This research explores the improvement of asphalt binder performance through a novel three-component polymer modification that combines Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS), Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA), and Dibenzoyl Peroxide (DBP). The study addresses the longstanding issue of phase separation in polymermodified asphalt, a challenge exacerbated by Iraq's extreme climatic conditions and heavy infrastructure demands. The work focuses on enhancing the rheological, physical, and chemical stability of 40/50 penetration grade asphalt, aiming to strengthen its resistance to aging, deformation, and thermal deterioration. The results reveal that the combined use of SBS, EVA, and DBP produces a strong synergistic effect—boosting elasticity, stiffness, and high-temperature performance while minimizing rutting and fatigue. The most effective and economical blend was determined to be 2.5 wt.% SBS+EVA with 0.3 wt.% DBP. The analytical evaluations, including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), confirmed successful chemical interaction among the additives, resulting in a more uniform polymerasphalt structure. This method offers a promising solution for creating long-lasting, sustainable asphalt binders that can withstand heavy traffic and harsh environmental stresses.

This study assesses the feasibility of using high sulfur r esiduals from Tawke and Shikhan crude oils as a fuel source for heavy industries. The primary aim was to evaluate its industrial applicability and environmental implications. Petroleum coke, a bypro duct obtained via atmospheric and vacuum distillation, was characterized for its high sulfur content, with values ranging from 3.4% for Tawke to 12.5% for Shikhan. Quantitative results from fractional distillation revealed a higher cumulative distillate pe rcentage for Shikhan crude compared to Tawke, with sulfur mass fractions reaching up to 1.1% for the 290°C distillate fraction in Shikhan oil. Despite its potential as a cost efficient fuel, high sulfur petroleum coke presents environmental challenges, par ticularly due to sulfur dioxide emissions, which could lead to air pollution and acid rain. The findings emphasize that proper emission control technologies and stringent regulatory standards are necessary to mitigate these risks. The study further highlig hts that the high carbon content and calorific value of this coke make it a viable energy source, but environmental trade offs must be considered. The novelty of this research lies in its detailed analysis of high sulfur petroleum coke derived from specifi c Iraqi crude oils, providing valuable insights for industrial applications in sulfur rich crude producing regions. The study contributes to the ongoing discussion about alternative fuels in heavy industries, especially in regions reliant on high sulfur cr ude oil reserves.

Addressing the increasing demand for green additives in drilling fluids is essential for the sustainable development of the oil and gas industry. Fluid loss into porous and permeable formations during drilling presents significant challenges. This study introduced an innovative, environmentally sustainable drilling fluid known as nano-biodegradable drilling fluid (NBDF). The NBDF formulation incorporates greenly synthesized zinc nanorods (ZNRs) and gundelia seed shell powder, with ZNRs derived from Cydonia oblonga plant extracts using an eco-friendly method. The research developed multiple drilling fluid variants for experimentation: a reference drilling fluid (BM); biodegradable drilling fluid (BDF) with particle sizes of 75, 150, 300, and 600 μm at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 1 wt% (GSMs); a drilling nanofluid (DNF) with ZNRs at a 0.1 wt% concentration (ZNR); and NBDF combining both nano and gundelia waste (GS-ZNR). Experimental tests were conducted under various temperature and pressure conditions, including low temperature and low pressure (LTLP) and high temperature and high pressure (HTHP). Rheological and filtration measurements were performed to assess the impact of the nano-biodegradable additives on flow behavior and fluid loss. Results indicated that incorporating 1 wt% of gundelia seed shell powder with a particle size of 75 μm led to a 19.61% reduction in fluid loss compared to BM at 75 °C and 200 psi. The performance of the same GSM improved by 31% under identical conditions when 1 wt% of zinc ZNRs was added. Notably, the GS-ZNR formulation demonstrated the most effective performance in reducing fluid loss into the formation, decreasing mud cake thickness, and enhancing the flow behavior of the non-Newtonian reference drilling fluid. This study highlights the relevance of particle size in the effectiveness of biodegradable additives and underscores the potential of NBDF to address environmental concerns in the oil and gas drilling industry.

Drilling fluid is crucial for oil and gas well drilling operations, serving key functions such as facilitating the removal of drill cuttings, maintaining borehole stability and controlling formation pressures. When the drilling fluid is lost into formations, it can alter the formation’s integrity, contaminate groundwater and cause permeability damage. In addition, environmental concerns arise from the waste produced during drilling activities, particularly when discarded drilling fluids contain hazardous substances like heavy metals. This study explores the potential of integrating ultrafine potato powder (PP) into water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs) as environmentally friendly additives. Several analytical techniques including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to comprehensively characterize the prepared PPs. The study included API and HPHT filtration test, permeability plugging test and rheological evaluations of drilling fluids, assessing parameters such as filter loss, filter cake, apparent viscosity, plastic viscosity, yield point and gel strength under varied conditions of different particle sizes of PP, concentrations of PP, and temperature and pressure measurements. The obtaining results emphasize PP’s potential to enhance the wellbore stability and reduce the fluid loss, the filtration of water or oil into the permeable formation, achieving 43% reduction in the filtration rate and 70% reduction in the filter cake thickness. Adding 0.5 wt% ultrafine PP improved the maximum gel strength to 32.2 lb/100 ft2, while the same concentration and particle size raised the plastic viscosity from 3 to 6.8 cP, which subsequently dropped to 6 cP in high temperature conditions. PP performed better compared with the reference fluid in improving the thinning behavior of the drilling fluids. Moreover, permeability plugging tests confirm that adding PP effectively lowered the filtration rate, with higher concentrations achieving greater reductions over time. These findings suggest that PP holds promise as an effective additive for drilling fluids, contributing to enhanced drilling efficiency, improved wellbore stability and a reduced likelihood of instability and lost circulation. The characterization and rheological analysis of PP biodegradable drilling fluids provide valuable insights for optimizing fluid formulations, tailoring them to specific operational conditions, and achieving a balance between fluidity, wellbore stability, and cuttings transport. This research highlights the potential of PP as a sustainable and efficient solution in the realm of drilling fluid additives.

Four types of Kurdistan crude oils have been studied to determine the heavy and trace metals. The significance of determining trace elements that exist in crude oils is helpful for further information about exploration, production and the refining process. In this work crude oil can be separated into products such as (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and atmospheric distillation residue +350°C) by using atmospheric distillation unit and vacuum distillation unit. The trace metals can be determined with acceptable accuracy and precision by spectroscan MAX-G. However, the values of Ni concentration were the best in accuracy among the group of metals of interest. The average values of the results will be employed as reference values of the trace metal content in the coming discussion and using Ni and V as test elements. The crude oil samples are characterized by with a dominance of V over Ni with a V/Ni ratio of 3.7 to 2.5. Trace element analysis of the five metals in crude oils and atmospheric distillation residues +350°C, for each crude oils and atmospheric distillation residues +350°C is investigated, samples of these areas has not been previously examined for trace element contents. In this study to find the relation between metals in crude oils and atmospheric distillation residue of samples. To detect the concentration of trace elements by using this instrument.

The current research aims to improve the cetane number of diesel extracted from the crude oil of Tawke region in Iraqi Kurdistan. A specific mixture of chemical compounds was prepared which included m-nitrophenol, 4-nitro toluene, and nitrobenzene. The components' effects were investigated with regard to the cetane number, flash point, viscosity, and refractive index of diesel. The quantity of each compound mixed with diesel was prepared based on the statistical analysis of the experiment device (Box–Behnken Designs-BBDs). The tested mixture showed a good agreement and improvement of cetane and flash point and a very low effect on viscosity and refractive index. According to the statistical analysis, the main influence on cetane number and the flashpoint was from m-nitrophenol. The investigation showed that the best results were acquired from the samples of 25PPM 4- nitro toluene and 50PPM m-nitrophenol with a cetane number of 65.3. The correlation and the interaction of the regression equation were linear with all cases. It is worth mentioning that all additives positively influenced the cetane number in the regression equation. The sulfur content was measured as well, and the obtained weight percentage of sulfur was 0.8404%

The feasibility of utilizing petroleum coke as an alternative fuel for cement kilns and other industries was suggesting. The feedstock using in this study are mixture (T-21A+T-5) Tawke and Shekhan PF2 AT residues were obtained from two Iraqi-Kurdistan crude oils by removing distillates boiling point up to 350°C using the atmospheric distillation unit. The coking processing of AT residues at high temperatures to produce gas, coking distillates and petroleum coke. Coking of AT residues were carried out at temperature 450-460°C and atmospheric pressure, at this temperature, the duration of heat treatment of the feed was 2h. 45 min for Tawke and 2h. 15 min for Shekhan. The choice of temperature and time of the experiments was made on the basis that a lower temperature increases the duration of the process, and at a higher temperature a significant reduction in the duration of the process according to GOST methods, it becomes difficult to obtain the target product with the required content of volatile substances. An increase in the duration of the coking process about 3 hours and more in all cases leads to a decrease in the content of volatile substances. The study was suggested petroleum coke can be using instead of fuel oil on industry effectiveness in cost reduction when switched over from fuel oil to petroleum coke. in the last of this work, after allthe measurements and characteristic obtained, two types of treatment scheme were proposed for how to refine these types of crude oils, which give petroleum products with a high sulfur content. The research proposed the technological, ecological and economic aspects of petroleum coke as fuel, including high sulfur content, use as energy in the electrical field (electro energy), and as an alternative fuel for cement production and metallurgical manufacture.

For the first time, a determination of the total content of oil fractions in KRG was made using two samples of Kurdistan crude oils on the basis of the n-d-M method. To determine the structural-group composition of crude oil, it was proposed to use Tawke T-21A and Shekhan PF2 Crude oils. This paper is devoted to the study structural group of crude oil of different deposited differs from each other in physical and chemical properties. Since the properties of the oil determine the direction and application in petroleum refinery of its processing, to assess the quality of oil n-d-M method.

Evaluation of crude oil and its residue using derivatography, is one of the most common physical and chemical methods analytical research. Crude oil residues 350+ obtain from two Iraq-Kurdistan crudes (Tawke T-21A well and Shekhan PF2 well) by using atmospheric distillation after removing all volatile fractions. The sample characterized by direvatographic method. The thermo analysis, reactions were carried out at temperature range 20-700℃ for reaction time 68 min. These derivatograph curves show the weight change and heat energy (Enthalpy) change as the function of time and temperature. It shows that the crude oil residues have different composition. The curve which marks the weight changes of the sample heated is the thermogravimetric curve, TGA. Whereas the curve, which records heat energy or enthalpy changes during thermal decomposition is the DTA or differential thermoanalytic. By means of the derivatograph, it is possible to record simultaneously curve of weight change (TG), and enthalpy change (DTA) as a function of temperature. This method analysis shows good evaluation of these two crude oil well.

The chemical and physical properties of three different crude oils and two natural gas wells in Kurdistan-Iraq have been studied according to American Standard Test Method (ASTM) methods. Auto-distillations have been used to determine the changes in each cut, and gas–liquid chromatography has been used to find the approximate chemical constituents. A distribution diagram of paraffin, naphthenic, and aromatic hydrocarbons has been created. The gasoline cuts for each crude oil have been examined to find suitable octane additives (oxygenated or metal organic). The octane number increases as a function of the amount of additives, which has been plotted. A correlation between the trace metals and the types of hydrocarbons has been carried out for each crude oil. The improvement of these crude oils is achieved catalytically by reactions at high temperatures using different local clays, which gave us increases in lighter molecules by 7%(max). Chemical reactions are suggested for this improvement. X-ray analysis is also performed for each clay. Research is carried out on one gas–liquid well (Khor Mor) and another pure natural gas well. Gas chromatography analysis for Khor Mor shows 51% C1–C5 and 49% C6–C11, while other natural gas wells contain 98% methane. The natural gas of the Kirkuk wells contained approximately 10–12% hydrogen sulfide, which we separated using ethanolamines, and converted to hydrogen fuel and sulfur at two pilot plants using a new catalyst instead of the previous Clause process, producing about 143 tons of hydrogen per day.

The straight run diesel cuts of crude oil from T-8 and T-16 Tawke well-Zakho have been examined (qualitative and quantitative). Physical properties such as (density, API, viscosity, cloud point, flash point, water content, sulfur content…. etc.) of this crude oil and diesel product have been measured according to the ASTM method. To improve chemical constituents of these crude oils and increasing the diesel distillation volume cuts by using three types of local clays, X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of these clays have been done, a series experiments have been done at a different percentage of local clays and different time of reflux for Tawke wells T-8 and T-16 crude oil. These experiments were performed, in order to optimize the best clay and percentage, as well as finding the suitable reflux time to enhance the volume of the fraction at (200-320) C. The figures have been plotted to find the optimum percentage weight for each clay, time of reflux, and temperatures. The change in chemical constitutes of these crude oils have been monitored by gas chromatography and tabulated in tables.

The removal of sulfur compounds from Tawke diesel fuel is processed by the use of granular Na-Y type zeolite, MOR type zeolite, molecular sieve 3A type, local clay and activated charcoal. The results are characterized by sulfur meter and infrared spectroscopy to improve the results of desulfurization process. It is clear Apparently from our results that the desulfurization by activated charcoal is more efficient than by the clay, zeolite type and almost reach more than 20%.

Photocatalytic degradation of acid alizarin black (AAB) dye (CI 21725) in aqueous solution was investigated using UV light in the presence of powder of titanium dioxide (P-TiO 2) and nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (N-TiO 2) as a catalyst. The operating conditions were catalyst dosage (10 and 20 mg/L) and initial concentration of AAB dye (10 and 20 mg/L). It was found that the increasing of catalyst concentration enhanced the dye decolourisation. Both catalysts exerted positive effects on the AAB removal whilst the initial concentration of AAB negatively affected its removal.