Search

Background: When managed effectively, oil wealth can drive economic development and improve wellbeing. Conversely, as has been the experience in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta, the presence of the oil industry can lead to environmental degradation and social and economic vulnerabilities with negative impacts on health and wellbeing. Few studies have explored the experiences and perceptions of these impacts among residents of host communities themselves. Methods: This qualitative study explored Ogoni residents' experiences and perceptions of oil-industry related economic exclusion and associated impacts on health and wellbeing. In-depth interviews with 22 participants from four Local Government Areas (LGAs) were analyzed with open (inductive) coding. Guided by constructivist philosophy, interpretation of emerging themes was informed by the concept of social exclusion which recognizes that multi-dimensional processes can deprive individuals or groups of resources, rights, goods, and services, thus limiting broader societal participation. Results: Findings highlight the exclusionary impacts of the oil industry at the intersection of i) damaged livelihoods and family income, that increased economic vulnerability and reduced participants' ability to meet basic needs including ability to pay for healthcare; ii) lack of progress on environmental remediation and non-transparent benefit sharing schemes that exacerbate economic displacement and contribute to ongoing exposures to air and water pollution; and iii) insufficient of investment in economic development and essential health services, limiting employment opportunities and ability to access adequate healthcare. Conclusion: Addressing these issues requires integrated policy interventions focusing on equitable resource distribution, environmental restoration, and inclusive economic development to promote sustainable community resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational accidents occur in many sectors in Türkiye every year. In this study, which aims to evaluate occupational accidents occurring in the oil sector, accident estimation was made using artificial neural networks. Data on 2210 work accidents that occurred between 2020 and 2023 in a company operating in the oil sector were used. In this study; Artificial neural network modeling was done with monthly accident data. In the study, Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Networks (MLPANN) and Radial Basis Function Artificial Neural Networks (RBFANN), which are feed-forward networks, were used. 70% of the data is divided as training data and 30% as test data. As a result of the analysis; An 84.1% correct classification rate was obtained with the MLPANN method, and an 86.4% correct classification rate was obtained with the RBFANN method. It can be said that the RBFANN method performs more successfully than the MLPANN method. lt is suggested to use the methods in order to estimate the occupational accidents . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The control room is a critical work environment where optimal performance is essential to minimize errors. Lighting is one of the key environmental factors influencing the performance of control room operators. Inadequate sleep quality and job stress also significantly impact job performance. Poor sleep quality, eye fatigue, inappropriate lighting, and occupational stress can lead to errors and decreased accuracy in work. Objectives: The present study aims to determine the correlation between lighting intensity, eye fatigue, occupational stress, and sleep quality among control room operators at the Abadan Refinery. The study was conducted in 2022. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 190 control room operators at the Abadan Refinery in 2022. A lux meter device was used to evaluate the intensity of lighting. Standard Pittsburgh sleep quality, eye fatigue, and Occupational Stress questionnaires were also administered. The results were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The average light intensity of the work surface was 347.95 ± 147.34 lux. The mean and standard deviation of job stress score and sleep quality were 155.42 ± 9.18 and 9.38 ± 1.62, respectively. The average eye fatigue score was 5.09 ± 0.821 in people without glasses and 4.47 ± 0.828 in people with glasses. A significant correlation was found between brightness intensity and visual fatigue (ρ = 0.201, P = 0.029). The correlation between eye fatigue and sleep quality score was also significant (ρ = 0.225, P = 0.002). However, no significant correlation was observed between lighting intensity and sleep quality (ρ = - 0.005, P = 0.946). The correlation between the overall score of occupational stress and sleep quality was statistically significant (r = - 0.148, P = 0.042). Conclusions: The results showed a significant correlation between lighting intensity and the factors of sleep quality and eye fatigue. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between eye fatigue and sleep quality, as well as between occupational stress and sleep quality. Therefore, it is suggested that planning to minimize job stress, and improve lighting and sleep quality for gas refinery control room personnel should be designed and implemented by the authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges in the treatment of industrial wastewater is the removal of oil-in-water emulsions, which are stable and therefore difficult to treat. Bacterial cellulose (BC) has structural characteristics that make it an ideal filtration membrane. Several research projects are underway to develop new materials, both biotechnological and traditional, for use in filter beds. The study examined the potential of a BC membrane filtration system for treating oily industrial wastewaters, an underexplored biomaterial in wastewater treatment. The results demonstrated that BC is highly effective at removing oily contaminants (~99%), reducing the colour and particulate matter of wastewater, as well as eliminating nearly the entire microbiological load (~99%). SEM, MEV, FTIR, XRD, and TGA confirmed the presence of oil in the interior of the membrane after filtration, characteristic peaks of its chemical composition, and a 40% reduction in crystallinity. TGA revealed an increase from three (pre-filtration) to five (post-filtration) stages of thermal degradation, indicating the retention of the contaminant in the BC. The mechanical tests demonstrated that the membrane has a tensile strength of 72.13 ± 8.22 MPa and tolerated elongation of up to 21.11 ± 4.81% prior to tearing. The BC membrane also exhibited excellent flexibility, as it could be folded >100 times at the same point without exhibiting signs of tearing. The BC surpasses traditional methods, such as activated charcoal and effluent treatment stations, in the removal of emulsified oils. The findings demonstrate that BC is promising for the treatment of industrial wastewaters, which is a field that requires continual technological innovations to mitigate the environmental impacts of the oil industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background When managed effectively, oil wealth can drive economic development and improve wellbeing. Conversely, as has been the experience in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta, the presence of the oil industry can lead to environmental degradation and social and economic vulnerabilities with negative impacts on health and wellbeing. Few studies have explored the experiences and perceptions of these impacts among residents of host communities themselves. Methods This qualitative study explored Ogoni residents’ experiences and perceptions of oil-industry related economic exclusion and associated impacts on health and wellbeing. In-depth interviews with 22 participants from four Local Government Areas (LGAs) were analyzed with open (inductive) coding. Guided by constructivist philosophy, interpretation of emerging themes was informed by the concept of social exclusion which recognizes that multi-dimensional processes can deprive individuals or groups of resources, rights, goods, and services, thus limiting broader societal participation. Results Findings highlight the exclusionary impacts of the oil industry at the intersection of i) damaged livelihoods and family income, that increased economic vulnerability and reduced participants’ ability to meet basic needs including ability to pay for healthcare; ii) lack of progress on environmental remediation and non-transparent benefit sharing schemes that exacerbate economic displacement and contribute to ongoing exposures to air and water pollution; and iii) insufficient of investment in economic development and essential health services, limiting employment opportunities and ability to access adequate healthcare. Conclusion Addressing these issues requires integrated policy interventions focusing on equitable resource distribution, environmental restoration, and inclusive economic development to promote sustainable community resilience.

The relevance of the research is justified by the rapid development of the oil industry, which requires constant improvement of methods and equipment to increase extraction efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The aim of this study is to enhance the current engineering aspects of drilling in the Altyguyi field while considering increased productivity and reduced environmental impact. Among the methods used, it is necessary to mention the synthesis method, abstraction method, generalization method, induction method, deduction method, classification method, and others. This study examines the technological aspects of operating wells in the Altyguyi gas-condensate field. Extensive laboratory and industrial research on the properties and composition of oil, gas, and condensate was conducted to properly implement the dual completion technology for gas extraction from one formation and oil extraction from another formation in a single well. By implementing advanced drilling methods, including horizontal and multi-hole drilling, as well as using modern drilling fluids, it was possible to improve well productivity and reduce drilling time. As a result of technology optimization, the overall efficiency of the oil and gas extraction process in the field has been increased, confirming the significance of innovation implementation for improving results in the oil industry. These enhancements not only increased drilling safety and efficiency, but also reduced the negative impact on the environment, emphasizing the importance of integrating modern technologies with environmental considerations in the oil extraction process. This research makes a significant contribution to the development of more efficient and environmentally sustainable drilling methods in oil fields, contributing to increased oil extraction productivity and reduced environmental impact

Companies are increasingly leveraging their research and development (R&D) functions, utilizing the diverse knowledge dispersed across global networks of emerging and developed markets. This research stream emphasizes not only knowledge acquisition but also the utilization and development of new products. Knowledge and its components can play a fundamental role in the successful execution of R&D activities. This study aims to investigate the role of knowledge management components on R&D activities in the oil industry. Initially, a conceptual model and research hypotheses were developed through a review of the theoretical literature and previous studies. To test the research hypotheses, the statistical population consisted of managers and experts from an active company in the oil industry, numbering approximately 135 individuals. Based on Cochran's formula, the sample size was determined to be 100 individuals, and questionnaires were distributed among them. The questions in this questionnaire were adapted from reliable sources, and their validity and reliability were confirmed. Given the non-normal distribution of the data, Partial Least Squares (PLS) and SmartPLS 2 software were used for statistical analyses. Based on the significance values related to the hypotheses, all four were confirmed. The impact levels of knowledge creation, application, exchange, and retention on R&D activities were 0.884, 0.905, 0.748, and 0.625, respectively. Therefore, the most significant recommendation of this research is to focus on teamwork, where knowledge exchange occurs, fostering creativity and innovation, thereby enhancing the success of R&D activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of the research is justified by the rapid development of the oil industry, which requires constant improvement of methods and equipment to increase extraction efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The aim of this study is to enhance the current engineering aspects of drilling in the Altyguyi field while considering increased productivity and reduced environmental impact. Among the methods used, it is necessary to mention the synthesis method, abstraction method, generalization method, induction method, deduction method, classification method, and others. This study examines the technological aspects of operating wells in the Altyguyi gas-condensate field. Extensive laboratory and industrial research on the properties and composition of oil, gas, and condensate was conducted to properly implement the dual completion technology for gas extraction from one formation and oil extraction from another formation in a single well. By implementing advanced drilling methods, including horizontal and multi-hole drilling, as well as using modern drilling fluids, it was possible to improve well productivity and reduce drilling time. As a result of technology optimization, the overall efficiency of the oil and gas extraction process in the field has been increased, confirming the significance of innovation implementation for improving results in the oil industry. These enhancements not only increased drilling safety and efficiency, but also reduced the negative impact on the environment, emphasizing the importance of integrating modern technologies with environmental considerations in the oil extraction process. This research makes a significant contribution to the development of more efficient and environmentally sustainable drilling methods in oil fields, contributing to increased oil extraction productivity and reduced environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General topic in this paper is the role of oil industry in global economy and the result of changing oil prices on economic variables in Azerbaijan. The major aim is to analyze the effects of crude oil price changes on Azerbaijan economy in order to measure how changes in oil prices affect its basic economic variables. At the beginning, a general outlook on oil industry will be given and the main oil exporting economies will be analized. However, main focus will be on the structure of Azerbaijan’s economy and it will examine the example of Azerbaijan as a transition economy where oil and gas production and exports have steadily increased from the mid ‘90s. Many critical oil and gas extraction projects have been implemented; while the oil and gas sector's dominance in the economy poses a number of threats to the balanced development of the country's economy. It will show how the economy of Azerbaijan was affected after the oil crisis, such as other developing countries that mainly depending on oil and petroleum products. For this purpose, VEC Model has been applied, consdering Azerbaijan Statistic Data and analized the effects of oil price fluctuations on its economic variables parallel with the oil industry. The main findings indicate that Azerbaijan's economy is strongly dependent on resource exports, which produce high growth rates when commodity prices are favorable, but end up with lower macroeconomic performance when global oil prices fall. It is clear that the main income of Azerbaijan comes from oil and oil products, so the export of oil will have a high impact on the saving level of the population. At the time of high revenues come from export and the low exchange rate of the foreign currency in Azerbaijan has also led to the low cost of imported goods. As well demonstrated in the research, Azerbaijan economy has been widely exposed to major crude oil price distortions. It can be said that in order to avoid increasing overdependence on oil earnings, diversifying the economy should be a top priority.

The production of petroleum substances has a long historical tradition in Iran. Glance (1970) reported that the "first man‐made oil well was dug" in the ancient city of Susa (present‐day Shush), about 40 km northwest of Ahwaz, in 500 BC during the reign of the Achaemenid emperor Darius I. Writing in the fifth century BC, Herodotus described petroleum production near a place called Ardericca, probably present‐day Masjed Soleyman, located 210 furlongs from Susa (Lees, 1950). The petroleum substances produced included bitumen which was used in construction and the waterproofing of ships. Sorkhabi (2005) detailed the petroleum history in Iran during ancient and medieval times. The modern quest for oil in Iran dates from the second half of the 19th century. From a historical perspective, this modern period can be divided into six distinct phases: (i) The early years, 1872–1900; (ii) The Anglo‐Persian years, 1901–1932; (iii) The Anglo‐Iranian Years and Nationalization, 1933–1953; (iv) The second Pahlavi years, 1954–1978 including the rise of OPEC; (v) The Islamic Revolution and Iran‐Iraq War, 1979–1989; and (vi) Buyback Contracts and US Sanctions, 1990–Present. The search for oil was singularly unsuccessful during the first of these phases and the early years of the second phase. However, after a difficult six‐year exploration campaign, oil in commercial quantities was struck in the early hours of 26 May, 1908 at Maidan‐e Naftun, which in later years achieved world fame as the Masjed Soleyman oil field. Since then, more than 120 oil and gas field discoveries have been made in Iran's onshore areas and its territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The story of oil has always been an emotive and politically charged issue in Iran and has been the focus of great national interest and debate for over a century. Certainly, the discovery in 1908 marked a milestone in Iran's 20th century history: it ushered in a new era – an era not only of progress and prosperity, but also of social and political upheaval and turmoil that has not yet ended (Ala, 2007). In this paper, important events in each of the historical phases identified above are briefly reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the emergence of the modern petroleum industry in Iran, and the early phases are covered in particular detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper determines the impact of Brent oil shocks on the price of shares of companies from the oil, agricultural and food industries that includes the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, they use a quantile regression approach and compare its findings with a standard Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model. Moreover, in this research they use quantile regression, which enables them to analyze different quantiles of share prices of companies from the oil industry, the agricultural industry, and the food industry. They observe three different periods - a period of recession, a normal period and a period of expansion. Finally, empirical evaluations using quantile regression and OLS models show us that shocks from the oil market are more pronounced in companies from the oil industry compared to companies from the agricultural and food industries. The findings of this research provide important information for investors, economic policy makers, and other parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches / İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Itobiad: Journal of the Human & Social Science Researches and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Digital technology can benefit the oil and gas sector by increasing hydrocarbon recovery, ensuring safety throughout the corporate ecosystem, and improving operational reliability. This study addresses the oil and gas supply chain digital transformation tendencies as well as the Norwegian petroleum refining company Equinor's initiatives. The main objective is to explore the opportunities for digitalisation in the oil and gas industry as well as the state of the industry's digital strategy more generally. The findings support the industry's major players continuing to invest in their collaborative ecosystem by partnering with their suppliers and start-ups and sharing with them a platform where data that can help them improve their economic position can easily be shared. It is recommended that they should develop a digital strategy roadmap, as in the case of Equinor, as a matter of priority. Supporting innovation and technology adoption through continued investment and the hiring of qualified experts is also of critical importance. It is also important to improve the digital skills of employees and spread a digital culture throughout the company so that they can protect themselves against future cyberattacks or other potential risks. On a global level, the successful implementation of a digital solution will reshape market dynamics (in terms of supply, demand, and investment) as well as the way energy networks are managed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis explores the complicated relationship between oil price fluctuations, the oil industry's finances, and the resulting increase or decrease in carbon emissions. Oil price changes have far-reaching effects on the global economy because of its dependence on fossil fuels; therefore, understanding these patterns is essential for effective policymaking and long-term energy planning. The study uses a dataset built from secondary data collected in China over 15 years, starting in 2008 and ending in 2022. This information comes from a wide range of authoritative places, including public records, trade journals, university studies, and the records of international organizations, and provides a solid foundation for study. Oil prices on a global and national scale, oil sector financial performance indicators (such as revenues, earnings, and investment levels), and carbon emission statistics are all significant factors under investigation. As one of the world's largest oil consumers, China has been singled out in this study to allow for a more comprehensive analysis of reactions within this crucial subset of the energy industry. To understand the complex interplay between oil price shocks, the financial dynamics of the oil sector, and carbon emissions, the research utilizes statistical and econometric methods, most notably time-series analysis and regression models. The results are meant to shed light on how oil price shocks consistently affect the monetary aspects of the oil business and, by extension, the patterns in carbon emissions. This study helps us understand these vital interrelationships more completely and nuancedly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents data on the complex processing of large-tonnage waste from oil and gas industry and chemical production, as well the methods of their utilization and processing.The data was collected at the industrial sites of the plants in Western Kazakhstan.During the work, there were studied data on the chemical composition of the waste, properties of the experimental compositions, material structure, and peculiarities of the technological processes of recycling. When processing the data, there were used such physical-chemical and mechanical methods as X-ray structure, mass and IR spectroscopy, radiometric analysis of the experimental samples. The paper provides data on thermodynamic calculations for chemical reactions of interaction between components of the compositions.It is established that the reaction of interaction of petroleum sulphur with sludge monochromate in the production of polymer concrete significantly reduces their toxicity. On the basis of researching data on the composition and properties of wastes and semi-finished products evidence about the possibility to recycle them into goods with positive ecological and economic effect has been obtained.The given data on practical methods of complex processing and waste recycling (on the example of Western Kazakhstan), allow systematically solving the problem of solid waste management, realizing the basic ecological principle “waste to income” and may be suitable for similar enterprises in other developing countries.

The purpose of this research was to design a distribution channel selection system in the supply chain of the oil industry using the combination of adaptive neural-fuzzy network and meta-heuristic algorithms (Case study: National Oil Products Distribution Company of the dual regions of West Azerbaijan). This research was based on the purpose of the research, developmental-applicative and based on the descriptive-modeling research method. The statistical population of this research was 185 axis sales, Sekodar and fuel supply stations in the two regions of North and South of West Azarbaijan province. In this research, questionnaires and documents were used to collect data. In order to analyze the data, confirmatory factor analysis, adaptive neural-fuzzy network in basic mode and adaptive neural-fuzzy network combined with genetic meta-heuristic algorithms and particle swarm have been used. In this research, first, the combined distribution channel selection system was designed, and then using the system designed based on the least error, the traditional distribution channel and the branding plan of the fuel stations were evaluated based on the input scores. The results show that the best system for selecting the distribution channel was the adaptive neural-fuzzy network combined with the particle swarm algorithm. By comparing the performance of the branding plan and the traditional method, it was determined that the branding plan has a better performance and is a suitable distribution channel for the National Oil Products Distribution Company of the dual regions of West Azerbaijan.Extended AbstractIntroductionRapid changes in consumer purchasing behavior, along with supply chain redesign, have caused both existing and new retailers to implement a variety of new inventory management strategies (Zhang et al., 2017; Melis et al., 2015). According to Forbes magazine, companies like Wal-Mart are known as the biggest companies in terms of sales (Forbes, 2014). The success of these companies is strongly related to the strategy and proper operations of the supply chain (Bogenrief, 2012). Some companies around the world (such as Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, Dell and Nike) attribute at least part of their success to supply chain management. At the same time, the results of the survey conducted in 2012 show that less than half of company managers recognize supply chain management as a strategic asset. In general, companies that recognize supply chain management as a strategic asset and use it in their daily processes, on average, achieve 70% higher financial performance (Kozlenkova et al., 2015). Since one of the main concerns of marketing is providing value to the consumer and the final user, an efficient supply chain is perhaps the most essential marketing function. Any mistake anywhere in the supply chain can have two-way effects for the company and its customers (Ellis, 2011). On the other hand, an effective and efficient supply chain allows companies to deliver higher value to final customers and improve results for the company.Marketing distribution channels are where the process of creating customer value in the supply chain is more prominent (Kozlenkova et al., 2015). Distribution channels and their proper use can help to increase the competitiveness of companies (Gong et al., 2023); therefore, distribution channel management is considered as an important task (Berling et al., 2023; Chen et al., 2014; Chiang, et al., 2003).Based on the above discussions, the approach of paying attention to the distribution channels in the supply chain is a problem that has led the researcher to conduct this research. This issue originated from two main areas. On one hand, the researcher's studies show that there is a lack of research in the field of choosing distribution channels in supply chain management, and the knowledge gap in this field is clearly visible. On the other hand, due to the fact that the National Oil Products Distribution Company of Iran, in a new approach, is looking for branding and creation of oil products distribution chain companies, which is the first of its kind in Iran; in such a situation, the need to design a supply chain distribution channel selection system in distribution companies can make it possible for managers of oil products distribution companies to choose appropriate distribution channels, develop appropriate cooperation, and understand priorities in relation to the members of the channel and identify the desired channel. In such a situation, methods such as artificial intelligence can be helpful. One of the methods of artificial intelligence is adaptive neural-fuzzy networks.Research methodologyThis research is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-modeling in terms of the research method. Based on the nature of research variables, the statistical population of this research has been investigated in two parts. In the first part, the main statistical population of this research was axis sales, Sekodar and fuel supply stations in the two regions of North and South of West Azarbaijan Province.To determine the validity of the questionnaire, two relative coefficients of content validity and content validity index were used. The results of these two coefficients indicate the elimination of some measures and confirm the validity of the questionnaire. The final parameters of the research based on inputs and outputs are shown in table (3).Cronbach's alpha coefficient has been used to determine reliability. Reliability was determined based on the original sample, and the results showed that the value of Cronbach's alpha coefficient for all the main components was greater than 0.7, and based on this, the reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed.In order to analyze the data in this research, the ANFIS method and its combination with genetic meta-heuristic algorithm and particle swarm were used to design the supply chain distribution channel selection system in the National Oil Products Distribution Company.FindingsConfirmatory factor analysisIn order to verify the main components through the measured reagents, confirmatory factor analysis was used in Lisrel software. For confirmatory factor analysis, two categories of fit indices of the confirmatory model and factor loadings indicating the relationship between the main component and the indicators have been used. For the fit of the confirmatory model, the root mean square error of estimation (RMSEA) index, root mean square residual (RMR) index, goodness of fit index (GFI), adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI), comparative fit index (CFI) and the normalized fit index (NFI) was used. The root mean square index of the estimation error should be less than 0.09, the residual mean square root index should be less than 0.05, and the values ​​of the goodness of fit, adjusted goodness of fit, comparative fit and normalized fit indices should be greater than 0.9; to be able to claim that the verification model correctly verifies the main component. In the second part, factor loadings and t values ​​have been used to investigate the relationship between the main component and the variables. From an empirical point of view, the value of each factor load should be greater than 0.5, and from a statistical point of view, the corresponding t value of each factor load should be greater than 1.96. The results are shown in table (4).The results of the suitability indices of the verification models in Table (4) show that the value of RMSEA is smaller than 0.09, the value of the RMR index is smaller than 0.05, the value of the goodness of fit indices, the adjusted goodness of fit, Adaptive fit and normalized fit are greater than 0.9. Also, the relative chi-square value was calculated smaller than 3, which indicated the appropriateness of all the verification models and the verification of the main input and output components in the model. Examining the relationship between the main component and the determinants through factor loadings also shows that all factor loadings are greater than 0.5. The statistical analysis of factor loadings through t values ​​also shows that the t value obtained for all factor loadings is greater than 1.96 and is significant. Therefore, the results obtained for the reagents and the main components can be confirmed in general. As an example, the output of the software for operating loads and t values ​​of the main component of channel tasks are shown in figures (3) and (4).Discussion and conclusionThis article was formed based on this main question: how is the appropriate system for choosing distribution channels in the supply chain of the oil industry using the combination of adaptive neural-fuzzy network and meta-heuristic algorithms in the National Oil Products Distribution Company of the dual regions of West Azerbaijan? To answer, first the literature and theoretical foundations of the research were reviewed; and in line with that, the variables and indicators affecting the selection of distribution channels in the supply chain of the distribution companies of the National Oil Products Distribution Company were extracted. In the next step, confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the main components through the measured indicators in the studied statistical population. After confirming the main components and specifying the inputs and outputs of the supply chain distribution channel selection system in distribution companies, first the adaptive neuro-fuzzy system in the basic state was implemented, and the error of each system using the indices of mean square error and root mean square error were calculated to determine the performance of each of them. After identifying the best adaptive neural-fuzzy system in the base state, in the second stage, the adaptive neural-fuzzy system is combined with meta-heuristic algorithms and finally the best distribution channel selection system in the supply chain of the National Oil Products Distribution Company in two regions of West Azarbaijan was determined based on the designed hybrid system.Based on the results obtained, it is suggested to the executives to increase the quality of the distribution channel in the supply chain by factors such as creating mutual trust, attention should be paid to the infrastructure and facilities of the place when granting representation, the quality of the human resources of the placeholders and the level of capital submitted by the placeholders, and, evaluate each of these cases with a detailed investigation. In the branding method, in order to promote the brand, it is necessary to establish mutual trust between the main brand and the established brand, and the established brand defines its identity based on the original brand. The use of specialized and trained manpower in the branding method to increase the quality of distribution is one of the main requirements in the issue of distribution in the branding method, which needs to be addressed by providing multiple trainings to the existing employees. Also, the main brand can help the incumbents in accessing financial resources and new investments in the form of low interest loans.

The aim of the article is to analyze the activities of various industries of the Kazakh SSR during the Great Patriotic War, aimed at providing raw materials to enterprises of the military-industrial complex and their own production aimed at improving the defense capabilities of the Soviet state. The relevance of the study was determined by the need to identify trends in the development of industry in the Kazakh Republic during the Patriotic War. The source base of the work was the works of Soviet, Russian and Kazakh authors, information from the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dedicated to the history of the Great Patriotic War. The peculiarities of technological production aimed at increasing labour efficiency in the coal, non-ferrous, oil, chemical and energy industries of the republic are given. The growth trends of the indicators of these industries are revealed. The main ones are: increase of raw materials extraction at Karaganda coal basin, construction of auxiliary industrial enterprises, such as brick, cement works, explosive materials plant, woodworking plant, etc. In non-ferrous metallurgy, growth of non-ferrous metal output during the war years increased manifold compared to the pre-war periods. In oil industry – growth of high-quality oil production in Western Kazakhstan. In the chemical industry – increase of the list of products through construction of new shops and workshops of the operating enterprises of the chemical industry of the republic. In the energy sphere – construction of new power stations from regional to industrial levels. It is concluded that the identified trends in industrial development in Kazakhstan during the Great Patriotic War were a definite contribution to the improvement of the defensive capability of the USSR and in its victory over Germany.

A variety of microorganisms grow in oil reservoirs, where they participate in the biodegradation of oil and lead to changes in oil quality. Today, our knowledge about microbial processes in oil reservoirs is largely limited, and among the urgent tasks for the oil industry, monitoring and controlling microbial activity (including the activity of microbes responsible for biocorrosion) are important. In this work, we aimed to characterize the bacterial community structure of the produced waters from oilfields in the south of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation) using cultural and molecular methods of analysis. Bacteria from produced water samples from various oil wells were enriched, and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to assess the phylogenetic diversity of the bacterial communities. Thus, analysis of the bacterial communities revealed the presence of various members within the genera Desulfotomaculum, Clostridium, Acetobacterium, Desulfovibrio, Dethiosulfovibrio, Desulfomicrobium, Fusibacter, Dethiosulfatibacter, Thermovirga, Sphaerochaeta, and Desulfoplanes, but in different produced water samples. The role of the bacterial associations in biocorrosion was separately assessed in experiments on monitoring and stimulating biocorrosion. The bacterial community receiving additional nutrition was shown to have a higher corrosion potential, and scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed changes in the surface of the metal coupons during immersion testing. The practical value of this research lies in identifying the potential contribution of microbial communities to oil pipeline corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution due to oil exploration leads to piracy. Hence, the International Oil Companies' (IOCs) oil exploration activities contribute to Nigerian piracy. This paper uses theories, like economic theory, to analyze the linkages between the IOCs exploration activities and Nigerian piracy. It reveals that the IOCs' oil exploration activities in the Nigerian oil industry contribute and sustain Nigerian piracy. Thus, from pollution to corruption, the theories, mostly determined by proxies, illuminate the IOCs' penchant for disregarding due process in their activities, which leads to piracy. The paper suggests the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) governance to encourage industry best practices, bolster accountability, and adopt Dahlsrud's environmental dimension of CSR, similar to the environmental criminology theory that reiterates using the environment to curb crime, to eliminate Nigerian piracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Oil Industry, part of the extracted crude oil is commonly found in form of emulsions, mainly as water-in-oil (W/O) and oil-in water (O/W), emulsions, and more complex emulsions are less frequent but can also be found, such as water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) and oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O). These emulsions must be broken before the starting of the oil refining process because water generates operational problems like increasing crude viscosity, corrosion of equipment, piping and clogging of pumps and equipment, causing unscheduled production stoppages. O/W emulsions, can also be intentionally generated as a strategy to reduce the viscosity of very heavy crudes and facilitate their transport to the storage, and processing center. However, in any case, these emulsions must be broken before the crude is processed. Different technologies employing chemicals, electric fields, membranes, biological techniques, ultrasound and microwaves have been studied to favor the breaking of O/W emulsions. Microwaves have proven to be an excellent alternative to break emulsions quickly, efficiently, and with minimal energy losses. This paper review accounts for the research studies on the microwave-assisted breaking of W/O and O/W emulsions for oilfield applications with and without the simultaneous application of demulsifying chemicals. The possible mechanisms by which microwaves accelerate emulsion breakage, and their advantages for a more sustainable industry are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this descriptive qualitative research with a case study research strategy, the Iranian oil industry innovation system adopts an in-depth structural and functional approach (systemic approach) and its natural context from the perspective of the participants studied. Based on a theoretical framework that includes five systemic components of the innovation system, actors and relationships between them have been identified. Multiple information sources (interviews, observations, and document analysis) ensure the structure’s validity. Furthermore, previous theories have been used as the initial theoretical framework of the research to achieve external validity. The absorption and development of strategic knowledge and technologies of the oil industry were introduced as the system’s primary function, and three sub-functions were identified. Identifying 29 existing structural and functional challenges from the perspective of experts has complemented the understanding of this system. Finally, policy proposals are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Latinoamericana de Metodología de la Investigación Social is the property of Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Sociologicos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This piece recounts the efforts by NGO Sign of Hope (SoH) to rectify human rights violations in South Sudan, which manifested themselves as drinking water pollution by the oil industry. Committed to exposing and remediating this water contamination, SoH was able to prompt the automobile company Daimler's CSR to engage in extended dialogue with the oil industry stakeholders in Unity State. Despite a tactful use of various methods ranging from cooperation to confrontation, SoH's campaign did not lead the oil producers to reverse the harm inflicted on the people of Unity State. When SoH tried to hold these companies accountable, SoH had the impression that it was hitting an elastic wall. This piece identifies lessons which may help to counter corporate human rights violations and compensate for the weakness of CSR in fragile states and in the face of corporate irresponsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of homogeneity of liquids in storage tanks is crucial for quality control products, commercial relations and a salient technological challenge facing the petroleum industry. This study describes a method used in the Brazilian oil industry to estimate if there is significant (vertical) segregation in large storage tanks. Here, a method based on experimental design and classical ANOVA for analyzing the experimental data to arrive at a better method to estimate if there is statistically significant segregation within the storage tanks (lack of significance is called homogeneity in the paper) was used. Although ANOVA is a suitable tool for this purpose, the results were analyzed in more detail to propose a practical method that can be used routinely. Mechanical use of the ANOVA tests may easily lead to wrong conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper determines the impact of Brent oil shocks on the price of shares of companies from the oil, agricultural and food industries that includes the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, they use a quantile regression approach and compare its findings with a standard Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model. Moreover, in this research they use quantile regression, which enables them to analyze different quantiles of share prices of companies from the oil industry, the agricultural industry, and the food industry. They observe three different periods - a period of recession, a normal period and a period of expansion. Finally, empirical evaluations using quantile regression and OLS models show us that shocks from the oil market are more pronounced in companies from the oil industry compared to companies from the agricultural and food industries. The findings of this research provide important information for investors, economic policy makers, and other parties.

The fiscal existence of Nigeria is predicated on accruals from the sale of crude oil. Any major threat to the oil industry in Nigeria comes along with major economic shocks and unmitigated consequences for the Nigerian economy. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic was not only a global health challenge, but also caused unprecedented economic crisis. In specific terms, the global oil supply chain was disrupted and the pandemic had disproportionately impacted on the oil industry in Nigeria. The negative externalities of the pandemic on the Nigerian oil industry were overtly searing for the nation because of her mono-cultural economy. This paper therefore is therefore an analysis of the impacts and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Nigerian oil industry. The study adopted content analysis of extant literature, which were as well interrogated and interpreted and argued that the severity of the pandemic on the Nigerian oil industry is disproportional because the oil industry is not diversified as it is an enclave economy. Again, we found that because major inputs for the oil industry are sourced externally, with little local content, the industry was virtually grounded with untold effects by way of foreign exchange earnings for Nigeria. We concluded by stressing the need for diversification of the Nigerian economy, which can be achieved if the political leadership invest the rent from sale of oil on industrial manufacturing such as petrochemical and agro-allied industries in order to absorb the long-term shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic

The present study aimed to determine the levels of contamination with Natural Occurring Radioactive Materials NORM in one of the south oil company fields. The external gamma absorbed dose rate Dγ measured in units of µSv/h was caused by gamma rays of Radium 222, Radium 228 (Thorium 232), and Potassium 40, respectively. The largest value is 9.220 µSv/h. It was found that the highest specific activity (concentration) for Radium 226 is 1136 Bq/kg and the lowest is 0.06 and the highest specific activity for Radium 228 is 721 Bq/kg and the lowest is 0.02 Bq/kg. As for Radium 224, its highest specific activity is 631 Bq/kg and the lowest is 0.02 Bq/kg. Radium-228 is higher than that of Radium-224 or Radium-226, as the Radium-224 is from the Uranium-232 series, and the Radium-228 and Radium-224 are from the Thorium-232 series, meaning that the percentage of the daughters of the Thorium chain is lower than the percentage of the daughters of the Thorium chain Uranium, because the half-life of Radium-226 is 1600 years, which is greater than the half-life of Radium-228, which is 5.75 years. A comparison was made between the local results with the results of soil in Amman. Methods of treating pollution with natural radioactive materials in the oil industry were also discussed.

BEGINNINGS OF THE OIL INDUSTRY IN GALICIA BEFORE THE PERIOD OF AUTONOMY IN THE LIGHT OF SELECTED POLISH PRESS TITLES The publication of newspapers and the extraction and use of crude oil were undoubtedly among the socio-economic areas that significantly affected the lives of people in the 19th century. At the time, newspapers and journals played the role of the most important and popular sources of information about crude oil and its products, especially kerosene, and they shaped their readers’ worldviews on those products’ uses in the economy and everyday life. This paper presents the beginning of the oil industry in Austrian Galicia in pre-autonomy Galicia in the Polish news press (Czas, Gazeta Narodowa, Gazeta Lwowska) and economic magazines (Gazeta Przemysłowa, Korespondent Handlowy, Przemysłowy i Rolniczy, Tygodnik Rolniczo-Przemysłowy). The first mentions in the press on the subject appeared in the 1850s. In the 1860s, oil-related subjects were broadly represented in daily newspapers and in the economic press. In agricultural journals, especially in the Prussian and Russian partitions, oil-related subjects were not present in titles from the 1850s and 60s. The first group of texts consisted of articles about crude oil (chemical properties) and regions which were rich in petroleum. In areas where it was present, crude oil had been known and used for a long time, but to the readership of newspapers and journals it was a new resource. It is no wonder then that the press was explaining what it was and what its uses were. The press did not focus on Galicia’s deposits of crude oil, earthwax and natural gas, but did print detailed information on their sources around the world, especially in the United States (the names of oil fields, the volume and monetary value of extraction and export to Europe). The press saw the American mass production and sale of oil to Europe as the greatest threat to the Galician industry. The press documented the economic situation of the Galician oil industry (petroleum mining, oil refinery, business people) and speculated on its future position in Galicia’s economic system. It speculated that the oil industry would become an important branch of the economy. When writing about the oil industry, the press reported on the first mines (Bóbrka, Borysław), entrepreneurs, the presence of oil products on agricultural and industrial expositions organised in Kraków, Rzeszów and Jasło. Another subject discussed by the press was articles on the trade of paraffin oil. The development of the Galician oil industry had also become a pretext to debate on its role in everyday life. In the opinion of the press, oil lamps would be used as street lighting and at home illuminating the whole room. These newspaper advertisements showed new products connected with the oil industry such as different kinds of paraffin oil and oil lamps.

Oil refineries have high operating expenses and are often exposed to increased asset integrity risks and functional failure. Real-time monitoring of their operations has always been critical to ensuring safety and efficiency. We proposed a novel Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) design that employs a text-to-speech synthesizer (TTS) based on neural networks to build an intelligent extension control system. We enhanced a TTS model to achieve high inference speed by employing HiFi-GAN V3 vocoder in the acoustic model FastSpeech 2. We experimented with our system on a low resources-embedded system in a real-time environment. Moreover, we customized the TTS model to generate two target speakers (female and male) using a small dataset. We performed an ablation analysis by conducting experiments to evaluate the performance of our design (IoT connectivity, memory usage, inference speed, and output speech quality). The results demonstrated that our system Real-Time Factor (RTF) is 6.4 (without deploying the cache mechanism, which is a technique to call the previously synthesized speech sentences in our system memory). Using the cache mechanism, our proposed model successfully runs on a low-resource computational device with real-time speed (RTF equals 0.16, 0.19, and 0.29 when the memory has 250, 500, and 1000 WAV files, respectively). Additionally, applying the cache mechanism has reduced memory usage percentage from 16.3% (for synthesizing a sentence of ten seconds) to 6.3%. Furthermore, according to the objective speech quality evaluation, our TTS model is superior to the baseline TTS model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil refineries are among industrial installations that are vulnerable to climate extreme events, whose frequency and intensity have been increasing over the last decades. Building resilience in resources to withstand climate-related hazards and to recover fast at low human and material cost, for changing climate conditions, is required. In this paper, we present an action research effort for the design of a viable decentralized climate-resilience-providing virtual organization in an oil refinery in Greece using the Viable System Model. The VIPLAN method was employed for the methodological design of a distributed Climate Resilience Providing Organisation for the case of a refinery facility in Greece. The paper presents the process and the results of this effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key issues and challenges discussed in the oil industry is the problem of innovation and technology transfer in buy-back contracts. Some experts believe that the weakness in technology development in the country’s oil industry is due to this contractual model and have proposed a new oil contracts model to address this problem. This research aims to identify the key obligations related to learning and technology transfer in the oil industry contracts by using text analysis approach and analyzing the country’s upstream contracts. To achieve this goal, we first investigate the nature of technology in international contracts, considering both tangible property with transferability and intangible knowledge. Then, using the opinions of experts and previous research to develop a conceptual model for the research and by using it, then analyzed 29 upstream oil contracts in Iran using this model. The research results indicate that there is no significant difference between the types of upstream contracts in the oil industry in terms of their capacity for learning and technology transfer. However, the vagueness and generality of these obligations, as well as the lack of appropriate performance guarantees, are among the defects that exist in all contract models (concession, service, product sharing, and buy-back) and need to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents an analysis of American influence in Iran after the World War II. The author describes how American foreign policy concepts worked in Iran, and opened a window into the country for American oil industries. The importance and relevance of the article lie in the fact that the players have not changed significantly, nor have the rules of the game and the actions they evoke changed much. Although the foreign policy toolkit of the US has been modernized, very often old methods are still practiced in the region, thus the study and analysis of those are very valuable today. The author tries to identify the problems of Iran in the second half of the 20th century, to study them in parallel with American foreign policy concepts, to present and analyze how American concepts paved the way for the expansionist policy of the United States. The key finding of the research shows that every American foreign policy concept was basically implemented only in case of the continuity of the power of the same party. Thus, Republican D. Eisenhower promoted the concept of supporting American oil tycoons. After him, Democrat J.F. Kennedy did not continue this approach in full, but only retained some elements. J.F. Kennedy believed that if the Iranian government was headed by a skilled prime minister, an adherent of Western values, who could properly manage the Iranian economy, then Iran would become a regional ally for the United States rather than a dependent country. After J.F. Kennedy, L. Johnson continued the foreign policy approach regarding Iran by promoting the country’s reformation through the White revolution. However, as history proved, the White Revolution failed to solve all the socioeconomic problems of Iran in the short term. Instead, the monarchy faced new and already fatal problems. The sources for this paper were the archives of the US presidents, the archives of the US State Department, the memoirs of a number of politicians, the correspondence between the US presidents and the Shah, as well as the Iranian press of that time. The author has applied the historical-comparative method, using the principles of content analysis.

This study examines the impact of the barrier of adopting hybrid strategy on strategic performance using the oil sector in Iraq as a case. International oil companies consider various strategies in order to achieve superior performance. The procedure needs to overcome certain essential barriers for the adoption of the hybrid strategy that combines the cost leadership and differentiation strategy. The questionnaire was distributed online due to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the closure of companies in the country. Out of the 537 questionnaires answered, 483 were used for further analysis which yielded usable response rate of 90%. The structural equation modeling results confirmed that the high costs of technologies, the priority of other external matters, inadequate industry regulation, insufficient supply, organizational capabilities, strategic capabilities, and financial capabilities are significantly related to strategic performance. The researchers recommend conducting an in-depth study of the phenomenon based on theoretical and empirical foundations, especially considering the relationship between the barriers of a hybrid strategy and strategic performance based on linear and non-compensatory relationships. This research sheds light on the barriers to adopting the hybrid strategy required by the oil sector as it relies on continuous production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]