Decline period

This rather low recovery factor may be boosted by implementing secondary recovery techniques, particularly water Injection, or gas injection, with the aim of maintaining reservoir pressure and prolonging both plateau and decline periods. The decision to implement these techniques (only one of which would be selected) Is both technical and economic. Technical considerations would be the external supply of gas, and the... 

Once the production potential of the producing wells is insufficient to maintain the plateau rate, the decline periodbegins. For an individual well in depletion drive, this commences as soon as production starts, and a plateau for the field can only be maintained by drilling more wells. Well performance during the decline period can be estimated by decline curve analysis which assumes that the decline can be described by a mathematical formula. Examples of this would be to assume an exponential decline with 10% decline per annum, or a straight line relationship between the cumulative oil production and the logarithm of the water cut. These assumptions become more robust when based on a fit to measured production data. 

Introduction and Commercial Application The production decline period for a field is usually defined as starting once the field production rate falls from its plateau rate. Individual well rates may however drop long before field output falls. This section introduces some of the options that may be available, initially to arrest production decline, and subsequently to manage decline in the most cost effective manner. 

A considerable percentage (40% - 85%) of hydrocarbons are typically not recovered through primary drive mechanisms, or by common supplementary recovery methods such as water flood and gas injection. This is particularly true of oil fields. Part of the oil that remains after primary development is recoverable through enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods and can potentially slow down the decline period. Unfortunately the cost per barrel of most EOR methods is considerably higher than the cost of conventional recovery techniques, so the application of EOR is generally much more sensitive to oil price. 

The physical reasons for the benefits of EOR on recovery are discussed in Section 8.7, and the following gives a qualitative description of how the techniques may be applied to manage the production decline period of a field. 

The stationary phase is followed by a decline period in which cell death is not compensated by cells in proliferation. Cell death can occur by two distinct mechanisms, named necrosis and apoptosis. Necrosis occurs as a result of an irreversible injury and normal homeostasis is lost. In vivo, this form of death generally affects the neighboring cells and may result in inflammation. Autodestruction occurs by activation of hydrolases when there is a lack of nutrients and oxygen, followed by progressive disorganization and complete disintegration of the cell. 

The two-compartment bolus IV injection plasma concentration versus time curve in Figure 10.58 shows a characteristic early rapidly declining period followed by a more slowly declining terminal line concentration period. The early rapid decline is due to distribution to the tissue compartment, and hence this early period is called the distribution phase. Conversely, the slower... 

The two-compartment first-order absorption plasma concentration versus time curve in Figure 10.79 displays a characteristic early rapid rise, which transitions into a rapidly declining period immediately after subsequently followed by a more slowly declining terminal line concentration period at later times. The early rise is due to absorption from the drug administration site, and hence this period is labeled the absorption phase. The rapid decline after t ax is caused by distribution to the tissue compartment, and hence is called the distribution phase. The slower decline at later times is due to drug elimination, and hence this later period becomes the elimination phase. The absorption, distribution, and elimination phases are graphically illustrated in Figure 10.80. 

Initially new wells may still be brought on stream but the older wells start to decline. A constant production rate is maintained. This period is typically 2 to 5 years for an oil field, but longer for a gas field. 

During this final (and usually longest) period all producers will exhibit declining production. 

Keywords compressibility, primary-, secondary- and enhanced oil-recovery, drive mechanisms (solution gas-, gas cap-, water-drive), secondary gas cap, first production date, build-up period, plateau period, production decline, water cut, Darcy s law, recovery factor, sweep efficiency, by-passing of oil, residual oil, relative permeability, production forecasts, offtake rate, coning, cusping, horizontal wells, reservoir simulation, material balance, rate dependent processes, pre-drilling. 

In the solution gas drive case, once production starts the reservoir pressure drops very quickly, especially above the bubble point, since the compressibility of the system is low. Consequently, the producing wells rapidly lose the potential to flow to surface, and not only is the plateau period short, but the decline is rapid. 

The aquifer response (or impact of the water injection wells) may maintain the reservoir pressure close to the initial pressure, providing a long plateau period and slow decline of oil production. The producing GOR may remain approximately at the solution GOR if the reservoir pressure is maintained above the bubble point. The outstanding feature of the production profile is the large increase in water cut over the life of the field, which is usually the main reason for abandonment. Water cut may exceed 90% in the final part of the field life. As water cut increases, so oil production typically declines a constant gross liquids (oil plus water) production may be maintained. 

Emissions of CO in the United States peaked in the late 1960s, but have decreased consistendy since that time as transportation sector emissions significandy decreased. Between 1968 and 1983, CO emissions from new passenger cars were reduced by 96% (see Exhaust CONTUOL, automotive). This has been partially offset by an increase in the number of vehicle-miles traveled annually. Even so, there has been a steady decline in the CO concentrations across the United States and the decline is expected to continue until the late 1990s without the implementation of any additional emissions-reduction measures. In 1989, there were still 41 U.S. urban areas that exceeded the CO NAAQS on one or mote days per year, but the number of exceedances declined by about 80% from 1980 to 1989. Over the same time period, nationwide CO emissions decreased 23%, and ambient concentrations declined by 25% (4). 

In 1990, U.S. coke plants consumed 3.61 x 10 t of coal, or 4.4% of the total U.S. consumption of 8.12 x ICf t (6). Worldwide, roughly 400 coke oven batteries were in operation in 1988, consuming about 4.5 x 10 t of coal and producing 3.5 x 10 t metallurgical coke. Coke production is in a period of decline because of reduced demand for steel and increa sing use of technology for direct injection of coal into blast furnaces (7). The decline in coke production and trend away from recovery of coproducts is reflected in a 70—80% decline in volume of coal-tar chemicals since the 1970s. 

Economic Aspects. The 1992 MEK nameplate capacity for the United States, East Asia, and Western Europe is Hsted in Table 5. During the period 1980—1989 MEK achieved a negative growth rate as demand dropped from 311,000 (48) to 228, 000 t/yr (49). Stricter VOC regulations were largely responsible for the decline, and the trend will continue as solvent recovery and recycling, as well as substitution away from MEK, take effect. 

Data for the production and sales of maleic anhydride and fumaric acid ia the United States between 1979 and 1992 are shown ia Table 5. Production of maleic anhydride during this time grew - 2% on average per year. Production of fumaric acid has declined during the same period as customers have switched to the less cosdy maleic anhydride when possible. All production of maleic anhydride in the United States in 1992 was from butane-based plants which used fixed-bed reactor technology as shown in Table 6. The number of fumaric acid producers has been reduced considerably since the early 1980s with only two producers left in the United States in 1992 as shown in Table 6. Pfizer shut down its fumaric acid plant at the end of 1993. However, Bartek of Canada will start up an expanded fumaric acid faciUty to supply the North American market for both their own and Huntsman s requirements. 

Vinpocetine (2), another dmg initially categorized as a cerebral vasodilator, is a member of the vinca alkaloid family of agents (7). However, interest in this compound as a potential dmg for learning and memory deficits comes from its abiUty to act as a neuronal protectant. This compound was evaluated in 15 patients with AD over a one-year period and was ineffective in improving cognitive deficits or slowing the rate of decline (8). However, in studies of patients with chronic vascular senile cerebral dysfunction (9) and organic psycho syndrome (10), vinpocetine showed beneficial results. 

There appears to be a chromium pool in individuals who are not chromium deficient (136). When there is an increase in level of cHculating insulin in response to a glucose load, an increase in circulating chromium occurs over a period of 0.5—2 h. This is foUowed by a decline and excretion of chromium in urine increases. Chromium deficiency is indicated when no increase or a small increase in blood chromium level or urine chromium occurs. 

The decline in naphthalene production in 1973 primarily resulted from competition with o-xylene as the feedstock for phthaHc anhydride. Periods of feedstock shortages and the loss of one principal producer also affected petroleum naphthalene output. 

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