EXPLOITATION OF BITUMEN FROM NIGERIAN TAR SAND USING HOTWATER/ STEAM STIMULATION PROCESS

Ogiriki, Shadrach Olise and Agunloye, Marvelous Ayodele and Gbadamosi, Afeez Olayinka and Olafuyi, Abdulkashif Olalekan (2018) EXPLOITATION OF BITUMEN FROM NIGERIAN TAR SAND USING HOTWATER/ STEAM STIMULATION PROCESS. Petroleum and Coal, 60 (2). pp. 1-9. ISSN 1337-7027

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Abstract

With the upward surge in global demand for energy, unconventional energy resources are being considered as options to quell the growing energy demand. These unconventional energy resources like oil sand, shale oil, shale gas, tight gas, are fast becoming alternatives to complement the conven-tional energy resources. Tar sand exploitation is being commercialized globally. With success stories from Canada, Venezuela and U.S.A., other countries tend to follow. Nigerian tar sands, which is similar to Canada’s tar sand in terms of chemical composition, water wet nature, etc., has some characteristics which will yield enormous economic benefit when exploited. The possibility of producing heavy oil from the Nigerian tar sand deposits by steam stimulation was evaluated in this paper with respect to the technology (Cyclic Steam Stimulation), environmental impact and the economic analysis, with Canada’s success stories used as reference point. The result of the study showed that heavy oil could be produced with steam stimulation process with little impact on the environment and with huge economic potentials.

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