The reliability of prediction models in determining hydrate forming temperatures adequately is of
paramount importance. Most correlations have been found to vary significantly from experimental
hydrate forming temperature data. This study is focused on developing correlations for predicting
vapour solid constants for methane, ethane, propane, iso – butane, normal – butane, carbon IV
oxide and hydrogen sulphide by extracting over 2000 data points from the GPSA chart. The
correlations developed in this study were used to develop a computer program for predicting
natural gas hydrate formation temperatures for mitigating the challenges posed by natural gas
hydrate formation in process installations. The correlations gave correlation coefficients between
0.9 and 0.99. The computer model developed gave an average relative error of -3.73%, coefficient
of correlation of 0.94 and a standard deviation of 5.9%.

The simulation framework was developed from the licensed computational fluid dynamics
(CFD15) software to simulate the hydrodynamics of gas-solid flow in CFB/FCC riser
reactors. The predictions from the commercial CFD code (CFX and fluent) were based on
the Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase model using k-ε model. A validation using published
experimental data from the open literature was conducted. The flow model is based on an
Eulerian-Eulerian description of the phases where the kinetic theory for granular flow
(KTGF) forms the basis for the turbulence modelling in the solid phases. In addition, for
constant diametre and particle density, better understanding of the hydrodynamics of the gassolid flow, under
various loading of gas and solid flux were achieved. Within the limit of the computational error, it was found that the choice of the ANSYS Fluent solver provide the best understanding on the gas-solid hydrodynamics in CFB/FCC riser systems. In addition, the availability of transport KTGF in Fluent solver was a focus reason why the concluded choices of establishing a better understanding of the gas-solid hydrodynamics in riser reactors were deduced.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has commenced another round of
exploration campaigns for possible hydrocarbon deposits in the Nigerian Benue Trough. The
Benue Trough, divided into lower, middle and upper portions, is a SW-NE trending intracratonic
basin containing Cretaceous-Tertiary sediment fill of up to 6,000 m. Appreciable volumes of 3G 1
data had been generated on the basin by several previous attempts by NNPC and its joint venture
partners. Geological profiles juxtaposed against geophysical data have delineated more
prospective areas in the basin where sediment thicknesses vis-à-vis depths to basement are
relatively large. Organic geochemical data have been interpreted in terms of organic matter
maturation, hydrocarbon generation, expulsion, and migration culminating in the understanding
of the volume and stratigraphy of potential source rocks. Consequently, in the Middle Benue
Trough, source rock facies have been identified in the carbonaceous shales of the Keana-Awe,
Ezeaku and Awgu Formations, with most prospective parts covering the areas within and around
Lafia, Loko, Dedere, Doma and Shabu where the Lafia Formation has added to the sediment
thickness. In the Upper Benue Trough, source rock facies comprise the carbonaceous intervals
within the Gongila, Pindiga and Fika Formations with more prospective areas covering the areas
within and around Gombe, Gombe-Aba, Dukku, and Akko where the Kerri-Kerri Formation has
added to the sediment thickness. Previous efforts by Shell (SNEPCO) has tested little oil and more
gas in the Kolmani River-1 well drilled at Futuk near Alkaleri, spudding on the Kerri-Kerri and
bottoming on the Yolde. Considered against analogs in similar rifted basins in Chad Republic,
Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, there are possibilities for commercial oil and gas discoveries in the
Benue Trough.