Case Study of Thermal Injection in Heavy Oil Reservoir

A study has been done on thermal injection – as an enhanced oil recovery - in heavy oil reservoir. Two types of thermal injection were discussed. These methods are cyclic steam stimulation and steam flooding. The simulation part was done using Eclipse 300 and literature data. Moreover, steam flooding technique was used in simulating the reservoir. It was confirmed that thermal injection is significant in heavy oil reservoir. It was shown that the viscosity is the main variable that affects the production rate and the recovery factor of the field. By decreasing the value of this variable the production rate was significantly increased. Using thermal injection increased the recovery factor from 3.75% to 56.5%

Notes on Ants of the genus Strumigenys F. Smith, 1860 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula, with a key to species.

The ant genus Strumigenys in the Arabian Peninsula is treated. Three species are recognized, S. arnoldi Forel, S. emmae (Emery) and S. membranifera Emery. The invasive species S. membranifera and the Afrotropical species S. arnoldi are recorded for the first time from Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula. A key to the Arabian species based on the worker caste is presented. Biological, ecological and distribution notes for each species are given. A regional distribution map for the three species is also presented

Review of the Arabian Crematogaster Lund (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), synoptic list, distribution, and description of two new species from Oman and Saudi Arabia

The genus Crematogaster is one of the most species-rich and widespread groups of ants. Despite their often-high local abundance and important ecological interactions, the taxonomy of the genus is fragmentary and in great need of modern revisionary studies. As a first step towards a revision for the Arabian fauna of Crematogaster, a review of all known species with synoptic species accounts is provided. Seventeen species are recognized and illustrated from the Arabian Peninsula, of which two new species are described: C. jacindae Sharaf & Hita Garcia, sp. nov. from the Dhofar Governorate, Oman, and C. gryllsi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, sp. nov. from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) based on the worker caste. Crematogaster jacindae sp. nov. is easily separated from the remainder of the Arabian Crematogaster fauna due to its complete lack of propodeal spines, slit-shaped propodeal spiracles, and its distinct bicoloration, whereas C. gryllsi sp. nov. is readily distinguished by its unlobed postpetiolar dorsum. Furthermore, new country records are presented: C. acaciae Forel for the KSA and Yemen, and C. delagoensis Forel and C. jehovae Forel for the KSAC. antaris for Qatar, whereas C. luctans Forel is excluded from the Arabian fauna. In addition, on the basis of morphological examination of original type material, C. affabilis Forel is proposed as junior synonym of C. chiarinii Mayr, and C. striaticeps is elevated to species rank stat. nov. Furthermore, a new identification key for the Arabian species is provided, as well as distribution maps for all species

Case Study of Thermal Injection in Heavy Oil Reservoir

A study has been done on thermal injection – as an enhanced oil recovery - in heavy oil reservoir. Two types of thermal injection were discussed. These methods are cyclic steam stimulation and steam flooding. The simulation part was done using Eclipse 300 and literature data. Moreover, steam flooding technique was used in simulating the reservoir. It was confirmed that thermal injection is significant in heavy oil reservoir. It was shown that the viscosity is the main variable that affects the production rate and the recovery factor of the field. By decreasing the value of this variable the production rate was significantly increased. Using thermal injection increased the recovery factor from 3.75% to 56.5%

Review of the ant genus Meranoplus Smith, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species M. mosalahi sp. n. from Oman

The species of Meranoplus Smith, 1853 of the Arabian Peninsula are reviewed based on the worker caste. Two species are recognized, keyed, and illustrated by Scanning Electron Microscope images (SEM), Meranoplus mosalahi and M. pulcher, Sharaf, 2014. Meranoplus mosalahi sp. n. is described from the Dhofar Governorate, Oman based on the worker caste. The new species belongs to the M. magrettii-group and closely resembles M. pulcher Sharaf, 2014 from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from which it can be distinguished by the bicolored body, the shallowly concave anterior clypeal margin, the absence of well-developed anterior clypeal teeth, the fewer irregular longitudinal cephalic rugae, and the feeble longitudinal rugae on posterior face of petiolar node

A new species of the ant genus Leptogenys Roger, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India

There are no well defined Leptogenys species groups based on the worker morphology from the Oriental region Arimoto (2017). Leptogenys chinensis forms a complex species group with closely related species having little morphological changes Wilson (1958), Sarnat and Economo (2012). From the Oriental region, there are currently 9 species belonging to the L. chinensis group. The group is diagnosed by having edentate masticatory margin of the mandible, smooth body surface, elongate antennae and metallic green cuticle. The species included are: L. assamensis; L. chinensis; L. confucii; L. kraepelini; L. laeviterga; L. pangui; L. peuqueti; L. stenocheilos and L. sunzii. Leptogenys bhartii sp. n., a new ponerine ant species from Western Himalayas, India, is described and illustrated based on the worker caste. The new species belongs to the Leptogenys chinensis group and mostly resembles Leptogenys chinensis (Mayr, 1870). In the L. chinensis group, the original description of L. stenocheilos is insufficient as it lacks information about type material. As there is no further detailing of this species in the available literature, it is difficult to ascertain its valid status Xu and He (2015) and is therefore, considered a species inquirenda herewith. A revised key to the known species of chinensis-group in the Oriental Region is provided

First occurrence of the ant genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The formicine ant genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 is recorded for the first time from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and from the Arabian Peninsula by the species B. cordemoyi Forel, 1895. A brief description and automontage images of the species are presented with ecological and biological notes

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Attracted to Rabbit Carcasses in Three Different Habitats

This study reports the ant species that were attracted to rabbit carcasses in three different habitats (agricultural, desert, urban) in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from May to July 2014. Rabbit carcasses were used as a model for decomposition. Carcasses were categorized as exposed, clothed, shaded and burnt. A total of 726 ants belonging to three subfamilies and 14 species were collected during the decomposition process. Trichomyrmex mayri (Forel) was the only ant species attracted to the carcasses placed in the desert site. At the agricultural site, there was one ponerine species, five formicine species, and three myrmicine species were attracted, while at the urban site, five formicine species and one myrmicine species were recorded. The agricultural site attracted the highest number of ants. In contrast, the desert site attracted the lowest number of ants. Tr. mayri was the most prevalent species occurring in both the agricultural and desert sites. The bloated stage of decomposition attracted the highest number of ants followed by the decay, fresh and dry stages, respectively. Clothed carcasses attracted the highest number of ants followed by the exposed and burnt carcasses, respectively. The shaded carcasses attracted the fewest number of ants. This study found that ants are attracted to carcasses at all stages of decomposition and are common components of the necrofauna of central Saudi Arabia

Taxonomy of Arabian Temnothorax Mayr (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) with description of a new species enhanced by x-ray microtomography

Temnothorax elmenshawyi sp. n., a new ant species from the Asir Mountains of the southwestern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is described based on the worker caste. The new species is a member of the T. exilis species group and is distinguished from the other species included in this group by the impressed metanotal groove, the short, acute and broadly-based propodeal spines, the finely punctate posterior half of cephalic surface, and absence of a median clypeal carina. Despite extensive collecting by the authors at the type locality, only two specimens are available for description, suggesting that this species may be rare and likely endemic to the Asir Mountains. The species description is complemented by still images of volume renderings of a 3D model and a 3D rotation video of the holotype based on x-ray microtomography (micro-CT), allowing remote in-depth examination of the specimen. The virtual micro-CT data is provided as cybertype dataset and freely available online https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4gg39k6, as well as 3D surface model (Sketchfab.com, https://skfb.ly/6HYRz). An updated identification key to the Arabian species is presented.journal articl

Review of the ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr, 1872 in the Arabian Peninsula (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

The taxonomy of the dolichoderine ants of the genus Technomyrmex Mayr, 1872 is revised for the Arabian Peninsula. Six species are treated, T. albipes (F. Smith, 1861), T. difficilis Forel, 1892, T. briani Sharaf, 2009, T. vexatus (Santschi, 1919), T. montaseri Sharaf, Collingwood & Aldawood, 2011, and T. setosus Collingwood, 1985. The successful tramp species T. difficilis Forel, 1892 is recorded for the first time from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Yemen, representing new records for the Palearctic Region. Technomyrmex vexatus (Santschi, 1919) is a new species record for Yemen. The queen caste of the rare endemic species, T. briani Sharaf, 2009 is described for the first time. A neotype for KSA endemic T. setosus Collingwood 1985 is designated based on a specimen collected from the type locality, the Asir Mountains, KSA, including new information on habitats and distribution. A male cast of Technomyrmex, possibly of T. setosus, is also described. An illustrated key based on the worker caste of the Arabian species of Technomyrmex is given. New geographical records and a distribution map for the treated species are presented