Robust multi-objective production optimization with CO2 emissions reduction

In this paper, we describe an efficient methodology for simultaneously maximizing the expected profitability of oil field production and minimizing the expected emission of greenhouse gasses associated with the production through optimizing controls of the reservoir injection and production wells. Instead of simply minimizing water production and injection as is often done as a surrogate for energy consumption, we use an emissions calculator to account for the energy efficiency of the injection and compression system. Because our approach to minimization is efficient, we are able to account for uncertainty in geology during the minimization and to use the operational simulation model for the field. The most common approach to solving for Pareto optimal solutions is through some type of scalarization of the optimization problem. In this study, we apply the weighted-sum method, which despite its limitations when applied to problems with feasible regions for objective outcomes that are not convex provides Pareto optimal solutions at a relatively low cost. Finally, we apply the methodology to the problem of well controls for a three-well field in the Norwegian Sea with platform facilities shared by another field. The reservoir model has 330,000 active cells with an active aquifer. The emissions calculator uses pump characteristics to account for fuel usage attributed to water injection. Gas compression, water treatment, and base energy costs are estimated by calibration of allocated energy usage to historical production data. The expectation of the objective functions is approximated by the sample average of the objective functions over the ensemble of 50 history-matched model realizations. Control variables are the injector and producer rates over one-month intervals. The Stochastic Simplex Approximate Gradient (StoSAG) method was used to estimate the gradient of the scalarized objective function and a quasi-Newton method (BFGS) was used for minimization. Results showed that moderately large reductions in CO2 emissions from a reference case optimized purely for profitability could be obtained at the cost of modest reductions in NPV. Larger reductions in CO emissions were costlier. Additionally, the optimized reservoir production strategies were not intuitively obvious, indicating that a formal multi-objective optimization approach was beneficial.Robust multi-objective production optimization with CO2 emissions reductionpublishedVersio

Gondul project: EURO1k model validation

Project Gondul is a scientific research project related to the technology transfer of the Meteomatics EURO1k model weather forecast and its Meteodrone data collection capability to Norway. Project Gondul will focus on estimating the value of information these weather forecasts represent for tactical decision making and plans for Norwegian military Arctic land operations. The project combines both natural science and social science for collection of reliable data and creating new relevant knowledge. The Norwegian Army school of intelligence and electronic warfare is the subject matter expert (sponsor) for project Gondul.publishedVersio

Fiskebiologiske undersøkelser i seks regulerte vassdrag i Hardanger i 2024

Siden 2007 har det vært gjennomført fiskebiologiske undersøkelser i de regulerte vassdragene Sima, Osavassdraget (Austdøla og Norddøla), Jondalselva, Øyreselva, Austrepollelva og Bondhuselva i Hardanger. Denne rapporten er rapport for undersøkelser foretatt i 2024, og omfatter gytefisktellinger og ungfiskundersøkelser, samt registrering av vanntemperatur. Gytebestandene av laks har vært gjennomgående lave i alle elvene i undersøkelsesperioden (<50 gytefisk), og i mange av elvene kun bestående av et fåtall gytefisk (0-10). Bestandene har med noen unntak vært under gytebestandsmålene, og på et nivå som forventes å være begrensende for ungfiskproduksjonen. I 2024 ble det registrert 26 laks i Jondalselva og 7 laks i Sima, 3 laks i Bondhuselva og 1 laks i Øyreselva, mens det i Austrepollelva og Osavassdraget ikke ble registret gytelaks. Ungfiskundersøkelsene viser at tetthetene av lakseunger har vært høyest i Jondalselva. I Sima, Øyreselva og Bondhuselva er det jevnlig registrert lakseunger, men tetthetene har vært gjennomgående lave og enkelte årsklasser har vært fraværende de siste årene. I Øyreselva og Bondhuselva har rekruttering av laks vært helt eller tilnærmet fraværende de siste fem årene. I Austrepollelva og Osavassdraget har forekomsten av lakseunger vært mer sporadisk med til dels svært lave tettheter. Bestandene av sjøaure er generelt større enn laksebestandene i alle elvene. Med unntak av Sima (77534 gytefisk) og Osavassdraget (56-213 gytefisk), har gytebestanden av sjøaure bare vært noen titalls individer i alle elvene i undersøkelsesperioden. Gytebestanden har sannsynligvis vært begrensende for rekruttering av både laks og sjøaure i flere av elvene i perioden. Det har likevel vært registrert ungfisk av aure på alle stasjoner ved elektrisk fiske i samtlige seks elver i hele undersøkelsesperioden. I Sima, og til dels i Osa, har sjøaurebestanden økt og vært høyere i siste halvdel av undersøkelsesperioden. I Jondalselva har gytebestanden av sjøaure bedret seg de siste tre årene, og vært på et høyere nivå enn tidligere i undersøkelsesperioden. I Øyreselva og Austrepollelva har sjøaurebestanden vært svært lave i de siste årene.publishedVersio

Gytefisktelling i Daleelva, Teigdalselva, Ekso, Modalselva, Tysseelva, Matreelva, Haugsdalselva, Dalselva og Jølstra høsten 2024

Høsten 2024 utførte LFI gytefisktellinger av laks og sjøaure i ni elver hvor Eviny er vassdragsregulant; Tyssevassdraget i Samnanger, Daleelva i Vaksdal, Ekso, Teigdalselva i Vossovassdraget, Modalselva, Matreelva, Haugsdalselva, Dalselva (Storelva i Dale) og Jølstra. Det ble registret fra 2 – 471 gytefisk av laks og fra 27 – 805 sjøaure i de aktuelle vassdragene. Dalselva i Sunnfjord hadde den største gytebestanden av laks, mens Jølstra hadde den største gytebestanden av sjøaure. Gytebestanden av laks i Daleelva var dominert av fettfinneklippet fisk som stammer fra utsettinger av settesmolt fra klekkeriet, og disse utgjorde 58 % av gytebestanden. I flere av elvene har gytebestandene blitt overvåket årlig i en årrekke, og i enkelte av vassdragene siden 1991. Flere av elvene hadde en markant nedgang i laksebestanden i 2024, og gytebestandene var kritisk lave i Ekso, Matreelva og Modalselva. Sjøaurebestandene har generelt vært mer stabile enn for laks, men flere av elvene viser en negativ trend gjennom perioden, og i både Teigdalselva og Matreelva var gytebestandene av sjøaure i 2024 blant de laveste som har blitt registrert i perioden det foreligger tellinger.publishedVersio

Diagnostic equipment and point-of-care tests in Norwegian emergency primary healthcare clinics: a cross-sectional study

Introduction In recent years, the increasing availability of instruments and laboratory tests has significantly influenced the diagnostic work in primary healthcare. This study aimed to map the availability of diagnostic equipment and point-of-care tests (POCTs) in Norwegian emergency primary healthcare clinics and examine the demographic and organisational factors influencing their availability. Methods This cross-sectional study utilised the National Out-of-Hours Services Registry (NOOHR) survey across all Norwegian emergency primary healthcare clinics in early 2024. Clinic managers provided data on diagnostic equipment and POCTs. Clinics were categorised by population size, hospital proximity, co-location with general practitioner (GP) offices, and total equipment available. Results All 167 Norwegian emergency primary healthcare clinics responded. The median number of diagnostic equipment and POCTs was 17 (Interquartile range (IQR) 16–20). Clinics with the most equipment were often smaller, co-located with a GP office, and over 40 km from a hospital. Almost all clinics had a repertoire of CRP, urinary dipstick, haemoglobin, glucose, strep A test, SARS-CoV-2 rapid test, urinary HCG test, pulse oximeter, and ECG. Clinics far from hospitals more frequently had tests like D-dimer and troponin. Of the clinics with troponin tests, 69% had a low-sensitive POCT. Conclusion Norwegian emergency primary healthcare clinics are well equipped, especially if co-located with a GP office or far from a hospital. Further research is needed to enlighten how availability influences use and the possible impact on patient trajectories. Clinic leaders should pave the way for sustainable practices and high-value care when deciding their diagnostic equipment and POCTs repertoire.publishedVersio

30 Years of health cooperation Between Tromsø and Arkhangelsk

From the early 1990s until 2022, there was extensive cooperation between health institutions in Norway and in Russia. This included health and educational institutions from the very South to the very North of Norway, and from the provinces of Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and the Nenets Autonomous District. Among the most comprehensive and long-lasting institutional cooperations was the one between the University Hospital in Northern Norway, located in Tromsø, and Arkhangelsk Medical University, and the regional Ministry of Health, located in the city of Arkhangelsk. From its early start, the dynamics of this cooperation has gone through some changes. The earliest cooperation initiatives were characterized by a clear asymmetry, in both economic and professional resource. Russian health institutions lacked basic equipment, and faced years of economic crisis, and Norwegian health professionals were motivated by an urge to aid and educate their Russian colleague. In the later stages of cooperation, especially from 2010 onward, relations were more even. In Tromsø, managers, researchers and health professionals have gained experience-based insight into the health sector in Russia and obtained skills and knowledge that can be valuable within international health collaboration in other parts of the world. The level of political and institutional support for the Barents Cooperation in its early phase was a prerequisite for building a broad and enduring cooperation between health and educational institutions in the two countries. Long term success has also depended on the building of trust and robust relationships between health professionals in both countries. Within some fields, this made individuals with cross-cultural competence important as mediators and facilitators, enabling cooperation within some fields, such as Telemedicine, and Psychiatry, to continue across several project periods.30 Years of health cooperation Between Tromsø and ArkhangelskpublishedVersio

Supplementary eDNA analyses at the Hywind Tampen FOWF

The Hywind Tampen Offshore Floating Wind Park is a floating OWF (FOWF) situated in deep-water on the Norwegian Shelf in the Northern North Sea. On behalf of Equinor, in 2023-2024, NORCE Climate and Environment conducted an environmental DNA survey of surface (20 m) and bottom water samples from sampling stations upstream, inside, downstream and some distance away from the FOWF to assess fish (MiFish-U) and plankton (18S V1-V2) communities for potential impact (Hestetun et al., 2024). Study results revealed differences in community composition over time and with depth but could not detect impact – negative or positive – from the construction and operation of the FOWF itself. The study used fish capture and ROV data from IMR-conducted surveys in the area to ground truth completeness of the data. While the MiFish-U primer set was able to detect the vast majority of fish species reported in the fish capture and ROV studies, and detect some additional species, elasmobranchs (sharks and skates) were missing from the eDNA data. This technical note contains a re-sequencing of the Hestetun et al. (2024) samples using a combination of MiFish-U and MiFish-E primer sets, MiFish-E being a modification of the MiFish-U primer set specifically designed to detect elasmobranchs. The goal of this analysis was to assess the ability of this approach to get a more comprehensive overview of local fish communities also including elasmobranch species. In addition, new analyses of bottom water fish communities were made removing dominating and pelagic species to see if this revealed further information on differences in demersal fish composition between sampling stations.Supplementary eDNA analyses at the Hywind Tampen FOWFpublishedVersio

Perspective in the industrial applications of sonoelectrochemical hydrogen production

Sonoelectrochemistry is the incorporation of power ultrasound in electrochemistry. The use of ultrasound in electrochemical processes such as water electrolysis can lead to an energy efficiency enhancement in the range of 2–25% in low-temperature water electrolysers (LT-WE). However, this improvement greatly depends upon several factors such as the cell reactor design, the ultrasonic frequency, the transmitted acoustic power, and the distance between the ultrasonic transducer and the electrode. The main objectives of this review are to highlight recent advancements in using power ultrasound in water electrolysis and shed some light on possible commercial development by addressing the fundamental obstacles that lie in this technology. Several research works have highlighted that the efficiency improvement in ultrasound-aided water electrolysis is principally due to the gas bubble removal from the electrode surface, which ultimately reduces the ohmic resistance of the electrolytic cell. However, even with the observed higher efficiencies from the sonoelectrolysers for hydrogen production in R&D labs, this technology still faces challenges for further development due to the efficiency in competing with commercial LT-WEs, which are already in the range of 60–70%. If sonoelectrolysers are to succeed for commercial development and large-scale industrial applications, they would need to achieve overall efficiency much higher than current commercial LT-WEs.publishedVersio

Bestandsovervåking av laks og sjøørret i elver på Sunnmøre høsten 2024

På oppdrag fra Lakseelvene på Sunnmøre, Hofseth Aqua AS og Statsforvalteren i Møre og Romsdal gjennomførte NORCE LFI bestandsovervåking i anadrome vassdrag på Sunnmøre høsten 2024. Dette var femte av seks år i et overvåkingsprogram som inngår i prosjektet «Mer laks og sjøørret på Sunnmøre». I 2024 ble gytefisktellinger utført i tolv vassdrag, og ungfiskundersøkelser i ett vassdrag. 2024 var et år med historisk lavt innsig av laks fra havet, både til Sunnmøre og andre deler av Norge. På Sunnmøre ble mange elver stengt for fiske i løpet av sesongen, og sammen med dårlig lakseinnsig resulterte dette i at samlet fangst i sportsfisket var den laveste som er registrert. Gytefisktellingene om høsten tilsier at mengden gytelaks var nær eller over gytebestandsmålet i fem av de undersøkte vassdragene; Tafjordelva, Stordalselva, Ørskogelva, Åheimselva og Hareidsvassdraget. I det nasjonale laksevassdraget Ørstaelva ble gytebestandsmålet langt fra oppnådd, og det samme var tilfelle i Ramstaddalselva, Vikelva i Sykkylven, Norangdalselva og Søre Vartdalselva. I Bondalselva lå registrert mengde laks noe under gytebestandsmålet, og i Valldøla og Hareidsvassdraget var datakvaliteten for dårlig til å gi en sikker vurdering. Oppdrettslaks ble registrert i to av vassdragene, og andelen oppdrettslaks i gytebestandene var lav (< 2 %). For sjøørret er bestandsstatus stort sett dårlig på Sunnmøre. I Ørskogelva, Ramstaddalselva, Vikelva, Bondalselva og Søre Vartdalselva ble det i 2024 registrert få sjøørret, som i tidligere års undersøkelser. Resultatene var noe mer lovende i Ørstaelva og Stordalselva, hvor det ble talt henholdsvis 347 og 110 sjøørret. I Norangdalselva ble det talt 85 sjøørret, og denne elven utmerket seg med den klart høyeste tettheten av sjøørret per areal. I de øvrige elvene er det vanskelig å gi en vurdering basert på resultatene i 2024, fordi tellingene ble utført etter sjøørretens gyteperiode. For de fleste vassdrag på Sunnmøre anbefales det å opprettholde fredningen av sjøørret inntil bestandene blir betydelig større enn i dag. Det ble utført ungfiskundersøkelser i Aureelva. Det var, som tidligere år, høy tetthet av laksyngel i vassdraget, men lav tetthet av ørret.Bestandsovervåking av laks og sjøørret i elver på Sunnmøre høsten 2024publishedVersio

Industry development in the absence of a home market: A semi-systemic review of the drivers for offshore wind industry development in Norway

Home markets are considered crucial in the emergence of any domestic industry. However, Offshore Wind Power (OWP) research on the role of home markets is scant. This paper addresses this gap building on a semi-systemic review of the development of the Norwegian OWP industry. Norway is the only North-Sea country without large-scale OWP market despite possessing the ideal conditions for OWP. Yet, the domestic industry has grown to become the largest and internationally competitive sector measured by turnover and the number of jobs created. This paper reviews the drivers and actor strategies that shaped the development of the industry despite the lack of a viable home market. Our findings indicate that in the absence of strong drivers for home market formation, the industry’s development has been shaped by opportunities abroad (i.e., export), and the diversification and electrification imperatives of the domestic Oil and Gas industry. However, it’s noteworthy that due to the rising geopolitical tensions in recent years and the subsequent ‘energy security’ imperatives, opening-up of a domestic OWP market has become a policy priority. Our review reveals that in the absence of a home market, the presence of internationally leading Petro-maritime industry has played a crucial role in the development of competitive capabilities of the OWP suppliers. Furthermore, the main market for OWP has been the proximate North Sea area, which is considered a home market by the Norwegian Petro-maritime industry. Hence, we argue that geographical proximity may have also compensated for the lack of a home market.Industry development in the absence of a home market: A semi-systemic review of the drivers for offshore wind industry development in NorwaypublishedVersio