Crude Oil Residues Research Articles

Mechanism of highly efficient oil removal from spent hydrodesulfurization catalysts by ultrasound-assisted surfactant cleaning methods

The removal of crude oil from spent hydrodesulfurization catalysts constitutes the preliminary stage in the recovery process of valuable metals. However, the traditional roasting method for the removal exhibits massive limitations. In view of this, the present study used an ultrasound-assisted surfactant cleaning method to remove crude oil from spent hydrodesulfurization catalysts, which demonstrated effectiveness. Furthermore, the study investigated the mechanism governing the process with calculation and experiments, so as to provide a comprehensive understanding of the cleaning method’s efficacy. The surfactant selection was predicated on the performance in the IFT test, with SDBS and TX-100 finally being chosen. Subsequent calculations and analysis were then conducted to elucidate their frontier molecular orbitals, electrostatic potential, and polarity. It has been found that both SDBS and TX-100 possess the smallest LUMO-HOMO energy gap (ΔE), registering at 4.91 eV and 4.80 eV, respectively, and presenting the highest interfacial reactivity. The hydrophilic structure in the surfactant regulates the wettability of the oil-water interface, and the long-chain alkanes have excellent non-polar properties that promote the dissolution of crude oil. The ultrasonic-assisted process further improves the interface properties and enhances the oil removal effect. Surprisingly, the crude oil residue was reduced to 0.25% under optimal conditions. The final phase entailed the techno-economic evaluation of the entire process, revealing that, in comparison to the roasting method, this process saves $0.38 per kilogram of spent HDS catalyst, with the advantages of operational simplicity and emission-free. Generally, this study shed new light on the realization of efficient oil removal, with the salience of green, sustainable, and economical.

Systematic Intrinsic Biodegradation Studies of Crude Oil Contaminated Soil of Bdere Community in South-South, Nigeria

Crude oil pollution is a perennial environmental menace that has bedevilled the South-South ecosystem of Nigeria. This study was aimed at using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique to investigate the biodegradation capabilities of nine bacterial cultures on crude oil residues in Bdere area in South-South, Nigeria. These microorganisms include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus spp, Pseudomonas putida, Clostridium spp, Bacillus spp, Streptococcus spp, and Serratia spp. The results from the microbial-degraded samples were compared with an abiotic control. The findings reveal that the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in the microbial-treated samples was significantly attenuated compared to the control, confirming the microrganism's ability to degrade crude oil components. The primary degradation pathway involved biological oxidation of the aliphatic hydrocarbons, transforming them to primary alcohols, aldehydes, and fatty acid derivatives. Degradation was also observed across a wide range of short and long-chain alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, some resistant compounds persisted, and certain degradation products inhibited the rate of further biodegradation. The generation of new metabolites and intermediates confirmed the effective microbial remediation. These findings expand our understanding of microbial degradation of hydrocarbons, offering potential strategies for environmental remediation of oil-contaminated sites.

Modeling crude oil pyrolysis process using advanced white-box and black-box machine learning techniques

Accurate prediction of fuel deposition during crude oil pyrolysis is pivotal for sustaining the combustion front and ensuring the effectiveness of in-situ combustion enhanced oil recovery (ISC EOR). Employing 2071 experimental TGA datasets from 13 diverse crude oil samples extracted from the literature, this study sought to precisely model crude oil pyrolysis. A suite of robust machine learning techniques, encompassing three black-box approaches (Categorical Gradient Boosting—CatBoost, Gaussian Process Regression—GPR, Extreme Gradient Boosting—XGBoost), and a white-box approach (Genetic Programming—GP), was employed to estimate crude oil residue at varying temperature intervals during TGA runs. Notably, the XGBoost model emerged as the most accurate, boasting a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.7796% and a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.9999. Subsequently, the GPR, CatBoost, and GP models demonstrated commendable performance. The GP model, while displaying slightly higher error in comparison to the black-box models, yielded acceptable results and proved suitable for swift estimation of crude oil residue during pyrolysis. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to reveal the varying influence of input parameters on residual crude oil during pyrolysis. Among the inputs, temperature and asphaltenes were identified as the most influential factors in the crude oil pyrolysis process. Higher temperatures and oil °API gravity were associated with a negative impact, leading to a decrease in fuel deposition. On the other hand, increased values of asphaltenes, resins, and heating rates showed a positive impact, resulting in an increase in fuel deposition. These findings underscore the importance of precise modeling for fuel deposition during crude oil pyrolysis, offering insights that can significantly benefit ISC EOR practices.

Growth ability of some fungal species on media with crude oil residue

This research aimed to investigate growth ability of some fungal species on media with crude oil residue. The isolated the fungi were in this research of soil contaminated with oil residues and accompanying to rhizosphere for some existing plants in these soils , Five fungal species were selected depending on the frequency and ratio appearance highs in contaminated sites studied for testing on growth in the media of contaminated with different concentrations of crude oil(1%,2% vol/vol) , and to identify the efficiency in carrying contaminated .
 Concerning growth ability on crude oil, all tested fungi (Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium konzum, Penicillium italicum and Trichoderma harzianum) were found to have this ability but significant difference in this respect were observed between these species. However, Trichoderma. harzianum showed better and faster growth on different concentrations of crude oil in comparison with other fungi studies.
 Keywords : Tested fungi, Growth ability of fungi ,meadia crude oil residue, Rhizosphere.

The recalcitrance and potential toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons within crude oil residues in beach sediments at the BIOS site, nearly forty years later

The Arctic is a unique environment characterized by extreme conditions, including daylight patterns, sea ice cover, and some of the lowest temperatures on Earth. Such characteristics in tandem present challenges when extrapolating information from oil spill research within warmer, more temperate regions. Consequently, oil spill studies must be conducted within the Arctic to yield accurate and reliable results. Sites of the Baffin Island Oil Spill (BIOS) project (Cape Hatt, Baffin Island, Canadian Arctic) were revisited nearly 40 years after the original oil application to provide long-term monitoring data for Arctic oil spill research. Surface and subsurface sediment samples were collected from the intertidal zone of the 1981 nearshore oil spill experiment (Bay 11), from 1980 supratidal control plots (Crude Oil Point) and 1982 supratidal treatment plots (Bay 106). Samples were analyzed for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated homologues via Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results suggest that total mean concentrations of all measured PAHs range from 0.049 to 14 mg/kg, whereas total mean concentrations of the 16 US EPA priority PAHs range from 0.02 to 2.1 mg/kg. The relative proportions of individual PAHs were compared between sampling sites and with the original technical mixture. Where available, percent loss of individual PAHs was compared with data from samples collected at the BIOS site, in 2001. All three sites featured samples where concentrations of various priority PAHs exceeded the established Interim Marine Sediment Quality Guidelines. All supratidal samples contained potentially toxic levels of PAHs. Even after nearly four decades of weathering, the recalcitrant crude oil residues remain a potential hazard for the native organisms. Continued monitoring of this unique study site is crucial for establishing a timeline for oil degradation, and to observe a reduction in toxicity over time.

Hybrid Hydrothermal Carbonization and Ultrasound Technology on Oil Palm Biomass for Hydrochar Production

AbstractThe hybrid hydrothermal carbonization and ultrasound technology (HHTC‐Us) efficiently utilizes the function of both ultrasounds‐assisted and hydrothermal carbonization for hydrochar production. The HHTC‐Us of oil palm residues plays an essential role in hydrochar production. Hydrochar is a carbon‐rich material potentially produced from oil palm biomass, which has gained great interest due to its unique properties. Four main topics were highlighted: the production of crude palm oil and impacted biomass residue generation, properties and potential values of oil palm biomass conversion as hydrochar, hybrid hydrothermal carbonization reaction routes, and processing parameters that affect the HHTC‐Us technology. The review elucidates the promising production process or modification of hydrochar from oil palm biomass residues through hybrid technology. The technology potentially enhanced sustainability, creating challenges and new opportunities.

Bioremediation of Crude Oil Residues in Libyan Agricultural Lands

Bioremediation of Crude Oil Residues in Libyan Agricultural Lands

Bioremediation of Crude Oil Residues in Libyan Agricultural Lands

Bioremediation of Crude Oil Residues in Libyan Agricultural Lands

In Situ Upgrading of Heavy Crude Oil: Comparative Study of the Performance of Cu-, Fe-, Ni-, or Zr-Containing Water-Based Catalysts

The world continues experiencing a steady decrease in the availability of conventional light or even medium crude oils, and hence, refineries inevitably face the challenge of processing increasing amounts of (extra) heavy crude oils while preserving their economic targets. This requires changes/improvements in existing refining technologies for converting heavy crude oil, which may be conveniently preceded by an improvement in its flowing properties in the underground reservoir itself. In this context, this research focuses on the use of liquid catalysts containing Cu, Fe, Ni, or Zr for upgrading in situ a heavy crude oil stream (12.6 °API) in a bench-scale batch-stirred reactor operated at 380 °C and 10.8 MPa for 1 h, in the presence of high-purity hydrogen. Upon reaction, the heavy crude oil properties improve while catalysts undergo in situ transformations identifying from the analysis of residual solid recovered from the bottom of the reactor, the formation of some metallic sulfides and oxides (by X-ray diffraction (XRD)), which exhibit Bronsted and/or Lewis-type acidity (via Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy). While converting ca. 43% of the heavy crude oil residue fraction (>524 °C), the Zr-containing catalyst, which exhibits relatively strong Bronsted and Lewis acid sites thus increasing the cracking rate, decreases the kinematic viscosity (1444–24 cSt, at 37.5 °C) as well as the amount of asphaltenes (28–13 wt %) and sulfur (5.14–2.8 wt %), and increases the content of light and middle distillates (18.9–34.1 wt %) along with the API gravity (12.6–21°). The results indicate that the use of liquid catalyst appears as a promising option on the way to development of an “inside-reservoir technology” for heavy crude oil processing.

Optimal utilization of solid residue from phase-separation pretreatment before food waste anaerobic digestion

Food waste (FW) is a significant component of municipal solid waste (MSW) with high recycling value. In FW treatment plants, FW is separated into crude oil, liquid part and solid residue (SR) after pretreatment. Crude oil is used to process biodiesel, liquid part is sent to Anaerobic digestion (AD), but there are different technical options for SR utilization. In this study, four common methods, incineration, AD, composting, and feed processing, are compared in terms of carbon emissions and economic performance. The results show that AD is the best treatment choice for the lowest net carbon emission of −79.28 to −118.73 kg CO2-eq/t SR because of its high efficiency of electricity generation. Composting of SR has the highest net carbon emission with 19.24–116.40 kg CO2-eq/t SR because the carbon reduction effect from compost replacing chemical fertilizers is less than the direct greenhouse gas emissions. Feed processing remains almost all the biogenic carbon in the product, and hence it is the priority option if taking the short-term contribution of biogenic sources to carbon emissions. As for economic performance, feed processing is the best choice with a benefit of 225 CNY/t SR, while incineration of SR results in a high expenditure. From a comprehensive point of view, feed processing and AD are the best choices due to their carbon reduction effects and relatively low treatment cost. These results provide an essential reference for the decision making of FW treatment processes.

Influence of High-Molecular n-Alkane Associates on Rheological Behavior of the Crude Oil Residue

Influence of High-Molecular <i>n</i>-Alkane Associates on Rheological Behavior of the Crude Oil Residue

HYDRODESULFURIZATION OF CRUDE OIL FRACTIONS USING Co-Mo/Al2O, CATALYST

Kinetic of hydrodesulfurization reaction is studied for crude oil fractions: Vacuum distillate, deasphalted oil, reduced crude oil and vacuum residue

THE USE OF BIO-MOLECULAR SUBSTANCE OF MARINE BIOTA AS AN ALTERNATIVE EARLY INDICATOR OF OIL POLLUTED ENVIRONMENT: A NEW APPROACH FOR MONITORING CONSIDERATION

THE USE OF BIO-MOLECULAR SUBSTANCE OF MARINE BIOTA AS AN ALTERNATIVE EARLY INDICATOR OF OIL POLLUTED ENVIRONMENT: A NEW APPROACH FOR MONITORING CONSIDERATION

The Recalcitrance and Toxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons within Crude Oil Residues in Beach Sediments at the Bios Site, Nearly Forty Years Later

The Recalcitrance and Toxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons within Crude Oil Residues in Beach Sediments at the Bios Site, Nearly Forty Years Later

Production and utilization of pyrolysis oil from solidplastic wastes: A review on pyrolysis process and influence of reactors design

This paper reviews the new progress, challenges and barriers on production of pyrolysis oil from the plastic waste. Among the different processes thermal and catalytic are the potential methods to produce oil. Since the global plastic production increased over years the accumulation of plastic waste increases. Thus, converting the waste plastics into useful energy is very essential to avoid the environmental concerns. Initially the thermal pyrolysis process and its advantage on production of pyrolysis oil were discussed. During the thermal decomposition the waste plastic had been converted into the products such as gas, crude oil and solid residues. Secondly, the catalytic process and its recent trends were discussed. In addition, the factors affecting the catalytic pyrolysis process had been evaluated. Furthermore, the optimized concentration of catalyst subjected to the higher yield of fuel with low hydrocarbon content was found. The pyrolysis oil produced from the catalytic process has higher heating values, lower density and lower viscosity compared to thermal process. In addition, the application of pyrolysis oil on the diesel engines had been discussed. The effects of pyrolysis oil on combustion and emission characteristics were observed. This review summarizes the potential advantages and barriers of both thermal and catalytic process. Further, the optimized solutions and applications of pyrolysis oil are suggested for sustainability of the process. Besides the introduction of the pyrolysis oil were viable without making major modification to the existing engine design.

Determination of the vaporization order of crude oils through the chemical analysis of crude oil residues burned on water

To determine the vaporization order of (the components in) crude oils, the density, the viscosity and the chemical composition of a light and a heavy crude oil were studied as a function of the burning efficiency. An experimental series of small scale in-situ crude oil burns on water were conducted with the two crude oils. Chemical analyses of the burned residues showed that the components in crude oils vaporize in order of decreasing volatility and the depletion rate of components generally decreased with increasing molecular mass. Ultimately, this means that the burning efficiency of a crude oil burning on water can be related to fire dynamics principles, irrespective of its chemical and physical properties. The relative abundance of pyrogenic PAHs in the burned residues increased up to a maximum of 2600% for the light crude oil and 9100% for the heavy crude oil. Increased abundances of the pyrogenic PAHs were caused by the formation of the pyrogenic PAHs during the burning and not by an increase in concentration in the burned residues. Overall, the results provide relevant data for predicting the effectiveness of in-situ burning of crude oil as oil spill response method, both in terms of its burning efficiency and its environmental impact.

Catalytic effects of Al2O3 nano-particles on thermal cracking of heavy oil during in-situ combustion process

In-situ combustion (ISC) is regarded as one of the most promising and economic alternative in the development of heavy oil reservoir. Maintaining high temperature oxidation (HTO) reaction with a high cracking efficiency at relatively low fuel consumption is deemed particularly crucial for the success of ISC process. In this work, Al2O3 nano-particles as a catalyst for achieving this during ISC is investigated in three parts. First, kinetic cell experiments with ramped temperature oxidation (RTO) process were conducted on the heaviest fraction of crude oil (residue) to obtain the apparent activation energy (Ea) fingerprints for oil-oxygen reactions with and without Al2O3. Second, thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-MS-DSC) was used to detect pyrolysis products from the residue and characterize its dynamic change during the process, with SEM and EDS employed to observe the morphology and verify the condition of nano-particles afterwards. Third, combustion tube experiments were performed on the whole crude to analyze the distinction between combustion behavior with and without Al2O3. The results showed addition of Al2O3 catalyst resulted in: Ea decreased and oscillated visibly, temperature of fire front increased by 60.3–83.6 °C, speed of propagation was enhanced by 37.3%, residual coke remains in the quartz sand at the end of combustion tube experiment decreased by 24.8%, production efficiency increased by 13–64% with the reduction of COx production (12.3%) and oxygen consumption (26.9%). This shows a higher ultimate oil recovery is possible with higher upgraded oil percentage during a catalyst-assisted ISC process, which bodes well for future field application.

Effects of crude oil and field-generated burned oil residue on Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) larvae

In situ burning (ISB) is an oil spill clean-up option used by oil spill responders to mitigate impacts on the marine environment. Despite advantages such as high efficiency and potential applicability for challenging areas such as the Arctic, the actual environmental side effects are still uncertain. Acute and sublethal effects of the water accommodated fractions (WAFs from 25 g oil/L seawater) of a pre-weathered North Sea crude (Oseberg Blend 200 °C+) and field generated ISB residue were evaluated on Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) larvae. The larvae were first exposed for 96 h to a serial dilution of seven concentrations, and then maintained for two weeks in clean seawater post-exposure. No acute (mortality) or sublethal effects (feeding, development, or growth) were detected in any of the ISB residue concentrations. Significant larvae mortality was found in the three highest concentrations of crude oil (96-h LC50:469 μg/L total petroleum hydrocarbon) but no sublethal effects were found in the surviving larvae post-exposure. This study indicates that applying ISB could mitigate acute impacts of spilled oil on shrimp larvae.

Comparison of molecular properties of saturate and aromatic fractions of Turkish and Iraqi crude oil residues

The chemical characterization of crude oil fractions is important for the petroleum research and complex structure of crude oil residue keeps studies ongoing. An analytical method which gives the composition of residue is not available yet and a combination of facile methods that elucidates the structure of residue is the most important in the petroleum research.This work reveals the detailed analyses of saturate and aromatic fractions of the selected crude oil atmospheric residues (ARs). Molecular structure of the saturate and the aromatic fractions was investigated by a combination of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques. In this study, saturate and aromatic fractions were physically divided into sub-fractions by HPLC and sub-fractions were examined in depth according to the hydrogen type using 1H NMR. Moreover, AR maltenes and their saturates were analyzed by High Temperature-Simulated Distillation (HT-SIMDIS), in order to deduce carbon number (CN) ranges of the AR distillation cut points in weight percentages. The study revealed the distribution of aliphatic and aromatic hydrogen types in sub-fractions of the saturates and the aromatics of the selected ARs. Mono, di- and tri-aromatic hydrogen types of each sub-fraction were also disclosed. For all sub-fractions, total aromaticity increases in the order of increasing elution sequence. Celikli AR maltene fraction has molecules that have CN in the range of 14–30 or less for half of its total weight and contains mostly low boiling structures.

Chemical composition of Bakken crude oil burn residue: Environmental relevance following train derailment fires

Shipments of Bakken crude oil by rail have increased in concert with the production of unconventional crude oil in the Williston Basin over the past 10 years, during which time multiple fiery train derailments resulted in tragic loss of life and/or environmental impacts. In this study the compositions of Bakken oil burn residues from a derailment fire(s) are compared to fresh and laboratory-evaporated Bakken crude oil. The absolute and hopane-normalized concentrations of n-alkanes, unsubstituted and substituted PAHs, and petroleum biomarkers and their percent depletions and enrichments (relative to hopane) are reported. Bakken oil burn residues lost 67–78% of their total chromatographable mass (C5 to C44) and exhibit chemical trends distinct from naturally-evaporated oil, including (1) the shape of their UCM profiles, (2) depletion of n-alkanes up to (at least) n-C30, (3) enrichment of priority pollutant (pyrogenic) PAHs, specifically favoring PAH isomers containing three or more linear aromatic rings (anthracene or benz[a]anthracene) or 5-member rings (fluoranthene or indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene), and (4) depletion of some lower boiling petroleum biomarkers (C23-C25 tricyclic terpanes). Despite relative enrichment of most priority pollutant PAHs the absolute concentrations of both total PAH (TPAH50) and priority pollutant PAH (PPAH16) in the burn residues were depleted 69–78% and 41–48%, respectively, compared to fresh Bakken oil. These results demonstrate the changes and range of compositions among fresh, evaporated, and variably-combusted residues of Bakken crude oil, the latter of which are important in assessing the potential effect(s) of burn residues on the environment proximal to train derailment fires.