Journal of Petroleum Research and Studies

Iraq Crude Oil Exports – October, November, December/ 2024

Oil Marketing Company SOMO — 2025-12-21

Table 1. Iraq Crude Oil Exports – October 2024

Table 2. Iraq Crude Oil Exports – November 2024

Table 3. Iraq Crude Oil Exports – December 2024

Facies and Porosity Model of Jeribe Formation in the Khabbaz Oil Field, Northern Iraq

Saad A. Al hamdani — 2025-09-21

Jeribe Formation (Middle Miocene) consists mainly of limestone, dolomitic limestone and dolomite, the upper contact of the Formation represents a surface that is unconformable with the Fatha Formation, while the lower contact is conformable with the Dhiban Formation, the present study showed that most parts of the Formation consist of shale content at a rate of less than (20)%, the Formation was divided into three porosity units depends on the variation of shale content and porosity rate and the unit Je3 is one of the best units in all sections of wells (KZ-18,17,14,13) while the unit Je1 comparatively has less petrophysical qualities than the unit Je3 and the unit Je2 In the two wells KZ-14,18 is similar to the properties of the first unit, while in the two wells KZ-13,17 it represents the low porosity units, and the porosity rate in the Formation ranges between (15-4)%. Petrel V.2014: was used to draw the three-dimensional model to show the distribution of the Lithology Formation of each unit within the Khabbaz Oil field, as well as to draw the porosity model for each unit of porosity to show its distribution within the field.

Reservoir Characterization and Petrophysical Evaluation for Paleogene Khurmala Formation in Northern Iraq

Rzger Abdulkarim Abdula — 2025-12-21

This study presents a detailed reservoir characterization and petrophysical evaluation of the Paleogene Khurmala Formation within the X Oilfield, northern Iraq. The analysis is based on digitized well log data, including density, neutron porosity, gamma ray, and resistivity logs, processed using Neuralog and Techlog 2018 software. Lithology was determined through neutron-density cross plots, confirming the presence of heterogeneous carbonate sequences consisting of dolomite and limestone. Shale volume was calculated using gamma ray logs, revealing localized shale enrichment in parts of the formation. Effective porosity was derived by correcting density and neutron porosity logs for shale influence, while permeability was estimated through porosity-permeability relationships. Water saturation was calculated using Archie’s equation, indicating that large portions of the formation are water-saturated with low hydrocarbon potential, except for one zone (RU-3) which demonstrates favorable reservoir characteristics. The formation was divided into four reservoir units based on variations in shale content, porosity, water saturation, and permeability. RU-3 exhibited the best petrophysical properties, with high porosity, low water saturation, and minimal shale content, making it the most promising target for hydrocarbon production. The results provide valuable insights for optimizing reservoir management in this field.

Investigate the Effects of Formation Cutting Transportation in Inclined Wells to Prevent the Occurrence of Mechanical Stuck Pipes in an Iraqi Oilfield

Mustafa A. Issa — 2025-12-21

During drilling operations, cutting removal in deviated and vertical wells is one of the most significant challenges. It can cause high torque and drag, mud circulation loss, casing installation difficulties, poor cementing operations, and mechanical pipe sticking. These challenges can potentially increase non-productive time (NPT) and well costs. This study utilized Well Plan™ software to establish a hole-cleaning model for a specific well situated in the southern Iraqi oilfield. Thus, the minimum flow rate and cutting bed height necessary to ensure efficient cutting transportation from the borehole were calculated, resulting in the elimination or reduction of the mechanical pipe sticking problem. Subsequently, the influence of the drilling parameters on the removal of cuttings was examined by determining the minimum flow rate. The study's findings indicate that there is a direct relationship between the minimum flow rate and certain drilling parameters, i.e., plastic viscosity, penetration rate, well inclination, and cutting density. While inverse relationship with other parameters, i.e., yield point, drilling mud weight, and rotation speed of drill string. Additionally, the minimum flow rate that is obtained from Well Plan™ software is greater than the actual flow rate. For instance, during the run-in hole where pipe stuck occurs in the Tanuma Formation, the actual flow rate was 713 gpm, while the minimum flow rate and the cutting bed height that are calculated from this model are 970 gpm and 1.77" respectively. Ultimately, the research findings can be utilized to financially support upcoming drilling operations in the surrounding area of the study.

Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Subsurface Formations to Enhance Hydrocarbon Recovery: Field Case Study from Southern Iraq

Mahdi M. Kadhim — 2025-12-21

Concern about reducing greenhouse gas emissions particularly those of carbon dioxide has developed along with an understanding of global warming and climate change and joined with enhanced oil recovery. Thus, research on improved oil recovery and supporting reservoir pressure utilizing greenhouse gases has been conducted throughout the last few decades.

The current study focuses on achieving the oil production target from the X oil field. It is located in southern Iraq; this field is thought to be the Y formation; planned by National Oil Company with CO₂ miscible gas injection and test the possibility of applied sequestration of CO₂ in the aquifer as reduced emission project. Building a 3D dynamic model with CMG-2018 based on a geological model exported from Petrel employed to investigate distinct developing plans with varying operational constraints. The compositional simulator (GEM-2018) is used to model Y formation. The model was calibrated with W-4 well testing because of a lack of production data.

The production case scenario has been suggested to develop Y formation as the preferred case based on the height recovery factor. The best case is the five-spot CO₂ injection with a plateau of 30 Kbbl/d for twenty years with production above the bubble point and with stored CO₂ of 5.75 MMTon in the S21 and exploiting the three abandoned to stored CO₂ of 3.265 MMTon in the aquifer as soluble emission gas.

An Experimental Investigation of Rheological and Free Water of Foam Cement System

Qassim M. Sayed — 2025-12-21

Foamed cement system is one of the types of lightweight cement used in the process of cementing oil wells in weak formations which is exposed to lost circulation problems. This study aims to determine the closest rheological model to the foamed cement system and the extent of the effect of the presence of foam and its concentration on the plastic viscosity and stability of the foamed system as well as free water. We conducted experiments on a sample of base cement and several samples of foamed cement, a foam quality (injected air as a percentage) of 15, 25, 36, and 47 is injected into the base cement slurry to obtain different densities of foamed cement of 1.6, 1.4, 1.2, and 1.0 g/cc respectively. For selecting the best rheological model purpose, an absolute average percentage error (EAAP) criterion and R2 of four rheological models (Bingham plastic, Power law, Herschel-Bulckley, and Casson) is applied. The results indicated that the Herschel-Bulckley model exhibited the closest rheological model with the lowest value of (EAAP) around 5% and R2 greater than 0.989. In addition, an increase of the foam quality will improve the plastic viscosity and at the same time the stability of the foam cement system increased, as the volumetric percentage of released microbubbles decreased from 5.3% to 4.3% when the foam quality increased from 15 to 47. The free water for base cement slurry was 2.08% and disappeared completely when foam quality increased above 15%. Experimental data demonstrated a direct correlation between foam quality with plastic viscosity, stability of foamed cement and free water, where enable the establishment of a reliable model for predicting cement performance and use in cementing operations of wells suffering from lost circulation problems. The compressive strength of foamed cement was calculated for several densities in the master's thesis and excellent values were obtained, higher than other types of lightweight cement, and were published in another research. Foam cement is a new system in oil well cementing operations that has not been applied in Iraq at present. It is important to study it in advance to identify its rheological behavior as well as the problem of free water, which is a burden in cementing horizontal or inclined oil wells.

Study the Effect of Active Metal Loading within a γ-Alumina Support on Product Distribution in n-heptane Hydroisomerization Reactions

Mohammed Khalil — 2025-12-21

In this paper, the monofunctional acidic γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst was treated with Pt metals with a percentage ranging from 0.5 to 1 wt% to obtain a bifunctional nanocatalyst represented by Pt/Al₂O₃, for the purpose of increasing the active metal sites on its surface, and thus enhancing the extremely important hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions in catalyzing hydroisomerization reactions of n-heptane with an octane number of zero. Experiments were conducted in a pilot unit at a temperature of 230°C and under a pressure of 5 bar in the presence of H₂-gas for the purpose of producing desirable fuel hydrocarbons with a high octane number. A number of characterization techniques, including XRD, SEM, EDX, BET and FTIR, have been used to evaluate the physical properties of the catalysts. The catalytic behavior of the prepared catalysts was compared by calculating the conversion of the hydrocarbons formed and the selectivity towards the generation of isomers in the reaction products. The comparison results indicated that the conversion, selectivity and yield track the following order according to the catalytic efficiency of the catalysts: 0.5wt% Pt/Al₂O₃ > 1wt% Pt/Al₂O₃ > γ-Al₂O₃. The highest conversion, selectivity, and yield were found on the surface of the 0.5wt% Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst, which are 62.50, 80.96, and 50.60 wt%, respectively, while the lowest weight percentages of products were found on the surface of the unloaded-parent γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst, which are 52.8, 67.7, and 35.75 for conversion, selectivity, and yield, respectively. It was found that increasing the metal loading percentage from 0.5 wt% to 1 wt% causes the closure of a number of pore openings on the surface of the catalyst, which reduces the surface area. It also causes an increase in the activity of Lewis acids and rapid breakdown of the reactant hydrocarbons, thus resulting in a reduction in conversion and selectivity for isomers.

The Impact of Sulfur Compounds Functioning as Organic Pollutants on the Corrosion of Carbon Steel in Concentration Cells

Suzan T. Abbas — 2025-12-21

Corrosion is a major challenge in the petroleum industry, influenced by internal fluid conditions and external factors. Concentration cell corrosion occurs when metals interact with solutions of varying concentrations, often exacerbated by sulfur-containing contaminants. This study explores the effects of mercaptoethanol (ME, C₂H₆OS), a sulfur compound commonly found in refinery effluents, on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel (CS) at different temperatures and concentrations. The findings highlight ME's strong influence on corrosion dynamics, demonstrating that both concentration and temperature are crucial factors. At 25 °C, the corrosion rate notably decreased from 5.594 gmd to 3.705 gmd as the ME concentration increased from 1 ml/l to 3 ml/l. Similarly, at 32 °C, while the rate dropped from 4.877 gmd to 4.502 gmd (ME increased 1 ml/l to 2 ml/l), it showed a slight increase to 4.701 gmd at 3 ml/l. Remarkably, at higher temperatures of 40 °C and 50 °C, the corrosion rate jumped from 6.954 gmd to an astonishing 16.267 gmd (ME increased from 1 ml/l to 2 ml/l) before declining to 4.002 gmd and 5.785 gmd at 3 ml/l, respectively. Additionally, the electrochemical potential of CS in the presence of mercaptoethanol shifted negatively with rising temperatures, indicating the formation of a protective surface film. This behavior contrasts with that observed with 0.1 N NaCl, where oxide films form as temperatures increase. These compelling findings emphasize the complex relationship between concentration, temperature, and corrosion mechanisms within concentration cells. These findings highlight mercaptoethanol's advantage over NaCl in mitigating galvanic corrosion in industrial applications.

Manganese-Based Bifunctional as an Oil–Soluble Homogenous Catalyst for in–Situ Catalytic Upgrading of High Sulfur Heavy Crude Oil

Omar F. AL-Mishaal — 2025-12-21

Manganese naphthenate (C₂₂H₁₄MnO₄), a black oil-soluble liquid, was used for the first time as a bifunctional homogeneous catalyst in heavy oil upgrading under steam conditions. The catalyst combines two key functions: cracking, due to the 6% manganese content, and hydrogen donation from the naphthenate component, which enhances hydrogenation reactions, increases the H/C ratio, and facilitates hydrodesulfurization. Experiments were conducted in an autoclave reactor using heavy oil with high sulfur content under three temperatures (200, 250, and 300 °C) for 24 hours, in the presence and absence of the catalyst. The study employed several analytical techniques—viscosity measurement, SARA analysis, gas chromatography (GC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD)—to evaluate catalyst performance. Gas analysis by GC showed that, without the catalyst, the total light hydrocarbon gases (ΣC₁–C₄) and H₂S reached 0.8150 wt% and 1.2960 wt%, respectively, while with the catalyst, these increased to 1.4905 wt% and 1.5400 wt%. This indicates enhanced cracking and desulfurization activity. Viscosity measurements using a Brookfield Viscometer revealed that at 300 °C, the catalyst reduced the oil viscosity from 2802 mPa·s to 1437 mPa·s, achieving a 51% reduction, compared to only 29% (to 1962 mPa·s) without the catalyst. SARA analysis showed that the light fractions (saturates + aromatics) increased from 72% in the original oil to 80.76% with the catalyst and 75.69% without it, confirming significant cracking and hydrogenation. The presence of MnS in the solid residues after reaction further supports the catalyst’s participation in hydrodesulfurization.

Overall, manganese naphthenate demonstrated excellent catalytic activity in upgrading heavy oil through combined cracking, hydrogenation, and desulfurization mechanisms under steam conditions, making it a promising candidate for improving the quality and flow properties of high-sulfur heavy crude oils.

Effect of Hydrogen Fuel Used in Internal Combustion Engine to Improve the Efficiency of Spark Ignition Engine

sarmad A. Jassem — 2025-12-21

The rise in concern over the health and environmental consequences of emissions from transportation, industry, and other utilities has led to a growing interest in alternative fuels. Hydrogen gas, a prospective substitute fuel for internal combustion engines, has the capability to enhance engine efficiency and diminish fuel usage and emissions. Petrol was employed in one phase, while hydrogen (H₂) and benzene were utilized in the other phase to assess the performance of the test engine. The flow rate of hydrogen gas was adjusted to 0.1 and 0.2 liters per minute (LPM). The two models underwent testing at engine speeds of 2000 and 2250 rpm, with varying engine loads (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 N.m) and compression ratios (6:1, 7:1, and 9:1). The initial trials involved a comparison between pure petrol and dual fuel. The laboratory has achieved numerous exceptional test outcomes. Dual fuel operation at 2000 rpm resulted in a significant improvement in brake thermal efficiency, with an increase of 9.5% and 10.6%. The specific fuel consumption had a reduction of 11.3% and 14.1%, although the volumetric efficiency marginally fell, varying between 1.9% and 2.6%. The brakes achieved thermal efficiencies of 9.6% and 10.7%, resulting in a drop in specific fuel consumption of 11.4% and 14.3%. The volumetric efficiency experienced a minor decrease, ranging between 2.2% and 2.5% at 2250 rpm. Additionally, lower exhaust gas temperatures were observed at each test site. This has demonstrated that hydrogen fuel is a cost-efficient substitute for conventional petrol, without requiring any modifications to the engine. This has significant economic importance.

Optimization P-nitrotoluene Removal Efficiency in Aqueous Solution by Photocatalyticozonation Reaction

Lina Shaheed Ahmed — 2025-12-21

p-Nitrotoluene (PNT) is a hazardous material suspected of causing hormone disruption. Its degradation in aqueous solutions was studied using photochemical ozonation with ZnO as a catalyst and UV radiation. Various factors, including PNT concentration, ZnO concentration, pH, ozone flow rate, and UV exposure time, were varied in laboratory experiments. Response surface methodology (SRM) and central composite rotatable design (CCRD) were used to optimize the process. The PNT removal efficiency ranged from 47% to 99.5%, with a high correlation (R² = 0.9558). Significant factors included UV exposure time, pH, ozone flow rate, ZnO concentration, and initial PNT concentration. The maximum removal efficiency was achieved with 76.701 ppm of initial PNT, 0.16 g/l ZnO, pH 8.235, 3.516 ozone flow rate, and 99.548 minutes of UV exposure.

AI-Driven Modeling of Catalytic Pyrolysis for Sustainable Fuel Production: A Neural Network Approach

Idres M. Khder — 2025-12-21

The growing demand for solutions to plastic waste and sustainable fuel options around the world has inspired research into catalytic pyrolysis as a potential method to convert waste plastic into profitable biofuels. The intensity of pyrolysis processes affected by many process factors makes traditional modeling methods difficult. This research uses artificial nervous network (ANNS) to create a prediction model aimed at increasing biofuel conversion in catalyst pyrolysis. The range of variables considered in the study, including temperature, residence time, catalyst type, conversion, density, particular gravity, API, viscosity, and higher heating value were used to train the ANN model, giving accurate predictions of biofuels production under various conditions. The Levenberg-Marquard method was employed for network training, guaranteed better accuracy and low error. The comparative comparison of traditional modeling functioning and AI-operated approaches reflect the advantage of the artificial nervous network (ANN) model in real-time managing non-linear interactions and optimizing processes. Conclusions suggest that the AI-operated approaches clearly promote process efficiency, reduce waste, and improve decision making in industrial contexts.in this study a perfect match was achieved between the predicted data and experimental data, with R2 value of 1, indicating a perfect alignment between the predictions and experimental results. This research highlights the ability of artificial intelligence to increase permanent chemical engineering functioning and improve biofuel production from waste plastic.

Strategic Positioning and its Impact on Enhancing Strategic Sovereignty an Analytical Study in the Ministry of Oil/ Oil Exploration Company

Batool M. Kuder Al-Yasiri — 2025-12-21

The researchers, through the present study, aimed to identify the nature of the relationship, association, and influence between strategic positioning (as the independent variable) and strategic sovereignty (as the dependent variable), along with its dimensions: area of influence, competitive pressure, competitive structure, and renewal. To achieve this and to analyze and interpret the study data, a descriptive analytical approach was adopted, as it is considered a reliable scientific method. A questionnaire was used as the primary tool for data collection.

The study included 40 items distributed among a deliberately selected sample of 140 individuals, consisting of senior and middle leadership as well as managers (at the agency, department, and division levels) in the oil exploration company. Out of the 140 distributed questionnaires, 133 were found valid and suitable for analysis. In addition, the researchers conducted a set of direct interviews with 14 decision-makers from within the study sample to support the findings obtained through the questionnaire analysis.

A variety of statistical methods were used to analyze the data, including the Pearson correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination (R²), Z-test, T-test, F-test, and multiple regression analysis. The analysis was carried out using statistical software such as SPSS v28, AMOS v26, and Microsoft Excel 2010. The study yielded several results, the most notable of which was the significant impact of strategic positioning on strategic sovereignty across all its dimensions. Therefore, adopting a positioning strategy within the oil exploration company is essential, as it can effectively contribute to achieving strategic sovereignty.