Many treatises have been written on the subject of knowledge absorption although not under this specific title. Many of these treatises cover narrow as well as broad areas related to methods of teaching specific subject matter as evidenced by numerous articles which have appeared in the Journal of the American Society for Engineering Education as well as in other publications. Most of these publications have dealt with methods of presenting subject matter and have neglected to some extent the final result of the efforts of the instructor, that is the amount of knowledge imparted by the instructor and absorbed by the audience. Generally speaking, it is axiomatic that excellent teaching should lead to a high rate of knowledge absorption. However, there is one factor often beyond the control of the instructor; namely, the desire on the part of the individual to acquire knowledge which will be beneficial to him in furthering his professional accomplishments.

Losses while drilling is the one of the severe challenges faced by the well construction team. The area for improvement lies in a better understanding of how different products solve losses and which should be used under what condition. A fracture test device was built to study the effectiveness of different lost circulation materials such as gunk, calcium carbonate, graphite and mica. The variables investigated were the fracture size, lost circulation material type, concentration and size. In addition to the conventional lost circulation materials, different chemical systems were tested. Effect of oil based and water based drilling fluid was also investigated in this study. Results from the detailed investigation of the effectiveness of different materials to solve loss circulation challenge is discussed and presented in this paper. Based on the results, mechanisms by which different products solve losses and procedures to implement the solution are presented. The work can help in identifying the attributes of the lost circulation and applying the most appropriate solution.

Pump slippage is an important part of the operation of a rod pumped well. A number of companies along with Texas Tech University have been conducting research on pump slippage in order to better understand the factors that effect slippage and derive a new slippage formula. This research was performed using the Red Raider # 1, a 4006" test well operated by Texas Tech. This presentation will be an update on what has been learned so far during the slippage test.

Smart plunger technology allows producers to receive fast and reliable down hole pressure and temperature information from a plunger equipped with an internal pressure and temperature gauge. The smart plunger is dropped down hole like any other plunger. Normal cyclical operation of the well returns the plunger to surface without the use of wireline, rig, and crew. When the plunger is retrieved at surface, the pressure vs. time data is downloaded to the operator's laptop or PC for display to operators and engineers. The smart plunger is capable of logging normal rise and fall plunger runs, shut in build up tests; as well as, stationary down hole flowing applications. The smart plunger can be utilized as a plunger lift optimization tool. Knowing exactly how long it takes a plunger to hit fluid and bottom, allows operators to decrease fall times and increase sales times. The smart plunger can be used as a surveillance tool. If an operator suspects they have a hole in the tubing, they can simply drop the smart plunger. The smart plunger sampling pressure and temperature every second will log the dramatic temperature change in the tubing, confirming a whole in the tubing.

The historical parameters, which have been used to calculate the sinker bar weight for artificially lifted rod-pumped wells, have been based on what is called the z-factor. This factor was derived using the physical dimensions of the lapped area of the sealing surface of the seat in the traveling valve of a rod-drawn pump. This paper describes testing which was done recently at EVI Oil Tools, Trico Industries, Inc. location, at San Marcos, Texas in the Hydraulic Test Lab.

The economical exploitation of domestic oil and gas reserves has become more and more difficult to achieve as the quantity and quality of available reservoirs has declined. Under these marginal conditions, the implementation of optimum completion practices will make the difference between economic success and failure. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of laboratory testing in optimizing completion practices. The laboratory tests that are useful in optimizing completion practices include reservoir description, drilling fluid, cement, perforating fluid and kill fluid compatibility tests as well as acidizing and fracturing fluid interaction tests. All of the above are discussed as well as recent research efforts in the area of matrix and fracture acidizing, which are aimed at determining parameters such as mass transfer and diffusion coefficients, which are commonly estimated. In the area of hydraulic fracturing, recent findings and research efforts in the area of rheology, proppant transport, leakoff and conductivity of proppants are discussed. Large scale laboratory equipment is shown that simulates downhole conditions for each phase of testing. The work emphasizes the need to use laboratory testing to provide answers that can be implemented in field operations to immediately improve completion design and thus optimize production. Finally, the concept of consortia to leverage research dollars to achieve workable answers to difficult completion problems is addressed.

Typically, channels or streaks of high permeability develop after a period of time in CO2 injection programs. To help prevent injected CO and water from bypassing Recoverable oil polymer is injected which alters permeability to permit injected CO2 and water to contact previously bypassed oil-bearing formation. With the development of the laboratory apparatus described in this paper, significant improvements have been made in analyzing and designing polymer injection strategies to improve conformance control. The apparatus consists of a parallel series of cores of varying permeability to simulate variations in formation permeability. These cores are subjected to sequential injection of CO2 and water, followed by polymer injection. Effects of polymer injection on formation permeability are then evaluated. Results of studies conducted using this laboratory apparatus have led to findings regarding: 1. Selection of a nonionic organic crosslinked polyacrylamide polymer which is stable in the low pH environment of supercritical CO2. 2. Determination of an optimum treatment size to preferentially alter permeability to improve conformance control. 3. Long term effects of the CO2 environment on stability of injected polymer.

The economically successful exploitation of oil and gas resources has become more and more difficult to achieve as the quality of the reservoirs available for exploration have declined. In the last decade much of the activity on-shore in the lower 48 states has concentrated on previously by-passed lower quality reservoirs and in intensive in-field drilling programs in mature fields. Tertiary recovery projects have been emphasized but typically do not compete with well conceived primary production projects. Under these marginal economic conditions, the implementation of optimum completion practices will often make the difference between economic success and failure. The purpose of this paper is first to relate several well histories to demonstrate some important observations about the influence of completion parameters on well productivity. Secondly, it will demonstrate the role of laboratory studies in optimizing completion practices. Finally, it will emphasize the need to fully understand the necessity of using laboratory tests, and ensuring that the tests employed can provide field implementable answers and not just laboratory data from routine tests.

The economically successful exploitation of oil and gas resources has become more and more difficult to achieve as the quality of the reservoirs available for exploration have declined. In the last decade much of the activity on-shore in the lower 48 states has concentrated on previously by-passed lower quality reservoirs and in intensive in-field drilling programs in mature fields. Tertiary recovery projects have been emphasized but typically do not compete with well conceived primary production projects. Under these marginal economic conditions, the implementation of optimum completion practices will often make the difference between economic success and failure. The purpose of this paper is first to relate several well histories to demonstrate some important observations about the influence of completion parameters on well productivity. Secondly, it will demonstrate the role of laboratory studies in optimizing completion practices. Finally, it will emphasize the need to fully understand the necessity of using laboratory tests, and ensuring that the tests employed can provide field implementable answers and not just laboratory data from routine tests.

This paper reviews the features and laboratory tests for a unique downhole gas-solids-liquid separator that has been designed. The objective of this project was to develop a gas separator that would perform efficiently at high fluid flow rates and could be also used in combination with a solids separator. The device attaches to the inlet of progressing cavity and beam pumps. With electrical submersible pumps a shroud is used. Scale-model tests were used to evaluate the design at high fluid flow rates.

A discussion of the LACT, as viewed by the pipeliner is presented. Requirements of measurement, tolerance of performance and general examination of this new facility is included.

The drop in oil prices has required everyone to reevaluate their operations to reduce operating costs and improve profit. One potential way to maximize a lease's profit is to ensure that a LACT Unit is properly built, maintained, operated, and proved. ARC0 Oil and Gas Company (AOGC) recently revised their LACT Unit Design and Operation Standards to address these issues. This paper briefly discusses several sections of those new standards which have a significant impact on measurement quality.

Lease Automatic Custody Transfer (LACT) is the name given to the systems which automatically perform the functions of measuring and recording of temperature compensated oil quantity; sampling for subsequent determination of quality; and the running of the oil from the lease into the pipeline in accordance with preset schedules on an unattended basis. Automatic monitoring of oil quality with shut-in of unit on sensing of unmerchantable oil is used in conjunction with LACT. There are two basic types of LACT metering in use in the industry today. These units are (A) positive volume dump meters and (B) positive displacement meters. Each of these units is designed to perform the functions described above but each utilizes different methods. A third unit (C) is a special adaptation of (A) for use on small volumes.

Options for improving productivity in older wells are re-stimulating the well or adding laterals extending past the original wellbore. A new technique achieves both in limestone formations. This technique creates pre-stimulated "tunnels" that bypass near-wellbore damage to make contact with newly exposed reservoir rock. This technology relies on hydrochloric acid's ability to dissolve limestone along with a coiled tubing bottomhole assembly made to kick over toward the formation. A nozzle then jets acid at the formation creating tunnels extending from the wellbore. The technique works in all open-hole wells drilled in limestone and can be used to make multiple laterals in new or old wells. This procedure was recently used in the United States for the first time. Three tunnels were created in an Oklahoma stripper well. This paper describes the tool and design including an operational timeline; lessons learned during the Oklahoma operation, pre- and post-job production information, and a cost/benefit analysis for the treatment.

This paper describes the use of associative polymer technology (APT) to achieve fluid diversion during an acid stimulation treatment. APT involves the use of a very low viscosity aqueous polymer solution. It adsorbs immediately onto the formation surface and significantly reduces the ability of subsequent aqueous fluids to flow into high permeability portions of the rock. The first stage containing the APT predominately will enter the most permeable area, diverting following acid stage(s) to other less permeable sections of the rock. APT has little or no effect on the flow of subsequent hydrocarbon production. Parallel flow study data using water saturated and oil saturated cores will be presented which shows the ability of APT to divert acid, in both sandstone and carbonate cores. In addition, case histories will be presenting showing the effectiveness of APT.

For many years, bull head systems to reduce water production have received a great deal of attention from the oil- and gas-production industry. Previous papers have discussed the laboratory development of a new bullhead system based on a hydrophobically modified polymer. This paper will outline the field implementation of this system and will describe some of the successes (and failures) of the system. Even though bull head systems do not seal off water zones and thus do not have the capability to completely stop water production, it will be demonstrated that these treatments can be extremely economically attractive. While field

Water production in gas wells can be a huge problem, in many cases causing premature well abandonment. Numerous techniques are used in attempts to allow continued production, including the use of foams and plunger systems. However, these techniques require continuous injection of chemicals and/or maintenance of equipment. Stopping, or slowing down, the water is another approach to the problem. This paper will discuss a bullhead polymer system which reduces the permeability to water much more than to gas. The system does not require zonal isolation of the water producing zone, making for much simpler job design and execution than standard crosslinked gel treatments. The paper will discuss the polymer chemistry, laboratory test data, details on job design and execution, as well as case histories.

This paper covers the newer (since 1959) developments in equipment for rod pumping in multiple completed wells. It also reviews some of the trouble with the earlier equipment and the corrective measures that have been taken.

You could hardly have picked a more important topic for a meeting of production people. Oil lifting is not only the ultimate aim of a great deal of out work in the production end of the petroleum industry, but it is also a part of the business in which some of the most important improvements and changes are being made. In oil lifting, you have to keep running these days just to keep from losing ground . . . Fortunately, however, there has been a growing awareness throughout our country that learning can be-and should be-a lifetime proposition. You can see this awareness in industry, and you can see it in the universities. In industry, training programs are flourishing as never. before-training covering every pertinent subject from fast reading to slow driving, from the fundamentals of safety to the fundamentals of supervision. In the colleges, extension courses and short courses and night classes have thrown open the gates of knowledge to all who would enter.

To date, there have been two major automation projects in the Fullerton Clearfork Unit. The first was completed in 1956 and included 57 wells. It consisted of complete automation from the wellhead to the storage tanks with no custody transfer facilities. This, being a pioneer installation, required some changes and revisions before satisfactory operation was obtained; however, once completed it have operated satisfactory. The second project, including 51 wells, was completed in 1958. The essential difference between these two projects is that the first was designed to handle intermittent flowing wells, while the second was designed to handle pumping water flood production and includes "LACT" facilities. This paper is concerned, primarily, with a discussion of these automation projects and the types of equipment used. It discusses briefly the operational and economic criteria for the application of automation.

In everyday language the term "Custody Transfer" means simply a "sale", and the Lease Automatic Custody Transfer may be defined as the unattended sale of oil by the producer from the lease tanks to the pipe line. Under this method, all the operations of gauging and thiefing the tank, or determining the BS&W content, the temperature and the gravity of oil, and finally of placing the tank on the line, normally done manually, are being performed automatically.

The fundamental criteria for a good electrical system is delivery of electrical energy at a satisfactory level. How to allocate voltage drop and benefits from proper application of capacitors is explained. Optimum voltage spread results in minimum total cost.

Oil and condensate producers can significantly increase their revenue by using skid-mounted, portable lease-type packaged gasoline plants to remove hydrocarbon liquids from wet lease gas streams. The 500-3,000 MCFD capacity units are easily maintained and operated by lease pumpers since only conventional oil field equipment is involved. Recovery has varied from 33.5 bbls. Per MMCF on high pressure separator gas streams, to 144.5 bbls. Per MMCF on treater gas streams. This article describes typical application and operation of the lease type plants.

Gas engines can be leased for a fixed monthly fee, including complete maintenance. In many cases this leasing service is the most economical method of lifting crude oil.

A growing majority of oil and gas fields in North America are mature or heavily depleted proposing many challenges for economic production. Low reservoir pressures, along with liquid loading, have become some of the main hurdles to overcome when attempting to economically produce natural gas. Deliquifying wells using artificial lift has become a prominent method used to tackle these issues. This paper discusses the challenges faced in the Oil and Gas industry with an eye to deliquifying mature or depleted reservoirs. It describes the pros and cons of the pump jack and the LeBro pump actuator currently being tested; it compares the cost of installing a pump jack vs. a LeBro pump actuator; and it also talks about testing done on horizontal Coal Bed Methane wells, and future design and implementation on deep well application (~12,500').