Morbimortality profile by COVID-19 in telework and on-site work in an oil and gas company in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: As a reflection of the health emergency caused by COVID-19, many countries adopted guidelines, which included activity restrictions. As a result, some companies maintained their activities with on-site work and telework. OBJECTIVE: Analyzing the morbidity and mortality profile due to COVID-19 of workers in telework and on-site work in an oil and gas company. METHODS: Cross-sectional, quantitative, and analytical study that included 8,394 workers diagnosed with COVID-19 at an oil and gas company in Brazil, from June 2020 to June 2021. The company's Surveillance Program database was used as an information source. RESULTS: The total prevalence of cases was 21.7% . For teleworking and face-to-face workers, they were 20.7% and 23.3%, respectively. There was a predominance of women (19.7%), white ethnicity/colour (64.7%), higher level position (52.6%), age group over 40 years (36.7%), married (53, 8%), working at the company for a period that ranges from 7 to 10 years (17%), administrative activity (68.5%), and a higher number of symptomatic workers and deaths in telework compared to on-site work. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that testing is important to refrain the virus spread in the company's work environments, as it allowed asymptomatic workers to be diagnosed with COVID-19. The study suggested that on-site work was not a transmission facilitator in the occupational environment, which points out the importance of preventive measures in the workplace and the adoption of remote work for the largest possible number of workers to improve the safety of employees, workers who remained in the on-site work modality.

Safety climate and safety behaviors: Adapting and validating a positively worded safety climate scale through the time-lagged approach.

BACKGROUND: Contemporary literature raises serious questions about the inclusion of negatively worded items in the safety climate scale. Despite these reservations, limited efforts have been made to address this shortcoming. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to adapt and empirically validate the ten-items group-level safety climate scale with the purpose of replacing negatively worded items with positively worded ones after a thorough validation process. The present study is one of the first to propose an empirically validated group-level safety climate scale that uses positive items to measure the safety climate construct. METHODS: Study 1 was conducted using a sample of 135 participants. Study 2 used a time-lagged approach to validate the scale, with a sample of 173 production workers from six oil and gas organizations in Malaysia. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method was used to test the hypothesized relationships. RESULTS: In Study 1, the results of the exploratory factor analysis showed good reliability for the revised scale. In Study 2, the results of the PLS-SEM analysis demonstrated a positive relationship between safety climate and safety behaviors, thereby validating the revised and translated scale of safety climate. CONCLUSION: The revised safety climate scale will not only improve data quality, but it will also increase response rates. Additionally, the revised scale will assist managers in understanding the true perceptions of safety climate in their organization, regardless of the cultural context in which the scale is used.

Gold nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride at low concentration.

The oil and gas industry plays a vital role in the global economy. The production process has several critical conditions and can expose metals to corrosion. Surfactants like the quaternary ammonium salt Benzyldimethyldodecylammonium Bromide (BDAC) are currently used to prevent corrosions; classical methods for determining these surfactants have problems in saline samples and usually present high costs. In this context, spectroscopic techniques become an excellent alternative for quaternary ammonium salts detection. Here, a SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) sensor based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) synthesized through chemical reduction was used as an alternative method for BDAC detection. We detected BDAC at low concentrations in water solutions: at 5 to 30 ppm (1.47 × 10-5 mol L-1 to 8.82 × 10-5 mol L-1); and had the vibration attempt attribute analyzed. A new study of quaternary ammonium compounds using AuNPs and SERS with a different, easy, and repeatable approach to spectra acquisition is presented and shows to be a promising method applied in quaternary ammonium salt compounds detection for the oil and gas industry.

Workplace Risk Factors Assessment in North-Azadegan Oil Field Based on Harmful Agents Risk Priority Index (HARPI).

Background: Considering the necessity of health risk management, the present study conducted to provide a comprehensive model for identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing occupational health risks in an oilfield. Methods: We conducted this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study in 2022 at the North-Azadegan oil field in Iran. The occupational health risk was assessed using the "Harmful Agents Risk Priority Index" (HARPI) method. Results: Among the employees for the office section in all job groups, ergonomic risks due to people's posture while working has the highest risk score and is the most critical risk for implementing corrective actions. In the operational section, for the HSE group, benzene, the production group, Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), and other groups, undesirable lighting has the highest risk score, and exposure to Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes (TEX) has the lowest risk score. In this oil field, controlling exposure to benzene, correcting ergonomic conditions, and controlling noise exposure, with scores of 81.3,74.85 and 71.36, have the highest priority, respectively. Sequentially, Toluene, Xylene, and ethylbenzene, with scores of 10.25,11.61, and 11.61, have the lowest control priority. Conclusion: The proposed model can prioritize the workplaces' harmful agents based on the HARPI score due to exposure to chemicals, physical factors, and analysis posture.

Determinants of Workplace Productivity Decline in the Tunisian Onshore Oil and Gas Industry.

Background: This study explored the impact of occupational stress, personal factors, and physical conditions on work productivity decline (WPD) among workers in the Tunisian onshore oil and gas industry. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 246 onshore oil installation workers of a Tunisian private oil company. 94 employees (48%) participated in this study. We used the Job Content Questionnaire to evaluate occupational stress and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire to assess the WPD. Results: Data were analysed using R software. This study exclusively included male workers, with an average age of 41.1 ± 9.5 years. Binary logistic regression analysis identified low social support and job-strain situation as the most associated risk factors (OR >3). The random forest model suggested that professional category, job-strain situation, low social support, and iso-strain situation were the most important variables in predicting WPD. Conclusion: These data provided evidence that petroleum workers faced a monotonous lifestyle in the workplace, leading to high levels of occupational stress that affected their work productivity. This study is the first in Tunisia in the oil sector.

Widespread Frequent Methane Emissions From the Oil and Gas Industry in the Permian Basin.

Emissions of methane (CH4) in the Permian basin (USA) have been derived for 2019 and 2020 from satellite observations of the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) using the divergence method, in combination with a data driven method to estimate the background column densities. The resulting CH4 emission data, which have been verified using model data with known emissions, have a spatial resolution of approximately 10 km. The CH4 emissions show moderate spatial correlation with the locations of oil and gas production and drilling activities in the Permian basin, as well as with emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Analysis of the emission maps and time series indicates that a significant fraction of methane emissions in the Permian basin is from frequent widespread emissions sources, rather than from a few infrequent very large unplanned releases, which is important considering possible CH4 emission mitigation strategies. In addition to providing spatially resolved emissions, the divergence method also provides the total emissions of the Permian basin and its main sub-basins. The total CH4 emission of the Permian is estimated as 3.0 ± 0.7 Tg yr-1 for 2019, which agrees with other independent estimates based on TROPOMI data. For the Delaware sub-basin, it is estimated as 1.4 ± 0.3 Tg yr-1 for 2019, and for the Midland sub-basin 1.2 ± 0.3 Tg yr-1. In 2020 the emissions are 9% lower compared to 2019 in the entire Permian basin, and respectively 19% and 27% for the Delaware and Midland sub-basins.

A Review of Medical Evacuations Related to Dental Emergencies and Oral-Maxillofacial Injuries.

A literature review was performed to determine the frequency of medical evacuations (MEDEVAC) that are required for dental emergencies (DE) and oral-maxillofacial (OMF) injuries. Fourteen studies were reviewed altogether - eight which quantified evacuation of DEs or OMF injuries in military personnel (from 1982-2013) and six studies that discussed medical evacuation of DEs occurring in civilians working in offshore oil and gas rigs and wilderness expeditions (from 1976-2015). Among military personnel, DE/OMF issues were frequently among one of the top categories of medical evacuations, ranging from 2-16% of all evacuations. Among oil and gas industry workers, 5.3-14.6% of evacuations were dental-related, while one study of wilderness expeditions found that DEs ranked as the third most frequent type of injury that required evacuation. Previous studies have shown that dental and OMF problems often account for one of most frequently cited reasons for evacuation. However, due to the limited study base of DE/OMF medical evacuations, further research is needed to determine their impact on the cost of health care delivery.

Occupational fatigue and health of gas station workers: A review.

BACKGROUND: Occupational health factors such as shift work, sleep, fatigue, and work environment jeopardise the health and safety of gas station workers. This calls for new research to investigate how the working environment and characteristics impact the occupational health of workers at gas stations. However, minimal research has been conducted in this field, especially those involving psychological and behavioural factors, occupational stress, and so forth. OBJECTIVE: This review was performed to investigate the present condition of the occupational risk of gas station workers in this safety-critical position. METHODS: Five databases (Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO) were searched for relevant peer-reviewed studies. Results were selected according to these criteria: studies on fatigue, shift work, sleep, and physical and mental health of gas station employees; published on or before November 11, 2021; papers in English. RESULTS: Twenty studies were considered for the final analysis. The results showed that shift work at gas stations leads to psychological and physiological problems. The psychological consequences included anxiety, stress, and depression, while the physiological consequences included biochemical changes and lifestyle consequences. CONCLUSION: Shift work and the specific working environment of gas station employees adversely affect their sleep, stress levels, physical and mental health, and turnover intention. This systematic review allowed us to consider the occupational risk factors that can lead to sickness or accidents and contribute to reducing these risk factors. Realistic countermeasures ought to be established and interventions must be explored to mitigate risks to life, property, and the environment in operating gas stations.

Psychosocial Risks and Mental Disorders among Mexican Oil Workers / Riesgos psicosociales y trastornos mentales en trabajadores petroleros mexicanos / Riscos psicossociais e transtornos mentais em trabalhadores petrolíferos mexicanos

The psychosocial risks faced by workers can influence their health as well as job performance and satisfaction. However, this phenomenon among Mexican workers in the oil industry has not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association of stress and job-related burnout with mental disorders among oil workers in the southeastern region of Mexico. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional and analytical study included 501 workers from the onshore oil industry in the southeastern region of Mexico. The Work Burnout Inventory, the Symptoms of Stress Inventory, and the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (ghq 28) were applied between October and November, 2016. Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between variables and the odds ratio was determined to establish the level of risk for mental disorders. Results: Moderate levels of stress (21.4l %), efficacy (41.5 %), cynicism (30.6 %), and exhaustion (39.7 %) were observed. Mental disorders were noted in 11.8 % of workers. Stress and burnout were associated with mental disorders (p < 0.05). Finally, workers who experienced stress and job burnout were more likely to have mental disorders (or = 12.96; 95 % ci [7.03­23.94]; p = 0.00). Conclusions:Stress and job burnout are risk factors for mental disorders among Mexican oil workers.

los riesgos psicosociales en los trabajadores tienen influencia en la salud, rendimiento del trabajo y satisfacción laboral; sin embargo, poco se ha estudiado este fenómeno en los trabajadores mexicanos de la industria petrolera. El objetivo fue analizar la asociación entre estrés y desgaste laboral y trastornos en los trabajadores de la industria petrolera terrestre de la región sureste de México. Materiales y métodos: diseño transversal y analítico. La muestra estuvo integrada por 501 trabajadores. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el Inventario de Desgaste Laboral, el Inventario de Síntomas de Estrés y el Cuestionario de Salud General de Goldberg (ghq 28). Se aplicaron los instrumentos entre octu-bre y noviembre de 2016. Se utilizó la prueba de chi cuadrado para analizar la relación entre las variables, y se determinaron odds ratio para establecer el nivel de riesgo a trastornos mentales. Resultados: se encontraron niveles moderados de estrés (21.4l %), eficacia (41.5 %), cinismo (30.6 %) y agotamiento (39.7 %). Se encontró presencia de trastornos mentales en el 11.8 % de los trabajadores. El estrés y las dimensiones del desgaste laboral se asociaron con los trastornos mentales (p < 0.05). Finalmente, los tra-bajadores que presentaron estrés y desgaste laboral tuvieron mayor probabilidad de sufrir trastornos mentales (or= 12.96; ic 95 % [7.03-23.94]; p = 0.00). Conclusiones: el estrés y el desgaste laboral representan factores de riesgo para presentar trastornos mentales en los trabajadores petroleros mexicanos.

os riscos psicossociais nos trabalhadores influenciam a saúde, o desempenho no trabalho e a satisfação no trabalho, no entanto, esse fenômeno tem sido pouco estudado em trabalhadores mexi-canos da indústria petrolífera. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a associação do estresse e desgaste no trabalho com transtornos em trabalhadores da indústria petrolífera terrestre da região sudeste do México. Materiais e métodos: desenho transversal e analítico. A amostra foi composta por 501 trabalha-dores. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Inventário de Desgaste Laboral, o Inventário de Sintomas de Estresse e o Questionário de Saúde Geral de Goldberg (ghq 28). Os instrumentos foram aplicados entre outubro e novembro de 2016. O teste qui-quadrado foi utilizado para analisar a relação entre as variáveis e o odds ratio foi determinado para estabelecer o nível de risco para transtornos mentais. Resultados: foram encontrados níveis moderados de estresse (21,4l %), eficácia (41,5 %), cinismo (30,6 %) e exaustão (39,7 %). A presença de transtornos mentais foi encontrada em 11,8 % dos trabalhadores. O estresse e as dimensões de desgaste laboral foram associadas aos transtornos mentais (p < 0,05). Por fim, os trabalhadores que apresentavam estresse e desgaste laboral apresentaram maior probabilidade de apresentar transtornos mentais (or = 12,96; ic 95 % [7,03-23,94]; p = 0,00). Conclusões: o estresse e desgaste laboral representam fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento de transtornos mentais em trabalhadores petrolíferos mexicanos.

A saúde do trabalhador offshore: uma análise sanitarista sobre a realidade das negociações coletivas do trabalho em alto-mar / The health of the offshore worker: a sanitarian analysis of the reality of collective negotiations on the high seas

Considerando como tema central a saúde do trabalhador, o objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a realidade das negociações coletivas do trabalho em alto-mar, avaliando como hipótese a fragilidade no controle do poder público sobre o processo produtivo como limite da efetividade de uma realidade em prol da saúde e segurança dos trabalhadores e trabalhadoras desse setor. Para isso, foram pontuados os seguintes objetivos específicos: a) apresentar distintas concepções e valorações do trabalho humano através das perspectivas sanitarista, ocupacional e previdenciária; b) apontar como a saúde do trabalhador offshore se organiza e vem sendo estruturada; c) elencar quais são os principais atores, práticas, possibilidades e obstáculos na consolidação do controle público na garantia de direitos do trabalhador offshore; d) pautar limites e possibilidades contidos nas negociações (acordos e convenções) no âmbito de acidentes e adoecimentos decorrentes da relação laboral da categoria; e e) analisar aspectos do acidente ocorrido no dia 11 de fevereiro de 2015 na unidade estacionária de produção, armazenamento e transferência de óleo e exportação de gás da empresa BW Offshore denominada Cidade de São Mateus (FPSO CDSM), que na ocasião era afretada pela Petrobras. Assim sendo, o leitor poderá observar detalhes a respeito do mercado de petróleo e gás, tais como sua importância no contexto econômico nacional, a inserção massiva da terceirização nas relações de trabalho e prestação de serviços dessa cadeia produtiva, além das representações sindicais desse universo laborativo em específico. Será possível, ainda, compreender as diferentes concepções de saúde do trabalhador, que revelam as abordagens e os interesses diversos no campo teórico-prático quando o assunto é a saúde e a segurança no ambiente laborativo, além de se familiarizar com aspectos garantidores ou vulnerabilizantes de direitos frente às negociações coletivas entre os representantes sindicais dos trabalhadores offshore da empresa BW Offshore. Por fim, será possível observar uma análise e tentativa de compreensão mais ampla do acidente supracitado, sob a ótica do déficit de controle público sobre os processos produtivos empresariais e, por consequência, da manutenção da inobservância do Estado em mediar essas relações. (AU)

Considering workers' health as a central theme, the objective of this study was to analyze the reality of collective negotiations on the high seas work, considering as a hypothesis the fragility in the control of the public power over the productive process as a limit of the effectiveness of a reality in favor of the health and safety of workers in this sector. For this, the following specific objectives were scored: a) To present different conceptions and valuations of human work through the sanitarian, occupational and social security perspectives; b) To point out how the health of the offshore worker is organized and has been structured; c) List the main actors, practices, possibilities and obstacles in consolidating public control in guaranteeing the rights of offshore workers; d) To guide limits and possibilities contained in the negotiations (agreements and conventions) in the context of accidents and illnesses resulting from the employment relationship of the category; e) Analyzing aspects of the accident that occurred on February 11, 2015, at the stationary production, storage, and oil and gas export unit of the company BW Offshore, known as Cidade de São Mateus (FPSO CDSM), which was chartered by Petrobras. Thus, the reader will be able to observe details about the oil and gas market, such as its importance in the national economic context, the massive insertion of outsourcing in labor relations and provision of services to this production chain, in addition to the union representations of this specific labor universe. It will be possible to understand the different conceptions of workers' health, which reveal the diverse interests and approaches in the theoretical and practical field regarding health and safety in the workplace. Additionally, the reader will be able to become acquainted with aspects that guarantee or undermine rights vulnerable during collective negotiations between the union representatives of offshore workers at BW Offshore. It will be also possible to observe an analysis and attempt at a broader understanding of the aforementioned accident, understood from the perspective of the deficit of public control over the business production processes, and consequently the maintenance of the State's non-observance in mediating these relations. (AU)

Impacts of COVID-19 on the oil and gas industry in Brazil.

This study aimed to analyze the progression of COVID-19 cases on oil and gas workers in Brazil. This is a descriptive research based on secondary data available in the COVID-19 Monitoring Bulletins of the Ministry of Mines and Energy and news about outbreaks on digital media. The findings show that the numerous news reports published on digital media indicate unhealthy working conditions, and workers' representatives appear as the main source of these findings. Managers' failure in health surveillance of this working class were also observed as to the frequent omission of official data and compulsory notifications on the health and safety of oil and gas workers.

Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a evolução dos casos de trabalhadores do setor de petróleo e gás afetados pela covid-19 no Brasil. Tratou-se de uma pesquisa descritiva, realizada a partir de dados secundários disponíveis nos boletins de monitoramento da covid-19 do Ministério de Minas e Energia e das notícias sobre surtos de covid-19 em petroleiros publicadas nas mídias digitais. Concluiu-se que as inúmeras notícias publicadas pelas mídias digitais refletem condições de trabalho insalubres, e os representantes dos trabalhadores surgem como a principal fonte desses achados. Foram observadas ainda falhas na vigilância em saúde por parte dos gestores dessa classe trabalhadora no que concerne à frequente omissão de dados oficiais e às notificações compulsórias sobre a saúde e a segurança dos petroleiros.

Offshore medical evacuations due to non-occupational illnesses.

Introduction: Offshore work is a continuous challenge for occupational safety and medicine, as well as for qualification, training, and worksite logistics. In such conditions, any health issue requiring disembarkation incurs a serious burden. Objectives: To evaluate the number and causes of non-occupational medical evacuations among Brazil's offshore units between 2016 and 2019. Methods: The database of consultations performed by the medical services company International Health Care for offshore units on the Brazilian coast of client companies from 2016 to 2019 was reviewed. Results: Of the 1140 identified medical evacuations, 937 were non-occupational. Conclusions: Due to the increase in safety culture, non-occupational illness has become the most common reason for medical evacuations. Without understanding and prevention of such causes, expenses will increase for companies with offshore operations.

Introdução: O trabalho offshore é um constante desafio em termos de segurança e medicina do trabalho. Outro complicador é a necessidade de maior qualificação e treinamentos específicos, fora toda a questão logística para os trabalhadores e para o local de trabalho. Com esse cenário, qualquer agravo de saúde que exija desembarque gera um enorme transtorno. Objetivos: Avaliar o volume e as causas de desembarques provocados por doenças não ocupacionais em unidades offshore no Brasil no período de 2016 a 2019. Métodos: Foi consultada a base de dados dos atendimentos realizados pela empresa de serviços médicos International Health Care para as unidades offshore na costa do Brasil de empresas clientes, no período de 2016 a 2019. Resultados: Foram identificadas 1.140 ocorrências de desembarques por motivos médicos, sendo 937 classificadas como acometimentos de saúde não ocupacionais. Conclusões: Devido à grande cultura de segurança do trabalho, o adoecimento se tornou a causa mais comum de desembarques. O não entendimento e prevenção dessas causas também causam custos às empresas.

Residential proximity to oil and gas production sites and hematologic malignancies: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the association between residential proximity to oil and gas production sites and hematologic malignancies, due to a cancer cluster in the German state of Lower Saxony. METHODS: A registry-based case-control study was conducted including 3978 cases of hematologic malignancies diagnosed within 2013-2016 and 15,912 frequency-matched controls randomly drawn by population registries. Residential proximity to 5333 oil and gas production sites at the time of diagnosis was calculated. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between living within 1 km of any exposure site and developing a hematologic malignancy. Models were adjusted for matching variables sex, age group, district, and year of diagnosis as well as for proximity to main streets and to agricultural land. RESULTS: We found no association between the development of hematologic malignancies and the proximity to all oil and gas production sites (odds ratio: 0.97; 95% confidence interval: 0.85, 1.11). Focusing on gas production sites increased the odds of developing hematologic cancer (odds ratio: 1.19; 95% confidence interval: 0.97, 1.45). In stratified analyses, associations were stronger in women and for acute myeloblastic leukemia. We also found an association in the district where the initial cluster occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that residential proximity to oil and gas production is not a risk factor for all hematologic malignancies in general. Sporadic and past exposures are the most likely scenarios for mechanisms involving oil and gas production, leading to increased risk for certain subtypes of cancer in certain populations.

Recent Advances in Nondestructive Method and Assessment of Corrosion Undercoating in Carbon-Steel Pipelines.

Carbon-steel pipelines have mostly been utilized in the oil and gas (OG) industry owing to their strength and cost-effectiveness. However, the detection of corrosion under coating poses challenges for nondestructive (ND) pipeline monitoring techniques. One of the challenges is inaccessibility because of the pipeline structure, which leads to undetected corrosion, which possibly leads to catastrophic failure. The drawbacks of the existing ND methods for corrosion monitoring increase the need for novel frameworks in feature extraction, detection, and characterization of corrosion. This study begins with the explanations of the various types of corrosion in the carbon-steel pipeline in the OG industry and its prevention methods. A review of critical sensors integrated with various current ND corrosion monitoring systems is then presented. The importance of acoustic emission (AE) techniques over other ND methods is explained. AE data preprocessing methods are discussed. Several AE-based corrosion detection, prediction, and reliability assessment models for online pipeline condition monitoring are then highlighted. Finally, a discussion with future perspectives on corrosion monitoring followed by the significance and advantages of the emerging AE-based ND monitoring techniques is presented. The trends and identified issues are summarized with several recommendations for improvement in the OG industry.

A review of current inventory for major industries involving naturally occurring radioactive materials in Canada.

Earth materials contain radionuclides of natural origin in varying concentrations. Exposure to natural sources dominates the occupational and public exposure to ionizing radiation. Canada has one of the largest and most diverse supplies of natural resources in the world. A large quantity of material production is associated with a large quantity of waste releases to the environment. Releases from industries involving naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) can concentrate trace amounts of natural radionuclides and are often poorly characterized. This raises concerns for occupational and public health. Currently, there are data and knowledge gaps in radiological characteristics of NORM products and waste or releases to the environment. For the evaluation of occupational and public exposure to natural sources, a review of current inventory for major industries involving NORM in Canada was conducted with the objective to provide basic information on major issues, help set the priority for research needs to filling these data and knowledge gaps.

Review on carbon-based adsorbents from organic feedstocks for removal of organic contaminants from oil and gas industry process water: Production, adsorption performance and research gaps.

Large amounts of process water with considerable concentrations of recalcitrant organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), phenolic compounds (PCs), and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), are generated by several segments of oil and gas industries. These segments include refineries, hydraulic fracturing (HF), and produced waters from the extraction of shale gas (SGPW), coalbed methane (CBMPW) and oil sands (OSPW). In fact, the concentration of PCs and PAHs in process water from refinery can reach 855 and 742 mg L-1, respectively. SGPW can contain BTEX at concentrations as high as 778 mg L-1. Adsorption can effectively target those organic compounds for the remediation of the process water by applying carbon-based adsorbents generated from organic feedstocks. Such organic feedstocks usually come from organic waste materials that would otherwise be conventionally disposed of. The objective of this review paper is to cover the scientific progress in the studies of carbon-based adsorbents from organic feedstocks that were successfully applied for the removal of organic contaminants PAHs, PCs, and BTEX. The contributions of this review paper include the important aspects of (i) production and characterization of carbon-based adsorbents to enhance the efficiency of organic contaminant adsorption, (ii) adsorption properties and mechanisms associated with the engineered adsorbent and expected for certain pollutants, and (iii) research gaps in the field, which could be a guidance for future studies. In terms of production and characterization of materials, standalone pyrolysis or hybrid procedures (pyrolysis associated with chemical activation methods) are the most applied techniques, yielding high surface area and other surface properties that are crucial to the adsorption of organic contaminants. The adsorption of organic compounds on carbonaceous materials performed well at wide range of pH and temperatures and this is desirable considering the pH of process waters. The mechanisms are frequently pore filling, hydrogen bonding, π-π, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, and same precursor material can present more than one adsorption mechanism, which can be beneficial to target more than one organic contaminant. Research gaps include the evaluation of engineered adsorbents in terms of competitive adsorption, application of adsorbents in oil and gas industry process water, adsorbent regeneration and reuse studies, and pilot or full-scale applications.

Active Control System to Prevent Malfunctioning Caused by the Pressure Difference in Gasket Plate Heat Exchangers Applied in the Oil and Gas Industry.

In the oil and gas industry, heat exchangers are subject to loads that cause malfunctioning. These loads are divided into thermal and mechanical stresses; however, most efforts are focused on studying thermal stresses. The present work reduces mechanical stresses by mitigating pressure events in a gasket plate heat exchanger (GPHE). GPHE requires that the hot and cold stream branches have approximately the same pressure. Thus, the work focuses on controlling the pressure difference between the branches. A test bench was used to emulate, on a small scale, the typical pressure events of an oil production plant. A control valve was used in different positions to evaluate the controller. In the experiments, it was observed that the best option to control the pressure difference is to use a hydraulic pump and control valve in the flow of the controlled thermal fluid branch. The reduction in pressure events was approximately 50%. Actuator efforts are also reduced in this configuration.

Antipsychotic drug waste: A potential corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in the oil and gas industry.

In this study, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of thioridazine hydrochloride (TH), an antipsychotic drug, on mild steel (commonly used pipeline material in the oil and gas industry) in 1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) was evaluated using electrochemical techniques and weight loss method. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results suggest that TH significantly enhances the polarization resistance (Rp) of mild steel. Similarly, potentiodynamic polarization results showed that the corrosion current density (icorr) of mild steel decreased significantly with addition of TH. To understand the long-term effect of TH, mild steel was tested for 7 days in 100 ppm TH containing electrolyte. EIS results showed that the Rp did not change significantly after 24 h exposure as compared to 2 h exposure; whereas the Rp increased by 28% after 7-day exposure. Weight loss measurements revealed that the inhibition efficiency of TH is remarkably high (98.8%) after 7-day exposure. The adsorption free energy calculation suggests that at the initial stage (1-day) of mild steel exposure, TH was physically adsorbed onto the surface. However, at a later stage (7- day) the binding of TH was chemical, and hence the corrosion protection increased with increase in the exposure period. As compared to the wide range of corrosion inhibitors reported in the literature, TH has shown to be highly effective for mild steel. Thus, it can be suggested that TH drug waste is a potential corrosion inhibitor for mild steel pipelines in the oil and gas industry.

High Safety Risk Assessment in the Time of Uncertainties (COVID-19): An Industrial Context.

Background: The complexities of the workplace environment in the downstream oil and gas industry contain several safety-risk factors. In particular, instituting stringent safety standards and management procedures are considered insufficient to address workplace safety risks. Most accident cases attribute to unsafe actions and human behaviors on the job, which raises serious concerns for safety professionals from physical to psychological particularly when the world is facing a life-threatening Pandemic situation, i.e., COVID-19. It is imperative to re-examine the safety management of facilities and employees' well-being in the downstream oil and gas production sector to establish a sustainable governance system. Understanding the inherent factors better that contribute to safety behavior management could significantly improve workplace safety features. Objective: This study investigates employees' safety behavior management model for the downstream oil and gas industry to consolidate the safety, health and wellbeing of employees in times of COVID-19. Methods: Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was first employed to screen primary behavioral factors from 10 workplace health and safety experts from Malaysia's downstream oil and gas industry. Consequently, 18 significant factors were identified for further inquiry. Next, the interpretive structural modeling technique was used to ascertain the complex interrelationships between these factors and proposed a Safety Behavioral Management Model for cleaner production. Results: This model shows that management commitment, employee knowledge and training, leadership, and regulations contribute significantly to several latent factors. Our findings support the Social Cognitive Theory, where employees, their environment, and their behaviors are related reciprocally. Conclusion: It is postulated that identifying safety factors and utilizing the proposed model guides various stakeholder groups in this industry, including practitioners and policymakers, for achieving long-term sustainability.

Analysis of supply chain resilience drivers in oil and gas industries during the COVID-19 pandemic using an integrated approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the supply chains (SCs) of many industries, including the oil and gas (O&G) industry. This study aims to identify and analyze the drivers that affect the resilience level of the O&G SC under the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis helps to understand the driving intensity of one driver over those of others as well as drivers with the highest driving power to achieve resilience. Through an extensive literature review and an overview of experts' opinions, the study identified fourteen supply chain resilience (SCR) drivers of the O&G industry. These drivers were analyzed using the integrated fuzzy interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) approaches. The analysis shows that the major drivers of SCR are government support and security. These two drivers help to achieve other drivers of SCR, such as collaboration and information sharing, which, in turn, influence innovation, trust, and visibility among SC partners. Two more drivers, robustness and agility, are also essential drivers of SCR. However, rather than influencing other drivers for their achievement, robustness and agility are influenced by others. The results show that collaboration has the highest overall driving intensity and agility has the highest intensity of being influenced by other drivers.