An increasing number of universities are accepting and encouraging the submission of theses and dissertations in electronic format. Two hundred and three institutions are now members of the international 'Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations' (NDLTD), and in May 2003 over 200 individuals travelled to Berlin to participate in the ETD symposium ('Next Steps-Electronic Theses and Dissertations Worldwide'). The support of UNESCO and the work undertaken by key institutions such as Virginia Tech. has led to wide scale developments at national and individual level. Within the UK, funding from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) has enabled three project teams to engage in research and development associated with the creation, management, and use of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). This paper considers recent ETD-related activity in the UK within the broader international context. It concentrates, in particular, on the work of the Electronic Theses project consortium that is led by The Robert Gordon University. The benefits of ETDs, issues of concern, the selection of software, and advocacy requirements are amongst the topics addressed. The authors welcome comments on both the project and the information available on the Electronic Theses project Web pages.
Purpose: To describe the key findings of the UK JISC-funded Electronic Theses project that was led by The Robert Gordon University, as well as the results of associated projects that formed part of the JISC-funded 'FAIR' Programme, and the way in which the recommendations will be taken forward.Design/methodology/approach: The research involved: an assessment of existing best practice relating to the production, management and use of e-theses; the use of questionnaires to obtain feedback from potential users; the identification and testing of potentially useful software; consideration of the elements required in a metadata core set, and discussions with representative bodies to ensure that the model recommended for use in the UK had support from the key stakeholders. Findings:Information is provided about the value of the NDLTD Web site, the suitability of DSpace and EPrints software for institutional e-theses repositories, and the recommended infrastructure for the operation of an e-theses service at national level. Details are included about the agreed metadata core set for UK e-theses, and advice is provided about administrative, legal and cultural issues.Practical Implications: The JISC-funded EThOS project is taking forward many of the recommendations from the Electronic Theses project.Originality/value: The research results described in this paper will be of use to institutions which are aiming to establish their own e-theses collections. The details provided about the UK approach towards the management of e-theses may be of use in countries which have not yet made their theses available in electronic format.
The development of basement reservoirs can add significant upside to regional reserves but because of perceived drilling complexity are often overlooked or underexplored. Modern drilling technologies, such as directional drilling and formation evaluation while drilling, have been shown to improve commercial viability of appraisal and development projects in frontier areas. A granitic Type-1 fractured basement reservoir offshore West of Shetland was horizontally drilled and evaluated by means of directional drilling (DD) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) technologies. This was the first time that drilling and completion of a 1-km horizontal basement well had been attempted in the UK, and the project goals were successfully achieved. The project as planned fell into the extended-reach drilling (ERD) envelope, defined as a well in which the ratio of measured depth (MD) is greater than two times the vertical depth. The ERD ratio [MD to true vertical depth (TVD)] was 2.21. This success resulted from a combination of drill bit selection, bottomhole assembly (BHA) stabilisation optimisation, rotary steerable drilling system usage, and close cooperation between the operating company and service providers. The logging data acquired were of sufficient quality to support detailed petrophysical study. The basement reservoir section was shown to have significant storage capacity within a network of fault zones, joints and microfractures, as identified using a LWD resistivity microimaging tool. The LWD imaging data were compared to offset well wireline imaging data and used to evaluate the microfracture and joint network across the horizontal section. This evaluation confirmed the storage capacity of the reservoir and was later supported by successful commercial extended well testing. In addition to fracture characterisation, the LWD data were successfully used to evaluate the fracture porosity. Fracture porosity and fracture characteristics in the horizontal well were both consistent with those derived from previously drilled inclined wells, providing the operator with confidence in its reservoir model. This paper documents the drilling and petrophysical evaluation of the first 1-km horizontal well in a fractured basement reservoir on the UK continental shelf. Further development of similar hydrocarbon-bearing basement fields would greatly increase regional recoverable reserves.
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