Introduction: To enforce physical distancing measures during COVID-19, Telephone Consultation (TC), a form of telemedicine, was initiated as an alternative technology to face to face consultation in primary health care (PHC) in Muscat, Oman. This study aims to explore the perceptions of physicians about the use of TC with respect to process of implementation; challenges and limitations; lessons learned and the way forward. Method: This was a qualitative study using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Physicians who were actively conducting TC in PHC were purposively selected and individually interviewed until no new responses were obtained. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Twenty-two participants were interviewed. Participants were predominantly females (98%) and qualified family physicians (77.3%). Overall, all participants accepted this initiative as a possible method to continue health services during COVID-19. Perceptions about the process of implementing TC in PHC were themed to; inconsistent implementation of the guideline, variability in roles and responsibilities, and Semi-supportive infrastructure. Five themes were identified as challenges and limitations: limited staff training on TC, suboptimal patient-physician interaction, insufficient technical support, ensuring privacy, and confidentiality of the communication, and different ways to document the TC. Physicians expressed that TC worked better in following COVID-19 cases, chronic conditions, and, in general, simple cases. They also expressed a reduction in the crowdedness in PHC facilities and the risk of acquiring COVID-19 and other types of infections. Tailoring the existing structural clinical setting, capacity building activities on the use of TC, and improving the quality of the TC are viewed as essential steps for the future sustainability of TC in PHC. Conclusion: Given the exceptional situation of COVID-19, the current evidence suggests that the use of TC in PHC, especially in chronic cases, is promising. However, measures including training of staff, improving the structural setting, and selecting suitable cases for TC are the main elements for high quality and sustainable TC services in PHC from physician’s perspective.

BP installed an extended well testing (EWT) facility to perform extended flow tests for appraisal of the tight gas reservoirs in the Sultanate of Oman. The EWT facility is a "mini-gas-plant" that processes appraisal well gas and delivers it into the national grid. It helps avoid excessive flaring of significant volumes of gas while providing valuable long term history matching data used to predict full field production profiles. Middle East tight gas reservoirs are typically Pre-Cambrian to Ordivician in age situated in a high pressure and high temperature environment. A comparatively complex diagenetic history makes prediction of rock quality and fluid distribution very challenging. Key depletion planning uncertainties identified at the outset of appraisal were: the long term decline in gas production rates, the connected hydrocarbon volumes, the impact of condensate banking and the long term trends in water gas ratios. The EWT data gathering is helping to reduce these uncertainties to a level sufficient to inform an investment decision. Four appraisal wells, ranging from good to poor quality, were tied into the EWT for long term testing for up to 2 years to date. The combination of this production history and downhole pressure data has markedly improves confidence in predictions of production profiles for the range of full field development wells. The EWT operations have also revealed several potential full field development design and startup concerns. These were related to formation of hydrates due to gas expansion at the wellhead along with other potential integrity risks due to high chlorides content and the presence of minor H2S levels. The changing fluid chemistry was also identified which helped in redefining the fluid basis of surface facilities design to optimize operability of the full field development.

Metal silos and tanks are subject to loading that increases progressively from the top to the base of the cylindrical shell. Efficient design calls for progressive increases in wall thickness, but metal sheets are made in discrete thicknesses. For silos, buckling under axial compression is the dominant design condition, whilst in tanks axial compression with internal pressure may also be critical. The step increases in wall thickness mean that the most critical point on the wall is always at the base of one strake of uniform thickness, so the location of a critical buckle is expected to be at or just above a change of thickness. Until now, design rules have always ignored the effect of the thicker lower strake in restraining the axial compression buckle above it, and the requirement for buckles to have a finite size.Whilst this effect has previously been noted [1,2], it has never been systematically studied. In this paper, a first thorough study is presented, which shows that the strength enhancement associated with a change of plate thickness can be considerable (over 40%). The presented information addresses the buckling of imperfect shells, and includes both elastic and plastic conditions. The findings are sufficient to produce a modification of the current design rules for buckling under axial compression, giving designers the freedom to extend their thin shell segments deeper in the silo or tank structure.

Petroleum Development of Oman (PDO) has grown rapidly over the past few years and is seen as an innovative organization and a leading company within the Middle East when it comes to applying best practice, adding value to the economical and societal development of the Sultanate of Oman through many Knowledge Management (KM) activities. As the Sultanate's leading Oil and gas exploration and production company it is the central engine of the Sultanate's economy. Key to the success of our Digital KM Program has been focus on the importance of developing the human intellectual capital elements to nurture, develop and sustain our people as key assets. PDO is aware of the potential value of the Enterprise Information and the robust data as showcased In the Figure-1 which can be transformed into knowledge that can be turned and can be used to gain the business benefits such as a competitive advantage, cost minimization, innovation.

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