Physical Properties of Agbabu and Yegbata Bitumen in Nigeria

Abstract

This experimental work evaluates the physical properties of Abagbu and Yegbata bitumen from Nigeria with comparison with that of Canada being the world largest producer of crude oil from bitumen. This study employed the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods in conducting laboratory experiments in order to determine the viscosity, specific gravity, API gravity, pour point and flash point. A Gas Chromatograph (GC) was used to determine the hydrocarbon content of the bitumen samples. Test results show that the bitumen samples have specific gravity of 1.01 with a 0.9962 OAPI for Yegbata, while the Agbabu bitumen sample had 8.599 specific gravity and 10.54 OAPI. Kinematic viscosity ranges of 1.0×102 – 3.3×104 and 1.6×103 – 5.6×104, flash point of 288oC and 282oC and pour point of 44oC and 47oC. The gas chromatography analysis showed that the samples contained 46.35% and 7.59% saturates, 21.63% and 64.39% aromatics and 32.03% and 28.01% resins for Agbabu and Yegbata respectively. In comparison with Athabasca bitumen, the results were similar. The assessment and comparison of these properties with the properties of bitumen from Athabasca in Canada reveals that any surface or subsurface crude bitumen gotten from Agbabu and Yegbata in Ondo State, Nigeria can be exploited using similar technologies, if not the same as the technologies being used in Athabasca, Canada

Keywords

• Tar sand, Bitumen, Agbabu, Yegbata, Nigerian Bitumen, Nigeria, Physical properties