Hydrocarbon field size distributions: a case study in mixed integer nonlinear programming

Of key importance to oil and gas companies is the size distribution of fields in the areas that they are drilling. Recent arguments suggest that there are many more fields yet to be discovered in mature provinces than had previously been thought because the underlying distribution is monotonic not peaked. According to this view the peaked nature of the distribution for discovered fields reflects not the underlying distribution but the effect of economic truncation. This paper contributes to the discussion by analysing up-to-date exploration and discovery data for two mature provinces using the discovery-process model, based on sampling without replacement and implicitly including economic truncation effects. The maximum likelihood estimation involved generates a high-dimensional mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem. A highly efficient solution strategy is tested, exploiting the separable structure and handling the integer constraints by treating the problem as a masked allocation problem in dynamic programming.

Performance analysis of a register insertion ring with a variable size buffer

There has been a recent revival of interest in the register insertion (RI) protocol because of its high throughput and low delay characteristics. Several variants of the protocol have been investigated with a view to integrating voice and data applications on a single local area network (LAN). In this paper the performance of an RI ring with a variable size buffer is studied by modelling and simulation. The chief advantage of the proposed scheme is that an efficient but simple bandwidth allocation scheme is easily incorporated. Approximate formulas are derived for queue lengths, queueing times, and total end-to-end transfer delays. The results are compared with previous analyses and with simulation estimates. The effectiveness of the proposed protocol in ensuring fairness of access under conditions of heavy and unequal loading is investigated.

Low temperature crystal structures of two rhodanine derivatives, 3-amino rhodanine and 3-methyl rhodanine: geometry of the rhodanine ring

Rhodanines (2-thio-4-oxothiazolidines) are synthetic small molecular weight organic molecules with diverse applications in biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, photochemistry, coordination chemistry and industry. The X-ray crystal structure determination of two rhodanine derivatives, namely (I), 3-aminorhodanine [3-amino-2-thio-4-oxothiazolidine], C3H4N2OS2, and (II) 3-methylrhodanine [3-methyl-2-thio-4-oxothiazolidine], C4H5NOS2, have been conducted at 100 K. I crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with unit cell parameters a = 9.662(2), b = 9.234(2), c = 13.384(2) angstrom, beta = 105.425(3)degrees, V = 1151.1(3) angstrom(3), Z = 8 (2 independent molecules per asymmetric unit), density (calculated) = 1.710 mg/m(3), absorption coefficient = 0.815 mm(-1). II crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Iba2 with unit cell a = 20.117(4), b = 23.449(5), c = 7.852(2) angstrom, V = 3703.9(12) angstrom(3), Z = 24 (three independent molecules per asymmetric unit), density (calculated) = 1.584 mg/m(3), absorption coefficient 0.755 mm(-1). For I in the final refinement cycle the data/restraints/parameter ratios were 2639/0/161, goodness-of-fit on F-2 = 0.934, final R indices [I > 2sigma(I)] were R1 = 0.0299, wR2 = 0.0545 and R indices (all data) R1 = 0.0399, wR2 = 0.0568. The largest difference peak and hole were 0.402 and -0.259 e angstrom(-3). For II in the final refinement cycle the data/restraints/parameter ratios were 3372/1/221, goodness-of-fit on F(2) = 0.950, final R indices [I > 2sigma(I)] were R1 = 0.0407, wR2 = 0.1048 and R indices (all data) R1 = 0.0450, wR2 = 0.1088. The absolute structure parameter = 0.19(9) and largest difference peak and hole 0.934 and -0.301 e angstrom(-3). Details of the geometry of the five molecules (two for I and three for II) and the crystal structures are fully discussed. Corresponding features of the molecular geometry are highly consistent and firmly establish the geometry of the rhodanine