No abstract

The UAE has made significant strides in the field of artificial island construction in mega projects for a wide range of applications including real estate, tourism, airport runways and other transportation causeways. Now, artificial island technology is being extended into the oil and gas industry. Space limitation on natural islands and the urgency to develop strategic offshore oil fields within Abu Dhabi's Exclusive Economic Zone, and to upgrade or expand storage and offloading facilities spell the need to rapidly adopt and adapt the technology. With favorable water depths and environmental conditions, artificial islands at times prove to be more economical than traditional fixed steel jacket platforms. In addition to reducing both CAPEX and OPEX, greater well capacity may be made available earlier when the artificial island option is selected. Certain environmental advantages can also materialize with respect to the artificial island option in the Arabian Gulf. Most recently, ADMA-OPCO has been engaged in applying the technology to projects such as the Das Island Permanent Accommodation (DIPA) project as well as the Satah Al-Raaz Boot (SARB) field development. ZADCO has made significant progress in expanding drilling and production from the Upper Zakum field using artificial islands (UZAI). On Das Island, a major land reclamation undertaking is ear-marked for the construction of a new, state-of the art village for oil and gas industry personnel operating on the island, in compliance with the UAE 2014 Camp Regulations. The island expansion will create sufficient space for ADMA-OPCO and ADGAS to expand their industrial facilities in the center of the island; while creating a safety Buffer Zone between industrial and accommodation designated areas. Significant cost and schedule optimization will be realized with the selection of the artificial island option for the SARB and Zakum fields. The new islands will last the entire life of the developments, in contrast with the possibility of having to replace discrete well-head towers before field depletion. Additionally, the increased spread of the artificial islands and the possibility of utilizing more conventional onshore technologies will translate into ease of access and maintenance around the facilities and enhanced safety on the islands relative to those on equivalent jacket supported platforms. Introduction The practice of constructing artificial islands is relatively common, especially in the UAE. They are built for a wide range of uses, including real estate, tourism development, airport construction, and transportation links, as well as oil and gas production. The most important consideration for island design is the definition of the project operational requirements. To meet those requirements, factors to consider in design include target commissioning dates and site inputs such as bathymetry, seismic activity, metocean and geotechnical conditions. In this paper, three projects are highlighted where land reclamation and artificial island technology is utilized to meet the project requirements in the most feasible manner. These projects are yet in their early stages and follow up will be made in future publications.

Capitalizing on the UAE's wide experience in the field of land reclamation and artificial island technology, the Abu Dhabi oil and gas industry, represented by ADNOC group of companies, is currently deploying an array of islands across Abu Dhabi's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Arabian Gulf for applications such as new field development and the upgrade or expansion of storage and offloading facilities. With favorable water depths and environmental conditions, land reclamation is often a more economical option for the accommodation of offshore facilities than the construction of fixed steel jacket platforms. ADMA-OPCO is currently engaged in applying the technology to projects such as the Satah Al-Raaz Boot (SARB) field development, a 105,000-bpd development comprising 86 wells on two artificial islands. Simultaneously, ZADCO is making progress on expanding drilling from the Upper Zakum field by constructing four artificial islands (UZAI) to increase field production to 750,000 bpd by 2015. While cost and schedule optimization will be realized with the selection of the artificial island option for these mega projects, designers and contractors are facing the challenge of securing or fabricating building materials in huge amounts for the construction of both the land masses and shore protection structures. Creative solutions to procuring these materials are tabled and investigated. Innovative engineering designs are tried and tested both numerically and using physical model tests. The presence of a soft soil layer within the foundation strata of one of the Upper Zakum islands required special treatment to satisfy island performance criteria. Schedule constraints of construction and fulfilling ADNOC's strategic production objectives continue to be the driving forces behind the resolution of all challenges.

Heavy oil is an unconventional oil resource that is characterized by high viscosities and high densities compared to conventional oil. Most heavy oil reservoirs are deposit in shallow depths.

A slope stability assessment of Wadi Dhahr area, located northwest of Sana’a the capital of Yemen, was carried out in this study. The study area consists of sandstone and volcanic rocks that are deformed by number of faults, joints and basaltic dykes. All the important factors affecting slope stability in the area such as slope angle, slope height, discontinuities measurements, weathering, vegetation cover, rainfall and previous landslides were evaluated. The study was conducted based on the integration of field investigation and satellite image processing. A landslide susceptibility map was produced with the Landslide Possibility Index (LP1) System, and the correlation values were computed between the factors measured and Landslide Possibility Index values. The fractures counted by satellite image were categorised according to their length and zones based on their concentrations. It was found that plain sliding and rockfall are the main modes of failure in the area, while rolling and toppling are rare. Some remedial measures are proposed to protect the slopes where it is needed,  such as the removal of rock overhangs, unstable blocks and trees, and by supporting the toe of slopes and overhanging parts by retaining walls and erecting well sealed drainage conduits. The results will assist in slope management and land use planning in the area.