Depositional Environments and Reservoir Evaluation of Otuma Oil Field, Niger - Delta basin, Nigeria

This study was carried out by using well logs to evaluate the depositional environments and hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Otuma oil field, Niger Delta basin. The gamma motif/model within- study interval in the drilled well shows blocky, symmetrical, and serrated shapes which suggest a deltaic front with mouth bar to a regressive - transgressive shoreface delta respectively. A correlation was done on the well logs across the wells and the ten well logs were used to evaluate the petrophysical characteristics of the reservoirs. The reservoirs showed highly porous and permeable channels where the wells were used for the characterization. The ten reservoirs were mapped at a depth range of 2395 m to 2919 m with thicknesses varying from 4m to 135m. The petrophysical results of the field showed that the porosity of the reservoirs ranges between 0.10 to 0.30, and permeability from 48 md to 290 md; the water saturation ranges from 0.39 to 0.52, and hydrocarbon saturation from the field 0.48 to 0.61. The By-passed hydrocarbons identified in low resistivity pay sands D4 and D3 at depth 2649 m to 2919 m, respectively were also evaluated and will be put to production in the field.

Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Egbetua Stream Sediments, South-Western Nigeria

The study area is located in Egbetua area in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, southwestern Nigeria. the aim of the study is to assess the concentrations of potentially toxic elements in sediments from the study area. Ten samples collected from various locations in Egbetua stream were subjected to standard geochemical analysis using energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometer model “Minipal 4”. The average concentrations of six elements are V (26.89 ppm), Cr (32.33 ppm), Co (6.13 ppm), Ni (16.10 ppm), Au (21.13 ppm), and Zr (1,285.20 ppm) and they were compared to those of upper continental crust baseline values. V, Cr, Co, and Ni have extremely low concentrations, while Au and Zr have very high concentrations. Moreover, V, Cr, Co, and Ni have average enrichment ratios of 0.28, 0.35, 0.35 and 0.34, respectively, which are < 1 implying their depletion in relation to their average crustal baseline concentrations. On the other hand, Au and Zr are highly enriched in the study area. Au has average geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values of 4.40 indicative of strongly to extremely polluted, while Cr, Co, Ni and Zr have average Igeo values of 10.95, 6.14, 9.98 and 17.34, respectively, indicative of sediments that are extremely polluted. The potentially toxic elements pose very serious environmental geochemical pollution threat in the study area. It is recommended that urgent action should be taken to mitigate and clean the study area of these potentially toxic elements.

Spatial and Seasonal Dynamics of Total Suspended Sediment, Total Dissolved Solids and Turbidity of a Lacustrine Reservoir in the Magoye Catchment, Southern Zambia

Dissolved and suspended sediment that form part of the Total Sediment Load (TSL) affects the quality of water making it unsuitable for selected aquatic invertebrates and livestock. The study aimed at determining spatial and seasonal dynamics in the concentration levels and distribution of selected physical parameters in a small lacustrine system whose main problem was punctuated by rapid deposition of clastic and none-clastic sediment. Water sampling was done during the rainy and cool-dry seasons across the reservoir using sampling bottles and DGPS. Laboratory analysis was done to determine variations in concentration levels of the parameters over time and space. Distributions of selected parameters across the reservoir were analysed using 3D Spatial Analysts Tool, Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) in ArcGIS 10.2. Using paired T-Test at 0.05 level of significance, the study found statistically significant differences (p<0.001) in the concentration of TDS, TSS, and turbidity between the rainy season and cool-dry season. With exception of TDS, TSS and turbidity were higher in the rainy season than in the cool-dry season. Rainfall was the main control variable regarding seasonality influence on TDS, TSS, and turbidity. The study concluded that although lacustrine reservoirs may be closed systems, they still experience variations spatially and temporally in terms of concentration of TDS, TSS and turbidity. The study recommends implementation of integrated catchment-wide management of anthropogenic activities so as to minimize excess generation, transportation and deposition of sediment, which punctuate elevated levels of TDS, TSS and turbidity.

Geology, Petrology and Amazing Geoforms of the Late Cenozoic Volcanic Province Erusheti Plateau (Lesser Caucasus) Georgia

These Erusheti Plateau is an integral part of the volcanic highland of Southern Georgia. It is located northern part of the Lesser Caucasus in the convergence zone of the Afro-Arabian and Eurasian lithosphere tectonic plates. The territory is almost totally covered with strong volcanic and volcano-sedimentary formations of Goderdzi suite with different lithologies and facies. The suite is formed in the Late Miocene - Early Pliocene Age, about from 11.8±4 to 13.6±3.1 Ma. Erusheti Plateau overall, are not characterized by many centers of eruption; Here we discuss eruption histories of the large polygenic volcanic massive Dokhuz-Puar and a monogenic volcano Datvistskaro are clearly seen among the volcanogenic structures of Erusheti Plateau. The eruption products of Dokhkuz-Puar volcano are dacitic-containing tuff-breccias and lava flows. The activity of Datvistskaro volcano was expressed only by the eruption of pyroclastic deposits containing andesite basalts. The main constituent minerals are: plagi­oclase and hornblende mega-crystals in dacites; augite-olivine and base plagioclase – in andesite basalts. With their geochemical properties, all the rocks of the rocks of a calc-alkali series. Dacites and andesite-basalts do not feed from a common magmatic source and consequently, are not the product of differentiation of the same magma. The work is the first to describe the natural amazing natural geoforms developed in pyroclastolites of Datvistskaro volcano: gigantic stone columns, mushroom-shaped stone caps and stone lances.Should be noted that no detailed mine­ralogical-petrological study of the rocks common in the study area has done to date. The main purpose of the given work is filling this gap.

Permian Ages of “Younger Granites” from Mounio Province (Gouré area, Southeastern Niger)

African formations intruded by the “Younger Granites” ring complex. In the study area, the “Younger Granites” are represented by volcanic to acid plutonic rocks with hyperalkaline trends (pyroclastic rocks, rhyolites, microgranites, granites, syenites), forming in the North, a circular structure called Gouré ring complex. Preliminary geochronological datings of the Mounio granites have yielded Carboniferous ages. However, recent investigations carried out in this province have identified structures similar to Pan-African deformation structures, such as folds and several generations of schistosity/foliation. Analysis of the relationship between deformation and magmatism has removed any ambiguity regarding the relative age of the deformation. This study focuses on the radiometric dating of the “Younger Granites” of Gouré area, in order to update the geochronological data. Thus, three samples (pyroclastitic rock, rhyolite, microgranite) were dated by the K-Ar method on total rock using a mass spectrometertype MI 1201 IG. Radiometric dating results assign a Lower Permian age (293-287 Ma) to the “Younger Granites” Ring Complex of the Mounio Province in Niger, classically considered to be Carboniferous in age.

Phytoremediation of Physico-chemical Parameters in Wastewater Effluents from Car Wash Bays in Yenagoa Metropolis, Nigeria

Surface water pollution through the discharge of untreated wastewater is on the increase globally. Efforts made using conventional techniques had not yielded the needed results. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of some native aquatic plants for the removal of some physico–chemical parameters from car wash wastewater effluents in Yenagoa metropolis. The plants used for this study were lemna minor, nymphaea nouchalli, pistia-stratiotes, eichhornia crassipes and ceratophyllum demersum; while the physico-chemical parameters investigated in this study include pH, DO, COD, BOD5, NO3, PO4 and turbidity. The wastewater samples collected from car wash bays were analysed to determine the level of the physico-chemical parameters concentrations using standard methods. The experiment was conducted in a green house for 42 days retention period. The results indicated that the cultured plants reduced the physico-chemical parameters to a minimum level, except DO, which increased in concentration. Therefore, they are considered good bioremediators of the parameters under review and the bioremediation potentials of the plants are in the order of P. stratiotes > L. minor > E. crassipes > N. nouchalli> C. demersum. It is therefore recommended that these plants should be used to treat wastewater effluents based on the investigated physico-chemical parameters.

An Assessment of the Performance of State Institutions in Environmental Protection in Taraba State, Nigeria

This study examined the performance of State institutions in environmental protection in Taraba State with a view to ascertaining their capacity for environmental protection or otherwise and the challenges undermining their efforts. The study is anchored on the theory of Environmentally Responsible Behaviour (ERB). The study adopted survey research design using field observation and interview schedule. Yearly allocations to the two institutions were compiled from the yearly budget documents of the state. The study findings reveal that the state generate the highest revenue of ₦2billion in 2017 which is about 25% and ₦1billion in 2018, 15.17% of the IGR. These were the pick period of the trade in African Rosewood logs in the state. The huge revenue gave legitimacy to the logging activities and explains why the activity persisted despite the existing forest regulations and efforts to stop it. Despite the huge revenue, findings revealed that it was only in the years 2000, 2013, and 2014 that the Ministry of Environment received up to 4% of the state budgetary allocation. The lowest allocation was in 2002 (0.12%), 2016 (0.15%) and 2007 (0.18%). Findings also reveal huge gap between the budgetary allocation and the actual amount released or expended in the sector. The low budgetary allocation reveals low level of attention paid to environmental issues over the years. The findings of the study reveal that it is only in the area of revenue generation that the state institutions performed relatively well. In terms of staffing, capacity building, infrastructures and equipment, improvement in environmental legislation and enforcement of environmental regulation, the state institutions did not fare well. Based on the findings, the study recommended more political commitment, increase funding, employment of more technically skilled staff and establishment of data bank for environmental inventories in the state.

Space Radiation of Solar Storm: A Meeting Report in Taiwan

Solar storm was an effect when Sun was active. Solar flares flame released a large amount of energy and caused a large-scale explosion. A large amount of coronal matter was ejected into space by plasma composed of electrons and protons. Their shock waves or magnetic clouds and the earth Magnetic storms generated by the interaction of magnetic fields caused disturbances and squeezing of the earth’s magnetosphere. A solar flare was a phenomenon of solar storm. It had huge eruptions of electromagnetic radiation. The sudden electromagnetic energy traveled with the speed of light. Large solar flare might affect the effects of reliability of electronic components in satellites and could cause economic losses by soft error and could affect human health through the space radiation, especially causing cancer.

Perceptions of Students on Environmental Impacts of Online Shopping: A Preliminary Study at a Public Malaysian University

The environmental impacts of online shopping are multifaceted as many factors are contributing to the impacts. This study was conducted to determine a public university undergraduate students' perceptions of the environmental impacts of online shopping and their intentions to reduce the impacts by using a questionnaire survey. One hundred twenty-six respondents were engaged through convenient sampling in this study. Results found that the majority of respondents perceived online shopping as environmentally friendly. They perceived that it does not contribute to climate change and will not be a major environmental risk in the future. Type of packaging (77.8%), transport mode of freight (71.5%) and amount of packaging (69.9%) were the top three factors perceived to contribute to environmental impacts. However, a small number of the respondents perceived ICT equipment (32.5%), express delivery (28.5%) and time spent in searching online products (24.6%) were the factors that contribute to environmental impacts. The majority of respondents (74.6%) perceived that packaging waste generation was the major environmental impact of online shopping. In contrast, carbon footprint, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission made up of 56.4%, 53.3% and 44.4% of the total respondents. Most of the respondents intended to plan first before making any purchase to prevent wastage, reuse the packaging material and maximise the number of items of each purchase to reduce the environmental impacts. This preliminary study can provide the necessary background information on the level of awareness of university undergraduate students on this issue for future environmental education programs on online shopping.

Geomagnetic Storm Related to Disturbance Storm Time Indices

The magnitude of the Disturbance Storm Time (Dst) index varied in relation to the extremely small negative integer that indicated a large geomagnetic storm. The large sharpened variants of negative Dst indices could describe the detailed features of a geomagnetic storm. the Dst index was estimated using an algorithm through time and frequency-domain band-stop filtering to remove the solar-quiet variation and the mutual coupling effects between the Earth’s rotation, the Moon’s orbit, and the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. A good geomagnetic model that could describe the true variations in the geomagnetic field when undergoing diverse space weather, and one that could even predict variations in the geomagnetic field with a high accuracy. A suitable temporal resolution for the Dst index was per hour.