ABU develops technology for heavy crude refining

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund has announced a breakthrough accomplished by the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in the local refining of heavy crude for the production of petroleum products using locally sourced materials.

According to the PTDF, the Vice Chancellor, ABU, Prof Adullahi Mustapha, disclosed the feat was the outcome of a four-year intensive research on the production of Zeolite catalyst using clay.

This, it said, was done by a team of researchers led by the Chair, PTDF Endowment in Chemical Engineering, ABU, Prof Abdulkarim Ahmed.

The fund, in a statement, noted that Zeolite catalyst was an essential additive in the conversion and refining of heavy gas oil into usable gasoline and petrochemical products in refineries.

According to the fund, the design and fabrication of the pilot plants for the production of Zeolite catalyst have reached advanced stage with a view to inaugurating a prototype refinery in November this year.

The Executive Secretary, PTDF, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye, described the outcome as fundamental to the sourcing of local raw materials like Kaolin in producing Zeolite catalyst.

He said the economic implication of this achievement was that it would help to reduce the huge capital flight on the importation of the raw materials for local refineries.

Oluleye noted that in 2011, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation imported Zeolite catalyst worth $12m for its refineries.

He was quoted to have said “the application of novel techniques in Zeolite catalyst production will not only offer huge opportunities for entrepreneurial development of sustainable refinery and petrochemical products but would also create job opportunities for Nigerians.

“PTDF has keen interest in enhancing refinery and petrochemical operations in Nigeria as seen by the various research programmes we are funding.”

[Punch]

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