PKN Orlen

The Santonian-Maastrichtian age Aruma Group was deposited in a foredeep basin created by stratigraphic loading due to compressional thrusting and obduction of the Hajar Mountains. The Aruma requires high resolution biostratigraphy with seismic guided sequence stratigraphy to identify mappable units and unconformities across the foredeep basin (Swire, 2022). Aruma Group sediments outcropping in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates were reviewed for reservoir potential and have been correlated with the subsurface Juweiza-Qahlah reservoirs of Campanian age that outcrop in Sharjah and further to the south in Abu Dhabi along the thrust front. The British Geological Survey completed geological mapping of outcrops in the Northern Emirates in 2006. The outcrops originally assigned to the Pabdeh Group were mapped in the absence of biostratigraphic data and there was uncertainty on the assigned age. RAKGAS, PKN ORLEN and Viridien undertook sedimentological logging and biostratigraphic analysis of eight samples from Tawi al Harf and Shaam outcrops near to RAK City to determine their affinity, age and depositional environment. The Tawi al Harf and Shaam samples were reassigned as Aruma Group after biostratigraphic analysis. The Tawi al Harf outcrop is a series of cherty/siliceous calciturbidites, including grainstones, rudstones and conglomeratic traction flows (0.1-2m) with clasts reaching up to 10cm, separated by a series of red, purple and grey shale beds. Samples were dominated by siliceous sponge spicules and radiolaria and contained few age constrained marker taxa, with a range of Middle Campanian-Late Maastrichtian age. Deposition occurred in an outer ramp to upper bathyal setting in >200m water depth, dominantly in the deeper bathyal range. Siliceous forms were autochthonously deposited under reduced carbonate conditions, with subsequent carbonate deposition via turbidity currents. This is potentially representative of the Juweiza Formation. The Shaam outcrop is a series of sandy-silty calciturbidite beds (0.1-1m) with hummocky cross stratification and normal grading, protruding between calcareous mudstones. Samples contain taxa that range from Early Campanian-Early Maastrichtian age. The abundance of globular planktonic foraminifera and the scarcity of larger, carinate planktonic foraminifera suggested deposition within a middle to outer ramp setting, between 50-200m water depth. Although different than the Tawi Al Harf outcrop, it is thought that the Shaam outcrop could be assigned to a nearer shore facies of the Juweiza Formation. Eight wells penetrating the Aruma Group were tied across Ras Al Khaimah, integrating sedimentological and biostratigraphic data obtained from outcrops and geophysical logs and biostratigraphic data from wells. Mappable units were correlated between wells and interpreted on 3D PSDM seismic data, revising the structural model by demonstrating thrusts within the Aruma. Compressional fault duplexes developed in front of the Hagab thrust, which thicken the Aruma with repeated sections in the present-day onshore subsurface area.

The paper presents the most common corrosion processes occurring in the columns for atmospheric distillation of crude oil. It describes the mechanisms leading to formation of the chemical compounds, which contribute to corrosion phenomena. The main technological factors influencing corrosion processes have been indicated. The paper also presents the interactions between particular corrosion mechanisms resulting in acceleration or inhibition of corrosion rate.

The paper reports the results of simultaneous mechanical and electrochemical investigations on austenitic (18/8) stainless steel in a 2 % solution of sulphuric acid. The measurements were performed using Galvanodynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (GDEIS). Electrochemical analysis of mechanical passive layer cracking and repassivation conditions during a tensile test was carried out. Application of this methodology allowed monitoring of the natural corrosion process without external current (IDC = 0A) nor potential perturbation of the system. The results proved the usefulness of measurements of actual electrochemical systems at zero external current conditions. It was found that a transition to an active state occurred for relatively high strain rates, while the passive layer cracking process did not depend on the strain rate.

Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOECs) stand out as one of the most efficient energy conversion technologies (i.e. enabling production of hydrogen fuel from surplus electrical energy), which is particularly well-suited for application in the distributed systems. While definitely very promising, until now SOEC technology is still not widespread, with the key technical limiting issues being i.a. high costs and deterioration of the operation parameters during prolonged operation. However, recently another major problem has become very urgent. Although most of the developed oxygen electrode materials are Co-based, there are strong reasons to mitigate the dependence on cobalt: deposits of Co ore are limited, and known commercial-level sources are localized in regions with volatile economic and unstable political situation; cobalt is classified as carcinogenic, and this fact leads to severe problems with public health especially at the mining sites; there are many examples of violations of the ecological standards in cobalt processing. In this work we propose modification of the bulk properties of the typical perovskite-type oxygen electrode material, La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ , via chemical doping with Ni and Cu in order to limit usage of Co, while at the same time enhance properties of the materials to obtain excellent electrocatalytic activity.