Academic literature on the topic 'Cleaning-in-Place Operations'

Carrying out of the clearing operations at carrying out mechanized processing of construction equipment from paints and varnishes, rust, various kinds of pollution belongs to mass labour-consuming operations [1]. To carry out these operations, widespread use of hand-held machines, working bodies that have abrasive wheels and metal brushes. The versatility and versatility of these machines, combined with the correct selection of the desired abrasive work tool, can significantly accelerate and facilitate the performance of cleaning and grinding operations with the desired effect. However, most of them have drawbacks in the cleaning of thin-sheet metal, since the removal of the base metal also takes place, which in most cases is not acceptable. So when processing non-metallic materials with metal brushes the working surface is clogged with small particles of metal, which subsequently leads to the formation of rust, and when cleaning the metal surfaces grooves are formed. Metal brushes are also ineffective in cleaning surfaces of synthetic enamels, curvilinear surfaces and inaccessible areas. Machining these tools is energy-intensive and requires the use of heavy-duty hand machines. Fiber and petal abrasive tools are not self-cleaning and lose their cutting power due to the filling of the intergranular space with cleaning waste. Sand blasting is environmentally hazardous for workers and the environment, since the sand consumables fly over long enough distances (especially when clearing tall structures and structures). The analysis showed that one of the effective tools for cleaning metal and non-metal surfaces from paint coatings, rust and other contaminants without removing the base material layer is a polymer-abrasive brush. However, there is insufficient research on the mechanism of its operation, energy and thermal processes that occur during operation and have a decisive influence on the performance of the polymer-abrasive brush. The results of studies of the influence of structural and mode parameters of manual angle grinders with polymer-abrasive brushes are presented in the paper. The study of these issues is an urgent task, as it will allow to determine the parameters of the drive machine, rational modes and schemes of their operation, as well as the scope of use of such working bodies.

In the processes of production and preparation of feeds, the use of feed mixture with tuberous roots holds a prominent place. One of the principal operations during the preparation of tuberous roots is their cleaning from impurities. According to the zootechnical requirements, the residual contamination of tuberous roots after cleaning should not exceed 3% by weight, whereas in practice their contamination after combine harvesting is always higher than 8-9% and could reach 20% or more. The removal of contaminants is one of the most labor-intensive operations. With the view of improving the quality of cleaning and minimizing damage and losses, it is necessary to develop a machine for cleaning of tuberous roots from impurities and to determine its design parameters. The patent search showed that the known devices deliver poor quality of tuberous roots cleaning, because the active purification occurs only in the working zone of cleaning elements. The paper proposes original devices for tuberous roots cleaning from impurities. Arrangement of cleaning elements throughout the zone of interaction between the screw and conveyed tuberous roots allows to increase the performance of a device. The spikes on flights of screw and cleaning elements improve the quality of cleaning. Possibility of changing the device inclination to the horizon allows to adjust the performance and quality of cleaning. The paper presents a method of determining the design parameters of machine for tuberous roots cleaning, namely screw diameter and power supplied on the processes of cleaning and transportation of tuberous roots. The developed original devices for tuberous roots cleaning from impurities allow to improve the quality of cleaning with minimal damage and losses.

Abstract Development of resistance during multiple foulings and three-step Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) operations, simulating an industrial cleaning regime of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes, was investigated. The study explored how trans-membrane pressure (150 and 300 kPa) and feed protein concentration (0.9 and 10%) influenced resistance reduction during filtration and flux recovery by the cleaning procedures. New membranes, pre-cleaned with a full CIP cycle, were used for each experiment. Subsequent fouling (simulating production) and CIP were done three times in a row and the development of fouling layer resistance was monitored and evaluated. Results show that filtration performance decreased during the first days of usage, possibly related to build-up of internal fouling. Cleaning success based on flux recovery was negatively influenced by a high protein concentration in the feed, but independent of the trans-membrane pressure during filtration.

BACKGROUNDRecently, robotic surgery has been introduced in many hospitals. The structure of robotic instruments is so complex that updating their cleaning methods is a challenge for healthcare professionals. However, there is limited information on the effectiveness of cleaning for instruments for robotic surgery.OBJECTIVETo determine the level of residual contamination of instruments for robotic surgery and to develop a method to evaluate the cleaning efficacy for complex surgical devices.METHODSSurgical instruments were collected immediately after operations and/or after in-house cleaning, and the level of residual protein was measured. Three serial measurements were performed on instruments after cleaning to determine the changes in the level of contamination and the total amount of residual protein. The study took place from September 1, 2013, through June 30, 2015, in Japan.RESULTSThe amount of protein released from robotic instruments declined exponentially. The amount after in-house cleaning was 650, 550, and 530 µg/instrument in the 3 serial measurements. The overall level of residual protein in each measurement was much higher for robotic instruments than for ordinary instruments (P<.0001).CONCLUSIONSOur data demonstrated that complete removal of residual protein from surgical instruments is virtually impossible. The pattern of decline differed depending on the instrument type, which reflected the complex structure of the instruments. It might be necessary to establish a new standard for cleaning using a novel classification according to the structural complexity of instruments, especially for those for robotic surgery.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:143–146

One of the main strategies for maintaining the optimal hygiene level in dairy processing facilities is regular cleaning and disinfection, which is incorporated in the cleaning-in-place (CIP) regimes. However, a frail point of the CIP procedures is their variable efficiency in eliminating biofilm bacteria. In the present study, we evaluated the susceptibility of strong biofilm-forming dairy Bacillus isolates to industrial cleaning procedures using two differently designed model systems. According to our results, the dairy-associated Bacillus isolates demonstrate a higher resistance to CIP procedures, compared to the non-dairy strain of B. subtilis. Notably, the tested dairy isolates are highly persistent to different parameters of the CIP operations, including the turbulent flow of liquid (up to 1 log), as well as the cleaning and disinfecting effects of commercial detergents (up to 2.3 log). Moreover, our observations indicate an enhanced resistance of poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA)-overproducing B. subtilis, which produces high amounts of proteinaceous extracellular matrix, to the CIP procedures (about 0.7 log, compared to the wild-type non-dairy strain of B. subtilis). We therefore suggest that the enhanced resistance to the CIP procedures by the dairy Bacillus isolates can be attributed to robust biofilm formation. In addition, this study underlines the importance of evaluating the efficiency of commercial cleaning agents in relation to strong biofilm-forming bacteria, which are relevant to industrial conditions. Consequently, we believe that the findings of this study can facilitate the assessment and refining of the industrial CIP procedures.

This Project look for the processes simulation that take place in the oil Wells that operate the coiled tubing technique, so its workers, Company personal and anyone that wants to look these processes, can prove that consist in their cleaning methods and phase separation in these Wells, and at the same time, in what way the substances that in and out of well are controlled, show their physical features and allow that a person, without previous knowledge about the topic, may understand easily what is it injection fluid purpose by means of the C. T. in oil Wells.

Industry operations require a clean plant to make safe, quality products consistently. As well as product quality, the environmental impact of processes has become increasingly important to industry and consumers. Cleaning In Place (CIP) is the ubiquitous method used to ensure plant cleanliness and hygiene. It is therefore vital the system is optimal and efficient. I.e. the correct cleaning agent is delivered to the fouled surface at the right time, temperature, flow rate and concentration. This cannot be assured without effective online measurement technologies. Fryer and Asteriadou (2009) describe how the nature of a fouling deposit can be related to the cost of cleaning. The evolution of three key deposit types has also enabled current fouling and cleaning literature to be easily classified. In the brewery there are many types of soil that need to be cleaned of which the cost of cleaning was unknown. The cost of fermenter CIP in one brewery was found to be £106 k per year. Effective fouling methods for yeast and caramel; and the relationship between flow, temperature, and caustic concentration in the removal of yeast and caramel soils seen in industry has been done. This work has helped determine effective cleaning methods for these soils from stainless steel coupons and pipes. Fermentation vessels have been found by Goode et al., (2010) to have two types of soil: A – fouling above the beer resulting from the act of fermentation, and B – fouling below the beer resulting from emptying the fermenter. The type B fouling below the beer was found to be a type 1 soil that could be removed with water. An increase in flow velocity and Reynolds number decreased cleaning time. An increase in temperature did not decrease cleaning time significantly at higher flow velocities, 0.5 m s-1. Fouling above the beer occurs when material is transported to and stick on to the wall during fermentation foaming. This happens initially and as a result the fouling has a long aging time. This yeast film represents a type 2 deposit, removed in part by water and in part by chemical. Most of the deposit could be removed by rinsing with warm water. At 50°C the greatest amount of deposit was removed in the shortest time. A visually clean surface could be achieved at all temperatures, 20, 30, 50 and 70°C, using both 2 and 0.2 wt % Advantis 210 (1 and 0.1 wt % NaOH respectively). A visually clean surface was achieved quicker at higher detergent temperatures rather than rinsing at higher flow velocity or concentration. This finding suggests most deposit can be removed with warm water and cleaned with lower detergent concentrations. Currently in the brewery 2 % NaOH is used at 70°C. Caramel represents a type 3 soil. When heated it sticks to stainless steel and requires chemical action for removal. Confectionary caramel was cooked onto pipes and coupons and the effect of flow velocity, temperature and concentration on removal determined. At high flow velocity most of the deposit could be removed from the pipe using water. There was no significant difference in the mass of caramel removed by the water however. A visually clean surface was achieved by rinsing at 80°C with 2.5% Advantis. A visually clean surface could not be achieved at lower temperatures at higher concentration, 5% Advantis, or at higher flow velocity. The measurement of online conductivity and flow rate values was invaluable during each experiment. Turbidity values did indicate the removal of yeast and caramel from pipes however offline measurements were required to confirm removal. Caramel removal could be wholly quantified by mass when cleaning pipes. The integration of the turbidity values measured during each rinse correlated well with the mass of deposit removed in most cases. Coupon cleaning was wholly quantified by area . A cost saving of £69 k can be made by optimising fermenter CIP to warm pre-rinsing followed by ambient caustic circulation. An £8 k saving can be made by optimising yeast tank CIP to pre-rinsing only and acid sanitisation. Industry must ensure effective online CIP measurements are made throughout cleaning to describe the process effectively and enable optimisation. It is crucial to have cleaning measurement information to hand because that is how we ensure our customers they are buying a quality product. Also you cannot optimise what you do not measure effectively.

One item which is generally not discussed in food manufacturing is how to design facilities which provide the ability to perform proper cleaning and sanitization for low water activity products. As example, a typical approach for handling low water activity products is to dry clean and attempt to heat sanitize without introducing water or other fluids for cleaning and sanitization (which could increase the micro risk). This is a developing area with great importance for control of pathogens in soybean oil processing preparation and extraction areas. Without a kill step in place, all processing operations and finished products developed from oil extraction have shown sensitivity to potentially harmful microbiological contamination.However, having a "Kill" step to the manufacturing process of oil processing operations is not enough in the avoidance of microbiological contamination. Beyond having hygienic designed equipment with proper cleaning and sanitization processes for low water activity products, one must understand facility design, and the application of hygienic zones (i.e., material flows and personnel transfers) within the manufacturing environment. Before we jump to the conclusion of selecting the €˜best' designs, we must provide the right technical solution(s), which is based on understanding current designs. The desired facility state and hygienic equipment design facilitates both zoning control and supports proper cleaning and sanitization steps. This is accomplished through design actions:1. Effective physical and operational segregation of raw materials (dirty side) and finished product (clean side) via the "Kill" step process.2. Materials and flow of people facilitate the separation and segregations.3. Proper HVAC pressurization between manufacturing processes and warehousing with special emphasis on "Post-Kill" pre-packaging areas.The results indicate the importance of selecting cost effective hygienic design for equipment and facilities within oil processing operations. Implementing recommended equipment design features and facility segregation steps should meet the objectives targeted.

Similar to land-based facilities, marine and offshore assets can be exposed to outbreaks of infectious diseases. This is exemplified by the recent COVID-19 outbreak which has had a significant impact on both personnel health and normal operations of the assets. The occurrence and transmission of infectious diseases on marine and offshore assets can, however, be mitigated by appropriate physical arrangements on board and having operational procedures in place. This paper addresses the former. The effectiveness of operational measures can be significantly increased if infectious diseases are considered at the asset’s design stage. ABS has identified a lack of available technical guidance regarding physical arrangements that can help make marine and offshore assets safer for crews and reduce the spread of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. This paper presents the best practices and recommendations for physical arrangements drawn mainly from the recognized standards for land-based medical facilities and applied to marine and offshore assets. The recommendations focus on specific spaces inside the accommodation block, their number, location, layout, ventilation, and interior surfaces. Isolation cabins with their associated anterooms are proposed as the most reliable way of isolating suspected or confirmed cases of an infectious disease from the rest of the personnel on board. Negative pressure, independent exhaust system, and easy to clean surfaces that are accessible and resistant to deterioration from frequent cleaning and disinfection are effective measures in containing the transmission of infectious diseases that are spread through the air or direct and indirect contact. The paper also emphasizes the need to promote segregation of the visitors from crew and passengers by providing designated spaces for the visitors and gives recommendations on the communication equipment needed for receiving medical advice from land-based medical specialists. If properly implemented and if augmented with robust operational measures, physical arrangement measures have the potential to significantly improve the safety of the crew, passengers, and visitors, as well as minimize the negative consequences of disruptions to normal asset operations.

Abstract This paper documents the aim to develop the necessary integrated digital capability and initiative to enhance and improve operation performance and transform the way data is manipulated, visualized and interpreted within Real-Time Performance Center (RTPC) by an oil and gas operator in Brunei. The strategy to achieve enhancement of RTPC deliverables and performance KPIs demanded the following steps: Adapting an engineering solution to align performance monitoring and set measurable and achievable KPIs. This process begins with an assessment of the current working practice. Automating KPIs dashboard that is customizable to meet stakeholder's expectation. Implementing the New Way of Working with the change management support. Advancing with the historical data loading, data clean-up by data mapping process and detailed quality checks before computing the best composite well time (BCWT). Improved Drilling Efficiency & Optimization (DEO) workflow by monitoring Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE) to improve the drilling rate of penetration (ROP) and mitigate drilling dysfunctions. The technical scope of the operation center includes the transformation of the high-frequency data transmitted from sensors at the rig site into information that encourages continuous improvement of all operational activities, both offshore and onshore by well engineers through digital solution collaboration. The result of the collaborative initiatives an enhanced Real Time Performance Center, with which transparency becomes imperative, strong performance KPIs are continuously monitored and improved through benchmarking of drilling activities as well as off-bottom practices and flat-time operations in the current well against the offset wells. In addition, the daily data-centric performance-driven discussions that take place contribute to a successful enhancement strategy. Among key improvements observed between the start of RTPC implementation to Q3-2020: Operations time improvement: 32% reduction in backreaming time Invisible lost time (ILT) reduction: More than 30% improvement in 12.25in and 8.5in RSS BHA connection time and more than 60% improvement in tripping speed. Significant reduction in NPT categories within the RTPC's scope, e.g., well control, hole cleaning, stuck pipe and mud contamination. The value gained from monitoring and achieving performance goals is calculated in terms of financial incentives and frequently communicated to the rig teams. More importantly, the change was properly managed, and the leadership team recognized a smooth transition between the previous inefficient RTPC setup and the new data-centric ways of working. Ultimately, the enhanced RTPC with its digital portal, is the knowledge center that showcases Wells Team's continuous improvement and performance driven culture. This strategy of enhancing RTPC's performance though digital initiative can be adapted in other real time centers and it is envisaged that the implementation of these engineering solutions to the RTPC will facilitate practicing engineers to optimize the operational performance and efficiency.

Abstract Planning and learning are two primary approaches to intelligent decision making at the edge when the well is constructed. Planning enables us to take immediate actions far into the future, but it requires accurate well engineering models, which are often difficult to acquire in practice. The models are built on engineering assumptions which may not be valid all the time. But the data will provide additional support to suppress the assumption and improve the models. This paper presents the results that can be used under uncertainty through planning, through learning, most importantly by integrating planning and learning. Planning and learning are two primary approaches to intelligent decisions. When it comes to the edge decision whether it is manual or semi-automated or fully automated (Dupre, 2013) it requires tighter coupling of engineering models through microservices and reinforced learning from the data and feedback from the driller. Five major types of uncertainties are considered in calculating the drilling operational parameters are measurement uncertainty, data uncertainty, engineering model uncertainty, computational or algorithmic uncertainty and decision uncertainty. Several examples are presented as the well is steered and navigated with interactive tasks. Surface hookload and torque values serve as good indicators for some undesirable scenarios or anomalies during drilling, such as stuck pipe, buckling, and inadequate hole cleaning. However, to detect these risks, it requires drilling engineers to perform engineering model calibration manually and regularly, which costs more efforts and poses significant uncertainties on the detection. This paper describes how these problems are circumvented in addition by providing project ahead paths based on various constraints in real-time with predicted uncertainty zone. This option at the edge makes it possible for drilling engineers to monitor live drilling wells anywhere and anytime while enabling the rig personnel to make significant improvement to operations. Hence, the optimization is no longer static and becomes a dynamic function of depth. These conditions result in constantly varying constraints and, thereby, constantly varying optimized operating parameters to maximize the rate of penetration or minimize specific energy or well cost. This study presents a real-time optimization technique for rate of penetration with energy-based models. Based on the place and position of the bit, the updated data has been used to modify the proposed well design on the fly. The above underpinning methodology have been supported with practical field examples.

Abstract The use of fiber optic (FO) to obtain distributed sensing be it Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS), Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) or Distributed Strain Sensing (DSS) is a well & reservoir surveillance engineer's dream. The ability to obtain real-time live data has proven useful not only for production monitoring but during fracture stimulation as well. A trial the first of its kind in Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) used fiber optic cable cemented in place behind casing to monitor the fracture operations. Several techniques are used to determine fracture behaviour and geometry e.g. data fracs, step down test and after closure analysis. All these use surface pressure readings that can be limited due to uncertainty in friction pressure losses and the natural complexity in the formation leading to very different interpretations. Post frac data analysis and diagnostics also involves importing the actual frac data into the original model used to design the frac in order to calibrate the strains (tectonics), width exponent (frac fluid efficiency) and the relative permeability. Monitoring the frac using DAS and DTS proved critical in understanding a key component in fracture geometry; frac height. The traditional method to determine fracture height is to use radioactive tracers (RA). But these are expensive and the data only available after the job (after drilling the plugs and cleaning the wellbore). In contrast fiber optic can provide real time data throughout the frac stages including the proppant free PAD stage which tracers can't. The comparison of DTS and Radioactive Tracers showed very good agreement suggesting that DTS could replace RA diagnostic. Hydraulic fracture stimulation operations in well-xx was the first one of its kind to be monitored with fiber optic. The integrated analysis of the available logs allowed us to benchmark various information and gain confidence in the conclusions. This helped fine tune the model for future wells for a more optimized zonal targeting and hydraulic fracture design. In this paper we will share the detailed evaluation of the fracture propagation behaviour and how combining the fiber optic data with the surface pressure, pumping rates and tracer logs in conjunction with a fracture simulation platform where a detailed geomechanical and subsurface characterization data is incorporated to get a more accurate description of fracture geometry.

Abstract Coiled Tubing Drilling (CTD) has been growing and developed rapidly through the last two decades. There have been numerous highly successful applications of CTD technology in Alaska, Canada, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (Sharjah Sajaa and Dubai Murgham fields), among other places. Currently, Saudi Arabia has undertaken a campaign for the last seven years that has shown successful results in gas reservoirs. ADNOC initiated a trial Coiled Tubing Underbalanced Drilling (CTUBD) project in the onshore tight gas reservoirs in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates beginning operations 1-December-2019. The initial trial will consist of three (3) wells. The purpose of the trial is to assess the suitability of CTUBD for drilling the reservoir sections of wells in these fields, and further application in others. The reason for choosing coiled tubing for drilling the reservoir sections is based upon the high H2S content of the reservoir fluids and the premise that HSE can be enhanced by using a closed drilling system rather than an open conventional system. The three wells will be newly drilled, cased and cemented down to top reservoir by a conventional rig. The rig will run the completion and Christmas tree before moving off and allowing the coiled tubing rig to move onto the well. The coiled tubing BOPs will be rigged up on top of the Christmas tree and a drilling BHA will be deployed through the completion to drill the reservoir lateral. The wells will be drilled underbalanced to aid reservoir performance and to allow hole cleaning with returns being taken up the coiled tubing / tubing annulus. The returns will be routed to a closed separation system with produced gas and condensate being primarily exported to the field plant via the production line, solids sparge to a closed tank or pit and the drilling fluid re-circulated. The primary drilling fluid will be treated water; however, nitrogen may be required for drilling future wells in the field and will be required regardless for purging gas from the surface equipment during operations. A flare will also be required for emergency use and for start-up of drilling. If the trial proves a success, a continuous drilling plan will be put in place.

Negative pressure is one of the metastable states of liquids at which it can be extended up to a certain limit without a gap of continuity. There are numerous experimental studies where a negative pressure up to 40 MPa has been obtained at laboratory conditions. However, these results of the experimental works were not practically implemented, as real liquids both in the nature and the technological processes contain impurities. Under certain kinetic and hydrodynamic conditions the waves of negative pressure in real liquids (crude oil, water, and water-based solutions) were observed. The wave of negative pressure is a turned soliton wave with one negative hump. It is a conservative wave, which maintains its shape and dimensions, and travels long distances with the speed of sound. An advanced technology of generation of the negative pressure wave in real systems allowed creating completely new energy saving technology. This technology based on negative pressure phenomenon has been already used for increasing oil production efficiency during various oil well operations, cleaning of oil well bore, and pipelines from various accumulations. It is shown that a new technology has a lot of potentials for bottom-hole cleaning operations, oil recovery enhancement, pipeline transportation, gas-lift operation etc. Negative pressure is known to be one of the metastable states at which liquids can be extended up to a certain limit. Theoretic evaluations show that in pure liquids negative pressure may reach large values while the liquid may stand significant extending efforts. For instance, the maximum negative pressure that may be sustained by ideally pure water is estimated as −109N/m2. It means that an imaginable rope of completely pure water with the diameter of 0.01m can sustain a huge extending effort more than 105 N. It is evident that the real experimental values of negative pressure are much less than the corresponding theoretic estimations. It is connected with the impossibility of obtaining ideally pure liquids without any “weak places” (gas bubbles, admixture, etc) and with the circumstance that in experience, the rupture often happens not in the liquid volume but on the surface touching the walls of the vessels weakened by the existence of thin films, embryos, etc. There are numerous results of the experimental work of static and dynamic character, where negative pressure has appeared in one or another degree [1]. In laboratory conditions, negative pressure apparently was first revealed in the experiences made by F. M. Donny (1843), who used degassed sulfuric acid and obtained negative pressure only −0.012 MPa. Among the further attempts of receiving bigger negative pressure, it is worth mentioning the experiences made by O.Reynolds, M.Bertelot and J.Meyer. Basing upon a centrifugal method and using mercury, L.J.Briggs obtained the record value of negative pressure (−42.5 MPa). But as a matter of fact, beginning from the first experiences by F. M. Donny, the main condition in the investigations for the appearance of negative pressure has been the homogeneous character of the liquid and high degree of the purity the liquid-vessel system. Significant values of negative pressure has been obtained under those conditions, however these results of a great scientific importance have no effective applications in practice as real liquids in Nature and technological processes are heterogeneous multicomponent systems. A long-term experimental work has been done to generate negative negative pressure in real liquid systems and investigate influence of this state on thermohydrodynamical characteristics of natural and technological processes [2,3]. Basing on the idea that negative pressure can be created due to the sudden character of extending efforts a direct wave of the negative pressure in real liquids (water, oil, solutions etc.) have been obtained experimentally. For impulsive entering into metastable (overheated) zone in a phase diagram “liquid-vapor” the pressure should drop so fast that the existing centers of evaporation (bubbles, embryos, admixtures etc.) would not be able to manifest themselves for this period. In these terms purity of the liquid is not decisive, and herewith there might exist states of an overheated liquid with the manifestation of negative pressure. It was determined that wave of the negative pressure resembling overturned soliton wave with one but negative peak propagates with speed of sound. The typical variation of the pressure in the petroleum stream in pipe is given in Figure 1. Reversed wave of the negative pressure was not recorded during the experiments. Evidently this is associated with considerable structural changes in the liquid after the passing of the direct wave. The arising negative pressure though being a short-term, results in a considerable overheating of the fluid system and leads to spontaneous evaporation and gas-emanation with the further cavitation regime. It was determined that after passing of the negative pressure wave hydraulic resistance in the system becomes much less, and significant increase of permeability of the porous medium and intensification of the filtration process take place. On the base of the investigations it was made a conclusion that any discharge in the hydraulic systems when the drop of the pressure requires much less time that relaxation of the pressure in the system inevitably results in the arising of rarefaction wave, in particular, the negative pressure wave [4]. The larger is the hydraulic system and the higher is the depression of the pressure, the more intensively the negative pressure wave may manifest itself. In certain terms waves of the positive pressure may be reflected from free surfaces, different obstacles, from contact surfaces between phases in the form of the reverse wave of the negative pressure. On this base there were presented numerous theoretical and experimental works on the simulation of the process, investigation of impact of the negative pressure on certain physical features of real systems [5]. The negative pressure wave may lead to very hard complications: showings of oil and gas leading sometimes to dreadful open fountains, borehole wall collapse, column crushing, gryphon appearance [6]. Analysis of numerous facts of complications, troubles in wells as water-oil-gas showings, crushing of columns, collapses, gryphon formation demonstrates that they arise usually as a result of round-trip operations in drilling of wells and their capital repairs. The negative pressure wave may be initiated by a sudden pulling of pipes or drilling equipment, as well as their sudden braking, quick opening of a valve at the well exit, etc, resulting in metastable extension of the working fluid agent. Though impulse negative pressure manifests itself as a significant dynamic factor, its structural consequences are more dangerous for an oil well. Moving along a well the negative pressure wave results in the spontaneous boiling of the water in the drilling fluid, and as a result of considerable reduction of its specific weight the hydrostatic column is “switched-off’ for some seconds and this may be sufficient for oil and gas showings of the well to be appeared accompanied often by crushing of columns and collapsing of wells due to great destroying energy manifestation. Negative pressure waves may be considered also as one of the dominant factors in geophysical processes, especially, in evolution and appearance of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes [7,8]. Extreme dynamic processes in the underground medium as a matter of fact can be considered as a synergetic manifestation of the negative pressure together with other thermohydrodynamical factors. The waves of negative pressure in the underground environment may be initiated by tectonic dislocations and faults as a result of different dynamic processes, dramatic decrease of pressure during the displacement of fluids and rocks. They may arise also in the form of a reverse waves as a result of reflection of ordinary seismic waves from different underground surfaces. On the basis of received results the method of artificial creation of negative pressure waves has been created [4]. The essence of the method is that negative pressure waves can be generated by means of discharge in hydraulic systems (pipes, wells, etc) when the drop of the pressure takes place during the characteristic time much less than that of pressure relaxation in the system. The greater is the volume of hydraulic system and the higher is the depression of the pressure, the more intensively the negative pressure wave may manifest itself. This method was taken as a basis of elaboration of principally new technologies and installations to increase effectiveness and efficiency of some oil recovery processes. It has been worked out and widely tested in field conditions new technologies on using of the negative pressure phenomenon for cleaning of oil producing hydraulic systems/well bore, pipeline/from various accumulations and increasing of effectiveness of oil producing at different well operation methods. The technology provides generation negative pressure waves in the well using the special mechanisms that leads to the shock depression impact upon the oil stratum, and as a result, to considerable growth in the oil influx, bottom-hole cleaning, accompanied by essential saving both reservoir and lifting energies, elimination and prevention of sandy bridging, paraffin, silt, water, etc. accumulations. For implementations of these technologies corresponding installations have been elaborated, in part, equipments for cleaning out of oil holes from sand plugs, increasing of efficiency and effectiveness of gas-lift well operations and bottom-hole pumping. In cleaning out of oil-holes from sand plugs the most operative and effective liquidation of different sand plugs irrespective of their rheological character is provided, associated with complete bottom-hole cleaning, essential increase of oil recovery and overhaul period. Elaborated equipment is simple and easy to use. Other comparatively advantageous application of the technology provides increase of efficiency of a gas-lift well operation, expressed in considerable reduction of a specific gas consumption associated with essential increase of oil recovery and overhaul period. The design of the equipment is reliable and simple to service. There are different modifications of the equipment for single-row, double-row lifts in packer and packerless designs. The introduced technologies have passed broad test in field conditions. The operative and complete cleaning of numerous oil wells was carried out, where the altitude of sand plugs varied from 20m to 180m; oil output of wells and their overhaul period have been increased and specific gas discharge reduced significantly.

Cleaning and sanitation play key roles in ensuring that the final product from the manufacturing process achieves the desired quality standard. Clean-in-place (CIP) is becoming common in food, beverage, and dairy facilities as the most cost effective method for cleaning. This paper will provide a concise overview of the operation and principles of CIP cleaning, an introduction into managing equipment fouling, and the role that cleaning chemicals play in the cleaning process. Paper published with permission.

13 uranium mines operated in the South Alligator Valley of Australia’s Northern Territory between 1953 and 1963. At the end of operations the mines, and associated infrastructure, were simply abandoned. As this activity preceded environmental legislation by about 15 years there was neither any obligation, nor attempt, at remediation. In the 1980s it was decided that the whole area should become an extension of the adjacent World Heritage, Kakadu National Park. As a result the Commonwealth Government made an inventory of the abandoned mines and associated facilities in 1986. This established the size and scope of the liability and formed the framework for a possible future remediation project. The initial program for the reduction of physical and radiological hazards at each of the identified sites was formulated in 1989 and the works took place from 1990 to 1992. But even at this time, as throughout much of the valley’s history, little attention was being paid to the long term aspirations of traditional land owners. The traditional Aboriginal owners, the Gunlom Land Trust, were granted freehold Native Title to the area in 1996. They immediately leased the land back to the Commonwealth Government so it would remain a part of Kakadu National Park, but under joint management. One condition of the lease required that all evidence of former mining activity be remediated by 2015. The consultation, and subsequent planning processes, for a final remediation program began in 1997. A plan was agreed in 2003 and, after funding was granted in 2005, works implementation commenced in 2007. An earlier paper described the planning and consultation stages, experience involving the cleaning up of remant uranium mill tailings and other mining residues; and the successful implementation of the initial remediation works. This paper deals with the final planning and design processes to complete the remediation programme, which is due to occur in 2009. The issues of final containment design and long term stewardship are addressed in the paper as well as some comments on lessons learned through the life of the project.

First run success is a key performance measure used in the BP Global In Line Inspection (ILI) Contract [1]. This drives effectiveness and efficiency in the processes supporting ILI and it is a key commercial performance indicator for ILI Suppliers. Although run success rates are often referred to across the industry there has been little standardisation in the terminology, or the factors that lead to a successful run. Three definitions have been established for run success: Technical; Commercial and Operational. Each has a place although it is Operational run success that drives improvements between operators and suppliers. The introduction of a performance measure for first run success increases the focus on getting things right the first time. The financial cost of ILI run failure has probably been underestimated by the industry; although it is estimated that it could be as high as 30% of total contracted costs for ILI. For some projects the costs associated with a failed run can be far greater than the original project costs (e.g. additional vessel support costs for deployment or recovery during offshore operations). A failed run can also result in a delayed inspection and an associated increased risk as well as potentially compromising compliance with regulatory requirements. The consequences of run failure vary in severity and can be presented in a pyramid similar to the typical representation of safety statistics. A stuck tool requiring intervention or a pipeline failure, as a result of an incorrect inspection report, would be at the top of the pyramid. The lower tiers would capture technical failures and the effectiveness of cleaning. Understanding the consequence of failures can help drive performance improvements across the industry. As part of the BP continuous improvement process, ILI Suppliers and internal stakeholders were brought together for a facilitated workshop to understand the factors affecting first run success rates. The workshop identified a number of common themes which were consistent across all of the Suppliers addressing; both operational issues and tool performance. A Guidance Note was then developed with the ILI Suppliers to drive improvements in first run success rates. This was shared with the Pipeline Operators Forum (POF) in October 2011 and has been further developed as a POF Guidance Document. A separate guidance note has been developed to address recommended practices for collecting and verifying field data. Successful ILI requires good communication between all parties. As the industry starts to inspect more difficult and challenging lines it will be important to improve ILI run success rates. Across the industry we probably know how to do it, but doing it consistently is the challenge. The development of industry Guidance Notes represent a small step towards achieving this objective. As ILI operations improve the focus will increasingly turn to the reliability of tools. There is much that can be learnt from other industry sectors, such as the motor or aviation industry, on improving reliability of components and systems. This will require an increased use of preventative maintenance practices. There is also a need to create a common basis for reporting reliability of inspection tools and for this to be taken into account when operators make their selection of ILI tools. The Global ILI Contract has brought an increased focus to the performance of the overall inspection process which is driving improvements in first run success rates. It has facilitated the development of guidelines on best practice and is starting to set standards for reliability. The high level of cooperation between suppliers and operators to drive improvements in this area is a measure of the importance of first run success rates to all parts of our industry. Achieving ILI first run success requires both the operator and ILI supplier to work together. Whilst each has a key part to play effective communication from an early stage is essential.