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9. BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM RICE HUSK USING NAOH PRETREATMENT AND ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS WITH PENICILLIUM AND ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS

Bioethanol can be produced from any biomass that contains sugars or starch which are
lignocellulosic and do not compete with food crops. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of
sodium hydroxide (NaOH) pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis by comparing enzymes from
Penicillium and Aspergillus flavus to convert rice husk (RH) into fermentable sugars and bioethanol.
Rice husk, a lignocellulosic biomass, was subjected to NaOH pretreatment at concentrations
of 3.3%, 5%, 6.67%, 8.33%, and 10% w/v. Two different enzymes, Penicillium and Aspergillus
flavus, were compared for enzymatic hydrolysis to break down cellulose and hemicellulose into
fermentable sugars. The hydrolysates were subsequently fermented using Saccharomyces
cerevisiae to produce bioethanol. The results revealed that increasing NaOH concentration
significantly enhanced the breakdown of the lignocellulosic structure, leading to higher sugar
yields. The maximum sugar content recorded was 21.6 °Brix for Aspergillus flavus and 16.0
°Brix for Penicillium at 10% w/v NaOH. Also, the ethanol yield increased with higher NaOH
concentrations, reaching a peak of 40.95% for Penicillium and 34.35% for Aspergillus flavus
at 10% w/v NaOH. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of
ethanol in the distilled samples, and the confirmatory potassium dichromate test verified the
successful production of bioethanol.

10. A REVIEW OF STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES OF CORROSION PREVENTION IN SEAWATER PIPELINES

Seawater pipelines are essential for numerous industries, including oil and gas, desalination, and
marine transportation, but they face significant challenges due to the harsh marine environment.
This environment is characterized by high salinity, biological activity, and various mechanical
stresses, all of which contribute to severe corrosion. Effective corrosion prevention is crucial to
ensure the safety, reliability, and longevity of these pipelines. This review paper provides a
detailed examination of the current strategies and technologies employed to combat corrosion in
seawater pipelines. Key topics covered include the selection of corrosion-resistant materials, the
application of protective coatings, and the implementation of cathodic protection systems.
Additionally, the use of corrosion inhibitors and advanced monitoring techniques are explored.
The paper also highlights recent advancements and research findings, offering a contemporary
perspective on the most effective methods for preventing corrosion. Through this comprehensive
review, the paper aims to present an integrated approach to corrosion prevention, combining
traditional practices with cutting-edge innovations to enhance the durability and performance of
seawater pipelines in various industrial applications.

11. DEVELOPING PRESENT AND FUTURE SKILLS FOR THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF PETROLEUM TRAINING INSTITUTE (PTI), EFFURUN, TO DEVELOPMENT OF MANPOWER

The oil and gas industry is evolving, in response to technological advancement, and the
industry is embracing digital technology, in terms of automation and artificial
intelligence in its operation. Today’s workforce more than ever before, requires advanced
skills to be able to perform efficiently in the industry due to this shift in technology. The
aim of this paper is to highlight various roles and responsibilities that the Petroleum
Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Nigeria, plays in high technological training and skills,
as well as human resources development for the oil and gas industry. The study relied on
modern organizational theory, along with quantitative and qualitative data generating
methods, based on Focus Group Discussions and interviews. Participants were drawn
from five selected oil and gas companies in the Niger Delta region. An assessment of the
contributions of PTI, in developing the required skilled manpower for the oil and gas
industry in Nigeria, and beyond was provided in the study, based on findings of the focus
group discussions. Insights into the effectiveness of PTI and identified areas for
improvement in delivering high technological training skills, and producing competent
workforce professionals, were highlighted. Weaknesses of the Institute, with identified
areas for improvement, were also reported. Our recommendation is that the Institute
should incorporate emerging technologies, sustainability practices, industry demands
and other global perspectives into its curricula and training methodologies, to meet future
industry and national oil and gas industry career challenges.

7. Application of K-Means Clustering for Hydrocarbon Reservoir Delineation and Reservoir Parameter Estimation

The results presented in this research demonstrate how the K-means clustering algorithm was
integrated with well logs to build a machine learning model for delineating hydrocarbon-bearing
zones of conventional reservoirs and estimating reservoir parameters from well logs. The well
log data used for training the model were loaded and necessary cleanup processes were
performed which entail the handling of missing values and the removal of outliers, and some
exploratory data analyses (EDA) were carried out including the plotting of numerical
distributions, followed by feature selection and scaling. All the aforementioned steps were taken
in order to transform the well logs to a format suitable for the K-means algorithm. After the data
transformation phase, the K-means algorithm was applied on the well logs to develop a machine
learning clustering model that grouped depth points together based on the similarity of their log
values. The clusters generated from the clustering process were evaluated to determine the one
that consistently and accurately predict the hydrocarbon reservoirs in the wells. Some equations,
such as Archie’s water saturation equation, were incorporated so that reservoir parameters
could be estimated by the program. The model, when tested on three wells, delineated about
twelve zones as potential hydrocarbon-bearing zones. These zones were manually interpreted to
assess the accuracy of the model and it was found that its precision in delineating the
hydrocarbon reservoirs was high. The significance of the research study is that the model
developed can be used to automate the task of delineating hydrocarbon reservoirs from well
logs.

8. Adoption of Gas to Liquid (GTL) Conversion Technology as a Solution to Gas Flaring in Nigeria.

The underutilization of gases, which has contributed to global warming, led to the modelling of an
advanced refinery process of gas to liquids (GTL) conversion. GTL with a condensation point of
100oC and above is used in the conversion of natural gas and other associated hydrocarbons that
are found in gaseous state into a longer chain hydrocarbon. This longer chain hydrocarbon
includes high energy density such as residual oil, diesel fuel or gasoline. GTL is used in the
production of liquid fuels, which are easily and readily conveyed when compared to methane. For
methane to be liquidities under pressure, it must be cooled at a critical temperature of -82.3C.
Exceptionally, GTL diesel is sulfur-free with extreme cetane number that ranges from 75 – 80, and
it is absolutely clean. As of 2010, Nigeria had a proven natural gas reserve of 185 trillion cubic
feet (Tcf), which ranked Nigeria as the largest proven reserve country globally and topping the
list in Africa. On the contrary, Nigeria has contributed to the global flaring of natural gas with
about 11% in 2010 as reported by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which
resulted to the loss of billions of dollars in revenue. This paper identifies the prospective
opportunities associated with GTL technology in Nigeria. GTL has an unlimited market, which
renders innovative/attractive options to accessing the proven gas reserves. This will further
commercialize the flared gases, thereby reducing and possibly eliminating gas flaring in Nigeria.

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