PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

CONTENTS

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References……………………………………………………………….. 741

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INTRODUCTION

Petroleum Engineering (Part I, II, and III), content-based instruction, is suitable for engineers and technicians who need English in developing academic content knowledge and foreign language proficiency. Contentbased instruction (CBI) is by no means a new concept to language education. Since the 1960s, interest in teaching language for specific purposes has led educators to explore the inclusion of meaningful content in language classrooms abroad. Many foreign universities have increasingly focused on developing content proficiency in second-language learners (Eastern Michigan University, Georgetown University, Monterey Institute of International Studies, etc.). Key Russian education institutes have accumulated concrete experience in English language teaching method approaches for engineer-students, one of which is Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU). In the walls of this University the above-mentioned problem – language competence formation of future engineerswas discussed and a multi-level up-dated language-training program was designed As it has been noted, CGI in Russian engineering education system still remains an unexplored research area. Tomsk Polytechnic University (namely, Geology & Petroleum Engineering Institute) has become a resource center in the field of developing new CBI courses. The results from this piloting course could serve as a model course for university engineering curriculum reform as a communicative aspect in the professional area of a future engineering specialist (in our case, Petroleum Engineering).

The Approach and Principles

Petroleum Engineering has been designed to meet the needs of both learners and teachers. Our course is based on such defining characteristics in CBI as:

learners are exposed to language while learning about other content areas;

content areas are relevant to the learner’s academic\ professional needs;

language is contextualized through these relevant areas;

support is provided for learner’s linguistic development;

focus is placed on developing academic\ professional language proficiency;

authentic materials are used to present content matter;

use of authentic materials lends itself to the integration of skills, to increased motivation and to increased cognitive and linguistic complexity.

(Content, Tasks and Projects in the Language Classroom,

Monterey Institute, 2004, pg. 28–29)

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Several elements in particular have shaped this course approach:

1.no explicit grammar instruction – in our case, we considered the approach focus on form S. The grammatical forms themselves become the focus of the lesson, rather than the meaning being conveyed;

2.only authentic materials are used – this enables learners to interact with the language of native speakers, including grammatical features, discourse structures, sociolinguistic features and cultural referents. Selected materials are in various formats, but audio and visual materials are limited, so the course materials are mostly in written form;

3.material resources – Internet, articles from journals, books on a particular theme topic for native speakers of English, contentbased ESL textbooks, encyclopedias;

4.reading and writing tasks – mostly done outside the classroom as assignments and then used for interaction activities in class.

Thus, this new CBI course in Petroleum Engineering is organized around a subject-matter core and is appropriate to the needs of specific groups of students. The main purpose is language proficiency development for 4th–5th year students of Geology & Petroleum Engineering Institute. This is the first attempt to develop a technology of interaction between linguistic teachers and engineering departments. The integration between specialist studies / activities and the language is that factor which makes it possible to transfer from professional-orientated teaching to professional communicative teaching, adapting to the international requirements in engineering education and to meet the challenges of the international academic and professional workplaces.

The Course

The main emphasis throughout Petroleum Engineering is on developing the following communicative language principles:

student-centered classroom;

focus on meaning and use rather than form and usage;

extensive use of pair and group work;

cooperative learning;

integration of four language skills;

teacher’s role as a facilitator.

(Content, Tasks and Projects in the Language Classroom, Monterey Institute, 2004, pg. 1–2)

This course is designed for those learners who have achieved preintermediate /intermediate level and can be used in the following way:

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1.from start to finish, i.e. it takes about 76 hours (+72 hours of self-assessment) to complete this course;

2.as a dip-in resource, i.e. each unit and each section of this course is free-standing, so sections can be selected and used out of sequence according to the needs of particular students;

3.as a revision course, i.e. for those students who have already taken such a course, and want to add a new practical dimension to their professional English.

Course Components

As this innovative course Petroleum Engineering is an implementation of a content-based EFL curriculum, it includes the following components:

Course Book – Introduction to Petroleum Engineering is the core book that students will need for class work. Special focus is placed on the development of learner autonomy, where three principles: individualization, interdependence and interaction are integrated. It has two parts:

Part I – Introduction which includes 4 common topics: Petroleum Engineering, Oil Companies, Petroleum Geology and HSE (Health, Safety and Environment).

Part II – includes 5 sustained content courses, organized around specific themes and topics. In these course materials conveyed content information is on such topics as Geophysics, Oil Exploration, Pipeline Engineering, Drilling, Hydroecology and Geoecology. These courses are free-standing sections. There are Appendixes for additional information, which can be used for pairwork activities and self-assignments.

Part III – Environmental Control in Petroleum Engineering is intended for the students of all Petroleum Engineering Specialities who are interested in solution of ecological problem as well as in decrease of risk resulted from oil and gas exploration and production activities.

Guideline – Guide to Effective Technical Writing & Professional Communication is a course where academic subjects are taught in English. It is tailored to the specific needs of students in their technically oriented majors. It will aid those who plan to continue technical careers that require sufficient knowledge of technical writing and professional communication. A CD is available which includes presentations on all discussed topics.

Teacher’s Book – gives recommendations of advisory character. It offers keys for every unit in both parts and introduces a framework for structuring and shaping the whole course material and references for the teacher’s convenience.

Test Booklet – includes review sections for each part and unit. These tests take around an hour to complete and they revisit and consolidate key language from earlier studied sections and units.

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Recordings – includes all listening material for three parts, available in CD form.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This course would not have been possible without the knowledge we acquired during the past 10 years through consulting, teaching and conducting workshops at Tomsk Polytechnic University. Many people have contributed in a variety of ways in the preparation of this innovative course «Petroleum Engineering». We would like to thank the specialists of Geology & Petroleum Engineering Institute, TPU, all of whom brought their professionalism and expertise to guiding and shaping this course in its various stages. Our special thanks to Professor, Head of Geoecology and Geochemistry Department of TPU Leonid P. Rikhvanov, Associate Professor of Tomsk State University Olga Nagel, our indefatigable reader and Associate Professor, Head of English Language Department, TPU N. Kachalov, our editor.

For providing a stimulating working environment, we would like to thank Director of Geology & Petroleum Engineering Institute, Professor A. Mazurov and Associate Professor V. Bernatonis.

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INTRODUCTION TO PETROLEUM

ENGINEERING

UNIT 1

PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Petroleum engineering refers to the subsurface engineering activities related to the production of hydrocarbons which can be either crude oil or natural gas.

Lead-in

Fill in the spidergram with the words associated with Petroleum engineering.

Petroleum

Engineering

Explain your associations.

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1. Read and learn the pronunciation.

[i:] complete, completion, deplete, depletion, increasingly, recent, scheme, machine, upstream, downstream, continuous

[e] bury, estimate, vendor

[o:] wellbore, forecast, audit, hydraulics, support

[ə:] survey, reserves, concerned, refer, subsurface, curve, thermodynamics [ju:] consumer, computer, accurate, numerical, value

[ai] provide, supply, decline, design, divide, specify, high, type, optimize, maximize

[aiə] require, acquire, environment, via

[k]mechanics, chemistry, scheme, technique

2.Pay attention to the stress in the following words.

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3. Read the text, do the exercises.

Petroleum engineering

Petroleum engineering is involved in the exploration and production activities of petroleum as an upstream end of the energy sector. Upstream refers to the process of finding and extracting oil, which is usually buried deep beneath the earth's surface, to provide a continuous supply to consumers "downstream". Petroleum engineering covers a wide range of topics, including economics, geology, geochemistry, geomechanics, geophysics, oil drilling, geopolitics, knowledge management, seismology, tectonics, thermodynamics, well logging, well completion, oil and gas production, reservoir development, and pipelines.

Petroleum engineering has become a technical profession that involves extracting oil in increasingly difficult situations as the "low hanging fruit" of the world's oil fields are found and depleted. Improvements in computer modeling, materials and the application of statistics, probability analysis, and new technologies like horizontal drilling and enhanced oil recovery, have drastically improved the toolbox of the petroleum engineer in recent decades.

As mistakes may be measured in millions of dollars, petroleum engineers are held to a high standard. Deepwater operations can be compared to space travel in terms of technical challenges. Arctic conditions and conditions of extreme heat have to be contended with. High Temperature and High Pressure (HTHP) environments that have become increasingly commonplace in today's operations require the petroleum engineer to be savvy in topics as wide ranging as thermohydraulics, geomechanics, and intelligent systems.

Petroleum engineers must implement high technology plans with the use of manpower, highly coordinated and often in dangerous conditions. The drilling rig crew and machines they use becomes the remote partner of the petroleum engineer in implementing every drilling program. Petroleum engineering has historically been one of the highest paid engineering disciplines; this is offset by a tendency for mass layoffs when oil prices decline. According to a survey published in Dec 2006 the average income was $116,834. Petroleum engineers divide themselves into several types:

•Reservoir engineers work to optimize production of oil and gas via proper well placement, production levels, and enhanced oil recovery techniques.

•Drilling engineers manage the technical aspects of drilling both production and injection wells.

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•Production engineers (also known as completion or subsurface engineers) manage the interface between the reservoir and the well, including perforations, sand control, artificial lift, downhole flow control, and downhole monitoring equipment.

Reservoir engineering is a branch of petroleum engineering, typically concerned with maximizing the economic recovery of hydrocarbons from the subsurface.

Of particular interest to reservoir engineers is generating accurate reserves estimates for use in financial reporting to the SEC and other regulatory bodies. Other job responsibilities include numerical reservoir modeling, production forecasting, well testing, well drilling and workover planning, economic modeling, and PVT analysis of reservoir fluids.

Reservoir engineers also play a central role in field development planning, recommending appropriate and cost effective reservoir depletion schemes such as waterflooding or gas injection to maximize hydrocarbon recovery.

Reservoir engineers often specialize in two areas:

•Surveillance (or production) engineering, i.e. monitoring of existing fields and optimization of production and injection rates. Surveillance engineers typically use analytical and empirical techniques to perform their work, including decline curve analysis, material balance modeling, and inflow/outflow analysis.

•Simulation modeling, i.e. the conduct of reservoir simulation studies to determine optimal development plans for oil and gas reservoirs.

Drilling engineering is a subset of petroleum engineering, involved in the design and drilling of production and injection wells. The planning phases of drilling an oil well typically involve estimating the value of sought reserves, estimating the costs to access reserves, acquiring property by a mineral lease, a geologic survey, a wellbore plan, and a layout of the type of equipment depth of the well.

Drilling engineers are engineers in charge of the process of planning and drilling oil wells. Their responsibilities include:

•Designing casing strings in conjunction with drilling fluid plans to prevent blowouts (uncontrolled hydrocarbon release) and formation breakdown.

•Designing or contributing to the design of drill strings, cement plans, directional plans, and bit programs.

•Specifying equipment, material and ratings and grades to be used in the drilling process.

•Providing technical support and audit during the drilling process.

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•Performing cost estimates and analysis.

•Developing contracts with vendors.

It is their responsibility to ensure that the well is drilled in a safe, costeffective and effective manner.

(www. Wikipedia.ed)

4. Match the English terms in column «A» with their Russian equivalents

5. Find the synonyms to the following words in the text.

To deal with, to put into operation, simulation, to improve, to exhaust, to finish, evaluating, observation, to be responsible for.

6.Find the antonyms to the following words in the text.

Outflow, above, downstream, to minimize, beginning.

7.Decipher the following abbreviations used in the text.

SEC, PVT, HTHP.

8.Fill in the gaps with the appropriate prepositions.

1. Easily accessible oil can be compared_____ low hanging fruits. 2. Petroleum engineers are _____charge of implementing high technology plans with the use of manpower. 3. Drilling engineering is concerned

____designing and drilling oil wells. 4. The profession of petroleum

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engineering is involved______ exploration and extraction of oil.

5.Designing casing a string is performed in conjunction ______ drilling fluid plans. 6. Reservoir engineers optimize production of oil and gas

________proper well placement and enhanced oil recovery.

9.Give English equivalents to Russian words.

1.Petroleum engineers (предъявляются) to a high standard as mistakes may cost too much. 2. High Temperature and High Pressure conditions have become (обычное явление) in today’s oil recovery. 3. Petroleum engineering (охватывает широкий диапазон) of topics, including

geology, geophysics, and geochemistry. 4. Generating accurate reserves estimates is (представлять особый интерес) to reservoir engineer. 5. Petroleum engineer should be (разбираться, быть осведомленным) in topics as wide ranging as thermohydraulics and geomechanics. 6. The remote partner of the petroleum engineer is (буровая бригада) in implementing drilling program.

10. Find the meaning of the words in the box in a dictionary. Match the terms with the definitions.

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reserves value, development of contacts with vendor, PVT analysis, wellbore plan, production forecasting.

12. Complete the sentences, using the information from the text.

1.According to the survey published in December 2006 ………

2.Deepwater operations can be compared to …………………….

3.Such modern technologies as ……………… have improved the toolbox of the petroleum engineer.

4.Petroleum engineering covers a wide range of topics including …..

5.Petroleum engineers can be divided into several types: …………..

6.Two areas in which reservoir engineers usually specialize are ……

13.State whether the sentences are true or false according to the text. If true, add the information on the statement. If false, correct the sentence.

1.Petroleum engineering covers a wide range of disciplines.

2.Operation in HTHP environment is a rare case for a petroleum engineer today.

3.Petroleum engineers are usually well paid.

4.Petroleum engineers deal with oil field close to the Earth’s surface.

5.Petroleum engineers are subdivided into two types.

6.Reservoir engineering is concerned with reservoir modelling.

7.Drilling engineers have to perform PVT analysis of the well.

14.

PART 1. Read the following information, then listen to the tape and match the dates with the stages of petroleum engineering development.

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PART 2. Listen to the second part of the text once more; give the examples on the methods of each element.

1.Extending the capabilities

2.Development of methods for detailed study of subsurface formations and surroundings

3.Recovering a greater portion of the oil within reservoir

4.Development of technological management and its introduction into business decision making

15. Answer the following questions.

1.What topics does PE cover?

2.How has the toolbox of the petroleum engineer been drastically improved?

3.Can you say that petroleum engineers are held to a high standard? Prove it.

4.Why is petroleum engineering considered to be the highest paid discipline?

6.What are the types of petroleum engineers?

7.What PE branches do you know?

8.What do reservoir engineers specialize in?

9.What fields are drilling engineers involved in?

10.What processes are drilling engineers responsible for?

16. Work in pairs.

You are going to explore a new oil field. Student A – a reservoir engineer and Student B – a drilling engineer. Discuss the distribution of your responsibilities and order of operations. Use as many expressions under study as possible.

17. Discuss the following issues.

1.The significance of petroleum engineering nowadays.

2.The reasons for high payment for petroleum engineering job.

3.The main types of petroleum engineers.

4.Reservoir engineers (their responsibilities, areas of specialization).

5.Drilling engineers (their responsibilities, areas of specialization).

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18. Role Play the following situation.

Imagine that one of you is a TV/Radio Presenter with an oil industry background and the rest are the representatives of an oil company and you are having 5 min talk show regarding the company you work for, your roles and responsibilities and current energy sector state.

19. Prepare a poster-presentation «My specialty, its prospects and future».

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UNIT 2

OIL COMPANIES

Oil company is an industry that produces and delivers oil and oil products.

Lead-in

Name all the Western and Russian oil companies you know. What company would you like to work in? Why?

What position would you like to occupy?

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1. Read the words, learn the pronunciation.

[a:] advantage, plant, demand

[ə:] search, fertilizer, refer, entrepreneur [u:] crude, include, lubricant

[ju:] pharmaceutical, consumer, fuel, butane [ou] own, negotiate, solely

[e] head, head office, headquarters, immense, synthetic

[∫ ] negotiate, initial

2.Read the following word formations and learn their pronunciation. Pay special attention to the stress.

Market – marketer – marketing

Refine – refinery – refinement

Explore – exploration – exploratory

Produce – producer – production

Dominate – dominated – dominance

3. Read the text and do the exercises.

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Оil Industry Sectors

The entire oil industry is often divided into three major sectors: upstream, midstream and downstream.

Downstream (oil industry)

The downstream oil sector is a term commonly used to refer to the refining of crude oil, and the selling and distribution of natural gas and products derived from crude oil. The downstream sector includes oil refineries, petrochemical plants, petroleum product distribution, retail outlets and natural gas distribution companies. The downstream industry touches consumers through thousands of products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, asphalt, lubricants, synthetic rubber, plastics, fertilizers, antifreeze, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, natural gas and propane.

Upstream (oil industry)

The upstream oil sector is a term commonly used to refer to the searching for and the drilling and production of crude oil and petroleum natural gas. The upstream oil sector is also known as the exploration and production (E&P) sector. The upstream sector includes the searching for potential underground or underwater oil and gas fields, drilling of exploratory wells, and subsequently operating the wells that recover and bring the crude oil and/or raw natural gas to the surface.

Midstream (oil industry)

However, midstream operations are usually simply included in the downstream category. The midstream sector processes, stores, markets and transports commodities such as crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NLG) such as ethane, propane and butane.

The process of oil production, transportation, refinery and sale is managed by oil companies (producers), but there are also service companies that work as contractors to the oil companies. They are deeply involved in the oil business providing services that help oil companies to carry out their operations.

(www. Wikipedia.ed)

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4. State whether the sentences are true or false. If true, add the information on the statement. If false, correct the sentence.

5. Read the texts about three different oil companies and do the exercises.

The Seven Sisters of the petroleum industry is a term coined by an Italian entrepreneur, Enrico Mattei, that refers to seven oil companies that dominated mid-20th century oil production, refinement, and distribution.

These companies were the following:

1.Standard Oil of New Jersey (Esso), which merged with Mobil to form ExxonMobil.

2.Royal Dutch Shell Anglo-Dutch.

3.British Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC), which later became BP.

4.Standard Oil of New York (Socony). This later became Mobil, which merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil.

5.Standard Oil of California (Socal), now Chevron.

6.Gulf Oil. Most of this became part of Chevron.

7.Texaco. Merged with Chevron in 2001. Texaco remains as a Chevron brand name.

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL Type: public

Founded: 1907

Headquarters: The Hague, the Netherlands Industry: oil and gas

Products: oil, natural gas, petrochemicals

Royal Dutch Shell PLC is a multinational oil company («oil major») of British and Dutch origins. It is one of the largest private sector energy corporations in the world and one of the six «supermajors» (vertically integrated private sector oil exploration, natural gas, and petroleum product

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marketing companies). The company's head offices (also known as the «central offices») are in The Hague and London (Shell Centre). The company's main business is the exploration for and the production, processing, transportation and marketing of hydrocarbons (oil and gas). Shell also has a significant petrochemical business (Shell Chemicals). Shell is incorporated in the UK with its corporate headquarters in The Hague, its tax residence is in the Netherlands, and its primary listings on the London Stock Exchange. Shell's revenues of $318.8 billion in 2006 made it the second-largest corporation in the world by revenues behind only ExxonMobil. Its 2006 gross profits of $26 billion made it the world's second most profitable company, after ExxonMobil and before BP. Forbes Global 2000 in 2007 ranked Shell the eighth largest company in the world. It operates in over 140 countries. In the United States, its Shell Oil Company subsidiary, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is one of Shell's largest businesses. One of the original Seven Sisters, Royal Dutch/Shell is the world's second-largest private sector oil company by revenue, Europe's largest energy group and a major player in the petrochemical industry. Shell has five core businesses: Exploration and Production ("Upstream"), Gas and Power, Refining and Marketing, Chemicals ("Downstream"), and

Trading/Shipping.

ROSNEFT Type: public Founded: 1993

Headquarters: Moscow Industry: oil and gas

Products: natural gas, petroleum

OJSC Rosneft Oil Company is a Russian integrated oil company. Rosneft conducts oil and gas exploration and production activities on Sakhalin island, in Siberia, in the Timan-Pechora province, and in southern Russia, including Chechnya. It also owns and operates two refineries. Its plant in Tuapse, on the Black Sea, focuses on refining high-gravity oil from western Siberia. Another plant located in Komsomolsk-on-Amur is the easternmost oil refinery in Russia. Rosneft operates shipping companies, pipeline companies and marketing companies. Although the company is an open joint stock company, according to its website, it seems to be completely owned by the Russian Federation, as represented by the Federal Property Management Agency.

Market value of the company on the 29th of December was valued at $83.908 billion.

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