The public of Sri Lanka need not worry. Those who seem concerned that our foreign policy is like a rudderless boat with nobody at the tiller, better think afresh. It is in safe hands whatever the loquacious members of the opposition might say. Only the other day the Foreign Minister (the third under the yahapalana administration) told our legislators that he is armed with an ace. Never mind where he keeps it — whether up the sleeve or under the pillow — he will play it when the time is ripe.
Let those-sovereign states, civil society groups, journalists and commentators who in the last decade or so have castigated Sri Lanka for the way it fought an enemy which in their expert knowledge could not be militarily defeated, take note. Our Foreign Minister is now armed and ready to press the button just like Kim Jong-un did last week sending his latest toy right into the Pacific Ocean to join the shoals of tuna which the Japanese turn into delicious sashimi.
Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana said he knows when to play the ace. My fear is that somebody else is more likely to play the joker. It is not that some have not been playing the joker over and over again, turning Sri Lankan foreign policy into a tragic-comedy, defying sense and sensibility.
So what is this ace that Marapana has armed himself with and thinks he can break the bank? Well, it is the information which Lord Naseby had been able to wrench out of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) from the war time confidential despatches sent by UK's Defence Attache' in Colombo to the FCO and the defence establishment.
These vital despatches, despite being heavily redacted to save the British Government from diplomatic embarrassment, present a different picture of the last six months of the war against the LTTE, especially with regard to the number of civilian casualties, portrayed by Sri Lanka's critics.
The number of civilian casualties as assessed by Defence Attache' Lt. Col Anton Gash based on figures he had been able to put together with the help of information obtained from knowledgeable sources on the ground, amounts to between 7,000 to 8,000.
This is far, far less than the speculative 40,000 or more touted by some uninformed persons who served as 'experts' to then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and other parties determined to inflate the number of casualties as props to their prejudices and one-sided narratives.
What is so intriguing about this ace as Marapana calls it, is the summary treatment of it initially by the foreign ministry in a statement it made in or about October 25. On that occasion the ministry tried to dismiss-rather arrogantly too — the results of Lord Naseby's three-year struggle to get at these despatches of the British Defence Attache' in Colombo, particularly those sent to London during the closing stages of the war when the LTTE was using the Tamil civilians it had corralled, literally as cannon fodder.
In fact, I had read the highly 'censored' despatches made available to Lord Naseby some weeks before he actually used them at the Lords debate on October 12 to buttress his case. His arguments clearly presented a counter narrative to that propagated by the UK and US governments, the main architects of UNHRC Resolution 30/1, which were highly critical of Sri Lanka and its security forces. They proposed measures inimical to Sri Lanka which the yahapalana government tamely accepted by co-sponsoring the resolution.
Without being grateful for what the Lord had done to undermine the doctored case against Sri Lanka that western governments, the media and human rights activists had put together, the ministry in its peculiar statement seemed to go out of its way to belittle the result of the Naseby initiative.
As I said in a previous column it is surely a rare foreign ministry that, responding to a media query on a serious matter that has not only engulfed Sri Lanka but has been, and still is, an unsettled issue for sections of the international community including the UN, would try to treat the deaths of civilians in war in such a cavalier manner.
The Foreign Ministry treats the death of thousand of Sri Lankan civilians in a disastrous and debilitating war like a plaything and with no interest in trying to reach the truth. One thought that the then foreign minister by co-sponsoring Resolution 30/1 had agreed to establish a Truth Commission. Is not trying to arrive at the truth with regard to civilian casualties of war and how it happened, a crucial task of any commission established to search for the truth?
Is it not of particular importance to the people of Sri Lanka bombarded with information (concocted or otherwise) by external sources that accuse its security forces of genocidal intent or deliberate killings, to know whether there is any truth in these accusations and whether the deaths were as high as 40,000 and even more according to some?
Having pointed a finger at a "few individuals" who might feel good about what Lord Naseby was able to squeeze out of his own foreign office, surely it is a duty the Foreign Ministry owes the public to identify these "few individuals" who seem to have been elated by Lord Naseby's disclosures which deflate some of the accusations against Sri Lanka's security forces.
The whole tenor and tone of the ministry statement is that those who are elated and even overjoyed by what Lord Naseby had unearthed with much diligence are somehow traitorous for supporting the Naseby initiative.
After having put both of its feet in its open mouth, the foreign ministry tried to retract by pulling one foot out a couple of days later. But by that time the damage had been done because by then the media was digging into why the government was remaining silent over the Naseby disclosures. After all they provided vital evidence that ended the accusations levelled by our so-called 'friends' the UK and US which the UNP was vigorously cultivating.
The "few individuals" that the Foreign Ministry alluded to had a few days later grown to include President Sirisena and State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake. Admittedly the government was late in recognising the value of what Lord Naseby had unearthed or there were attempts by some outside the ministry manoeuvring to downplay the Naseby findings.
It must be said in favour of State Minister Vasantha Senanayake who was the first to take cognizance of the value of the Naseby findings which his own ministry possibly dictated to by an unseen hand was trying desperately to bury. He wrote an official letter thanking the British peer.
On November 2 President Sirisena wrote to Lord Naseby thanking him for his help to Sri Lanka. Lord Naseby told me that the President's November 2 letter reached him at the House of Lords delivered by our High Commission in London on November 21. Perhaps the Foreign Ministry and its satellite missions still rely on carrier pigeons for delivery.
So now having done its best to denigrate Lord Naseby's efforts on behalf of Sri Lanka which the British peer did out of his genuine interest in Sri Lanka, Foreign Minister Marapana who remained silent all those weeks until the foreign ministry vote came up in parliament, has also decided to cling on to the wagon.
He has now realised he has an ace in his hand. He is only waiting for that singularly apposite moment to play it. Why? Because otherwise our critics would prepare a defence against it to destroy its impact. Minister Marapana does not realise that he is not at the bar table or even the card table. The last time he engaged in some advocacy in parliament speaking on the Avant Garde issue he had to throw in the towel and his portfolio.
Surely he must realise that this 'ace' he is trying to keep up his sleeve is now rather passe' in that it has been out in the open for six weeks or so. The arguments are well known here and Lord Naseby's entire speech is available in toto in the British parliament's Hansard. Lord Naseby has been interviewed by TV and he has said his piece.
Doesn't Marapana realise that the recent story published by Associated Press of some 50 Tamil asylum seekers who claimed to have been tortured by Sri Lankan security and played out in the media here and elsewhere was an attempt to divert attention from the Naseby story, was manipulated by the Tamil diaspora and some human rights activists?
By the time our Foreign Ministry and some of its diplomutts scattered around wake up to meeting and countering such media manipulation the sun would begin to set in the east. This foreign ministry is more concerned with covering up its tracks and scratching each other's back.
Lord Naseby faced bureaucratic obstruction from the British Foreign Office when he invoked UK's Freedom of Information Act to obtain the information he sought.
Our own Right to Information Act which the Editors' Guild fought for years to get on the statute book and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe advocated for nearly two decades, was made law by this yahapalana government.
The government rightly claims the RTI Act as one of the most valuable pieces of legislation that it successfully piloted through parliament.
But there are increasing signs that bureaucratic obstructionists are trying to undermine the public's right to seek and receive information so that the dark dealings of ministry bureaucrats will not reach the public.
As Lord Naseby once told me ahead of launching his quest for the Anton Gash despatches there will be bureaucrats standing in the way but one must be prepared to go up the totem pole to higher authorities and contest the decisions of officials and overcome their barriers. The same would have to be done to our own buroocrats who are trying to nullify the public's right to know in the belief that they are the final arbiters of what the public needs to know.
It would not surprise the public if they hear stories of officials whose backbone needs straightening playing around with technologically advanced mobile phones to hasten communications in the furtherance of favours. Large scale bribery and corruption are not the only obstacles that stand in the way of clean government. Officialdom has a hand in undermining the transparency, accountability and meritocracy that the government promised the people.
Now that the State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake has played a lead role in negating his ministry's attempt to undercut the Naseby initiative, he should take a hand in cleaning up his ministry and ensure that laws are obeyed and adhered to.


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Dining: Pizza for the Particular
I went looking for pizzas that would make the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana happy.
By John Heckathorn
Published: 2009.02.27 04:26 PM
Named for a 19th-century queen, a Margherita pizza is authentic Italian cuisine, its red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil echoing the colors of the Italian flag. Here in a near classic rendition by J.J. Dolan's.
Photo: Olivier Koning
In a world where pizza can be almost anything from barbecued chicken to "Hawaiian" pineapple and ham, Italy is trying to establish by law the definition of "a traditional Italian pizza."
The traditional Italian pizza evolved from the many ancient Mediterranean flatbreads—but not until the 18th century, when the population of Naples, Italy, finally realized that the tomatoes brought over from the New World weren't poisonous.
To be the real deal, insists the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, a pizza has to be made by hand of high-protein Italian flour, topped with genuine San Marzano tomato sauce and fresh buffalo mozzarella, baked in a wood-fired oven.
Forget pepperoni. You can have pizza marinara (tomato sauce, garlic, oregano and extra-virgin olive oil), or pizza Margherita, named in honor of Queen Margherita, who came to Naples on vacation in 1889 and, of course, sent out for a pizza. The chef added something special: buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil.
Now, tradition is one thing and being stuck in the past is another. I am not one of those who believe that food, to be good, has to be "authentic," as if recipes were once perfect and are fixed in time forever. If food didn't evolve, nobody would have invented the 18th-century Italian pizza in the first place. We'd still be stuck with ancient flatbreads, made with spelt and maybe some salt.
On the other hand, I am fond of pizza that at least nods to tradition, a hand-formed thin crust, quality toppings, the kind of pizza you find in restaurants and better drinking establishments. That's where I went pizza hunting this month.
J.J. Dolan's
1147 Bethel St. // 537-4992 // Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. // Street parking (good luck), major credit cards // www.jjdolans.com
The new J.J. Dolan's has become an instant institution, perhaps because the partners at the Chinatown watering hole already had a following—Danny Dolan was manager at O'Toole's and J.J. Niebuhr used to make pizza Friday nights at Murphy's.
Niebuhr's a Jersey boy, and New Jersey (OK, maybe New York as well) is the home of American-Italian food. I learned to love pizza in Jersey. The crust on a Jersey pizza is thin, but pliable enough to fold, and tasty in its own right.
There's thin-crust pizza in California, sure, but if you hold a slice of West Coast pizza, it sticks out flat—as rigid a piece of corrugated paper and just as delicious.
On the East Coast, traditional Italian pizzas evolved—they got bigger, cooked in gas ovens, served on metal pans, with a bigger variety of toppings. But Niebuhr makes a Margherita—sauce, fresh mozzarella (cow's milk, not buffalo's), tomatoes and basil. It's got life, freshness, flavor. Of course, it's not entirely traditional. He adds some whole-milk mozzarella. "People gotta have cheese," he says.
Unlike the traditional recipe, but like every East Coast pizzeria, Niebuhr adds oil to his high-protein flour dough. The oil adds flavor. And, if you ask me, real pizza leaves a little grease mark when you pick it up from a paper plate.
Niebuhr makes some totally American inventions, including an excellent spinach and garlic pie. His signature is probably his "Giacomo"—sausage, pepperoni, salami and olives—which would be perfect if he'd just upgrade from canned ripe olive slices.
Still, start with the Margherita, which costs $16 and generously feeds two, maybe three. The queen would be proud.
Most people seem to drink beer here. "Cheap beer and pizza, it's a recession buster," says Niebuhr. But while you're at it, get Dolan to make you a classic martini or a bourbon old fashioned. The man can mix drinks.
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"Deeply Saddened": Virat Kohli Pays Tribute To Sushma Swaraj
Updated: 07 August 2019 12:45 IST
தமிழில் படிக்க বাংলায় পড়ুন
Virat Kohli paid tribute to the former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who died on Tuesday after suffering a massive cardiac arrest.
Posted by Samarth Srivastava
Virat Kohli offered condolences to Sushma Swaraj. © AFP
Virat Kohli took to Twitter to pay tribute to the former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who died on Tuesday after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. "Deeply saddened by the news of Sushma Ji's demise, may her soul rest in peace," Virat Kohli tweeted. The 67-year-old's sudden death led to an outpour of emotions on the social media as various sports personalities expressed shock and grief and recalled the moments when they got to interact with her. Other sportspersons including Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Saina Mirza etc also paid condolences to the leader.
Deeply saddened by the news of Sushma Ji's demise, may her soul rest in peace.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 7, 2019
"I'm beyond aggrieved at the passing away of Sushma Swaraj A veteran politician and a pillar of the BJP, she was loved by everyone. She will be remembered as the most endearing and helpful politicians of recent times. My condolences to her family and friends. A huge loss for India," said cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir.
I'm beyond aggrieved at the passing away of Smt. #SushmaSwaraj A veteran politician and a pillar of the BJP, she was loved by everyone. She will be remembered as the most endearing & helpful politicians of recent times. My condolences to her family and friends. A huge loss for pic.twitter.com/JdI0vPxRJP
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) August 6, 2019
"Heartfelt condolences to family and admirers of Sushma Swarajji," tweeted former Indian opener Virender Sehwag.
Heartfelt condolences to family and admirers of #SushmaSwaraj ji. Om Shanti pic.twitter.com/c3RTBJxgXe
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 6, 2019
"Shocked by the sudden demise of Sushma Swarajji. In a political career spanning over 50 years, she touched a billion hearts with her strength, grace and compassion. Her clutter breaking approach as the External Affairs Minister will always be revered and remembered," said former Union Minister and Olympic medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
Shocked by the sudden demise of Sushma Swaraj Ji.
In a political career spanning over 50yrs, she touched a billion hearts with her strength, grace & compassion. Her clutter breaking approach as the External Affairs Minister will always be revered & remembered.
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) August 6, 2019
"Shocked at the passing away of my dear Sushma Swarajji. Had the honour of working as the brand ambassador of the 'girl child' campaign under her able guidance and will cherish my personal relationship with her forever. R.I.P. ma'am," said tennis star Sania Mirza.
Shocked at the passing away of my dear Sushma Swaraj Ji. Had the honour of working as the brand ambassador of the 'girl child' campaign under her able guidance and will cherish my personal relationship with her forever. R.I.P. ma'am.
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) August 6, 2019
Fierce, result-driven and a people's person - she was all of that and more. A true leader. Still unable to process the news of Sushma Swarajji's passing away. Extremely disturbed! A big loss for our nation. May you rest in peace!" said Indian cricketer Suresh Raina.
Fierce, result-driven & a people's person - she was all of that & more. A true leader. Still unable to process the news of #sushmaswaraj Ji's passing away. Extremely disturbed! A big loss for our nation. May you rest in peace! pic.twitter.com/aLUnXfBvi4
— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) August 6, 2019
"One of my favourite politicians. Lots to admire. Heartfelt condolences. Huge loss. Rest in peace," said cricketer-turned commentator Aakash Chopra.
One of my favourite politicians.....lots to admire. Heartfelt condolences. Huge loss. Rest in peace.... #sushmaswaraj
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) August 6, 2019
"Here in the West Indies and just heard the terrible news of passing away of #SushmaSwarajji. Condolences to her family, gone too soon," said former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif who is currently in West Indies officiating as one of the commentators.
Here in the West Indies and just heard the terrible news of passing away of #SushmaSwaraj ji. Condolences to her family, gone too soon pic.twitter.com/Mp2zRP6GBa
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) August 6, 2019
Topics mentioned in this article Virat Kohli Cricket Virender Sehwag Gautam Gambhir
Swaraj's sudden death led to an outpour of emotions on the social media
Virat Kohli said he is deeply saddened at the passing away of Swaraj
Aakash Chopra called Sushma Swaraj as one his favourite politicians
India vs Australia: Rohit Sharma Scores 29th ODI Century In Series Decider
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PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY: Intelligent wells - Low-end and high-end systems, and how they work
Where is the technology going?
Weatherford's remotely operated sliding sleeve (ROSS) is a component of its downhole instrumentation and control system (DIACS), a remotely operated reservoir data acquisition and control system.Click here to enlarge image
As more intelligent well systems are installed in wells onshore and offshore, service companies are getting a clearer idea of how this market will develop in the future. While earlier ideas for how smart well systems would be applied were ahead of their time, simpler systems could mean as many as 80% of the fields offshore will be equipped with some type of intelligent completion in the future.
As much as any recent technological innovation, the advent of smart well systems exemplifies the process of adopting a new technology. While early systems were fraught with problems, more recent applications have had a success rate that the major operators find attractive.
Still, there is a trade-off. The operator can save money down the road by spending money up front, as long as the system installed is reliable, and provides the benefits required. In some cases, it is difficult to know ahead of time exactly what a well will need from an intelligent system. But having the system in the ground provides an operator with different options.
Is less more?
The high up-front cost of smart systems means the technology is not for everyone. A well must have the reserves potential to justify such an investment and, at the same time, be structured in a way that a smart system will increase the recoverable reserves.
In looking at this model, Clark Robison, Product Line Manager for Weatherford, saw an opportunity for his company to change this market model. Robison said he believes the service industry has been caught up in a race toward new technology and lost sight of the simpler solutions that could benefit a broad range of lower-end wells. After joining Weatherford, the first thing Robison did was change the direction of the company's remotely operated completion systems (ROCS) efforts. Rather than competing head to head with others on high-end systems that measure flow, temperature, and pressure downhole, as well as remotely control sliding sleeves, Robison took a basic approach to the solutions. "They were definitely headed down the electro-hydraulic track. I redirected all that," he said.
A critical component to these remote systems is the downhole electronics. These electronics remotely control the movement of sleeves, provide power for, and transmit the data from, the sensors. The electronics also are the most vulnerable part of the intelligent system because the components are heat sensitive. A major part of the technology is designing electronic gauges that can handle the extreme conditions downhole.
Smaller projects
This is one of Schlumberger's intelligent completions with hydraulic valves and permanent pressure and temperature sensors.Click here to enlarge image
Robison said he realized that, in some cases, there was no option but to install the equipment. With proper testing and design, the equipment will work - this had been proven. The problem is that a high price tag comes with the reliability of downhole electronic components. In many cases, this places the systems out of reach of smaller oil and gas development projects.
"What if they (the electronic components) were eliminated?" was Robison's first thought. He focused attention on an all-hydraulic system that can isolate zones using tried-and-true technology developed for subsurface safety valves decades ago. Such a system wouldn't include downhole flow measurement, or temperature and pressure measurement. But, Robison said, there are other ways to gather this information, and the balance is that when these components are eliminated, the cost of the system plummets and reliability skyrockets.
Robison said he is the first to admit the systems he is talking about are limited. The whole point, he claims, is this limitation. Why install more equipment than is absolutely necessary. There will always be a market for the high-end designs, but those companies who have in-house departments developing permanent downhole gauges are better equipped to compete on these projects.
At the same time, because Weatherford does not have such a division, it is not inclined to include sensors in its designs. If sensors are required, Weatherford could align with a provider and have access to state-of-the-art equipment. The key is to look at these jobs from a less-is-more perspective.
Remotely operated completions
An illustration of WellDynamic's infinitely variable interval control valve.Click here to enlarge image
Weatherford believes that this approach will make remotely operated completion systems (ROCS) a viable option for as many as 80% of the wells in the Gulf of Mexico. The basic system uses an electric umbilical to activate hydraulics at the wellhead that can open or close sleeves, effectively isolating flow from different zones.
This allows multiple completions to be performed at the same time and can combine production enhancement activities such as frac/pac for all zones of a well with only one crew mobilization. Because there are no downhole electronics, it is possible to repair or replace any subsea electrical component. Everything below the wellhead is hydraulic.
For flow measurement, Robison said all but one zone can be shut in using the sleeves, so only the single zone is flowing. This flow can then be measured at the surface. This equipment is standard issue on all production platforms and is not only inexpensive to maintain, compared to downhole sensors, but very accurate.
Not all reservoirs will respond well when zones are shut in. This process also interrupts the production stream. Robison's point is that, for some projects, the cost of shutting in is less than the savings of using such a simple intelligent system, and the long-term benefits of remote control. Because this design does not include downhole electronics, there are no pressure or temperature readings downhole. Robison said this is part of the cost savings and reliability.
There are fields where this data may be critical, but for others it is an expense that can be eliminated. He said if needed, such sensors can be installed. For the full-blown package, Weatherford could align with an outside company and provide the flow measurement downhole. The point is there are a number of options that center around the specific requirements of a particular well.
For wells where the downhole sensors can be eliminated, Robison said a robust, reliable all-hydraulic remotely controlled system should be provided. For wells with a production platform installed over them, there are a number of options for downhole sensors that do not require permanent installation. Wireline or slick line could be used to run sensors as could a design that incorporates a downhole tractor to draw the slick line into horizontal wells. These solutions avoid the hazards and cost of installing electronics downhole.
Shattering a perception
Weatherford isn't the only company that has developed and installed all-hydraulic systems. In part that is a benefit, because these other systems have been tried and tested and have a good reputation among operators. A company is more likely to approve an all-hydraulic ROCS with fewer tests, than a custom designed intelligent well system that includes downhole gauges and sensors.
The design, building, testing, and operation of such a system is also expensive. There are a limited number of people qualified to build and operate these systems, Robison said. To compete for the best talent in the industry, in these specific areas, is expensive. Rather than join in the competition for higher end systems, Weatherford has chosen to focus on providing systems that are inexpensive enough to be applied to smaller projects, yet reliable.
To launch this effort, Robison said he approached onshore operators in Bakersfield, California. These producers are operating wells he describes as "the lowest of the low end." The reasoning was that if Weatherford could design a system that would make economic sense for these operators, they would be able to help anyone. The goal was to install a remotely controlled system that could isolate zones so that frac/pacs could be performed on multiple zones with only one mobilization of the service crew. This would enhance production without the additional cost of mobilizing the service company to frac each zone separately.
The company is holding discussions with North Sea and Gulf of Mexico opertors, and there are tests underway on equipment that should be completed by summer. Even in this area, Robison said, Weatherford is being very conservative. "We're not trying to design the end-all, do-all sleeve," he said. This also cuts down on costs.
Assuming the tests are successful, Robison said they will target older shelf wells in the Gulf of Mexico - those that would not traditionally be considered candidates for such advanced technology. "The industry has a perception that has to be shattered," he said.
High-end market status
The installation of ABB's sensor mandrel on Shell's Brunei platform.Click here to enlarge image
If Weatherford is after the low-end market, then Halliburton is rapidly pursuing the high-end, high-tech market. With more than 30 SmartWells installed, Halliburton is at the head of a growing market. With early reliability concerns behind it, the company has now shifted its efforts, according to Ian Phillips, Strategic Marketing Director for WellDynamics.
In the spring of last year, Halliburton and Shell International E&P set out to form a joint-venture called WellDynamics. Due to close in April, WellDynamics combines Halliburton's SmartWell intelligent completion technology with Shell's iWell well technology. The goal is to bind together the downhole measurement, inflow control, downhole processing, and communications technologies of the operator and service company.
When PES, now owned by Halliburton, formed a consortium to develop the SCRAMs system (surface-controlled reservoir analysis and management system), it established the goal of measuring pressure and temperature, as well as controlling the flow downhole. SCRAMs, became the company's most sophisticated SmartWell system. Not only does the SCRAMs system accomplish these functions, it features full redundancy.
This redundancy was another feature of early designs, and it is still a major consideration, since it increases reliability. Another priority is the installation of downhole pressure sensors. Those were the two main early interpretations of what a smart well might be, circa 1995. Since then, the development of different ways to control devices downhole has evolved.
Redundancy at cost
The downhole equipment on the SCRAMS system is electro-hydraulic powered and has full redundancy, which makes it extremely reliable, but also increases the cost. In applications where the operator is willing to accept a bit more risk, simpler hydraulic systems can be used to remotely operate the downhole control valves (infinitely variable chokes as well as 4-position sliding sleeves). This does not require redundancy or downhole electronics and as a result is less expensive.
PES has developed a variety of such systems that offer the customer different levels of functionality, which should be matched to the requirements for a particular application. The simplest of these has a single hydraulic line that can apply pressure to operate a ball valve. This is a simple lubricator valve that operates as an open or close device.
The recently developed digital hydraulic system uses three hydraulic lines. By applying pressure to different combinations of these lines, an operator can control up to six distinct downhole devices. While six is a lot more than one, the full-blown SCRAMs can control up to 127 addressable downhole devices.
In the area of data acquisition, Phillips said, a lot of one-off investigations are underway around the world. A combined pressure and resistivity system actually images the fluid flow in the reservoir. This information is used to control the placement of fractures.
The UK company Sensa uses fiber optic lines that give users a temperature profile up and down a well. Most of the data sensing is in what Phillips calls the "early prototype stage." It is roughly three to four years behind the flow control systems. With the exception of pressure gauges, these technologies will have a half-dozen field applications in 2001.
Who needs what
One of the biggest confusions in the market is the short label "SmartWell." This term covers a wide range of applications, and the asset owner needs to be clear on the benefits. Overall, the goal is to get more oil out of the ground. Phillips said there are claims that enhanced recoverable reserves could be as high as 50%, but he says that operators should be confident they can increase reserves recovery before committing to such a system.
Depending on the specific system, well installation prices can vary from $100,000 to $1.5 million. This is an up-front cost that has to be weighed against the potential increased recovery. WellDynamics says it provides operators with application screening services that identify the value proposition for field development options where smart well equipment is proposed.
There also is the question of reliability. While these systems have greatly improved in reliability, there is always a certain level of risk that must be factored into the equation.
Degree of risk
To get a clearer idea of exactly what the relationship is between these systems and improved recovery, Halliburton has teamed with Shell to look at data from the operator's SmartWell systems. "They are pretty comfortable now. The reason they got into this business (WellDynamics) was that they see a huge potential benefit for their assets," Phillips said.
There are basically two objectives to the SmartWell concept, Phillips said, both are essential to getting the most out of the system. The first is understanding the reservoir. It is important to know how the fluid flows through the rock so that the operator knows how to optimize his downhole system.
Along with good reservoir data, the operator needs a reliable control valve system that can make various adjustments. This allows the operator to fine tune production. "It's the sensors that are the underpinning of the system and future infill field development," he said, "but the flow control that actually turns the potential into value."
Developing a deepwater field using traditional completion technology may mean some very expensive intervention down the road. To avoid this, a smart well is clearly the way to go, Phillips said. It offers a straight operational benefit and early cost recovery. When the well is being constructed, an operator may not know which zone to choke back and which to continually produce. By installing the smart system, a producer can realize a savings through increased recoverable reserves.
WellDynamics has installed over 50 systems worldwide, but not all are the high-end, SCRAM systems. Approximately 25% are SCRAM systems, and 30% are basic or mini-hydraulic systems, meaning single hydraulic lines. The other 45% are direct hydraulic systems. These are twin hydraulic line systems. WellDynamics is about to install its first digital hydraulic system in the North Sea.
The Norwegian sector of the North Sea has traditionally been the most enthusiastic market for the high-end systems, according to Phillips. This area has large reservoirs, and a long tradition of trying out new technology. However, with installations worldwide, WellDynamics is confident that the benefits of SmartWells are equally applicable to all reservoir types and locations.
Reassessing demand
While the full-blown, high-end intelligent well systems (multi-position, reservoir parameter sensors, and system diagnostics) were initially thought of by some to be what the operators wanted, this view changed over the past two years.
According to Brian Drakeley, Business Development Manager Reservoir Management Solutions at ABB Offshore Systems, his company is developing a number of fit-for-purpose systems that include simple on-off sliding sleeves, with no sensors. Drakeley said such systems meet the needs of certain reservoirs and also are easier for the operators to sell internally to their asset teams.
Asset teams see these simple, direct hydraulic systems as less risky and less costly. Outside of ABB, Drakeley said other providers have been taking a similar approach, and there is a successful installation and operational track record being built up by these low-end systems, which ultimately can only help with the long-term acceptance of intelligent well technology.
Net-sourced assistance
A joint industry project (JIP) data base, called Intelligent Completions On the Net (ICON), is operated on the internet and contains detailed information on the intelligent systems installed in wells all over the world, as well as details of the product offerings and development activities of the member companies.
The database also includes sensor installations as well as full intelligent well systems including remotely operated downhole valves and chokes. Drakeley said a limited amount of the data is available to service providers, while operator members have full access to the data. The goal of this operator and service company JIP is to allow the customer to rationally evaluate the risk and reward associated with different levels of intelligent completions.
Aside from the reliability question, Drakeley said most of the wells just don't need the full blown, high-end systems that are available. There is a much broader market in terms of number of applications for the simple systems with sliding sleeves and a direct hydraulic link.
In the sensor end of the design, Drakeley said just about any well could make use of permanent downhole temperature and pressure gauges. For subsea applications, it is assumed downhole gauges will be permanent, whether they are electronic or fiber-optic based. Operators feel that the benefits of such systems, for subsea wells, justify the cost.
Looking to the future, Drakeley said ABB is developing its own line of permanent downhole fiber optic sensing solutions. The first ABB downhole pressure and temperature fiber optic measurement system installation in a live well took place in March 2000.
While the initial cost of installing such systems may be higher, Drakeley points out that fiber optic sensors remove electronics from the downhole array. This increases the intrinsic reliability of the system, and may ultimately result in more robust, less expensive systems, as volume usage increases. One of the fibers can take readings from multiple points in the well.
Micro-seismic
In addition to pressure and temperature measurement, Drakeley said ABB sees a market for the permanent installation of a fiber optic system that additionally provides micro-seismic data. Drakeley said such a system would allow for improved production management (altering the production/injection flow rate of zones using downhole chokes based on the real-time data from the reservoir, as opposed to data from only the well bore).
With micro-seismic, it is possible, for example, to track a water front before it reaches the wellbore and react to avoid watering out. Such micro-seismic interpretation work has been done for some time with temporarily deployed sensing systems. Drakeley said he sees inclusion of permanent micro-seismic sensing in such systems, as being at least a year away from actual deployment. There are also still two main challenges to overcome in the use of fiber optics for downhole sensing in subsea wells. The first challenge is designing fiber optic subsea connectors for wells with horizontal trees. Another issue is installing the systems in wells that use multi-stage completions and therefore have a need for downhole fiber optic wet connects at the packers. Both of these needs are being addressed.
As the technology continues to advance and the market continues to grow, there should be a subtle drop in price, particularly with increased competition. The greater demand for these systems would help the various service companies recover their initial research and development investments and thus compete across the board at lower prices. Drakeley said that while the market is growing, it has not yet reached this point. In addition to lower prices for the same systems, Drakeley said there will be a wider variety of systems offered in the future.
Pricing schemes based on system availability/functionality over time also are being offered to operators to help overcome concerns over system reliability.
Customer-driven systems
Baker Oil Tools worked through a customer advisory committee when determining the direction to take with its intelligent well systems, according to Director of Marketing and Technology, Intelligent Wells Systems, Jack Angel. The customer input went beyond the system capabilities to include such details as the size tubulars the industry would require (5 1/2-in. valve inside 9 5/8-in. casing), he said. While this was helpful early on, the needs of the industry are broadening. Angel said there are now a number of requests for valve sizes of 3.5 and 4.5-in. Beyond just the sizing of the systems, Angel said the industry appears to be adopting the systems much quicker than BOT had anticipated.
Quick pickup
The assumption was that the operators in the Gulf of Mexico would take a wait-and-see attitude since the region is known as conservative when it comes to adopting what it classifies as unproven new technology. This is not the case, Angel said not only are the GoM operators beginning to adopt the systems, but they also want them for subsea wells. He said the systems are an integral part of the industry's march into deepwater. To make such projects viable requires new technology. In addition, Angel said the operators are watching the bottom line very closely and realize subsea wells are far less expensive than those requiring a surface facility. That is unless they require intervention down the road. The chief benefits of installing the intelligent equipment include eliminating the cost of acquiring an intervention rig, preventing lost production during intervention, and reducing the risk of water cut affecting long-term production.
By using this system an operator can complete all the zones of a well in one mobilization, then either co-mingle production from the different zones or shut in selected zones of the well. All of these activities have an impact on the payback from the well. At the same time, the systems are less likely to damage the formation near the well bore because conventional intervention work is avoided.
In addition, Angel said the healthy price of oil and gas has allowed operators to spend a little more to bring production online sooner. In a way, the intelligent well systems are an investment in future production. Angel said the operators can justify the additional expense up front because it can be covered by increased early production, which will go to market at the relatively healthy prices now in place. Down the road these systems will mean production can be optimized regardless of the price of the commodity since the infrastructure is already in place. This reduction in operating expenditures is a sort of insurance policy against a future drop in energy prices, Angel said.
While it is useful to open and close a zone of a well, Angel said it is much more beneficial to have a choke valve with infinitely variable positions to allow production not only to be opened or closed, but "fine-tuned." This is one aspect of the system application that is lagging in Angel's opinion.
"We thought pressure management would be better embraced by this time," he said.
While these systems exist, so far Angel said he has not come across a production model that optimizes them. He said Baker Oil Tools has the sensors to gather well data and the sliding sleeves to make fine adjustments in the production rate. What is missing is the software to interpret this data and recommend changes in the sleeve settings. The goal is to tie the data directly to the sleeve setting through a program that can make real-time adjustments based on changes in the production rate or composition. This is not yet in place, but Angel remains confident. "It's going to happen," he said.
While advancements in the applications modules involved in this system continue to progress, Angel said most installations are of a much simpler design. These direct hydraulic installations are simple open and close designs with conventional well monitoring systems. Angel said these designs may not be as glamorous as the one described above, but they play an important role in the development of intelligent completions. As more of these basic systems are successfully applied, industry will gain confidence in the technology. As this comfort level rises it will be easier to approach the customer with the more advanced designs. Baker Oil Tools will be ready when the time comes, Angel said. The company's new integrated, all-electric system is capable of monitoring and controlling up to 12 zones in one well while taking pressure, temperature, and mass flow measurements.
Beyond the concepts advanced by the service companies, Angel said he is impressed with novel applications of the simple sliding sleeve designs. In light of all the ways remote controlled sleeves can serve the industry Angel readily admits there will be numerous applications no one sees coming. "We don't know what we don't know about what the future applications will be," he said.
Role of reliability
Dan Johnson, Manager of Completions Technology for OSCA said he believes the high price of initial intelligent systems combined with reliability issues early on left a sour taste in the industry's mouth. While the prices are coming down as more variations of these systems become available, there is still the question of long-term reliability. "Reliability is the big key," he said.
From this perspective, Johnson said customers seem to associate downhole electronics with problems. All-hydraulic systems, on the other hand, are more economical and use technology that date back more than 40 years. This simplicity eliminates the need for redundancy and further lowers the price.
An intelligent completion, even with the simplest direct hydraulic, two-position valve adds substantially to the cost of a completion. Johnson said this cost has to be recovered in either savings down the road in terms of eliminating the need for intervention, production of multiple fields from a common production facility, or in increased early, or overall, production. It would appear that, for a variety of clients, the economics of such a system make sense.
Not just deepwater
While there is an overall industry push into deepwater developments, where the cost of intervention on subsea wells is all but prohibitive, Johnson said his company also is enjoying success in shallow water fields. A number of customers have asked for the all-hydraulic systems in their shallow-water subsea wells.
Johnson said that subsea, in general, will be the growth market for all types of intelligent downhole systems. The key is that a subsea well can be tied back to an existing surface-piercing facility for less than it cost to complete it to a purpose-built facility. The caveat is intervention requirements.
If it is necessary to intervene in such a well to complete a second zone or to move a sliding sleeve, for example, then the cost in terms of rig time and lost production typically negate the savings of a subsea tieback. With intelligent systems, a driller can complete all the zones of a multi-zone well at one time, without the burden of producing all these zones initially.
In addition to these savings, Johnson said wells with distributive temperature sensors and a chemical mandrel can pump production enhancement chemicals to a particular zone to manage production. Because the subsea wells are becoming such a strong market for this technology, Johnson said the Gulf of Mexico appears to be the current hotbed of activity. Prior to this, the North Sea was an early adopter of the more high-end technology. Johnson said he sees applications for future fields offshore West Africa and Brazil.
In the area of sensors, Johnson agrees with the opinion that the future lies in fiber optic technology. Distributive temperature, pressure, and flow can be measured using one fiber, which reduces the burden on designing downhole systems with multiple through paths.
Also, with only one line in the ground, for well monitoring, it is less likely problems will develop. In addition to monitoring well conditions, Johnson said the fiber optics are being tested for use in determining the position of a moveable valve. This is one of the advantages of an electronic system that is lost with a hydraulic design. "I see fiber optics as the wave of the future," he said.
Permanent sensors, valves
For Schlumberger, the purchase of Camco International in 1998 set into motion many of the systems the company provides today. Marketing Manager for Reservoir Monitoring and Control John Algeroy in Schlumberger's Reservoir Completions group said that some of these technologies were developed in the North Sea for the Norwegian operator Norsk Hydro. Not only does this region have a reputation for adopting new technology, said Algeroy, but there were certain tax incentives that encouraged development of and investment in new technology.
While Schlumberger has been installing permanent downhole gauges since the mid-1970s, the direction the company took after the Camco acquisition was to form an integrated advanced completions group. This brought together all of the company's development of downhole equipment and technologies in one central location.
The result has been that while the company is a leader in downhole gauges, it has also installed a number of control valves with 100% survivability to date. At the same time, Algeroy said, Schlumberger developed an all-electric well with downhole control valves and sensors. There are a number of advantages to such a system, including the ability to:
Monitor the position of the valve
Open the valve to an infinite number of positions
Minimize the number of wellhead penetrations.
An all-electric system may seem more complex than the simple hydraulic system, but in addition to the above benefits, it also allows the control of wells (in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico), from a desktop in Europe or Houston, or anywhere in the world.
Algeroy said he is confident the advantages of such a system will be realized by the market place following BP's example with the world's first all-electric well installed at the Wytch Farm field in England in August last year.
With this system, automation can be introduced into the process. Algeroy said that the integrated sensors in the downhole valve can be set so that at a certain value, the valve position will be adjusted automatically. This means production will automatically remain within an optimal range.
Reservoir model first
While the cost of such advanced systems requires a certain type application to be justified, Schlumberger's approach is to first design a reservoir model then build a custom system to optimize production and enhance recovery.
Several systems may be brought forward from the very complex to the simple. Thus, the client will be allowed to choose based on key issues like risk and return on the investment. In general, these systems will reduce client completion expenses because multiple zones can be perforated up front with the commingling of production, while controlling each zone. Not only is the production rate increased, but also by manipulating the downhole valves, the threat of water cut can be controlled and the gas/oil ratio optimized for the various zones.
Algeroy said once the equipment is installed, it not only helps optimize production, but also allows the operator contingency options for unforeseen events. The downhole sensors can monitor real-time well conditions and identify trends in production that could anticipate the need to make adjustments before, for example, water cut becomes an issue. This allows the operator to take an active role rather than a reactive position.
In any case, Algeroy said Schlumberger's advanced understanding of reservoir modeling allows the producer to weigh the cost and risk of the equipment against the enhanced recovery represented in the model. This data also helps the producer justify the concept internally to his organization, Algeroy said.
Beyond the deepwater and subsea tieback market, Algeroy said there is a growing market for this type of technology in older fields. Wells that already have a surface facility and have been onstream long enough to pay down their infrastructure can see a great benefit from enhanced production technology.
Using this equipment might lead to much improved overall recoverable reserves at a time when the reservoir was thought to be all but played out. Again, this would be handled on a case-by-case basis beginning with an analysis of the reservoir. This study would allow Schlum-berger to design a system that would improve the recoverable reserves and fit into the budget of such a project.
A key to this is the ability to see into the reservoir beyond the wellbore boundaries with specially designed sensors. This allows the operator to monitor the changes in the reservoir and better optimize the well.
Downhole sensors
Focus of efforts by The Wood Group have been on intelligent downhole sensors that can either communicate downhole or with the surface, according to David Blacklaw, General Manager of Wood Group Production Technol-ogy. Wood Group has been installing sensors downhole since the mid-1980s and worked with other companies intelligent completions. "We've been involved in fiber optic (sensors) since 1996," he said.
While other companies have installed fiber optic distributive temperature gauges, Blacklaw said these typically do not go into the production bore. Wood Group has made many installations of sensors with access to the production bore. Blacklaw said these are more complex and difficult to install. "We see our role as taking the basic technology and making it something that will work in the real world," he said.
Anyone can get one of these sensors to work in the lab, Blacklaw said, but once installed in the wellbore, the equipment has to work reliably in a hostile environment for several years, without the possibility of access for maintenance. Reliability is key, and to get that right requires a design that can stand up to the downhole environment.
Heat is the hurdle
OsCA's new TIP-PT Packer.Click here to enlarge image
Downhole, temperature is the main enemy of electronic systems. In terms of the constraints of the environment, sealing technology is another major concern. Blacklaw said most seals are designed for short-term use rather than the life of the well. The sealing systems for these applications may be subjected to very low temperatures and pressures on the deck of the vessel then experience very high temperatures and pressures inside the well.
"You need to cover all the phases in the system's life in designing your sealing technology," he said. In addition to the seal, the mechanical packaging for the systems has to stand up to temperature, vibration, shock, etc. for a number of years.
Initially there was a lot of noise about the high-end systems, Blacklaw said, "but what we see through our contracts is what tends to work better in practice - that is, a simpler, more robust system." Wood Group has installed a system that combines Baker's hydraulic controlled sliding sleeves with Wood's pressure temperature systems. Such a direct hydraulic system is more robust, Blacklaw said, and costs about a quarter of what the high-end system would cost.
For this lower price, the system has some limitations, but Blacklaw pointed out he was able to save the client the cost of drilling an additional well. "In that case, we were able to put a simple, robust system in that was what the customer was looking for," he said. The companies, which have the full high-end systems, may tend to focus on these solutions, but for many wells a simpler design works well. "In practical terms, the wider market will be for the simple, robust systems that do the job and don't have all the bells and whistles," he said.
There will always be high-end applications where the operator needs finer control of the well, but these sophisticated systems with the high-end requirements will exist side-by-side with the lower end systems, which will see the majority of installations, according to Blacklaw.
While, initially, the industry was a little slow to adopt this new technology, Blacklaw said he believes this was a result of the industry slowdown at the time rather than a lack of faith. Currently, there is a lot more interest being shown in intelligent completions technology; although, it may still be a while before new jobs come on line. Blacklaw said completion contracts typically lag other areas when the industry picks up, so he hopes to see new orders coming in soon.
The lead time for the lower-end systems is shorter since they rely heavily on "tried and true components" where as the high-end systems use specially designed components and must undergo qualification testing of the hardware and the design, which is time consuming.
Down the road, Blacklaw said the industry would see a greater, more widespread use of the intelligent well systems. This will be a "horses for courses" situation, but the range of what is available will be considered for most wells, where as today, someone has to seek this out and make it their mission to include intelligent completions in a well. In the future, the intelligent completion options will be considered on most wells. While the cost of the high-end systems is prohibitive for most wells, Blacklaw said the price should come down in the future, making the technology more accessible across the board.
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Bill Ruckelshaus
Overlooked Security Risks of the M&A Rebound
Successful technology integration, post-merger, is tricky in any market, and never more so than with today's remote work environments and distributed IT infrastructure.
When the ongoing pandemic took root in the US, businesses and entire industries were turned upside down. Unsurprisingly, there was a significant slowdown in the number of tech mergers during the first quarter of 2020. Companies inwardly focused on pressing issues tied to their very survival — understanding market demand changes, countering downward pressures, and right-sizing teams and expenses accordingly.
As we speculate about a new normal, Bain & Co. expects deals will rebound to historic levels in the coming months. Whether it's to improve business efficiencies or access technologies to adapt to the new realities of work, Bain anticipates an uptick in deals in remote IT support, automation, artificial intelligence, and work collaboration tools.
While this should bring new life to companies, mergers and acquisitions will present challenges, as always. Successful post-merger integration is tricky in all markets, and more so in today's remote working environments with increasingly distributed IT infrastructures. Merging companies need to think differently to be successful and maintain network security protocols.
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Some of the biggest breaches of the last few years have occurred after large companies combined operations. Verizon's acquisition of Yahoo and Marriott's combination with Starwood come to mind, among many others. Often, it's subtle vulnerabilities, issues that have gone undiscovered in company IT environments for months or even years (e.g., unauthorized database access) that go on to create major headaches after the merger. When vulnerabilities go undetected during diligence and parties move quickly to consummate their transaction, serious security risks may be overlooked. In these cases, the number of customers whose private data could be exposed in a breach increases exponentially.
To balance speed and caution, M&A teams must take proactive steps to mitigate security risks throughout the transition phase.
When Companies Merge, Security Risks Multiply
Merging firms are often unaware of security issues or breaches in their networks until it's too late. The burden falls to both parties to perform a thorough cybersecurity assessment before, during, and after their networks are merged.
First, it's vital for all teams across both organizations to establish complete visibility throughout the expanding environment, including data centers, branch offices, cloud applications, and edge devices. This is crucial in order to gain a complete picture of both enterprises and help identify vulnerabilities. Establishing this shared source of information about everything happening on all networks enables businesses to break free from organizational silos that inhibit swift detection and resolution of IT security threats.
The next step is to detect and classify all assets across all environments. In particular, the proliferation of enterprise edge devices and the Internet of Things devices adds another layer of complexity to maintaining a secure infrastructure. Many of the billions of connected devices don't have built-in security measures, increasing their vulnerability to potential distributed denial-of-service or man-in-the-middle attacks.
Behavioral analytics can help mitigate this issue, as it allows security analysts to know when intruders are still present and identify what information has been compromised. Armed with timely information, security teams can detect threats in real time and provide contextualized data for rapid investigation and response.
It's also essential to close security gaps that emerge with cloud infrastructure. The cloud dramatically expands attack surfaces and exposes acquiring companies to myriad new security risks. While cloud service providers are responsible for some aspects of security — specifically, securitizing the cloud environment — customers are responsible for securing the workloads being transferred into and out of their cloud applications.
Misunderstanding this shared responsibility leads to critical security risks. In fact, some of the biggest cloud security threats are "in-house" — misconfigured services and portals, insecure APIs, and unauthorized access, to name a few. Businesses must take inventory of all these potential holes in the security infrastructure as systems are merged. Proactively uncovering and addressing cloud-specific security risks allows acquirers to expedite deals and emerge confident in the security of the integrated networks.
Integrate With Confidence
Cybersecurity attacks during M&A introduces risk and can compromise valuations. When sensitive data is leaked as a result of security lapses, it can damage the reputations of both organizations and cause firms to rethink or revalue transactions. To address these risks, businesses must develop a transition strategy with security top-of-mind. With a clear plan for maintaining security before, during, and after the merger, acquiring companies can uncover and address issues before the damaging effects are felt.
Bill Ruckelshaus is an experienced public company executive with a passion for technology-driven businesses – ranging from VC-backed pre-IPO firms, to profitable companies with $500M + in annual revenue. Bill is a hands-on executive with experience in strategy, ... View Full Bio
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Home Blogs Independence Day Resolution Of A Pensioner
Independence Day Resolution of a Pensioner
Blog by Professor Madan Mohan Goel
For commemorating the 73rd anniversary of Indian Independence Day on August15 with motivation and enthusiasm for coexistence, cooperation and support, let the pensioners including the writer identify the role in progress, prosperity and peace of Indian economy.
It needs to be noted that every retired person after rendering 20 to 40 years of service to the government / public sector institutions have paid the income tax as their direct contribution to the exchequer in addition to the duties done as 'work is worship and vice versa'. After retirement, one is paid pension as a superannuation fund for the survival and livelihood on account of serving for so many years. The question arises why Income Tax is levied on the pension of the retirees. This is not an income for any services or work. The government has to discontinue the levy of Income tax on pension as MPs & MLAs pension is not taxable. In the name of natural justice and fairness, there is no logic and rationale for tax on pension of the senior citizens as retirees. To be fair enough, the government should avoid discrimination between the pension of the retirees and the pension of the MPs and MLAs. There is a strong case for parity in approach for taxing the pension which is superannuation fund for survival after retirement. It is necessary for avoiding discontent which must be addressed by the government which claims to be pro people including senior citizens.
Efficiency of the government in terms of national security and welfare is visible, yet we have to go miles including fairness towards pensioners.
To boost demand in the economy and farm products, the revival package should include no tax on the pensioners which will increase their buying power. To put it mildly, the NDA government should not ignore the demand of the pensioners.
Aging is a natural phenomenon and accepted reality but my mind is full of thoughts and understands the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges (SWOC) analysis. To lead a fully meaningful retired life, I help the youth by my writings and oratory by using experience, knowledge and maturity. I always believe that my competence, capabilities and capacities be utilised in the national interest. I advocate that the world can greatly be benefitted from the wisdom of the aged like me in empowering succeeding generations in evolutionary manner even with Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is the need of the day to study the impacts and be ready to face the challenges of AI for our survival, existence and excellence. To bridge the gap between the old generation (street smart) and new generation (over smart) as a human development activity, I have developed SMART and SIMPLE models of empowerment. To plan a way forward, there is need of identifying the potential of senior citizens and acknowledge the contribution made by them. 'Old is gold' deserve to be understood, analysed and interpreted in the process of sustainable development of the cultures and civilizations in all times to come.
We need to identify the strengths and opportunities for Indian Knowledge economy with potential in all times to come. At the same time we should enhance concentration with control on weaknesses and threats on daily basis. There is a strong case for exporting manpower to foreign land including South Korea with whom we share Independence Day. This is perfectly in tune with the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of the World Trade organization (WTO) wherein natural migration of manpower is encouraged. It is believed by the writer that Indian is poor and un-employed in India only. Indians have proved their worth and potential with higher emotional quotient (EQ) more than anybody else in the world who so ever got an opportunity.
To understand, analyze, interpret and draw policy implications for Indian economy on Independence Day more than a ritual, let us introspect INDIA as Independent, Non-violent (International recognition by UN as Oct. 2 Non-violence day), Democracy (strength or weakness), Integrity ( All Indians including politicians who need to be faithful to the intentions of the will of people) and Amity ( emotions and feelings for relationship management with information revolution without crimes and corruption). We need to rediscover INDIA as Bharat made of two words 'Bha' –meaning knowledge and 'Rata' meaning devoted as a knowledge seeker and deserve to be known as a knowledge economy where 'Sarswati' is equally if not more than 'Lakshmi is worshipped. Bharat is the only country called India in English dictionaries as independent nation declared in August.
My beloved India with wisdom , experience and knowledge of the senior citizens possess the potential to be the moderator and coordinator between the developed and underdeveloped economies which calls for strategic partnership with faith, trust and confidence and without fear (false evidences appearing real) of any kind in all times to come.
To indianise the global knowledge economy, we need to use the senior citizens who are the store house of knowledge, wisdom and experience deserving space in the programmes and policies for healthy aging as HRD activity. Everyone has fingerprint to leave an imprint for the economy to progress. Happy Independence Day!
*The writer worked as Vice Chancellor/ Director/Pro Vice Chancellor/Dean/Chairperson in a university system and lives in Kurukshetra. Email: mmgoel2001@yahoo.co.in
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I would like to take this opportunity to express the support and commitment of the State of Israel to the principles set forth in the draft Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge.
In the State of Israel, highest priority is assigned to higher education and research. Most veterans of Israel's research universities were founded in the first decades of this century, long before the founding of the State. Today, over 20% of each age cohort earn an academic degree, while Israel spends 2.6% of her GDP on civilian R&D, one of the highest figures in the world. The academic research sector is well developed, with universities conducting some 30% of all civilian research. Academic freedom is zealously maintained and the institutions of education enjoy full autonomy in the management of their internal affairs, including management of their budget, the great bulk of which is provided by Government.
High-tech industry is also well developed in Israel and in recent decades has become the major source of growth in exports and in economic activity overall. Over 50% of civilian R&D is carried out in the industrial sector.
The Ministry of Science gives special attention in its science awareness programs to disadvantaged socio-economic groups. In order to promote equality of opportunity, special programs have been developed for elements of the population whose participation in high-tech-based economic activity is today quite limited. Expanding the proportion of the population involved in technologically advanced activities is not only a social goal. It is also expected to strengthen national scientific capability by bringing a fuller exploitation of the potential of the nation's manpower resources. The new 'Science Blossoms' Program of the Ministry, aimed at strengthening the scientific interest and capabilities of youth from disadvantaged urban neighborhoods and rural areas, is one of the central policy measures in this field.
first, technological innovation in Israel is centered upon a number of leading fields: information and communications technology, electronics, chemistry and biotechnology.
second, the Government of Israel believes that Israel's strong R&D capabilities enable her to benefit through increasing involvement in international R&D networks. Thus, the Ministry of Science carries out a vigorous policy of promoting the international scientific ties of Israeli researchers and research institutions through active membership as a member, associate member or observer in a wide range of international frameworks, such as: European Union Framework Program, CERN, ESRF, EMBO/L, UNESCO, IPGRI, OECD.
The Government of Israel also implements over 20 bilateral science cooperation agreements. A number of publicly funded, legally autonomous bilateral research funds operate extensive Israeli–German and Israeli–American research cooperation programs. Universities and research institutes maintain direct agreements with sister institutions abroad and individual scientists maintain extensive networks of international ties, based on their own initiatives 'from below'.
The Government of Israel is fully aware of the important role which scientific cooperation can play in strengthening the Middle East peace process. Thus, the Ministry of Sciences has undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at promoting such cooperation and serves as an active partner in the initiatives of other agencies. The Ministry welcomes the involvement of international organizations and governments from outside the region in attempts to strengthen scientific ties between Israel and her Arab neighbors.
The limited water resources and their use are the focus of a number of important Arab–Israeli research partnerships currently underway, such as the Palestinian–Jordanian–Israeli– German project on sustainable aquifer use in the Jordan Rift Valley, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Biodiversity is also an important research field accorded priority in Israeli science policy which must assume a central place in Arab–Israeli research cooperation. The Middle East is one of the central foci of agricultural development in the history of mankind. The 'mother of wheat', from which all cultivated wheat varieties developed, originated in the Middle East and was rediscovered in Israel at the beginning of the century. Israel and the region are important biodiversity sources for many other significant plant species. The Ministry of Science provides important support for gene bank activities and cooperates with international organizations and the countries of the region in the preservation of genetic material and in research on biodiversity.
Last but not least, UNESCO will certainly play a major role in realizing the ideal 'Global World village', as described by the prophets Isaiah and Mica; 'And He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths; ... And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation, neither shall they learn war any more'.


text:
Q: SSL in HazelCast I am trying to evaluate Hazel Cast for a distributed lock and a Session management within our web application. Our PCI environment needs all the components to run on Secure Port.I recently found that the Hazelcast needs Enterprise version to enable SSL,In our case it might not be cost effective as the only enterprise feature i use will be SSL.
So the question is
Can i create a small spring war file that brings up hazelcast,deploy it on tomcat and further enable SSL on tomcat?.
Does this approach has any pitfalls?.
Please let me know the thoughts. Any pointers are appreciated.

A: You could do so, but the ports opened by Hazelcast would not run over the connection opened by Tomcat. Hazelcast opens its own connections which are independent of the http connectors of Tomcat.
The protocol used by Hazelcast is not http based, it supports the memcache ascii protocol.
Even the new binary client protocol designed for Hazelcast does not change this: http://docs.hazelcast.org/docs/protocol/1.0-developer-preview/client-protocol.html
So if you need secure connections you either have to buy the enterprise edition or secure those connections in the network layer (Vpn, tunnels, ...) which might be difficult depending on if you use multicast and ephemeral ports or not.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Paddy Power Games presents 'Highlander' based on the cult film from the 80's starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery. In which a deadly tournament of sword wielding immortals (who can only be killed by being beheaded!) plays out across the ages with the last one standing receiving the ultimate prize! It's also worth mentioning that the soundtrack for the movie was by Queen with great tracks like 'A kind of Magic' and 'Who Wants To Live Forever'.
Highlander is a 5 reel slot casino game where you try to match three or more symbols (featuring clips from the movie) on a win line to win a payout. Payouts increase depending on the number of matching symbols you have.This is also a 20-line slot game that may present 20 winning combinations of five symbols across its five reels. A 'win line' is a line of symbols that MAY contain a winning combination when the reels stop. A win line must contain a minimum of three consecutive symbols (appearing from left to right) for any payout to be made.
Click the Max Lines button to bet on all 20 lines.
Click the Lines arrow buttons to increase or decrease the number of lines.
Click on the individual numbers displayed on either side of the reels.
Click on a number to bet on that number of lines. For example, if you click on the number 9, then you are betting on win lines 1 to 9 inclusive.
Click the PAY TABLE button in the game to view the 20 win lines along with payout values for each symbol.
If three, or more, Free Spins symbols appear anywhere (they do not have to be consecutive, or left to right) when the reels have stopped you are awarded free spins.
If three, or more, Sword Skill symbols appear anywhere (they do not have to be consecutive, or left to right) when the reels have stopped, the Sword Skill mini game begins.
Three Tartan Tiles appear (possibly featuring the official tartan of the clan McCleod but I can't confirm this). Click on one to reveal a bonus win amount. Bonus wins are credited to your account immediately.
If three, or more, Battle Bonus symbols appear anywhere (they do not have to be consecutive, or left to right) when the reels have stopped, the Battle mini game begins.
The aim of the game is to battle and defeat the mighty Kurgan, accumulating money on the way. Simply select one of the sword manoeuvre options available and watch the fight play out. If you win your sword fight, winnings are added to the Battle meter and energy is restored, however, if you loose, an energy level is depleted. Choose again to go into the next battle. If you have three unsuccessful battles, then your energy runs out and the mini game ends. A final total bonus value is displayed at the end of the game.