Offshore Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

The rising trend of outsourcing IT projects to countries with more economical workforce and considerable time differential, has given rise to a host of problems relating teamwork. Co-location, which was once considered an effective... more

The rising trend of outsourcing IT projects to countries with more economical workforce and considerable time differential, has given rise to a host of problems relating teamwork. Co-location, which was once considered an effective teamwork tool is now getting lost in the crowd of telecommuters and offshore distributed teams. The reliance on electronic media has even replaced the need for face-to-face communication and even help desks are now located offshore. This paper focuses on the multinational and multicultural issues faced by outsourcing companies and their offshore partners, especially in IT projects. How to bridge the wide communication gap and make offshore IT Project a sure success is the theme of this paper. Case studies from India, Pakistan and other potential offshore partners are discussed to extract best practices. Asia is considered to be the offshore heaven for IT projects being outsourced from USA, Canada and even UK. Where cheaper workforce is one major consideration, the time zone difference of 8-10 hours contributes positively towards outsourcing medical/legal transcription and call center businesses. English being the second spoken language in Asia, the accent of people from Asia is very adaptable to the native accents of USA, Canada and UK. The problems rise when the cultural and national abnormalities and habits cause differences and such projects face disaster. Only if both the nations can understand each other better psychologically and culturally, this gap can easily be bridged, thus assuring success to such IT Projects.

Sediment traps were deployed on the Northwest Shelf (NWS) of Australia in November 1996, to determine fluxes of organic matter and inorganic elements from the photic zone to deeper waters in a transect extending from Exmouth Shelf to... more

Sediment traps were deployed on the Northwest Shelf (NWS) of Australia in November 1996, to determine fluxes of organic matter and inorganic elements from the photic zone to deeper waters in a transect extending from Exmouth Shelf to Exmouth Plateau. Infiltrex II water samplers collected particulate and dissolved organics from the water column near the trap sites. Surface sediments and sediment cores were also collected over the study region. Lipid biomarkers were used to determine the sources of organic carbon and its cycling processes on the NWS.Dry weight fluxes from the traps ranged from 124 to 616 mg m−2 day−1and particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes ranged from 22 to 42 mg m−2 day−1. The biogenic lipids consisted of biomarkers indicative of marine zooplankton, phytoplankton and bacteria, plus traces of land plant markers. A large contribution of unresolved complex material (UCM), which is indicative of petroleum, was detected at four times the biogenic hydrocarbon flux at shallow stations, and up to seven times the biogenic hydrocarbon flux at the most offshore station.There is essentially no river input, and only trace aeolian-derived material to contribute to primary production on the NWS of Australia. Most of the organic matter produced are rapidly recycled in the water column and the small fraction of lipids that settle to the sediments is already partially degraded and undergoes further rapid degradation in the surface sediments. Natural oil seeps also provide utilisable organic carbon to the system. The production and vertical flux rates of organics determined in this study are comparable to those reported in studies of shallow traps in oceanic areas from long-term studies in the Arabian Sea, and other coastal margins such as the Bay of Biscay (France) and California (USA).In offshore areas, most “living” lipid materials passed through the GFF filters thus invalidating POC estimates based on high volume sampling. To adequately assess living (particulate) carbon, gentle filtration of low volume seawater samples is more accurate, as shown by this solid phase absorption study of individual lipid biomarkers.

This paper presents a study highlighting the predictive performance of a radial basis function (RBF) network in estimating the grade of an offshore placer gold deposit. In applying the radial basis function network to grade estimation of... more

This paper presents a study highlighting the predictive performance of a radial basis function (RBF) network in estimating the grade of an offshore placer gold deposit. In applying the radial basis function network to grade estimation of the deposit, several pertinent issues regarding RBF model construction are addressed in this study. One of the issues is the selection of the RBF network along with its center and width parameters. Selection was done by an evolutionary algorithm that utilizes the concept of cooperative coevolutions of the RBFs and the associated network. Furthermore, the problem of data division, which arose during the creation of the training, calibration and validation of data sets for the RBF model development, was resolved with the help of an integrated approach of data segmentation and genetic algorithms (GA). A simulation study conducted showed that nearly 27% of the time, a bad data division would result if random data divisions were adopted in this study. In addition, the efficacy of the RBF network was tested against a feed-forward network and geostatistical techniques. The outcome of this comparative study indicated that the RBF model performed decisively better than the feed-forward network and the ordinary kriging (OK).

In an effort to understand the present-day thermal structure of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, we derive matrix thermal conductivity values, using a geometric mean model, from thermal conductivity values of thirteen lithologic end-members (of... more

In an effort to understand the present-day thermal structure of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, we derive matrix thermal conductivity values, using a geometric mean model, from thermal conductivity values of thirteen lithologic end-members (of which seven are measurements on materials from the Jeanne d'Arc Basin) and lithological data. Temperature corrections to thermal conductivity are made for both matrix and pore water. In-situ thermal conductivities were obtained after correcting for the effect of porosity, which we estimated from both lithological information and digital well logs. Calculated thermal conductivities of the formations range from 1.46 to 2.65 W m -1K -1. The heterogeneity of formation thermal conductivity is caused by at least two factors. The first is lithological variation due to facies change. The second is due to different degrees of compaction. Under-compacted intervals (overpressure zones) are characteristically of lower thermal conductivity. The surface heat flow density calculated with an inverse method in seventeen wells varies from 37.8 to 60.7 mW/m 2. This study indicates that surface heat flow density values estimated without porosity corrections may be 15% higher than those with porosity corrections. We also demonstrate the sensitivity of modelled timing of maturation to thermal conductivity estimations.

In this paper, the author traces the now-commonplace protector mechanism back to its offshore roots. By focusing explicitly on private, express offshore trusts, the present writer asks, first, what motivated the trust parties to include... more

In this paper, the author traces the now-commonplace protector mechanism back to its offshore roots. By focusing explicitly on private, express offshore trusts, the present writer asks, first, what motivated the trust parties to include this entirely optional office in their dealings and, second, whether their reasons for inclusion could not have been more effectively achieved without a protector. This will include an exploration of those common powers conferred to the office, and a particular focus on the 'agency costs' theory of trusts, which emerged during the 1990s and offers a normative lens through which the value of the protector can be analysed.

While the label “international branch campus” can imply that the ownership or condition of facilities is important in the model, most operating definitions only require that there be a physical presence in a foreign country. The research... more

While the label “international branch campus” can imply that the ownership or condition of facilities is important in the model, most operating definitions only require that there be a physical presence in a foreign country. The research has revealed that IBCs actually come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from rented storefronts to government subsidized architectural wonders. These data reveal five models that universities use when seeking to establish an IBC’s physical plant. It is important to note, however, that the use of these models will be limited, based on local regulations (e.g., some countries do not allow foreign ownership of facilities), as well as the ability to find a willing government, private, or academic partner to provide the space. Each arrangement comes with its own set of opportunities and obstacles. Wholly owned endeavors provide some stability and freedom from external interference but also pose a financial risk, should the enrollments not meet projections or government hospitality lapse. Partnering reduces the financial risks, but could lead to outside interference in academic affairs. While the models of facility ownership have been identified, more research is needed to understand their operational implications.

A significant number of offshore oil and gas installations in the United Kingdom’s (UK) North Sea have either exceeded or are approaching the end of their designed economic life. Operators and contractors are confronted with an array of... more

A significant number of offshore oil and gas installations in the United Kingdom’s (UK) North Sea have either exceeded or are approaching the end of their designed economic life. Operators and contractors are confronted with an array of challenges, which hinder the cost effective and safe completion of decommissioning projects. The costing and technological challenges that confront the oil and gas industry are identified using a series of semi-structured interviews. One of the most prominent challenges identified was the inability to reliably estimate the volume and cost of work to be undertaken. This is exacerbated by a supply chain with limited capacity and experience in executing decommissioning projects in this fledgling sector in the oil and gas industry. As a result of the analysis that is undertaken, it is recommended that an industry-wide decommissioning forum be established to facilitate the sharing of experience and knowledge, particularly with regard to cost information so that operators and contractors can ameliorate the planning and management of the decommissioning process.

The Black Sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world and contains many geological occurrences such as numerous mud volcanoes, channels which played an active role in sediment transport, active faults, and methane leaks. In the... more

The Black Sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world and contains many geological occurrences such as numerous mud volcanoes, channels which played an active role in sediment transport, active faults, and methane leaks. In the wells drilled in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Turkey in the Black Sea, any long-term producible hydrocarbon discovery could not be made so far. The purpose of this paper is to determine hydrocarbon exploration targets in the EEZ of Turkey in the Black Sea based on the relations between the geological structures and hydrocarbon systems. Therefore, in the study, the suggestions have been made for hydrocarbon exploration targets and drilling locations to be drilled into these targets based on geological, geochemical, seismic, and gravity-magnetic measurements along with hydrocarbon discovery data from the previous studies. The geological and geophysical data presented in this investigation indicate that the oil and gas reservoirs may be discovered in the EEZ of Turkey in the Black Sea. Consequently, it is projected that the future hydrocarbon exploration activities to be conducted may contribute to the possible discovery prosperities if they are shifted to the target areas suggested in this study.

Art as an asset or investment is not exactly new. What is new, and which I want to explore here, is the drive to make things, like art and land and diamonds, function as commodities but also as financial shares and/or derivatives. The... more

Art as an asset or investment is not exactly new. What is new, and which I want to explore here, is the drive to make things, like art and land and diamonds, function as commodities but also as financial shares and/or derivatives. The work of art might be at every moment in the process of becoming liquid capital, of existing as something with a physical use value in the material world while its market value circulates in far-flung networks of exchange. Two technologies are significant when considering this and they both play a role in the art market: The freeport and the cryptographic token.

Due to the growing demand for hydrocarbons, explorations at sea have increased with particular challenges such as exploitation in ultra-deep waters and frozen seas, which has led to the development of new technologies. Offshore activities... more

Due to the growing demand for hydrocarbons, explorations at sea have increased with particular challenges such as exploitation in ultra-deep waters and frozen seas, which has led to the development of new technologies. Offshore activities are considered high-risk, with accidents and a high fatality rate as well as severe damage to the environment. This article will analyze the importance of design for safety in offshore oil and gas platforms and the good practices from the MODU CODE. Then will concentrate on the implication of technical standards with safety cases. Also, it will examine the industry in the Colombian Caribbean coast, focusing on the recent concerns in the offshore sector, potential oil spills, and how to enforce the design for safety in the country. Finally, it will conclude with some suggestions and recommendations to improve this industry in Colombia and protect the environment.

I. Course Purpose: This training course is designed for crane operators. It mainly deals with the regulatory requirements, design and construction, control functions and mode of operation, safe working procedures, and inspection as well... more

I. Course Purpose: This training course is designed for crane operators. It mainly deals with the regulatory requirements, design and construction, control functions and mode of operation, safe working procedures, and inspection as well as maintenance for marine offshore crane. The course aims to provide thorough knowledge and basic skills required to operate offshore cranes and static hydraulic cranes safely and efficiently preventing accident and damage at all times. II. Course Objective: Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to gain thorough understanding of the following: • Regulatory requirements pertaining to construction and operation of offshore cranes. • Know the design and construction, function, controls and mode of operations. • Safe working procedures to ensure operators can use lifting equipment safely and not exceed the load limit, thus prevent overloading and accident. • Different aspects of inspection and maintenance before and after use of marine offshore cranes. • Identify potential hazards associated with the lifting operation • Implement control measures to address the identified hazards • Plan the lifting route to minimize any risk to personnel and surroundings • Ensure the load is accurately assessed for approximate weight, incorporating an adequate safety factor • Communicate, discuss and ensure understanding of the prepared lifting plan and risk assessment with the lifting team • Communicate, discuss and agree with appropriate personnel, actions to take related to the lifting operation in the event of an emergency • Inform the relevant personnel of the lifting operation and identify any potential disruption to operations • Obtain the resources identified in the lifting plan required to move the load, following relevant rigging lift procedures. • Ensure the lifting equipment and lifting accessories are free of obvious defects, and certification is current • Carry out pre-use inspection of lifting equipment and lifting accessories III. Duration: 3 days (30 Hours)

In this work, a framework is presented that makes it possible to reproduce the challenging operational scenario of controlling offshore cranes via a laboratory setup. This framework can be used for testing different control methods and... more

In this work, a framework is presented that makes it possible to reproduce the challenging operational scenario of controlling offshore cranes via a laboratory setup. This framework can be used for testing different control methods and for training purposes. The system consists of an industrial robot, the Kuka KR 6 R900 SIXX (KR AGILUS) manipulator and a motion platform with three degrees of freedom. This work focuses on the system integration. The motion platform is used to simulate the wave effects, while the robotic arm is controlled by the user with a joystick. The wave contribution is monitored by means of an accelerometer mounted on the platform and it is used as a negative input to the manipulator’s control algorithm so that active heave compensation methods can be achieved. Concerning the system architecture, the presented framework is built on open-source software and hardware. The control software is realised by applying strict multi-threading criteria to meet demanding real-time requirements.
Related simulations and experimental results are carried out to validate the efficiency of the proposed framework. In particular, it can be certified that this approach allows for an effective risk reduction from both an individual as well as an overall evaluation of the potential harm.

Any device aiming to harness the abundant clean and renewable energy from ocean and other water resources must have high energy density, be unobtrusive, have low maintenance, be robust, meet life cycle cost targets, and have a life. The... more

Any device aiming to harness the abundant clean and renewable energy from ocean and other water resources must have high energy density, be unobtrusive, have low maintenance, be robust, meet life cycle cost targets, and have a life. The vortex induced vibration aquatic ...

A review is presented here of tsunami deposits in the geological record. It begins with a discussion of the relationships between the processes of tsunami generation and propagation and the sedimentary responses. This is followed by a... more

A review is presented here of tsunami deposits in the geological record. It begins with a discussion of the relationships between the processes of tsunami generation and propagation and the sedimentary responses. This is followed by a consideration of the sedimentary processes associated with the passage of tsunami waves across coastlines. Attention is also given to the sedimentary processes associated with tsunami-triggered gravity backwash flows and comparisons are made with turbidity current action. We observe that despite sedimentary evidence for recent tsunamiites, geological research on ancient tsunamis has not identified stratigraphic units associated with onshore tsunami sedimentation. Equally, it is noted that nearly all published studies of sedimentary processes associated with modern tsunamis have not considered patterns of sediment transport and deposition in the offshore zone.

In the United States, oil exploration moved from the land to the sea only a few years after the first discovery at Titusville. This article looks at how offshore oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico developed from 1869 to the early... more

In the United States, oil exploration moved from the land to the sea only a few years after the first discovery at Titusville. This article looks at how offshore oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico developed from 1869 to the early 1960s, moving cautiously from the shoreline to ever-greater depths and beyond sight of land.