Petroleum Industrial Research Articles

Significant contributions of the petroleum industry to volatile organic compounds and ozone pollution: Insights from year-long observations in the Yellow River Delta

The petroleum industry is a significant source of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but up to now, its exact impact on urban VOCs and ozone (O3) remains unclear. This study conducted year-long VOC observations in Dongying, China, a petroleum industrial region. The VOCs from the petroleum industry (oil and gas volatilization and petrochemical production) were identified by employing the positive matrix factorization model, and their contribution to O3 formation was quantitatively evaluated using an observation-based chemical box model. The observed annual average concentration of VOCs was 68.6 ± 63.5 ppbv, with a maximum daily average of 335.3 ppbv. The petroleum industry accounted for 66.5% of total VOCs, contributing 54.9% from oil and gas evaporation and 11.6% from petrochemical production. Model results indicated that VOCs from the petroleum industry contributed to 31% of net O3 production, with 21.3% and 34.2% contributions to HO2+NO and RO2+NO pathways, respectively. The larger impact on the RO2 pathway is primarily due to the fact that OH+VOCs account for 86.9% of the primary source of RO2. This study highlights the critical role of controlling VOCs from the petroleum industry in urban O3 pollution, especially those from previously overlooked low-reactivity alkanes.

Możliwe zastosowanie energii słonecznej do zasilania operacji wydobycia węglowodorów i metod wspomagania wydobycia ropy naftowej na dużych szerokościach geograficznych

As the world enters the renewable revolution, it is crucial for the petroleum industry to remain relevant in the public eye and become environmentally awareness. One potential path to achieve these goals in a progressive and beneficial way is to integrate renewable energy sources into various nodes of the petroleum industrial operations. Different ways of achieving such integration are described in the review section of the article. These include utilizing solar energy to power upstream operations and a variety of enhanced oil recovery projects, such as microbial enhanced oil recovery and others, or using solar energy downstream to supply power to pumps, gas lift apparatus, etc. The article also proposes a novel potential application of solar energy to power operations and provide long-term sustainable energy source to petroleum operations in high latitudes. The potential applicability of solar power in petroleum engineering operations far North has long been neglected due to potential unprofitability and difficulty of construction of solar power grid in such harsh climactic conditions. However, now, as the world transitions to a new reality of co-existence of fossil fuels with alternative energy sources in light of growing concerns over climate change, it is a strategic time to implement the technology in profitable and environmentally conscious way in countries that have a trustworthy environmental record and strong, robust environmental policies, like Canada, as well as in less environmentally achieving countries with milder emission reduction targets such as Russian Federation.

Study of Anticorrosion and Antifouling Properties of a Cu-Doped TiO2 Coating Fabricated via Micro-Arc Oxidation.

As a promising material for petroleum industrial applications, titanium (Ti) and its alloys receive wide attention due to their outstanding physicochemical properties. However, the harsh industrial environment requires an antifouling surface with a desired corrosion resistance for Ti and its alloys. In order to achieve the desired antifouling properties, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) was used to prepare a Cu-doped TiO2 coating. The microstructure of the Cu-doped TiO2 coating was investigated by TF-XRD, SEM, and other characterization techniques, and its antifouling and anticorrosion properties were also tested. The results show the effects of the incorporation of Cu (~1.73 wt.%) into TiO2 to form a Cu-doped TiO2, namely, a Ti-Cu coating. The porosity (~4.8%) and average pore size (~0.42 μm) of the Ti-Cu coating are smaller than the porosity (~5.6%) and average pore size (~0.66 μm) of Ti-blank coating. In addition, there is a significant reduction in the amount of SRB adhesion on the Ti-Cu coating compared to the Ti-blank coating under the same conditions, while there is little difference in corrosion resistance between the two coatings. There, the addition of copper helps to improve the fouling resistance of TiO2 coatings without compromising their corrosion resistance. Our work provides a practical method to improve the antifouling function of metallic Ti substrates, which could promote the application of Ti in the petroleum industry.

Analysis of the systematic conservation of China's petroleum industrial heritage: a case study and analysis of the petroleum industrial heritage in Daqing

After a century of development, China's petroleum industry has introduced numerous and various petroleum industrial heritage elements, which collectively embody the value and significance of China's petroleum industrial heritage. Currently, all levels of government departments are trying to protect petroleum industrial heritage, but only limited heritage types and elements of the petroleum industry are included in official conservation lists, which is not conducive to the systematic conservation of China's petroleum industrial heritage. To achieve the systematic conservation of China's petroleum industrial heritage, this study introduced a global petroleumscape research method, taking the petroleum industrial heritage of China's Daqing Oil Field as the research object, and conducted a typological and spatiotemporal historical analysis of all the heritage elements in this oilfield. The results revealed that the current conservation of China's petroleum industrial heritage focuses on the industrial remains formed by the flow of petroleum materials but rarely on the remains formed by the flow of petroleum capital. Additionally, some common characteristics were observed in the overall spatiotemporal pattern of the petroleum industrial heritage, and these characteristics are closely related to the spatial distribution of petroleum resources, oilfield development strategy, dimension of urban areas, and urban development mode. Finally, this paper highlights several future research topics on the subsequent systematic conservation of China's petroleum industrial heritage and provides some reference value for the future systematic conservation of China's petroleum industrial heritage.

Modeling of Inhalation Health Risk of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Vicinity of Maptaphut Petroleum and Petrochemical Industrial Estate, Thailand

The purpose of this research was to explicate a human health risk assessment that can be employed with inhalation risk estimates to provide a screening level of risks. Model input parameters provide reasonable values with the site- and compound-specific values relied on by the Human Health Risk Assessment Protocol (HHRAP). This method uses a generic risk assessment, consisting of air dispersion and deposition modeling followed by risk modeling. An intensive evaluation was conducted in the surrounding area of the largest petroleum and petrochemical estate in Thailand, the Maptaphut industrial area, where a large volume of VOCs was emitted, with an increasing negative health impact on the local population. The potential inhalation health risk assessment showed that the lifetime cancer risk in all residential areas is higher than the health benchmarks. The highest cancer risk was 7.82 × 10−2 in children and 3.91 × 10−1 in adults. The inhalation effects are based on the specific emission rates, the united concentrations and deposition fluxes, and the emission phase. The results revealed that four VOCs (benzene, 1,3-butadiene, vinyl chloride, and 1,2-dichloroethane) should be given priority when controlling for sustainable health risk management through the comprehensive analysis of the integrated analysis of air dispersion and health risk mathematical models.

Future strategies for promoting tourism and petroleum heritage in Khuzestan Province, Iran

PurposeIndustrial tourism not only strives to preserve industrial heritage, but can also be a strategy for being familiar with the history of industry and attracting tourists to new destinations. This paper examines the issue of promoting petroleum industrial tourism in the case of Khuzestan, Iran. The research aims at determining appropriate strategies for promoting petroleum industrial tourism.Design/methodology/approachThe data were analysed through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) model.FindingsThe results revealed the competitive strategy as the best. Lastly, strategies such as: concentric diversification, joint venture strategy, conglomerate diversification and horizontal diversification were proposed as key solutions. The results support the view that establishing an exploratory ecomuseum in the territory of Khuzestan Province can be a suitable concentric diversification strategy towards petroleum industrial sustainable tourism in the future.Originality/valueThe main originality of this paper includes linking tourism with the petroleum (oil and natural gas) industry and its natural landscapes for the first time in a case study. Therefore, the results of this research can extend the literature in this regards. Moreover, this paper attracts tourists to visit natural landscapes of petroleum heritage.

Energy Consumption and Industrial Output Growth in Nigeria (1981-2018)

Although Nigeria has strong oil resources present in its economy, still it suffers from energy shortages. This causes heavy crisis in the Industrial Output growth. This study has a primary objective to find out the nexus between Petroleum Consumption and Industrial Output from Nigerian economy point of view. it also checks the influence of electricity consumption on the growth of economy. This study has used a secondary data source. The data has been obtained from CBN Annual Report and Statement of Account 2018; a positive relationship between Industrial Output growth and Petroleum Consumption revealed by this study. Similar type f association found between Industrial Output growth and Coal Consumption. Based on the findings and conclusion, the study recommended among others that government should intensify efforts at maintaining consistency in the production and utilization of energy for improved Industrial Output growth in Nigeria; government should ensure reliable and sustainable supply of energy at a cost affordable to the Industrial sector in Nigeria and government should redesign policies that enhances increased production capacity of the sector through appropriate Energy Supply to achieve Industrial Output growth in Nigeria.

Challenges and Reforms in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector

Since the exploration of Oil and Gas gain huge commercial essence in the economy of Nigeria,the battle to strike a balance between maximizing revenue, wooing investors and protecting the people and environment of host communities, has remain till date a mirage. While time is of essence, the leg dragging attitude towards reforms and the non passage of the Petroleum Industrial Bill has created an atmosphere of uncertainty in the industry, scaring potential investors away. This paper evaluates the current potentials of the Oil and Gas industry, its reforms and challenges.

Bioremediation of oily sludge polluted soil employing a novel strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and phytotoxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons for seed germination

Agricultural land pollution is key a problem globally, which is linked with growth of industries. Petroleum industrial sector is one of the major industrial sectors and the activities of petroleum industry lead to the agricultural land pollution. Oily sludge is a type of solid and hazardous waste generated from petroleum industrial activities. Hence, there is an urgent need to find remediation methods of the oily sludge contaminated agricultural land. Thus, the aim of this work was to study bioremediation of oily sludge polluted soil employing a novel strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and evaluation of phytotoxicity on germination of Vigna radiata seed in pots. Five different approaches were adopted for the bioremediation studies, which included Bioaugmentation + Biostimulation, bioaugmentation, biostimulation, natural attenuation and abiotic factors. Simultaneous application of P. aeruginosa NCIM 5514 and nutrients in microcosm showed 92.97 ± 0.92% decrease in oily sludge with good hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial count and decreased nutrient level in 56 days. Pot experiments on seed germination of mung beans (Vigna radiata) seeds was performed by pot experiments. 80.95% germination in five days in treated soil. From the results it was concluded that simultaneous use of oily sludge degraders and nutrient supplement could revive seed germination ability of oily sludge polluted soil effectively. This is first report of comparing five techniques to bioremediate oily sludge polluted soil using Pseudomonas aeruginosa, followed by pot study using V. radiata seeds, showing that P. aeruginosa can be an efficient bioremediation agent and can be effectively used for remediation of oily sludge contaminated soil.

Reuse of petroleum industrial waste as reinforcement in aluminium matrix for enhancement of mechanical properties

The impelling quest for new materials that can be eco-friendly and results in remarkable properties step up worldwide. Aluminium metal matrix composites are inevitable in diversified fields of production industries as it turned up to have superior mechanical properties. In this current investigation, a new metal was synthesized with pure aluminium as the matrix metal and the petroleum industrial waste as the reinforcement material. The exhausted waste from the petroleum industries are available in tonnes across the world. The elements present in the industrial waste was the main cause that it is chosen for producing aluminium composite. The purpose of research was to reuse the petroleum industrial waste in manufacturing the new composite by stir casting. The proportions of industrial waste were varied such as 0%, 5%, 10% & 15%. The mechanical testing of samples was done and results were compared with pure Aluminium. The hardness of the synthesized composites was greater than pure aluminium. The tensile strength was increased for the new Aluminium Industrial waste composites than pure Aluminium. The composite with 10% industrial waste resulted to be the best composition with enhancement of 45% hardness and 14% tensile strength amongst as the samples. The morphological study of cast composites was analysed by Scanning Electron Microscope and it revealed the even distribution of industrial waste in aluminium matrix. The composition of the composites was observed by the Electron Dispersion Analysis. Aluminium metal matrix composite with improved properties can be manufactured by using petroleum industrial waste without causing negative impact to the environment.

Application of the HLD Value in the Petroleum Industry

Abstract The efficiency of demulsification is a key process in terms of extracting the oil of O/V (oil-in-water type) emulsions of enhanced oil recovery. Consequently, the separation of emulsion systems and the recovery of the maximum amount of oil from the colloid system play an important role in the petroleum industry. The stability of the emulsions from oil recovery is influenced by numerous factors. J. L. Salager developed the HLD (Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Deviation) equation in order to examine the efficiency of demulsification. Our aim was to investigate whether the equation developed by Salager is suitable for monitoring the stability of petroleum industrial emulsions.

A study on green supply chain management practices in the Indian petroleum industries

This paper focuses on the green supply chain management (GSCM) practices and innovations done in the petroleum industrial sector of India and aims to analyse the key factors influencing the implementation of these practices. The paper is based on a survey conducted on senior executives of the petroleum industry in India. A questionnaire designed to study the various GSCM practices was administered to 42 senior executives from this sector and the responses were analysed. The finding of the study reveals that major benefits are in the form of regulatory compliance and adoption of environmentally friendly practices. Different types of technologies used as well as the mode of operations of participating firms are also discussed. The driving forces which helped the company in implementation of these practices are also reviewed. Some of the major barriers are also considered. The study also brings out the need to implement these practices as incremental improvements in the existing system.

Improving Petroleum Industrial Waste Water Quality Using Cationic Modified Rice Starch

An environmental friendly biodegradable cationic rice starch polymer was prepared from the broken rice. This natural polymer was assessed and applied in the treatment of the oil refinery waste water where it showed a noticeable improvement in the values of organic matter, turbidity, colloidal silica and chloride ions to lowest levels by applying 10 mg/l of cationic rice starch polymer alone. Also, by using (6) mg/l of that polymer together with (25) mg/l of ferric chloride, in the clarification of the waste water, showed very good clarity. Details, of scenario, methodology, and the obtained results are discussed and presented in this study.

Remediation of Contaminated Soil with Petroleum Industrial Wastewater

The contamination of soil with the wastes of oil industry products that are complex mixtures of hydrocarbons increased recently due to the large development of oil industries in Iraq. This study deals with the remediation of low permeability contaminated clayey soil by using the enhanced electrokinetic technique (EK). The contaminated soil samples obtained from Thi-Qar oil refinery plant in Al-Nassyriah city, where the byproducts of refinery plant are disposed into that site. The byproduct contaminant treated as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) to avoid dealing and complexity of treating the individual minerals and compounds consisting the contaminant. The initial concentrations of TPH were (702.7, 1168, 1235) ppm in the contaminated soil samples NA10, NA11, and NA12 respectively. The remediation technique includes a bench-scale experimental study by applying the enhanced electrokinetic test on the soil sample NA12 that contains the higher concentration of TPH in compared with other soil samples. A constant DC voltage gradient of 1.0 VDC/cm was applied for a period of 10 days. This echnology was enhanced by using flushing solution of ethanol and deionized water, which was mixed in ratios of 30% and 70% respectively. The results of this study showed that the removal of TPH at the anode was about 15% and the concentration of TPH decreased at anode, which reflect the migration of TPH towards the cathode.

Effect of Barium Aluminates on Acid Resistance of Fracturing Proppants

In order to explore the effect of removing siliceous components on acid resistance of fracturing proppants, acid resistance of fracturing proppants in a new silicon-free system was studied in this paper. The fracturing proppants were made by pressureless sintering using high-purity alumina and barium carbonate as the basic raw material. Acid resistance test was carried out in 12 wt% HCl + 3 wt% HF at 65 oC for 30 minutes according to The Petroleum and Gas Industrial Standards of China (SY/T5108-2006) and morphology, structure and chemical analysis of the samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Experiments show that fracturing proppants that contain barium aluminates have better acid resistance. The acid solubility of the samples is less than 3%, especially when the content of barium carbonate is about 10% (mass fraction, the same below), the acid solubility of the sample reaches 0.52% which is far beyond the demands (5%) of the Standards of SY/T5108-2006. Results prove that the removal of siliceous components of raw materials can prominently improve the acid resistance of fracturing proppants. It can provide a new referential thought for improving the acid resistance of fracturing proppants.

Assessment of the impact of petroleum and petrochemical industries to the surrounding areas in Malaysia using mosses as bioindicator supported by multivariate analysis

Biomonitoring of multi-element atmospheric deposition using terrestrial moss is a well-established technique in Europe. Although the technique is widely known, there were very limited records of using this technique to study atmospheric air pollution in Malaysia. In this present study, the deposition of 11 trace metals surrounding the main petroleum refinery plant in Kerteh Terengganu (eastern part of peninsular Malaysia) has been evaluated using two local moss species, namely Hypnum plumaeforme and Taxithelium instratum as bioindicators. The study was also done by means of observing whether these metals are attributed to work related to oil exploration in this area. The moss samples have been collected at 30 sampling stations in the vicinity of the petrochemical industrial area covering up to 15 km to the south, north, and west in radius. The contents of heavy metal in moss samples were analyzed by energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence technique. Distribution of heavy metal content in all mosses is portrayed using Surfer software. Areas of the highest level of contaminations are highlighted. The results obtained using the principal components analysis revealed that the elements can be grouped into three different components that indirectly reflected three different sources namely anthropogenic factor, vegetation factor, and natural sources (soil dust or substrate) factor. Heavy metals deposited mostly in the distance after 9 km onward to the western part (the average direction of wind blow). V, Cr, Cu, and Hg are believed to have originated from local petrochemical-based industries operated around petroleum industrial area.

A correlation study of the ground water quality in the Manali Petroleum Industrial Region in Tamil Nadu, India

The increased prominence of the petroleum industry in Manali at North Chennai has given rise to a concomitant upsurge of ecological disturbances together with groundwater pollution. Ten representative groundwater samples were collected from various parts of the industrial region in the monsoon, winter and summer seasons during 2006-2007 and those water samples were analysed by standard analytic methods. As many as twenty water quality parameters were taken into account in the correlation analysis. Some parameters were found within and some parameters beyond the permissible limit. Correlation coefficients (r) between different pairs of parameters were computed. Significant positive correlation was found to exist between the pairs of parameters; turbidity-alkalinity, turbidity-iron, ECNa, TDS-EC, TDS-TH, EC-TH, TH-K and CODBOD. It is also observed that, some of the parameters were found to have weak correlation and some parameters have negative correlation. Keywords: Manali, petroleum industry, groundwater quality, correlation coefficients.

A Correlation Study of the Ground Water Quality in the Manali Petroleum Industrial Region in Tamil Nadu, India

The increased prominence of the petroleum industry in Manali at North Chennai has given rise to a concomitant upsurge of ecological disturbances together with groundwater pollution. Ten representative groundwater samples were collected from various parts of the industrial region in the monsoon, winter and summer seasons during 2006-2007 and those water samples were analysed by standard analytic methods. As many as twenty water quality parameters were taken into account in the correlation analysis. Some parameters were found within and some parameters beyond the permissible limit. Correlation coefficients (r) between different pairs of parameters were computed. Significant positive correlation was found to exist between the pairs of parameters; turbidity-alkalinity, turbidity-iron, ECNa, TDS-EC, TDS-TH, EC-TH, TH-K and CODBOD. It is also observed that, some of the parameters were found to have weak correlation and some parameters have negative correlation.

The exploration of making acidproof fracturing proppants using red mud

In this study, the exploration of making acidproof fracturing proppants using red mud was carried out. The main raw materials are red mud and the refractory waste. During the exploration, three methods were explored to enhance the acid resistance of the samples of the fracturing proppants. Eventually, fracturing proppants with good acid resistance were produced using red mud, the refractory waste, barium carbonate and plasticizer. The acid solubility of the samples of the acidproof fracturing proppants was less than 4.5% which reached the demands of The Petroleum and Gas Industrial Standards of China (SY/T5108-2006). The results show that adding barium carbonate to the raw materials can decrease the acid solubility of the samples effectively. The main reason is the monoclinic celsian-BaAl 2Si 2O 8 formed in sintering process which can protect the other compositions of the acidproof fracturing proppants to prevent them from erosion by acid. The exploration shows that it is probable to produce fracturing proppants with good acid resistance using red mud.

Evaluation of Myelotoxicity in Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus) Exposed To Environmental Contaminants. II. Myelotoxicity Associated with Petroleum Industrial Wastes

Various chemical mixtures exist in soil contaminated with petrochemical wastes, yet no comprehensive assessment of their impact on terrestrial ecosystems has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to evaluate hematotoxicity risks to wild populations of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) residing in habitats previously contaminated by petroleum industrial wastes. Resident cotton rats were monitored on nine contaminated sites and nine ecologically matched reference sites in Oklahoma. The possible toxicological interactions of petrochemical wastes on bone marrow was investigated by using the assay of colony formation of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells. There was a consistent significant 21 to 39% decrease in the number of colony-forming units of granulocytemacrophage (CFU-GM) in cotton rats from petrochemical-contaminated sites compared to matched reference sites, with no marked changes in hematological or histopathological parameters. These results suggest that bone-marrow progenitor cell culture is a sensitive indicator for the assessment of ecotoxicity risks associated with petrochemical wastes that are generated by the oil refining industry. Long-term exposure to hazardous wastes associated with the petroleum industry may represent a subtle risk to the hematopoietic system in humans.