Peer Reviewed Papers - Overview

Papers in this month's issue include a modeling methodology for integrity maintenance of pipelines, the need to include viscosity changes in transient modeling calculations and the use of computational fluid dynamics to evaluate a production separator in the North Sea.

Welcome to this month’s selection of peer-reviewed papers. Thank you for taking the time to review these pages. When readers find value in these papers, the benefits of the peer-review system become clear. 

The first paper identifies a modeling methodology for integrity maintenance of pipelines and a case study to demonstrate its effectiveness. The cost of failure and the benefit-to-cost ratio are highlighted. The optimization modeling includes both of these aspects and demonstrates the effects of failures in pipeline systems.

The next paper describes the need to include viscosity changes in transient modeling calculations. The effect of using viscosity in these calculations can be significant. The variables, appropriate for pipelines and pressure vessels, include pressure over time, flow rate, and flow through an orifice or hole.

The final paper discusses the use of computational fluid dynamics to evaluate a production separator in the North Sea. This simulation identifies separation inefficiencies with the projected increase in produced water rates. The effect on the water quality is identified and includes both the droplet size and total oil content. A future paper will discuss optimization of this design.

This section of the Oil and Gas Facilities magazine would not be available without the technical editors who review these papers; I would like to thank each of them for his effort.

Every year, SPE recognizes those who have made exceptional efforts to ensure the technical excellence of its peer-reviewed journals. This year’s winners of the Outstanding Technical Editor Award are Galen Dino of AMEC  Oil and Gas Americas and Raj Rajan of Alberta Innovates.

I would also like to mention the reviewers who have received SPE’s A Peer Apart Award for 2012; each reviewer has been involved in the peer review of at least 100 papers. The six awardees are Bernt S. Aadnoy of the University of Stavanger, I. Yucel Akkutlu of the University of Oklahoma, Craig L. Cipolla of Hess, Steven F. Crary of Schlumberger, Mustafa Onur of the Istanbul Technical University, and Michael J. Webster of BP.

Also, thank you—to our readers—for your continued participation in, and support of, the magazine.  I hope you find the time to promote this publication with your coworkers, and I hope you enjoy this issue.

 

Associate Editors

Williams Chirinos, Inexertus
Galen Dino, AMEC Oil and Gas Americas
Saeid Mokhatab, Emertec R&D
Gerald Verbeek, Verbeek Management Services