from The Nation Newspaper
Don turns crude bitumen to Asphalt for Ondo road repairs
A lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)Ile Ife,Osun State, has refined the untapped crude Bitumen in Agbabu,Irele Local Government of Ondo State to Cold Mix Asphalt (CMA).
Dr Ademodi, an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Consultant on Bitumen and Heavy Crude Oil is now using the substance to fill the failed portions of roads in Ondo West local government area of the State where he hails.
For years, federal government has been importing bitumen from abroad in repairing and constructing roads despite that the nation is naturally endowed with this natural resources which is rated third largest in the world.
Ademodi, an indigene of Ondo town, who spoke with reporters shortly after demonstrating how he converted the crude bitumen to CMA said he had been using the resources in filling pot holes in the community for the past one month.
He added that motorists and motorcyclists have been enjoying their riding in some of the streets where these materials have been applied.
Besides, Ademodi, who is a Chieftain of All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ondo State suggested that a Ministry of Bitumen and Heavy Oil Resources be established, saying such ministry would focus on the meaningful exploitation of the resources for domestic and export markets free of OPEC regulations.
He lamented that the federal government has refused to utilise the resources due to Nigerian factors, which he said include unnecessary politization of issues, ethnic consideration and the fact that it is not very easy to make easy money from the exploitation.
The Academic listed some of the benefits of the resources as road repair/road construction, fuel for power plants, creation of employment for the teeming youths among others
According to him, “Nigeria should take the advantage of the fact that its heavy/extra heavy oil did not fall under the OPEC quota, Venezuela developed the world famous ORIMULSION fuel which has been used for years domestically and exported to energy hungry countries like China, India and Japan as fuel for generating electricity (in thermal power plants), land based diesel engines.
“Nigeria’s heavy/extra heavy oil is equally amenable for use as power plant fuel and considerable progress has been made in research in this regard. Nigeria’s heavy oil has been used to successfully raise steam in a mini-steam boiler, a precursor stage to electricity generation.
“The resources is a potential substitute for natural gas, LPFO and coal as process fuel in industries and thermal power plants.
” Our work has shown that it can conveniently replace substantial quantities of Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) otherwise known as black oil, the cost of which has skyrocketed astronomically and which, in turn, is responsible for the high cost of goods ranging from cement to sundry consumer products in Nigeria.
“Similarly, Nigeria’s bitumen exists in the two form of solid tar sands and liquid deposits. Considerable success has been achieved in the utilisation of these two types of bitumen for the manufacture of road asphalt. In this regard, there are two possibilities: Hot Mix Asphalt and Cold Mix Asphalt”
The University Don said he would continue to mount pressure on the federal government on why the resources must be fully utilised.
The post Don turns crude bitumen to Asphalt for Ondo road repairs appeared first on The Nation.
Categories: News from News from the Nation Newspaper – Tue, 03/25/2014 – 11:59