Hans Konrad Johnsen

Chapopote Asphalt Volcano may have been generated by supercritical water

Asphalt volcanoes and lava-like flows of solidified asphalt on the seafloor (Figure 1) were first discovered and described by MacDonald et al. [2004]. The flows covered more than one square kilometer of a dissected salt dome at abyssal depths (∼3000 m) in the southern Gulf of Mexico. “Chapopote” (93°26′W, 21°54′N) was one of two asphalt volcanoes they discovered. MacDonald et al. determined that the apparently fresh asphalt must initially have flowed in a hot state, and subsequently chilled, contracted, and solidified, much in the same way as normal lava does on the surface of the Earth. The two asphalt-volcanoes discovered occur at the apex of salt domes that pierce through the seafloor. These “piercement salt domes,” known as the Campeche Knolls, are pertinent features of the deep Campeche Sedimentary Basin, which has a sediment thickness of about 10 km. According to conventional theory [Vendeville and Jackson, 1992], piercement salt domes represent “salt diapirs” that have risen up, due partly to density contrasts between salt and clay/sand from the “mother salt” located between 7 and 10 km below seafloor. A salt diapir is a vertical body of sub-surface salt, which is most often circular in cross section, is one to several kilometers in diameter, and can be 8–10 km high.

Role of supercritical water ingeological processes; e.g., salt accumulation, petroleum migration, and volcanism

This study produces an attempt to estimate the cost of future global energy supplies. The approach chosen to address this concern relies on a comparative static exercise of estimating the cost of three energy scenarios representing different energy futures. The first scenario, the business as usual scenario, predicts the future energy-mix based on the energy plans held by major countries. The second scenario is the renewable energy scenario, where as much of the primary energy supply as possible is replaced by renewable energy by 2050. The cost of the renewable energy generating technologies and their theoretical potential are taken into account in order to create a plausible scenario. The third scenario, the nuclear case, is based on the use of nuclear and renewable energy to replace fossil-fuels by 2050. Endogenous learning rates for each technology are modeled using an innovative approach where learning rates are diminishing overtime. It results from the analysis that going fully renewable would cost between -0.4 and 1.5% of the global cumulated GDP over the period 2009-2050 compared to a business as usual strategy. An extensive use of nuclear power can greatly reduce this gap in costs.The Miocene alkali basaltic rocks cover the northeastern part of Jordan, within Harrat Al-Shaam plateau. The volcanic concentrated along the Dead Sea boundary and spread around the north east of Jordan area, and was considered as interplat volcanic field in Jordan. The volcanic basalt is associated with xenoliths fragmental rocks or xenocryst minerals. Nine samples were collected from the study area and analyzed for XRD, XRF and SEM. These samples presented the xenoliths rocks and minerals existing in the study area. This study is focused on the garnet and pyroxene xenoliths minerals in Tulayl Al-Hasna area within Ufayhim Formation. Hand samples are characterized by coarse aggregates of garnets up to (2 cm in diameter) with dark brown to red color, and highly fresh fractures. Also, the pyroxene (<1.5 cm) with gray to dark green color, and the olivine (range 3 4 mm) are pale green to dark green and pale yellowish color. In thin sections, plagioclase phenocryst in the garnet presented corona texture. In addition, garnet surrounded by orthopyroxene refers to kelyphite texture. There are two types of kelyphite texture fibers and radial as shown in Scanning Electron Microscope photomicrograph. The mineralogical analyses of garnet for X-Ray Diffraction are composed of almandine, pyrope and majorite. The existence of minerals reflects the high pressure and temperature of the upper mantle origin. The chemical analysis showed the average composition of garnet as follow (Alm 42.78, Pyro 41.04, Gross 16.18), pyroxene (Wo 16.90, Fs 20.37, En 62.73). This referred to presentation of the following elements Mg, Fe and Ca in the garnet. As a result, the basaltic garnet xenoliths were from shallow lithosphere mantle origin.Context and objectives Fast Sodium Reactor (FSR) is one of the most promis ing nuclear reactor concept (“Generation IV systems”) to be issued in the next decades [1]. Thi s technology is intended to be much safer, to have a significantly better yield and to produce less wa stes with a lower nocivity. Liquid sodium is used as the thermal fluid in direct contact with the nuc lear core. Ideally, the heat extracted should be transferred between sodium and water in steam gener ators. BUT when sodium is brought in contact with liquid water, a highly exothermal chemical rea ction ensues which is believed to be explosive in certain situations [2]. Such a contact may happen i n a number of instances (repairs, decommissioning,..) and not only during major accid ents. This is thus a significant safety issue which may significantly handicap the development of this technology. Unfortunately the reasons for which the mixing of s dium with water may lead to an explosion, generating blast waves like an explosive material, do not seem to have been clarified so far not even deeply studied. The primary objective of this PhD w ork is thus to identify the details of the phenomenology, to isolate the leading mechanisms an d to propose a modelling approach.W examine the implications of increased unconventional crude oil production in North America. This production increase has been made possible by the existence of alternative oil-recovery technologies and persistently elevated oil prices that make these technologies commercially viable. We first discuss the factors that have enabled the United States to expand production so rapidly and the glut of oil inventory that has accumulated in the Midwest as a result of logistical challenges and export restrictions. Next, we assess the extent to which the increase in U.S. domestic production will affect global supply conditions and whether the U.S. experience can be repeated in other countries with unconventional oil sources. The evidence suggests that even in the bestcase scenario, the increase in U.S. oil production is unlikely to have a large effect on the global oil market’s demand–supply balance, so its effect on the price of oil is expected to be limited. Furthermore, the United States enjoys unique infrastructural and technological advantages that make it unlikely that rapid increases in unconventional production can be achieved elsewhere.T reactions of sunflower, rapeseed, corn and cameline oils in supercritical (sc) methanol were studied in a flow tubular reactor over a wide range of methanol (ether)/oil ratio, pressure, temperature, and residence time. Special attention was focused on the studies of the product distribution and how it varies upon variation of the above reaction parameters. Reaction conditions to enable high selectivity and conversion of vegetable oils transesterification were determined. Advantages of the reaction in supercritical alcohols and ethers over similar reaction in the presence homogeneous catalysts were demonstrated. It was found that the oil type produced insignificant effect on the product composition (fatty acid esters) and oil conversion value. The reaction conditions provided the selectivity and high conversion of the oils were selected.ID-215 INFLUENCE OF SILICA NANOPARTICLES ON THE TOUGHNESS OF FUSION BONDED EPOXY Patrícia Saliba, Herman Mansur UFMG, Brazil patalvessaliba@gmail.com, hmansur@demet.ufmg.brT Niger Delta is the hub of oil and gas production in Nigeria, and is one of the world’s most severely oil spill impacted areas. The exploration and exploitation of oil interfere with ecological and biodiversity integrity of ecosystems arising from flaring of associated gases, oil spills, use of drilling chemicals, etc. These processes can release heavy metals into coastal waters. Heavy metals are associated with crude oil in variable concentrations depending on the geologic background. Nigeria’s dominant and internationally preferred crude petroleum, Bonny Light, has associated with it metals, the main metals occurring in the order nickel>vanadium>cadmium>copper, lead. Recent pollution studies have revealed elevated levels of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, and V, in Niger Delta water, sediments and food species, thereby, compromising safety of the user population. Oil spills in the Niger Delta impact tremendously on the region’s flora and fauna which serve as the main livelihood support structures of the inhabitants. A recent UNEP study on a section of the Niger Delta revealed widespread oil contamination of land, groundwater and surface waters. Drinking water from wells in one community had benzene, a known carcinogen, 900 times above WHO permissible limit. The UNEP study concludes that restoration of the investigated area would take minimum of 30 years. This paper discusses the incidents of oil pollution, and prospect and challenges of ecosystem restoration of Niger Delta oil degraded environments.