Physico-chemical monitoring of biodegradation of furfural from oil industry effluents from the Arzew refinery (Oran) Algeria

Furfural is one of the petroleum products posing a potential danger to the environment and human health. However, the decontamination of these pollutants released into the environment is primarily governed by biodegra-dation processes. This study is based on biodegradation kinetics at increasing concentrations of furfural by natural mixed culture in order to assess the potential of this process in the elimination of furfural from petrochemical effluents from the ARZEW refinery. This biodegradation was measured through physicochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, con-centration of hydrocarbons, the chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemi-cal oxygen demand (BOD5) and the concentration of furfural. The results obtained show at a concentration of 250ppm of injected furfural: a decrease in pH 4.9 and an increase in other parameters (conductivity 3450 μS.cm-1, HC 102 mg / l; furfural 210 ppm, COD 327mg / l, BOD5 98mgO2 / l. The study findings indicated that the injection of these effluents with concentrations greater than 180 ppm leads to values of pH, EC, HC, Furfural, COD, BOD5 which do not comply with direct discharge standards and disrupt biological treatment. The high levels of furfural not only cause a pollution problem but can also disrupt the functioning of bacteria at the biological treatment level. Therefore, dilution with the filtration wash water before switching to biologi-cal treatment is recommended in order to reduce the concentrations below 180 ppm.

Supercritical Fluid Application in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Comprehensive Review

The unique properties of supercritical fluid technology have found wide application in various industry sectors. Supercritical fluids allow for the obtainment of new types of products with special characteristics, or development and design of technological processes that are cost-effective and friendly to the environment. One of the promising areas where supercritical fluids, especially carbon dioxide, can be used is the oil industry. In this regard, the present review article summarizes the results of theoretical and experimental studies of the use of supercritical fluids in the oil and gas industry for supercritical extraction in the course of oil refining, increasing oil recovery in the production of heavy oil, hydraulic fracturing, as well as processing and disposal of oil sludge and asphaltenes. At the end of the present review, the issue of the impact of supercritical fluid on the corrosion of oil and gas equipment is considered. It is found that supercritical fluid technologies are very promising for the oil industry, but supercritical fluids also have disadvantages, such as expansion or incompatibility with materials (for example, rubber).

Economic growth and crude oil revenue in Nigeria

This paper investigated how oil revenue and the activities in the oil industry affected the size of income accrue to each Nigerian (Per capita income) from 1980 to 2019. The variables were sourced from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI), OPEC Statistics, Baker Hughes Rig Count and the central bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin. Using the AutoRegressive Distributional Lag (ARDL) we observed that explorative activities of crude oil in Nigeria positively impacted the size of individual income. The magnitude of the impact was massive irrespective of time; a 1% increase in exploration increases the size of individual income by 0.4786% in the long run and 0.6030% in the short run. The interaction of rigs by output (interaction of rig-count and oil-production) negatively impacted the size of individual income. This implies that the size of individual income in Nigeria is sensitive to the nature of the explorative environment of the Nigerian oil industry.

When the blessing resource ‘oil’ curses

Oil industry has impacted both economy and ecology of oil-producing states in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. The environmental detriments caused by gas flaring and oil spills develop violent ethnic agitations, through long lasting history area of conflicts, for economic, social, political, and environmental rights. This paper examines the history of oil and gas exploitation, in Niger Delta region, and its role to cause environmental degradations in the region. The study argued that multinational oil corporations’ activities were the first intriguing violence in local communities based on environmental approach. Also, the paper indicates that the conflict had many drivers related to different components of indigenous people. The tendency of violence escalated over time, in strength of acts from demonstrations and grievances to militant operations, and demands from self determination to justice, revenues equity and environmental rights, in order to reshape oil-bearing communities’ old motivations about self-governance.