Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: Index and compaction of clay soils with oil-contamination

Abstract

Many of Nigeria's oil wells are located in the Niger Delta coast, which has contributed considerably to pollution of the environment. They contaminate the land, air, and aquatic bodies with oil spills during industrial operations, like as drilling and refining. This causes harmful gases to be released into the atmosphere. Poor agricultural yields and changes to the soil's geotechnical qualities are the most common outcomes of soil contamination, both of which have the potential to impair engineering construction projects. Geotechnical qualities of clay soil are examined as a result of this study. Engenni Ahoada L.G.A. in Rivers, Nigeria provided the clay soil. We collected soil samples that were purposely contaminated with crude oil in the following percentages: 0 percent, 2 percent, 4 percent, 6 percent, 8 percent and 10% to 14% of the total dry weight. The geotechnical parameters of the soil samples were determined by a series of laboratory soil tests. The results demonstrate an increase in LL, PL, and PI from 31%, 20%, and 11% at 0% contamination to 56%, 41%, and 11% at 14% contamination, respectively. From 2.48 to 1.33g/cm3 to 1.74g/cm3 at 0 percent contamination, SPGR, BD, and MDD fell to 1.14, 0.97g/cm3 and 1.35g/cm3 at 14% contamination. At 0% contamination, OMC was 15%; at 16% contamination, it was 16.5 percent. Thus, the geotechnical qualities of soil are substantially impacted by crude oil pollution.