Determination of the Effect of Oil Exploration on Galvanized Steel in Niger Delta, Nigeria

Aims: This paper determined the effect of oil exploration on engineering infrastructures in Niger Delta area of Nigeria where oil explorations are commonly practiced.

Study Design: Treatment of legal measure for the protection of the three environmental media: air, land, and water.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, between November 2013 and December 2014.

Methodology: Verification of Niger Delta seawater and rainwater contaminated with gas flaring for concentrations of sulphate, nitrate and hydrogen ions were thoroughly done using JENWAY 6850 UV/Vis Spectrophotometer and JENWAY 3505 pH Meter. For the purpose of validation, rainwater from non oil exploration area of Nigeria were likewise verified for the same composition. Because of variation in composition of these materials, a test was conducted on metals using iron filings to test for corrosion effect.

Results: Materials (rainwater and seawater) from different locations of exploration areas of Niger Delta proved to be acidic with average pH value of 5.35, while that of non oil exploration area contain average pH of 5.97. The result from the test, using confirmed acidic water from Niger Delta area of Nigeria, shows more rapid corrosiveness as against test of water from non exploration area which shows normal effect on corrosion.

Conclusion: Corrosion is more rapid on the materials made of metals (infrastructures) from Niger Delta area than what obtains in ordinary are. Also, engineering infrastructures in oil exploration environment corrode more rapidly than those found in a non exploration area looking at it within the same period of time.