Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 214-224). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis--Universität zu Köln. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 158-163).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1946. / Without thesis note.

This thesis explores two themes on upstream oil and gas economics centred on offshore safety economics and third party access to infrastructure in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). The first part involves work that explores the nexus between the offshore safety regime and safety outcomes. It contributes to the literature by explaining the post-Piper Alpha safety regime changes with regard to our understanding, framing of safety decision making and benchmarking of safety outcomes. The second part investigates third party access to infrastructure issues in the UKCS. It contributes to our understanding of how different third party access to infrastructure arrangements can be utilised to maximise economic recovery. Each chapter addresses fundamental issues of North Sea oil and gas operations through the application of microeconomic, operations research and econometric methods within a formal analytical framework. The results provide insights into decision-making complexities in the upstream oil and gas industry by guiding policy makers. Specifically, part one of this thesis looks at safety performance in the post-Piper Alpha era in the UKCS. It investigates ways through which a more comprehensive and theoretically informed framework can be used to understand the linkages that arise when dealing with safety regulations and their impacts on the offshore oil and gas industry. Our objective is to empirically ascertain the determinants of offshore hydrocarbon releases within the context of the post-Piper Alpha offshore safety regime regulations. This is done using an observed number of hydrocarbon releases linked to a population denominator data of the number of the installations present in the UKCS. Three research problems are examined: (1) the transmission mechanisms through which safety regulation influence firm and industry productivity; (2) the assessment methods utilised in measuring and benchmarking regulatory outcomes in terms of safety compliance; and (3) the extent to which safety policies contribute to enhancing safety levels in the oil and gas industry. We initially review the background and literature on offshore safety with a particular emphasis on the UKCS in Chapter 2. We also frame our research questions and underlying hypothesis here. In Chapter 3, we present our underlying empirical framework and model specifications followed by some descriptive analysis of the hydrocarbon releases data. The results of the various econometric model specifications are analysed in Chapter 4. The second part of the thesis explores how possible different ownership patterns (including access arrangements) might affect the economic viability of exploiting remaining resources in the UKCS. This section attempts to answer two critical questions namely how the impact of the separation of infrastructure and field ownership affect economic recovery and the impact of taxation on field and hub economics in a mature oil basin. We explore how possible different ownership structures and access arrangements might affect the economic viability of remaining UKCS reserves. We apply a mixed integer programming (MIP) model to field data from the Northern North Sea. Specifically, we examine how the unbundling of infrastructure and field ownership, as well as different cost sharing and tariff arrangements, affect the long-term economics of hubs and their user fields. Regarding the layout, Chapter 5 talks about access to infrastructure issues in the UKCS namely the regulatory framework for access and related legislation. It leads to the development of a conceptual framework and model based upon which extractions are made to capture the various potential market outcomes. In Chapter 6, the empirical model, which utilises the mixed integer programming approach, is discussed. The data sources and characterization, as well as the presentation of the results from the Baseline Model, are presented in Chapter 7. The analysis of the Tax Model and the Cost Sharing plus Tax Model including structure and simulated results with underlying assumptions are presented in Chapter 8. Finally, Chapter 9 leads to a thorough discussion of the results followed by conclusions and policy recommendations.

The research undertaken in this study is designed to examine the reliability of management estimates of expected future net revenues from the production of proved oil and gas reserves determined in accordance with the requirements of the prediction model specified in ASR No. 253. The issue of the required disclosure of earnings forecasts has been a topic of considerable controversy for many years. Within that controversy, the most frequently encountered opposition questions the reliability and ultimate utility of earnings forecasts. Similar opposition to both past and present forecast disclosure requirements exists in the oil and gas industry. In order to examine the reliability of management estimates of expected future net revenues, a two-part analysis was conducted. In the first part of the analysis, error metrics comparing management forecasts to actual results were computed and examined. Included in the examination were various relationships among and within the computed metrics. In the second part of the analysis an attempt was made to establish the association between the error metrics and specific related variables. It was anticipated that the degree of association determined would provide evidence of the relative accuracy of management in predicting the timing and volume of future production within the framework of the prediction model.

Yes / This empirical research explores local skill capacity gap in the petroleum industry in Ghana using a mixed method approach to study four public organisations. Matched samples of employees (226) were surveyed, while HR directors (9) were purposively sampled and interviewed. The findings suggest a wide local skill gap. Originality, this is one of the very few studies to explore the shortcomings of local skill capacity in public sector organisation. Research implications, more matched-sample studies are necessary to understand IOC’s local skill capacity further. Practically, the study is of significance to the policymakers. The main contribution of the research amongst others is to conceptualise the concept of HRM in Ghana’s context.

Целю исследования является разработка теоретических и методических основ для оценки тенденций и перспектив развития нефтегазовой отрасли Ирака на основе нескольких сценариев. Научная новизна исследования состоит в разработке подхода к оценке перспектив развития нефтегазовой отрасли в низкодиверсифицированной экономике, который отличается использованием показателей занятости в промышленном секторе, удельного внутреннего энергопотребления и объема экспорта сырой нефти на международные рынки в соответствии с тремя сценариями развития: инерционным, сценарием развития рынков и сценарием развития промышленности. / The purpose of the study is to develop theoretical and methodological foundations for assessing the trends and prospects for the development of the oil and gas industry in Iraq based on several scenarios. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the development of an approach to assessing the prospects for the development of the oil and gas industry in a low-diversity economy, which is distinguished by the use of indicators of employment in the industrial sector, specific domestic energy consumption and the volume of crude oil exports to international markets in accordance with three development scenarios: inertial, market development scenario and industrial development scenario.

Accurate knowledge of the physical properties of complex chemical systems is of extreme importance for the design and optimization of industrial processes. The unprecedented increase of computing power in the last couple of decades, the development of efficient algorithms and methods, and advances in molecular force fields have made molecular simulation a powerful tool in predicting such properties very accurately, and often with very limited experimental information involved. Related to this, molecular simulation can be used for the design of new materials with improved, often tailor-made, properties compared to existing materials. In this lecture, a few representative examples from recent work related to the oil & gas industry will be discussed.

No description available.

Sustainability is one of the most important performance measurements in this fast changing business environment, as climate change and customer satisfaction is becoming real issues that managers have to face. Not only does it reflect the impact the company has on the economy, environment and society but also communicates corporate responsibility and smart business practices to the relevant shareholders. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited (JSE) is the first global stock exchange to compel listed companies to integrate sustainability reporting with their annual report in the form of an integrated report. This requirement came into effect on 1 March 2010. It will enable managers to assess their organisation’s ability to create and uphold sustainability over the short, medium and long terms. It also allows managers and stakeholders to evaluate their business from a holistic perspective to report on a wider context of how it creates value for their shareholders and customers. The GRI identified the global challenges regarding sustainability reporting and launched their first Sustainability Reporting Framework in 2000 to clearly and openly report on relevant sustainability issues. The GRI also provide Sector Supplements that focuses on sector specific performance measurements. The balanced scorecard which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2012, has been proven to be one of the most influential business management strategies of the last 20 years. Adjustments can be made to the traditional BSC by using an effective social responsibility framework, such as the GRI, to provide a sustainable balanced scorecard. It will express long-term organisational strategies, both financial and non-financial that is linked to sustainability. The oil and gas industry is a multifaceted, global industry and a key player in the South African economy, which has a fundamental impact on safety, health, environmental and social issues. The research was performed based on all the JSE listed companies in this industry based on an observational, ex post facto and descriptive research methodology. The integrated reports for both 2011 and 2012 were obtained and compared against the G3.1 Oil and Gas Sector Supplement indicators. It was found that selected oil and gas companies include sustainability issues in their integrated reports with a focus on social aspects. The contribution of the study was the development of a Sustainable Balanced Scorecard for the oil and gas industry. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014