Toxicity Studies Of Petroleum Driling Mud Additive (Chrome Lignosulfonate) On Microbial Flora Of Fresh Water Fish (Heterobranchus Logifillis) In A Defined Environment

ABSTRACT

Drilling mud arc chemical mixtures used for drilling in the extraction of oil and gas from the earth crust. Chrome Lignosulfonate is one of the petroleum drilling mud additives. It is a dark brown powder. It is a thinner, by — product of the suiphite pulping process. Chrome Lignosulfonate is made from Lignosulfonate Liquor obtained in the processing of paper pulp (Simpson. 1987). Its average concentration normally used in drilling mud is 12000ppm. It is completely soluble in water with a threshold limiting value (TLV) of 10mg/rn3. It poses environmental pollution risk, mainly because of its high water solubility and resistance to microbial degradation. Some however constitute a carbon source for some microorganisms (Odu, 1985). Increase in exploration of oil and gas has compounded environmental problems due to some of the waste of oil industry. Drilling mud contain suspension of solids in liquids or in liquid emulsion, with chemical additives to modify their properties. The additives include Chrome Lignosulfonaic, Chronic Lignites, and Caustic soda etc. Jonathan (2002) described the extent of drilling fluids, despite most of the world's population knowing almost nothing about them. Without drilling mud and their additives, corporations cannot drill for oil and gas and we wuld hardly have any of the fuels or lubricants considered essential for modern industrial civilization.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Page

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Table of Contents v

List of Tables yjj

Listof Figures viii

Abstract ix

Chapter One

Introduction and Literature Review

Introduction

1 .1 Literature Review 4

1 .2 Assessing Risk to Fish and Their Habitat of

Different Types of Drilling Fluids 6

1 .3 Drilling Mud Additive — Chrome lignosulfonate 8

1.4 Properties of Chrome lignosulfonate

1 .5 I)isposal of Petroleum l)rilling Mud 9

1.6 Disposal of Mud at Different Locations and its

Effect on Aquatic Environment 10

1 .7 C1aräctcristics of Synthetic Based Drill Fluid (SBF) 13

1.8 Environmental Effect of the Synthetic Based Fluid Spill 14

1.9 health Effects of Drilling Fluid 14

1 .9.1 Fresh Waler Fish (ileirobranchus 1ongfI1is,. 15

1.9.2 Petroleum Drilling Mud Additive and Its Toxicity on Fish 16

1 .9.3 Bioassay Test of Petroleum Drilling Mud 18

I •9.4 Acute and Chronic Ecotoxicity 2()

1 .10 Mechanism of Action of Chrome lignosulfonaic of Fish 21

Chapter 2

2.0 Materials and Methods 23

2.1 Sample Collection 23

2.2 Microbiological Analysis 23

2.3 Preparation of Test Chemical (Chrome LignosuJfonate) 24

2.4 Uptake of Chromium by the Fish 24

2.5 Characteristics of Bacterial Isolates 25

2.5 Isolation and Identification of Fungal Isolates 25

2.6 Statistical Analysis 26

Chapter 3

3.0 Results 27

3.1 Microbial Analysis 27

Chapter 4

4.0 Discussion 47

References 52

Appendix 1 57