An agent-based framework for petroleum information services from distributed heterogeneous data resources

For making good decisions in the area of petroleum production, it is becoming a big problem how to timely gather sufficient and correct information, which may be stored in databases, data files, or on the World Wide Web. In this paper, Gaia methodology and Open Agent Architecture were employed to contribute a framework to solve above problem. The framework consists of three levels, namely, role mode, agent type, and agent instance. The model with five roles is analyzed. Four agent types are designed Six agent instances are developed for constructing the system of petroleum information services. The experimental results show that all agents in the system can work cooperatively to organize and retrieve relevant petroleum information. The successful implementation of the framework shows that agent-based technology can significantly facilitate the construction of complex systems in distributed heterogeneous data resource environment.<br /

Climate in Earth history

Complex atmosphere-ocean-land interactions govern the climate system and its variations. During the course of Earth history, nature has performed a large number of experiments involving climatic change; the geologic record contains much information regarding these experiments. This information should result in an increased understanding of the climate system, including climatic stability and factors that perturb climate. In addition, the paleoclimatic record has been demonstrated to be useful in interpreting the origin of important resources-petroleum, natural gas, coal, phosphate deposits, and many others

Modes of entry of petroleum distilled spray-oils into insects: a review

Petroleum oils are some of the oldest and safest pesticides in use. In spite of the numerous improvements achieved in oil technology, the mode of entry and the insecticide action mechanism of these products have been the subject of considerable debate and conjecture over many years. The literature reviewed suggests that insecticide oils can penetrate the insect body through the integument as well as through the tracheal system. Suffocation by spiracle blockage was held as the most accepted theory on its mode of action. However, an in depth analysis of the interaction between oils and insects body surface from a physical perspective suggests that suffocation occurs only when insects are over-sprayed or dipped in oil. Based on this analysis, it is more likely that when petroleum oils contact the insect surface, capillary forces and complex physical interactions take place in the cuticular layer, which lead to differences in the melting point and permeability of cuticle waxes. This in turn, alters the waterproofing properties of the cuticle and also leads to penetration of spray oils that can be carried to different lipophilic tissues. The changes in the cuticle caused by oils, which range from changes in melting point of the cuticular wax layer to cuticle dewaxing, strongly suggest cuticular penetration as the foremost mode of entry of insecticide oils.Fil: Stadler, Teodoro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Buteler, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; Argentin

Present-day stress orientations and tectonic provinces of the NW Borneo collisional margin

Extent: 15p.Borehole failure observed on image and dipmeter logs from 55 petroleum wells across the NW Borneo collisional margin were used to determine maximum horizontal stress (σH) orientations; combined with seismic and outcrop data, they define seven tectonic provinces. The Baram Delta–Deepwater Fold-Thrust Belt exhibits three tectonic provinces: its inner shelf inverted province (σH is NW-SE, margin-normal), its outer shelf extension province (σH is NE-SW, margin-parallel), and its slope to basin floor compression province (σH is NW-SE, margin-normal). In the inverted province, σH reflects inversion of deltaic normal faults. The σH orientations in the extension and compression provinces reflect deltaic gravitational tectonics. The shale and minibasin provinces have been recognized in offshore Sabah. In the shale province, σH is N010°E, which aligns around the boundary of a massif of mobile shale. Currently, no data are available to determine σH in the minibasin province. In the Balingian province, σH is ESE-WNW, reflecting ESE absolute Sunda plate motions due to the absence of a thick detachment seen elsewhere in NW Borneo. The Central Luconia province demonstrates poorly constrained and variable σH orientations. These seven provinces result from the heterogeneous structural and stratigraphic development of the NW Borneo margin and formed due to complex collisional tectonics and the varied distribution and thicknesses of stratigraphic packages.Rosalind C. King, Mark R. P. Tingay, Richard R. Hillis, Christopher K. Morley, and James Clar

‘User-friendly’ primary phosphines and an arsine: synthesis and characterization of new air-stable ligands incorporating the ferrocenyl group

Reaction of FcCH₂CH₂P(O)(OH)₂ or FcCH₂P(O)(OH)(OEt) [Fc=Fe(η⁵-C₅H₄)(η⁵-C₅H₅)] with excess CH₂N₂ followed by reduction with Me₃SiCl–LiAlH₄ gives the air-stable primary phosphines FcCH₂CH₂PH₂ and the previously reported analogue FcCH₂PH₂ in high yields. Reduction of 1,1′-Fc′[CH₂P(O)(OEt)₂] [Fc′=Fe(η⁵-C₅H₄)₂] and 1,2-Fc″[CH₂P(O)(OEt)₂] [Fc″=Fe(η⁵-C₅H₅)(η⁵-C₅H₃)] similarly gives the new primary phosphines 1,1′-Fc′(CH₂PH₂)₂ and 1,2-Fc″(CH₂PH₂)₂, respectively. The arsine FcCH₂CH₂AsH₂, which is also air-stable, has been prepared by reduction of the arsonic acid FcCH₂CH₂As(O)(OH)₂ using Zn/HCl. An X-ray structure has been carried out on the arsine, which is only the second structure determination of a free primary arsine. The molybdenum carbonyl complex [1,2-Fc″(CH₂PH₂)₂Mo(CO)₄] was prepared by reaction of the phosphine with [Mo(CO)₄(pip)₂] (pip=piperidine), and characterized by a preliminary X-ray structure determination. However, the same reaction of 1,1′-Fc′(CH₂PH₂)₂with [Mo(CO)₄(pip)₂] gave [1,1′-Fc′(CH₂PH₂)₂Mo(CO)₄] and the dimer [1,1′-Fc′(CH₂PH₂)₂Mo(CO)₄]₂, characterized by electrospray mass spectrometry. 1,1′-Fc′[CH₂PH₂Mo(CO)₅]₂ and 1,2-Fc″[CH₂PH₂Mo(CO)₅]₂ were likewise prepared from the phosphines and excess [Mo(CO)₅(THF)]

The Evolution of Multicomponent Systems at High Pressures: VI. The Thermodynamic Stability of the Hydrogen-Carbon System: The Genesis of Hydrocarbons and the Origin of Petroleum

The spontaneous genesis of hydrocarbons which comprise natural petroleum have been analyzed by chemical thermodynamic stability theory. The constraints imposed upon chemical evolution by the second law of thermodynamics are briefly reviewed; and the effective prohibition of transformation, in the regime of temperatures and pressures characteristic of the near-surface crust of the Earth, of biological molecules into hydrocarbon molecules heavier than methane is recognized. A general, first-principles equation of state has been developed by extending scaled particle theory (SPT) and by using the technique of the factored partition function of the Simplified Perturbed Hard Chain Theory (SPHCT). The chemical potentials, and the respective thermodynamic Affinity, have been calculated for typical components of the hydrogen-carbon (H-C) system over a range pressures between 1-100 kbar, and at temperatures consistent with those of the depths of the Earth at such pressures. The theoretical analyses establish that the normal alkanes, the homologous hydrocarbon group of lowest chemical potential, evolve only at pressures greater than approximately thirty kbar, excepting only the lightest, methane. The pressure of thirty kbar corresponds to depths of approximately 100 km. Special high-pressure apparatus has been designed which permits investigations at pressures to 50 kbar and temperatures to 2000 K, and which also allows rapid cooling while maintaining high pressures. The high-pressure genesis of petroleum hydrocarbons has been demonstrated using only the solid reagents iron oxide, FeO, and marble, CaCO3, 99.9% pure and wet with triple-distilled water

The Effect of the Dynamics of Knowledge Base Complexity on Schumpeterian patterns of Innovation: the upstream petroleum industry

This paper addresses important changes in innovation patterns in the upstream petroleum industry over the period from the 1970s to 2005. It argues that the shifts in patterns of innovation over that period can be explained by the dynamics of knowledge base complexity (KBC). We develop a quantitative method to explore KBC and show that increasing KBC has shifted innovation patterns, from a broadly Schumpeter Mark I to a 'modified' form of Schumpeter Mark II, led less by the established oil majors, but by a new class of integrated service providers

Manganese carbonyl-mediated reactions of azabutadienes with phenylacetylene, methyl acrylate and other unsaturated molecules

Reaction of PhCH₂Mn(CO)₅ with l,4-di-aryl-1-aza-1,3-butadienes gave substituted pyrrolinonyl rings which were η⁴-coordinated to a Mn(CO)₃ group. These are formed by intramolecular CO insertion into a (non-isolated) cyclomanganated intermediate, followed by cyclisation. Other unsaturated reagents (PhC≡CH, CH2=CHCOOMe, PhNCO) gave products arising from insertion of these, including a structurally characterised tri-aryl-η⁵-azacyclohexadienyl-Mn(CO)₃ complex from the reaction with the alkyne. PhCH₂Mn(CO)₅ reacts with l,4-di-aryl-1-aza-1,3-butadienes in the presence of unsaturated substrates to give products based on a cyclomanganated intermediate

Ecological analysis of world trade

Ecological systems have a high level of complexity combined with stability and rich biodiversity. Recently, the analysis of their properties and evolution has been pushed forward on a basis of concept of mutualistic networks that provides a detailed understanding of their features being linked to a high nestedness of these networks. It was shown that the nestedness architecture of mutualistic networks of plants and their pollinators minimizes competition and increases biodiversity. Here, using the United Nations COMTRADE database for years 1962 - 2009, we show that a similar ecological analysis gives a valuable description of the world trade. In fact the countries and trade products are analogous to plants and pollinators, and the whole trade network is characterized by a low nestedness temperature which is typical for the ecological networks. This approach provides new mutualistic features of the world trade highlighting new significance of countries and trade products for the world trade.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures (6 extra figures in Supporting Information

Health Hazard Manual For Cutting Oils, Coolants, and Metalworking Fluids

[Excerpt] The metalworker can be exposed to cutting oils during application by two basic routes of entry: skin contact and inhalation. The higher risk jobs tend to be those with high cutting speeds, heavy oil flow, and continuous contact, which may result in the worker being splashed with oil on the skin or clothing. The oil may remain on the skin for some time and oil-soaked clothing may be worn all shift. Cutting oils may be applied manually, by an air-carried mist, or by a continuous flood. When flooding is used, the oil is delivered by a pump, piping, and nozzle to the cutting zone. With this method the tool, work, and chip are flooded. (Used fluid is then collected in the chip pan and returned by gravity to the pump sump.) Inhalation of cutting oil mists may occur because of the nature of coolant delivery or because of the high temperatures and speeds generated at the cutting tool\u27s working edge. When the mist stream method of coolant delivery is used, much of it evaporates on contact with the hot tool, workpiece or chip. In addition to the intentional production of oil mists, vaporized oil can also be generated by the forces of the rapidly spinning workpiece or tool, or by the vaporization of the fluid from the heat of the cutting process