Petroleum

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Life Sciences

Terms modified by Petroleum

  • petroleum accumulation
  • petroleum ether
  • petroleum ether extract
  • petroleum exploration
  • petroleum gas
  • petroleum generation
  • petroleum hydrocarbon
  • petroleum industry
  • petroleum potential
  • petroleum reservoir
  • petroleum resource
  • petroleum system

  • Selected Abstracts


    PETROLEUM MIGRATION, FAULTS AND OVERPRESSURE, PART I: CALIBRATING BASIN MODELLING USING PETROLEUM IN TRAPS , A REVIEW

    JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 3 2006
    D.A. Karlsen
    This paper considers the principles of deciphering basin-scale hydrocarbon migration patterns using the geochemical information which is present in trapped petroleum. Petroleum accumulations in subsiding basins can be thought of as "data archives" within which stored information can help us to understand aspects of hydrocarbon formation and migration. This information can impart a time-resolved picture of hydrocarbon migration in a basin in response to processes associated with progressive burial, particularly in the context of the occurrence and periodic activity of faults. This review, which includes a series of tentative models of migration-related processes in the extensional Halten Terrace area, offshore mid-Norway, illustrates how we can use information from the migrating mobile hydrocarbon phase to improve our knowledge of the static geological system. Of particular importance is the role of sub-seismic heterogeneities and faults in controlling migration processes. We focus on how the secondary migration process can be enhanced in a multi-source rock basin such as the Halten Terrace, thereby increasing prospectivity. [source]


    THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM IN THE CHAIWOPU SUB-BASIN (JUNGGAR BASIN), NW CHINA

    JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 2 2000
    H. P. Huang
    The Chaiwopu Sub-basin is a minor extension of the Junggar Basin, hW China, and covers an area of about 2,500 sq. km. It is bounded to the east and north by the Bogda Shan and to the south by the Tian Shan ("Shan" meaning "mountains" in Chinese). Four wells have been drilled in the sub-basin; condensate and gas have been produced in noncommercial quantities at one of the wells (Well C), but the other three wells were dry. In this paper, I investigate the nature and origin of the petroleum at Well C. Three of the four wells in the Chaiwopu Sub-basin penetrated the Upper Permian Lucaogou Formation. Previous studies in the Junggar Basin have established that laminated lacustrine mudstones assigned to this formation comprise a very thick high quality source rock. However, the analysis of cores from wells in the sub-basin shows that the Lucaogou Formation is composed here of shallow lacustrine, fluvial and alluvial deposits which have very low petroleum generation potential. Overlying sediments (Upper Permian, Triassic and younger strata) likewise have little source potential. Around 1,000 m of Upper Permian laminated oil shales crop out at Dalongkou and Tianchi on the northern side of the Bogda Shan. On the southern side of the Bogda Shan, however, only 30 m of Upper Permian oil shales occur at Guodikong. Shales and oil seeps from these locations were analysed using standard organic-geochemical techniques. The physical properties of the petroleum present at Well C, and its carbon isotope and biomarker characteristics, suggest that it has migrated over long distances from its source rock, although an alternative explanation for its origin is not precluded. Burial history modelling indicates that hydrocarbon generation and migration may have occurred before the uplift of the Bogda Shan in the Late Jurassic,Early Cretaceous, the orogenic episode which resulted in the diflerentiation of the Chaiwopu Sub-basinfrom the Junggar Basin. [source]


    Suggested Methods to Mitigate Bias from Nondissolved Petroleum in Ground Water Samples Collected from the Smear Zone

    GROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 3 2009
    Dawn A. Zemo
    This article provides actual site data that confirm that turbid ground water samples collected from within the smear zone at petroleum release sites can be significantly biased high by the inclusion of a nondissolved component that is an artifact of the sampling process. Side-by-side comparisons show that reducing sample turbidity can result in significant reductions of reported concentrations for the ground water samples and that the lower turbidity results are more representative of the petroleum actually dissolved in the ground water. Depending on site-specific factors, ground water sample turbidity can be reduced by four field-based and two laboratory-based methods. These methods should be used routinely at sites where turbid samples with a nondissolved component are being collected. [source]


    Report from the Field: Pimping Maria from Puebla to Panama: Peasants, Petroleum & Paramilitaries

    NORTH AMERICAN DIALOGUE (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2004
    Professor Katherine O'Donnell
    Through participation in grassroots education workshops, conferences, and economic solidarity work, the author explores the expected impact of Plan Puebla de Panama on indigenous people in Chiapas, Mexico, as well as North-South resistance to militarization and neoliberal maldevelopment. [source]


    THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE MARATHON-ASHLAND JOINT VENTURE: THE IMPORTANCE OF INDUSTRY SUPPLY SHOCKS AND VERTICAL MARKET STRUCTURE,

    THE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2007
    CHRISTOPHER T. TAYLOR
    This study measures the effects of the Marathon/Ashland Petroleum (MAP) joint venture on rack and retail reformulated (RFG) gasoline prices in the four cities where both firms sold RFG before the joint venture. MAP was an early transaction in the recent era of petroleum mergers and resulted in large regional increases in concentration. While wholesale (rack) prices increased in the two cities experiencing the largest change in market structure in the year following the transaction, retail prices did not increase. Our results also highlight the importance of identifying the marginal source of supply in correctly identifying merger effects. [source]


    Waterlogged archaeological wood,chemical changes by conservation and degradation

    JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 10 2006
    M. Christensen
    Abstract Conservation of waterlogged archaeological wooden artefacts from the Nydam Bog in the southern part of Denmark was investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Two different conservation methods were used: the cellosolve/petroleum method and the polyethylene glycol (PEG)/freeze-drying method. Conservation with cellosolve/petroleum at both room and elevated temperatures was used to preserve archaeological arrows made from pinewood and ash wood. The double bonds in lignin were affected by the warm treatment. Holocellulose in the archaeological wooden arrows had decomposed completely. A band around 180 cm,1 in the R(v)-representation of the low-wavenumber Raman spectrum was used to monitor the presence of water in PEG2000 with a structure like the one in ,free' bulk water. The lignin/PEG2000 relative band intensities were used to make a quantitative estimate of the wood/PEG2000 ratio in a PEG2000 impregnated piece of hardwood. A decreasing degradation of holocellulose was observed from the surface to the centre of an oak piece from the Kolding Cog, built around 1200 A.D. A broad background was observed in the spectra recorded close to the surface of the plank. A similar, very intense, broad background was seen in untreated collapsed ash wood from the Nydam Bog. This broad background, most probably arising from fluorescence, was too intense to allow a Raman spectrum to be seen. In these cases, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy is a valuable complementary tool in studies of waterlogged archaeological wood, confirming that holocellulose degrades more rapidly than lignin. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Introducing dimensionless parameters into the correlation of NMR relaxation time to transport properties of porous media

    CONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 3 2007
    Manolis M. Tomadakis
    Abstract Dimensionless parameters representing the viscous permeability (k) and NMR relaxation time (T1) of particle beds, while accounting also for the particle size, are shown to improve drastically the accuracy of k-T1 correlations in the slow diffusion regime, in the absence of bulk relaxation effects. The finding is based on a regression analysis of numerical results for k and T1 in both random and ordered isotropic and anisotropic beds of fibers. Use of the formation factor (F) improves further the accuracy of the correlations only for the strongly anisotropic unidirectional arrays of fibers. A survey of related literature reveals an extensive effort in recent years in upgrading k-T1 correlations, driven primarily by applications in petroleum and gas field exploration and recovery. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 30A: 154,164, 2007. [source]


    COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE AND AUSTRALIA-CHINA BILATERAL TRADE

    ECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 1 2008
    YU SHENG
    Bilateral trade between Australia and China has expanded in recent years. This paper examines the determinants of bilateral trade at the two-digit commodity level using a modified gravity model with explicitly specified revealed comparative advantage incorporated. This methodology allows us to explore how the relative comparative advantage of Australia and China to the world, mirroring their individual pattern of factor endowments, affects the pattern of trade between the two countries and to identify whether there exists a kind of complimentarity international specialisation between the two countries against the backdrop of each country's booming trade with the rest of the world. Key commodities such as agricultural products, iron ore, petroleum, textiles and clothing, and machinery goods are considered to estimate net welfare in terms of added value deriving from bilateral trade. The findings have policy implications for forging future trade and economic cooperation between Australia and China. [source]


    On the relationship between methane production and oxidation by anaerobic methanotrophic communities from cold seeps of the Gulf of Mexico

    ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
    Beth! Orcutt
    Summary The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in the marine subsurface is a significant sink for methane in the environment, yet our understanding of its regulation and dynamics is still incomplete. Relatively few groups of microorganisms consume methane in subsurface environments , namely the anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME clades 1, 2 and 3), which are phylogenetically related to methanogenic archaea. Anaerobic oxidation of methane presumably proceeds via a ,reversed' methanogenic pathway. The ANME are generally associated with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfate is the only documented final electron acceptor for AOM in marine sediments. Our comparative study explored the coupling of AOM with sulfate reduction (SR) and methane generation (MOG) in microbial communities from Gulf of Mexico cold seep sediments that were naturally enriched with methane and other hydrocarbons. These sediments harbour a variety of ANME clades and SRB. Following enrichment under an atmosphere of methane, AOM fuelled 50,100% of SR, even in sediment slurries containing petroleum-associated hydrocarbons and organic matter. In the presence of methane and sulfate, the investigated microbial communities produce methane at a small fraction (,10%) of the AOM rate. Anaerobic oxidation of methane, MOG and SR rates decreased significantly with decreasing concentration of methane, and in the presence of the SR inhibitor molybdate, but reacted differently to the MOG inhibitor 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BES). The addition of acetate, a possible breakdown product of petroleum in situ and a potential intermediate in AOM/SR syntrophy, did not suppress AOM activity; rather acetate stimulated microbial activity in oily sediment slurries. [source]


    Anaerobic degradation of benzene by a marine sulfate-reducing enrichment culture, and cell hybridization of the dominant phylotype

    ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
    Florin Musat
    Summary The anaerobic biodegradation of benzene, a common constituent of petroleum and one of the least reactive aromatic hydrocarbons, is insufficiently understood with respect to the involved microorganisms and their metabolism. To study these aspects, sulfate-reducing bacteria were enriched with benzene as sole organic substrate using marine sediment as inoculum. Repeated subcultivation yielded a sediment-free enrichment culture constituted of mostly oval-shaped cells and showing benzene-dependent sulfate reduction and growth under strictly anoxic conditions. Amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes from progressively diluted culture samples revealed an abundant phylotype; this was closely related to a clade of Deltaproteobacteria that includes sulfate-reducing bacteria able to degrade naphthalene or other aromatic hydrocarbons. Cell hybridization with two specifically designed 16S rRNA-targeted fluorescent oligonucleotide probes showed that the retrieved phylotype accounted for more than 85% of the cells detectable via DAPI staining (general cell staining) in the enrichment culture. The result suggests that the detected dominant phylotype is the ,candidate species' responsible for the anaerobic degradation of benzene. Quantitative growth experiments revealed complete oxidation of benzene with stoichiometric coupling to the reduction of sulfate to sulfide. Suspensions of benzene-grown cells did not show metabolic activity towards phenol or toluene. This observation suggests that benzene degradation by the enriched sulfate-reducing bacteria does not proceed via anaerobic hydroxylation (mediated through dehydrogenation) to free phenol or methylation to toluene, respectively, which are formerly proposed alternative mechanisms for benzene activation. [source]


    Development of specific oligonucleotide probes for the identification and in situ detection of hydrocarbon-degrading Alcanivorax strains

    ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2001
    Kazuaki Syutsubo
    The genus Alcanivorax comprises diverse hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacteria. Novel 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide DNA probes (ALV735 and ALV735-b) were developed to quantify two subgroups of the Alcanivorax/Fundibacter group by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and the conditions for the single-mismatch discrimination of the probes were optimized. The specificity of the probes was improved further using a singly mismatched oligonucleotide as a competitor. The growth of Alcanivorax cells in crude oil-contaminated sea water under the biostimulation condition was investigated by FISH with the probe ALV735, which targeted the main cluster of the Alcanivorax/Fundibacter group. The size of the Alcanivorax population increased with increasing incubation time and accounted for 91% of the 4,,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) count after incubation for 2 weeks. The probes developed in this study are useful for detecting Alcanivorax populations in petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading microbial consortia. [source]


    In-Situ ozonation of contaminated groundwater

    ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 3 2000
    Michael A. Nimmer
    This paper presents case studies in the application of insitu ozone sparging to remediate petroleum contaminated groundwater. This technology was developed and installed due to shortcomings with other conventional remedial technologies evaluated for groundwater remediation. The main objective of this study was to develop a system to supply ozone to the groundwater aquifer and to evaluate the system performance in the field. Three different applications were evaluated for this study, all containing petroleum-contaminated groundwater. The ozone sparging system consists of an air compressor, ozone generator, a programmable logic controller, and associated gauges and controls. The mixture of air and ozone is injected into the groundwater aquifer through microporous sparge points contained in various sparge well designs. The initial results from the three applications demonstrated that ozone sparging is a viable alternative to remediate petroleum -contaminated groundwater. Significant reductions in petroleum constituents we re observed shortly after system start-up at all sites. During the one to two years operation at the three sites, a number of maintenance items we re identified; these items we re addressed by modifications to the system design and operation. A long-term evaluation of the system operation has not yet been performed. [source]


    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, trace elements, and monooxygenase activity in birds nesting on the North Platte River, Casper, Wyoming, USA

    ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2001
    Thomas W. Custer
    Abstract Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) and house wren (Troglodytes aedon) eggs and chicks were collected near a refinery site on the North Platte River, Casper, Wyoming, USA and at a reference site 10 km upstream. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in swallow and wren chicks were higher at the refinery site than at the reference site. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in sediment and chick dietary samples were consistent with these findings. The general lack of methylated PAHs in sediment, diet, and bird carcasses suggested that the PAHs were derived from combustion and not from petroleum. The predominance of odd-numbered aliphatic hydrocarbons and the low ratios (,0.25) of pristane:n -C17 and phytane:n -C18 in chick and diet samples also suggested that swallow and wren chicks were not being chronically exposed to petroleum. Mean ethoxyresorufin- O -dealkylase and benzyloxyresorufin- O -dealkylase activities in tree swallow livers averaged nine times higher at the refinery site than at the reference site and were probably induced by exposure to PAHs. Trace element concentrations in eggs and livers of swallows and wrens were similar or greater at the reference site than at the refinery site. Selenium, strontium, and boron concentrations were elevated in eggs and livers of swallows and wrens at both the refinery and reference sites. [source]


    Apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sources in lower Fox River, USA, sediments by a chemical mass balance model

    ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2000
    Ming-Chien Su
    Abstract Four sediment cores were collected from the lower Fox River, Wisconsin, USA, to identify possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using a chemical mass balance model. The cores, which were obtained in 1995 from areas close to Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA, had total PAH concentrations between 19.3 and 0.34 ppm. To determine historical trends of PAH inputs, 210Pb and 137Cs dating was used, and elemental carbon particle analysis was done to characterize particles from the combustion of coal, wood, and petroleum. Source fingerprints were taken from the literature. Our results indicate that coke oven emissions, highway dust, coal gasification, and wood burning are likely sources of PAHs in the lower Fox River. Coke oven emissions are in the range of 40 to 90% of total PAHs, and this fraction decreases from 1930 to 1990, except in core Fox River,A (FR-A). The overall highway dust (HWY) contribution is between 10 and 75%, and this fraction increases from 1930 to present, except in core FR-A. The wood burning (WB) contribution (i.e., wood burning or coal gasification) is less than 7% in cores FR-B, FR-C, and FR-D. In core FR-A, a maximum (,23%) is found around 1960. The contribution of wood burning has changed from less than 6% in 1950 to between 3 and 10% in 1995. Evidence of aerobic biodegradation or photolysis in the sediment of phenanthrene, with a half-life of approximately 0.5 years has been found at the site of core FR-D, which is the shallowest (1.1 m) of the four core sites. [source]


    Using regional exposure criteria and upstream reference data to characterize spatial and temporal exposures to chemical contaminants,

    ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2000
    Susan M. Cormier
    Abstract Analyses of biomarkers in fish were used to evaluate exposures among locations and across time. Two types of references were used for comparison, an upstream reference sample remote from known point sources and regional exposure criteria derived from a baseline of fish from reference sites throughout Ohio, USA. Liver, bile, and blood were sampled from white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) collected during 1993 and 1996 in the Ottawa River near Lima, Ohio. Levels of exposure were measured for petroleum by naphthalene-type metabolites, combustion by-products by benzo[a]pyrene-type metabolites, coplanar organic compounds by ethoxyresorufin- O -deethylase (EROD) activity, and urea by blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The four biomarkers analyzed proved effective in determining differences between reference and polluted sampling sites, between geographically close (<0.5 km) sites, and between sampling years at sites common in both years. Calculated exposure criteria levels of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bile metabolites were found to be a conservative approximation of levels from a designated reference site and could thereby permit comparison of biomarker levels of fish from the Ottawa River to a regional reference level. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bile metabolite and EROD activity levels were more reflective of spatial patterns of contamination than BUN, although all biomarkers indicated differences overtime. Biomarkers from white suckers seemed to be more responsive in detecting changes in contaminant levels than the same biomarkers from common carp. Lower levels in 1996 of all biomarkers at many sites suggested lower exposures than in 1993 and could be indicative of some improvement over the period. [source]


    Isolation and structural characterization of an R-form lipopolysaccharide from Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:8

    FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 3 2001
    Clemens Oertelt
    The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of strain 8081-c-R2, a spontaneous R-mutant of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:8, was isolated using extraction with phenol/chloroform/light petroleum. Its compositional analysis indicated the presence of d -GlcN, d -Glc, lglycerodmanno - and dglycerodmanno -heptose, 3-deoxy- dmanno -oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) and phosphate. From deacylated LPS obtained after successive treatment with hydrazine and potassium hydroxide, three oligosaccharides (1,3) were isolated using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography, the structures of which were determined by compositional analysis and one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy as in which all sugars are pyranoses, and R and R, represent ,- d -Glc (in 1 and 2) and ,- d -GlcN (in 1 only), respectively. d -,- d -Hep is dglycero -,- dmanno -heptose, l -,- d -Hep is lglycero -,- dmanno- heptose, Kdo is 3-deoxy- dmanno -oct-2-ulosonic acid, and P is phosphate. The liberated lipid A was analyzed by compositional analyses and MALDI-TOF MS. Its ,- d -GlcN4P-(1,6)-,- d -GlcN-1,P backbone is mainly tetra-acylated with two amide- and one ester-linked (at O3 of the reducing GlcN) (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid residues, and one tetradecanoic acid that is attached to the 3-OH group of the amide-linked (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid of the nonreducing GlcN. Additionally, small amounts of tri- and hexa-acylated lipid A species occur. [source]


    Structural analysis of the lipopolysaccharide from Chlamydophila psittaci strain 6BC

    FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 18 2000
    Sabine Rund
    The lipopolysaccaride of Chlamydophila psittaci 6BC was isolated from tissue culture-grown elementary bodies using a modified phenol/water procedure followed by extraction with phenol/chloroform/light petroleum. Compositional analyses indicated the presence of 3-deoxy- dmanno -oct-2-ulosonic acid, GlcN, organic bound phosphate and fatty acids in a molar ratio of ,,3.3 : 2 : 1.8 : 4.6. Deacylated lipopolysaccharide was obtained after successive microscale treatment with hydrazine and potassium hydroxide, and was then separated by high performance anion-exchange chromatography into two major fractions, the structures of which were determined by 600 MHz NMR spectroscopy as ,-Kdo-(2,8)-,-Kdo-(2,4)-,-Kdo-(2,6)-,- d -GlcpN-(1,6)-,- d -GlcpN 1,4,-bisphosphate and ,-Kdo-(2,4)-[,-Kdo-(2,8)]-,-Kdo-(2,4)-,-Kdo-(2,6)-,- d -GlcpN-(1,6)-,- d -GlcpN 1,4,-bisphosphate. The distribution of fatty acids in lipid A was determined by compositional analyses and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry experiments on lipid A and de-O-acylated lipid A. It was shown that the carbohydrate backbone of lipid A is replaced by a complex mixture of fatty acids, including long-chain and branched (R)-configured 3-hydroxy fatty acids, the latter being exclusively present in an amide linkage. [source]


    Field-scale 13C-labeling of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and dissolved inorganic carbon: tracing acetate assimilation and mineralization in a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer

    FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2002
    Silvina A. Pombo
    Abstract This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of labeling phospholipid-derived fatty acids (PLFA) of an active microbial population with a 13C-labeled organic substrate in the denitrifying zone of a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer during a single-well push-pull test. Anoxic test solution was prepared from 500 l of groundwater with addition of 0.5 mM Br, as a conservative tracer, 0.5 mM NO3,, and 0.25 mM [2- 13C]acetate. At 4, 23 and 46 h after injection, 1000 l of test solution/groundwater mixture were sequentially extracted. During injection and extraction phases we measured Br,, NO3, and acetate concentrations, characterized the microbial community structure by PLFA and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses, and determined 13C/12C ratios in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and PLFA. Computed first-order rate coefficients were 0.63±0.08 day,1 for NO3, and 0.70±0.05 day,1 for acetate consumption. Significant 13C incorporation in DIC and PLFA was detected as early as 4 h after injection. At 46 h we measured ,13C values of up to 5614, in certain PLFA (especially monounsaturated fatty acids), and up to 59.8, in extracted DIC. Profiles of enriched PLFA and FISH analysis suggested the presence of active denitrifiers. Our results demonstrate the applicability of 13C labeling of PLFA and DIC in combination with FISH to link microbial structure and activities at the field scale during a push-pull test. [source]


    Organic geochemistry indicates Gebel El Zeit, Gulf of Suez, is a source of bitumen used in some Egyptian mummies

    GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005
    A.O. Barakat
    Molecular geochemical properties of crude oils and surface petroleum seeps from the southern part of the Gulf of Suez were evaluated. The characterizations of individual aliphatic, aromatic, and biomarker compounds were based on gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. The results provided strong evidence for a close genetic association of these samples. The geochemical characteristics suggest an origin from Tertiary source rocks deposited in a normal marine environment that received continental runoff. The molecular signatures of the investigated samples were very similar to those of the Lower Miocene Rudeis Formation source rock in the southern Gulf of Suez. Further, biomarker fingerprints of the investigated oil seeps were compared with those of the Dead Sea asphalt, as well as the bitumen from some Egyptian mummies reported in the literature. The results demonstrate that oil seeps from the southern end of Gebel El Zeit were used by ancient Egyptians for embalming. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


    Overpressure and petroleum generation and accumulation in the Dongying Depression of the Bohaiwan Basin, China

    GEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2001
    X. Xie
    Abstract The occurrence of abnormally high formation pressures in the Dongying Depression of the Bohaiwan Basin, a prolific oil-producing province in China, is controlled by rapid sedimentation and the distribution of centres of active petroleum generation. Abnormally high pressures, demonstrated by drill stem test (DST) and well log data, occur in the third and fourth members (Es3 and Es4) of the Eocene Shahejie Formation. Pressure gradients in these members commonly fall in the range 0.012,0.016 MPa m,1, although gradients as high as 0.018 MPa m,1 have been encountered. The zone of strongest overpressuring coincides with the areas in the central basin where the principal lacustrine source rocks, which comprise types I and II kerogen and have a high organic carbon content (>2%, ranging to 7.3%), are actively generating petroleum at the present day. The magnitude of overpressuring is related not only to the burial depth of the source rocks, but to the types of kerogen they contain. In the central basin, the pressure gradient within submember Es32, which contains predominantly type II kerogen, falls in the range 0.013,0.014 MPa m,1. Larger gradients of 0.014,0.016 MPa m,1 occur in submember Es33 and member Es4, which contain mixed type I and II kerogen. Numerical modelling indicates that, although overpressures are influenced by hydrocarbon generation, the primary control on overpressure in the basin comes from the effects of sediment compaction disequilibrium. A large number of oil pools have been discovered in the domes and faulted anticlines of the normally pressured strata overlying the overpressured sediments; the results of this study suggest that isolated sandstone reservoirs within the overpressured zone itself offer significant hydrocarbon potential. [source]


    Suggested Methods to Mitigate Bias from Nondissolved Petroleum in Ground Water Samples Collected from the Smear Zone

    GROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 3 2009
    Dawn A. Zemo
    This article provides actual site data that confirm that turbid ground water samples collected from within the smear zone at petroleum release sites can be significantly biased high by the inclusion of a nondissolved component that is an artifact of the sampling process. Side-by-side comparisons show that reducing sample turbidity can result in significant reductions of reported concentrations for the ground water samples and that the lower turbidity results are more representative of the petroleum actually dissolved in the ground water. Depending on site-specific factors, ground water sample turbidity can be reduced by four field-based and two laboratory-based methods. These methods should be used routinely at sites where turbid samples with a nondissolved component are being collected. [source]


    Phase ,: Tracking Down Material Defects

    IMAGING & MICROSCOPY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2009
    Wanted: Steel to Handle Extreme Demands of Petroleum Extraction
    The quest for extraction of petroleum and natural gas requires superior competence from both humans and materials involved. The demands made on both go far beyond normal conditions. The materials used must be produced using the best raw materials and produced at premium quality levels. Then even the tiniest fluctuations in the composition of the steel used for drills, drill rods and their casing can influence and decisively alter their required properties , such as degree of hardness, ductility and malleability. [source]


    Mechanics of land subsidence due to groundwater pumping

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 14 2010
    Muniram Budhu
    Abstract This paper presents the formulation of the basic mechanics governing the changes in stress states from groundwater pumping and comparisons among predicted land subsidence from this mechanics with existing analyses and field data. Land subsidence is a growing, global problem caused by petroleum and groundwater withdrawal, mining operations, natural settlement, hydro-compaction, settlement of collapsible soils, settlement of organic soils and sinkholes. This paper is concerned with the land subsidence due to groundwater level decline by groundwater pumping. It is shown that the stress state consists of asymmetric stresses that are best simulated by a Cosserat rather than a Cauchy continuum. Land subsidence from groundwater level decline consists of vertical compression (consolidation), shear displacement and macro-rotation. The latter occurs when conditions are favorable (e.g. at a vertical interface) for the micro-rotation imposed by asymmetric stresses to become macro-rotation. When the length of the cone of depression is beyond ,2 times the thickness of the aquifer, simple shear on vertical planes with rotation is the predominant deformation mode. Otherwise, simple shear on horizontal planes is present. The predicted subsidence using the mechanics developed in this paper compares well with data from satellite-borne interferometric synthetic aperture radar. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Palladium-Catalysed Telomerisation of Isoprene with Glycerol and Polyethylene Glycol: A Facile Route to New Terpene Derivatives

    ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 3 2009
    Alvaro Gordillo
    Abstract We present here the first example of the telomerisation of isoprene with glycerol and polyethylene glycol (PEG-200), opening a facile route to new terpene structures, based on a combination of renewable and petroleum-based feedstocks. The reaction is catalysed by a palladium-carbene complex. Significantly, this system gives >99% of linear monotelomer products. The factors that govern substrate conversion, dimerisation/telomerisation selectivity, and catalyst activity are studied and discussed. [source]


    Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Lanthanide Complexes with Bulky Silylallyl Ligands

    ISRAEL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2002
    Timothy J. Woodman
    The synthesis of new lanthanide allyl complexes of enhanced stability and solubility in saturated hydrocarbons based on silyl-substituted allyl ligands is reported. Thus the potassium salt K(CH2CHCHSiMe3) (1) reacts with YCl3 in tetrahydrofuran to give the tris -allyl complex Y(CH2CHCHSiMe3)3 (2), while K(CH2CHCHSiMe2tBu) (3) affords Y(CH2CHCHSiMe2tBu)3(THF)1.5 (4). Slow re-crystallization of 4 from light petroleum in the presence of tert -butylcyanide led to multiple insertion to give the sec -amido complex Y{NHC(tBu)(CH)3SiMe2tBu}2{,2 -NHC(tBu)CH=CHCH2SiMe2tBu)CH(CHCHSiMe2tBu)CtBuNH}(THF)·(CH3CH(Me)(CH2)2CH3) (5), which was crystallographically characterized. The reaction of ScCl3(THF)3 with two equivalents of Li{1,3-C3H3(SiMe3)2} in tetrahydrofuran gives the bis -allyl complex {1,3-C3H3(SiMe3)2}2Sc(,-Cl)2Li(THF)2 (6), while the analogous reaction of K{1,3-C3H3(SiMe3)2} (7) with either LaCl3 or YCl3 in tetrahydrofuran affords the bis -allyl complexes MCl{1,3-C3H3(SiMe3)2}2(THF)x (8, M = La, x = 1; 9, M = Y, x = 0). An attempt to prepare the similar neodymium complex gave the mono -allyl complex NdI2{1,3-C3H3(SiMe3)2}(THF)1.25 (10). The reactions of 8 and 9 with triisobutyl aluminum in benzene- d6 show allyl exchange between lanthanide and aluminum. Complexes 8, 9, and 10 have been tested with a variety of activator systems as catalysts for the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene. [source]


    Degradation of naphthenic acids by sediment micro-organisms

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
    L.F. Del Rio
    Abstract Aims:, Naphthenic acids (NAs) are naturally occurring, linear and cyclic carboxylic surfactants associated with the acidic fraction of petroleum. NAs account for most of the acute aquatic toxicity of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). The toxicity of OSPW can be reduced by microbial degradation. The aim of this research was to determine the extent of NA degradation by sediment microbial communities exposed to varying amounts of OSPW. Methods and Results:, Eleven wetlands, both natural and process-affected, and one tailings settling pond in Northern Alberta were studied. The natural wetlands and process-affected sites fell into two distinct groups based on their water chemistry. The extent of degradation of a 14C-labelled monocyclic NA surrogate [14C-cyclohexane carboxylic acid (CCA)] was relatively uniform in all sediments (approximately 30%) after 14 days. In contrast, degradation of a bicyclic NA surrogate [14C-decahydronaphthoic acid (DHNA)]was significantly lower in non process-affected sediments. Enrichment cultures, obtained from an active tailings settling pond, using commercially available NAs as the sole carbon source, resulted in the isolation of a co-culture containing Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Quantitative GC,MS analysis showed that the co-culture removed >95% of the commercial NAs, and partially degraded the process NAs from OSPW with a resulting NA profile similar to that from ,aged wetlands'. Conclusions:, Exposure to NAs induced and/or selected micro-organisms capable of more effectively degrading bicyclic NAs. Native Pseudomonas spp. extensively degraded fresh, commercial NA. The recalcitrant NAs resembled those found in process-affected wetlands. Significance and Impact of the Study:, These results suggest that it may be possible to manipulate the existing environmental conditions to select for a microbial community exhibiting higher rates of NA degradation. This will have significant impact on the design of artificial wetlands for water treatment. [source]


    Extraction of Poppy Seed Oil Using Supercritical CO2

    JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 2 2003
    B. Bozan
    ABSTRACT: Extraction of poppy seed oil with supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) was performed and the effect of extraction conditions on oil solubility and yield as well as oil composition was evaluated. Within the temperature (50 to 70 °C) and pressure (21 to 55 MPa) ranges studied, 55 MPa/70 °C gave the highest oil solubility (24.1 mg oil/g CO2) and oil yield (38.7 g oil/100g seed). Fatty acid composition of the oil obtained with SC-CO2 at 55 MPa/70 °C was similar to that of petroleum ether-extracted oil (p > 0.05) with linoleic acid making up 69.0 to 73.7% of fatty acids. Tocol content of the SC-CO2 -extracted oils varied from 22.37 to 33.35 mg/100 g oil, which was higher than that of petroleum ether-extracted oil (15.28 mg/100 g oil). Poppy seed oil may have potential in the rapidly growing specialty oil market. [source]


    Characterization of asphaltene structure using atomic force microscopy

    JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY, Issue 3 2008
    S. SABBAGHI
    Summary In this study, at the first stage, asphaltene was extracted. The roughness of asphaltene coating at different rpm was studied using an image analysis confocal microscopy. The basics of quantum mechanics and statistical thermodynamics are used to predict the potential energy and the intermolecular forces of asphaltene molecules. The functional forms for the potential energy and intermolecular forces are evaluated. Our final goal is to be able to observe and determine the surface structures of asphaltene micelles with scanning probe microscopes. So, the focus of the work on these unusual molecules is to characterize their structure, dynamics and thermodynamics and to establish the relationship between these properties and petroleum fluid behaviour. The existence of various nanostructures of asphaltene in petroleum has been extensively discussed. A set of fitted data is used to check the validity of the calculated results. The good agreement between the proposed models and the data is promising. [source]


    OIL-PRONE LOWER CARBONIFEROUS COALS IN THE NORWEGIAN BARENTS SEA: IMPLICATIONS FOR A PALAEOZOIC PETROLEUM SYSTEM

    JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 2 2010
    J.H. Van Koeverden
    In this study, we assess the oil generation potential of Lower Carboniferous, liptinite-rich coals in the Tettegras Formation on the Finnmark Platform, southern Norwegian Barents Sea. Oil from these coals has been expelled into intercalated sandstones. The coals may have contributed to petroleum recorded in well 7128/4,1 on the Finnmark Platform and may constitute a new Palaeozoic source rock in the Barents Sea. The Tettegras Formation coals contain up to 80 vol.% liptinite (mineral matter free base) and have low oxygen indices. Hydrogen indices up to 367 mg HC/g TOC indicate liquid hydrocarbon potential. In wells 7128/4,1 and 7128/6,1, the coals have vitrinite reflectance Ro= 0.75,0.85 %. Compared to shale and carbonate source rocks, expulsion from coal in general begins at higher maturities (Ro= 0.8,0.9% and Tmax= 444,453°C). Thus, the coals in the wells are mostly immature with regard to oil expulsion. The oil in well 7128/4,1 most likely originates from a more mature part of the Tettegras Formation in the deeper northern part of the Finnmark Platform. Wide variations in biomarker facies parameters and ,13C isotope values indicate a heterogeneous paralic depositional setting. The preferential retention by coal strata of naphthenes (e.g. terpanes and steranes) and aromatic compounds, compared to n-alkanes and acyclic isoprenoids, results in a terrigenous and waxy oil. This oil however contains marine biomarkers derived from the intercalated shales and siltstones. It is therefore important to consider the entire coal-bearing sequence, including the intercalated shales, in terms of source rock potential. Coals of similar age occur on Svalbard and Bjørnøya. The results of this study therefore suggest that a Lower Carboniferous coaly source rock may extend over large areas of the Norwegian Barents Sea. This source rock is mature in areas where the otherwise prolific Upper Jurassic marine shales are either immature or missing and may constitute a new Palaeozoic coal-sourced petroleum system in the Barents Sea. [source]


    IMPACT OF MAGMATISM ON PETROLEUM SYSTEMS IN THE SVERDRUP BASIN, CANADIAN ARCTIC ISLANDS, NUNAVUT: A NUMERICAL MODELLING STUDY

    JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
    S.F. Jones
    Numerical modelling is used to investigate for the first time the interactions between a petroleum system and sill intrusion in the NE Sverdrup Basin, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Although hydrocarbonexploration has been successful in the western Sverdrup Basin, the results in the NE part of thebasin have been disappointing, despite the presence of suitable Mesozoic source rocks, migrationpaths and structural/stratigraphic traps, many involving evaporites. This was explained by (i) theformation of structural traps during basin inversion in the Eocene, after the main phase ofhydrocarbon generation, and/or (ii) the presence of evaporite diapirs locally modifying the geothermalgradient, leading to thermal overmaturity of hydrocarbons. This study is the first attempt at modellingthe intrusion of Cretaceous sills in the east-central Sverdrup Basin, and to investigate how theymay have affected the petroleum system. A one-dimensional numerical model, constructed using PetroMod9.0®, investigates the effectsof rifting and magmatic events on the thermal history and on petroleum generation at the DepotPoint L-24 well, eastern Axel Heiberg Island (79°23,40,N, 85°44,22,W). The thermal history isconstrained by vitrinite reflectance and fission-track data, and by the tectonic history. The simulationidentifies the time intervals during which hydrocarbons were generated, and illustrates the interplaybetween hydrocarbon production and igneous activity at the time of sill intrusion during the EarlyCretaceous. The comparison of the petroleum and magmatic systems in the context of previouslyproposed models of basin evolution and renewed tectonism was an essential step in the interpretationof the results from the Depot Point L-24 well. The model results show that an episode of minor renewed rifting and widespread sill intrusionin the Early Cretaceous occurred after hydrocarbon generation ceased at about 220 Ma in theHare Fiord and Van Hauen Formations. We conclude that the generation potential of these deeperformations in the eastern Sverdrup Basin was not likely to have been affected by the intrusion ofmafic sills during the Early Cretaceous. However, the model suggests that in shallower sourcerocks such as the Blaa Mountain Formation, rapid generation of natural gas occurred at 125 Ma, contemporaneous with tectonic rejuvenation and sill intrusion in the east-central Sverdrup Basin. A sensitivity study shows that the emplacement of sills increased the hydrocarbon generation ratesin the Blaa Mountain Formation, and facilitated the production of gas rather than oil. [source]