Oil Production Research Articles

Pasta Incorporating Olive Pomace: Impact on Nutritional Composition and Consumer Acceptance of a Prototype.

The food industry is encouraged to develop new sustainable foodstuffs, and agri-food by-products can serve as valuable ingredients in these formulations. In this work, olive pomace (OP), a by-product of olive oil production, was incorporated as an ingredient in pasta. The changes in the nutritional composition and consumer acceptance were assessed, aiming to scale up the production. OP contains dietary fibre (55%), fat (9%), α-tocopherol (43 mg/kg), and oleic acid (76%) after moisture elimination. For that, the following two drying procedures were tested: 40 °C for 48 h (OP40) and 70 °C for 24 h (OP70). Both samples were sieved to remove the stone pieces. Drying at 70 °C (OP70) was the fastest method, revealed a better nutritional profile than OP40, and was the product selected for the incorporation into the pasta. The enriched pasta, containing 7.5% of OP70, was compared to a control. It showed an improved nutritional value with higher contents of fat, ash, fibre, vitamin E, oleic acid, phenolics, and flavonoids, a composition related to potential health benefits. Consumers appreciated the appearance, colour, shine, and aroma of the obtained pasta, making it a prototype with commercial viability. However, several improvements need to be implemented, namely, at the textural levels. Corrective actions, such as the optimisation of the amount of incorporated OP, the use of other ingredients for flavour masking, and textural adjustments, are advisable, thereby making this product more appealing and accepted by a larger number of consumers. This prototype can be a good approach for the circular economy, environmental sustainability, and food security.

Physicochemical and sensory evaluation of the quality of crude palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) produced artisanally and industrially in Brazil

Palm oil is primarily used in the crude form in northeastern Brazil's cuisine. Most of its production is carried out by small manufacturers, who use the profits from sales as a subsidy to supplement their family income. Evaluating the physicochemical and sensory quality of palm oil is essential to help producers develop higher-quality artisanal products. This study aimed to analyze samples of crude palm oil produced and sold in the city of Taperoá (BA) and other industrialized brands sold in Salvador (BA). Seven palm oil samples underwent physicochemical analysis (acidity, carotenoid content, instrumental color, iodine value, peroxide value, Kreis reaction, saponification value) and sensory analysis (acceptance and ranking tests). Our findings revealed significant variation in the evaluated parameters, with most samples showing inadequate results for the regulatory parameters of acidity and iodine values, as well as unsatisfactory results for carotenoids and the Kreis reaction across all samples. Variations in color analysis were likely associated with differences in carotenoid content among the samples. The acceptance tests showed that most samples scored above average for all evaluated characteristics, except for the industrial sample from Taperoá (sample 06), which showed the lowest averages for color (4.5), odor (5.2), viscosity (3.2), and overall impression (4.3). In the ranking test, sample 02 from artisanal production (Taperoá-BA) was the most preferred in all categories, while sample 06 from industrial production (Nazaré-BA) was the least preferred in all categories. These results indicate opportunities for improving both traditional and industrial crude palm oil production methods, which could lead to an increase in income for the population that depends on this product.

Performance of combined organic precipitation, electrocoagulation, and electrooxidation in treating anaerobically treated palm oil mill effluents

Palm oil mill effluent (POME), wastewater generated from palm oil production, is known for its extremely high chemical oxygen demand and brownish color. Anaerobic digestion is the primary treatment method for POME in the palm oil industry; however, anaerobically treated POME has high concentrations of residual contaminants and color intensity. This study proposes an approach to treat anaerobically-treated POME in recycled water for industrial applications by integrating preliminary organic precipitation, electrocoagulation, and electrooxidation (EO). The EO process was optimized in terms of the current density, electrolysis time, electrode arrangement, and feed flow rate. At a current density of 60 mA/cm2 and an electrolysis time of 9 min, the EO process with a graphite anode and stainless-steel cathode in the monopolar electrode configuration reduced the phenolic concentration and color in the preliminary-treated POME from 8.95 mg/L and 317.19 ADMI to 0.25 mg/L and 26.10 ADMI, respectively. Additionally, the EO process exhibited a 92.26% efficiency in lowering the ammonium-nitrogen content.

Thermochemical valorisation of cattle manure into gaseous fuel and furfural-rich bio-oil

Surplus carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2), has aggravated global warming over several past decades. To divert the current energy mix that relies heavily on fossil fuels, researchers have realised waste materials as alternative energy. Such attempts could reduce CO2 emissions and potentially contribute to establishing a circular economy. This study investigated the transformation of cattle manure (CM) into value-added products (syngas and furfural) via a thermochemical pathway. The CM was treated with FeCl3 prior to pyrolysis to enhance the conversion selectivity toward syngas and furfural. Slow-pyrolysis was conducted to determine the mechanisms of syngas production, and fast-pyrolysis was undertaken to optimize bio-oil production. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that Fe impregnation facilitated the thermal degradation of CM, resulting in enhanced syngas formation. The oil product obtained from the Fe-impregnated CM exhibited notable enrichment in furfural and a much simpler chemical composition than that of the untreated CM. Furthermore, the produced biochar catalytically expedited the kinetics of the transesterification reaction of canola oil. The overall results of this study offer a practical means of converting livestock manure into useful resources, thereby contributing to the realisation of a circular economy.

A time patch dynamic attention transformer for enhanced well production forecasting in complex oilfield operations

In the field of oil production, accurately predicting well production is of great significance for optimizing production processes and enhancing economic benefits. However, oil production data generally exhibit characteristics such as high noise, complex distribution, and severe temporal fluctuations, which pose significant challenges to traditional prediction models, thereby limiting their accuracy. To address this issue, this study proposes an innovative Time Patch Dynamic Attention Transformer (TPDAT) model. This model segments the time series data into multiple time patches, extracts local features, and integrates a dynamically fused causal temporal attention mechanism to enhance the recognition of transient events and short-term fluctuations. The TPDAT model comprises the Temporal Patch Feature Extraction (TPF) module and the Dynamic Fusion Causal Temporal Attention (DFCTA) mechanism, effectively capturing multi-scale temporal features and enhancing the modeling of causal relationships during oilfield production. Experiments on the North Sea Volve oilfield dataset show that the TPDAT model significantly outperforms traditional deep learning models in well production prediction, achieves the best performance in model evaluation metrics, and demonstrates strong adaptability to complex data. The results confirm that the TPDAT model improves the accuracy and stability of well production prediction in complex oilfield environments, providing reliable support for oilfield production optimization.

Measuring Business Cycle Stylized Facts in Selected Oil-Producing Economies: A Comparative Study

AbstractWe document the stylized facts relating to the contemporary business cycle in eleven oil-producing economies that account for over 65% of global oil production using a set of macroeconomic aggregates covering the period 1981 to 2021. In the context of Nigeria, a vector autoregression analysis is used to measure a one standard deviation oil price shock on time series such as trade balance, real GDP, inter alia. Our study is unique in that we compared four different detrending techniques, including Hodrick–Prescott (HP), Baxter-King, Christiano–Fitzgerald, and Butterworth filters. This is a departure from the conventional method of relying on the HP filter, which has been known to have limitations, particularly in the context of oil-producing economies. Our findings indicate that the selected oil-producing economies with countercyclical inflation patterns suggest that supply shocks drive the business cycles. Conversely, the oil-producing economies with inflation in sync (procyclical) with the business cycle suggest that demand shocks may be the primary driver of business cycle variations. Additionally, our study shows that oil price innovations lead to higher inflation in Nigeria.

Análisis de la dependencia petrolera en Ecuador periodo 2018-2022

Evidence of oil dependence in the Ecuadorian economy persists despite efforts to diversify the productive matrix. Obstacles in terms of investment, technology, and political and economic stability have hindered progress in this documentary direction and an analysis of secondary data. The present study aims to analyze oil dependence in Ecuador during the period 2018-2022. For this purpose, a documentary research methodology and an analysis of secondary data were used. The results indicate that, during this period, the Ecuadorian oil sector has faced a series of challenges that have limited its production and refining capacity. Factors such as operational problems, infrastructure limitations, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to a decline in crude oil production, which has had a negative effect on the country's revenues and its competitive position in the global market. In addition, this article highlights the need for Ecuador to implement comprehensive strategies to reduce its dependence on oil, diversify its sources of income, and promote more sustainable long-term economic development.

Numerical simulation of hydraulic fracture propagation from recompletion in refracturing with dynamic stress modeling

Owing to the rapid decline of oil production from tight oil reservoirs after primary hydraulic fracturing treatment on the horizontal well, a refracturing stimulation is proposed for tight oil recovery. In this study, a fully coupled dynamic stress computational method with a finite-element method is presented, and depletion-induced dynamic stress is simulated by coupled numerical modeling. In addition, the extended finite-element method (XFEM) approach is used to investigate the effect of different parameters on fracture dynamic propagation in recompletion from refracturing. The results highlight the effects of production-induced stress changes following hydraulic fracture propagation. When multiple fractures are stimulated simultaneously from recompletion during refracturing, curved fractures are commonly observed, and the deflected fractures generally divert toward the primary stimulated area with low pore pressure. The results indicate that comprehensive factors can affect the hydraulic fractures propagation from recompletion. The optimal refracturing time window can be determined using the dynamic stress condition and stimulated area. The initial completion spacing, initial fracture length, and recompletion perforation cluster spacing can also affect the fracture geometry from the recompletion. A larger initial fracture length can induce a larger stress change area, whereas a larger distance between the new perforations in recompletion and the old perforations can decrease the depletion-induced stress effect. A high horizontal stress contrast can increase the depletion-induced stress effect because a long fracture extends the area. Owing to the nonuniform pressure and stress distributions, more nonuniform fractures are commonly generated in the refracturing treatment. Thus, temporary plugging injection and proppant inertia must be designed while reducing the number of perforations near the initial perforation positions. This can help decrease the possibility of strong curved fractures and screen out problems.

The Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase Promoter Driving the Expression of FADX Enables Highly Efficient Production of Punicic Acid in Rhodotorula toruloides Cultivated on Glucose and Crude Glycerol.

Punicic acid (PuA) is a conjugated fatty acid with a wide range of nutraceutical properties naturally present in pomegranate seed oil. To meet the rising demand for pomegranate seed oil, a single-cell oil enriched in PuA provides a sustainable biomass-derived alternative. This study describes the production of a PuA-enriched single-cell oil through the engineering of the red yeast Rhodotorula toruloides grown in glucose and a low-cost substrate, crude glycerol. The gene for Punica granatum fatty acid conjugase, PgFADX, was randomly integrated into the genome of R. toruloides without disrupting the carotenoid synthesis. In shake flask studies, the effects of three promoters (PPGI1, PNAR1, and PPMA1) on PuA production were evaluated. PuA titers of 105.77 mg/L and 72.81 mg/L were obtained from engineered cells expressing PgFADX from the PPMA1 promoter cultivated for 72 h in glucose and for 168 h in crude glycerol, respectively. Furthermore, the detailed lipid analysis revealed a high enrichment PuA in the triacylglycerol lipid structures, even without substantial modifications to the metabolic pathways. This report demonstrates the high potential of R. toruloides in the upcycling of a low-cost substrate, crude glycerol, into a value-added product such as PuA. The findings support the feasibility of using engineered R. toruloides for sustainable production of PuA-enriched single-cell oil.

430 Spent hemp biomass increases bone mineral density in broilers

Abstract Spent hemp biomass (SHB) is a byproduct of CBD oil production, which has been used in multiple trials recently as an alternative feed for livestock, but it has not been approved as a feed ingredient by the FDA-CVM. This is due in part to the lack of information on the potential effects on animal health. Recent studies have shown possible effects of cannabinoids on bone healing, though the effects on bone growth and calcification are not well established. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of varying levels of SHB on bone growth, calcification, and strength. A total of two hundred birds (5-d-old Cobb 500 Cornish Cross chicks) were randomly assigned to five different rooms with 4 pens per room and 10 animals/pen. Birds received isonitrogenous, isocaloric diets with either 0, 5, 10, or 20% SHB until euthanasia at 42 d. The tibiotarsus, femur, and humerus were collected from 2 males and 2 females per pen for 80 birds (20 per treatment group). The tibiotarsus bending strength was measured with an Instron 5969 using a three-point bending testing fixture set at 10 mm/min for 19 parameters of the bending and breaking properties. The humerus and femur were scanned with a Hologic Discovery A (S/N 84870) DEXA for mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD). Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05 and analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model. BMD and BMC were not affected by treatments in the humerus, a pneumatic bone, but in the weight bearing femur bones, a significant effect on both BMD (P = 0.0078) and BMC (P = 0.0069) was observed. The change in BMC was quadratic, with a peak in animals receiving 10% SHB in the diet, but the BMD effect was linear with the increased dose of SHB in the diet. In the tibiotarsus three-point bending analysis, no significant changes were found in any of the strength and bending parameters measured, except a tendency (P = 0.07) for a greater work-to-fracture adjusted by bone diameter in 5% vs. 0% SHB group. These data indicate some interaction of SHB on the mineralization of bone; however, the level causes less than significant changes to the overall strength of the bone.

Endosperm-specific expressed transcription factor protein WRINKLED1-mediated oil accumulative mechanism in woody oil peony Paeonia ostii var. lishizhenii

Paeonia ostii var. lishizhenii exhibits superiority of high α-linolenic acid in seed oils, yet, the low yield highlights the importance of enhancing oil accumulation in seeds for edible oil production. The transcription factor protein WRINKLED1 (WRI1) plays crucial roles in modulating oil content in higher plants; however, its functional characterization remains elusive in P. ostii var. lishizhenii. Herein, based on a correlation analysis of transcription factor transcript levels, FA accumulation rates, and interaction assay of FA biosynthesis associated proteins, a WRI1 homologous gene (PoWRI1) that potentially regulated oil content in P. ostii var. lishizhenii seeds was screened. The PoWRI1 exhibited an endosperm-specific and development-depended expression pattern, encoding a nuclear-localized protein with transcriptional activation capability. Notably, overexpressing PoWRI1 upregulated certain key genes relevant to glycolysis, FA biosynthesis and desaturation, and improved seed development, oil body formation and oil accumulation in Arabidopsis seeds, resulting an enhancement of total seed oil weight by 9.47–18.77 %. The defective impacts on seed phenotypes were rescued through ectopic induction of PoWRI1 in wri1 mutants. Our findings highlight the pivotal role of PoWRI1 in controlling oil accumulation in P. ostii var. lishizhenii, offering bioengineering strategies to increase seed oil accumulation and enhance its potential for edible oil production.

Biocrude oil Production Upgrading by Catalytic Assisted Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Underutilized non-edible seed Biomass

Biocrude oil Production Upgrading by Catalytic Assisted Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Underutilized non-edible seed Biomass

399 Effect of feeding palm oil products on finishing cattle performance, carcass characteristics, and methane production

Abstract The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate feeding palm oil products on feedlot cattle performance and methane production. Steers (n = 320; 380 ± 14.5 kg) were allocated to 40 pens in a randomized block design and assigned to 1 of 5 treatments consisting of different sources of supplemental fat: 1) No Oil; negative control containing 0.0% supplemental fat, 2) Corn Oil; positive control containing 4.0% supplemental corn oil, 3) Whole Palm; 4.0% supplemental whole palm oil, 4) Olein; 4.0% supplemental palm olein oil, or 5) Stearin; 4.0% supplemental palm stearin oil. Cattle consuming Corn Oil, Olein and Stearin all had greater (P = 0.04) final body weight (BW) and hot carcass weight (HCW) than cattle consuming no oil but were not different (P > 0.11) from each other or from Whole Palm, which was intermediate. Dry matter intake (DMI) of cattle consuming No Oil, Whole Palm and Stearin oil was not different from each other; however, cattle fed Corn Oil had greater intake than Whole Palm (P = 0.03). Corn Oil, Olein, and Stearin all had greater average daily gain (ADG) than cattle consuming No Oil (P = 0.04) but were not different (P > 0.12) from Whole Palm. Adding fat improved feed efficiency (gain to feed; G:F) as all diets including added fat had greater (P < 0.01) G:F than No Oil. Marbling scores were greater (P = 0.01) for Olein and Stearin than Corn and Whole Palm. There were no differences in backfat, ribeye area or liver abscess rate among any treatments (P > 0.74). Gas emissions were evaluated for only the No Oil and Whole Palm treatments. Total methane and methane produced per pound of dry matter intake was less for cattle consuming Whole Palm than No Oil by 14.8% (P < 0.04) while cattle were in the methane chamber. Methane produced per kilogram of ADG for Whole Palm was also reduced (P < 0.01) by 21.4% compared with No Oil. The results of this study indicate feeding palm oil products as a source of supplemental fat in finishing diets increases final BW, ADG, and HCW compared with feeding no supplemental fat, but had minimal impact on DMI resulting in an improvement in G:F. Adding supplemental fat reduced methane emissions in cattle when feeding Whole Palm compared with No Oil. The value of palm oil products in feedlot finishing diets is comparable with feeding corn oil.

Extraction, FTIR and GC-MS characterization of palm kernel oil for laundry soap production

This study aimed at extracting and characterizing palm kernel oil from oil palm seed for laundry soap production. Palm kernel oil was obtained by Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane. Standard methods were used to determine the physicochemical properties of the kernel oil and laundry soap. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were used to characterize the oil. Results revealed that the palm kernel seed yielded 45.51±1.10% oil. Relative density, saponification value, acid value, and iodine value of the oil were 0.87±0,034 g/mL, 224.40±3.13 mg KOH/g, 3.25±0.11 mgKOH/g, and 14.72±0.25 gI2/100g, respectively. FTIR spectrum showed absorption peaks of methylene groups (723, 2855, 2922 cm–1), carbonyl group (1744 cm–1), and olefin group (1632 cm–1) which are characteristics of fatty acids. GC-MS analysis showed oleic acid, trans-13-octadecenoic acid, elaidic acid, petroselinic acid and vaccenic acid. Quality parameters of the white and hard palm kernel oil soap were found to be 9.55±0.43, 5.20±0.48 cm, 9.65±0.97% and 72.50±2.34% for the pH, foam height, moisture content, and total fatty matter, respectively. These findings suggest that FTIR and GC-MS can substantially be used to effectively verify the suitability of a vegetable oil for soap production. Finally, the moderately high oil yield of the kernel seed indicates its potential for large-scale soap production in Nigeria considering the country’s position as the world’s 4th largest producer of palm kernel oil.

Sustainable valorisation of freshwater fish by‐products to gelatin and fish oil by hydrothermal extraction

SummaryThis study explores the potential of hydrothermal extraction as an innovative valorisation method for the simultaneous production of gelatin and fish oil from fish byproducts. It offers an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional solvent‐based techniques by minimising the use of chemical solvents and water. We researched various major commercial freshwater fish species: striped catfish, catfish, and tilapia, and achieved a gelatin product that reflects commercial standards in chemical structure, gel strength, and pH level. The striped catfish gelatin showed the highest gel strength and viscosity (66.01 ± 0.83 g bloom and 15.3 ± 0.1 cP), but was produced at a lower yield than the catfish gelatin. On the other hand, striped catfish produced the highest yield of fish oil (13.56 ± 0.21%) and has the highest omega 3 content (3.72 ± 0.02%) than other fish oil. This innovative study demonstrates the potential of hydrothermal extraction as a sustainable method for producing gelatin and fish oil, offering eco‐friendly and nutritional benefits across a range of applications.

Mitigation of methylglyoxal-induced hepatotoxicity by Boerhavia diffusa L. aerial extract: Insights from cellular and animal models

BackgroundBoerhavia diffusa (Punarnava), is a perennial herb with a long-standing reputation for its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, dating back to ancient times. Methylglyoxal is an advanced glycation end-product, known to be toxic in liver cell line as well as in mice model. Our objective is to illustrate the protective action of punarnava aerial extracts in methylglyoxal-induced hepatotoxicity in cell line and mice model. MethodsPunarnava aerial parts were collected and different solvent extracts were prepared in methanol, dichloromethane and hexane by maceration followed by their LCMS/MS characterization, determination of total phenolic, total flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity by DPPH reagent. Cell viability of the extracts and methylglyoxal was assessed using different cell lines. In vitro protective effect of punarnava methanolic extract (PME) against methylglyoxal was evaluated by cell migration assay, NO and ROS production assays and Oil Red O staining in HepG2 cell line. BALB/c mice were pretreated with Punarnava methanolic extract (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) for seven days followed by 290 mg/kg methylglyoxal administration for 6 hrs to induce hepatotoxicity. Serum glucose, AST, ALT, ALP and GSH level were checked and liver histopathological damages were identified. ResultsAmong the three Punarnava extracts, PME possessed maximum antioxidant, total phenolic and flavonoid content as well as least cytotoxic to liver cell line. Methylglyoxal showed maximum toxicity in HepG2 cells with IC50 (50 % inhibitory concentration) 3 µM. PME confers protection against methylglyoxal-induced cytotoxicity by decreasing ROS, promoting cell migration and preventing loss of cell viability. No significant change was observed in NO production and Oil Red O staining. PME-treated mice showed decrease in liver ALP levels and glucose with intact cellular morphology compared to hepatocyte steatosis and nuclear degeneration in methylglyoxal-treated group. DiscussionsIndigenous herb Punarnava is effective in protecting liver cells from damage induced by the glycolytic byproduct, methylglyoxal.

The transcription factors GmVOZ1A and GmWRI1a synergistically regulate oil biosynthesis in soybean.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a major oil-producing crop worldwide. Although several related proteins regulating soybean oil accumulation have been reported, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we characterized vascular plant one-zinc-finger 1A (GmVOZ1A) that interacts with WRINKLED 1a (GmWRI1a) using yeast two-hybrid library screening. The GmVOZ1A-GmWRI1a interaction was further verified by protein-protein interaction assays in vivo and in vitro. GmVOZ1A enhanced the seed fatty acid and oil contents by regulating genes involved in lipid biosynthesis. Conversely, a loss-of-function mutation in GmVOZ1A resulted in a reduction in triacylglycerol (TAG) content in soybean. Protein-DNA interaction assays revealed that GmVOZ1A and GmWRI1a cooperate to up-regulate the expression level of acyl-coenzymeA-binding protein 6a (GmACBP6a) and promote the accumulation of TAG. In addition, GmACBP6a overexpression promoted seed fatty acid and oil contents, as well as increased seed size and 100-seed weight. Taken together, these findings indicate that the transcription factor GmVOZ1A regulates soybean oil synthesis and cooperates with GmWRI1a to up-regulate GmACBP6a expression and oil biosynthesis in soybean. The results lay a foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying soybean oil biosynthesis and will contribute to improving soybean oil production through molecular breeding approaches.

Influence of diurnal harvesting times on essential oil yield and chemical composition of lemongrass, palmarosa and tulsi

Essential oil yield and chemical composition of most of the aromatic crops are affected by environmental, agrochemical and genetic factors. One of such factors are Harvesting Time (HT’s), optimizing which may result in higher essential oil production with better quality. The present study was carried out to determine the effect of HT’s on three different aromatic crops [lemongrass, palmarosa and Ocimum sanctum (CIM-Ayu)] at different diurnal times (9.00 A.M 12.00 P.M and 3.00 P.M) in a day and the same was repeated thrice on alternate days from in the same fields. The results indicated that HT at 3.00 PM had higher essential oil content in all the three aromatic crops. But, the influence of HT on the quality of essential oil was specific to the different crops studied in this report. The quality of essential oil obtained from lemongrass harvested at 12.00 PM was found to be better as it showed more percentage of citral whereas the essential oils obtained from palmarosa and O. sanctum harvested at 3.00 PM were better as they showed more percentage of geraniol and eugenol respectively. This research not only refines essential oil production strategies but also underscores the crop-specific impact of harvesting times. The meticulous temporal analysis, coupled with statistical validation, contributes novel insights, providing practical benefits for industries reliant on these aromatic crops.

Optimization Analysis of In-Situ Conversion and Displacement in Continental Shale Reservoirs.

In the context of growing global energy demands and the need for efficient extraction techniques, this research, based on numerical analysis, addresses the high-energy demands of in situ conversion by introducing a two-stage development strategy. The strategy begins with an initial continuous heating stage, followed by a thermal stabilization stage. It culminates in a hydrocarbon production stage, which is divided into primary recovery and water injection-enhanced recovery. The findings demonstrate that the reservoir temperature continues to increase even after the stop of heating. Consequently, the reactions within the reservoir persist, leading to increased hydrocarbon generation. The heating stage also helps restore reservoir pressure, enabling high production rates of hydrocarbons during the first year of primary recovery. However, natural depletion subsequently occurs, requiring an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method. While water injection is a viable EOR method, it proves less effective due to high water breakthroughs in the producer well. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis reveals that hydrocarbon generation and production are closely related to the calibration of energy input and the duration of injection. These results underscore the critical importance of precise energy management and injection timing in optimizing hydrocarbon recovery. By enhancing our understanding of the thermal dynamics and reaction kinetics within the reservoir, this research contributes to the development of more efficient and sustainable extraction technologies, ultimately improving the feasibility of commercial shale oil production.

Determinants of Petroleum Products Export from Niger

This paper aims to define the main determinants of petroleum products export from Niger in the light of the specificity of the country, in order to make recommendations to policy-makers for improving oil revenues. To carry out this work, we started by interviewing stakeholders in the Niger trade using an interview guide. This was followed by a literature review and exploration of previous empirical work on various studies devoted to the determinants of exports. Finally, statistical data from a number of sources were processed. The main results, derived from the estimation of the OLS gravity model, show that the factors that strongly influence Niger's exports are transport distance and its economic weight when put in relation to that of trading partners. The main recommendations towards policy-makers arising from our research are: the creation of a new refinery close to Burkina Faso and Mali, increased oil production and the ongoing improvement of road transport infrastructure.