Collins

Hello and welcome to the December 2010 issue of SPE Projects, Facilities & Construction journal. This issue continues to show the diversity found in the journal. The PFC journal provides a broad range of papers that explain new and exciting topics and enable each of us to complete our jobs more efficiently. I hope you find these papers interesting and enlightening. I hope you continue your participation in this journal to expand your knowledge.

The first two papers deal with the details of fluid flow in pipelines and vessels. Power-Law Correlation for Two-Phase Pressure Drop of Gas/Liquid Flows in Horizontal Pipelines shows how continued work can provide a simplified equation for a very complex phenomenon. Scrubber Separation--Droplet Entrainment in High-Pressure Gas/Liquid Separation identifies a need in the existing correlations to include the surface tension to better identify the liquid entrainment.

A Conceptual Study of Finger-Type Slug Catcher for Heavy-Oil Fields uses a common design element from gas systems and applies the changes required to implement this design in a heavy-oil application. The primary differences are in the design to handle the viscous liquid. Sour Serviceability of Higher-Strength Coiled Tubing: Final Results summarizes more than 4 years of laboratory testing to establish the effect of sour exposure on low-cycle fatigue life of coil-tubing materials. Guidance is provided on derating the tubing on the basis of the material grade.

Planning and Procedures for the Initial Startup of Subsea Production Systems is a more general topic that identifies the issues in planning a startup that can be applied to other areas as well. Initial startup is probably the most exciting, challenging, and riskiest time in the life of a field. Proper planning can reduce the risk and help make the startup be the most rewarding part of the work.

Comparisons and Advantages of Marine CNG Transportation provides a better understanding of compressed-natural-gas (CNG) delivery by sea. Traditionally, natural gas has been delivered to markets using pipelines or liquefied-natural-gas ships. This paper discusses how the CNG system compares to the existing technology and where it may be advantageous. The growth in natural gas each year indicates it will continue to be an important source of energy for the near future, and CNG may enable smaller reserves to be developed economically.

Thank you for taking the time to review these papers. I welcome your suggestions to improve our journal. Please email me at James.N.Collins@ConocoPhillips.com or Chris Carpenter, Managing Editor of SPE's peer-reviewed journals, at ccarpenter@spe,org. Thank you very much for your continued support and participation in the PFC journal. I’m confident you’ll enjoy the December issue.