The aim of this research paper is to identify the the perceptions of teachers of English language about the main challenges in teaching primary stage pupils; and to recognize the challenges that are experienced locally in the five educational areas available in the state of Kuwait. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have been applied because data are supposed to be in the form of numbers. The survey was provided by a hard copy to about (20) teachers of English language in the state of Kuwait. The survey itself consisted of two sections. The first section refers to some sort of a ranking question. That means the teachers ordered the factors that may develop teaching English to young learners according to their point of views. The second section of the survey included an open question as follows: Which aspect do you think the most challenging in teaching young pupils and why? The results revealed that teachers of English are challenged by several factors including lack of training, resources and acknowledge. Most teachers suffered from lack of time to teach; particularly, teaching writing and grammar.

Robotic-assisted navigation for percutaneous femoral neck fracture fixation is a new technology that has shown enhanced intraoperative and postoperative outcomes compared to the conventional freehand fluoroscopy-guided technique. The authors aim to compare robot-assisted femoral neck fracture fixation to conventional freehand fluoroscopy-guided repair. Electronic databases were searched, identifying all observational studies comparing outcomes of both groups. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. The primary outcomes included operative duration (minutes), intraoperative bleeding (mL), fluoroscopy exposure, and frequency of intraoperative drilling. The secondary outcomes included Harris scores, healing rate and time, screw accuracy, and postoperative complications. Seven observational studies were identified, enrolling 506 patients. There was a significant difference between the robot-assisted and conventional groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss (mean difference (MD) = -18.83, p ≤ 0.05), fluoroscopy exposure (MD = -1.81, p ≤ 0.05), and intraoperative drilling frequency (MD = -7.35, p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in operative duration between the groups (MD = -0.21, p = 0.66). Most secondary outcomes were improved in the robot-assisted group. Overall, robot-assisted fixation was superior in terms of safety and efficacy.

Conventionally, the Cretaceous shale in North Kuwait is drilled at a high angle with an invert emulsion-based drilling fluid. Environmental and operational considerations required the development of a water-based system capable of closing the performance gap between invert-based and water-based drilling fluids. A customized high performance water-based mud (HPWBM) was used successfully where previous attempts with alternative water-based mud (WBM) had experienced significant challenges. Key well challenges included wellbore instability with caving shale and the potential for differential sticking and pack-off. A HPWBM enhanced with an innovative sealing polymer was customized to maintain optimal drilling performance by minimizing shale erosion in these highly dispersible clays, while also decreasing pore pressure transmission via the micronized sealing polymer. These clays, having moderate reactivity, are prone to dispersion when there is communication between water or water-based mud. The improved levels of fluid invasion were optimized using the particle plugging apparatus (PPA) to achieve the minimum interaction between the fluid and shale. The formulation was finalized, based on laboratory testing, to optimize the bridging and inhibition package for the formations drilled. After finalizing the formulation, the control points were agreed upon between the operator and service company to ensure that the required inhibition and bridging package were implemented on the well and to define success criteria. Drilling was completed, and the casing was run successfully with no incidents; the fluids parameters were maintained to effectively stabilize the hole while drilling through geomechanically stressed formations in a challenging azimuth: the direction of minimum horizontal stress. The addition of the sealing polymer to the already-inhibited HPWBM effectively stabilized the wellbore, which helped reduce the caving tendency of the stressed shales. The two intervals were drilled and cased in two days less than the average time required with an invert emulsion fluid. There was no nonproductive time (NPT) related to wellbore instability, and differential sticking was avoided by the customized bridging and sealing across the depleted zones. This paper discusses the design, technical features, and benefits of a HPWBM system, enhanced by the addition of an innovative sealing polymer, which helped successfully drill the 12 1/4- and 8 1/2-in intervals. A customized HPWBM provided good shale inhibition, mechanical stability, and excellent lubricity, customizing the conventional fluid for the increased challenges posed by the stressed shale.

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The 12-1/4-in. directional application is one of the most challenging applications in North Kuwait. The section requires drilling from the Mutriba (Santonian) to Burgan (Albina) formations through highly interbedded, high-compressive-strength carbonates (limestone and dolomite), sandstones, and shales. In recent years, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has tested many different bit designs in an attempt to minimize stick/slip vibrations and maximize the rate of penetration (ROP). This paper presents the technology used to nearly eliminate stick/slip vibrations, leading to a field record (and a consistent performance) for this application, as well as the process used to develop the technology. The interval was drilled using a rotary steerable system (RSS) to maximize wellbore quality and to provide consistent build-up rates (BUR) required. Parameters run in this application are often limited because stick/slip becomes uncontrollable when transitioning through the many formation types. In addition, reactive and stressed caving shales are regularly observed in the Ahmadi and Wara formations drilled during the interval. Special care is needed to mitigate these drilling challenges and to successfully drill the interval with low stick/slip vibrations and high ROP. Using proprietary state-of-the-art design and analysis technologies, a new polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit was designed for use specifically with RSS tools to minimize the vibrations. The solution required a thorough offset analysis before the interval that was presented using the design process. The design process enabled the presentation of a driller's roadmap to be used in conjunction with the new bit to enable a benchmark ROP to be achieved. The use of the newly designed PDC bit produced minimal torsional vibrations, enabling a 62% increase in ROP over the field average. This increased ROP resulted in a savings of USD 90,000, reducing the cost per foot by 33%, as compared to the field average. The bit also came out in excellent condition, enabling future use in similar applications for KOC.