Monday, December 30, 2019

Child Abuse and Neglect - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 840 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/13 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Resource Item 1 The New York State Educational Department (SED) oversees the training requirements for mandated reporters. Some examples of fields that require this training to obtain there license is Medical professionals, teachers, and social workers. As a child care provider in New York State we are required to report abuse when there is a reasonable cause, such as Maltreatment or if the child is being placed in imminent danger. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Child Abuse and Neglect" essay for you Create order Some indications of abuse or maltreatment are: †¢frequent bruises cuts or burns †¢Fear or going home †¢Inappropriate sexual behaviors †¢Sexual victimization of other children Obvious malnourishment †¢Frequent absences †¢Stealing or begging for food When any concerns are suspected they must telephoned immediately to the New York Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR) which is open 24 hrs a day seven days a week. Immediate Notification is required so that immediate intervention can be provided by the department of social services. The Mandated reporters are not to notify the parents before or after it has been reported. Telephone numbers to report abuse or maltreatment are as follows: Mandated Reporter (800)635-1522 Public Hotline (800)342-3720 The SCR will determine if the information being provided can be registered as a report. Once the report is taken you must be sure to request the Call ID. If it is found that they cannot register the report with the provided information it must be clearly explained why and you can also request to speak to a supervisor for complicated situations. When a report is registered at the SCR, the local department of social services is immediately notified for investigation and follow-up. A local CPS caseworker will initiate an investigation within 24 hours. CPS intervention consists of an evaluation of the child and other children in the home and the development of a plan to meet the needs of the child and family. If there is an immediate threat to the childs life or health, CPS may remove the child from the home. If a call to the SCR provides information about an immediate threat to a child or a crime committed against a child, but the perpetrator is not a parent or other person legally responsible for the child, the SCR staff will make a Law Enforcement Referral (LER). The relevant information will be recorded and transmitted to the New York State Police Information Network or to the New York City Special Victims Liaison Unit. This is not a CPS report, and local CPS will not be involved. The Social Services Law provides confidentiality for mandated reporters and all sources of child abuse and maltreatment reports. OCFS and local CPS are not permitted to release to the subject of the report. Information regarding the source of the report may be shared with court officials, police, and district attorneys, but only in certain circumstances. If a mandated reporter makes a report with earnest concern for the welfare of a child, he or she is immune from any criminal or civil liability that might result. This is referred to as making a report in â€Å"good faith. † The Social Services Law specifies that no medical or other public or private institution, school, facility or agency shall take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee who made a report to the SCR. Anyone who is mandated to report suspected child abuse or maltreatment and fails to do so could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor and subject to criminal penalties. Mandated reporters can be sued in a civil court for monetary damages for any harm caused by the mandated reporters failure to make a report to the SCR. The New York State Education Department (SED) Office of the Professions oversees the training requirements for mandated reporters. Some categories—including teachers, many medical professionals, and social workers—need this training as part of their licensing requirement. The training may be included in their formal education program. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is proud to be a certified provider authorized by SED to offer mandated reporter training, and has developed a comprehensive curriculum with content customized to medical professionals, educators, law enforcement personnel, day care providers, and human services staff. All training offered through OCFS, including the new two-hour self-directed online training course, the two-day Training for Trainers, and satellite video conferences, is accessible at no cost to the participant at www. nysmandatedreporter. org. New York State Office of Children Family Services Capital View Office Park, 52 Washington Street Rensselaer, New York 12144 Visit our website at: www. ocfs. state. ny. us To report child abuse and neglect call: 1-800-342-3720 For information on the Abandoned Infant Protection Act call: 1-866-505-SAFE (7233) Mandated Reporters Hotline for making child abuse and maltreatment reports: 1-800-635-1522 In the day care I am employed at our program policy regarding my responsibility’s to report child abuse and neglect, I am to tell my programs director or any other administrator in charge what I have seen or have noticed, so they can make a report to the SCR.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Deflation Japan And The Bank Of Japan Essay - 1606 Words

Deflation refers to a situation where there is a reduction in the general levels of prices of goods and services. It takes place when the rate of inflation falls below 0 percent in that case the inflation rate is negative. Inflation decreases the real value of money while deflation raises the real value of money and this enables a person to be able to purchase more goods and services with the same amount of money than before (Hutchison et al, 2006). Japan as a country has really suffered from a long-lasting but mild deflation which started in the mid 1990s. Both the government and the bank of Japan tried to get rid of it by decreasing the rates of interests and ‘quantitative easing’. However, they did not create a constant increase in the broad money and so the deflation persisted .this paper discusses the deflation worries in Japan and in the bank of Japan in terms of equity and financial markets (Mikuni et al, 2003). The Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) near doubling the p urchase of shares belonging to Tokyo is making the investors to have worries on the central bank that it will dominate the financial markets , which will cause price distortions as it goes on greasing the economy. The Bank of Japan’s purchasing spree will make it harder for the investors to sift those companies which are good and those which are bad, and comes up with a lot of other problems such as making trading of equities to be more speculative, misallocation of capital and decreasing incentives for theShow MoreRelatedCase Study1380 Words   |  6 Pagescase we get an entire scenario about how the Japan deflation set in, what were the effects of the deflation on the economy as well as on the people of Japan. It also mentions about the various reasons because of which Japan was in such a tight grip of Deflation, Depression, Demographics and Debts Guides us through the steps taken by the government in order to curb this deflation. 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After World War II, Japan needed a way to rebuild their economy. Hayato Ikeda’s Income Doubling-Plan was one of the driving forces behind the Japanese â€Å"Economic Miracle† (Fukui, 1972, pp. 327). The plan involved government stimulus in the form of purchases and investment. The increase in government spending and investment increased output. Furthermore, Japan began to focus its resources into key markets such as steelRead MoreInflation Is The Rise Of Priced Goods And The Fall Of Value Of Money989 Words   |  4 Pages1: Question 1: Inflation is the rise of priced goods and the fall in value of money. Deflation is when prices of good and services fall. We are concerned about both because they can harm the economy. In the video, â€Å"Inflation or Deflation?† by Merle Hazard, he asks if the banks will the central bank get traction soon or will it lose its grip? In regards to being in a recession, Hazard is questioning if the banks will be able to control what is happening or will it crash which happened in the GreatRead MoreThe Current Policy Rate Of The Central Bank Essay872 Words   |  4 PagesOn the other hand, the ZLB is a global phenomenon, â€Å"The main policy rate of the central bank is currently at zero (or close to zero) in 22 out of 34 OECD countries† displays the worldwide struggle of central banks since the global financial crisis (Wiederholt, 2015, 1). At the ZLB central banks must look at unconventional policies, however Japan shows us it remains extremely difficult to stimulate g rowth and inflation. In 1999 the BOJ introduce Zero Interest Rate policy (ZIRP) when it lowered inRead MoreJapan s International Business Environment Essay1352 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Japan is one of the most influential countries in South-East Asia and the world, despite being disconnected from the main land. 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The economic situation hasRead MoreCan China Avoid Japans Deflationary Fate?1892 Words   |  8 Pagesexport them by weakening the yuan. The decision by the Peoples’ Bank of China (PBoC) to allow the currency to weaken in August sent shock waves around global financial markets, because it highlighted the risks of further escalation in the Great Currency War. Furthermore, the decision to at least contemplate devaluation to solve deflationary issues was viewed as mimicking the policies of the European Central Bank ( ECB) and the Bank of Japan (BoJ). The latter is an old hand at fighting the persistence

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Back to the Future Past, Present, and Future Free Essays

string(56) " and all the way to 2015; the past, present and future\." Jeff Harber Professor Barnaby Palmer GLA 618 OL1: Film Music History 6 December 2012 Back to the Future: Past, Present, and Future Whether you are a movie buff or just a dude from the 80’s, there is a good chance you have seen the classic movie â€Å"Back to the Future. † Accompanied by an iconic cast and crew, the movie garnered so much popularity, Universal Studios pumped out three installments of the Trilogy –†Back to the Future 1, 2, and 3. With Steven Spielberg’s and Robert Zemeckis’ stamp, Back to the Future not only launched Michael J. We will write a custom essay sample on Back to the Future: Past, Present, and Future or any similar topic only for you Order Now Fox’s career, but undoubtedly changed movies forever. There is much to discuss and analyze about all three installments. These would include actor choices, spotting, direction, acting, and most importantly the soundtrack and musical choices for all 3. Considering all 3 movie plots jump from decade to decade, it can be analyzed literally from past, present, and future. Inevitably, Back to the Future’s success also led to several video game launches, a ride at Universal Studios in Hollywood and Orlando, an animated series, and even a comic book. Let’s go back to the year 1985, you and your bodacious friends want to hang ten with the dudes, so you guys catch a flick at the local cineplex. Your choices are Mask, Teen Wolf, or Back to the Future. You mean the guy from Family Ties? So you take your chances on Back to the Future. Good choice! Of all things, Eric Stolz, the main actor in Mask, was originally cast for the role of Marty Mcfly when production of Back to the Future began on November 26,1984. Stoltz was filmed for four weeks, but after seeing a rough cut, Steven Spielberg and the writer/directors decided that Stoltz had played the role â€Å"too seriously† for a comedy, and he was replaced by Michael J. Fox (Futurepedia). Back To The Future was written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, and mainly starred Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. The movie opened on July 3, 1985 and grossed $210 million at the US box office, making it the highest grossing film of 1985 (IMDb). The basic synopsis of Back to the Future 1, is about a young man named Marty Mcfly who accidentally travels into the past and jeopardizes his own future existence. With the help of an eccentric local scientist named Dr. Emmett L. Brown, he manages to travel back in time via a time machine made from a DeLorean. This was done by breaking the time barrier in what was called temporal displacement allowing it to travel along the space-time continuum. When the first script was made, a refrigerator was the planned prop for the time machine. Later Steven Spielberg decided he didn’t want kids trapped inside their refrigerators trying to play time traveling games (Funtrivia). Done carefully, Bones Howe (music supervisor) and Alan Silvestri (composer) gathered an array of perfectly fit songs to cater both the 1950’s as well as the 1980’s. The movie jumps from decade to decade throughout the movie, and makes it apparent when it does. The movie starts out when Marty is late for school, he gets on his skateboard and we hear a fantastic song by Huey Lewis and the News, the â€Å"Power of Love. Later in the movie, we hear another solid track by Huey Lewis entitled â€Å"Back in Time. † By the way, Huey Lewis makes a cameo as a judge. When Marty tries out for the school competition, Huey says, â€Å"hold it. hold it†¦ I’m afraid you are just too darn loud. † This is also considered diagetic mus ic in the film. Marty’s first time travel sent him to the year 1955. Marty, immediately, arrives at the Twin Pines Ranch, which was owned by Otis Peabody. Marty crashes into the barn on Mr. Peabody’s property which causes the entire Peabody family to wake up and come outside. Marty encounters many differences between 1985 and 1955, including a cleaner, less run-down ambiance in the Courthouse Square. While searching for a younger Doc Brown, he meets his father and accidentally interferes with the first meeting of his parents–being hit by his grandfather’s Chevrolet in his father’s place. While in the 1950’s, some of the songs we hear are such great classics â€Å"Night Train† by Marvin Berry, â€Å"Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)† by Marvin Berry, â€Å"Wallflower† by Etta James, and â€Å"Johnny B. Goode† by Chuck Berry aka Marty Mcfly. Some people complained that Back to the Future was a racist movie because Chuck Berry was inspired by a white guy. Sometimes a joke is just a joke; but Chuck Berry liked it. (Davis). Finally we have the sensational score by Alan Silvestri. At times the score is adventurous, and at times it’s sad. The spotting is done just right to balance the dynamics of the movie. Also, there is a leitmotif that accompanies the movie, in fact, it accompanies all 3 movies of the trilogy, and never goes unnoticed. Upon the success of the first film, Robert Zemeckis (director) and Bob Gale (writer) agreed to do a 2nd movie. In fact, they also intended on a 3rd movie, and both the 2nd and 3rd Back to the Future were filmed simultaneously and released six months apart. Back to the Future 2, with a budget of $40 million, grossed nearly $331 million at the box office (IMDb). The characters of George Mcfly and Jennifer Parker were played by different actors from those in the first film, requiring scenes that overlap to be re-shot. Jennifer Parker which was originally played by Claudia Wells, and replaced by Elisabeth Shue in the second film. Claudia claims she turned the roll down when she found out her mother was diagnosed with cancer (Futurepedia). George Mcfly, who was originally played by the quirky Crispin Glover, was later replaced by Jeffrey Weissman. Crispin Glover refused to return to the trilogy due to salary disputes. Back to the Future 2 pans back and forth from 1955, to 1985, and all the way to 2015; the past, present and future. You read "Back to the Future: Past, Present, and Future" in category "Essay examples" Needless to say, Bob Gale and Zemeckis attempted to predict what 2015 would like and sound like. Some songs used in the 2015 scenes, were â€Å"Beat it† by Michael Jackson, â€Å"I Can’t Drive 55† by Sammy Hagar, â€Å"Mr. Sandman† by The Four Aces, and â€Å"Papa Loves Mambo† by the Perry Como. The filmmakers did do some research into what scientists thought may occur in the year 2015. Bob Gale also commented; â€Å"We knew we weren’t going have flying cars by the year 2015, but God we had to have those in our movie. â€Å"(Q A) The film was also considered one of the most ground-breaking projects for Industrial Light Magic. It was one of the effects house’s first forays into digital compositing, as well as the VistaGlide motion control camera system, which enabled them to shoot one of the film’s most complex sequences, in which Michael J. Fox played three separate characters, all of whom interacted with each other. Although such scenes were not new, the VistaGlide allowed, for the first time, a completely dynamic scene in which camera movement could finally be incorporated. The technique was also used in scenes where Thomas F. Wilson’s character (Biff Tannen) had to interact with a younger version of himself. (Zemeckis) Six months after Back to the Future 2 was released in the theaters, the Back to the Future team released Back to the Future 3 on May 25, 1990. Again on a budget of $40 million, this one cashed in at $244 Million. The film takes place immediately after the events of Back to the Future Part II. While stranded in 1955, Marty McFly discovers that his friend Dr. Emmett â€Å"Doc† Brown was killed by Biff Tannen’s great-grandfather Buford. Marty decides to travel to 1885 to rescue Doc and return to his own timeline. This time, Alan Silvestri had to create his soundtrack based in the year 1885. However, he still maintained the leitmotif throughout the picture. The years 1985 and 1955 are still relevant in the 3rd movie, and it jumps around. The popular group ZZ Top make an appearance, as they perform â€Å"Doubleback† during a festival in 1885. This was also considered diagetic —-performed for the actors and the audience to hear. Huey Lewis’ â€Å"Power of Love† is also heard again. In 1989, a video game, based on the original Back to the Future movie was produced for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by video game publisher LJN a subsidiary of Acclaim games. This has some similarity to the 1983 Atari video game E. T. where producers felt it would sell solely on brand association to the hit movie and the game designers were only given five weeks in order to produce a product to get it on the shelves for the 1982 Christmas shopping rush. Reviewers also cited that game as virtually unlike the film and was a major contributor to an economic downturn known as the Great Video Game Crash of 1983. There are only two songs found in the entire game. One is â€Å"Johnny B. Goode† which will play during the school dance that Marty is playing on stage and sounds close to the version heard in the film. The other song is a repetitive looping song that will play throughout the game in non-mini game moments. There are suggestions that the song is supposed to be â€Å"The Power Of Love† by Huey Lewis ; The News sped up and cycled differently. But it winds up sounding nothing like the actual song made famous in the movie. Nes also later released Back to the Future 2 and 3 as a single game in 1990. Back to the Future II ; III received largely negative reviews from critics. Stan Stepanic of Gamefreaks365. om gave the game positive remarks in regards to similarities with The Goonies II, but gave it a largely negative review due to the lack of a password or save feature coupled with its notorious length, although there was a code to skip to the second half of the game. Back to the Future II ; III’s length has often been cited as the game’s major weakness, Stan stating that it took him roughly six hours just to map it, and he spent so much time trying to finish it he act ually turned it off out of boredom. (Gamefreaks). Sega Genesis also released their own version of Back to the Future 3 in 1991. It was a lot different than the Nintendo version. However, it was just as unpopular, the opening level was nearly impossible to complete. Finally in 2010, Telltale Games released Back to the Future on PC and Mac; and later was also released on the Ipad and Playstation 3. This was given way better reviews than the predecessors, and remains the best game of yet. Ben PerLee from GameZone summarized his praise of the game by saying it is a â€Å"feel good cinematic experience that any fan of Back to the Future will want to check out, and everyone else would do well to check it out. GameZone) Back to the Future: The Animated Series was an animated series based on the Back to the Future trilogy as well. The series lasted two seasons, each lasting 13 episodes, and ran on CBS from September 7, 1991 to November 28, 1992, the date of the last original episode. Harvey Comics also published a series of Back to the Future comic books starting in November 1991. With the cover header reading †Å"The Adventure Has Only Begun! ,† the first issue featured Doc Marty in 1927 Chicago. On May 2,1991 the Universal Studios Theme park in Florida released Back To The Future: The Ride. It was a simulator ride based on the popular movie trilogy of the same name. It was a mini-sequel to Back to the Future Part III. Later at Universal Studios Hollywood, they opened the same ride on June 12, 1993 ; and then at Universal Studios Japan on March 31, 2001. The Orlando and Hollywood versions closed in 2007 (Futurepedia). Although Back to the Future creators Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale had no involvement with the ride, they were consulted as to whether they â€Å"got Doc right†. The two responded with a â€Å"yes†. They have also commented that â€Å"it’s a great ride. In addition, references are made to a â€Å"Zemeckis-Gale diagram† and â€Å"Gale-Zemeckis Coordinates (Giveneyestosee) With the huge success of the Back to the Future Trilogy, you can see where a simple idea can turn into a big one. When you take risks on a new actor, and stamp something with a touch of great directing, production, and a great score —- you never know what could happen. Back to the Future will always remain a classic no matter what generation it leads to; whether it be 1955,1985, or even 2015. Works Cited â€Å"Back to the Future II III Review. Review. Gamefreaks365, n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Back to the Future Part II. † IMDb. IMDb. com, n. d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Back to the Future: The Ride. † FuturePedia. Wikia, n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Back to the Future: The Ride. † Giveneyestosee. N. p. , n. d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. â€Å"BTTF Trilogy. † The â€Å"Back To The Future† Trilogy. Funtrivia, n. d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Claudia Wells. † Futurepedia. Wikia, n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. Davis, Cindy. â€Å"Pajiba. † Mindhole Blowers: 20 Facts About Back to the Future That Might Make Your Flux Capacitor Hit 1. 21 Gigawatts. N. p. , n. d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Futurepedia. † Futurepedia. Wikia, n. d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. IMDb. IMDb. com, n. d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. PerLee, Ben. â€Å"Back to the Future: The Game Review. † Back to the Future – The Game Review. GameZone, 28 Dec. 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. â€Å"QA Commentary with Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, Back to the Future Part II Blu-Ray, 2010. † Interview. DVD Blu Ray. N. d. Television. Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale (2005). Back to the Future Feature: Making the Trilogy Part 2. Los Angeles: Universal Pictures. N. d. Television. How to cite Back to the Future: Past, Present, and Future, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Forced Air Induction Essay Example For Students

Forced Air Induction Essay The Garret Aviation VNT-25 The idea of forced air induction by turbine, orturbo, is not new and has its mass production roots in WWII fighter planes. What is new, however, is its application to passenger automobiles. Unlike a nearconstant high RPM fighter engine, an automobile requires wide-open throttle (WOT)power availability throughout its entire operating range. Previous automotiveturbo applications acted like an on-off power switch with a five second delay,decreasing drivability, rather than providing the smooth linear powerband of anormally aspirated engine. Because the turbine is in a fixed position in theexhaust stream, it was plagued with sometimes uncontrolled production from thecompressor at high engine speeds, commonly referred to as boost creep, and asignificant decrease fuel economy versus a similar, but naturally aspiratedengine. The Garret Aviation produced VNT-25 solved all of these problems withits innovative Variable Nozzle Turbine. Hands down it is the most advanced turboever mass-produced and it was the first of its kind on production cars. One ofthe most talked about problems with turbo charged engines is the lengthy time ittakes for the turbo itself to accelerate to operational speeds. This is commonlyreferred to as turbo lag or turbo spool up time. Under WOT, turbo lag results ina seemingly underpowered engine that suddenly comes to life as a delayed tiremelting rush of acceleration. Previously, turbo lag was limited by decreasingthe size of the turbo itself. This resulted in lower rotating mass and moreimportantly, a smaller cross sectional area, which accelerated exhaust gasses atlower engine speeds. Although the turbo is able to spool quicker due to itssize, for the same reason its ability to move and compress large amounts of airefficiently is significantly reduced. Inherently a smaller turbo will produceless maximum horsepower than if it were replaced by larger turbo on the sameengine. Previous turbochargers also used a fixed position turbine that poweredthe centrifugal compressor directly. Because the turbine is located directly inthe exhaust stream, the turbine is a huge exhaus t restriction. This restrictioncreates a constant exhaust backpressure that decreases fuel economy even whenthe turbo is not in use. At high engine speeds, the restriction creates enoughpressure in front of the turbine (back pressure) that the wastegate can nolonger limit turbine power by bypassing the exhaust around the turbine. Theresult is that turbo compresses more air into the engine than is wanted. Forexample, a turbo was set to produce a maximum 12psi boost pressure, but during aperiod of sustained wide open throttle high engine speeds the turbo is nowproducing 14.5psi of boost and still rising. This unwanted phenomenon is calledboost creep. The VNT-25 solves all of these problems with an innovative turbinecalled a Variable Nozzle Turbine. Rather than a fixed turbine the VNT-25 uses aring of 12 moveable paddles aligned around a central, but very small turbinewheel. The entire exhaust charge is then directed to the small turbine by thepaddles. Moving the paddles varied the cro ssectional area that the exhaust mustpass through. When the paddles are nearly closed the exhaust is acceleratedtowards the turbine wheel to increase power. Decreasing the crossectional areaof flow accelerates normally slow, low engine speed, gasses and nearlyeliminates turbo lag while allowing a large and efficient compressor wheel forexcellent maximum engine power. Opening the paddles allowed the exhaust to flowslower and bypass the turbine to limit power. This unique arrangementsignificantly reduced backpressure, greatly improved fuel economy, and allowsexcellent control turbine power at sustained high engine speed, without the useof a bulky external wastegate. The Garret VNT isnt without its drawbacks. Inhigh performance applications it is a turbo that has little to be desired. Theengineers of this turbo, in their effort to reduce turbo lag as much aspossible, kept the compressor and turbine as small as possible. The smaller sizeof the turbine and the compressor decreases the si ze and therefore the weight ofthe turbo internals. Keeping the weight as light as possible reduces rotationalinertia to an absolute minimum, which results in a much more responsive turbo. .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d , .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .postImageUrl , .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d , .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d:hover , .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d:visited , .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d:active { border:0!important; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d:active , .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u94ad880034e0b7c3fd70f54b37de133d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Room Of One's Own Essay Because the exducer, that is the compressor, is of a compressor type,operational speeds are very high. It is not unlikely for a VNT to reach maximumoperational speeds of 173 thousand revolutions per minute even though resting orcruise speed of the turbine is only 2000-6000 RPMs. It is thislatency of the turbo to accelerate to operating speeds that is referred to asturbo lag. Although the small size of the turbine is ideal for a moderateperformance car, its size is a handicap in racing situations. Inherent with asmall compressor is its ability to quickly reach operating boost pressure. Thisdoes not come with out a penalty. Effectively this small compressor tradesefficiency for speed. As any gas is compressed the temperature of it rises. Smaller compressors will tend to heat the compressed air more than would alarger turbo for a given pressure. Bernoullis principal states that as a gas iscompressed the temperature increases as the volume decreases. The inefficiencyof the VNT at pressures over 15 pounds per square inch increases the temperatureof the gas more than it is possible for it to compress, or decrease the volume. The result is that the increase in boost pressure is inversely proportional tothe volume of air moved. As the compressor works to decrease the volume of air,the rise in temperature works to increase the volume. Eventually the volume ofair is expanded by heat more than it can be compressed. The point at which thishappens is referred to as the stall speed. Because a larger turbo, although slowto respond, is much more efficient at higher pressures it will result in a muchcooler charge at a given pressure. A smaller compressor also cannot move largequantities of air at high pressures as would a larger turbo be able to. The sizeof the VNT, although ideal for 12psi as it was intended for, suffers greatly inhigh performance applications from stall speed of psi. The turbine also suffersfrom a small and compact A/R ratio. The A/R is the ratio at which the turbine orcompressor housing is cast. The A/R is the ratio at which the volume of thehousing as gasses enter the housing to the volume it e xits. For instance, thesize of connection on the intake side of the compressor is two and one quarterinches inside diameter and has a volume of 323 cubic centimeters until itreaches the compressor. The exit side is also two and one quarter inches insidediameter and contains a volume of 155ccs. The volume of each path to thecompressor is misleading and cannot be determined from the diameter of the exitor intrance alone. The intake passage is a direct and simple path to thecompressor cartridge. The exit, however, is fluted from the from a very wide andnarrow, almost rectangular, passage at the side of the compressor to a standard2 inch inside diameter round pipe fitting. This fluted shape insures that thespeed of the compressed charge is kept relatively high. The high speed maintainsthat the compressed charge is kept away from the compressor. If it were allowedto back up near the compressor, the compressor would have to work much harder tomove the already dense air. The result would b e that the clready compressed airwould be further compressed and heated. Although the small inlet and outletsizes contribute to increased velocity With the introduction of the GarretVNT-25 it is now possible for a small displacement turbo charged engine tooperate and perform nearly identical to a much larger engine. The ON/OFF switchof turbo power is gone and is now replaced by the safer, smoother, and much morelinear acceleration comparable to naturally aspirated engines of much largerdisplacement. A VNT-25 equipped engine also has the potential to, and usuallydoes, produce much more power than engines twice its size. However, withdisciplined drivers, it does not loose the fuel economy characteristics inherentwith small, normally aspirated engines when the turbo is not in use. The VNT-25combines the responsiveness of a small turbo with the efficiency and performanceof a much larger turbocharger. Simply stated, the VNT-25 is the idealturbocharger. It allows great power almost no tur bo lag, great responsiveness,retains engine and compressor efficiency, and allows excellent turbine controlfrom boost creep. BibliographyRalph C. Bohn, Angus MacDonald. Energy Technology. Fourth Edition, Peoria,IL: Macmillan/McGraw Publishing, 1992. Chrysler Passenger Cars Factory ServiceManual vol.1; Engine and Chassis 1990. www.alliedsignal.com/business/turbo/about_cas.htmlhttp://idt.net/~vnt4/vntrpt.html http://idt.net/~vnt4Physics

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Bram Stokers Dracula and Other Gothic Text Analysis free essay sample

Xinnocence as well as the outsider and the vampires’ experience of sadomasochism. The enduring captivation of these dark notions allows us to account and assess the literary techniques, the context and how the idea of the glamorous but wicked outsider meets the different values within our ever-changing society. Then, we can finally grasp an understanding of how the vampiric legend has continually lingered in our mainstream consciousness. Bram Stoker’s â€Å"Dracula† deals with the notion of vampirism, lodging in our collective consciousness a demonic monster who overturns the pillars of society by seducing innocent women, thrill-seeking and threatening the status quo. Was it because Dracula symbolises the forbidden and the anti-Christ, thus engaging readers, especially during the repressed Victorian era? Or is it because we have a certain fascination for the occult and, by extension, for things we don’t fully comprehend? Stoker deliberately utilises stereotypes such as the damsel in distress (Mina and Lucy), masculine heroes and of course a villain, the dastardly Count, to underscore the gothic theme whereby Dracula is portrayed as the satanic foreigner and the instigator of conflict. We will write a custom essay sample on Bram Stokers Dracula and Other Gothic Text Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is exemplified with a Carpathian woman crossing herself shouting in defiance, â€Å"Monster give me back my child! † However, Dracula reflects the refined demeanour of a nineteenth century British gentleman when amongst our society, enabling him to conceal his blood lust and integrate with the mortal world. The Count immediately welcomes Jonathan Harker with the typical social etiquette of the Victorian Era, â€Å"Welcome to my house. Come freely†¦leave something of the happiness you bring! † Yet, the very fact that Dracula subverts â€Å"clean† women to one known for their voluptuousness goes against middle class Victorian conduct therefore tantalizing readers with a taste of the darker, and prohibited way of life. Furthermore, Stoker labels Dracula as a â€Å"Count† thereby signifying his wealth and aristocracy which clearly bestows him a degree of social authority, usually a trademark for vampires. Indeed, a more intense representation of the concept Dracula is rendered in the adapted comic cover, â€Å"The Tomb of Dracula. † Gene Colan presents a confronting pose of Dracula’s violent seduction at its most erotic, yet fiendish state –seducing a â€Å"damsel in distress. † Depicted with the iconic cape in smoky blue hues, Dracula seems to blend with the all-consuming sky, a daunting figure much like Stoker’s creation. Symbols for gothic conventions pervade this artwork, for instance, the tilted tombstones in the fore and background as well as the imposing obelisk against an oversized full moon casting its silhouette across the graveyard. These symbols and the gothic motif of â€Å"the tomb† (as used in Stoker’s Dracula) instill us with the typical gloomy and foreboding atmosphere suggesting the crude and mad happenings of the night. Colan also inserts a slanted coffin and specks of bats looming in the background which are symbolic of death and rebirth. That is, representing the challenge to liberate from the old ways and create the new which parallels with the underlying theme of erotic and vascular transformations. Moreover, the dash of reds starkly contrasts the black highlighting the words, â€Å"essential† and especially â€Å"Of Dracula† which is formed in the outline of a bat. With horror comics at its zenith in the 1970s the promotion of the Dracula legend was easily accessible for the public. Comparably, in the film â€Å"Interview with the Vampire†, Neil Jordan’s adaptation reinvents the vampire notion which profoundly depicts the modern vampire attempting to find the roots of its identity whilst showing its internal state. Jordan reveals the enigmatic life of Louis du Lac through the vampire’s perspective whereby he reminisces on his past revealing his shortcomings, his doubts, his fears, such as immortality. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, a charismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be his fledgling. The sombre tone of Louis’s voice-over in the ending, â€Å"My invitation was open to anyone, sailors, whores, thieves. But it was a vampire that accepted imbues the scene with a sense of pathos whilst projecting the modern-day vampire as possessing more human-like qualities unlike the conventional deranged monster. Through the use of subtle special effects, such as the glaring eyes of the biblical statues in the graveyard satisfies the modern â€Å"high-tech† audience. With urbane dialogue, classy costume designs, and realistic acting against urban backdrops such as the Golden Gate Bridge we come to terms with the vampiric archetype and even feel a sen se of pity for this prince of darkness. Yet, Neil adds a tint of slight humour by inserting, Rolling Stones, â€Å"I Can’t Get No Satisfaction† with Lestat driving into the sunset. But it is the casting of suave, popular actors of the time such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt which truly pulls in the throng of watchers for horror fiction, especially female fans. We are all at some point drawn in to the gore, the explicitly sexual and dark allusions of the concept of Dracula. Overtime society has become enamoured to the smooth criminal who constantly crosses the fine line between good and evil rather than the ghoulish lord of the flies. It is the thrill of the supernatural world which we find captivating with a being so human-like in appearance, yet still an enigma. The vampire, especially Lestat, needs to be surrounded by female innocents not only for survival, but for a sense of a motherly figure which draws an affinity with the Freudian Oedipal complex which shows his hostility to authority, (symbolic of a fatherly figure) while expressing his joy with the freedom to exercise his own power.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo Count Frollo, Quasimodo, and Esmeralda are quite possibly the most twisted, most bizarre, and most unexpected love-triangle in literary history.  And if their problematic involvement with one another is not enough, throw-in Esmeralda’s philosopher husband, Pierre, and her unrequited love-interest, Phoebus, not to mention the self-isolated mother-in-mourning with a sad history of her own, and Frollo’s younger, trouble-making brother Jehan, and finally the various kings, burgesses, students, and thieves, and suddenly we have an epic history in the making. The Leading Role The main character, as it turns out, is not Quasimodo or Esmeralda, but Notre-Dame itself.  Almost all of the major scenes in the novel, with a few exceptions (such as Pierre’s presence at the Bastille) take place at or in view of/reference to the great cathedral. Victor Hugo’s primary purpose is not to present the reader with a heart-rending love story, nor is it necessarily to comment on social and political systems of the time; the main purpose is a nostalgic view of a diminishing Paris, one which puts its architecture and architectural history in the forefront and which laments the loss of that high art.   Hugo is clearly concerned with the public’s lack of commitment toward preserving the rich architectural and artistic history of Paris, and this purpose comes across directly, in chapters about the architecture specifically, and indirectly, through the narrative itself. Hugo is concerned with one character above all in this story, and that is the cathedral.  While other characters have interesting backgrounds and do develop slightly over the course of the story, none seem truly round.  This is a minor point of contention because though the story may have a loftier sociological and artistic purpose, it loses something by not also working completely as a stand-alone narrative.   One can certainly empathize with Quasimodo’s dilemma, for instance, when he finds himself caught between the two loves of his life, Count Frollo  and Esmeralda.  The sub-story relating to the mourning  woman who has locked herself in a cell, weeping over a child’s shoe is also moving, but ultimately unsurprising.  Count Frollo’s descent from learned man and upstanding caregiver is not entirely unbelievable, but it still seems sudden and quite dramatic.   These subplots suit the Gothic element of the story nicely and also parallel Hugo’s analysis of science versus religion physical art versus linguistics, yet the characters seem flat in relation to the overall attempt by Hugo to re-instill, through means of Romanticism, a renewed passion for the Gothic era. In the end, the characters and their interactions are interesting and, at times, moving and hilarious.  The reader can engage with and, to a certain extent, believe them, but they are not perfect characters. What moves this story along so well, even through chapters such as â€Å"A Bird’s Eye View of Paris† which is, literally, a textual description of the city of Paris as if looking at it from on high and in all directions, is Hugo’s great ability at crafting words, phrases and sentences.   Although inferior to Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misà ©rables (1862), one thing the two have in common is richly beautiful and workable prose.  Hugo’s sense of humor (especially sarcasm and irony) is well developed and leaps across the page. His Gothic elements are appropriately dark, even surprisingly so at times. Adapting a Classic What is most interesting about Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris is that everyone knows the story, but few really know the story.  There have been numerous adaptations of this work, for film, theater, television, etc.  Most people are probably familiar with the story through various retellings in children’s books or movies (i.e. Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame).  Those of us who are only familiar with this story as told through the grapevine are led to believe that it is a tragic Beauty and the Beast type love-story, where true love rules in the end.  This explanation of the tale could not be further from the truth. Notre-Dame de Paris  is first and foremost a story about art, mainly, architecture. It is a romanticizing  of the Gothic period and a study of the movements which brought together traditional art forms and oratory with the novel idea of a printing press. Yes, Quasimodo and Esmeralda are there and their story is a sad one and yes, Count Frollo turns out to be a downright despicable antagonist; but, ultimately, this, like Les Misà ©rables  is more than a story about its characters; it is a story about the whole history of Paris and about the absurdities of the caste system.   This may be the first novel where beggars and thieves are cast as the protagonists and also the first novel in which the entire societal structure of a nation, from King to peasant, is present. It is also one of the first and most prominent works to feature a structure (the Cathedral of Notre-Dame) as the main character. Hugo’s approach would influence Charles Dickens, Honorà ©Ã‚  de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, and other sociological â€Å"writers of the people.† When one thinks of writers who are geniuses at fictionalizing the history of a people, the first who comes to mind might be Leo Tolstoy, but Victor Hugo certainly belongs in the conversation.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Masculinity Representation in Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Masculinity Representation in Films - Essay Example 54). However, at times, when these action heroes start going back to the action roles that brought them into the limelight, in some instances, several years down the line, scholars extend their ignorance and overlook the fundamental divinity of age as they discuss the hard bodies of these hegemonic heroes (Bould 2005, p. 39). As such, this paper intends to analyse the representation of masculinity in one of the Die Hard films, namely Die Hard 2. The analysis will be drawn by references to the works of Mulvey (1974), Neale (1983) and Tasker (2004). Masculinity as a spectacle merely depicts an idea of opinion which a filmmaker tends to deliver to the audiences. This depiction merely involves physical prowess, sexual virility and aggression (Rzepka and Horsley 2010, p. 61). These are potentially bewildering images of action heroes. With that in mind, it is interesting to note that this hegemonic ideal is not only hard to create but also implausible to maintain for the contemporary male. Therefore, the figure that depicts powerful masculinity may only exist or be embodied in legendary heroes, mythical figures and a minute number of males within a society (West and Lay 2003, p. 27). Die Hard 2 is a story revolving around a police officer who lives in New York. The movie begins when on the eve of Christmas he visits his ‘distanced’ wife, who lives in Los Angeles. Upon his arrival, he finds her and the rest of her work colleagues having a Christmas party at the building in which they work (Gates 2006 p. 35). Coincidentally, some criminals posing as political terrorists invade the building, demanding the release of war criminals who are jailed in an American penitentiary facility. John McLane works as a New York law enforcement officer. He stays far away from his wife and has some unresolved issues; it is partly due to them that he is not on good terms with his wife (Rzepka and Horsley 2010, p. 89). He is a masculine character with virile physical prowess and social dominance. Another important aspect is the high level of aggression noted among these heroes. Prior studies undertaken concerning the subject matter of Hollywood’s presentation of male genres have characterised Die Hard 2 as a male-driven action movie. The audiences of this movie will not find it difficult to spot the genre of the movie, i.e. male-driven. This is visible and prominent in the case of presentation of the lead hero as a macho man (Milestone and Meyer 2012, p. 50). This is because of his spectacular ability to wrestle his enemies, which is a trait of a hero from a movie of the male-driven genre. Indeed, extant studies and research from a feminist perspective clearly state that the physical masculinity of an action hero gives a preferential tone for the action narrative (Carroll 2003, p. 79). An analysis of Die Hard 2 highlights that movie directors focus on physicality in such action heroes as John McLane, and the way they display their bodies forms a vital ingredient of the visual effects (Gates 2006, p. 58). Several suggestions are that American action films strive, frequently at the expense of developing the narrative, to contrive situations or instances for displaying the body of an action hero. Ideally, extant literature that examines both the hegemonic male and the action hero

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

College Scholarship questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

College Scholarship questions - Essay Example Besides the access to excellent research programs and world renowned faculty, I have a soft spot for the universiy that has been the alma mater of many of my family members. My father too dreamt of graduating from here, but due to family problems had to begin working soon after high school. He’d be proud to see me graduate from a school after his own heart. I come from a small rural farming community and have worked with Hereford Cattle since I was 9 years old. I have started a small successful business with my Hereford herd and I want to improve my herd and work with other ranches to help develop and improve animal breeding. The department of Animal Science at A&M has undergraduate courses in animal breeding and genetics available to students like me and the possibility of participating in such research programs excites me. The field of embryo research and animal breeding is the goal I have set for myself. I shall work very hard to learn as much as I can while I pursue my bachelor’s degree. I plan to make full use of the facilities and the expert guidance that TAMU can offer me to help me attain my goal of doing a doctorate in embryo research. I want to be an embryologist and work towards new and path breaking research in this field. I am passionate about my job and enjoy every day to the fullest. I’d like to make a huge success of my chosen career; at the same time have a happy and contented family life. I’d love to discover something new for the cattle industry, make my mark in this field and contribute my mite to the future of the ranching

Monday, November 18, 2019

SUMMARY OF ENIEST MARTINEZ ARTICAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SUMMARY OF ENIEST MARTINEZ ARTICAL - Essay Example These activities include but are not limited to drunk driving, driving without license, being in the company of wrong people, and hiding assets from the tax-imposing agencies. All of us do such things and are not caught only because we are lucky enough to get away with them, while the prison in-mates are not quite as lucky. It is wrong to conclude that prison in-mates are people different from us. Many of the prison in-mates are just like us who ended up in jail because they could not deal with the circumstances. There is a shortage of skilled and talented people out there in the market, while many of the prison in-mates hope to start a second chapter in their life where they can play a positive role in the society by benefiting themselves as well as others with their talents, skills, traits, abilities, and aspirations. Human resource is one of the most important resources of any successful company. Companies today are not advancing only on the basis of their technology or equipment. Skilled and talented workforce is actually what is fundamentally taking the businesses to the next level. The interpersonal relationships of between the consumers and the company personnel help improve the company’s sales. Management and business gurus like Dr. Peter Drucker emphasize upon the importance of workforce as the asset of a company. In order to expand the business, it is imperative that we consider people as our greatest asset. Ernest Martinez believes that many prison in-mates have all it takes to make a company successful. They are talented, technically and intellectually gifted, and many are eager to work diligently. Not all in-mates are worthy of a second chapter in their life. It is indeed hard for them to establish themselves given their circumstances. The prisons are pools of many talented men and women who qualify as productive employees. While this cannot be generalized for all in-mates, there is need to search for

Friday, November 15, 2019

Extracurricular Activities And Academic Success

Extracurricular Activities And Academic Success This research proposal is designed to determine if there is a correlation between extracurricular activities and academic success in college. It is hypothesized that there is a very strong positive correlation between involvement in extracurricular activities and academic success. School districts are worried that they are budgeting too much money for programs that do not directly influence academics. This study is important so that school districts will know where to adequately put money within their schools so that all people will benefit to the best of their ability. Activities and Academics 3 Is there a Correlation Between Extracurricular Activities and Academic Success in College? The purpose of this study is to measure the correlation between a college students involvement in extracurricular activities (i.e. sports, band, drama, cheerleading, and so on) and their grades compared to students who are not involved in any extracurricular activities. The main debate this association carries is whether extracurricular activities are actually beneficial or if they just force students to keep their academics up because of eligibility. Rachel Hollrah did a study in which she determined that extracurricular activities help students to receive better grades by teaching them character building lessons, teaching them lifelong skills, saving some at risk students who would possibly drop out of school, and helping students develop social skills. (Hollrah) All of these things are very vital to a human beings life and being able to function in the real world. One must have an education to be able to get a good job and make the money that is needed to support oneself or even a family. But as important as education, one also needs social skills and a very strong sense of character, morals, and ethics. Without these things, one can very quickly and easily lose sense of them and become someone they never were or wanted to be. One main thing that has been associated with success in general is self-esteem. When an individual succeeds, they usually automatically begin to feel Activities and Academics 4 better about their endeavors and about themselves as a person. Diana Grafford from the Department of Psychology at Missouri Western State University feels strongly about self-esteem associated with ones success. Self-esteem is affected by ones performance on the stage, on the football field, or by playing a musical instrument. A persons confidence in their ability to compete, perform, or satisfactorily complete a task can have a positive or negative effect, depending on the interpretation of success. (Grafford) Most individuals will begin to see themselves in a better light when they succeed and their self-esteem will begin to increase. This, then, will start to carry over into more parts of their life and help them to succeed in many other things rather than just one section. Some individuals, in contrast, view success in different ways and may not feel better about themselves but actually begin to feel worse. Some feel like they have to be at the top in everything they do or they are not successful at all. It all just depends on the particular person. Kimiko Fujita conducted a study in which he measured the correlation between academic success and extracurricular activities. Total extracurricular activity participation (TEAP), or participation in extracurricular activities in general, is associated with an improved grade point average, higher educational aspirations, increased college attendance, and reduced absenteeism. (Fujita) He also discovered that participation in some activities improves achievement, Activities and Academics 5 while participation in others diminishes achievement. (Fujita) The reason for the positive or negative change is different with each individual and it all just depends on each persons goals, character, determination, and willing to work as hard as they can to be successful. One important debate is whether colleges look at more than just grades and GPA when considering accepting someone into school. A lot of people think that a students involvement in extracurricular activities should also be considered when accepting students and handing out scholarships. Rank in class (RIC) in a study done by George Mason University (Podhajasky, 1997), was determined to be a strong predictor of success in college, but student environment was found to play a part in the eventual retention to graduation. It was found that students who became involved in extracurricular activities while in college enhanced their college experience and increased their future success. (Neal). Most research that I did had no emphasis on the difference between the involvement and the academic success between black students and white students. One study was done where they tested to see if there was any difference at all. The relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and academic achievement was examined. Black eighth graders and white eighth graders completed achievement tests and described school and nonschool activities. Amount of participation was positively related to academic Activities and Academics 6 achievement. The relationship was stronger for white students overall, and for school-related activities for both groups. (Gerber) One study showed that not only did extracurricular activities help students stay focused on academics but it also helped them to develop time management skills that were very crucial for later on in life. This study showed that the student is learns early how to juggle multiple tasks on a daily basis will be more prepared for adult life. These time management skills that are acquired keep the students organized and more able to get everything done within given time constraints. This ability, to organize time, is also very useful later in life. When students are done with school, they will be expected to juggle a job, a family, and many other things that require successful time management skills. Therefore, being involved with activities not only brings better grades, but it also promotes an easier transition into adult life. (Solinger) In most of the research I conducted, there was a clear consensus that there is a positive correlation between extracurricular activities and academic success. Usually students who stay involved and active have more motivation to hold their academics to a high standard for many reasons. Some of these reasons include eligibility, more time to devote to extracurricular activities, and both high academics and extracurricular activities look good when trying to get a job. There were a couple sources that showed no correlation between extracurricular activities and academic success but none that showed a negative Activities and Academics 7 correlation. The research that I conducted, for the most part, seemed to follow my assumptions. I have always believe that being involved and active definitely does help with academic success and helps students strive to do the best they can do when it comes to academics. Does ones participation in extracurricular activities (i.e. band, athletics, cheerleading, drama, and so on) have any effect on the students academic success? What would happen if a student who had been involved in extracurricular activities all of a sudden were not? Would more time devoted to schoolwork because of no extracurricular activities be a good thing for a students academics? In this study, the independent variable will be ones participation in extracurricular activities. The dependent variable we will name as a students academic success. It is hypothesized that there will be a very strong and positive correlation between extracurricular activities and academic success. Method The researcher plans to measure the correlation between extracurricular activities and academic success by using a questionnaire. The questionnaire will be handed out to an equal number of individuals involved in band, cheerleading, football, baseball, basketball, greek organizations, and drama. The questionnaire will also be given to the same amount of students who are not involved in anything other than classes. Activities and Academics 8 Analysis The researcher will use the correlation equation to analyze the data taken from the questionnaire.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

ATA Airlines :: essays research papers

On October 23, 2004 ATA Airlines filed for bankruptcy. The Indianapolis-based carrier also said it has agreed to sell its hub at Chicago’s Midway Airport to AirTran, one of its major competitors, for $87.5 million dollars. Like other airlines operating in bankruptcy, AirTran said it will maintain its full flight schedule and honor its frequent-flier commitments. The tenth-largest U.S. airline by traffic, ATA joins United, US Airways and Hawaiian Airlines in bankruptcy. ATA is the first major low-coﴱᄃst airline to seek bankruptcy protection. It has long been having difficulties by its costly leases, estimated to be about $100 million dollars per year over prevailing market rates. ATA will turn over its slots at New York’s LaGuardia and Washington Reagan National Airport to AirTran and will fly fifteen of its aircraft on AirTran behalf for six months. ATA has not arranged financing during bankruptcy but Chairman J. George Mikelsone said the AirTran deal would provide immediate cash infusion while he lines up financing elsewhere. ATA lost $90 million dollars in the first half of this year on revenue of $778 million dollars.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ATA Airlines is trying everything they can to have their company. But they are going to have to wait it out. Some of their opinions is to reorganize, return to profitability, settle their debts, and be released from bankruptcy; or they could go out of business and have their assets auctioned off under court supervision to pay as many of their remaining debts as possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They say that the bankruptcy could probably go on for many months, perhaps for years. Some airlines, such as Continental Airlines and American West, have reorganized under bankruptcy protection, and are still operating. Several others in the USA, and more in other parts of the world, have gone out of business, sometimes after being in and out of bankruptcy repeatedly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people had questions about if they bought tickets for an airline and then they went bankrupt what should they do? They need to wait and see. You can’t get retroactive insurance. Also be prepared for schedule changes, flight cancellations, or other disruptions of your plans, before or during your trip, possibly with little or no warning. Another thing is if you have electronic tickets, consider going to the airline’s ticket counter at an airport, or one of its city ticket offices, and paying to get your ticket converted to paper tickets.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi

The autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, subtitled The Story of My Experiments With Truth, focuses on Gandhi's struggles for non-violence and civil disobedience through the acts of Satyagraha, literally meaning â€Å"holding firmly to truth. † In each of the chapters, he talks about instances in life in which he had struggled with Truth, considering Truth being the ultimate source of energy. The question many might ask is: how can one who is so skinny, one who had to live with a stick throughout his struggles, get such energy?It was because of his experiments and the trials that Gandhi developed dietetics, non-violence, hydropathy, naturopathy etc. After finishing his studies in England, he came to South Africa where he changed from a typical lawyer to one who was remarkable. It's more surprising that with the ideologies he produced from studying law, eastern and western philosophy, he kept them all by his side and followed them to the extreme. He was conservative to h is thoughts in any situation and in following them perhaps, to some, inflexibly so.One reason I become overwhelmed by Gandhi is his simplicity, wearing a single dhoti (an Indian clothing) and living solely by vegetables. Even when he was or his son was on his deathbed, he insisted that eating anything other than vegetables was wrong. He considered that through those necessities — in line with his teachings — it is possible that one can live freely. This means one can live without food or drink, without anger or desire, if they are to follow a simple code of behavior.This book thus teaches one in practical life on how to live without any of the material needs. ? – â€Å"I cannot attain freedom by a mechanical refusal to act, but only by intelligent action in a detached manner. This struggle resolves itself into an incessant crucifixion of the flesh so that the spirit may become entire free. † – â€Å"That freedom is attainable only through slow and painful stages. † – â€Å"A reformer cannot afford to have close intimacy with him whom he seeks to reform – â€Å"he who would be friends with God must remain alone, or make the whole world his friend. – on actively forgiving sin: â€Å"Man, as soon as he gets back his consciousness of right, is thankful to the Divine mercy for the escape. † – â€Å"When such Ahimsa [non-violence] becomes all-embracing, it transforms everything it touches. There is no limit to its power. † – On monastic changes to his life: â€Å"Let not the reader think that this living made my life by any means a dreary affair. On the contrary the change harmonized my inward and outward life. It was also more in keeping with the means of my family. My life was certainly more truthful and my soul knew no bounds of joy. † ?

Friday, November 8, 2019

Critical Evaluation of a Marketing Concept (WCM) versus Marketing Practice (MLC)

Critical Evaluation of a Marketing Concept (WCM) versus Marketing Practice (MLC) Introduction Marketing has become an important factor in the current business world because it gives the organisation a competitive edge over its rivals. The essence of marketing is to inform consumers about the existence and value of products or services. Potential customers are also persuaded and convinced to purchase the products. Marketing is considered to be a critical function in business.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Evaluation of a Marketing Concept (WCM) versus Marketing Practice (MLC) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The marketing manager needs to understand the buying behaviour of customers to be able to choose the best strategies of marketing. The manager is able to properly analyse the market, as well as the market segmentation and choose the best market targets for the products or services (Kotler Keller, 2012). Organisational behaviour has shaped the views of researchers, academics, practi tioners, and journalists. Marketing practice and marketing concept are two terms that are used to explain this. These are two terms that are considered to be very important in organisations because they help in efficient marketing of products or services. This article is going to critically evaluate marketing concept and marketing practice. The paper will apply the two terms in a real world organisation, the Pizza Hut Company. The Pizza Hut Company is based in the United States, although it has branches internationally. Definition of Marketing practice (WLC) and Marketing concept (WCM) Marketing concept The aim of any organisation is to achieve its set goals and objectives. One of the ways the organisation can achieve its goals is through marketing. The term marketing concept can be defined as a philosophy of the organisation through which it can best achieve its goals and objectives by identifying customer needs and wants and satisfying them (Jobber, 2012). The term concept refers to a general structure of something, while the term marketing refers to the ways a product is moved through the distribution channel to reach the final consumer, or the target market. Therefore, it has to be considered that the marketing strategy should incorporate the needs of the target market when devising a marketing concept. The marketing concept includes approaches on how to deliver the required products to the market (Keegan Hollensen, 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marketing practice These include the activities that are carried out in order to make a product or a service easier to market. These are activities like branding, blending, and product development. The activities give the company a competitive edge over its rivals. The marketing concept used by the Pizza Hut Company It is important to first understand the market before coming up with a s trategy on how to market the products. This includes understanding customers’ behaviours, as well as their needs and wants (Nakata, 2002). Pizza Hut has a clear understanding of the market, thus it has been able to establish its operations in many locations in the US and around the globe. The company understands the nature of the market and the competition it is bound to face from other companies, such as McDonald’s. It, therefore, positions itself strategically to get a competitive advantage over its rivals. The next factors in marketing concept are segmentation and market selection. It is important to note that the marketing role of Pizza Hut is to make sure that it meets all the consumer needs and make money in return. Market segmentation involves dividing the market depending on the needs of consumers. People who have similar needs and wants are put into one segment. The company is able to allocate its resources efficiently through market segmentation. Pizza Hut ha s been successful in addressing the needs of consumers and segmenting the market. Other marketing concepts that are of significance are differentiation and positioning. A company should produce goods or services that are unique in their own way. The products or services should be a notch higher than those of competitors (Blythe, 2005). The company produces goods that address the specific customer needs through differentiation. The goods are also unique compared to those of competitors. Pizza Hut offers different styles of pizza, thereby addressing specific consumer needs. The pizza then comes with side dishes. The accompaniments enhance the Pizza Hut products and position the company strategically in the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Critical Evaluation of a Marketing Concept (WCM) versus Marketing Practice (MLC) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The marketing manager needs to come up with a marketing plan that is effective in order to develop a successful marketing concept. The manager should plan how the products are developed and how they reach the customers (Silber Kearny, 2011). This involves the services offered by the company that help in attracting the customers. For instance, Pizza Hut restaurants are divided into 3 categories depending on the services offered. There is the full service restaurant where customers sit in the restaurant for service. There is also the home service restaurant where pizzas are delivered to customers in their homes. Finally, there is the restaurant based delivery that includes a full service restaurant together with deliveries, as well as take away services. The third category is a plan that is meant to reach a wide range of customers since it reaches those who are not willing to travel to the restaurants, as well as those who are willing to have their pizzas at the restaurants. Creativity and innovation are also present in the Pizza Hut Company. Creativity and innovation have made the company produce pizzas of different styles to suit the needs of a wide range of customers. Creativity and innovation have been the driving forces behind Pizza Hut Company’s success. The two factors have helped Pizza Hut become competitive and survive in the market that has competitive players such as McDonald’s. Creativity has played a part in the success of the company’s supply chain management. The company has restaurants all over the US and across the world (Chaffey Ellis-Chadwick, 2012). Its products are made in each restaurant to make its supply chain more effective. It also improves supply efficiency. Pizza Hut operates in a market structure that could be considered as monopolistic in nature since there are large players that tend to dominate a big share of the market. These are players like McDonald’s. Pizza Hut is also among the dominant restaurants considering that it has over 6,000 outlets in the US. Comp etitive organisations need to hire the best talents. This has to be done via careful recruitment, training, as well as career management (Chaffey, 2009). Top talents help the company in innovation and creativeness, thereby creating a competitive advantage for the firm.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pizza Hut has an HR department that ensures the best talent is recruited into the organisation. The management of Pizza Hut is comprised of skilled and knowledgeable people. The employees are also effective in decision making and implementation. Marketing Practice These are practices that give the business a competitive edge. A number of the practices are similar to those of marketing concepts. Some of the concepts include market assessment, competitive positioning, planning, product development, branding, segmentation, customer understanding, management, selection, supply chain management, market role definition, and talent management. All these practices are the similarities that are common with the idea of market concept and that of market practice (Palmer Hartley, 2011). However, there are other functions that are present in market practice, but they are not available in the market concept. They include portfolio management, market communications, promotions, pricing, sales sup port, and measuring performance. Portfolio management involves diversification that entails the company investing in products that have high potential of growth (Holbrook Hulbert, 2002). Pizza Hut has managed its portfolio effectively by offering different types of pizzas and side dishes in various locations. The company needs to have an effective marketing communication strategy to enhance its promotional activities and sales support. This will help it edge out the competition it faces from its closest rivals. Pricing will also be a viable practice, especially in the current competitive market. The Pizza Hut Company should offer products at relatively low prices, but it should also ensure profitability and quality of its products are maintained. The company needs to measure its performance to determine whether it is making profits or losses after all its marketing concepts and marketing practices have been applied. The company should consider reviewing its practices if it does not set objectives. On the other hand, Pizza Hut should find ways of maintaining the good performance and possibly improving if it meets its performance objectives. Conclusion and Recommendation Marketing is a source of competitive advantage to any organisation. The Pizza Hut Company has been able to adopt successful marketing concepts and practices. The concepts and practices enable the company to open operations in various locations in the US, as well as across nations. However, the company needs to improve on its pricing strategies in order to gain a competitive advantage over McDonald’s. McDonald’s is known for its cheap and quality products, which have been its major competitive tools. Pizza Hut can overtake McDonald’s if it reviews its pricing strategies. Marketing communication and promotion should also be stepped up to popularize Pizza Hut’s products. List of References Blythe, J 2005, Principles and practice of marketing, Thomson Learning, London Ch affey, D 2009, Internet marketing: Strategy, implementation and practice, Financial Times Prentice Hall, Harlow Chaffey, D, Ellis-Chadwick, F 2012, Digital marketing: Strategy, implementation and practice, Pearson, Harlow Holbrook, MB, Hulbert, JM 2002, ‘Elegy on the death of marketing: Never send to know why we have come to bury marketing but ask what you can do for your country churchyard’, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 36, no. 5/6, pp. 706 732 Jobber, D 2012 Principles and practice of marketing, McGraw-Hill, London Keegan, WJ, Hollensen, S 2012, Global marketing management, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ Kotler, P, Keller, KL 2012, Marketing management, Pearson Education, Harlow Nakata, C 2002, ‘Activating the marketing concept in a global context: An MNC country managers’ perspective’, International Marketing Review, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 39 – 64 Palmer, A, Hartley, B 2011, The business environment, McGraw-Hill Professiona l, New York, NY Silber, KH Kearny, L 2011, Organizational intelligence: A guide to understanding the business of your organization for HR, training, and performance consulting, Pfeiffer, San Francisco, CA

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Lights and Sounds Museum Essay Example

Lights and Sounds Museum Essay Example Lights and Sounds Museum Essay Lights and Sounds Museum Essay â€Å" The trip on February 10 , 2011 to Lights and Sounds was very educational and was very fun . The parts about Jose P. Rizal were very interesting and I learned a lot about his life. There were two parts that scared me the most . First , was the one where we saw the characters of Noli Me Tangere and El Felibusterismo . What scared me there was Sisa , because of her laugh( while she cried ) and how she moved . The second thing that scared me was at the last part when we entered the room the lights went of and we could only hear voices . I’m so glad I’ve gotten over it easily . I’ve also seen how big Intramuros is just by looking at it’s model . Although, there were parts I didn’t quite understand . At the end of the tour we all sat down on the floor to watch a video and at the end of that video the doors were opened by a soldier . The light sort of blinded our eyes. I think it was because we spent time in the dark for an hour. I had a laugh with my friends about that part . All the lessons I’ve had since Grade Four started coming back to me . It was like a review for us . I’ve also learned more details to Jose Rizal’s life . My classmates and I enjoyed the trip going there because we got to spend it together . It was our last field trip in CCWB . I’m so glad to have went there and I feel like I want to go back this time with my family .

Monday, November 4, 2019

Specific fatty acids and disease Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Specific fatty acids and disease - Assignment Example However, n-3 fatty acids have antithrombin, antiinflammatory, hypolipidemic and vasodilatory properties (Higdon 34). Benefits of n-3 fatty acids are known for the preventive measures of coronary heart diseases. Studies have shown that during chronic fish oil feeding, concentrations of postprandial triacylglycerol decreases and this causes an increase in plasma cholesterol concentration hence a low rate of coronary artery diseases found in fish eating population. New research findings show Leukotrienes are thought to play an important role in pathology of asthma. Increasing n-3 fatty acids intake decreases the formation of AA-derived leukotrienes (Reisman 6). A number of clinical trials have been used to examine the effects of a long-chained n-3 fatty acid supplementation on asthma. Although there is evidence that n-3 supplementation decreases the inflammatory mediators production of in asthmatic patients meaning the clinical trials have been having inconsistent results. Random control trials of the long-chain n-3 fatty acids supplements in asthmatic children and adults found no consistent effects on clinical measures including asthmatic symptoms, pulmonary function tests or bronchial hyper

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Invention of Press and Advertisement Technology Essay

Invention of Press and Advertisement Technology - Essay Example The parts of the Columbian printing press included the American eagle perching rebelliously with not only outstretched wings but also open beak on the focal counterbalance lever. The eagle acted as a counterbalance weight that was adjusted by sliding it along the focal counterbalance lever (Mullins 17). The clutching of a flight of Jove’s thunderbolts by the eagle’s talons represents war while on the contrary the olive branch of peace, as well as Horn of Plenty, signifies prosperity. The main counterbalance is tipped in one of its ends to form an arrow that rests in the horn-like opening of the crescent moon. The other end of the counterbalance is coiled to form something like a dolphin; its open jaws suitably hold the hook that connects it with the top end of the great lever (Mullins 17). A similar creature (dolphin) also extends along the top front of the great lever. The Columbian has two pillars that are decorated with the caduceus. The right-hand pillar also has a conventional ear of wheat near its top. The type table of the Columbian was also made out of iron, and it was wound below the printing platen (Mullins 17). Printing of the materials was enhanced by exerting force through a wood on the printing table. The Columbian printing press stands on four legs made of iron. The ends of the legs are molded to form something like the paws of a lion. Despite proving to be a bit faster than the past printers, advancement in technology led to other inventions that led to the abandonment of the use of weights and levers. For instance, mechanization of printing was started in 1824. As a result of this, gears and power were added to the wooden-framed platen press. This type of press led to the production of high-quality prints in the nineteenth century. The new media today incorporates computers into the printing process. The balancing of the elements for quality production of prints is not done physically by balancing weights. The development of electronic devices in addition to other technological devices has led to the evolution of printing.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Report on two water provision methods Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On two water provision methods - Lab Report Example 21). This describes the situation of arid and semi-arid areas that constitute 30% of the land surface in the world. This means the areas may experience periods of sporadic water shortages, which may threaten the development of the community as well as the lives of the population. The situation is addressed through the establishment of water demand and supply balance that is multifaceted through the incorporation of water provision projects in the regional planning needs. The projects so incorporated should be tailor made to suit the specific problems of the region. Methods of water provision in arid areas The provision of water process may incorporate a diverse range of methods that seek to establish a stable and renewable water supply and demand chain for the arid regions. These options range from the construction of dams to create reservoirs, desalinization processes, ground water reserves exploration, reusing of wastewater, and enhancing rainwater collection methods. However, some factors in the regions serve to rule out some options as the preferred modes. The option of rainwater collection is ruled out if the area receives minimal annual rainfall amounts. The area also requires a steady source of water in the form of a river, for the construction of a dam (Cipollina, Micale, and Rizzuti, 2009, p. 45). The amount of water availed by reusing is dependable on the amount available for use in the first place. This leaves desalinisation processes and the exploration of ground water reserves as the most viable options. Background information of the two methods 1) Desalinisation processes Desalinization also referred to as desalination, is a term used for any of the processes used to remove the large quantities of salts and minerals contained in saline water. The aim of the processes is to produce fresh water that is suitable for incorporation in irrigation and human consumption. The processes are preferred as they produce salts as byproducts that are used in the production of other products. This method of water provision is applicable in the setting of arid areas as most have underground water reserves that are high in salt content that make them unfit for human consumption and other general-purpose applications like irrigation (Wang 2008, p. 24). The method is specifically suitable for arid areas like Egypt and Israel that are next to unlimited saline water reserves in the form of the sea. 2) Underground water exploration Ground water is the collection of water in the ground that results from the infiltration and percolation of water from various forms of precipitation ranging from rainfall to snow, which is then trapped in bedrock consisting impermeable rocks. The location of these water resources is not restricted to specific regions as it is found nearly everywhere (Raghunath2007, p. 71). However, the usable and reliable quantities are only found in rock formations known as aquifers with sufficient voids between them enabling the holdi ng and conducting of water. This means that most arid areas are sitting on large water reserves that may act as stable water supply sources in the areas if they are explored (Webb 2006, p. 12). Comparison between the two methods Processes used i) Desalinization Originally, the processes of desalinization applied vacuum distillation processes to separate the salts from the water. This involved the boiling the saline water in pressure conditions that are much

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Hyundai Group Essay Example for Free

The Hyundai Group Essay The strikes of 1987 found their main base amongst workers in heavy industry, especially in Ulsan, the centre of Hyundai’s operations in South Korea. I II. Background of the study The Pressure built up during the harsh years of military dictatorship, economic boom, and management style had caused several labor strikes. For thirty years, South Korea had been ruled by a military dictator and growing calls for democracy had echoed through the 1970s and early 80s. South Korea’s economic boom put Hyundai in a position wherein their strategy of low wages and hard work were no longer suffice in the face of rising competition from other developing nations and swelling demands from the country’s more independent youth generation. At Hyundai, employees viewed the owners’ style as authoritarian in which the consensus is what the boss says it is. Also, company had created an image that was unwilling to change with the times. IV. Point of view Chung Ju Yung: The founder of Hyundai, he is willing to tackle the impossible and unwilling to accept â€Å"no† from subordinates. Hyundai Workers: They want better working conditions and environment. They have been looked down on in Korea. They don’t have voices in management decisions and experienced erratic job schedules with lower wages. V. Objectives 1. To improve the management style and cope with changes along with time. 2. To address the dispute between the management of Hyundai and its workers, such that the result will provide a positive sum that will satisfy both parties’ concern. VI. SWOT analysis Strengths: 1.The Hyundai group makes a wide range of products. 2.The company’s chairman is very persistent. 3.Workers are disciplined, para-military, single-minded, and self-sufficient machine. 4.The company has a good reputation. 5.The company has low cost of production thereby low-priced products. Weaknesses: 1.Authoritarian leadership style 2.Top management is not committed to high-tech. 3.The company adopted paternalism corporate management. 4. Labor union issues Opportunities: 1.Large market share 2.Potential market for ASEAN Threats: 1.Rising competition 2.High dependency on exports 3.Technology gap to advanced countries VII. Alternative courses of action A.Go. Give an increase in labor wages by 28% and recognize labor union. Advantages: 1.Workers’ rights are protected. 2.Higher wages encourage employees to work. 3.Voices of employees are heard with the formation of labor union. Disadvantages: 1.Additional costs are incurred in the part of Hyundai. 2.Lessen the flexibility of workers. 3.Workers may demand follow-up increase in their wages. B. No Go. Do not give an increase in labor wages and do not recognize labor unions. Advantages: 1.No additional costs will be incurred regarding labor wages. 2.Employees cannot easily complain. Disadvantages: 1.Employees will continue their labor stike. 2.Employees remain unsatisfied with the current wage. 3.They will not be motivated to work hard. 4.The company’s operation will continue to be interrupted and demand for products is not met. C.Encourage participative management style, recognize labor union and increase workers’ wages and adjust working hours. Advantages: 1.Employees’ satisfaction and commitment to work. 2.With the formation of labor union, workers’ right are protected. 3.Participative management style allows the voices of employee to be heard. 4.Workers tend to be loyal to the organization. Disadvantages: 1.Costly. An increased in labor wages lessens company’s profit. 2.Shortening working hours reduce production output. 3.Labor unions can limit the flexibility of workforce. VIII. Recommendation Alternative C which is to encourage participative management style, recognize labor union and increase workers’ wages and adjust working hours is considered as the best alternative course of action. With this alternative, the demands of the workers are satisfied as well as those of the management. Participative management style allows the interchange of ideas between the management and workers. Workers’ rights are protected because of the formation of labor unions. Moreover, operations in Hyundai will be stabilized. IX. Conclusion Hyundai played a vital role in Korea’s economic development, and that was intricately interdependent with a number of other forces such as government, economic and non-economic factor. The authoritarian type of government greatly influenced businesses as shown in the management style of the Hyundai’s founder Chung Ju-Yung. The call for change in management style, higher salary increase and demand for respect caused the workers to rebel. Participative management style, creation of labor union, increased in wages and shortening working hours answer the said problem. The solution benefited the workers and the management. X. Courses of action Government actions are beyond the control of Hyundai’s management. The degree of respect demanded by workers varies individually.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Abandoned Oil Wells End of Field Life

Abandoned Oil Wells End of Field Life ABSTRACT As petroleum, production continues to decline in many parts of the globe, more operators are seeing well abandonment as a reality. Drilled wells are plugged and abandoned for different reasons of which the typical and operational reason is that the well has reached its economic limit or when drilled it was found to be a dry hole. (refer). According to Ide, T., et al 2006, well bore is taken to be high fluid transmittal pathway. Even with the current procedure of sealing and abandonment, individual wells have the tendency to loose their integrity due to various factors, which include but not limited to poor cementation, poor or ineffective plugging, and increase in formation pressure after abandonment, corrosion of casing (refer). Safe and economical well abandonment are important to the industry from environmental and financial standpoints. Improper abandonment can require re-abandonment procedures to mitigate environmental contamination or to comply with updated regulations, causing an increased financial burden on the operator. 1. Introduction 1.1 BACKGROUND All wells drilled have a distinct life cycle with respect to its cost, duration, recovery, and value. Although these characteristics and attributes are specific to an individual drilled well, all producing wells pass through the same initial and final state, beginning with completion and ending with abandonment. After the drilling stage of a well and the target depth is reached, a decision to complete the well is made based on the reservoir attributes: is the well dry or is the hydrocarbon in place of economic value. Ultimately, every well becomes dormant because of reduced economic returns or technical problem. When a well stops producing, it either may be shut-in (SI), temporary abandoned (TA) or permanently abandoned (pa). With ageing fields fast approaching their economic limit, abandonment is becoming increasingly frequent and many operators have to modify their abandonment procedure to fit the Wellbore condition and make certain that abandoned wells remain permanently sealed and prevent commingling while balancing the environmental objectives of abandonment and cost of actual abandonment. Wells, which are not abandoned appropriately, can become a major hazard to the underground source of drinking water and possibly the aquatic environment [8] Shut in status (SI) When a well is shut-in it is still flowing but its Christmas tree, SV, wing valves are all closed. Usually a well is shut-in if there is a technical or operational problem, which is believed to be temporary. There is no maximum time for a well to remain in shut-in status as long as it is regularly maintained according to regulatory requirement and procedures. Temporary abandonment status (TA) A well is said to be temporarily abandoned when the wellhead is removed and the producing interval is isolated with a plug and the casing is plugged below the mud line. REASONS FOR ABANDONMENT There are various reasons why a well is abandoned, these are: END OF FIELD LIFE ABANDONMENT Drilled wells must at one point in time be abandoned. Before a well reaches the point at which it has to be abandoned it passes through various stages in its life cycle; it begins with the survey and exploitation of an area for signs on hydrocarbon [1]. This leads to a rewarding and exciting discovery of an accumulation of hydrocarbon deposit. This is followed by the acquired Data Processing stage and finally the drilling process. During drilling, the well is created by the use of drill bit and cased off at specific as drilling progresses. Another fulfilling target is reached when the first hydrocarbon is produced a process which unfortunately eventually proceeds the declining period where the rate of hydrocarbon production decreases. However, successful enhanced oil recovery techniques often than not make this stage rewarding financially as it extends the life of the well [1]. When all enhanced oil recovery technique has been employed, and the cost of producing the well is no longer economically viable, the next process is abandonment; a stage not so welcomed by most operators as it means the cessation of production. Dry hole Abandonment A drilled well is also abandoned when after drilling, the hole was found to be a dry hole. Though abandonment is meant to be a permanent termination, the effect is felt for many years more than that of the short producing life of the well. The main goal of any plugging and abandonment is to provide a permanent and effective isolation of fluids all along the subsurface formation in the different layers where they were enclosed prior to plugging, thereby preventing fluid migration and reduce environmental risks of contamination and prevent costly remedial jobs [1]. To achieve this several significant intervals of the well must be filled and tightly closed with a sealant material from bottom hole to the surface with special attention paid to the production interval [4] and zones of high differential pressure and temperature. The material used for plugging differ depending on what type of well is being abandoned, for oil and gas well the material used is normally cement based materials, for water well, cement based as well as bentonite can be used to isolate the different intervals[4][ PUT UNDER CEMENT PLUG CHARACTERISTICS UNDERE INTEGRITY OF ABANDONED WELLS. The integrity of the abandoned well can fail for very many reaso ns such as plug failure, poor slurry design etc. A cement plug can fail to set at the desired location as cement slurry often has the tendency to fall through the lighter drilling fluid below it [9]. Failure can also be as a result of downhole changes which may occur after the well has been abandoned [8]. Over the years, techniques for drilling and completion of hydrocarbon wells have continued to evolve. This drive for new technology for hydrocarbon recovery is due to the need to maximize hydrocarbon recovery while protecting the environment [4]. The evolution of well abandonment techniques has been much slower than that of drilling and completion. This is because abandonment is considered a sunk cost [4]. Project Objective The objectives of this thesis is to review the factors which contribute to the overall integrity of abandoned wells. These include, well parameters, cement placement techniques, casing integrity. These play an important role in the design, construction and actual execution of the abandonment project. In the abandonment of wells, the factors that contribute to the integrity differ depending on the wells. This is because each well is a unique entity and hence has to have independent well abandonment design. PROJECT METHODOLOGY In this work I intend to talk about For instance, in a well where a fish is lost in hole the abandonment design has to taken into consideration remedial action or ways to set the cement plug as there may be no access to the bottom hole to set a bottom plug in the sump. Abandoned wells can be a cause of concern due to their potential to act as path for flow between formations, which under normal circumstance are isolated including underground sources of drinking water, of great concern are those abandonments with faulty plugs, compromised casing and those having cracks in the cement [7]. This work is aimed at highlighting the different factors which contribute to the integrity of an abandoned well. ( reorder and rewrite) Chapter 2 Literature review Well abandonment has come a long way since the first discovery of oil and gas, with the increasing awareness of the importance of environmental protection, the need to improve the processes of abandonment has now become a major concern for many operators, as abandoned wells are considered a possible conduit for fluid flow between different formations. According to C. H. Kelm et al, the objective of abandonment of a well must taken into consideration the need to do so in a best practices manner by examining the following fundamental aim of any abandonment process; The need to protect any hydrocarbon left in the pay zone of the formation drilled. The need to preserve and prevent contamination of freshwater zones (for onshore rigs) penetrated during the course of drilling the well. Avert of any contamination of the surface environment. For instance, in the case of vegetation, air pollution and marine environment. The need to abide by all regulatory requirements stated in during the abandonment. In the past years many papers has been published on areas ranging from alternative plugging technique, self healing and expandable cement, improved cement slurry design, placement technique with the aim to reduce the cost of abandonment and improve the abandonment. Abandoned well in an oil field are sealed using a plugging material according to regulatory requirements. A perfect example of a plugging material in the ideal sense according to D.G Calvert et al 1994 is one, which can be pumped down the drilled hole, has the ability to harden in a reasonable time, and bond with the walls of the drilled formation and casing in order to prevent fluid flow from one formation to another. While regulations vary from place to place, the general practice involves plugging the Wellbore with a Portland cement material specifically designed for the isolation purpose. In his review of plugging and abandonment techniques, D. G. Calvert et al, stated that the cement mixture used in oil and gas vary d epending on the type of hole is to be isolated. Very few papers has been published that focuses on the integrity of the actual well after abandonment. Liversidge, D. et al. in his work on permanent plug and abandonment solution for the Northsea he presented case histories of the Brent South field abandonment project done using both class G cement with an expandable agent system and flexible cement according to the current stringent regulation. Cement integrity preservation during well completion, production phases as well as during abandonment is of critical importance for long-term protection. In the past years numerous papers and texts in the area of cement sheath failure, improved flexible and expanding cement and related topics have been published, indicating the increasing need to improve well abandonment and reduce cost. Examples of works published include but not limited to (Bosma et al 2000), (Ravi et al. 2002), (Glessner et al., 2005), (Mainguy et al., 2007), (D. G calvert et al., 1994), (Locolier et al., 2006),( Liversidge et al., 2006). Although many papers have been written, very little work has been done to investigate the cement plug integrity after abandonment. The ascribed cause to this may be that permanent abandonment is considered a non-profit venture. Mainguy M. et al., 2007 carried out an analysis of the probability of failure of cement plugs when subjected to varying compressive and tensile load using an ideal reservoir model designed to suit changes in the downhole condition. In his study he identified that there is a greater tendency for the material used to seal zones for abandonment to fail in wells situated where there is instability in the pressure, temperature and stress state due to changes that occur downhole. He concluded that when the plug is subjected to maximum tensile stress it failed due to the low tensile strength of the conventional class G cement. Though he suggested the use of pre-stressed cement as they adapt more to changes downhole, his work did not cover the problem of rock-cement de-bonding which is a problem that greatly reduces the sealing capacity of cement. In the study done by R.C. Smith et al., 1984, on the successful method of setting cement plug, he investigated the ongoing failures of cement plug s due to the instability caused by the difference between the density of the cement and the drilling mud. In his work, he suggested the use of mud thickened with bentonite before spotting the cement so as to allow a greater density difference. With respect to the problem of controlling the direction of flow of the cement slurry a diverter placed at the end of the tubing to help divert the direction of flow and improve stability. Drilling fluid can also be used as a plugging material by adding a cementitous additive. The additive can either be fly ash of blast furnace slag which have the characteristics of a cement as they harden when the mixed with water. Cement is not naturally occurring but manmade and like any other manmade material, it is expected to age, wear-off, and, degrade overtime under different subsurface condition, which may differ from the time it was initially set [W. Zhou et. al 2005]. Plugging oil well is a common operation, which is increasing as mature field reach the end of their producing life. In general, plugging and abandonment of a well involves filling a certain length of casing or open hole with a volume of cement mixture designed for it in order to provide adequate sealing against upward migration of formation fluid. After the cement plug is place in the desired location it is left to harden over time. The placement of the cement plug is a major part of abandonment, as failure of this will cause commingling of fluids from different formation. The setting and spotting of cement plugs can be done in various ways depending on the wellbore condition and regulatory requirement. A review of the worldwide acceptable plugging procedure shows the a minimum of three cement plugs is required of which two are, the first plug is put in place by squeezing the cement plug through the perforation into the former producing zone in order to seal off any further influx of reservoir fluid into the Wellbore[2]. The second plug is usually set towards the middle of the Wellbore or near a protective casing shoe. Finally the third plug is set about200- 300ft below the mud line. In general, the length of a plug ranges from 100to 200ft depending on the regulatory requirements. Any additional plug set is dependent on the well bore condition. Although observations and studies show that cement plugs have the ability to perform as expected for up to several decades, uncertainty exists that the material can maintain its isolation integrity for several thousands of years. Recent study shows that abandoned wells in which CO2 was used in the enhanced oil recovery technique prior to abandonment have the potential to leak and allow CO2 migration notwithstanding the fact that the well has been properly abandoned [Scherer, G.W et al, 2005]. This is mainly due to corrosion and degradation of the casing and cement. This degradation and corrosion occurs when carbonic acid formed from the dissolution of CO2 in brine attacks the cement and casing [Scherer, G.W et al, 2005] a process, which is dependent on the temperature of the formation, cement composition, brine and the rock mechanics and composition. Potential leakage of reservoir fluids through degraded cement plugs is hence of primary concern. Various work on inter-formational flow shows that there is still the possibility of flow between formations even with a successful plugging of different interval. This case can arise when the abandoned well is near an active well. Javandel et al developed the first analytical model; their model showed the possible of flow to an upper formation in response to a lower injection pressure build up in a lower formation. Striz and wiggings carried out further work by developing a coupled model to predict flow using a steady state approach to create a transient flow. This model can be used to developed abandoned fluid flow using available field data. In recent studies, statistics show that in the US one in every three well drilled for hydrocarbon is dry and have to be plugged and abandoned[D.G Calvert, et al 1994]. Wells are drilled for various reasons ranging from industrial, oil and gas, to municipal uses, but in the end these well have to be abandoned [D.G Calvert, et al 1994]. Some wells were abandoned before any regulation and guidelines were defined, these wells may have either been plugged improperly or not plugged at all and these now poses a threat to the quality of the groundwater. For the aim of regulating bodies to be achieved i.e. achieving underground water protect and hence environmental protect, the operating companies must understand that following the different regulatory requirement alone is not sufficient to guarantee a lasting protection of the environment [4]. It is sometimes difficult for operators to abide by the regulatory requirements as well as developing a plan which would both serve to seal off the reservoir and provide long-term protection of the environment while justifying the overall cost in general [4]. Currently there is a high rise in abandonment of ageing and mature field which either have reached their economic limit or are no longer producing (refer). Methods of ABANDONMENT The initial stage of a decommissioning process is the plugging and abandonment of the wells, during this stage, the tubing, casing strings, and, conductors are cut below the mud line and removed, zones are sealed with cement plug to isolate the flow path between the reservoir fluids and other zones as well as the surface. Zones not sealed with cement plug are filled with mud with fluid having the proper weight and consistency to prevent movement of other fluids into the wellbore. Most abandonments follow a general methodology that is adjusted to meet individual well requirements. As procedures can and do change significantly for each well, cement plug design should frequently be attuned to reach minimum wait-on-cement (WOC) times with varying downhole conditions. Near-wellbore geology should be assessed, and the wellbore and annuli properly cleaned to avoid microannuli and poor cement bonding. Traditional techniques include cement squeezes, gel squeezes, and mechanical plugs such as bridge plugs and packers. Cement and gel technologies are mainly used for behind casing repair, and mechanical options are usually confined to plugging the casing. In the general process of abandonment there as basic steps which are followed to ensure successful plug and abandonment program. This includes the planning process, wellbore equipment testing, designing, well geometry assessment. PA PLANNING The most essential decision after when to abandon a well [11] is how. Preparation is a key ingredient in plug and abandonment of a well. In order to abandon a well successfully careful planning and effective plugging and abandonment procedure is crucial to prevent gas or fluids from moving to the surface or to other subsurface formations. In addition to the environmental risks that come with poor seals, corrective plugging may be necessary, increasing the cost and difficulty of abandoning a well. However, operators and service companies have several options for obtaining complete, permanent abandonment. For every well, there is a variation as each well PA is unique and different. The techniques used to achieve this process are generally based on industry practice, research, and conformance with the relevant regulatory compliance requirement. The synthesis of practical knowledge, current technology and regulatory requirements results in the most effective wellbore plugging and abandonment possible. Wellbore equipment testing. A preliminary inspection and survey of the wellhead and wellbore condition is carried out to determine if the valves on the wellhead are in operable condition, if it is found not to be in operable condition they are hot-tapped. The wellbore is surveyed using a slickline unit to check for any obstructions in the well, to confirm measured depth and also to gauge the internal diameter of the tubing. After the survey and removal of the slickline, the annuli and tubing is filled with fluid using a well pump is installed at the wellhead to ascertain an injection rate into the perforations. The tubing and casing are also pressured up to check for integrity. Casing annuli are also pressure tested to check for communication problems between casing strings and to record the test pressure over a period of time. The integrity and reliability of the primary cement is assessed in order to ensure that the cement sheath is still providing isolation across the reservoir and the cap rock. A well control plan is designed to establish reservoir condition and subsequently the contingency responses to any event which may occur during the abandonment process. DESIGN OF A WELL ABANDONMENT PROGRAM Prior to plugging and abandoning a well, a review of the existing well design, record of past work, previous well performance and geologic and reservoir condition is carried out by the operator. The investigation of everything that may relate to the health and safety issues as well as regulatory requirements is also performed, after which the design of the abandonment program begins. The design is done based the existing wellbore and reservoir conditions depending on the findings from the review and investigation. This allows the operator to plan an abandonment program that will satisfy the goal of making the well safe from future resources. PA design needs to be integrated in the planning of the well, and should be considered in a single budget. There are many factors which must be put into consideration in order to design an effective abandonment program , such as, the reservoir status, the integrity of the primary cement, hole cleaning and cement placement technique, the temperatu re and pressure of the well, the type of fluid in the well, the age of the well, the status of the cap rock. Fluid Type Drilled wells produce fluids in liquid and gaseous form, wells which contain sour fluids i.e. sulphur rich would be expected to have accelerated corrosion rates and stress cracking depending on the age and wellbore construction, may impair the capacity to perform plug and abandonment, to mitigate this components which are corrosion resistant can be used. Reservoir status In the design of PA, it is necessary to consider the reservoir status concerning its stability, the current pressure and temperature, the pressure at the initial stages of well development and the permeability of the reservoir both horizontal and vertical. With the information, plug and abandonment is then designed to withstand the pressure of the well after finally reach equilibrium. Cap rock Status It is also necessary to take into consideration the cap rock status i.e. is it still impermeable, has production activities induced fracture or has weathering taken effect. Placing the Plugs After the design and planning of the abandonment program, calculations must be made to determine the amount of cement required and the number of wiper plugs needed to separate the cement plugs from the rest of the fluids. The use of wiper plugs enables the formation of a stable platform on which the cement can be set. A wiper plug is placed in the wellbore, and then a predetermined quantity of cement slurry is pumped on top of it. Because of its weight, the slurry becomes a driving force. The slurry falls to the bottom of the hole, pushing the wiper plug ahead of it and forcing existing air and produced fluids back into the formation. Another plug and perhaps a bit more cement finish the job. In most wells, where there is one permaeble zone, one plug and one volume of cement and the surface plug are all that is needed. In other wells, additional wiper plugs, additional cement slurry, and probably spacers of water or drilling fluid are used consecutively until all of the air and fluid is forced out into the formation, there is zilch pressure on the pipe, and it is apparent from the returns that the whole wellbore is appropriately sealed. The quantity and kind of spacer fluid that can be used is dependent on individual state regulations. The remaining casing at the top of the well is cut off 3 ft below ground level. Along with this general methodology, each region stipulates its own abandonment methods based on field conditions and local regulations as can be seen in the following examples. PA steps in Los Angeles Basin in as follows [12]: The abandonment program is prepared with the support of a qualified engineer. A schematic showing the current mechanical condition of the well is prepared. The geologic condition of the well, including the structure, faulting, and producing zones is assessed. The depth and position of cement plug that will cover the producing zones and any potable water zones if applicable is measured and verified. Choice of whether to use perforating or cavity shots is made. The casing is pressure tested after setting cement retainers. The different equipment required for the job is determined and assembled. Estimate of abandonment/re-abandonment costs is made. In contrast, the steps followed for the Hutton tension-leg platform (TLP) in the East Shetland Basin of the North Sea involved three phases [13]: Perform standalone wireline intervention. Perform drilling unit intervention to set the cement plugs after the first wireline plug has been set. Cut casing 10 ft below the seabed and recover casing stumps. Another abandonment performed in the North Sea followed a different procedure [14]: A permanent cement primary barrier placed immediately above the reservoir. A secondary barrier placed as a back-up to the first barrier. A third barrier then placed near the surface to isolate shallow water-bearing sands. Severed completion tubing and recover wellhead. In Western Canada, the traditional abandonment procedure of wells with casing vent flows included the following: The source of the casing vent flow is estimated or determined. If the source zone is shallower than the producing zone, the producing zone is abandoned. The source zone is perforated. Depending on the feed rate obtained at the estimated source depth, either a bradenhead or a retainer squeeze is performed. Retrievable tools are used as required. Typically, Class G cement with Calcium Chloride and some fluid-loss control is utilized. The slurry is placed and a static squeeze pressure of 7 MPa is attempted. As needed, cement is drilled out and perforations are tested for seal. Often, several attempts are made in order to obtain a static squeeze pressure of 7 Mpa on surface or mitigate the casing vent flow. Techniques for Abandonment The techniques used for plugging and abandonment of drilled well worldwide are generally based on industry practise. These techniques include; Rig Coil tubing unit Rigless abandonment COIL TUBING UNIT The flexibility of coiled tubing has recently been tailored to develop rigless abandonment [15,16]. This method, focuses on harmonizing all well services to accomplish utmost efficiency. Coiled-tubing unit [fig.] abandonment, like any other method, is more effective when appropriate cementing procedure is used from the kick-off of the well, from original zonal isolation with the primary cement sheath to plugging and abandonment. Early prevention of microannulus can help operators obtain a complete final seal. Five main criteria are recommended for optimal abandonment performance with coiled tubing: Mobility; All equipment should be mounted on wheels for increased mobility. Self-sufficiency; the service company provides nearly all activities. Dry location; Fluids are not drained on or near the wellsite. Single operation; the job is completed in one visit to the wellsite. Low mileage; Move time is reduced and transport optimized for maximum efficiency in unit and camp moves. In this abandonment technique geological consideration like the type and condition of the reservoir and caprock formations are take into account. Permanent seals typically must be made between producing zones and at impermeable caprock formations. The condition and configuration of cement, perforations, tubulars, and downhole equipment are also considered. In addition to providing complete, permanent seals, the use of coiled-tubing can help increase abandonment efficiency. This method can provide the following advantages: Increased tripping speeds Increased rig-move efficiency Precise placement of cement plugs; exact spotting of plugs at the interval of interest even in deep well as coil tubing can be reciprocated while pumping. Suitable for use on live wells; it is possible to run CTU for remedial cement squeeze in live well as the wellbore can be controlled using the BOP and stripper assembly. No need to pull production tubing; existing tubing and wellheads do not have to be removed to access the producing interval. Success using the coil tubing method has been recorded in Oman. REGULATORY REQUIREMENT FOR ABANDONMENT IN THE NORTHSEA AND USA In the early years on the oil and gas industry, many wells were drilled and some were found to be dry and subsequently were abandoned without much consideration given to the manner in which the wells were abandoned. Sometimes tree stumps were thrown in the well as a means to plug it [3], during this era the preservation of the groundwater, in general, the environment was not a major issue, and there was no defined regulation by the oil states or agencies. During the tail end of the 1930s different states and agencies in the US started establishing regulations, this defined requirement to ensure better well abandonment [D.G Calvert, et al 1994]. The number of regulation guiding well abandonment has risen along with the rising need to protect the environment in countries around the world. Today most countries have some form of regulation that addresses well abandonment requirement; though these regulations are not uniform and differ from country to country and body to body, they provide a minimum standard for operating companies. For instance for the state of California in the United States of America, the different governing bodies have their own regulations which are as follows; Minerals Management Services (MMS): The basic plugging requirements are found in 30 CFR 250.110 Subpart G. Department of Conservation, Division of Oil: Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOC) The California Code of Regulations Title 14 Division 2, Chapter 4 beginning with Section 1745 focuses on the fundamental plugging requirements. California State Lands Commission (CSLC): The fundamental plugging requirements in the California Code of Regulations Title 2 Section 2128(q). Abandonment in the North Sea In the North Sea as in US, the regulations differ. The different countries that make up the North Sea have their different governing bodies and subsequently different regulation. The law in the UK, Norway, Denmark and Holland holds the last operator of a well accountable and responsible to pay for all the cost incurred in permanently abandoning the well. It also holds them accountable for any leakage and any clean up that may be required in the event of a leak. Abandonment programs in the Northsea are designed to meet the guidelines for abandonment issued by the operation association or government. For the UK sector of the north sea, abandonment guidelines is issued by the UKOOA, similarly for the Norwegian sector the guidelines are contained in the NORSOK/PTIL D-010 standard and for the Netherlands it is contained in the Dutch Mining Abandoned Oil Wells End of Field Life Abandoned Oil Wells End of Field Life ABSTRACT As petroleum, production continues to decline in many parts of the globe, more operators are seeing well abandonment as a reality. Drilled wells are plugged and abandoned for different reasons of which the typical and operational reason is that the well has reached its economic limit or when drilled it was found to be a dry hole. (refer). According to Ide, T., et al 2006, well bore is taken to be high fluid transmittal pathway. Even with the current procedure of sealing and abandonment, individual wells have the tendency to loose their integrity due to various factors, which include but not limited to poor cementation, poor or ineffective plugging, and increase in formation pressure after abandonment, corrosion of casing (refer). Safe and economical well abandonment are important to the industry from environmental and financial standpoints. Improper abandonment can require re-abandonment procedures to mitigate environmental contamination or to comply with updated regulations, causing an increased financial burden on the operator. 1. Introduction 1.1 BACKGROUND All wells drilled have a distinct life cycle with respect to its cost, duration, recovery, and value. Although these characteristics and attributes are specific to an individual drilled well, all producing wells pass through the same initial and final state, beginning with completion and ending with abandonment. After the drilling stage of a well and the target depth is reached, a decision to complete the well is made based on the reservoir attributes: is the well dry or is the hydrocarbon in place of economic value. Ultimately, every well becomes dormant because of reduced economic returns or technical problem. When a well stops producing, it either may be shut-in (SI), temporary abandoned (TA) or permanently abandoned (pa). With ageing fields fast approaching their economic limit, abandonment is becoming increasingly frequent and many operators have to modify their abandonment procedure to fit the Wellbore condition and make certain that abandoned wells remain permanently sealed and prevent commingling while balancing the environmental objectives of abandonment and cost of actual abandonment. Wells, which are not abandoned appropriately, can become a major hazard to the underground source of drinking water and possibly the aquatic environment [8] Shut in status (SI) When a well is shut-in it is still flowing but its Christmas tree, SV, wing valves are all closed. Usually a well is shut-in if there is a technical or operational problem, which is believed to be temporary. There is no maximum time for a well to remain in shut-in status as long as it is regularly maintained according to regulatory requirement and procedures. Temporary abandonment status (TA) A well is said to be temporarily abandoned when the wellhead is removed and the producing interval is isolated with a plug and the casing is plugged below the mud line. REASONS FOR ABANDONMENT There are various reasons why a well is abandoned, these are: END OF FIELD LIFE ABANDONMENT Drilled wells must at one point in time be abandoned. Before a well reaches the point at which it has to be abandoned it passes through various stages in its life cycle; it begins with the survey and exploitation of an area for signs on hydrocarbon [1]. This leads to a rewarding and exciting discovery of an accumulation of hydrocarbon deposit. This is followed by the acquired Data Processing stage and finally the drilling process. During drilling, the well is created by the use of drill bit and cased off at specific as drilling progresses. Another fulfilling target is reached when the first hydrocarbon is produced a process which unfortunately eventually proceeds the declining period where the rate of hydrocarbon production decreases. However, successful enhanced oil recovery techniques often than not make this stage rewarding financially as it extends the life of the well [1]. When all enhanced oil recovery technique has been employed, and the cost of producing the well is no longer economically viable, the next process is abandonment; a stage not so welcomed by most operators as it means the cessation of production. Dry hole Abandonment A drilled well is also abandoned when after drilling, the hole was found to be a dry hole. Though abandonment is meant to be a permanent termination, the effect is felt for many years more than that of the short producing life of the well. The main goal of any plugging and abandonment is to provide a permanent and effective isolation of fluids all along the subsurface formation in the different layers where they were enclosed prior to plugging, thereby preventing fluid migration and reduce environmental risks of contamination and prevent costly remedial jobs [1]. To achieve this several significant intervals of the well must be filled and tightly closed with a sealant material from bottom hole to the surface with special attention paid to the production interval [4] and zones of high differential pressure and temperature. The material used for plugging differ depending on what type of well is being abandoned, for oil and gas well the material used is normally cement based materials, for water well, cement based as well as bentonite can be used to isolate the different intervals[4][ PUT UNDER CEMENT PLUG CHARACTERISTICS UNDERE INTEGRITY OF ABANDONED WELLS. The integrity of the abandoned well can fail for very many reaso ns such as plug failure, poor slurry design etc. A cement plug can fail to set at the desired location as cement slurry often has the tendency to fall through the lighter drilling fluid below it [9]. Failure can also be as a result of downhole changes which may occur after the well has been abandoned [8]. Over the years, techniques for drilling and completion of hydrocarbon wells have continued to evolve. This drive for new technology for hydrocarbon recovery is due to the need to maximize hydrocarbon recovery while protecting the environment [4]. The evolution of well abandonment techniques has been much slower than that of drilling and completion. This is because abandonment is considered a sunk cost [4]. Project Objective The objectives of this thesis is to review the factors which contribute to the overall integrity of abandoned wells. These include, well parameters, cement placement techniques, casing integrity. These play an important role in the design, construction and actual execution of the abandonment project. In the abandonment of wells, the factors that contribute to the integrity differ depending on the wells. This is because each well is a unique entity and hence has to have independent well abandonment design. PROJECT METHODOLOGY In this work I intend to talk about For instance, in a well where a fish is lost in hole the abandonment design has to taken into consideration remedial action or ways to set the cement plug as there may be no access to the bottom hole to set a bottom plug in the sump. Abandoned wells can be a cause of concern due to their potential to act as path for flow between formations, which under normal circumstance are isolated including underground sources of drinking water, of great concern are those abandonments with faulty plugs, compromised casing and those having cracks in the cement [7]. This work is aimed at highlighting the different factors which contribute to the integrity of an abandoned well. ( reorder and rewrite) Chapter 2 Literature review Well abandonment has come a long way since the first discovery of oil and gas, with the increasing awareness of the importance of environmental protection, the need to improve the processes of abandonment has now become a major concern for many operators, as abandoned wells are considered a possible conduit for fluid flow between different formations. According to C. H. Kelm et al, the objective of abandonment of a well must taken into consideration the need to do so in a best practices manner by examining the following fundamental aim of any abandonment process; The need to protect any hydrocarbon left in the pay zone of the formation drilled. The need to preserve and prevent contamination of freshwater zones (for onshore rigs) penetrated during the course of drilling the well. Avert of any contamination of the surface environment. For instance, in the case of vegetation, air pollution and marine environment. The need to abide by all regulatory requirements stated in during the abandonment. In the past years many papers has been published on areas ranging from alternative plugging technique, self healing and expandable cement, improved cement slurry design, placement technique with the aim to reduce the cost of abandonment and improve the abandonment. Abandoned well in an oil field are sealed using a plugging material according to regulatory requirements. A perfect example of a plugging material in the ideal sense according to D.G Calvert et al 1994 is one, which can be pumped down the drilled hole, has the ability to harden in a reasonable time, and bond with the walls of the drilled formation and casing in order to prevent fluid flow from one formation to another. While regulations vary from place to place, the general practice involves plugging the Wellbore with a Portland cement material specifically designed for the isolation purpose. In his review of plugging and abandonment techniques, D. G. Calvert et al, stated that the cement mixture used in oil and gas vary d epending on the type of hole is to be isolated. Very few papers has been published that focuses on the integrity of the actual well after abandonment. Liversidge, D. et al. in his work on permanent plug and abandonment solution for the Northsea he presented case histories of the Brent South field abandonment project done using both class G cement with an expandable agent system and flexible cement according to the current stringent regulation. Cement integrity preservation during well completion, production phases as well as during abandonment is of critical importance for long-term protection. In the past years numerous papers and texts in the area of cement sheath failure, improved flexible and expanding cement and related topics have been published, indicating the increasing need to improve well abandonment and reduce cost. Examples of works published include but not limited to (Bosma et al 2000), (Ravi et al. 2002), (Glessner et al., 2005), (Mainguy et al., 2007), (D. G calvert et al., 1994), (Locolier et al., 2006),( Liversidge et al., 2006). Although many papers have been written, very little work has been done to investigate the cement plug integrity after abandonment. The ascribed cause to this may be that permanent abandonment is considered a non-profit venture. Mainguy M. et al., 2007 carried out an analysis of the probability of failure of cement plugs when subjected to varying compressive and tensile load using an ideal reservoir model designed to suit changes in the downhole condition. In his study he identified that there is a greater tendency for the material used to seal zones for abandonment to fail in wells situated where there is instability in the pressure, temperature and stress state due to changes that occur downhole. He concluded that when the plug is subjected to maximum tensile stress it failed due to the low tensile strength of the conventional class G cement. Though he suggested the use of pre-stressed cement as they adapt more to changes downhole, his work did not cover the problem of rock-cement de-bonding which is a problem that greatly reduces the sealing capacity of cement. In the study done by R.C. Smith et al., 1984, on the successful method of setting cement plug, he investigated the ongoing failures of cement plug s due to the instability caused by the difference between the density of the cement and the drilling mud. In his work, he suggested the use of mud thickened with bentonite before spotting the cement so as to allow a greater density difference. With respect to the problem of controlling the direction of flow of the cement slurry a diverter placed at the end of the tubing to help divert the direction of flow and improve stability. Drilling fluid can also be used as a plugging material by adding a cementitous additive. The additive can either be fly ash of blast furnace slag which have the characteristics of a cement as they harden when the mixed with water. Cement is not naturally occurring but manmade and like any other manmade material, it is expected to age, wear-off, and, degrade overtime under different subsurface condition, which may differ from the time it was initially set [W. Zhou et. al 2005]. Plugging oil well is a common operation, which is increasing as mature field reach the end of their producing life. In general, plugging and abandonment of a well involves filling a certain length of casing or open hole with a volume of cement mixture designed for it in order to provide adequate sealing against upward migration of formation fluid. After the cement plug is place in the desired location it is left to harden over time. The placement of the cement plug is a major part of abandonment, as failure of this will cause commingling of fluids from different formation. The setting and spotting of cement plugs can be done in various ways depending on the wellbore condition and regulatory requirement. A review of the worldwide acceptable plugging procedure shows the a minimum of three cement plugs is required of which two are, the first plug is put in place by squeezing the cement plug through the perforation into the former producing zone in order to seal off any further influx of reservoir fluid into the Wellbore[2]. The second plug is usually set towards the middle of the Wellbore or near a protective casing shoe. Finally the third plug is set about200- 300ft below the mud line. In general, the length of a plug ranges from 100to 200ft depending on the regulatory requirements. Any additional plug set is dependent on the well bore condition. Although observations and studies show that cement plugs have the ability to perform as expected for up to several decades, uncertainty exists that the material can maintain its isolation integrity for several thousands of years. Recent study shows that abandoned wells in which CO2 was used in the enhanced oil recovery technique prior to abandonment have the potential to leak and allow CO2 migration notwithstanding the fact that the well has been properly abandoned [Scherer, G.W et al, 2005]. This is mainly due to corrosion and degradation of the casing and cement. This degradation and corrosion occurs when carbonic acid formed from the dissolution of CO2 in brine attacks the cement and casing [Scherer, G.W et al, 2005] a process, which is dependent on the temperature of the formation, cement composition, brine and the rock mechanics and composition. Potential leakage of reservoir fluids through degraded cement plugs is hence of primary concern. Various work on inter-formational flow shows that there is still the possibility of flow between formations even with a successful plugging of different interval. This case can arise when the abandoned well is near an active well. Javandel et al developed the first analytical model; their model showed the possible of flow to an upper formation in response to a lower injection pressure build up in a lower formation. Striz and wiggings carried out further work by developing a coupled model to predict flow using a steady state approach to create a transient flow. This model can be used to developed abandoned fluid flow using available field data. In recent studies, statistics show that in the US one in every three well drilled for hydrocarbon is dry and have to be plugged and abandoned[D.G Calvert, et al 1994]. Wells are drilled for various reasons ranging from industrial, oil and gas, to municipal uses, but in the end these well have to be abandoned [D.G Calvert, et al 1994]. Some wells were abandoned before any regulation and guidelines were defined, these wells may have either been plugged improperly or not plugged at all and these now poses a threat to the quality of the groundwater. For the aim of regulating bodies to be achieved i.e. achieving underground water protect and hence environmental protect, the operating companies must understand that following the different regulatory requirement alone is not sufficient to guarantee a lasting protection of the environment [4]. It is sometimes difficult for operators to abide by the regulatory requirements as well as developing a plan which would both serve to seal off the reservoir and provide long-term protection of the environment while justifying the overall cost in general [4]. Currently there is a high rise in abandonment of ageing and mature field which either have reached their economic limit or are no longer producing (refer). Methods of ABANDONMENT The initial stage of a decommissioning process is the plugging and abandonment of the wells, during this stage, the tubing, casing strings, and, conductors are cut below the mud line and removed, zones are sealed with cement plug to isolate the flow path between the reservoir fluids and other zones as well as the surface. Zones not sealed with cement plug are filled with mud with fluid having the proper weight and consistency to prevent movement of other fluids into the wellbore. Most abandonments follow a general methodology that is adjusted to meet individual well requirements. As procedures can and do change significantly for each well, cement plug design should frequently be attuned to reach minimum wait-on-cement (WOC) times with varying downhole conditions. Near-wellbore geology should be assessed, and the wellbore and annuli properly cleaned to avoid microannuli and poor cement bonding. Traditional techniques include cement squeezes, gel squeezes, and mechanical plugs such as bridge plugs and packers. Cement and gel technologies are mainly used for behind casing repair, and mechanical options are usually confined to plugging the casing. In the general process of abandonment there as basic steps which are followed to ensure successful plug and abandonment program. This includes the planning process, wellbore equipment testing, designing, well geometry assessment. PA PLANNING The most essential decision after when to abandon a well [11] is how. Preparation is a key ingredient in plug and abandonment of a well. In order to abandon a well successfully careful planning and effective plugging and abandonment procedure is crucial to prevent gas or fluids from moving to the surface or to other subsurface formations. In addition to the environmental risks that come with poor seals, corrective plugging may be necessary, increasing the cost and difficulty of abandoning a well. However, operators and service companies have several options for obtaining complete, permanent abandonment. For every well, there is a variation as each well PA is unique and different. The techniques used to achieve this process are generally based on industry practice, research, and conformance with the relevant regulatory compliance requirement. The synthesis of practical knowledge, current technology and regulatory requirements results in the most effective wellbore plugging and abandonment possible. Wellbore equipment testing. A preliminary inspection and survey of the wellhead and wellbore condition is carried out to determine if the valves on the wellhead are in operable condition, if it is found not to be in operable condition they are hot-tapped. The wellbore is surveyed using a slickline unit to check for any obstructions in the well, to confirm measured depth and also to gauge the internal diameter of the tubing. After the survey and removal of the slickline, the annuli and tubing is filled with fluid using a well pump is installed at the wellhead to ascertain an injection rate into the perforations. The tubing and casing are also pressured up to check for integrity. Casing annuli are also pressure tested to check for communication problems between casing strings and to record the test pressure over a period of time. The integrity and reliability of the primary cement is assessed in order to ensure that the cement sheath is still providing isolation across the reservoir and the cap rock. A well control plan is designed to establish reservoir condition and subsequently the contingency responses to any event which may occur during the abandonment process. DESIGN OF A WELL ABANDONMENT PROGRAM Prior to plugging and abandoning a well, a review of the existing well design, record of past work, previous well performance and geologic and reservoir condition is carried out by the operator. The investigation of everything that may relate to the health and safety issues as well as regulatory requirements is also performed, after which the design of the abandonment program begins. The design is done based the existing wellbore and reservoir conditions depending on the findings from the review and investigation. This allows the operator to plan an abandonment program that will satisfy the goal of making the well safe from future resources. PA design needs to be integrated in the planning of the well, and should be considered in a single budget. There are many factors which must be put into consideration in order to design an effective abandonment program , such as, the reservoir status, the integrity of the primary cement, hole cleaning and cement placement technique, the temperatu re and pressure of the well, the type of fluid in the well, the age of the well, the status of the cap rock. Fluid Type Drilled wells produce fluids in liquid and gaseous form, wells which contain sour fluids i.e. sulphur rich would be expected to have accelerated corrosion rates and stress cracking depending on the age and wellbore construction, may impair the capacity to perform plug and abandonment, to mitigate this components which are corrosion resistant can be used. Reservoir status In the design of PA, it is necessary to consider the reservoir status concerning its stability, the current pressure and temperature, the pressure at the initial stages of well development and the permeability of the reservoir both horizontal and vertical. With the information, plug and abandonment is then designed to withstand the pressure of the well after finally reach equilibrium. Cap rock Status It is also necessary to take into consideration the cap rock status i.e. is it still impermeable, has production activities induced fracture or has weathering taken effect. Placing the Plugs After the design and planning of the abandonment program, calculations must be made to determine the amount of cement required and the number of wiper plugs needed to separate the cement plugs from the rest of the fluids. The use of wiper plugs enables the formation of a stable platform on which the cement can be set. A wiper plug is placed in the wellbore, and then a predetermined quantity of cement slurry is pumped on top of it. Because of its weight, the slurry becomes a driving force. The slurry falls to the bottom of the hole, pushing the wiper plug ahead of it and forcing existing air and produced fluids back into the formation. Another plug and perhaps a bit more cement finish the job. In most wells, where there is one permaeble zone, one plug and one volume of cement and the surface plug are all that is needed. In other wells, additional wiper plugs, additional cement slurry, and probably spacers of water or drilling fluid are used consecutively until all of the air and fluid is forced out into the formation, there is zilch pressure on the pipe, and it is apparent from the returns that the whole wellbore is appropriately sealed. The quantity and kind of spacer fluid that can be used is dependent on individual state regulations. The remaining casing at the top of the well is cut off 3 ft below ground level. Along with this general methodology, each region stipulates its own abandonment methods based on field conditions and local regulations as can be seen in the following examples. PA steps in Los Angeles Basin in as follows [12]: The abandonment program is prepared with the support of a qualified engineer. A schematic showing the current mechanical condition of the well is prepared. The geologic condition of the well, including the structure, faulting, and producing zones is assessed. The depth and position of cement plug that will cover the producing zones and any potable water zones if applicable is measured and verified. Choice of whether to use perforating or cavity shots is made. The casing is pressure tested after setting cement retainers. The different equipment required for the job is determined and assembled. Estimate of abandonment/re-abandonment costs is made. In contrast, the steps followed for the Hutton tension-leg platform (TLP) in the East Shetland Basin of the North Sea involved three phases [13]: Perform standalone wireline intervention. Perform drilling unit intervention to set the cement plugs after the first wireline plug has been set. Cut casing 10 ft below the seabed and recover casing stumps. Another abandonment performed in the North Sea followed a different procedure [14]: A permanent cement primary barrier placed immediately above the reservoir. A secondary barrier placed as a back-up to the first barrier. A third barrier then placed near the surface to isolate shallow water-bearing sands. Severed completion tubing and recover wellhead. In Western Canada, the traditional abandonment procedure of wells with casing vent flows included the following: The source of the casing vent flow is estimated or determined. If the source zone is shallower than the producing zone, the producing zone is abandoned. The source zone is perforated. Depending on the feed rate obtained at the estimated source depth, either a bradenhead or a retainer squeeze is performed. Retrievable tools are used as required. Typically, Class G cement with Calcium Chloride and some fluid-loss control is utilized. The slurry is placed and a static squeeze pressure of 7 MPa is attempted. As needed, cement is drilled out and perforations are tested for seal. Often, several attempts are made in order to obtain a static squeeze pressure of 7 Mpa on surface or mitigate the casing vent flow. Techniques for Abandonment The techniques used for plugging and abandonment of drilled well worldwide are generally based on industry practise. These techniques include; Rig Coil tubing unit Rigless abandonment COIL TUBING UNIT The flexibility of coiled tubing has recently been tailored to develop rigless abandonment [15,16]. This method, focuses on harmonizing all well services to accomplish utmost efficiency. Coiled-tubing unit [fig.] abandonment, like any other method, is more effective when appropriate cementing procedure is used from the kick-off of the well, from original zonal isolation with the primary cement sheath to plugging and abandonment. Early prevention of microannulus can help operators obtain a complete final seal. Five main criteria are recommended for optimal abandonment performance with coiled tubing: Mobility; All equipment should be mounted on wheels for increased mobility. Self-sufficiency; the service company provides nearly all activities. Dry location; Fluids are not drained on or near the wellsite. Single operation; the job is completed in one visit to the wellsite. Low mileage; Move time is reduced and transport optimized for maximum efficiency in unit and camp moves. In this abandonment technique geological consideration like the type and condition of the reservoir and caprock formations are take into account. Permanent seals typically must be made between producing zones and at impermeable caprock formations. The condition and configuration of cement, perforations, tubulars, and downhole equipment are also considered. In addition to providing complete, permanent seals, the use of coiled-tubing can help increase abandonment efficiency. This method can provide the following advantages: Increased tripping speeds Increased rig-move efficiency Precise placement of cement plugs; exact spotting of plugs at the interval of interest even in deep well as coil tubing can be reciprocated while pumping. Suitable for use on live wells; it is possible to run CTU for remedial cement squeeze in live well as the wellbore can be controlled using the BOP and stripper assembly. No need to pull production tubing; existing tubing and wellheads do not have to be removed to access the producing interval. Success using the coil tubing method has been recorded in Oman. REGULATORY REQUIREMENT FOR ABANDONMENT IN THE NORTHSEA AND USA In the early years on the oil and gas industry, many wells were drilled and some were found to be dry and subsequently were abandoned without much consideration given to the manner in which the wells were abandoned. Sometimes tree stumps were thrown in the well as a means to plug it [3], during this era the preservation of the groundwater, in general, the environment was not a major issue, and there was no defined regulation by the oil states or agencies. During the tail end of the 1930s different states and agencies in the US started establishing regulations, this defined requirement to ensure better well abandonment [D.G Calvert, et al 1994]. The number of regulation guiding well abandonment has risen along with the rising need to protect the environment in countries around the world. Today most countries have some form of regulation that addresses well abandonment requirement; though these regulations are not uniform and differ from country to country and body to body, they provide a minimum standard for operating companies. For instance for the state of California in the United States of America, the different governing bodies have their own regulations which are as follows; Minerals Management Services (MMS): The basic plugging requirements are found in 30 CFR 250.110 Subpart G. Department of Conservation, Division of Oil: Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOC) The California Code of Regulations Title 14 Division 2, Chapter 4 beginning with Section 1745 focuses on the fundamental plugging requirements. California State Lands Commission (CSLC): The fundamental plugging requirements in the California Code of Regulations Title 2 Section 2128(q). Abandonment in the North Sea In the North Sea as in US, the regulations differ. The different countries that make up the North Sea have their different governing bodies and subsequently different regulation. The law in the UK, Norway, Denmark and Holland holds the last operator of a well accountable and responsible to pay for all the cost incurred in permanently abandoning the well. It also holds them accountable for any leakage and any clean up that may be required in the event of a leak. Abandonment programs in the Northsea are designed to meet the guidelines for abandonment issued by the operation association or government. For the UK sector of the north sea, abandonment guidelines is issued by the UKOOA, similarly for the Norwegian sector the guidelines are contained in the NORSOK/PTIL D-010 standard and for the Netherlands it is contained in the Dutch Mining