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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Uzoma John Paul Ajugwe, a graduate of Petroleum Engineering at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Uzoma has made a breakthrough in a new method of crude oil-drilling that is safe and environmentally-friendly, earning publication in the prestigious American Journal of Engineering Research.
The research project was titled “Development of Environmentally Friendly Oil-Based Mud Using Almond Oil, Castor Oil and Groundnut Oil”.
It was co-authored by Chikwe AO Onuh, CH and Nwagbo CA, all of Department of Petroleum Engineering, FUTO, Owerri.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, Uzoma Ajugwe, 24, a former student of Nigeria Navy Secondary School, Port Harcourt, who has just passed out from NYSC posting at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources Headquarters Abuja, stressed that the benefits of the research were numerous especially in the face of climate change.
He emphasised that with increasing environmental degradation and other harmful effects caused by using diesel oil as fluids for drilling crude oil, the project formulated technology of optimising drilling fluids with locally available and environmentally safe plant seed oils like almond, castor and groundnut as substitutes for diesel mud oil which is toxic to the habitat.
Mr Ajugwe pointed out that the use of diesel fluids for drilling crude oil in the Niger Delta has polluted the environment.
“It is life-threatening to all living things in the ecosystem. Just as hazardous as dumping nuclear waste product in the creek of Niger Delta”, the young Researcher reasoned.
He said, compared to groundnut, almond and castor oil based muds are more environmentally-friendly, while diesel oil based mud is highly toxic to the environment.
Explaining how the system works, he said the extraction of oils from the various seeds (almond, castor and groundnut) is done using a sohlet extractor
“The muds are then formulated individually by using a Hamilton beach mixer while adding other additives like barite, bentonite, e.t.c. Various tests are then carried out to ascertain the physical properties of each mud (almond oil based mud, castor oil based mud and groundnut oil based mud) These properties are then compared against the normal diesel oil based mud.
He said the whole purpose of the work: “Development of an Environmentally Friendly Oil Based Mud Using Almond Oil, Castor Oil and Groundnut Oil” was to find a replacement for Diesel Oil Based Mud which is dangerous to the environment even as he disclosed that the research was published in the American Journal of Engineering Research Volume 8, issue 12 Pages 88-98.
When asked about the relevance of the research work, he said the toxicity results when compared proved that groundnut, almond and castor oil based muds are way more environmentally friendly as opposed to Diesel Oil Based Mud which is highly toxic to the environment.
“Therefore, it is essential to consider these seed oils if Nigeria is to meet with their target of cutting carbon emissions to zero by the year 2060, as pledged by President Muhammadu Buhari at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021.
One of his Supervisors, Onuh C.H who also co-authored the work said this about the work: “The relevance of this research cannot be overemphasized. Asides from the positive environmental impact, these Oils are more effective in hole cleaning than Diesel Oil Based Mud which is the standard in the Oil and gas industry today”.
Ajugwe posited that it is essential to adopt the seed oils technology in drilling crude oil if Nigeria is to meet her target of cutting carbon emissions to zero level by the year 2060 as pledged by President Muhammadu Buhari at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021, in New York, USA.
