Overview of Raw Materials for Oil Field Chemicals and Challenges for the Nigerian Content Development

Abstract

Drilling and well completion operations utilize many chemicals. One of the possible ways that actualizing the local content initiative in the oil industry is to make sure that most of the chemicals needed in the industry are manufactured in Nigeria. The local content contribution to the oil industry is however presently not up to five percent. The concept of the local content development is not about awarding of contracts to Nigerians with foreign counterparts, but developing and expanding the industry for the benefit of the majority. Comparative study of the local materials with imported ones have shown that results obtained from local products compare favourably with imported materials and some of the local additives had been widely deployed in Nigeria oil well operations with great success. This paper gives an overview of the various raw materials for oil field chemicals, local availability, local research efforts, challenges for non-implementation and ways forward to enhance local content development.

Keywords: Oil fields, chemicals, local content development, Nigeria

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 5(4): 315-321, 2009