Journal of Petroleum Research & Studies

This study aims to create a detailed thermal maturity map based on vitrinite reflectance in the Basrah oil fields in southern Iraq. The specific objective was to determine areas with the highest thermal maturity within the Yamama Formation. The selected fields for analysis were WQ-60, Lu-12, Zb-42, Nr-12, Mj-12, and Ru-72, which belong to the West Qurna, Luhas, Zubair, Nahr Umar, Majnoon, and Rumaila oilfields, respectively. The Petromod 1D software was used for basin modeling and thermal history reconstruction. By inputting geological and geophysical data, the software enabled the construction of a comprehensive thermal basin history. The primary focus was on evaluating vitrinite reflectance values, which serve as a proxy for thermal maturity. The results of the study revealed significant variations in thermal maturity within the Yamama Formation across the selected fields. The Nahr Umar field (Nr-12) exhibited the highest thermal maturity, characterized by elevated vitrinite reflectance values. This indicates that organic matter within the Yamama Formation has undergone significant heating and maturation processes in this particular field. On the other hand, the Zubair field (Zb-12) displayed the lowest vitrinite reflectance values, suggesting a lower level of thermal maturity. This could be attributed to different burial histories, variations in the thermal gradient, or other tectonic movements in the area.

One of many lengthy, asymmetrical, and double plunging anticlines that make up the Foothill part of the Unstable Shelf Zone in northern and eastern Iraq is the Bai Hassan Oilfield. The absence of advanced fracture detection tools such as the Formation Micro Image (FMI) log and Televiewer tools used in boreholes has led to the follow of new methods to use common and ordinary well logging methods to investigate possible fractures in the reservoir. For fracture detection in the Baba Carbonate Formation in the Bai Hassan Oilfield, Northern Iraq, this study employs conventional well log data from two chosen wells (BH-101 and BH-078). Several applications have been combined, including the tri-porosity cross plot (M-N), secondary porosity calculation, natural gamma ray spectroscopy (NGS), dual laterolog - microspherical focused logs separation, and the cementation exponent (m) parameter, for detecting the fractured zones of the formation. The scatter of the sample points towards the secondary porosity field of the M-N crossplot was a preliminary indication for the existence of fractures in the studied sections. In various horizons of both studied wells, the Baba Formation has good secondary porosity that ranges from less than 1.0 to about 10%. Almost the entire formation has certain percentages of secondary porosity, especially in its middle and lower parts. An increase in the Uranium volume, as observed in some horizons from the U/K and U/Th ratios, coincides with the calculated secondary porosity values and supports those zones being fractured zones. The relative decrease in resistivities recorded by the resistivity logs in certain horizons also supported the suggestion that those intervals were fractured zones. The formation appeared to have cementation exponent values of 1.59 in the well BH-101 and 1.71 in the well Bh-078; both values are related to formations with fractures. It is vital and recommended that the procedure used in this study be applied to boreholes with image logs in order to calibrate the results and the reliability of the identified fracture zones.

It is important to pay attention to environmental regulations while preparing drilling mud because it has become aspects that must be taken into consideration both now and in the future. It is essential to use sustainable and environmentally friendly materials at every stage of the oil and gas industry if possible in order to ensure high standards of sustainable practices. Oil that has been used to prepare oil base mud have bad impact on soil and human at the same time. The using of flaxseed oil instead of gas oil to preparing emulsion is done in this paper. The results were encouraging, and showed the possibility of using flaxseed oil for preparing ecological emulsion. The efficacy of walnut shell powder as an emulsifying agent has been tested as a surface tension reducer and the possibility of using it to increase the stability of an oil emulsion either in reverse or direct at high temperatures (400°F). This research includes measurements of filtration, stability and rheological properties of oil emulsion under laboratory and high temperature. Sample C showed high stability less than 3% because it is a direct emulsion composed of 10% flaxseed oil and crushed walnut shells, which acted as an excellent emulsifying agent because it was composed of cellulose with a percentage of more than 40%. Sample E gave the highest viscosity values, and the reason for this is that it is a reverse emulsion consisting of 60% flax oil with a high viscosity, as it reached more than 70 centipoises at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

This paper presents a study of the application of gas lift (GL) to improve oil production in a Middle East field. The field has been experiencing a rapid decline in production due to a drop in reservoir pressure. GL is a widely used artificial lift technique that can be used to increase oil production by reducing the hydrostatic pressure in the wellbore. The study used a full field model to simulate the effects of GL on production. The model was run under different production scenarios, including different water cut and reservoir pressure values. The results showed that GL can significantly increase oil production under all scenarios. The study also found that most wells in the field will soon be closed due to high water cuts. However, the application of GL can keep these wells economically viable. The economic evaluation of the study showed that the optimum GL design is feasible and can significantly improve oil production. This suggests that GL is a promising technology for improving oil production in fields that are experiencing a decline in production. The study also provides a new approach to GL optimization using a genetic algorithm, which can be used to find the optimal GL design for a given field.

The petroleum refining sector has increasingly prioritized the creation of clean fuel as a crucial priority. The objective of this project is to generate environmentally friendly fuel through the use of a straightforward and uncomplicated method. Using a novel synthetic nano-catalyst, batch oxidative desulfurization (ODS) eliminates sulfur compounds in Kerosene. The new Catalyst's silica nano-particle support is initially manufactured utilizing the sol-gel technique. Subsequently, the support is employed to fabricate a synthetic composite nano-catalyst composed of ferric oxide, utilizing the techniques devised for extracting a novel synthetic handcrafted (Fe2O3/composite support) Nano-catalyst. The composite supports used for the robust studies on the desulfurization process contain different levels of HY-zeolite (100 percent Nano silica). These levels include 10% HY-zeolite + 90% Nano silica, 20% HY-zeolite + 80% Nano silica, and 30% HY-zeolite + 70% Nano silica. The supports and manufactured Catalyst underwent characterization tests, including SEM, XRD, XRF, TGA, FTIR, BET, and particle size distribution. The tests showed an ideal distribution of the active metal (Fe), different surface structures, and a high active metal dispersion were achieved. The prominent locations are identified as limited in number, and the catalysts exhibit metal-support solid interaction. The existing Catalyst's performance was evaluated using a batch reactor. The assessment involved testing the Catalyst at different reaction temperatures (303 to 393 K) and batch times (30 to 120 minutes) while varying HY-zeolite quantities in the composite supports.

The spin coating process was used in this study to create nanocomposites of ethynevinyl acetate copolymer reinforced with nano titania nanoparticles at various ratios (50, 100, & 150 part/million). Using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), different types of reactions between TiO2 and PEVA were investigated. Deferential Scanning Calorimetry was used to study melting point of thin films. As well as, anti-corrosion resistance of thin films using electrochemical method were studied.
Results show that the adding of TiO2 nanoparticles enhanced the thermal characteristics of nano composite thin films, Tm increasing from 66oC to 71oC, the results of the FTIR analysis demonstrate that the nanoscale TiO2 and PEVA are physical change ocuure. Anti-corrosion behavior shows that the corrosion current reduces from 188 mA to 1 nA and corrosion resistance was increased. Additionally, the efficacy of inhibition increased from 0.0 to 99%. with adding Nano TiO2 with 150 ppm to thin films.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of biopolymers with characteristics resembling those of petrochemical-based plastics that have gained recent attention and a growing amount of research effort due to their environmental friendliness. Numerous bacteria, including Alcaligenes spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., and algae create (PHAs) in the presence of carbon and limiting nutrients like nitrogen, and these biopolymers can successfully replace industrial plastics. Therefore, the goal of this study is to employ carbon dioxide, an industrial pollutant emitted into the environment, as a cheap carbon source to lower production costs and remove pollution at the same time. Only three of the nine bacterial isolates utilized were able to synthesize the polymer in the presence of CO2, and the best isolate was belonging to the genus Alcaligenes after 48 hours of incubation at 30°C and pH 7, which are the optimal conditions for polymer synthesis. Bacterial growth resulted in the production of 5.2gm/l of PHA and 6.2gm/l of biomass under these conditions.

Pressurized pressure vessels utilized in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry commonly experience in-service deterioration caused by factors such as corrosion and process-related issues. Most current research has emphasized the significance of calculating remaining lifetime (RLT) but with a little concentration on the Ultrasonic test (UT) for remaining life assessment. In this work, a case study of the pressure vessel unit (20-v-200) belonging to Basra Oil Company (BOC) at Hammar Mishrif Degassing Station (HM-DGS) is conducted. A nondestructive test (NDT) by UT technique was employed over the suspected area of the pressure vessel. Where it was identified the condition monitoring locations (CMLs) around the shell and heads of the pressure vessel, were marked twenty-one locations to obtain their wall thickness measurement. The results of the remaining lifetime showed that for shell and head were computed as 52.9 years and 56.8 years, respectively. Therefore, based on the present result, it can be deduced that the pressure vessel can remain in operation or continue to be in service for the next 52.9 years under the same process conditions. This assessment considers the existing condition of the vessel and indicates that it can meet the required safety and operational standards for an extended duration. However, as per the guidelines outlined in API 510, it is recommended that thickness measurement inspections should be conducted within a timeframe that does not exceed either half of the vessel’s remaining life or a maximum of 10 years. This recommendation ensures that regular assessments are performed to monitor the thickness and condition of the vessel. By adhering to this practice, timely maintenance and necessary repairs can be identified and carried out, contributing to the continued integrity and safety of the vessel throughout its operational lifespan.

The main obstacles to securing the future of humanity are the rising energy demand and the constrained supply of conventional energy sources. In order to guarantee the sustainability of energy in this world for the present and the future, solar energy is a desirable source of energy. Solar thermal collectors with evacuated tubes are primarily employed in domestic settings. Even in low-temperature applications, replacing the working fluid with nanofluid can improve heat transfer. The effect of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) and water nanofluid as working fluids in evacuated tube solar collectors(ETSC) is used to investigate the collector's thermal performance experimentally. Three different volume fraction of (MWCNT) nanoparticles of (0.01%, 0.03% and 0.05%) were examined at various volume flow rates ranging from (1 to 3 L/min). Experiments were performed in Al –Hilla, Iraq. The results show an enhancement in the efficiency with increase in the volume fraction of(MWCNT)nanoparticles and volume flow rate (i.e. concentration (0.05%) and volume flow rate (3L/min). The temperature difference of the fluid at concentration (0.05%) and volume flow rate (1L/min) increased up to (86.84 %) with adding (MWCNT) nanoparticles compared with the water. The results showed, maximum efficiency enhancement of the collector at concentration (0.05%) and volume flow rate (3L/min) about (69.63%) compared with water.

The research aims to study the effect of adding crude oil on the workability and compressive strength of concrete, where it was noted that there are significant changes in the properties of concrete that were provided when varying percentages of crude oil were added.
In this study, different percentages of crude oil were used, constituting (0%, 1%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%) of The weight of the fine aggregate used in the concrete mixtures, where the results of the laboratory examination of the amount of slump as a measure of the workability of the concrete showed that there was a collapse of the concrete after fixing it in the test cone when adding percentages of crude oil more than 6%, which indicates that the addition of crude oil causes a delay in the cement reactions And water, and this indicates that its presence hinders the bonding between the components of concrete, and thus leads to the separation of these components from each other.
As for the results of the compressive strength test, the concrete cubes that were tested at the age of (7) days proved that the compressive strength decreases when adding percentages ranging from (1%) to (5%), then it starts to increase from (5%) to (10%) and then back. to decreasing again, which indicates an improvement in the compressive strength of concrete when adding a ratio of (10%) and a higher percentage of the compressive strength in the event that crude oil is not added to its components. The study also showed that there is an improvement in the compressive strength when adding percentages of crude oil ranging Between (6%) and (15%).