Evaluation of shale oil and gas plays - Part I: Shale reservoir property modelling of the North Sea Kimmeridge Clay Formation

The Kimmeridge Clay Formation (KCF) forms the source rock for most conventional hydrocarbon accumulations within the UK North Sea. However, only a few previous studies have analyzed the potential of the KCF for unconventional resources (i.e., shale oil and gas). Here, we use machine learning techniques combined with established rock property equations to generate geochemical, petrophysical and geomechanical logs for 16 wells within Quadrant 15 of the Outer Moray Firth, UK North Sea. The neural network models used to generate geochemical logs are trained using the Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation algorithm. The generated well logs and new KCF depth maps, constrained by an existing Base Cretaceous Unconformity (BCU) map of the UK North Sea and well top information from 48 wells, are used for 3D geostatistical modelling of KCF properties across the area. The resulting KCF property maps allow us to assess the shale oil and gas play potential across the region. Our results suggest good organic richness and hydrocarbon yield potential for the KCF within the study area, with up to 9 wt% original total organic carbon (TOCo), 48 mg/g original hydrocarbon yield (S2o), and 607 mg/gTOC original hydrogen index (HIo). Modelled total porosity values range between 2 and 13%, and brittleness indices lie between 25 and 65%, within the range reported for proven shale oil and gas plays. A sweet spot map, created by integrating our modelled KCF properties, indicates prospective areas for shale oil and gas exploitation within the central Witch Ground Graben, and to a lesser extent areas of the Piper Shelf and Claymore-Tartan Ridge. These areas show good potential based on all investigated properties, with respect to industry standards

Central Afar: An analogue for oceanic plateau development

The structure, composition, and evolution of oceanic plateaus are poorly understood and strongly debated. Here, we compared the magmatic history and crustal structure of Afar with the Greenland−Iceland−Faroe Ridge and other oceanic plateaus. Key similarities indicate that Central Afar represents the early stage of development of a specific type of oceanic plateau: a rifted oceanic magmatic plateau (ROMP). These features begin their formation before continental rifting and develop into wide magmatic rift systems capable of isolating slivers of continental crust within the new igneous crust. Importantly, the anomalous magmatism continues through breakup and for several tens of millions of years afterward. The recognition of Central Afar as a precursor of this type of oceanic plateau allows us to better understand their formation. Increased melt production causes early and voluminous magmatism, ultrathick igneous crust, and repeated reorganization of the extension locus during rift/ridge jumps, which delay the onset of oceanization and Penrose-style crustal production. These factors differentiate ROMPs from many magma-rich rifted continental margins and from other types of oceanic plateaus, highlighting that Central Afar and other ROMPs should neither be considered as conventional magma-rich margins nor be considered as normal oceanic crust

Biomechanics of the infant foot during the transition to independent walking : a narrative review

Recognising structural and functional development of the paediatric foot is fundamental to ensuring a strong theoretical framework for health professionals and scientists. The transition of an infant from sitting to walking takes approximately 9 months and is when the structures and function of the foot must respond to the challenges of bearing load; becoming increasingly more essential for locomotion. Literature pertaining to the phase of development was searched. A narrative approach synthesised the information from papers written in English, with non-symptomatic infant participants up to the development stage of independent walking or two years of age. A range of literature was identified documenting morphological, physiological, neuromuscular and biomechanical aspects of the infant within this phase of development. The progression of variable gait to a regular pattern is documented within a range of studies focusing on neuromuscular control and ambulation development. However, methodological approaches may have compromised the external validity of such data. Additionally, limited consideration for the specific function and development of the foot is evident, despite its role as the primary site of weight bearing and interface with the floor. A lack of consideration of infants prior to ambulation (i.e. before cruising or walking) is also apparent which prevents a reference baseline being used effectively. This review also identifies future research priorities such that a comprehensive understanding of foot development from a non-weight bearing to a weight bearing structure during locomotor advancement can be gained

An evaluation of Mesozoic rift-related magmatism on the margins of the Labrador Sea: Implications for rifting and passive margin asymmetry

The Labrador Sea is a small (∼900 km wide) ocean basin separating southwest Greenland from Labrador, Canada. It opened following a series of rifting events that began as early as the Late Triassic or Jurassic, culminating in a brief period of seafloor spreading commencing by polarity chron 27 (C27; Danian) and ending by C13 (Eocene-Oligocene boundary). Rift-related magmatism has been documented on both conjugate margins of the Labrador Sea. In southwest Greenland this magmatism formed a major coast-parallel dike swarm as well as other smaller dikes and intrusions. Evidence for rift-related magmatism on the conjugate Labrador margin is limited to igneous lithologies found in deep offshore exploration wells, mostly belonging to the Alexis Formation, along with a postulated Early Cretaceous nephelinite dike swarm (ca. 142 Ma) that crops out onshore, near Makkovik, Labrador. Our field observations of this Early Cretaceous nephelinite suite lead us to conclude that the early rift-related magmatism exposed around Makkovik is volumetrically and spatially limited compared to the contemporaneous magmatism on the conjugate southwest Greenland margin. This asymmetry in the spatial extent of the exposed onshore magmatism is consistent with other observations of asymmetry between the conjugate margins of the Labrador Sea, including the total sediment thickness in offshore basins, the crustal structure, and the bathymetric profile of the shelf width. We propose that the magmatic and structural asymmetry observed between these two conjugate margins is consistent with an early rifting phase dominated by simple shear rather than pure shear deformation. In such a setting Labrador would be the lower plate margin to the southwest Greenland upper plate

The oil-dispersion bath in anthroposophic medicine – an integrative review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Anthroposophic medicine offers a variety of treatments, among others the oil-dispersion bath, developed in the 1930s by Werner Junge. Based on the phenomenon that oil and water do not mix and on recommendations of Rudolf Steiner, Junge developed a vortex mechanism which churns water and essential oils into a fine mist. The oil-covered droplets empty into a tub, where the patient immerses for 15–30 minutes. We review the current literature on oil-dispersion baths.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The following databases were searched: Medline, Pubmed, Embase, AMED and CAMbase. The search terms were 'oil-dispersion bath' and 'oil bath', and their translations in German and French. An Internet search was also performed using Google Scholar, adding the search terms 'study' and 'case report' to the search terms above. Finally, we asked several experts for gray literature not listed in the above-mentioned databases. We included only articles which met the criterion of a clinical study or case report, and excluded theoretical contributions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among several articles found in books, journals and other publications, we identified 1 prospective clinical study, 3 experimental studies (enrolling healthy individuals), 5 case reports, and 3 field-reports. In almost all cases, the studies described beneficial effects – although the methodological quality of most studies was weak. Main indications were internal/metabolic diseases and psychiatric/neurological disorders.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Beyond the obvious beneficial effects of warm bathes on the subjective well-being, it remains to be clarified what the unique contribution of the distinct essential oils dispersed in the water can be. There is a lack of clinical studies exploring the efficacy of oil-dispersion baths. Such studies are recommended for the future.</p

The influence of body weight, body mass index and gender on plantar pressures: results of a cross-sectional study of healthy children's feet.

The purpose of this study was to determine if plantar pressure data in 4-7 year old children with normal development: (1) required normalising by body mass and/or body mass index and (2) should be separated or pooled for boys and girls. The outcome will guide the management of plantar pressure data in future work investigating changes in plantar pressure distribution with increasing age. In a cross-sectional design, 98 British children (45 girls) with no orthopaedic, neurological or developmental disorders provided plantar pressure measurements during walking. Peak plantar pressure and plantar pressure time integrals were obtained from nine areas under the foot: calcaneus, medial and lateral midfoot, each of the five metatarsals and the hallux. Body weight and body mass index demonstrated low and weak degrees of association (r≤0.48, p<0.05) with plantar pressure data. Boys and girls showed no difference in plantar pressures (p<0.05). Plantar pressure data for 4-7 year olds does not require normalisation with body mass or body mass index, and can be pooled for boys and girls

Plantar pressure distribution in 4 to 7 year olds

IntroductionThis study focuses on the plantar pressure distribution patterns in children aged 4 to 7 years of age for the purposes of a better understanding of any age-related changes and from that a better understanding of age-related changes in foot function and structure.MethodNinety-eight children who achieved the correct age-related height, weight and locomotion skills; were born within a normal gestational period and had no gait abnormalities underwent plantar pressure analysis. Peak plantar pressure and plantar pressure time integral data were obtained from the: calcaneus, medial and lateral midfoot, each of the five metatarsal heads and hallux. Both longitudinal and crosssectional data were collected at 4, 5, 6 and 7 years of age. The data subsets were analysed to determine if there were any age-related changes.ResultsPrior plantar pressure data analysis found no significant difference between the left and right feet (p>0.05), no significant difference between males and females (p>0.05) and some evidence of a weak, positive correlation between plantar pressure data and body weight (r<0.5). There was no systematic change across the longitudinal and crosssectionalplantar pressure data for the 4, 5 and 6 years olds. There were significant differences in the plantar pressure data between 4 and 7 years of age (p<0.05).ConclusionThe two year interval between 4 and 6 years of age is too short a time period to observesystematic change in plantar pressures. Annual age increments are not a key marker forchanges in plantar pressure between these ages. Changes between 4 and 7 years of agesuggest that this window of time may be large enough to observe differences in plantarpressure.Xll