Obd Plus Technology 201

   National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) (Federal Ministry of Science and Technology) 16, Dunukofia Street (Old CAC Building), Area 11, Garki  Abuja

State and Application of Bioremediation in Nigeria’s Oil Fields Presenter: PROF. B. O. SOLOMON DIRECTOR-GENERAL (NABDA) Venue : NICON LUXURY HOTEL ABUJA APRIL 1-3, 2009 NABDA (c)2009

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Outline: Introduction Bioremediation Efforts at Bioremediation Application State of Bioremediation Technology Lab-Scale Operations Field-Scale Operations Indigenous bioremediation products for: – – – – –

Drill Cuttings Management Produce Water Management Flare Pit Waste Mnagement Soil Hydrocarbon Pollution Management Way forward

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Introduction Human economic activities have always given rise to need for further activities to ameliorate the resulting adverse effects on the environment. This dimension suggests that man has not completely been unaware of environmental impacts of the quest for human survival, which draws energy and nutrients from the earth. The angle that has remained unsatisfactorily addressed is the choice of mitigation technology that can return mother earth to status quo ante or guarantee continuous availability of directly utilized resources or associated support systems. NABDA (c)2009

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continuation... Technology choice has particularly been difficult for two recalcitrant and continuous threats: municipal waste, nutrient and hydrocarbon contamination. Incidentally, the former is a huge raw material for further economic growth while the later has presented itself as a true threat to human and environmental survival. This leaves us with one true class of enemy: nutrient and hydrocarbon contamination. NABDA (c)2009

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Nutrient and Hydrocarbon  Contamination. A number of approaches have successfully been deployed at industrial level with reckonable degree of achievement in controlling nutrient contamination and the most remarkable of them have been biological-technique enhanced treatments. NABDA (c)2009

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continuation... However, the same cannot be said of bioremediation, especially in Nigeria. Considering the magnitude of threat from environmental degradation and the resultant socioeconomic dimension of hydrocarbon contamination in the Niger Delta area, the present administration has identified the security of the region as a national priority. This means all increased efforts at cleaning up the spills using sustainable technologies of which bioremediation is most suitable. NABDA (c)2009

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continuation... Previous methods designed to deal with waste by-products from oil fields include: • • • •

storage landfill relocation incineration

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Typical flare pit in the Niger Delta NABDA (c)2009

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Hydrocarbon polluted farmlands in Ogoniland

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Flow station at Ogbogu contaminated with hydrocarbon

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BIOREMDIATION: INTRO • Decontamination of environmental media by naturally occurring biological agents in the environment is often slow. However, it goes on. • The implication is that at pollution levels below the carrying capacity of the media concerned, restoration to best known conditions for life support is possible over long time.

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BIOREMDIATION • It is the optimization of this natural restoration power of biological agents that bioremediation seeks to optimize in the face of overwhelming contamination. • The technology seeks to catalyze natural decontamination process by stimulating the remedial activity of these organisms. NABDA (c)2009

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BIOREMDIATION Our responsibility is thus to contribute to the success of stabilizing the Niger Delta through restoration of the environmental media to human usable forms. To achieve this task, various technologies must be identified and optimized for efficiency. At the moment, the most economic and sustainable technology is bioremediation. NABDA (c)2009

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Bioremediation in Nigeria Bioremediation is a multidisciplinary technology that decomposes contaminants transforming them into harmless byproducts, i.e. water and carbon dioxide, using the following products: • • • •

microbes surfactants micronutrients and bio-stimulants NABDA (c)2009

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Bioremediation in Nigeria Bioremediation • Economical • Sustainable Suitable for • cleaning up oil spills after emergency response • soils contaminated with petroleum/hydrocarbons derivatives • dangerous organic compounds.

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continuation... Biostimulation involves – aeration – application of selected micronutrients and biostimulants.

Bio-stimulation is only effective when – indigenous microbial populations present in the substrate are high enough to degrade the contaminants – when these microbes can readily adapt to foreign contaminants.

Bioaugmentation involves – application of beneficial microbes that have an affinity towards a specific contaminant. NABDA (c)2009

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Some contaminant suitable for bioremediation

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Environmental conditions affecting  bioremediation

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1

2

All bioremediation methods could be ex-situ (1) (outside point of occurrence) or in-situ (2) (at the point of occurrence) NABDA (c)2009

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continuation... Bioremediation Benefits -

Degradation in a relatively narrow time Simultaneous multiple activity Toxin resistant Reduced risk / higher degree of safety Reduced labor and equipment costs

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continuation... Engineering

Bioremediation technology

Biology

Chemistry

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Bioremediation process optimization – Without intervention, microbes degrade oil but at a rather slow rate. Enhancing this process is the essence of research in bioremediation. – Some of the process optimization strategies in bioremediation include the following: • Control of physical and chemical parameter example Temperature, pH, moisture and oxygen content. • Control of microbial parameters

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Bioremediation process optimization parameters

Process  optimization

Physico-chemical Factors •Temperature •pH •Water •O2 / Redox potential •Mass transfer •Solubility NABDA (c)2009

Microbial Parameters •Genetic characteristics •Physiological properties •Metabolic diversity •Enzymological capabilities ENC

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Review of bioremediation efforts in  Nigeria Unfortunately, very few successful efforts have been documented for field-scale bioremediation projects, but many lab-scale research work have been carried out. At lab-scale, the methods adopted include: • Simulation of field contamination • Bio-augmentation (indigenous and engineered microbes) • Bio-stimulation (agricultural fertiliser) • Tilling

Some of the results obtained are presented below: NABDA (c)2009

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Review of bioremediation efforts in  Nigeria S/N

Physico-Chemical Parameters

Range (%)

1.

Moisture Drop

19-13

2.

Organic Carbon Drop

85-1.5

3.

Ph Drop

6.34-4.5

4.

Nitrogen Increase

0.021-0.081

5.

Duration of bioremediation

8weeks

6.

Total Hydrocarbon Reduction (THP)

73-88

Range of values for results obtained from lab-scale bioremediation research NABDA (c)2009

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Review of bioremediation efforts  in Nigeria S/N

Method

(%) THC   Reduction

1.

Biostimulation, Bioaugmentation with indigenous HUB Tilling

83

2.

mixing uncontaminated soil with polluted soil, tilling and Bioaugumentation with HUB

73

3.

Biostimulation, Bioaugmentation with indigenous HUB

88

4.

Biostimulation with tilling

86

5.

No intervention (control)

2

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Pilot –scale bioremediation projects

Some measure of success has been achieved in large scale application of bioremediation. Very few attempts have been made though but the results have been particularly inspiring. One of such attempts is the development and pilot scale deployment of an indigenous bio-formulation for the cleaning of the following forms of hydrocarbon contamination:    

Drilling mud Produced water Hydrocarbon contaminated sediment and soil Hydrocarbon contaminated water NABDA (c)2009

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Current Practices of hydrocarbon waste management Drilling Mud and Produced Water On-shore: • dumped in temporary or permanent pits which eventually overflows into adjoining land and water.

Off-shore: • deposited into the surrounding waters where it also causes pollution. NABDA (c)2009

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Untreated Drill Mud on soil

Drill mud is acidic and is dangerous to the environment if dumped without  treatment  NABDA (c)2009 ENC

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Untreated Produced water

NABDA (c)2009 ENC 30 Scum and oil waste pollution on a flare pit in Niger Delta prior to treatment with an  indigenous product

Untreated Produced water

Produced water does not support life due to high COD and BOD values from  NABDA (c)2009 ENC 31 contamination

Current situation.... There is hardly any further remediation of sediments and water systems following emergency response to a reported spill. This situation results in: • Exertion of undue pressure on the attenuation potential of resident microbes • Death of resident microbes, flora and fauna due to acidity from contaminants • Loss in water and soil quality NABDA (c)2009

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Indigenous products in bioremediation Research has been intense lately in Nigerian universities and research centres for the development of products capable of remedying hydrocarbon contamination. Some indigenous products have been able to handle the following operations: • • • •

Clean-up of oil polluted soil. Clean-up of oil on water. Conversion of oil sludge into organic fertilizer. Treatment of oil polluted soil samples from a flow station tank to a form that supports healthy plant growth. • Treatment of a produce wastewater pit Bio-treatment of samples of toxic drilling mud to a non-toxic form that supported healthy plant growth. NABDA (c)2009

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Indigenous bioremediation products NABDA (c)2009

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Bio-remediated Drill cuttings

•    Drill Mud Cutting from oil site treated with indigenous bioremediation    product can support the growth of plants. •    The mud can also be reused for construction and other purposes NABDA (c)2009

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Pilot Scale Treatment of a flare pit in Niger  Delta Region of Nigeria Using a locally  formulated product

•     Some of these products have undergone complete field trials under  several standards including DPR, American, Canadian and Australian and  have also been patented for full scale deployment. NABDA (c)2009

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•   Distinct plant and animal growth in treated produced water in a waste pit in Niger Delta

   The results from treatment of  waste pits using indigenous products 

are quite encouraging.    The implication is that the government will begin to enforce local  content in personnel and product quota for the decontamination soil and  water after emergency response. NABDA (c)2009

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Results Drill cutting treatment with local product            

Parameters

Untreated Drilling Mud mg/kg

Duration (days)

After 21 days

pH Cadmium (Cd) mg/ kg Cupper (Cu) mg/ kg Lead (Pb) mg/ kg Zinc (Zn) mg/ kg

9.10

7.00

6.5-8.5

6.5 - 8.5

1.37

0.26

0.8

12

6.8

1.4

36

190

3.24

0.88

85

530

39.96

140

720

78.22

0.09

Total TPH % • DPRa1 mg/kg  - Target Value • DPRa2 mg/kg- Intervention Value

DPRa2 mg/kg

DPRa1 mg/kg

Treated mg/kg

51.76

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Source: Otaiku, 2007 ENC

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Results for some Waste Pit (Surface water) treatment using  indigenous products            DPRa1

Parameters pH

Untreated Waste Pit mg/kg

Australiab mg/kg

6.80 <0.01

29

55

Barium (Ba) mg/ kg

<0.01 410

300

200

625

Cadmium (Cd) mg/ kg

<0.01

2.87

0.8

12

1.5

Chromium (Cr) mg/ kg

3.0

0.31

100

380

80

Cupper (Cu) mg/ kg

4.0

1.94

36

190

65

Lead (Pb) mg/ kg

41.0

<0.01

85

530

50

Calcium (Ca) mg/ kg

1316

612.2 140

720

200

Arsenic (As) mg/kg

11.17 Zinc (Zn) mg/ kg

Canadac µg/kg

mg/kg

Treated mg/kg

6.56

DPRa2 mg/kg

20

52.0 NABDA (c)2009

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Total Iron(Fe) mg/ kg

14.0

604.7

Sulphate (SO4²)mg/ kg

100

1 <0.01

Nitrate N03- mg/ kg Ammonia (NH4) mg/ kg

<0.01 8.0

26.0 18.7

Phosphate (P2O5) mg/ kg

2358 142

Salinity as Chloride (Cl) mg/ kg

TPH mg/ kg

PAH mg/ kg

80.0 17.65

50

5000

<0.01

1

40

4,600 4000µg/kg

0.311 21,000

19,500

3.12

<0.01

Total Organic Carbon (TOC) mg/kg Sulphide (S2-),mg/kg

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Source: Otaiku, 2007 ENC

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Waste Pit (soil/sediment) treatment: indigenous product Parameters   pH

Arsenic (As) mg/kg Barium (Ba) mg/ kg Cadmium (Cd) mg/ kg Chromium (Cr) mg/ kg Cupper (Cu) mg/ kg Lead (Pb) mg/ kg Calcium (Ca) mg/ kg

Untreated Waste Pit mg/kg

Treated waste pit mg/kg

6.56

DPRa2 mg/kg

Australiab mg/kg

Canadac µg/kg

mg/kg

6.80 <0.01

29

55

20

410

300

200

625

<0.01

2.87

0.8

12

1.5

3.0

0.31

100

380

80

4.0

1.94

36

190

65

41.0

<0.01

85

530

50

1316

612.2 140

720

200

<0.01

11.17 Zinc (Zn) mg/ kg

            DPRa1

52.0 NABDA (c)2009

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Total Iron(Fe) mg/ kg Sulphate (SO4²)mg/ kg

14.0

100.4

112.6

604.7

100

1920

300

1 <0.01

Nitrate N0 mg/ kg 3

Ammonia (NH4) mg/ kg

<0.01 8.0

243.0

13.8

16.3

28.0

2318

Phosphate (P2O5) mg/ kg

18.7 52.0

Salinity as Chloride (Cl) mg/ kg

2358

TPH mg/ kg

80.0

47.5

142 1,720

67.9

PAH mg/ kg

Sulphide (S2-),mg/kg

<0.01 0.311 21,000

17.65

50

5000

<0.01

1

40

0.50

4,600 Total Organic Carbon (TOC) mg/kg

26.0

4000µg/ kg

0.02

N/A

19,500 60.0

3.12

N/A

<0.1

<0.01

Source: Otaiku, 2007 • DPRa1 mg/kg  - Target Value • DPRa2 mg/kg- Intervention Value NABDA (c)2009

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Way forward... In order to drive the necessary development in bioremediation technology, it is essential to have a supportive legislation. The results presented here are very few of the many efforts that have gone into both development of new and establishment of existing facts about the potency of bioremediation processes at TPH and PAH degradation. It is also important to support local development of products through incentives and patents for commercial production. A starting point is the development of a bioremediation programme for Nigeria, using established indigenous products. NABDA (c)2009

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