding surface oxygenatoms in the top kerogen

body that allows water clusters toeasily form “bridges” betweenactive sites and thereby attract morewater molecules. Hence, theamount of water in the cluster andthe contact angle of the interface arelikely to depend on the local densityof the surface oxygen on the kerogenbodies. With a more realistic O/Catomic ratio, more water moleculesmay be attracted to the activatedkerogen pores. Trapping of fracturewater in shale of intermediatematurity may therefore be a resultof trapping in organic pores inaddit ion to the well-knownphenomenon of adsorption ininorganic clay minerals (King2012).

Presence of octane and waterin the kerogen Body. The uptake ofoctane and water by the kerogenbodies is also seen to be a functionof surface act ivat ion. For theactivated model in Figs. 4, weobserve some water and octanemolecules adsorbed within thekerogen body with the watermolecules restr icted to theactivated functional groups. Theinactivated kerogen model in Figs.5, on the other hand, only allowsoctane, and restricts the entry ofwater into the pore body. For thegraphite-slit pores in Figs. 6, bothwater and octane are absent in the

Fig.6 Final Configuration of the 5-nm graphite silt pore system. Allthe atom colors are the same as in Fig.3.



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kerogen body. The numberof particles stored withintop and bottom kerogenbodies and within thepores for different systemsis tabulated in Table 2.Because calculations are aver-aged over the last 7.5nanoseconds, the part ic lenumbers in the tables are notintegers. The table showssignificantly more water moleculesand a slight-to-moderate decreasein the amount of octane in activatedkerogen pores than in theinactivated ones. The presence ofwater within the activated kerogenbody may block some of thenanocracks in the kerogen body andrestrict the entry of octane whilealso reducing the surface areaavailable for octane adsorption.This effect in porous activatedcarbons was also observed byBrennan et al. (2002). Together withthe water entrapment in activatedkerogen pores, the presence ofwater within the kerogen bodyclear ly indicates theheterogeneous wettabi l i ty ofkerogen and supportsexperimental observations of watercontent in organic mater ial(Chalmers and Bust in 2010;Ruppert et al. 2013). Water uptakeand alkane storage are thereforelikely to be controlled by proportionof hydrophobic-to-hydrophi l icsorpt ion si tes throughout thekerogen.

ADSORPTION CHARACTERISTICSON SURFACE ROUGHNESSIn the graphite-slit pore system ofFig. 6, a distinct adsorbed octanelayer is formed in the vicinity of thepore surface, whereas this high-density adsorbed layer is notobserved in either the activated or

the inactivated kerogen models.This is likely because of the pore-surface roughness and thedifferences in the carbon densityin the kerogen and graphitemodels. The figures demonstratea layering effect for octane in allpores with varying density valuesthat depend on the strength of theoctane/wal l interact ion. Also,because of the existence of waterclusters within the act ivatedkerogen pores, the calculatedoctane-density profi les are notsymmetr ic. The sl ight ly lowerdensity intensity of the first octanelayer in the activated kerogen porethan that in the inactivated kerogenpore is a result of the presence ofpolarized groups in the activatedkerogen that at tract watermolecules to accumulate near thekerogen body, as water competeswith octane for adsorption. The keydifference between the variouscase studies is associated withadsorpt ion. For the graphitesystem, the density of the firstoctane layer close to the pore wallis significantly larger than that ofthe second layer, which isconsistent with the observation ofthe final configurations seen in Fig.6. These wel l -def ined alkanelayers were also reported bySeverson and Snurr (2007), Diaz-Campos (2010), and Didar andAkkutlu (2013).

By contrast, for the activatedand inactivated kerogen models,octane molecules are more evenlydistributed in the pores, resultingin much smaller ratios between the

intensit ies of high- andlow-density peaks near thewalls. Surface roughnesstherefore plays aconsiderable role indictating fluid distributions.

Surface roughness in the kerogenleads to the use of fewer carbonatoms than in the graphite-slit poremodel, which further affects thestrength of the near-wall potentials.

FUTURE SCOPE IN INDIAShale Gas exploitation is no longeruneconomic as a result of improvedtechnology. Demand andpreference for clean form of the gashas made shale Gas, a well soughtafter energy. India also hasdevelopment of prolific maturedshale distr ibuted in di f ferentsedimentary basins.

These can be l isted as:Damodar valley, Cambay, Assam-Arakan, Kr ishna - Godavari ,Cauvery and Rajasthan. Vast shaledeposits with high TOC (up to 14%)and maturity value in the abovementioned sedimentary basin withvisible improved moderntechnologies can make India a topplayer of shale gas. Adequateamount of geochemical andgeophysical surveys have beentaken on the above mentionedsited, showing positive signs ofshale gas prospect in India.Technology for resourcecharacter izat ion, prospectgeneration, fracture identification,water management is to begenerated by R & D with the help ofexperts. Also, appreciative effortshave been made for developingdatabase, bui ld ing geologicmodels and assessment ofresource potential of basins, alsoassessing the recoverableresources in shale gas. Keeping

Table-2 Average number of molecules in various 5-nmKerogen Pores



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the above points in mind,Molecular Dynamic Simulat ioncould prove to be a useful tool indetermining the shale parameterswith more accurate estimation ofprospective organic content as wellas detailed information about themicro-level characteristics of therock as well as fluid associated withit. It can effectively reduce the costof R&D as it requires no investmentfor convent ional laboratoryelements. With proper forceestimations and perfect simulation,which could resemble the actualcondit ions, under which themolecules are subjected to, it canprovide all the static and dynamicparameters that could possible actas a backbone for furtherdevelopment of oil and gas fieldsalong with the prediction of its futureperformance and behavior.

CONCLUSIONSThe act ivated kerogen modelproposed in this paper is able toeffectively incorporate structuralpropert ies such as mixedwettabi l i ty, surface roughness,tortuous paths, and mater ialdisorder, which are not consideredin the widely used graphite-slit poremodel. We report the behavior ofwater and octane moleculesconfined in three kerogen poreswith the same 5-nm pore widths:an activated kerogen pore in whichsurfaces are partly oxidized with asmall O/C ratio, an inactivatedkerogen pore without any surfaceact ivat ion, and the populargraphite-slit pore. In all cases,water molecules are seen toaggregate together to form clusterscaused by the polarity of water,when alkanes are present. Thedistribution of octane within thesepores is also seen to be a function

of surface roughness and thepresence of activated sites.

The key observations of thisstudy can be summarized as thefollowing:1) Surface morphology of the

pores significantly alters thedynamics of water and octaneinside the pores. Withoxygenated functional groupswithin the kerogen body, watermolecules favorably stay insidethe pore because of surfaceactivation. In contrast, watermolecules accumulate outsideof non-polarized pores when theinactivated kerogen model andthe graphite-slit pore model areused.

2) Surface roughness mayinfluence the f luid/pore-wallinteraction. As a result, theoctane adsorpt ion in thekerogen pores is more evenlyand smoothly distr ibuted,whereas an appreciable octanemonolayer is seen in graphite-slit pores.

3) Surface activation changes thesurface property fromhydrophobic to mixed-wetting.Signi f icant ly more watermolecules are captured innano-cracks within the activatedkerogen bodies than within thepure carbon bodies.

4) The distribution of both polar(water) and non-polar (alkanes)molecules within the pore is afunction of surface roughness,the presence of activated sites,and pore size

ACKNOWLEDGMENTIn the l ight of Universi ty ofOklahoma, USA and their colossalsolace this paper was drafted. Theceaseless assistance throughmails by the virtuoso there kept the

authors staunched in the topic tillthe end and the authors aresincerely thankful to all. Lastly weare grateful to prof. DeepakDevegowda for his viewpoint inevery oeuvre by the authors andleading the authors to new ideas.

REFERENCES[1] Ambrose, R.J. 2011. Micro-

Structure of Gas Shales and ItsEffects on Gas Storage andProduction Performance. PhDthesis, University of Oklahoma,Norman, Oklahoma.

[2] Bazar-Charge analysisdescribed in Liu and Wilcox(2012): point charge on oxygen

[3] Chalmers, G.R. and Bustin,M.R. 2010. The Effects andDistribution of Moisture in GasShale Reservoir Systems.Poster presentation at AAPGAnnual Convent ion andExhibit ion, Louisiana, NewOrleans. Chalmers, G.R.,Bustin, M.R., and Power, I.M.2012. Characterization of GasShale Pore Systems byPorosimetry, pycnometry,Surface Area, and FieldEmission Scanning ElectronM ic roscopy /T ransm iss i onElectron Microscopy ImageAnalyses: Examples from theBarnett , Woodford,Haynesville, Marcellus, andDoig Units. AAPG Bull. 96 (6):1099 - 1119.

[4] Curtis, M.E., Ambrose, R.J.,Sondergeld, C.H. et al. 2010.Structural Charactenzation ofGas Shales on the Micro- andNano-Scales. Presented at theCanadian Unconvent ionalResources and InternationalPetroleum Conference,Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 19 -21 October. SPE- 137693-



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MS.,http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/137693-MS. Curt is, M.E.,Ambrose, R J., Sondergeld,(‘.H. et aL 2011. Transmissionand Scanning ElectronMicroscopy Investigation ofPore Connect iv i ty of GasShales on the Nanoscale.Presented at the NorthAmerican Unconventional GasConference and Exhibition, TheWoodlands, Texas, 14-16June. SPE-144391-MS. http: //dx.doi.org/10.2118/144391-MS. Curtis, M.E., Sondergeld,C.H., and Rai, C.S. 2013.Relationship Between OrganicShale Microstructure andHydrocarbon Generat ion.Presented at the SPEUnconvent ional ResourcesConference, The Woodlands,Houston, Texas, 10-12April.SPE-164540-MS. http;//dx.doi.org/10.211 8/1 64540-MS.

[5] D i a z - C a m p o s , M . 2 0 1 0 .Uncertainties in Shale Gas-in-Place Calculations: MolecularSimulat ion Approach. MSthesis, University of Oklahoma,Norman,Oklahoma.Didar, B.and Akkutlu, I.Y. 2013. Pore-Size Dependence of FluidPhase Behavior andPropert ies in Organic-RichShale Reservoirs. Presented atthe SPE Internat ionalSymposium on Oi l f ie ldChemistry, The WoodlandsTexas, 8-10 April. SPE-164099-MS. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/164099-MS.

[6] Facelli, J.C., Pugmire, R.J.,Pimienta, I .S. et al . 2011.Atomistic Modeling Oil-ShaleKerogens and AsphaltenesAlong With Their InteractionsWith the Inorganic Material

Matrix. Department of EnergyTopical report , ht tp: / /w w w . n e t l . d o e . g o v /t e c h n o l o g i e s / o i l - g a s /publ icat ions/ EPreports/F E 0 0 0 1 2 4 3 , T O R -AtomisticModeling.pdf.

[7] Hu, Y., Devegowda, D., Striolo,A. et al. 2013a. A Pore ScaleStudy Descr ibing theDynamics of Sl ickwaterDistr ibut ion in Shale GasFormations Fol lowingHydraul ic Fractur ing.Presented at the SPEUnconvent ional ResourcesConference, The Woodlands,Houston, Texas,10-12 Apri lSPE-164552-MS.Implicationsfor Frac-Water Distribution andProduced Water Sal ini ty.Presented at theUnconvent ional ResourcesTechnology Conference,Denver, Colorado.

[8] Jarvie, D.M. 2012. ShaleResource Systems for Oil andGas: Part 2 Shale-Oi lResource Systems. In ShaleReservoirs, Giant Resourcesfor the 2/st Century: AAPGMemoir 97, ed. J.A. Breyer, 89 -119.

[9] King,G.E.2012. Hydraul icFracturing 101: What EveryR e p r e s e n t a t i v e ,Environmentalist, Regulator,Reporter, Investor, UniversityResearcher, Neighbour, andEngineer Should Know AboutEst imat ing Frac Risk andImproving Frac Performance inUnconventional Gas and OilWells. Presented at the SPEHydraul ic Fractur ingTechnology Conference, TheWoodlands, Texas, 6 - 8February. SPE-152596-MS.http: / /dx.doi .org/10.2118/

152596-MS.[10] Liu, Y. and Wilcox, J. 2012.

Effects of SurfaceHeterogeneity on theAdsorpt ion of CO2 inMicroporous Carbons.Environmental Science andTechnology, Vol 46, 1940 - 1947

[11] Odusina, E.O., Sondergeld,C.H. and Rai, C.S. 2011. NMRStudy of Shale Wettabi l i ty.Presented at the CanadianUnconvent ional ResourcesConference, Alberta, Canada,15 - 17 November. SPE-147371-MS. http: //dx.0doi.org/10.2118/147371-MS.

[12] Severson, B.L. and Snurr, R.Q.2007. Monte Carlo Simulationof n-Alkane Adsorpt ionIsotherms in Carbon Sl i tPores. J.Chem. Phys. 126:134-708.

[13] Sondergeld, C.H., Ambrose,R.J., Rai, C.S. et al. 2010. Micro-Structural Studies of GasShales. Presented at the SPEUnconventional GasConference, Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, 23-25 February.S P E - 1 3 1 7 7 1 - M S . h t t p : / /dx.doi.org/10.2118/131771-MS.

[14] Vandenhroucke, M. andLargeau, C. 2007. KerogenOrigins, Evolut ion andStructure OrganicGeochemistry 38: 719-833

[15] Van der Spoel, D., Lindabl, E.,Hess, B. et al. 2005. GROMACS:Fast, Flexible and Free..1.Comp. Chem. 26: 1701 - 1718.

[16] Hess, B., Kutzner, C., van derSpoel , D. et a l . 2008.GROMACS 4: Algorithms forHighly Ef f ic ient , Load-Balanced, and ScalableMolecular Simulat ion. J .Chem. Theory Comp. 4: 435-447. dewjournal.com



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Adverse environmentalimpacts of shale gas extraction

The purpose of this paper is to identify the environmental impacts of shale gas extractionand suggest viable alternatives to make it more feasible and environment friendly. Shalegas extraction raises environmental concerns mainly in relation to: fugitive methane andsubsequent contamination; induced seismicity; erosion and sedimentation of river beds;chemical additives and ensuing groundwater pollution as well as possible radioactivity.Recent innovations in the field of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have broughtshale gas to the focal point of crude oil alternatives. Globally, an estimated 32% of naturalgas reserves are in shale formations. Due to its proven quick production in large volumes,extraction of shale gas has already revolutionized the US natural gas industry, and mightsoon become considerably well-spread worldwide. The established procedure forextraction incorporates vertical and then horizontal drilling; and fracturing of shale rock toincrease permeability, using explosives as well as highly pressurized water with chemicaladditives. Stress is laid on the environmental benefits of shale gas because it lowersgreenhouse gas emissions in comparison to coal and crude oil. Economically also, ithas proven benign because it created short run employment opportunities and increasedlocal tax revenues in the recent recession period, not to mention reduction of consumercosts of natural gas and electricity. The paper suggests two major solutions to combatthe adverse environmental effects of the extraction viz. propane gelling, which basicallyinvolves replacement of pressurized water by pressurized propane gel, and plasma pulsetechnique, which is a method of using electrically generated plasma impulses to servethe purpose of fracturing without presenting the environmental difficulties associatedwith water. Hence, the paper concludes that with proper solutions to the environmentalproblems posed by the extraction, shale gas can indeed become an investable opportunity.Keywords: Shale gas; environmental impact; fugitive methane; induced seismicity;chemical run-off; groundwater pollution; greenhouse gas emission; plasma pulsetechnology; propane gelling.


composed of methane. In this rockorganic matter becomes gas or oilthrough the action of heat andpressure over time. The gas flowsmuch less freely through shalerocks than sandstones orlimestones, so the techniques forextracting natural gas to obtain fuelhave to be applied in a different way.The defining property of any shalegas reservoir is that it has very lowpermeability, but high porosity. So,the gas does not naturally flow into

INTRODUCTIONA. Shale gas: An alternative‘Shale gas’, as the name suggests,is found within organic-rich shale

beds, which are actually layers ofrock, rather a convent ional‘reservoir’ capped by shale or otherbeds. Shale gas is most ly


Kashika KheraLatika Sharma



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a well, but requires the aidof a technique termed ashydraul ic f ractur ing orsimply, fracking.B. The US Shale GasRevolutionSince the middle of the last decadethe combination of a series of newapplications of technology,regulatory loopholes that exemptedoil and gas drilling from a widerange of environmentalrequirements, tax incentives andthe fact that sub-surface mineralrights belong to the landowner,coupled with a well-developednational gas pipeline system andoil and gas service industry haveresulted in a shale gas revolutionin the United States. In a relativelyshort period of time the developmentof shale gas in the United Stateshas had a dramatic impact ondomestic US gas production andalso impacted on the global gasmarket. As an illustration, in 2006shale gas production in the US was28 billion cubic meters (bcm), whilein 2010 it was 140 bcm andaccounted for 23% of total US gasproduction. This newly attained selfsufficiency of the USA in terms of oiland gas has alerted the world to thebenefits of concentrating as muchon shale reserves as onconventional crude oil sources, andseveral Asian and Europeancountries are fuelling research intothe feasibility of carrying out similarextraction procedures on their homesoils as well.C. Growing popularity of shale gasand its numerous advantagesShale gas production over the past

12 years has been nothing short ofphenomenal. From a standing starta dozen years ago, it has grown toaccount for nearly 50 percent ofAmerica’s gas product ion1.Abundant, close to major markets,and relat ively inexpensive toproduce, shale gas represents amajor new source of fossil energy.

Besides, there is little doubt thatbooming shale gas production,along with a very deep recession,put an end to the natural gas pricespike of 2008. Because supply hasincreased and the equilibrium priceof gas has fallen, consumer surplusis doubly enhanced. As its cost falls,natural gas has become anincreasingly important fuel forelectr icity generation; thisexpansion in the supply of inputsinto the electricity market lowerscosts to gas-f ired electr icityproducers as well as electricityprices for consumers2. Also, thisplunge in prices has benefited theUS economy, businesses, and theretail consumer. It has also boostedthe onshore oil and gas industry,creating thousands of jobs and hashad a positive effect on the USbalance of payments, generatingsignificant tax revenues as a result.The US competitive advantage ingas is particularly relevant for thechemical industry, where naturalgas is not only used to provide heatto i ts processes but also as a

primary raw material.Moreover, production fromshale has reduced both theUS import dependence forits energy supplies and thecountry’s carbon dioxide

emissions. Al l this growth infinancial as well as social terms inthe United States has illustrated howthe sincere development of shalegas in a country can provide a muchneeded boost to its economy.

However, not all benefits ofshale gas as an alternative fuel aremonetary. It is championed by somecommentators as a ‘transition fuel’in the move towards a low carboneconomy, helping to displacehigher-emitting fuels, such as coal,and to act as a bridging fuel betweenthe non-renewable fuels of thepresent and the sustainable fuelsof the future3.The fundamentalreason why shale gas is needed inthe developed world that can affordto pay the premium for solar andwind is speed. Shale gas can bedeveloped far more rapidly than theworld can move to solar and wind,largely because of the low cost, theabsence of an intermittencyproblem, and good existing gasinfrastructure.

Shale gas can help address theglobal warming issue too. Whenburned to produce energy, naturalgas produces typically half the CO2of coal (depending on the grade4).

In addit ion, when the heatenergy is used to produce electricity,natural gas can produce electricitywith 50% higher efficiency than coal,even when the coal is burned in themost efficient way, in a pulverized

Source: Bullin (2008) for the Annual Forum, Gas ProcessorsAssociation–Houston Chapter.

Table-1 Raw shale gas composition as a %age by volume

[1] US Department of Energy, ‘Shale Gas Research and Development’ (2014) <http://energy.gov/fe/science-innovation/oil-gas/shale-gas-rd>accessed 14/04/2014

[2] Linn et al. 2014b[3] Brinded 2011[4] The CO2 produced in burning coal depends on the grade, that is, on how much of the coal is carbon and how much is complex hydrocarbons.

Natural gas consists primarily of methane, CH4, and when methane is burned more than half of the energy comes from the hydrogen whichburns into harmless H2O – water. In contrast, when carbon burns, all the energy comes from creating carbon dioxide.



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supercritical power station. And, thecapital cost of such a gas-fired plantis much less than that of a similarlysized coal-fired plant.D. Process of extraction of shalegasExploration initially involves drillingand taking core samples, followedby hydraulic fracturing tocharacterize the shale and itseconomic viability. This is followedby site development andpreparation, which involves buildingaccess roads, production facilitiesand well pads, if the reservoir isdeemed to be financially beneficialfor extraction. Shale reserves areoften at depths of approximately 2km, which is deeper thanconventional reserves. Hence, afterthe conventional vertical well is dug,accurately positioned holes aremade in the horizontal section toenable hydraulic fracturing. Drillingis completed in stages with theshallower section having a greaterdiameter to allow for the additionalcasing to protect the groundwater.

In the process of hydraulicfracturing, fluids (approximately90% water with 1-2% chemicaladditives such as hydrochloric acidfor pH control, glutaraldehyde as abactericide, guar gum as a gellingagent, and petroleumbased surfactants)together with a ‘proppant’(approximately 8% byvolume, normally sand) arepumped down the well athigh pressure to create anumber of fissures in therock to release the gas. Thechemicals help in waterand gas f low and t inyparticles of sand enter thefissures to keep them open

and allow the gas to flow to thesurface. The fracture growth heightis dependent on the geology anddesign (number and spacing ofstages fluid chemistry, and injectionrates and volumes) reporting amaximum recorded fracture heightof 588 m in a study of US data5.Hydraulic fracturing is carried out inas many as 20 stages, starting fromthe furthest point and proceedingback towards the well head, as it isnot usually possible to maintain therequired down hole pressure tostimulate the whole length of alateral in one stage. Each interval isisolated in sequence so that only asingle section of the well ishydraulically fractured at a giventime. This injection has to be doneseveral times over the life of the well.The number of wells to be drilledfor shale gas far exceeds thenumber of wells required in thecase of conventional gas and theland area required is a minimum of80 to 160 acres. Once pumping hasstopped and hydraulic fracturing iscomplete, a proportion (dependenton the geology) of the injectedfracturing fluid flows back to thesurface6. In some cases, however,the flow may continue during the lifeof the well. After the flow back period,

the fluids produced from the well areprimarily hydrocarbons.

The post-production phaseoccurs once the operator deemsthe well uneconomic. The well isdecommissioned by removing theequipment and distr ibut ioninfrastructure. The well is thenplugged with cement at various keypoints along the well to preventfugi t ive emissions or futurecontamination.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNSA. Chemical pollution: Run-off andother problemsHydraulic fracturing uses a largenumber of chemicals, includingsome known hazardoussubstances (e.g., the foamingagent 2-butoxyethanol), and bringsmany potent ial ly dangerouscompounds to the surface, such ashydrocarbons, varying amounts ofBTEX compounds, brine, and othernatural ly occurr ing geologicalcomponents (e.g., arsenic, radionuclides).

However, chemical run-off is notthe only problem since chemicalscan prove to be contaminants evenwhen arising from passive sourcesof the extraction procedure. Bothdri l l ing and well completion

produces copiousquantities of waste, whichrequire careful disposal.The f low back f luidsdischarged from the wellare saline and can includethe fracturing fluid as wellas natural ly-occurringsubstances found withinthe shale, such asmethane, trace metals, andnatural ly occurringradioactive materialFig.1 Diagram depicting the extraction procedure of shale gas

[5] Davies et al. (2012)[6] The EPA estimates that a flowback can last three to ten days (US EPA, 2011b).



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(NORM7). The flow back offluids, sometimes referredto as produced water, maycontinue during theproduction stage, and theliquid requires treatmentbefore reuse or disposal.

Between 2005 and2009, oi l and gascompanies in the UnitedStates used 29chemicalsthat were either known tobe carcinogens, wereregulated under the U.S.Safe Water Drinking Act, orwere l isted as hazardous airpollutants8. However, the U.S. EPAhas not set maximum contaminantlevels for many of the compoundsfrequent ly used in fractur ingoperations9. One of the issues ofgreatest toxicological concern isthat of the potent ial impact ofuntested mixtures of chemicals10.

Some of these chemicals inubiquitous use for shale gas welldrilling constitute human healthand environmental hazards evenwhere they are extremely diluted.Pathways for exposure includecontamination of water by spills,leaks, or unintended undergroundcommunicat ion between theproduct ion zone and shal lowaquifers and to air as a result ofevaporat ion from condensatetanks and flow back storage. Suchcontaminat ion could affectindividuals directly (e.g., where wellwater becomes contaminated) orindirectly through the foodchain11.Because organic matter tends toadsorb thorium and uranium ionsthat may be moving through thedeep-water flux system, shale gas

zones may even have naturalbackground radioactivity higherthan other strata. Nor are all of theseproducts used on al l s i tes. Inaddit ion, many are relat ivelyharmless or used in lowconcentrations, though most aresoluble or volatile.

Nevertheless, these DeepZone cuttings are still well belowthe threshold values that wouldrequire special isolat iontechniques for the drill cuttingsdisposal.

There is an imperative need toaddress this particular concern ifshale gas extraction is to developinto a mainstream industry wherethe oil and gas sector is concerned.Regulations need to ensure wellsare designed, constructed andoperated so as to ensure completeisolation. Multiple measures needto be in place to prevent leaks, withan overarching performancestandard requiring operators tofol low systematical ly al lrecommended industry bestpractices. This applies up to andincluding the abandonment of the

wel l , i .e. through andbeyond the lifetime of thedevelopment. Disclosureof fracturing fluid additivescan and should becompatible with continuedincentives for innovation.The industry shouldcommit to the developmentof fluid mixtures that, if theyinadvertently migrate orspi l l , do not impairgroundwater qual i ty, oradopt techniques thatreduce the need to use

chemical additives.B. River bed erosion andsedimentationThe main damage done vis a viserosion and sedimentation due toextraction of shale gas is in theform of increased Cl- and solidimpuri t ies concentrat ions inrunning water bodies locatednearby to an extract ion si te.Elevated or f luctuat ingCl” concentrations in water candirect ly damage aquat icecosystems. Cl” may also mobilizeheavy metals, phosphates, andother chemicals present insediment. Treatment of waste highin Cl” is expensive because theCl” is not easi ly removed bychemical or biological processesonce it is in solution; thus, highCl” concentrat ions may alsoincrease costs for downstreamwater users (e.g., industrial ordrinking water facilities). TSS i.e.Total Suspended Sol ids (si l t ,decaying organic matter, industrialwastes, and sewage that can betrapped by a fine filter) in surfacewater reduce available sunlight,

Table-2 Different Types Of Chemicals Used In Fracking

[7] The discharge of radio nuclides is subject to normal EA Radioactive Substances monitoring and control. Analysis carried out by the EA onCuadrilla flowback fluids suggests that between 14-90 becquerel (Bq) per litre are present.

[8] Committee of Energy and Commerce, 2011[9] Bamberger & Oswald, 2012[10] Goldstein et al., 2013[11] Fraser Basin Council, 2012



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raise temperature, decreasedissolved oxygen and clarity, andult imately damage biologicalcondition. Solids can also clog orscour pipes and machinery fordownstream water users,increasing costs. Recent studies12

suggest that (i) the treatment ofshale gas waste by treatmentplants in a watershed raisesdownstream Cl” concentrations butnot Total Suspended Sol idsconcentrat ions, and ( i i ) thepresence of shale gas wells in awatershed raises downstreamTSS concentrat ions but notCl” concentrations.C. Water based issues: groundwater and input related problemsThe key risks and impacts of shalegas and shale gas processes anddevelopment on water can bedivided as follows:• Contamination of groundwater by

fractur ing f lu ids/mobi l izedcontaminants arising from:1. wellbore/casing failure2. subsurface migration

• Pollution of land and surfacewater (and potent ial lygroundwater via surface route)arising from:1. spi l lage of f ractur ing

additives2. spillage/tank rupture/storm

water overflow from liquidwaste storage,

3. lagoons/pi ts containingcuttings/drilling mud or flowback water;

• Water consumption/abstraction• Waste water treatment

Here the foremost question thatmight arise in a logical mind is howexact ly the pol lutants from anextract ion si te reach thegroundwater if casing is provided

to the fractures while drilling. Themost obvious routes for exposureof groundwater to contaminationfrom shale wells are:a) Catastrophic fai lure or ful l /

partial loss of integrity of thewellbore (during construction,hydraulic fracturing, productionor after decommissioning)

b) Migration of contaminants fromthe target fracture formationthrough subsurface pathwaysincluding:1. The outside of the wellbore

itself;2. Other wellbores (such as

incomplete, poorlyconstructed, or older/poorlyplugged wellbores);

3. Fractures created during thehydraulic fracturing process;or

4. Natural cracks, fissures andinterconnected pore spaces.

This “flowback” is a mixture ofthe original hydraulic fracturing fluid– containing less than one per centof chemical additives – and anynatural formation water –containing dissolved constituentsfrom the shale formation itself. Thefracturing and ‘f lowback’ f luids(including transformation productsand mobi l ized subsurfacecontaminants) contain a number ofhazardous substances that,should they contaminategroundwater, are likely to result inpotent ial ly severe impacts ondrinking water qual i ty and/orsurface waters/wetland habitats.The severity will depend on, forexample, the significance of theaquifer for abstraction; the extentand nature of contamination; theconcentrat ion of hazardoussubstances; and the connection

between ground and surface water.The probability that shale gas

wel l projects wi l l impact localgroundwater ranges from 4.0 to5.7% over the short term, i.e. whilethe wells are in development. Theprobability that shale gas wells willdegrade local water quality over thelong term (50 years) exceeds 16%;a project scope of as few as tenwells practically guarantees long-term groundwater contamination.

Owing to its importance asboth a source of drinking water andas source for rivers and wetlands,preventing its pollution is vital. If itbecomes contaminated andpollution runs deep it can lead tolong-term deterioration.

Flowback from hydraul icfracturing is managed in three mainways: reuse, disposal throughinject ion in deep undergroundwel ls and treatment in a localfacility. In addition, the percentageof water that is recycled and re-used for hydraulic fracturing stagesis increasing, meaning that thereis a lesser need for wastewaterdisposal.

Apart from damage done toexisting water resources, anothermajor environmental concern withshale gas extract ion is thedeplet ion of water supply tofacilitate the process of hydraulicfracturing. Large volumes of waterare consumed during conventionaldrilling of the bore hole in order tocool and lubricate the drilling head,but also to remove the drilling mud.About a factor of ten more water isconsumed in hydraulic fracturingfor the stimulation of the well byinjecting over pressurized water forthe creat ion of the cracks.Especially, in countries with low

[12] Shale gas development impacts on surface water quality in Pennsylvania bySheila M. Olmstead, 1 Lucija A. Muehlenbachs, Jhih-ShyangShih, Ziyan Chu, and Alan J. Krupnick



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water table levels, andeven a hint of waterscarci ty, this part icularal ternate fuel sourceremains inaccessible dueto unavailability of water forextraction purposes.D. Land based issuesThe development of shale gasextraction infrastructure will haveboth local and dispersed landeffects. The assessment of theenvironmental effects of shale gasdevelopment cannot, therefore,focus on a single well or well pad,but must also consider regionaland cumulative effects.

Shale gas developmentrequires extensive infrastructurethat includes roads, well pads,compressor stat ions, pipel inerights-of-way, and staging areas.While the use of multi-well padsand longer hor izontal lateralsreduces the environmental impact,compared to individual well sites,the cumulative effects of the largenumber of wel ls and relatedinfrastructure required to developthe resource st i l l imposesubstant ial impacts oncommunit ies and ecosystems.Also, a lot of land impacts of theextraction procedure will dependupon the existing utilization of theland where the reserve of shale islocated. For example, problems likedeforestat ion, destruct ion andfragmentation of wildlife habitatand disruption of ongoing land uselike agriculture and tourism mayturn out to be relevant issues in alot of cases. To resolve this issue,each well site needs to be chosenbased on the subsurface geology,but also taking into consideration

populated areas, the naturalenvironment and local ecology,existing infrastructure and accessroads, water avai labi l i ty anddisposal options and seasonalrestrictions caused by climate orwildlife concerns. Careful planningcan greatly improve the productivityand recovery rates of wel ls,reducing the number of wells thatneed to be drilled and minimizingthe intensity of hydraulic fracturingand the associated environmentalimpact.E. Induced seismicityInjecting water into the ground caninduce earthquakes. As theprocess of f racking does notemploy the use of large enoughvolumes of water to cause tremorsnot iceable by humans, noearthquakes have been associatedwith fracking yet but rather with“disposal wel ls”13. In 2011, amagnitude 5.6earthquaketr iggered by water inject ion inOklahoma destroyed 14 homesand injured twopeople14. Thisillustration reminds us to keep inmind the possibil i ty of inducedseismicity being a major problemassociated with shale extractionplants in the future, as more andmore wells are accommodated inplants for the sake of more financialgain.

However, we can preventdisposal earthquakes by recycling

water to minimize injectionvolumes and by taking carein the choice of disposalwell locations.F. Greenhouse gas (GHG)emissionsThe fol lowing sect iondescribes the

categorization of GHG emissionsresulting directly from shale gasoperations.a) Vented emissions of methane

and CO2: Vented emissions areintentional. Many processesassociated with shale gasexploration and production cancause gases to be vented,where permit ted. Examplesinclude: release of gasesduring flowback, and release forsafety reasons and duringcertain maintenanceoperations.

b) Emissions from combustion offossi l fuels on si te : Theseemissions come from engines(such as diesel engines usedfor drilling, hydraulic fracturingand natural gas compression)and from flaring of shale gas. Itis assumed that the combustionemissions would be mainlyCO2. However, incompletecombustion could result in otheremissions such as methane,volatile organic compounds andcarbon black, all of which wouldhave global warming and airpollution impacts.

c) Fugitive emissions: When it isextracted from the well, naturalgas is composed of roughly 83percent methane, af terprocessing and through thepoint of delivery, it is more than90 percent methane. Producing,

Table-3 Amount of Water Used in Various Shale Wells (in m3)

[13] There are about 30,000 such wells in the US, most used for conventional oil and gas wastewater burial. Of these, most show no injection-induced seismicity; the ones that do are the ones that dispose of very large volumes or dispose of water directly into faults.

[14] A good review was recently published in Science. (Ellsworth, 2013)



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processing, andtransporting of naturalgas can release someof this methane into theatmosphere. Accidentalmethane leaks androutine venting—whichtogether, make upfugit ive methaneemissions.This leakage issue is not

particularly l inked to shale gaswells; the same dangers can beconsidered for conventional gasand oi l wel ls. The reason forlegitimate concern is that with shalegas, the number of wells in a regioncan be large, so the r isk ofcontamination is higher.

And fugitive methane is anissue because escaped gas eitherpol lutes the atmosphere ordissolves in clean, local waterbodies. Methane is a contaminantof concern for drinking water, butneither Health Canada nor the U.S.EPA currently includes dissolvedmethane in i ts dr inking waterguidelines or regulations15, eventhough shale gas extraction iscurrently most popular in USA andCanada. While methane is notgeneral ly considered a healthhazard when ingested, at highconcentrat ions i t can causeasphyxiation if inhaled in confinedspaces16 (as can most gases).Moreover, i t poses f i re andexplosion hazards at elevatedconcentrations. Also, methane is amuch more powerful greenhousegas than carbon dioxide. However,because natural gas power plantsare more efficient than those ofcoal, even with leakage rate of upto 17% (far higher than even themost pessimist ic est imates),

natural gas st i l l provides agreenhouse gas improvement overcoal for the same electr ic i typroduced17. A calibrated study of190 wells showed that the leakagefrom shale gas product ionaveraged about 0.4%18. If we addin leakage in pipel ines andstorage, the maximum is still only1.4%, and the greenhouseadvantage over coal is large.G. Societal impactsIMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH:Recent research19 evaluated thehazards of 353 chemicals that thenatural gas industry uses in itsoperations, a subset of the 632chemicals in 944 productsidentified. Of note, for over 400 ofthe products identified, less thanone per cent of the total chemicalcomposition was available, leadingto a substant ial degree ofuncertainty concerning the risk thatthese products may pose to humanhealth. The authors carried outliterature searches to determinethe potential health impacts of thechemicals identified and found that“75 percent can affect sensoryorgans and the respiratory andgastrointestinal systems; 40 to 50per cent can affect the nervous,immune, and cardiovascularsystems as well as the kidneys; 37per cent can affect the endocrinesystem; and 25 percent can cause

cancer and mutations.”NOISE POLLUTION: Thesources of noise duringshale gas extract ioninclude dr i l l ing andhydraul ic f ractur ingequipment, natural gascompressors, traffic, andconstruction. Additionally,because hydraul ic

fracturing requires more pressureand water, more pumps and othernoise-producing equipment areused20. Noise can cause highblood pressure and otherphysiological effects, includingsleep disturbance.

ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIESA. Plasma pulse technology (PPT)Plasma Pulse is an easy-to-deploytechnology that uses vibrations, orelectr ical ly generated plasmaimpulses to reduce viscosi ty,increase permeability and improveflow of oil and gas to the surfacefor extraction. The technology isdesigned to improve productioncosts effectively without resortingto hydrofracking or otherenvironmental ly harmfulprocesses. It is an up and comingtechnique that could bridge thedivide between oi l and gasproducers, and environmentalistsand regular c i t izens who areconcerned that the toxic chemicalsused in the process will pollutegroundwater.

As i t does not use anychemicals , Plasma PulseTechnology is deemed to be anenvironmentally friendly way toclear clogging sedimentation fromwell drainage areas to allow theoil and gas to flow, which is whatwe need in the process of

Fig.2 Diagram depicting potential migration paths along a well

[15] EPA, 2009b; Health Canada, 2012[16] USGS, 2006; Cooley & Donnelly, 2012

[17] Muller, 2013; Cathles et al. 2011[18] Allen, 2013; Hausfather & Muller2013

[19] Colbornet al., 2011[20] Arthur et al., 2010; NYSDEC, 2011



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developing shale gas.It will also prove to be a cost

effect ive solut ion in countr ieswhere str ict regulat ions arefollowed against acidizing, whichis an environmentally as well aseconomically detrimental part ofthe procedure involved in theextraction of shale gas. As per theselaws, the service providers are onlyallowed to use roughly 20-30 % ofthe needed acid which increasesthe number of washings requiredand hence, the cost.B. Propane gellingCanada-based Gasfrac Energy hasdeveloped an innovative closedstimulation method, utilizing gelledLPG or propane based gel that isas natural to a well as soil is to theearth. The technology of propanegelling involves a process similarto hydro-fracking for the extractionof shale gas, with the key differencebeing in the fluid used, as in thisparticular technique, a mixture ofLPG, made up of 90 per centpropane and a di-ester phosphoricacid gel l ing agent to give i tsuff ic ient v iscosi ty to carrychemicals and sands, is used. Sofar, tests of the fluid show that it isboth safer and far more efficientthan water.

The main advantage of thegelled propane is that once the gelis broken the propane flashes andmixes with the gas. Since thepropane becomes part of thereservoir f low, the generatedfracture is completely cleaned up,whereas in a water-based fracturestimulation, some of the waterremains trapped in the fracture,causing chemicals to leak out tothe surface as wel l ascontaminat ing groundwater. Inaddition a water-based fracture hasan efficiency of around 20 per cent,

while propane has 100 per centefficiency. Because the gel retainssand better than water, it’s possibleto get the same results with one-eighth the liquid and to pump at aslower rate. Moreover, this alsoremoves the headache of safelydisposing and recycl ingwastewater and flowback.

Nonetheless, despite beingused around 1000 times in Canadaand the US since first being testedthree years ago, little data on theapplication of the technology hasbeen made publicly available. Insuch a highly competitive industry,producers do not want to discloseits potential benefits. However, it isexpected that further research willa l low propane gel l ing to bedeveloped well enough to catch thepublic eye and replace the currentlyemployed fracking approach,because since it is a procedurethat involves using hydrocarbons togenerate more hydrocarbons, thecycle is more sustainable.

CONCLUSIONThe scale and pace at which shalegas resources are beingdeveloped are chal lenging theability to assess and manage theirenvironmental impacts. Theprimary concerns are the risk ofdegradat ion of the qual i ty ofgroundwater and surface water(including the safe disposal of largevolumes of wastewater); the risk ofincreased GHG emissions( including fugi t ive methaneemissions dur ing and afterproduction), thus exacerbatinganthropogenic cl imate change;disruptive effects on communitiesand the land; and adverse effectson human health.

Other risks include the localrelease of chemical contaminants

and the potential for triggeringsmal l to moderate sizeearthquakes in seismically activeareas. These concerns will vary byregion, because of di f ferentgeological, environmental, andsocio-economic conditions.

However, i t can be safelyconcluded that these problemscan be addressed effect ivelyenough to consider the ent i reextraction process for shale gas asfeasible. Scientists all over theworld are waking up to the fact thatit is infinitely better to spend time,energy and resources onresearching ways to mitigate theconsequences of fracking ratherthan spend lives fighting it. Shalegas is urgently needed to addressthe greatest human-causedenvironmental disaster of our time,r is ing levels of air pol lut ion,currently causing over three milliondeaths per year worldwide. At thesame time it can dramatically slowthe rate of global warming, and, asa bridging fuel, provide the time weneed to develop truly sustainablenon-carbon energy sources. Also,a strong case could be made forthe domestic extraction of shalegas from an energy security basisfor any country that seeks to be asclose to self-sufficient as possiblewhere fuels are concerned. Themain dangers of shale gas can allbe addressed by regulat ion toensure that development is doneusing industry best practice, withheavy fines for malefactors. Shalegas mining in the West isundergoing rapid technologicaldevelopment that is bringing downthe cost. What is really important isthe improvement of extract ionefficiency.

More, well-targeted science isrequired to ensure that, ultimately,



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long-term public interests are wellunderstood and safeguarded.Science alone, however, will notaddress all the relevant concernsbecause the actual (as opposed topotential) impacts of shale gasdevelopment will likely depend to agreat extent on the manner in whichresource development is managedand regulated. Hence, the key tomaking shale gas extraction viableis to understand not only thetechnologies that might make thisa better option than other existingones where environmentalfriendliness is concerned, but alsoto comprehend and properlymanage all the resources availableat hand, whether they be natural,artificial or human.

REFERENCES[1] Alvarez RA, Pacala SW,

Winebrake JJ, ChameidesWL, Hamburg SP. Greaterfocus needed on methaneleakage from natural gasinfrastructure. Proc Natl AcadSci USA. 2012;109(17):6435–6440.

[2] Sean Mi lmo(www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/November/15111102.asp -Royal society of chemistry))

[3] Burnham A, Han J, ClarkCE, Wang M, Dunn JB, Palou-Rivera I, Life-cycle greenhousegas emissions of shale gas,natural gas, coal, andpetroleum

[4] Weber CL, Clavin C, “HumanHealth Risk Assessment of AirEmissions from Developmentof Unconventional Natural GasResources”

[5] McKenzie, Lisa M.; Witter,Roxana Z.; Newman, Lee S.;Adgate, John L. Science of theTotal Environment, May 2012,

Vol. 424, 79-87. Life cyclecarbon footprint of shale gas:review of evidence andimplications.

[7] http://www.forbes.com/sites/energysource/2012/12/07/surprise-side-effect-of-shale-gas-boom-a-plunge- in-u-s-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

[8] US Environmental ProtectionAgency, Office of Research andDevelopment (2011) Plan toStudy the Potential Impacts ofHydraul ic Fractur ing onDrinking WaterResources EPA/600/R-11/122(US Environmental ProtectionAgency, Washington, DC)

[9] Rozell D, Reaven S. Waterpollution risk associated withnatural gas extraction from theMarcel lus Shale. RiskAnal. 2012; 32(8):1382–1393.

[10] New York Department ofEnvironmental Conservation2011. Revised draftsupplemental genericenvironmental impactstatement on the oil, gas andsolut ion mining regulatoryprogram, well permit issuancefor horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing todevelop the Marcellus Shaleand other low-permeabi l i tygas reservoirs.

[11] Soeder D, Kappel W. WaterResources and Natural GasProduction from the MarcellusShale. 2009. U.S. GeologicalSurvey Fact Sheet 2009–3032(US Geological Survey, WestTrenton, NJ).

[12] El lsworth W, et al . Areseismicity rate changes in themidcont inent natural ormanmade? Seismol ResLett. 2012; 83(2):403.

[13] U.S. Department of Energy.

Modern Shale GasDevelopment in the US: APrimer.April 2009. P 48.

[14] Nat ional Ground WaterAssociat ion (NGWA).“Hydraulic Fracturing: Meetingthe Nation’s Energy NeedsWhile Protecting GroundwaterResources.” November 1,2011.

[15] American Water WorksAssociat ion. “USEPA toSample Tap Water in Dimock,Pa.” January 24, 2012.

[16] http://www.awwa.org/Publicat-i ons /Break ingNewsDeta i l .cfm?ItemNumber=58354

[17] Fr ischett i , Mark. “OhioEarthquake Likely Caused byFracking Wastewater.”Scientific American. January 4,2012. http://www.scientif ic-amer ican.com/ar t ic le .c fm?id=ohio-ear thquake- l ike ly -causedby-fracking.

[18] Howarth, Robert W. “Methaneand the Greenhouse-GasFootprint of Natural Gas fromShale Formations.” ClimaticChange. DOI 10.1007/s10584-011-0061-5. Accepted March13, 2011

[19] Simon Moore (2012) “GasWorks? Shale gas and i tspolicy implications”

[20] Poyry (2010) Gas: At the Centreof a Low Carbon Future: AReview for Oil and Gas UK,avai lable at: ht tp: / /w w w. o i l a n d g a s u k . c o . u k /c m s f i l e s / m o d u l e s /publications/pdfs/EC022.pdf

[21] NYCDEP. 2009. Final ImpactAssessment Report: ImpactAssessment of natural GasProduction in the New York CityWater Supply Watershed.Hazen & Sawyer and LBG, Inc.December 2009. dewjournal.com



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Inhibition of SRB count in hydrofrackingfluid using Nitrate reducing bacteria

Sulphate Reducing Bacteria have the tendency of obtaining substantial energy by oxidizinghydrocarbons while reducing Sulphate (SO4

2-) to Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S). Studies show thatbiocides are being added in hydrofracking fluids to prevent anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidation andconsequent hydrocarbon loss. The selection of these biocide compounds depends on the bacterialgrowth observed in reservoir laboratories. But biocides are chemicals and are known to causeecological risks if hydrofracking fluids contaminate groundwater resources. Biocides, by theirnature are not well tolerated by aquatic organisms. This paper discusses the use of one kind ofmicrobe, the Nitrate Reducing Bacteria to inhibit the growth of another kind of microbe, SulphateReducing Bacteria. Live-NRB, which is first to be tested to be compatible with the given formationtemperature and salinity of fracking fluid, and nitrate solution, to stimulate the activity of NRB, areinjected as additives to the hydrofracking fluid. If inadvertently released into the environment,some biocides will primarily contaminate water and are hazardous to aquatic organisms. On theother hand NRB are non-hazardous to aquatic organisms.Keywords: sulphate reducing bacteria; nitrate reducing bacteria;biocides;hydrofracking fluid.

Aayush VohraDepartment of Chemical Engineering


Shivanshu Srivastava Uday Hajela

INTRODUCTIONIn shale formations hydraul icfracturing is required to fracture theformation for increasing i tspermeabi l i ty. Water used forfracking contains clays, chemicaladditives, dissolved metal ions andtotal dissolved solids. A number ofecological risks are associatedwith its use. Sulphate ReducingBacteria exist in the downhole leadto souring of the hydrocarbonproduced and corrosion ofproduction equipments due to theby-products it forms. Biocides usedin the f lu id to inhibi t sulphatereducing bacteria (SRB) are toxicin nature. Hydrofracking fluids havebeen associated withcontaminat ion of groundwater.This means the toxicity level ofbiocides needs to be reduced oran alternative needs to be thought

of which does the same work asbiocides but has fewerenvironmental effects. This paperdiscusses the use of NitrateReducing Bacteria as a substitutefor biocides in hydrofracking fluid.Nitrate Reducing Bacteria (NRB)can effectively reduce the activity ofSRB by competitive exclusion. Italso oxidizes the by-product of SRBi.e. H2S, converting it to a non-corrosive compound.

WHAT IS SULPHATE REDUCINGBACTERIA (SRB)?Sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB)is a form of bacteria which inhalein sulphate and exhale out H2S viaanaerobic respiration. It oxidizesorganic compounds (even H2). Itsage can be traced back to 3.5 billionyears old and hence considered tobe among the oldest forms of themicro-organisms those emergedjust after life started on the earth.

ChemicalAWARD WINNING PAPER OF SPE - PDPU FEST


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Anoxic events refer to thatinterval of earth’s past whenportions of ocean water at highdepths got depleted of oxygen. Thiswas the time when colonies ofsulphate reducing bacteria (SRB)started forming.

SRB work on dissimi latorysulphate reduct ion process inwhich they reduce large amountsof sulphates and expel theproducts and H2S.

Talking with respect to theirmetabolism they require energy tosustain which they achieve byreducing sulphates present ineither stagnant water or water atanaerobic conditions. Before thesulphates can be used as electronacceptors, they need to beact ivated. The act ivat ion isaccompanied by an enzyme – ATP-sulphurylase, which uses ATP andsulphate and produces Adenosine5 Phosphosulphate (APS). Further,APS is reduced to sulphite andadenosine monophosphate (AMP).Again, the sulphate formed isreduced to sulfide while AMP usesanother molecule of ATP and ADP.The complete process is using 2energy molecules of ATP whichmust be regained fromreduction.

Most SRB can alsoreduce other sulphurcompounds like sulphate,thiosulphate or elementalsulphur. SRB also reducefumerate, nitrate, nitrite,iron (Fe3+), some othermetals, dimethylsulphoxide and evenoxygen.

Marker of thepresence of SRB is theorder of rot ten eggs,which is due to theformation of H2S.

to the refinery.Corrosion: The H2S produced as aresult of SRB metabolism reactswith iron present in the completionequipments converting them toFeS. Thus with time, completionequipments get further corrodedand finally lose structural strengthto be used for consequentoperations.

HYDRO-FRACKING FLUID USEDFOR SHALE FORMATIONSShale formations are t ightformations. The permeability of theshale rocks is very less of the orderof micro darcies. Thushydrocarbons stored in these rockscan’t flow. As a result flow pathshave to be created by fracturing therocks by injecting fluids at very highpressure.

Certain additives need to beadded to water in order to transformits properties, so that it behaves asa better clay stabilizer, crosslinker,friction reducer, non-emulsifier andcorrosion inhibi tor. Anotherimportant desired property is itsability to inhibit the growth of SRB.Conventionally this has been doneby the use of biocides.

Biocide is an additive thatkills bacteria. Bactericidesare commonly used inwater muds containingnatural starches and gumsthat are especial lyvulnerable to bacter ialattack. Bactericide choicesare limited and care mustbe taken to find those thatare effective yet approvedby governments and bycompany pol icy.Bactericides, also calledbiocides, can be used tocontrol sulfate-reducingbacter ia, s l ime-forming

Fig.1 Biofilm Microenvironments. (Courtesy: DOW Microbial ControlAcademy)

Fig.2 Biofilm causes plugging. (Courtesy: DOW Microbial ControlAcademy)

SRB- A MENACE TO THE OIL ANDGAS INDUSTRYSRB is responsible for theformation of H2S by reducingsulphate in an anaerobicenvironment which further reducesiron/metal ions to form metalsulphides (say FeS). Here, SRBremoves molecular hydrogen fromthe cathode, leading to cathodicdepolarization of metal surface.Such activity of SRB causes variousproblems in working of oil and gasindustry.

Here are some major issuesthat operators need to face due tofunctioning of the SRBs.Souring of Hydrocarbons: SRBreduce sulphate ions into H2S as apart of their metabolism. Sulphateions are present in quite a goodamount in water in jected forhydrofracking. Therefore SRB getideal conditions to live and thrive inthis medium. Consequently theH2S production is also abundant.Thus sulphur content in thehydrocarbon increases decreasingits quality. This sour hydrocarbonproduced now requires systems onthe surface to treat it to free it fromsulphur content before sending it

Chemical


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bacter ia, i ron-oxidiz ingbacteria and bacteria thatattacks polymers infracture and secondaryrecovery f lu ids. Thebiocides used inhydrofracking f lu id areglutaraldehyde, quaternaryammonium chloride andtetrakis hydroxyl methylphosphonium sulphate.Inhibiting SRB usingbiocidesBiocides are dosedroutnely at low levels intofracturing fluids to controlmicrobe populations andsubsequemt adverseeffects associated withbacterial properties.

Among the differentbiocides quarternaryammonium compoundsare very good atpenetrat ing through thebiof i lm. Chlor inat ion iswidely used because it isone of the least expensiveand most effective bactericides.Whwn added to water, chlorinehydrolyses to form hypochlorousand hydrochloric acids.

Cl2 + H2O H+ + Cl- + HOClThe hypochlorous acid thenionizes to form hydrogen ions andhypochlorite ions.

HOCl H+ + OCl-

The degree of ionosation isdependent on pH. Below a pH of 5,molecular chlor ine is present.Above this pH, HOCl and OCl- arethe species present.

The use of biocides such asglutaraldehyde and quaternaryammonium compounds hasspurred a publ ic concern anddebate among regulatorsregarding the impact of inadvertentreleases into the environment on

ecosystem and human health.Of the 16 major biocides used

in fracking, nine have been reportedto have chronic toxicity effects (suchas developmental, reproductive,mutagenic, carcinogenic, orneurological effects). Of the seventhat have not shown any evidenceof chronic toxic i ty, three maytransform into intermediateproducts with toxic potential.

If inadvertently released intothe environment, some biocideswill primarily contaminate waterand will thus be more mobile butalso break down faster. Others willstick to soil and be less mobile andthus take longer to break down.

Many biocides degradenaturally in the environment, butsome may transform into more toxic

or persistent compounds.Proposed additive toinhibit SRB – NitrateReducing BacteriaNitrate injection changesthe microbial community inthe subsurface from mainlySRB to one enriched innitrate-reducing bacteria(NRB), which include thenitrate-reducing, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (NR-SOB) that oxidize H2Sdirectly and theheterotrophic NRB (hNRB),which compete with SRBfor degradable organicelectron donors and thuspotentially prevent SRBmetabolism. Lactate,representing degradableoil organics, is shown tobe oxidized incompletely toacetate and CO2 .Othercompounds, including thevolatile fatty acids acetate,propionate, and butyratemay be oxidized completely

to CO2, although complete oxidationof acetate has not been observed inthe current study. Both types of NRBalso promote SRB inhibition viaproduction of nitrite, formed in bothnitrate reduction pathways depictedin. Although lactate-utilizing SRBand hNRB are common in oil fields,lactate concentrations are low,indicating rapid turnover. Lactatemay form by fermentation of cell wallmaterial or of carbohydratepolymers injected to enhance oilrecovery.Tests conducted to verify theefficiency of NRB over biocidesIn the Marcellus Shale Formations,tests have been conducted todetermine the efficiency of NRB w.r.tbiocides in reducing SRB count.There are 3 sets of wells, Pad A,

Fig.3 Effect of biofilm removal by biocides. (Courtesy: DOW MicrobialControl Academy)

Fig.4 Effect of biofilm removal by biocides. (Courtesy: DOW MicrobialControl Academy)

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Pad B and Pad C. Pad Aand Pad C used acombination of freshwaterand produced waterwhereas Pad C only usedfreshwater. Pad C wellswere only treated with NRB(no biocide). While, for bothA and C, some wells weretreated with only NRB andsome with only biocide.

Ion exchangechromatography has beenused to know theconcentration of NRB andvolatile fatty acids(VFA) insource water, producedwater and flow back water.VFAs are the source ofcarbon oxidized by SRB.VFAs are by-products oforganic matter degraded bymicrobes. When VFA sources arel imited, NRB and SRB mustcompete for these metabolites.Treatment resultsWells in Pad A had been completedbefore Pad B wells, therefore, PadA wells had been monitored for 26months and Pad B wells for 19months. The average sulphideproduced from both pads duringthis time was calculated for NRBand biocide treated wells.

Pad A exhibited generally lowergas phase sulphide than Pad B. Inboth cases, biocide treated wellshad greater concentrat ion ofsulphide as compared to NRBtreated wel ls. This di f ferenceamounted to 37.1% less sulphidefor Pad A 30 percent less sulphidefor Pad B. The average sulphide forPad A NRB wells was 0.39 partsper mill ion compared with 0.62ppm for pad A biocide treated wells.Pad B produced more than twicethis amount, 0.98 ppm sulphide forNRB wel ls and 1.14 ppm for

biocide wells. For both pads theNRB treated wel ls maintainedaverage sulphide concentrationunder 1 ppm. In serial dilution setsof bacteria culture media, the NRBwells turned 0.44 PRD vials for APBgrowth. The biocide wells on thesepads turned more than twice thatamount at 1.156 positive PRD vialsfor APB growth.

CONCLUSIONNRB/nitrate treatment offers anecologically improved alternative tobiocide if applied properly in acompatible field (i.e. sustainabletotal dissolved sol idsconcentration, temperatures andlow porosity shale). The correctstrain of NRB should be usedwhich is compatible to the reservoirconditions.

REFERENCES[1] Patton CC, “Applied Water

Te c h n o l o g y , ” C a m p b e l lPetroleum Series, , pp. 181-208, September 1995.

[2] Hoffman J, 2014,Potent ial Health andEnvironmental Effects ofHydrofracking in theWilliston Basin, Montana.Retrieved from:http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWork-shops/health/case_studies/hydrofracking_w.html[3] Rolston K, 2014 Dec,CSU review: Environmentalimpact and toxicity ofbiocides used in frackingsti l l largely unknown.Retr ieved from: http://source.colostate.edu/csu-review-environmental-impact-tox ic i t y -b ioc ides-used-fracking-still-largely-unknown/[4] Kahrilas GA, BlotevogeJ, Stewart PS, Borch

T,Biocides in Hydraul icFracturing Fluids: A CriticalReview of Their Usage,Mobi l i ty, Degradat ion, andToxicity.Retrieved from: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es503724k

[5] Hubert C, Voordouw G, 2007 Apr,Oil Field Souring Control byNitrate-Reducing Sulfuro-spirillum spp. That OutcompeteSulfate-Reducing Bacteria forOrganic Electron Donors; 73(8):2644–2652.Published online2007 Feb 16. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02332-06. Retrieved from:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1855586/

[6] Grigoryan AA, 2008,Competitive oxidation of volatilefatty acids by sulfate- andnitrate-reducing bacteria froman oil field in Argentina, July;74(14):4324-35. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00419-08. Epub 2008 May23. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18502934.

Fig.5 Average post fracture bacteria populations. (Courtesy: AmericanOil and Gas Reporter)

Fig.6 Average post fracture sulphide gas concentrations. (Courtesy:American Oil and Gas Reporter)

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How do you plan to keep abalance between the up,mid and downstreamsector developmentsalong with addressing theimportant issue of climatechange duringPETROTECH-2016?PETROTECH-2016 is the12th edition of the flagshipevent of the Indianhydrocarbon sector that isa must-attend one in thispart of the globe. The eventis organised under theaegis of Ministry ofPetroleum & Natural Gas,Government of India.

It is being aimed tobring the attention of policymakers, Governments,academia and industrybigwigs the challenge andopportunities for ensuringequitable, affordable andreliable energy to everyhuman being on thisplanet. The focus will be onfuture for which groundworks are required today.

Over the years, thePETROTECH series ofconferences has gatheredmomentum and emergedas a movement uniting theupstream, midstream anddownstream sectors.During the PETROTECH-2016 Conference, we havel ined up an array ofSessions that will straddleareas of del iberat ionsacross the ent i rehydrocarbon value chain,

PETROTECH-2016returns to the iconic

Vigyan Bhavan

FACE TO FACE

Rajesh AhujaExecutive Director, Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

Convenor, PETROTECH-2016talks to DEW Journal

ranging from petroleumtechnology, exploration,dr i l l ing & product ion,transportat ion, petro-chemicals, natural gas,al ternat ive energy,economics and legalaspects of petroleumtrade, human resourcedevelopment, research &development, toinformation technology,HSE management in theoil and gas sector.

We are also planningto hold a Minister ialSession that is expected tobe attended by EnergyMinisters of overseascountr ies and addresspolicy issues related tocomplementaries of inter-country cooperation.

Who are the big-wigsexpected to attend andaddress the event?In keeping with the statureand importance of theevent, the PETROTECH-2016 Conference isexpected to be inauguratedby Prime Minister of India.The Minister of State forPetroleum & Natural Gasis the chief patron of theevent and is expected toinaugurate theP E T R O T E C H - 2 0 1 6Exhibition.

We are expecting thepresence of a slew ofEnergy Ministers fromseveral countr ies with

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whom India has activebusiness interests. Inaddition, we expect theeminent thinkers andpersonal i t ies in theglobal oil & industry – both from Corporates as wellas Governments – to be a part of India’s flagship oil& gas industry event.

As the prime showcase of India’s hydrocarbonsector, the PETROTECH mega event will attracttechnologists, scientists, policy makers, managementexperts, entrepreneurs, service providers and vendorsfrom countries and companies worldwide. We aim toput together yet another spectacular value-addededition of PETROTECH.

How will this edition of PETROTECH be action-packed in the backdrop of present low oil prices?It is a mixed bag and a tale of contrasts in the oil &gas sector over the past year. While it has beenchallenging times for explorers, the refiners have hada better margin. All stakeholders are working on theirstrengths & opportunities to lay a road-map to abreastthis phase, for which the uncertainty remains. Willlast for how much time, no one knows!

PETROTECH is a very strong brand in the Indianhydrocarbon space. The exhibitors and sponsors arewell aware of the benefit potential of this event. So,we don’t expect the low oil prices to have anysignificant impact on the scale and grandeur ofPETROTECH-2016.

Why should companies patronise PETROTECH-2016?Every new edition of PETROTECH is emerging Indiastory. It is in fact the narrative of India being the thirdlargest energy consumer in the world. And, as oureconomy flourishes, the country is set to witness anupswing in energy demand in the near- to mid-term.The r ising per capita income, the mult i far iousinitiatives to promote economic growth, infrastructuredevelopment, and the drive towards ‘Make in India’are expected to boost our country’s energy demandin a big way. The world is indeed taking note andwatching with interest as the discourse unfolds on a

range of topics such asclean energy, r is ingenergy demand, smartci t ies, etc. With somuch happenings with

growth outlook over 7.5% plus, Corporates & investorscan’t afford to overlook India.

As a mega event, the PETROTECH conferenceand exhibition has been unique in its approach whileubiquitous in its aim to provide cleaner, greener andsustainable energy solutions. Over the years, it hasgarnered an enviable reputation in the internationalcircles as one of the coveted forums for the globalhydrocarbon industry. With a plethora topics andtechnical sessions, the 2016 edition will sow theseeds of a vibrant future and engage the participantsin a memorable and eventful Conference.

PETROTECH-2016 is returning to India’s premierconvention centre - Vigyan Bhavan. How will theExhibition & Conference be seamlessly linkedtogether since Vigyan Bhawan does not have spacefor exhibitions?As you rightly said, the PETROTECH-2016 Conferenceis returning to Vigyan Bhawan - the premierconvention centre in the national Capital. The majesticvenue has held many significant summits, seminarsand conferences since several decades. It has aPlenary Hall with a seating capacity of 1285 delegatesand 6 smaller halls equipped with a capacity to seat74 to 378 delegates. In addition, it has the office blockfor on-site offices/ secretariat/ documentation centreetc., a studio, a business centre and a separate mediacentre and 4 halls in the annexe building.

This year, we plan to take the PETROTECH-2016exhibition to the sprawling lawns of Jawaharlal NehruStadium. In terms of seating capacity, it is the fourthlargest mult ipurpose stadium in India. ThePETROTECH conference and exhibition venues areabout 4.2 km, 10-12 minutes apart. The stadium hasample parking space and is equipped with the requiredamenities and walk-in connectivity to 2 metro stations.To boost footfall at the exhibition, we plan to ply shuttlebuses between the two venues.

“In keeping with the stature and importance of theevent, the PETROTECH-2016 is expected to beinaugurated by Prime Minister of India.A slew ofEnergy Ministers from several countries with whomIndia has active business interests are expectedto attend. In addition, the eminent thinkers andpersonalities in the global oil & industry- both fromCorporates as well as Governments will be a partof India’s flagship oil & gas industry event”

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Promoting women in the oil and gas

industry

The World Petroleum Council (WPC) and TheBoston Consulting Group (BCG) are working

together to create a global report, "PromotingWomen: A strategic approach to GenderEquality in Oil & Gas". The report will bepresented in 2017 at the 22nd WPC inIstanbul.

The work is intended to become thereference report for the industry. With theparticipation of WPC members, we willdefine a baseline and key metrics ofwomen's representation at all levels inthe oil and gas workforce. In addition,interviews and a global survey withmale and female industry leaderswi l l capture the opinions andthoughts on what has workedwell so far in closing the gendergap and what more needs tohappen to create genderequal i ty. The aim is tocompi le quant i tat ivedata, analyse learningsof successful initiativeswithin the sector andgain insight f romfemale executives andtrailblazers promoting women inthe oil and gas industry.

We believe that achievinggender equality is a key strategyfor overcoming shortages inski l led labour, improvingcompanies' performance, anddoing a better job of managingdigital disruptions. We are excitedat the combination of the globaloutreach of WPC and the analyticsof BCG, as well as the passion andexperience that the two organisationsshare on this critical topic.

The benchmark report wi l l beupdated and published every three yearsand will enable stakeholders to track the

progress against the 2016 baseline. The results andrecommendations will be presented in 2017 at a high-

profile roundtable before the global industryleadership at the 22nd World Petroleum

Congress in Istanbul.The World Petroleum Council was

established in 1933 and provides aforum for discussion of the issuesfacing the oil and gas industryworldwide. It is a non-advocacy,non-pol i t ical organisat ion,dedicated to the application of

scientific advances in the oiland gas industr ies,technology transfer and thesustainable use of theworld’s petroleum

resources for the benefit ofall. The WPC is registered asa chari ty in the UK. I t ’s

seventy member countr iesrepresent 96% of the world’s

oi l and gas product ion andconsumption.

The Boston Consult ingGroup is a global managementconsult ing f i rm and the world’s

leading advisor on businessstrategy. We partner with clientsfrom the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regionsto identify their highest-valueopportunit ies, address theirmost critical challenges, andtransform their enterprises. Our

customized approach combinesdeep insight into the dynamics of

companies and markets with closecollaboration at all levels of the client

organizat ion. This ensures thatour cl ients achieve sustainable

competi t ive advantage, bui ld morecapable organizations, and secure lastingresults. dewjournal.com

8th March 2016 – International Women’s DayWPC and BCG Collaborate on Promoting Women in the Oil and Gas Industry

dew journal issue april 2016

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