Impact Solutions (United Kingdom)

MPAs around the world are often limited by insufficient financial resources for enforcement, monitoring, and other activities. One of the greatest challenges to financial sustainability is often limited financial expertise, or financial capacity, among practitioners. Financial capacity is important for daily activities such as budgeting and management of financial resources to ensure that available funds are effectively deployed, as well as to implement new financial mechanisms to supplement income. Peer-to-peer learning where knowledge is shared among fellow MPA practitioners and experts can be an effective way of sharing knowledge on subjects such as financial sustainability. We hosted a knowledge sharing session at IMPAC5 in February 2023 that brought MPAConnect members, sustainable MPA financing advisors including from Grant Thornton’s Impact House, and MPA managers and funders from Belize, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Drawing upon their insights and expertise, we review crosscutting topics that we propose as crucial levers for improving financial sustainability; diversifying income and innovating MPA mechanisms, strengthening internal financial capacity, leveraging partnerships to support financial sustainability, and aligning policies to remove barriers to entry. This paper is intended to: (i) provide a review of the discussion for practitioners who could not attend the IMPAC5 session in person, (ii) offer an in-depth exploration of the strategies and lessons presented, and (iii) inspire further research and action to drive the field of MPA finance forward. In addition to the main subjects, we emphasize the importance of proper planning – including financial planning – and managing expectations when pursuing new financial mechanisms.

Abstract This paper outlines an innovative approach to optimize workover re-entry wells eliminating the liner and tie-back operations by addressing challenges that had placed this strategy as not suitable in the previous history of the onshore operations around the area. The main concern deemed impossible was cementing a 7″ Production Casing from the landing point to the surface safely and successfully. This strategy is essential for the development of the field and to efficiently deliver the well count on time. The project started by designing and selecting the casing materials, required auxiliary equipment and mitigating all the risks associated with the equivalent circulating density (ECD) during drilling and cementing and refining operational procedures, the projected provided a more operationally efficient well, in a shorter time, lower cost and a more integral well with not weak points as the tie-back connections and the stage tool ports. This technique eliminates the need for running and cementing both a 7″ liner and a tieback, streamlining the process while ensuring uncompromised well isolation. Hydraulic simulation, drawing from available field data, was employed to assess acceptable equivalent circulating densities (ECDs) and pressures without risking losses. These simulations guided the refinement of cement slurry designs. A specialized lightweight cement system was suggested to address ECD margin limitations and challenges linked with conventional lightweight cement. Additionally, an expandable gas-tight system was introduced to prevent zonal communication and micro annulus in between the different reservoirs. Further enhancements included the introduction of sealing/bridging spacer to ensure effective mud removal along with the optimization of pumping rates to minimize losses during displacement. Optimized pumping rates during drilling, well bore cleaning and conditioning and cementing operations were guided by simulation data to ensure that dynamic pressures remained safely below fracture pressure thresholds. Additionally, it was decided to include higher density mud to assist in reducing surface pressures during the displacement. The utilization of a specialized lightweight slurry proved effective in decreasing hydrostatic pressure of the fluid column, thereby preventing lost circulation incidents and guaranteeing a positive indication of cement return to the surface. The drilling fluids conditioning, the spacers train and the exceptional rheology of the slurry facilitated improved mud displacement and enhanced cement coverage during placement. Furthermore, a higher solid volume fraction (SVF) in the cement contributed to reduced porosity and permeability, ensuring long-term zonal isolation and casing protection, thereby minimizing maintenance requirements and extending the well's lifespan, especially in critical reservoirs. The expandable property of the set cement mitigates for any potential micro annulus development, helping to avoid sustained casing pressure (SCP) complications throughout the well's operational life, thus reducing the need for further remedial cementing operations. Moreover, a specialized spacer system efficiently aided in mud removal and demonstrated excellent bonding, as confirmed by cement evaluation logs (CEL) conducted across the 7″ casing. This comprehensive design approach effectively eliminated additional operational costs and rig time by circumventing the necessity for further remedial interventions. This paper aims to showcase the utilization of 7″ production casing in conjunction with specialized cement design as an efficient substitute for conventional liners and tiebacks. The goal is to reduce rig costs and save time during workover re-entry wells, while also minimizing the need for future costly remedial works.

Abstract Successful cementing operations in oil wells are critical to achieving zonal isolation, preventing costly remedial operations, and avoiding hydrocarbon production losses. Several challenges may arise prior to successful cementing, including the effective removal of non-aqueous drilling fluids (NAF) and managing naturally fractured formations, which can lead to induced losses. This study presents field applications of an engineered sequence of spacers comprising Newtonian and weighted fluids, formulated with environmentally friendly particles. These spacers are designed to scour the wellbore and shield the formation, mitigating losses and enhancing cement bonding. Common industry practice to remove NAF includes the use of surfactant and solvents to modify the wettability of the annular surfaces in cement spacers with higher rheological properties to displace the drilling fluid and prepare the casing and formation surfaces for the cement slurry placement. On some occasions, this practice is not sufficient, resulting in poor or average cement coverage, increasing the overall cost of the drilled well, potential HSE incidents and loss of production. Based on laboratory testing, a train of cementing spacers including non-aqueous chemical wash, scouring and wellbore shielding spacers has been successfully implemented in the field. Laboratory tests has been applied to evaluate the cement spacers performance for mud removal and plugging efficiency under the different mud types and up to 3,000 microns plugging capability. Conventional cement spacers show lower performance in the laboratory tests results when tested on field drilling fluid samples. The scouring spacer consistently achieves cleaning efficiency above 92%. The wellbore shielding spacer has been tested to ensure fluids compatibility, stability and plugging efficiency up to 3,000 microns. This train of spacers has been field tested on different field cementing operations in sections where NAF is present. In all the applications the cement slurry has achieved the cement top, and cement bond logging demonstrated in all cases zonal isolation improvement. This train of spacers also has been proven on narrow annular restrictions, such as liner hangers without increasing the friction pressures based on acquired pumping pressures. This engineered spacer train is easy to deploy and can be deployed with conventional surface equipment and is compatible with NAF, Newtonian fluids, surfactant / solvents and cement slurries. Industry best practices such as wellbore centralization, fluids friction hierarchy design and fit for purpose cement slurry design are part of the engineering design approach. The scouring and wellbore shielding spacer can be utilized to improve mud removal and cement bonding through its mechanical action and the shearing effect, effectively removing gelled mud from the walls of the casing and plugging formation pores up to 3,000 microns. The wellbore shielding spacer increase the operating window by limiting the pressure transmission to the formation. Both technologies are rated up to 350°F circulating bottom hole temperature.

With the emergence and development of hybrid non-governmental organizations and social entrepreneurship, coupled with companies’ growing emphasis on social impact, the boundaries between them are increasingly blurring — a trend noted by experts. This process inevitably leads to an evolution towards a shared form — impact entrepreneurship, which merges the best aspects of social projects with business. What signifies the start of this movement, what signs are presently observable, and what can we expect in the future if this developmental stage reaches its logical conclusion?

Abstract Losses, wellbore instability, and influxes during drillings operations in unconventional fields result from continuous reactivity to the drilling fluid causing instability in the microfractured limestone of the Quintuco Formation in Argentina. This volatile situation becomes more critical when drilling operations are navigating horizontally through the Vaca Muerta Formation, a bituminous marlstone with a higher density than the Quintuco Formation. Controlling drilling fluids invasion between the communicating microfractures and connecting pores helps to minimize seepage losses, total losses, wellbore fluid influxes, and instabilities, reducing the non-productive time (NPT) caused by these problems during drilling operations. The use of conventional sealants – like calcium carbonate, graphite, asphalt, and other bridging materials – does not guarantee problem-free drilling operations. Also, lost circulation material (LCM) is restricted because the MWD-LWD tools clearances are very narrow in these slim holes. The challenge is to generate a strong and resistant seal separating the drilling fluid and the formation. Using an ultra-low-invasion technology will increase the operative fracture gradient window, avoid fluid invasion to the formation, minimize losses, and stop the cycle of fluid invasion and instability, allowing operations to maintain the designed drilling parameters and objectives safely. The ultra-low-invasion wellbore shielding technology has been applied in various fields, resulting in significantly improved drilling efficiencies compared to offset wells. The operator has benefited from the minimization of drilling fluids costs and optimization in drilling operations, including reducing the volume of oil-based drilling fluids used per well, fewer casing sections, and fewer requirements for cementing intervals to solve lost circulation problems. This paper will discuss the design of the ultra-low-invasion technology in an oil-based drilling fluid, the strategy for determining the technical limits for application, the evaluation of the operative window with an increase in the fracture gradient, the optimized drilling performance, and reduction in costs, including the elimination of NPT caused by wellbore instability.

Abstract The significant and continuing loss of mud and/or cement slurry to a formation during drilling operations is one of the most troublesome problems affecting the oil industry. These problems impart a substantial negative impact on well economics. Loss circulation problems have been identified as one of the most costly and time consuming problems faced in the oil and gas industry. It has been globally estimated that these problems causes drilling industries close to a billion dollars annually in rig time, materials, and other resources. This paper will describe in detail the nature of the losses and application used to resolve the problem. The use of this unique cement spacer technology is a viable means of resolving most of these problems. This technology, can be applied to strengthen a wellbore, even with when a degree of losses are expected, as a preventive method where fractureing during cementing may occur due to predicted increases in hydrostatics, frictional factors, or both (ECD). In addition, it can also be used as a corrective method in cases where the wellbore is already experiencing losses. Case histories will be presented describing how this novel spacer cured losses from seepage, moderate, severe and complete loss of returns. The applications include very low fracture gradients wells, where it was impossible to cement with dual slurry with lightweight slurries. Additional benefits of the spacer is that it is 1) non-damaging, 2) minimizes filtrate invasion from the cement, 3) eliminates or at least drasticly reduces induced losses while cementing, and 4) it forms a permeability barrier membrane on the inside face of the wellbore (Figure 1) wall in-affect strengthening the wellbore allowing successful placement of the cement slurry which in-turn can provide long-term zonal isolation. Formation damage testing with this spacer shows near 100% return permeability. The spacer rheological can be adjust from low values which minimize increases in ECD to higher YPs as required to enhance mud removal

Few studies have tested a broad range of theory-based determinants of injection-related risk and protective behaviors. The current study hypothesize relationships among attitudinal beliefs, normative influences, perceived self-efficacy, intentions, and performing these behaviors consistent with the theory of planned behavior and related models. The conceptual model was tested in a cross-sectional sample of 895 drug injectors recruited from street settings in the southwestern United States and who completed a face-to-face interview. Structural equation modeling results showed intention and self-efficacy most consistently predicted needle sharing and bleaching considering all other model variables. Discussion focuses on the value of using these theoretical concepts to examine needle sharing and other behaviors among injection drug users and their relevance for developing HIV-reduction interventions.