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• The new geopolitical situation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the role of the Norwegian petroleum industry and many other private businesses. • Hybrid threats entail a new category of risk problems where private companies play a pivotal role as national security actors. • This article offers an empirical study of how private companies in the Norwegian petroleum sector understand and carry out their role in detecting and handling hybrid threats. • The empirical case illustrates that security cannot be achieved on the organizational level to achieve societal resilience against hybrid threats. • Safety Science should further investigate how the new geopolitical era affects private businesses and their employees' working conditions. The new geopolitical situation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the role of the Norwegian petroleum industry and many other private businesses. Private companies have become important security actors in the new threat landscape. This article offers an empirical study of how private operator companies in the Norwegian oil and gas sector understand and carry out their role in detecting and handling hybrid threats prior to the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in 2022. By investigating how they understand the phenomena of hybrid threats, and how they understand their role and responsibility in detecting and handling them, this case serves as an example on why societal resilience to hybrid threats only can be achieved through a collaboration between a multiplicity of actors across different scales. Additionally, this article uses the private companies in the Norwegian petroleum sector as an illustrative example on how hybrid threats entail a new category of risk problems where private companies play a pivotal role, and seeks to open up a discussion on whether safety science should include hybrid threats and the new geopolitical situation into its scope. We conclude that safety science should further develop perspectives for developing resilience as a system and societal property and that also take geopolitics into account. At a time when private companies play a more pivotal role in the co-creation of societal resilience against hybrid threats, it is important to investigate and understand this role and how it affects private businesses and their employees' working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study represents an integrated study using the potential field maps and well geochemical data of the West Dakhla area in the western central area of the Western Desert area, Egypt. The potential field data are represented by the airborne gravity and total magnetic maps acquired by the Nuclear Material Authority (NMA), Egypt, on behalf of Dana Petroleum Company. The geochemical data consist of geochemical analysis in Ammonite-1 well that were done for source rock evaluation. Different processing techniques on the gravity and magnetic maps are carried out for separating the regional and residual separation and filtering. Modelling and Euler deconvolution tools are utilized for proposing the depth to basement and constructing basement-depth maps to infer the basin configuration of the study area. Before acquiring the present geophysical data, the study area wasn’t subjected to any exploration investigations. Therefore, these data and this study are considered as the first efforts carried out and submitted for publication in this area. In addition, a comparison of the present basin is done with matched basins in southern Libya, where this basin is expected to have similar geological features. The study indicates that the studied basin may be a part of a wider basin extending in Egypt and Libya. This basin is expected to have the thickness and features that are favourable for hydrocarbon habitat. The geochemical analysis shows TOC values ranging from poor to very good source rock potentiality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simulation case study was conducted to assess the utility of predictive maintenance and database management for lean maintenance applications within a Petroleum Company. At this company the maintenance of pumps was performed internally where feasible. The study explored a proposed lean strategy on the operations of three departments related to the maintenance of pumping equipment. These departments were, the Pump Shop, Stores Department and Shipping and Receiving. Rockwell Automation's Arena® simulation software was used to study existing and proposed models of the maintenance system and track the key performance indicators of Flow Time, Waiting Time, and Work-in-Process. Analysis of the performance indicators showed a 76% and a 96% reduction in average Flow Time and Waiting Time, respectively. No difference was determined for Work-in-Process at the 95% confidence interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Introduce the CDOS-HCN process for selective hydrodesulfurization of gasoline and the supporting titanium-based series catalyst HDDO-100/HDOS-200/HDMS-100. Methods The COS-HCN process was used to fractionate FCC gasoline into light fraction (LCN) and heavy fraction (HCN), and LCN can be etherification reaction or mixed into gasoline components, sulfide in HCN can be deeply removed with catalyst. Results HDDO-100 catalyst could effectively remove diolefin in the raw material. At the same time, small molecular mercaptans and sulfides were converted into large molecular sulfides by thioetherification with olefins which could be fractionated and cut to HCN to achieve the control index of total sulfur mass fraction in LCN no more than 10 pg/g. HDOS-200/HDMS-100 double catalyst for the deep removal of sulfides in HCN, could effectively control the olefin saturation rate to meet the technical requirements of the Karamay Petrochemical Company for producing petroleum products which met the gasoline for motor vehicles ( VIA) and ( M B) national standard. Conclusions The long period operation results of the industrial unit showed that the supporting series catalysts of the process have stable performance, stable operation of the unit and safe and reliable process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last five years, the turnover rate of the operation employees in Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) has augmented and attend a critical level, particularly with the government's early retirement attractive approach. Bapco starts to lose highly experienced employees who have a significant impact on the performance of the company. Moreover, the new oil discovery and the modernization of the production units push Bapco to minimize the turnover rate and retain talents to stay competitive. This study examines how organizational commitment has affected the Bahrain Petroleum Company's operation employees turnover intent. The tridimensional model of (Meyer and Allen in Commitment in the workplace: theory, research, and application, Sage, 1997) was used to evaluate organizational commitment. In addition, Abrams et al. (Personality Soc Psychol Bull 24(10): 1027–1039, 1998) model of Turnover Intention was used to examine employee intents to leave the firm. This work reports on a quantitative study of the Bapco operations employees. 154 questionnaires were collected, and the data were analysed with SPSS version 23. The results confirm a significant impact of the three dimensions of OC on TI. These results join previous research and conclude that OC can be used to understand and reduce Bapco operation employees' TI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asphaltene Precipitation is a major issue in both upstream and downstream sectors of the Petroleum Industry. This problem could occur at different locations of the hydrocarbon production system i.e., in the reservoir, wellbore, flowlines network, separation and refining facilities, and during transportation process. Asphaltene precipitation begins due to certain factors which include variation in crude oil composition, changes in pressure and temperature, and electrokinetic effects. Asphaltene deposition may offer severe technical and economic challenges to operating Exploration and Production companies with respect to losses in hydrocarbon production, facilities damages, and costly preventive and treatment solutions. Therefore, asphaltene stability monitoring in crude oils is necessary for the prevention of aggravation of problem related to the asphaltene deposition. This study will discuss the performance of eleven different stability parameters or models already developed by researchers for the monitoring of asphaltene stability in crude oils. These stability parameters include Colloidal Instability Index, Stability Index, Colloidal Stability Index, Chamkalani's stability classifier, Jamaluddin's method, Modified Jamaluddin's method, Stankiewicz plot, QQA plots and SCP plots. The advantage of implementing these stability models is that they utilize less input data as compared to other conventional modeling techniques. Moreover, these stability parameters also provide quick crude oils stability outcomes than expensive experimental methods like Heithaus parameter, Toluene equivalence, spot test, and oil compatibility model. This research study will also evaluate the accuracies of stability parameters by their implementation on different stability known crude oil samples present in the published literature. The drawbacks and limitations associated with these applied stability parameters will also be presented and discussed in detail. This research found that CSI performed best as compared to other SARA based stability predicting models. However, considering the limitation of CSI and other predictors, a new predictor, namely ANJIS (Abdus, Nimra, Javed, Imran & Shaine) Asphaltene stability predicting model is proposed. ANJIS when used on oil sample of different conditions show reasonable accuracy. The study helps Petroleum companies, both upstream and downstream sector, to determine the best possible SARA based parameter and its associated risk used for the screening of asphaltene stability in crude oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) is one of the major Artificial Lift methods that is reliable and effective for pumping high volume of fluids from wellbores. However, ESP is not recommended for applications with high gas liquid ratio. The presence of free gas inside the pump causes pump performance degradation which may lead to problems or even failure during operations. Thus, it is important to investigate effect of free gas on ESP performance under downhole conditions. At present, existing models or correlations are based on/verified with experimental data. This study is one of the first attempts to develop correlations for predicting two-phase gas–liquid pump performance under downhole conditions by using field data and laboratory data. Field data from three oil producing wells provided by Strata Production Company and Perdure Petroleum LLC. as well as experimental data obtained from experimental facility at Production and Drilling Research Project—New Mexico Tech were used in this study. Actual two-phase pump differential pressure per stage is obtained from experiments or estimated from field data and was normalized using pump performance curve. The values are compared to pump performance curve to study the relationships between pump performance and free gas percentage at pump intake. Correlations to predict ESP performance in two-phase flow under downhole and experimental conditions was derived from the results using regression technique. The correlation developed from field data presented in this study can be used to predict two-phase ESP performance under downhole conditions and under high gas fraction. The results from the experimental data confirm the reliability of the developed correlation using field data to predict two-phase ESP performance under downhole conditions. The developed correlation using the laboratory data predicts quite well the two-phase pump performance at the gas fraction of less than 15% while it is no longer reliable when free gas fraction is more than 15%. The findings from this study will help operating companies as well as ESP manufacturers to operate ESPs within the recommended range under downhole conditions. However, it is recommended to use the proposed correlation on reservoirs with conditions similar to those of the three presented wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategic organizing is an organizational management activity that must be effective and measurable implemented in the company to achieve the desired results. The organization as a wellimplemented strategic plan to manage the external changes. The aim of the research is to reveal the extent of the impact of strategic organizing on the performance of workforces in Iraqi oil companies. The research was conducted in Basra Oil Company as a field of study. The researcher adopted a major hypothesis that (there is a statistically significant impact of strategic organizing and its variables on the performance workforces of Iraqi oil companies. Sample of (145 people) was selected, and the questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. The result the most important of which is (the Iraqi oil companies need to work according to the concepts and requirements of strategic organizing). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many solutions have been executed to mitigate the wellbore instability problem including improving mud inhibition with chemical additives, raising mud weight to mechanically support the wellbore, and modifying casing design to accommodate extra-large diameter surface casing with the drawback of increasing well cost. Despite these solutions, the operator is still plagued by continuous hard reaming during tripping operations, several dill string pack-off sticking incidents, and the inability to get the casing to the bottom. This paper examines the effect of implementation of Non-retrievable drilling with casing technique to optimize drilling and overcome the hole instability problems in West of Nile (WON) field is located in the Western Desert of Egypt and operated by Qarun Petroleum Company. This solution is unique in terms of adaptability and simplicity, a few adaptations are required for a standard drilling rig to be able to get casing to bottom by rotating, reciprocating, and circulating simultaneously. Applying this technique optimize drillings, reduces cost, and improves safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore the overall relationship between a boundary spanner and a partner firm, i.e. boundary spanner closeness to partner firm. Drawing on consumer-service provider relationship literature and the tripartite model of affect-behavior-cognition, the authors identify three key dimensions of such closeness, namely, boundary spanners' relational ties, customer-specific capabilities and accommodative behaviors, and examine their effects on exchange outcomes in turbulent versus stable environments. Design/methodology/approach: The paper examines the effects of three dimensions of boundary spanner closeness on various exchange outcomes (i.e. retailers' cooperation, satisfaction and willingness for investment) using two industries as exemplars, characterized by distinct levels of environmental turbulence – the retailing networks of a major cell phone company and a petroleum company in China. Findings: The results indicate that the three dimensions individually and jointly affect exchange outcomes and the interplay of customer-specific capabilities and relational ties affect exchange outcomes differently across industry turbulence. Originality/value: The existing literature lacks a comprehensive understanding of the function of boundary spanners, which serve as a key relational interorganizational governance component. By identifying three key dimensions of boundary spanner closeness and examining their effectiveness in promoting exchange outcomes, this study advances the understanding of the role of boundary spanners in interorganizational governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the communication strategies used in the social responsibility initiatives of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) and Aluminum Bahrain (Alba), as they are the two largest companies in the Bahraini public sector, through a qualitative content analysis (topological) of the posts that were published on the official account of the two companies via Instagram, which is related to the social and environmental role of the two companies during the Corona pandemic crisis from February 24, 2020 (the date of announcing the first case of Corona in the Kingdom of Bahrain) until March 25, 2021 (for a full year and one month). The study concluded that the two companies (Alba and Bapco) used the awareness strategy clearly in the posts that were analyzed, as the most important social responsibility initiatives were represented in awareness campaigns to raise health awareness for workers and page followers. In order to clarify the implementation of this strategy at Bapco, we will find the company's announcement on its Instagram page on the awareness lectures that were directed to the workers, as well as many graphic and infographic designs related to the preventive requirements during work. As for Alba, the company has applied this strategy in several aspects, such as awareness videos from doctors and Various designs for awareness also and awareness campaigns that were launched in the second wave of the virus. The Alba company page was distinguished by the continuous update of awareness messages and Corona virus news more than Bapco, while Bapco excelled in the initiative to donate 4 million dinars for the benefit of the Bahrain team to address the Corona virus, as Alba did not make any financial donations throughout the analysis period. The users' interaction in general decreased at the expense of the two companies with the contents related to the Coronavirus, but it should be noted that the users' interaction increased with the Alba Company competitions initiative for the children of workers within the framework of educational videos to reduce infection and the spread of the pandemic by children of the company's employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose and necessity of research: The main issue of this research emerged when a considerable amount of strategy formulation in various petroleum companies in Iran was considered, where documents followed the classical patterns such as the David model of strategy formulation in the prescriptive--consecutive paradigm, with no face of the environmental approaches to conducting the planning process of strategy formulation. In this article, we suggest the pattern of Reeves, Hannes, and Sinha (2015) to choose and execute the right approach for the strategy formulation of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Research methodology: This research is developmental, explanatory, and quantifiable, and the research strategy is surveyed. By its application, the information needed to determine the degree of NIOC environmental strategic dimensions and the prioritization of different patterns of strategy formulation in NIOC were achieved. Research findings: The shared value strategy shaped NIOC as the oil and gas industry leader in the various domestic industries and, above all, into the international market as the OPEC joint partner. NIOC organizational culture adapted the shared value strategy according to creation, leadership, and membership in the share of crude export with OPEC and non-OPEC collaboration during the ages. Therefore, NIOC should craft the shared value strategy for the niches of oil and gas markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various types of hazard exist in the upstream oil and gas industry. Therefore, the contracting parties of any petroleum contract always try to reduce the inevitable economic burdens of occurring adverse events arising out of risks in the course of petroleum operation by applying legal approaches such as contractual risk allocation provisions, which can be realized by drafting efficient insurance and indemnity clauses as the subset of risk allocation provisions. Hence, this study addressed the main research question of "What are the necessary parameters for drafting the insurance and indemnity clauses in the main types of upstream petroleum contracts?". To this end, the mentioned clauses stipulated in the main types of upstream petroleum contracts, including concessions, production sharing, and service contracts of 15 different countries worldwide, in addition to the comparative analysis with the new model of Iranian Petroleum Contract (IPC), are examined. Eventually, the hypothesis of this study verified that there should be several parameters such as liability towards risks, limitation of liability, and exclusions/exemptions for drafting the insurance and indemnity clauses in these contracts, that is, the result and the answer to the research question. Moreover, the comparative analysis of the extracted set of parameters needed to draft these clauses legally, with the related ones in IPC, is conducted. Therefore, the existing contractual shortcomings are detected. After that, the necessary suggestions to resolve them are offered, which can enhance the effectiveness of the upstream petroleum contracts and avoid potential litigation in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, petroleum companies cannot be competitive and efficient without considering potential solutions provided by sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) optimization models. SSCM can solve different challenges faced by this sector. Academics and practitioners consider the opportunities offered by decision-making tools for planning sustainable petroleum supply chains. Moreover, the ever-increasing number of publications applying decision-making models to the petroleum industry also attests to this fact. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to understand the evolution of sustainable supply chain planning in the petroleum industry and highlight the specificities of the body of knowledge in this area. A comprehensive analysis is performed using 23 papers published from 2010 to 2019. This paper proposes a classification framework to analyze different factors in developing mathematical models, including the triple bottom line pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social). The main observation is that planning models that focus on all three sustainability dimensions in the petroleum sector are scarce. Regarding the environmental dimension, the analysis demonstrates that consideration of greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2 impacts, is dominating planning models. Furthermore, there is an absence of quantitative models that include social dimensions, and this gap must be addressed in the future. Finally, we propose future extensions to develop research in SSCM in the petroleum sector, keeping in mind recent developments from both technological and economic drivers in this specific sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper took the technological innovation status of the Daqing Petroleum Company in China during 2012–2015 as the subject to analyze the technological innovation efficiency (TIE) from an input-oriented perspective. It presents an approach combining BCC model and Malmquist index model to analyze the TIE and its varying trend of petroleum companies from both static and dynamic perspectives. It finds out the characteristics of changes of the TIE of petroleum companies. It conducts analysis on distribution characters of the results of the evaluation. It ranks the important parameters influencing the TIE. It tests the feasibility and applicability of the new method applied to measure the TIE. It provides analysis tools to evaluate the company TIE. This approach will be helpful to explore new applied area of the DEA models and lay down foundations for the decision makers in related industries.