CHARACTERISTICS AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF A NIGERIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCT SAMPLE EVALUATED VIA LABORATORY PILOT SCALE DIGITAL TOOL KIT

Abstract

Characterization of Petroleum Product Samples is an activity carried out to measure and document the physical and chemical properties of the crude oil sample as to serve as a guide in the future monitoring of the oil/gas reservoir content as well as give an insight as to the quantity of the produced fluid from the well head in terms of the various fractions realizable when the product is subjected to processes leading to a refined and usable substance. A petroleum sample was collected from the opuekeba field (50 litres) located in the swamp portion of OML-49, 14 kilometers east of Isan field and 6 kilometers west of opuama field at Ulaje village – Ondo State and subjected to continuous rectification using a pilot scale digital column distillation tool kit housed in the laboratory. Opuekeba field has 135ft net oil and 65ft net gas in the reserves with production capacity of 48.98 million barrels of oil and recoverable reserves of 36.95 million barrels of oil with about 68 million standard cubic feet of gas and 4.09 million barrels of condensate. Some of the evaluated physico-chemical properties include specific gravity (0.8705) basic sediment and water (BS & W) (20%) carbon residue (2.05%), API gravity (31o). The chemical properties includes sulphide as H2S (Nil) dissolved oxygen (Nil) turbidity 3.6 NTU, conductivity (8.77 ohm meter) PH (8.8), sodium Na+ (1796 mg/L) calcium ca2+ (Nil) hardness’ (100mg/l) cadium cd (Nil) copper, cu (Nil), bicarbonate, HCO3 (1866) sulphate SO42+ (Nil) total dissolved solids (5319mg/l), chloride Cl- (1512mg/l). The results showed that the non-presence of hydrogen sulphide which posses health hazards and environmental corrosion imply the crude oil is within the grade referred as sweet crude since it has no sulphur content hence will have little or no environmental problems. One litre of this product sample was distilled and gave gasoline 300ml (30%) kerosene 260ml (26%) Gasoil 180ml (18%) and Residue 260ml (26%).

KEYWORDS: Digital tool kit, characterization, chemical property, physical property, rectification.