Drilling fluid processing: preparation, maintenance and continuous conditioning
The following discussion is an overview of the operation of drilling fluids at the rig site, giving an insight to those less versed in the art of drilling oil and gas wells. Fluid processing at the rig site is currently a prime target for higher levels of mechanization and process control, leading towards automation. The drilling fluids' composition influences its properties and dynamic behaviour, and the various drilling fluid components and additives all have specific purposes related to the drilling process. The process of drilling fluid preparation and mixing on the drilling rig is described, and the means of maintaining suitable properties during the drilling process are discussed. Means and requirements are presented for enabling continuous conditioning of the drilling fluid to suit the variations in the wellbore and formation, pointing out current challenges in measurement, instrumentation, mechanization, and control that need to be solved. It is clear that a higher level of automation is required if we wish to achieve this goal.
Towards cleaner and more productive maintenance in petrochemical facilities: Mechanization and an assessment method
Abstract Maintenance in petrochemical plants is often characterized as labor intensive and may give rise to such problems as being costly, diminishing productivity, and emitting pollutant. To mitigate such problems, managers have tried mechanizing the maintenance tasks. This study elaborated the concept of mechanization, proposed a method named Petrochemical Maintenance Mechanization Assessment (PEMMA), which can help assess mechanization levels of the maintenance tasks and provide corresponding improvement recommendations This study presented the development process of the PEMMA method and applied the method in the context of Singapore. Results showed that the mechanization level of the maintenance tasks in Singapore is relatively low. The developed method is arguably the first to be presented and therefore, it contributes to the existing body of knowledge. In addition, the developed method is beneficial to the practice as well, because it can help diagnose and then improve the mechanization levels of petrochemical plants, which would eventually make the petrochemical industry more productive and cleaner.
Coriolis mass flowmeters: Overview of the current state of the art and latest research
Abstract This paper is an update of the overview given by Baker RC [Coriolis flowmeters: Industrial practice and published information. Flow Meas Instrum 1994;5(4):229–46]. Overviews about mass flowmetering are also given in Baker RC [Flow measurement handbook. Cambridge University Press; 2000]. Furthermore, Drahm W and Linnartz H [Coriolis-massflowmeters: State of the art review and innovations. In: Proceedings FLUCOME 2003. 2003] reported about latest innovations in Coriolis technology. The published information of the last decade is reviewed and the conclusions of the different papers are briefly described.