Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 248-254). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

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Thesis (Ph. D.). UM #74-17,941. / Title from document title page. Includes bibliographical references. Available in PDF format via the World Wide Web.

The energy industries of Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil have been analyzed in single case study form or in comparative fashion. However, authors have not used a combined comparative interdependence perspective in their analyses In a few words, interdependence theory holds the view that in the capitalist world where the United States is not anymore hegemonic, countries are forced to master the art of bargaining to achieve efficient interdependent relationships that serve their economic and political objectives. According to interdependence theory, countries--developed and developing--must be flexible to adapt their policies to junctural (temporary or structural (permanent)) changes that may occur in the world market. Otherwise, they would become vulnerable to these changes, and would incur in dangerous economic and political costs. Interdependence theory is revisited in the introduction of this dissertation Using a combined comparative and interdependence perspective, this dissertation examines separately--in case study form--the energy policies of Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil during the 1980s. In each case study the focus is on energy policy-making actors, policy debates, changes to policies and organizational aspects of the energy industries of these countries. Each case study (except for Venezuela, which is first) ends with a comparative concluding section The final chapter of the dissertation summarizes all previous partial conclusions drawn on the countries. This last chapter also includes the following information: (a) an analysis of oil dependence in the United States, other Western industrialized nations, Eastern European and developing countries; (b) a forecast on some possible changes to the oil market after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq; and, (c) some suggestions on further interdependence research on energy issues / acase@tulane.edu

This is the first academic study of well costs and drilling times for Australia???s petroleum producing basins, both onshore and offshore. I analyse a substantial database of well times and costs sourced from government databases, industry and over 400 recent well completion reports. Three well phases are studied - Pre-Spud, Drilling and Completion. Relationships between well cost factors are considered, including phase time, phase cost, daily cost, rig day rate, well depth, basin, rig type, water depth, well direction, well objective (e.g. exploration), and type of completion (P&A or producer). Times and costs are analysed using scatter plots, frequency distributions, correlation and regression analyses. Drilling times are analysed for the period 1980 to 2004. Well time and variability in well time tend to increase exponentially with well depth. Technical Limits are defined for both onshore and offshore drilling times to indicate best performance. Well costs are analysed for the period 1996 to 2004. Well costs were relatively stable for this period. Long term increases in daily costs were offset to some extent by reductions in drilling times. Onshore regions studied include the Cooper/Eromanga, Surat/Bowen, Otway and Perth Basins. Offshore regions studied include the Carnarvon Basin shallow and deepwater, the Timor Sea and Victorian Basins. Correlations between regional well cost and well depth are usually high. Well costs are estimated based on well location, well depth, daily costs and type of completion. In 2003, the cost of exploration wells in Australia ranged from A$100,000 for shallow coal seam gas wells in the Surat/Bowen Basins to over A$50 million for the deepwater well Gnarlyknots-1 in the Great Australian Bight. Future well costs are expected to be substantially higher for some regions. This study proposes methods to index historical daily costs to future rig day rates as a means for estimating future well costs. Regional well cost models are particularly useful for the economic evaluation of CO2 storage sites which will require substantial numbers of petroleum-type wells.

Two natural soils from Bahrain were used in this study to investigate the feasibility of using Arabian oil residue as a means to stabilize collapsible saline soils. Since the presence of oil residue in soils can pose an environmental threat, the high oil retention capability of the stabilized soils is critical to its application. / The behavior of the stabilized soils has been experimentally investigated in the laboratory. This study has concentrated on the evaluation of the mechanical properties of the stabilized soils, the oil retention characteristics and its bonding mechanisms, and the leaching and migration behaviors of oil residue from the stabilized soils. / The geotechnical investigation results indicated that the addition of 4% oil residue, by weight, was sufficient to significantly enhance the strength performance of the tested soils. The geochemical tests showed that the bonds formed between the oil and the soil surfaces were predominantly Van der Waal's attraction, weak hydrogen bonding, and cation and water bridging. These bonds were found to be relatively weak but stable and insensitive to leaching forces. The geo-environmental results revealed good oil retention in these samples, with less than 3% of the oil residue by weight leached from the stabilized soils after 40 days of leaching in distilled water. / The migration of oil from the stabilized soils has also been theoretically evaluated. The theoretical study utilizes the model developed by Yong et al. (1992) with a few modifications made to accommodate this particular situation. The model was solved using an explicit finite difference method, Powell's optimization technique, and experimental results. The predicted oil migration profiles were found to be slightly over-estimated as compared to the experimental profiles.

This is the first academic study of well costs and drilling times for Australia???s petroleum producing basins, both onshore and offshore. I analyse a substantial database of well times and costs sourced from government databases, industry and over 400 recent well completion reports. Three well phases are studied - Pre-Spud, Drilling and Completion. Relationships between well cost factors are considered, including phase time, phase cost, daily cost, rig day rate, well depth, basin, rig type, water depth, well direction, well objective (e.g. exploration), and type of completion (P&A or producer). Times and costs are analysed using scatter plots, frequency distributions, correlation and regression analyses. Drilling times are analysed for the period 1980 to 2004. Well time and variability in well time tend to increase exponentially with well depth. Technical Limits are defined for both onshore and offshore drilling times to indicate best performance. Well costs are analysed for the period 1996 to 2004. Well costs were relatively stable for this period. Long term increases in daily costs were offset to some extent by reductions in drilling times. Onshore regions studied include the Cooper/Eromanga, Surat/Bowen, Otway and Perth Basins. Offshore regions studied include the Carnarvon Basin shallow and deepwater, the Timor Sea and Victorian Basins. Correlations between regional well cost and well depth are usually high. Well costs are estimated based on well location, well depth, daily costs and type of completion. In 2003, the cost of exploration wells in Australia ranged from A$100,000 for shallow coal seam gas wells in the Surat/Bowen Basins to over A$50 million for the deepwater well Gnarlyknots-1 in the Great Australian Bight. Future well costs are expected to be substantially higher for some regions. This study proposes methods to index historical daily costs to future rig day rates as a means for estimating future well costs. Regional well cost models are particularly useful for the economic evaluation of CO2 storage sites which will require substantial numbers of petroleum-type wells.

Thesis (M.S.)--King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 1989. / Title from document title page. Includes bibliographical references. Available in PDF format via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 216-221). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

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