Biodiesel is becoming one of the most attractive alternative biofuels for petroleum-based diesel fuels. The castor plant is one of the abundant non-edible oils found in many countries. This paper aims to study Libyan castor oil and its potential for diesel conversion. Experiments were carried out in the laboratories of the Specific Center for Training in the Oil Industries in Al-Zawiya. The oil was extracted using a Soxhlet extractor and n-hexane solvent at 60 °C. Transesterification reactions were conducted in a batch reactor (a three-neck flask was used, where the middle opening carries a reflux condensation unit) at 65 °C. The methanol-to-castor oil molar ratio was 6:1, with a catalyst concentration of 1 wt.% relative to the castor oil, and the reaction time was 30 min. Castor oil was analysed and found to have a fatty acid content of 0.7%. The productivity of biodiesel exhibited 80% yield. Standard test methods of analysis were conducted to determine the biodiesel’s properties. Results indicated that the kinematic viscosity at 40 °C was 14.24 cSt, the density was 0.924 g/cm3, the cetane number (CN) was 54 and the pour point was −15 °C, indicating that castor oil biodiesel is of high quality, with a high CN and a low pour point.
The depletion of petroleum reserves and increasing environmental concerns have driven the development of eco-friendly asphalt binders. This research investigates the performance of natural asphalt (NA) modified with waste engine oil (WEO) as a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum asphalt (PA). The study examines NA modified with 10%, 20%, and 30% WEO by the weight of asphalt to identify an optimal blend ratio that enhances the binder’s flexibility and workability while maintaining high-temperature stability. Comprehensive testing was conducted, including penetration, softening point, viscosity, ductility, multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR), linear amplitude sweep (LAS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), F
... Show MoreNanofluid treatment of oil reservoirs is being developed to enhance oil recovery and increase residual trapping capacities of CO2 at the reservoir scale. Recent studies have demonstrated good potential for silica nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) at ambient conditions. Nanofluid composition and exposure time have shown significant effects on the efficiency of EOR. However, there is a serious lack of information regarding the influence of temperature on nanofluid performance; thus the effects of temperature, exposure time and particle size on wettability alteration of oil-wet calcite surface were comprehensively investigated; moreover, the stability of the nanofluids was examined. We found that nanofluid treatment is more efficie
... Show MoreThe Ratawi Oil Field (ROF) is one of Iraq's most important oil fields because of its significant economic oil reserves. The major oil reserves of ROF are in the Mishrif Formation. The main objective of this paper is to assess the petrophysical properties, lithology identification, and hydrocarbon potential of the Mishrif Formation using interpreting data from five open-hole logs of wells RT-2, RT-4, RT-5, RT-6, and RT-42. Understanding reservoir properties allows for a more accurate assessment of recoverable oil reserves. The rock type (limestone) and permeability variations help tailor oil extraction methods, extraction methods and improving recovery techniques. The petrophysical properties were calculated using Interactive Petroph
... Show MoreThis study offers additional evidence for the occurrence of oil residues within fractures of the basement rocks in the Upper Benue Trough, Nigeria. The data suggests that the observed oil residues were originally generated as light oils, which were later biodegraded into heavy oils. These Upper Benue Trough's oil stains are a valuable tool for hydrocarbon exploration in the region as they indicate the existence of a petroleum system in the basin. We find a strong similarity to the proportions of C27, C28, and C29 regular steranes of oils found in the sandstones and shales of the Bima Formation in the Upper Benue Trough when we plot the relative quantities of these steranes of the investigated basement rock oil types on a ternary gra
... Show MoreThis work studied the facilitation of the transportation of Sharqi Baghdad heavy crude oil characterized with high viscosity 51.6 cSt at 40 °C, low API 18.8, and high asphaltenes content 7.1 wt.%, by reducing its viscosity from break down asphaltene agglomerates using different types of hydrocarbon and oxygenated polar solvents such as toluene, methanol, mix xylenes, and reformate. The best results are obtained by using methanol because it owns a high efficiency to reduce viscosity of crude oil to 21.1 cSt at 40 °C. Toluene, xylenes and reformate decreased viscosity to 25.3, 27.5 and 28,4 cSt at 40 °C, respectively. Asphaltenes content decreased to 4.2 wt. % by using toluene at 110 °C. And best improvement in API of the heavy cr
... Show MoreNano materials have a great potential for enhanced oil recovery applications. The present research investigated the effect of nanoparticles on interfacial tension and wettability alteration. The silica oxide nanoparticles with different size 52, 65 and 5nm were used. The wettability alteration was evaluated by dipping the limestone rock in different concentrations of Nano silica (0.01-1wt. %) for a certain silica size suspended in salinity water. Measurements performed in three phase system (oil/water/solid) using pandel droplet and sessile drop method respectively by opitical-tensiometer. Results showed that Nano fluid can significantly reduce contact angle and alterated rock wettabi
In this study, a new type of circulating three-phase fluidized bed reactor was conducted by adding a spiral path and was named as spiral three-phase fluidized bed reactor (TPFB-S) to investigate the possibility for removing engine oil (virgin and waste form) from synthetic wastewater by using Ricinus communis (RC) leaves natural and activated by KOH. The biosorption process was conducted by changing particle diameter in the range 150–300 and 300–600 µm, liquid flow rate in the range 2.5–4.5 L/min and gas flow rate in range of 0–1 L/min, while other parameters initial oil emulsion concentration, pH, adsorbent concentration, agitation speed and contact time were kept constant at 2000 mg/L, 2,
The global oil market is one of the most important markets in the world and occupies especially for countries consuming and producing countries, and the status of understanding of the mechanism for determining prices in the market help to stand on many factors affecting oil demand and supply of oil and geopolitical factors, climate and alternative sources of energy .. etc. factors, and that the main objective of the research is to study the causes and results left behind by the oil price shocks in the world market, and the movement of these factors be through a cycle of energy that explain the strength of competition between these factors and their effects on prices, when demand increases evolution Large image leads to significan
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