Study of regularities and construction of mathematical models of hydrocarbon distribution in a section on territories of oil treatment enterprises

Abstract

Nowadays, active human economic activity leads to significant man-made pollution. In a number of cases geological environment is polluted with hydrocarbons by an accident. That leads to change in physical and mechanical properties of grounds and has negative impact on entire an ecosystem. This work is devoted to identification of regularities and construction of mathematical models for distribution of hydrocarbons along a section on territories of oil refineries, which allow predicting the level of pollution in case of accidental hydrocarbon spills. Obtained information allows estimating changes and predicting bearing capacity of grounds during accidental oil spills. Study of hydrocarbon distribution in ground massif is based on identification of natural and artificial regularities, which are described by math body. This gives a methodological approach to study these regularities depending on geological conditions of territories that are subject to risk of accidental oil spills. Three models of distribution of hydrocarbons along a section are revealed. They are controlled by geological conditions (lithology and depth of occurrence of an aquifer). Based on revealed regularities, mathematical models are developed. They allow to predict degree of ground contamination with hydrocarbons in terms of geological indexes (thickness of loam and crushed rock and depth of occurrence of sandstones). As a result of statistical processing, influence of geological structure on depths of hydrocarbon penetration and content of hydrocarbons is established. It is confirmed that distribution of hydrocarbons is significantly influenced by type of rocks and their sorption ability for hydrocarbons, penetration properties (porosity and permeability) and water saturation. In case near-surface zone of the earth is composed of sands that have low sorption ability for hydrocarbons, high open porosity and high penetration properties, a hydrocarbon contamination zone will be small in comparison with zone composed of clays or loam.

Keywords

• oil contaminated territories
• hydrocarbons
• penetration depth
• modeling
• mathematical models
• ground
• mathematical statistics
• geostatistics
• artificial pollution
• geology
• geoecology