Assignment – 2
For
Fundamentals
of Petroleum Exploration
Section A (20 Marks)
Write short notes
on any four of the following
1.
Remote Sensing
2.
Airborne Survey
3.
Mud Logging
4.
Gravity Surveys
5.
Digital Oilfield
Section B (30 marks)
(Attempt any three)
1.
“Geochemical exploration
techniques can be direct or indirect.” Explain
2.
Discuss the methods of seismic
surveys.
3.
What are the steps of drilling
a well?
4.
Give a brief study on “Offshore
Drilling and Production Platforms”.
Section C (50 marks)
(Attempt all questions. Every question carries 10 marks)
Read the case “IT helps BPCL
find Green with an Automated Waste Management System” and answer the
following questions.
IT helps BPCL find Green with an Automated Waste Management System
Executive summary
Improper waste management at oil
refineries can cause serious damage to the environment. Besides, hazardous
waste is difficult to transport and dispose. BPCL, one of India's most
prestigious oil refineries has led the way with a unique automated hazardous
waste management project.
Organization: Bharat Petroleum (BPCL)
remains one of India's most trusted oil companies, involved in refining and
retailing of petroleum products. And it takes its reputation seriously. In an
age of growing ecological threats, where large corporations have an added
responsibility to embrace green practices, BPCL has led the way with a unique
hazardous waste management project.
Business Case: Oil refineries, many
would agree, are not a pretty sight. Large grime coated oil refinery pipes and
storage tanks generate volumes of oily sludge from the crude oil stored in
them. As the process of refining gets more complex, the generation of such
wastes has increased and has led to a greater demand for storage space and
timely evacuation. These wastes contain harmful elements that are disastrous to
the environment. Besides, they occupy valuable space inside a refinery and are
dangerous to transport.
Project: At BPCL, around 75 -100 mt
(metric tons) of silica alumina spent catalyst from FCCU/CCU is generated per
year. The volumes are much greater during the planned shutdown of a refining
process unit where catalysts are utilized in reactors. For example, when the
company's DHDS unit was shut down during November-December 2009, 250 mt of
spent catalyst was generated.
"The records of the wastes
generated during the shutdown of the units or any process activity, and their
subsequent disposal records were maintained manually. Increased use of
catalysts such as cobalt and nickel based metals in refining made the disposal
process more complex. The plant personnel would contact the technical service
department through e-mail, who would then manually compile, retrieve and
generate the database and prepare MIS reports.
As a result, data on waste volume, characteristics and management
practices was never readily available," says Atul Vyawahare, senior
manager (Environment), BPCL. Vyawahare monitors and maintains records of the
waste disposal process at the BPCL refineries. He also ensures that the wastes
are disposed as per legislation and reports to management and environmental
regulatory bodies.
The company realized that it needed
to automate this process if it had to make it more efficient and save the
environment at large. And that responsibility fell on the CIO of BPCL, M.D.
Agrawal.
"Proper waste handling optimizes
the economics and the ecological impact of the final disposal. We needed a
software solution that empowers process owners to effectively capture, manage,
monitor and control data of waste generated," says Agrawal.
Project: With that mandate, an in-house
team from the company's Mumbai and Kochi Refinery began digging for a solution.
The IT team's efforts led to the formation of the Oil Hazardous Material and
Waste Management system (OHWMS), a secure, online role-based system that keeps
track of each and every activity and helps capture the waste quantity generated
in individual plants and offsite areas (spent catalysts / oily waste from
individual areas). The system tracks the waste material through the process of
PR generation up-to the time of Technology Evaluation Centre approval, award of
contract and till it leaves refinery gate. The time required to register the
data takes less than five minutes.
First Steps: Agrawal describes the
solution as 'reliable and user friendly'. It is designed to allow role-based
access to system and modules, that is, users are allowed access depending on
their roles and responsibilities. Operational reports and MIS for analysis are
generated on a daily, weekly and monthly basis allowing scope for comparison
and cross analysis. The program was developed and standardized using
Microsoft's ASP.NET Framework 3.5 technologies. It has an in- built alert
engine to notify users and stakeholders of the status of each activity from
registration to disposal. "Management can view reports in multiple formats
- complex wise, status wise, calendar-wise, financial-year wise etcetera, making
it comprehensive and simple," says Agrawal. The solution is also
integrated with the ERP for activities like creating purchase requisition,
awarding contract, and purchase order or sale order creation. It has helped
BPCL be compliant with statutory agencies. The system standardizes waste
characterization for accuracy and consistency.
Benefits: During the last 10 months a
total of 46 entries were registered in the system from the company's Mumbai and
Kochi refineries. Today, all hazardous waste disposals are carried out applying
the system and the status of refinery on waste is automatically generated and
is readily available. It provides business analytics and rich MIS Reports. This
intelligence enables BPCL to provide reminders through the system for better
and informed decisions. It can now constantly monitor each unit so as to avoid
and minimize oil spillages. The company is now better compliant to stringent
Statutory Hazardous Waste Rules. Most importantly, the project has removed a
huge weight off Agrawal's shoulders. He can now take comfort in the fact that
BPCL does its best to mitigate environmental damage; a practice he hopes all corporate
would be urged to follow.
Questions:
- In an age of growing ecological threats, where large corporations have an added responsibility to embrace green practices, BPCL has led the way with a unique hazardous waste management project.
2.
When company realized that it
needed to automate the process of waste disposal?
3.
Give the views and opinions of
Mr. Atul Vyawahare, senior manager (Environment), BPCL regarding waste disposal
process.
4.
How “Oil Hazardous Waste
Management system” has helped BPCL in compliance with statutory agencies?
5.
Write a short note on Oil
Hazardous Waste Management system (OHWMS).
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