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An Overview of PSIG Scholarship Opportunities

A Doctor of Philosophy graduate in Petroleum Engineering from Imperial College, London, Ivor R. Ellul has served as managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd., in Houston, Texas, since 2015. Over the course of a 40-year career in the oil and gas industry, Ivor Ellul has established himself as a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Pipeline Simulation Interest Group, of which he is chairman of the board of directors. Established in 1969, the Pipeline Simulation Interest Group (PSIG) was formed with the objective of supporting the industry-wide exchange of information as a means of enhancing the overall state of modeling, simulation, optimization, and other aspects of the oil and gas industry. In order to assist various research initiatives in these and related areas, PSIG has developed two scholarships. The Orin Flanigan Scholarship and the Don Schroeder Scholarship are each valued at $5,000, and are distributed to individuals working towards furthering pipeline simulation research. Named for two stalwarts of the industry, the scholarships are presented to meritorious students conducting research or general studies in the field of pipeline simulation. The scholarships are generally not available to undergraduate students, nor to graduate students or doctoral candidates not enrolled in a program related to pipeline simulation. The merit of a student’s work is evaluated in regard to what concrete results could be yielded with scholarship funds, and what impact the research could have on the industry. Furthermore, the student’s financial need is taken into consideration when scholarships are distributed. To learn more the PSIG scholarship program, please visit the organization online at www.psig.org.

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SPE Launches Energizing Our Lives Web Page

Based in Houston, Texas, Ivor R. Ellul has spent more than four decades in the petroleum engineering field. Ivor R. Ellul serves as managing director for CiSK Ventures, Ltd., where he provides consulting services. Ivor R. Ellul also serves on a few boards, including the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Pipeline Stimulation Interest Group (PSIG). SPE was founded in 1957 and currently has close to 153,000 members dispersed throughout 143 countries. In 2018, SPE launched a web page titled “Energizing Our Lives” that shares stories of its members and companies in the energy and oil sector about how they positively impact their communities through videos and blogs. In one of its more recent “Fueling Progress” blogs, a petrophysical advisor gave a snapshot of the highs and lows of the oil and gas industry from the past decade and how climate awareness and clean energy initiatives fit into that. The author suggested that there are obvious parallels and subliminal overlaps between the green energy and traditional oil and gas sectors which may present some opportunities for geothermal development and the future of energy.

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Using Acoustic Emission Sensors to Detect Pipeline Leaks

Based in Houston, Ivor R. Ellul guides CiSK Ventures, Ltd., and possesses an extensive background in the development of oil and gas assets. Ivor Ellul is particularly interested in pipeline modeling including simulation based leak detection, which has been made more accurate and efficient in recent years through the introduction of new technologies. One common way to find leaks is with acoustic emission sensors and accelerometers. This involves the use of vibroacoustic measurements to monitor low-frequency pipe-shell vibrations. Vibrations are emitted when sharp decreases in pressure occur. Escaping high-pressure fluid generates elastic waves in a frequency that extends to one MHz. By using two sensors and measuring the time lag between acoustic signals, the leakage location can be pinpointed. One challenge to this approach is that background noise may mask the sounds generated by leaks. Solutions to this problem include the use of acoustic sensors with additional devices, such as magnetic flux leakage sensors.

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Energy Institute’s HSE and Sustainability Week Returns to Dubai

Ivor Ellul is a Houston, Texas-based financial and energy professional who has several years of experience across both industries. In addition to serving as the managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ivor R. Ellul, given his membership status, has the option to attend several industry events hosted by the Energy Institute (EI), an organization that promotes safety and compliance in the energy sector. The Energy Institute holds regular events around the world and recently hosted another Middle East Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) and Sustainability Week in Dubai. The conference, which took place between December 8 and 10 at Dubai’s Hyatt Regency Creek Heights, included talks from various industry experts, with many focused on what’s needed to improve the energy industry’s sustainability and safety performance across the industry, as well as corrosion management and extending an asset’s lifespan. The academic, regulatory, and professional speakers came from several organizations and agencies, including the World Health Organisation and the Emirates Group.

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A Pipeline Leak Detection Method - Fiber Optics Leak Detection

The recipient of awards from the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Ivor R. Ellul, Ph.D. is the managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd. Ivor Ellul is also an author and co-author of papers that focus on the advances in pipeline leak detection. A type of exterior based leak detection method for gas and oil pipelines, the fiber optics leak detection method can be applied in broad detection of various physical and chemical properties associated with hydrocarbon spillage along pipelines. In fiber optics leak detection methods, the installation of fiber optic sensors is performed along the exterior of the pipeline. The sensors can either be distributed or localized. When a pipeline leaks, hydrocarbon fluid moves diffusely through the leakage towards the fiber optic cable. Temperature variations in the optic fiber cable, brought along by the influx of hydrocarbon, can be detected and measured. This observed change in temperature denotes anomalies along the pipeline. Along with its temperature-sensitive capability, a form of sensor called distributed optical fiber sensor can also detect and measure strain along pipelines and serves as an efficient tool in fiber optics leak detection. Many advantages come along with fiber optics sensors, including high corrosion resistance, small size, lightweight, resistance to electromagnetic interference, high-temperature performance, and high sensitivity.

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The Piper Alpha Disaster

The managing director of energy industry consultancy CiSK Ventures in Houston, Texas, Ivor R. Ellul has authored or coauthored dozens of articles on subjects related to petroleum operations and business administration. The Pipeline Simulation Interest Group published Ivor Ellul’s article “The Piper Alpha Disaster - A Forensic Pipeline Simulation Study” in 2014. An offshore oil drilling platform located roughly 120 miles northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland, Piper Alpha was a massive, fixed-structure platform that sat in 474 feet of water. At the peak of its operations under Occidental Petroleum, it was responsible for approximately 10 percent of the total petroleum output in the British sector of the Atlantic Ocean’s North Sea. On the night of July 6, 1988, a catastrophic explosion and fire engulfed and ultimately destroyed Piper Alpha. Of the 226 workers who were currently on board the platform, only 62 survived the disaster. In subsequent years, industry professionals used the Piper Alpha accident to develop technical and organizational risk management strategies that ensure worker safety. Specific elements leading to the Piper Alpha disaster included the process disturbance and flange leak/vapor release that caused the initial explosion, as well as the ways in which fire spread throughout the platform.

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Energy Institute Launches Toolbox Website

With a PhD in petroleum engineering from Imperial College, London, Ivor R. Ellul serves as the managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd., where he provides advisory services and technical support to different segments and fields of the energy industry. Dr. Ivor Ellul is a member of the Energy Institute (EI). Established in 2003 after the merger of the Institute of Petroleum and the Institute of Energy, the Energy Institute is committed to enhancing the knowledge and understanding of the critical role that energy plays in the world’s growing population. Guided by its mission, EI has partnered with global energy companies to develop a web-based application called Toolbox. Demonstrated at Offshore Europe 2019 in Aberdeen, Scotland, Toolbox is a free online resource that provides industry professionals with access to more than a hundred case studies and information on health and safety based on real-life incidents. The content is delivered in video formats and can be viewed offline. Toolbox will serve as a guide for workers to perform their tasks responsibly.

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PSIG Scholarships Honor Achievement in Pipeline Simulation

The former CEO of Knowledge Reservoir, Ivor Ellul led the company in providing consulting guidance for onshore and offshore exploration and production ventures. The managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd. since 2015, Ivor R. Ellul is actively involved in oil and gas industry organizations such as the Pipeline Simulation Interest Group (PSIG) among others. Established in 1969, the PSIG aims to advance the field of modeling and simulation related to fluid pipeline systems. In addition to creating standards, conducting training, publishing research, and holding an annual conference, the PSIG provides an annual scholarship for students conducting studies or research in the field of pipeline simulation. The scholarships are named after Orin Flanigan and Don Schroeder to honor their contribution to PSIG and the pipeline simulation industry in general. One annual scholarship for $5,000 is awarded to a student who is able to demonstrate proven research in pipeline simulation as well as an ability to achieve results from their research. Applications are typically due in September, and the winner is announced at the annual conference in May. To find out more about requirements or to fill out an online application, visit www.psig.org.

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Sustainability and the Society of Petroleum Engineers

In the nearly 40 years since he first entered the petroleum industry, Ivor R. Ellul has held a broad range of positions within the field. His pioneering work as founder of Knowledge Reservoir established a repository of information and expertise in deepwater consulting. Currently chief technical officer of Promethean Energy Corporation and managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd., Ivor Ellul is also a longtime member and past director of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). One of the most crucial issues facing the energy industry is sustainability. In 2012, SPE established its Sustainable Development Technical Section to address this critical topic. Membership in the section grew to more than 1,500 by 2019, and the initiative has added new webinars and expanded sustainability programs at conferences. In addition to expanding its sustainability offerings to members, SPE will collaborate on sustainability issues with other global energy industry organizations, including the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) and the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, among others. Finally, SPE will institute a new award, the Stewardship in the Oil and Gas Industry Award, to recognize efforts promoting sustainability and adopting sustainability concepts in the upstream oil and gas industry. More information about the SPE is available at spe.org.

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The 50th Annual PSIG Conference

An energy sector leader in Houston, Texas, Ivor R. Ellul holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and both a master of science and a doctorate in petroleum engineering. He has served as managing director of CiSK Ventures since 2015 and chief technical officer of the Promethean Energy Corporation since 2017. Ivor Ellul also chairs the board of directors of the Pipeline Simulation Interest Group (PSIG). The premier professional association of the pipeline simulation industry, PSIG hosts a range of renowned authors and scientists at its yearly conference. The 50th Annual PSIG Conference will take place from May 14th through May 17, 2019, at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel in London, England. Topics addressed at the conference will include estimating mixing lengths in multi-product pipelines, monitoring deviations in estimated time of arrival in gas pipelines, and step doubling for pipeline flow. Before the conference, PSIG is offering a Pipeline Simulation Short Course that covers areas such as fluid properties, fluid flow equations, multiphase flow in pipelines and real-time systems and leak detection.

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A Quick Guide to the PSIG 2019 Anniversary Conference

An expert in gas and oil production and exploration, Ivor Ellul provides consulting services to energy companies around the globe through his role as managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd. Among his other professional activities, Ivor R. Ellul is the chairman of the Pipeline Simulation Interest Group, a nonprofit organization committed to furthering advances in pipeline systems. Formed in 1969, the Pipeline Simulation Interest Group (PSIG) has hosted an annual meeting for 50 years, and the 2019 Anniversary Conference will take place from May 14 to 17 in London, United Kingdom. An independent not for profit organization, PSIG dedicates the conference to high-caliber papers and discussions on topics related to pipeline simulation in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. About 150 visitors are expected to attend the 2019 Anniversary Conference. These will include specialized consultants, professionals from major oil and gas companies, and academic personnel from universities in Asia, Australia, Europe, Canada, and the US. The keynote speaker will be Fintan Slye, the director of UK system operator national grid ESO. The conference will also feature a Pipeline Simulation Short Course from May 13 to 14. Registration is now open. Please visit www.psig.org for more information.

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Promethean Signs Deal with Enpro Subsea for Technology Exchange

An accomplished engineer based in Houston, Texas, Ivor R. Ellul has years of experience in the oil and gas industry. The chief technical officer of Promethean Energy, Ivor Ellul guides the company’s focus on exploiting resources in the Gulf of Mexico through superior technological means. In November 2018, Promethean signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Enpro Subsea to jointly pursue and deploy technological advances in deepwater operations. The collaboration is in line with Promethean’s vision of unlocking value from its resources in the Gulf of Mexico through integrating data, technologies, and cutting-edge practices in the oil development and production lifecycle. Following the MOU, Promethean will integrate Enpro’s advanced deepwater technologies to reduce the costs of its deep sea operations, increase production, and improve recovery from deep sea fields. With Enpro’s technologies, Promethean will be able to analyze deep sea assets before making investment decisions, develop technical engineering strategies to extract the most value from promising fields, and realize huge savings from structural cost reductions and faster oil production. On the other hand, Enpro will be able to deploy its advanced technologies on a large scale to ensure safe, efficient, and sustainable deep sea operations.

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50th Annual Conference of the Pipeline Simulation Interest Group

A PhD graduate of Imperial College in London, Ivor R. Ellul is a petroleum industry executive who serves as the managing director for CiSK Ventures, Ltd. and the CTO of Promethean Energy Corporation. In conjunction with his work at CiSK Ventures and Promethean, Ivor Ellul also serves as the chairman of the board of directors of the Pipeline Simulation Interest Group (PSIG), an independent organization dedicated to the advancement of fluid pipeline systems. For the past 49 years, PSIG has hosted an annual conference to give its members the opportunity to network, listen to speakers present papers on topics related to new concepts and tools used in the industry, and to honor the contributions of the sector’s foremost scientists and writers. The upcoming conference in 2019 represents PSIG’s 50th iteration of the event. The 2019 conference will span four days, from May 14th to May 17th, in London. It will be held at the Grange Tower Bridge hotel, a 5-star establishment located near a number of historic landmarks including the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Last year’s conference was hosted in Deer Valley, Utah, and featured a number of presentations on a variety of topics, including specialized simulation techniques for the modeling of heavy crude pipeline systems and the review of new testing methods for pipeline leak detection. Registration for the 2019 event opens in January.

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A Quick Look at the Widespread Use of Hydrocarbons

Dr. Ivor Ellul joined CiSK Ventures, Ltd. as managing director in 2015 and continues to manage operations as sole owner. Under the leadership of Ivor R. Ellul, CiSK Ventures works in various areas of the energy industry, including hydrocarbon exploration. Hydrocarbons serve a myriad of purposes, though they are most often used as a source of combustible energy. In fact, hydrocarbons represent the most broadly used organic compounds on the planet and can be considered the cornerstone of industrial development in the Western world. As fuel for combustion processes, hydrocarbons are particularly effective when it comes to heating and motorized fuel services. As a natural gas, hydrocarbons are often composed of methane and ethane. Individuals may encounter hydrocarbon gases in a variety of everyday scenarios, such as running a gas barbecue or heating a cold house during winter months. Butane, used in small lighters, is another example of a familiar use for hydrocarbon gases. The room temperature liquid forms of hydrocarbon, meanwhile, are widely used throughout the transport fuel industry, though liquids like pentane are also commonly used in the makeup of organic solvents and cleaners. Octane, decane, and hexane are just a few more examples of hydrocarbons used to fuel a vast array of vehicles and processes crucial to daily living.

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Researchers Discover Catalyst to Turn CO2 into Methane without CO

A mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Malta, Ivor R. Ellul is the managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd. In addition to providing advisory services to clients in the energy sector, Ivor Ellul is a member of the Energy Institute, a professional body for those in the energy industry. The July 2017 issue of the Energy Institute’s monthly magazine, Petroleum Review, published findings demonstrating the possibilities of carbon neutral fuel. Researchers from the University of Adelaide, Australia, together with their commonwealth partners, developed a way of combining carbon dioxide with hydrogen to produce methane while minimizing carbon-monoxide production. Using solar energy, researchers were able to use a catalyst developed from porous crystals to convert carbon dioxide into natural gas in the presence of hydrogen. Previously, scientists had attempted to use other catalysts to achieve the same goal, but the catalysts had either produced minimal amounts of methane, resulted in poor conversion of carbon dioxide, produced carbon monoxide, or became unstable. With the new catalyst, the researchers produced almost pure methane but without the side effect of environmentally hazardous carbon dioxide. In addition, the process used a small amount of hydrogen and was stable even when continued for a number of days, thus proving it could be replicated industrially.

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The Christian Life Community’s Caminos Program

Ivor R. Ellul is an accomplished Houston-area engineer and business leader who has served as the managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd., since 2015 and as the executive advisor of the Promethean Energy Corporation since 2017. Outside of the professional arena, Ivor R. Ellul lends his support to multiple religious and social-outreach organizations, such as the Christian Life Community. A network of community groups, the Christian Life Community is a worldwide movement of Christians who are committed to heeding God's call to serve individuals and society. Among its various initiatives is a program specifically designed for college and university students: the Caminos program. A Spanish word that means “the way,” “camino” conjures images of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a Catholic saint known as “the pilgrim�� for the spiritual path he traveled during his life. The Caminos program reaches out to groups of Christian students on colleges and universities across America. Including both undergraduate and graduate students, these groups help their members find God and Christ in all things and help one another in their journey of faith.

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PSIG to Hold 2018 Annual Conference in Deer Valley, Utah

Since 2015, Ivor R. Ellul has served as managing director of CiSK Ventures, Ltd., in Houston, Texas. A petroleum engineer with many years of professional experience, Ivor Ellul also serves as chairman of Pipeline Simulation Interest Group (PSIG), an independent nonprofit organization that works to disseminate information related to the simulation of fluid pipeline systems. Each year, PSIG holds an annual conference that attracts professionals representing major oil and gas companies from across the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Attendees at the meeting, which takes place over two-and-a-half days each spring, also include academics and specialized consultants. Past conferences have been held in cities across the United States as well as international destinations such as Prague, Czech Republic, and Bern, Switzerland. PSIG is currently preparing for its 49th Annual Conference, which will take place May 15-18, 2018, at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah. Registration for the event will open in January 2018.