Naftalan oil

Last updated

Naftalan or Naphtalan is a type of crude oil. It is named after Naftalan, Azerbaijan, where it is found. It is known for its use in alternative medicine.

Contents

Naftalan crude oil is too heavy for normal export uses (unlike Azerbaijan's plentiful Caspian Sea oil): it contains about 50 percent cycloalkanes (naphthenic hydrocarbons). [1]

In Azerbaijan, people using the oil generally sit in a bath and are covered in oil up to their necks. There are numerous petroleum spas in the city of Naftalan itself. [2] [3] As a result, it has become a destination for health tourism. [4]

History

Naftalan oil has been used since antiquity and was noted by Marco Polo. [5] Its chemistry has been studied from the 1870s. [6] Treatment centres were established in Azerbaijan and were visited by people from the Soviet Union. [7] Its therapeutic effects have been studied since the 1890s. [8]

After the oil boom at the turn of the 20th century, the Baku naftalan started to be extracted in higher volumes, and exported to Germany. [9] [10] After the borders were closed following the 1917 Russian Revolution, it fell into oblivion in the West. It still attracted some attention in the Soviet Union, when the Azerbaijan Medical University opened a small health resort that was in full operation by 1936. [7] [9] [11] In the 1930s, academician T. G. Pashayev started to try to isolate naphthalan from industrial paraffin and naphthenic oils and proposed the term, though more current research indicates that the term "earth mineral oil" is more appropriate for what he described in his paper published in Moscow in 1959. [12]

During the 20th century, a large number of academic papers were published by Soviet researchers about the topic. [13] Nevertheless, in Europe the results from the Naphthalan Health Resort in Azerbaijan were largely rejected because the idea of the application of native oil to human subjects was not acceptable. [14]

In the 1970s, the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb conducted its own research to compare the kinds of oil found near Baku and near Križ, Croatia. After two years, in 1978, they concluded that the oil they analyzed was not carcinogenic, after testing at INA labs and at the Ruđer Bošković Institute, and conducting a trial with 770 patients. [13] In 1989 the Naftalan Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation was founded in Ivanić Grad. [13] Their use of naphtalan oil is restricted to a refined distillate, devoid of tar, aromatic content and other undesired substances, in an effort to minimize the rate of contraindications and side effects. [14] This hospital later conducted a 10-year follow-up and observation of 10,000 of their patients and respective associated data, and reportedly observed a number of therapeutic effects. [15]

As recently as 2006, the New York Times published an article referring to naftalan as mostly naphthalene, which would be carcinogenic to humans. [2] In 2009, The Independent described one of the spas, repeating the claim about the composition of the oil. [16]

Composition of the oil

Naftalan oil is a type of heavy crude oil, a dense and viscous mixture with components including aromatics, naphthenes, asphaltenes and resins. [1] In particular it contains naphthenic acids, an oil industry term for a group of carboxylic acids which can be up to 3 percent of the oil by weight. [17] [18] Purified oil used in some treatments contains mainly polycyclic hydrocarbons, with the most pure having a transparent white to lemon-yellow color and napthenic content up to 98.5 percent. [19] [20]

Early studies of the oil's chemistry and therapeutic properties involved partially purified material, a naptha used as an ointment which was compared favourably to Vaseline. It was applied to wounds and burns. [21]

Uses

Qarabag spa and resort Qarabag SPA and Resort 2013.jpg
Qarabağ spa and resort

Spas in Naftalan, Azerbaijan use the crude oil for whole-body bathing, [3] [7] a procedure which has been described by the British documentary photographer Chloe Dewe Mathews. [22] [23] A typical single bathing session lasts ten minutes. [24] Health tourism is now a major industry in Azerbaijan. [4]

The purified oil, which is a mixture of cycloalkanes, is used in combination with mineral waters for balneotherapy. [19] : 206  [20]

The concept of using heavy crude oil in spa treatments has led to a Canadian proposal to create a "bitumen spa" on the same principles as the Naftalan ones. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitumen</span> Form of petroleum primarily used in road construction

Bitumen is an immensely viscous constituent of petroleum. Depending on its exact composition it can be a sticky, black liquid or an apparently solid mass that behaves as a liquid over very large time scales. In the U.S., the material is commonly referred to as asphalt. Whether found in natural deposits or refined from petroleum, the substance is classed as a pitch. Prior to the 20th century the term asphaltum was in general use. The word derives from the ancient Greek ἄσφαλτος ásphaltos, which referred to natural bitumen or pitch. The largest natural deposit of bitumen in the world is the Pitch Lake of southwest Trinidad, which is estimated to contain 10 million tons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Azerbaijan</span>

The economy of Azerbaijan is highly dependent on oil and gas exports, in particular since the completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline. The transition to oil production in the late 1990s led to rapid economic growth over the period 1995–2014. Since 2014, GDP growth has slowed down substantially.

Kerosene, or paraffin, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from Greek: κηρός (kērós) meaning "wax", and was registered as a trademark by Nova Scotia geologist and inventor Abraham Gesner in 1854 before evolving into a generic trademark. It is sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petroleum</span> Naturally occurring flammable liquid

Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name petroleum covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude oil and petroleum products that consist of refined crude oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Azerbaijan</span> Overview of the transport in Azerbaijan

The transport in Azerbaijan involves air traffic, waterways and railroads. All transportation services in Azerbaijan except for oil and gas pipelines are regulated by the Ministry of Transportation of Azerbaijan Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tar pit</span> Asphalt pit or asphalt lake

Tar pits, sometimes referred to as asphalt pits, are large asphalt deposits. They form in the presence of petroleum, which is created when decayed organic matter is subjected to pressure underground. If this crude oil seeps upward via fractures, conduits, or porous sedimentary rock layers, it may pool up at the surface. The lighter components of the crude oil evaporate into the atmosphere, leaving behind a black, sticky asphalt. Tar pits are often excavated because they contain large fossil collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil sands</span> Type of unconventional oil deposit

Oil sands, tar sands, crude bitumen, or bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Oil sands are either loose sands or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with bitumen, a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refinery</span> Production facility for processing raw materials

A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athabasca oil sands</span> Oil and bitumen deposits in Alberta, Canada

The Athabasca oil sands, also known as the Athabasca tar sands, are large deposits of bitumen, a heavy and viscous form of petroleum, located in northeastern Alberta, Canada. These reserves are one of the largest sources of unconventional oil in the world, making Canada a significant player in the global energy market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naftalan, Azerbaijan</span> City in Azerbaijan

Naftalan is a city in Azerbaijan, known as a medical touristic center. It is located on an agricultural plain near the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The word naftalan also means a petroleum product that can be obtained there. It is the centre of a petroleum industry, with a grade of oil referred to as "Naftalan".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spa</span> Location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths

A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan. Day spas and medspas are also quite popular, and offer various personal care treatments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petroleum seep</span> Place where natural hydrocarbons escape

A petroleum seep is a place where natural liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons escape to the Earth's atmosphere and surface, normally under low pressure or flow. Seeps generally occur above either terrestrial or offshore petroleum accumulation structures. The hydrocarbons may escape along geological layers, or across them through fractures and fissures in the rock, or directly from an outcrop of oil-bearing rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asphaltene</span> Heavy organic molecular substances that are found in crude oil

Asphaltenes are molecular substances that are found in crude oil, along with resins, aromatic hydrocarbons, and saturates. The word "asphaltene" was coined by Boussingault in 1837 when he noticed that the distillation residue of some bitumens had asphalt-like properties. Asphaltenes in the form of asphalt or bitumen products from oil refineries are used as paving materials on roads, shingles for roofs, and waterproof coatings on building foundations.

The total acid number (TAN) is a measurement of acidity that is determined by the amount of potassium hydroxide in milligrams that is needed to neutralize the acids in one gram of oil. It is an important quality measurement of crude oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the petroleum industry</span>

While the local use of oil goes back many centuries, the modern petroleum industry along with its outputs and modern applications are of a recent origin. Petroleum's status as a key component of politics, society, and technology has its roots in the coal and kerosene industry of the late 19th century. One of the earliest instances of this is the refining of paraffin from crude oil. Abraham Gesner developed a process to refine a liquid fuel from coal, bitumen and oil shale; it burned more cleanly and was cheaper than whale oil. James Young in 1847 noticed a natural petroleum seepage when he distilled a light thin oil suitable for use as lamp oil, at the same time obtaining a thicker oil suitable for lubricating machinery. The world's first refineries and modern oil wells were established in the mid-19th century. While petroleum industries developed in several countries during the nineteenth century, the two giants were the United States and the Russian Empire, specifically that part of it that today forms the territory of independent Azerbaijan. Together, these two countries produced 97% of the world's oil over the course of the nineteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naphthenic acid</span> Chemical compound

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are mixtures of several cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl carboxylic acids with molecular weights of 120 to well over 700 atomic mass units. The main fractions are carboxylic acids with a carbon backbone of 9 to 20 carbons. McKee et al. claim that "naphthenic acids (NAs) are primarily cycloaliphatic carboxylic acids with 10 to 16 carbons", although acids containing up to 50 carbons have been identified in heavy petroleum.

Crude oil is extracted from the bedrock before being processed in several stages, removing natural contaminants and undesirable hydrocarbons. This separation process produces mineral oil, which can in turn be denoted as paraffinic, naphthenic or aromatic. The differences between these different types of oils are not clear-cut, but mainly depend on the predominant hydrocarbon types in the oil. Paraffinic oil, for example, contains primarily higher alkanes, whereas naphthenic oils have a high share of cyclic alkanes in the mixture.

As of 2017, Azerbaijan produced a range of metals and industrial minerals, including aluminum, bentonite, copper, gold, iodine, limestone, silver and steel.

Bitumen froth treatment is a process used in the Athabasca oil sands (AOS) bitumen recovery operations to remove fine inorganics—water and mineral particles—from bitumen froth, by diluting the bitumen with a light hydrocarbon solvent—either naphthenic or paraffinic—to reduce the viscosity of the froth and to remove contaminants that were not removed in previous water-based gravity recovery phases. Bitumen with a high viscosity or with too many contaminants, is not suitable for transporting through pipelines or refining. The original and conventional naphthenic froth treatment (NFT) uses a naphtha solvent with the addition of chemicals. Paraffinic Solvent Froth Treatment (PSFT), which was first used commercially in the Albian Sands in the early 2000s, results in a cleaner bitumen with lower levels of contaminates, such as water and mineral solids. Following froth treatments, bitumen can be further upgraded using "heat to produce synthetic crude oil by means of a coker unit."

Base oils are used to manufacture products including lubricating greases, motor oil and metal processing fluids. Different products require different compositions and properties in the oil. One of the most important factors is the liquid’s viscosity at various temperatures. Whether or not a crude oil is suitable to be made into a base oil is determined by the concentration of base oil molecules as well as how easily these can be extracted.

References

  1. 1 2 Ramazanov M, Hajiyeva M, Huseynov I, Adigozelova N (May 2020). "Naphthalene Oil and Nanotechnology" (PDF). Journal of Low Dimensional Systems. 4: 19–22. ISSN   2308-068X . Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Kramer AE (2006-12-04). "Bathing in Black Gold for Health and Profit in Azerbaijan". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 13 Mar 2023. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  3. 1 2 Rzayeva K (2018-06-28). "Naftalan: The Azerbaijan resort where guests bathe in crude oil". CNN. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  4. 1 2 Nazarli A (3 October 2017). "Azerbaijan in Top 5 health tourism destinations". azernews.az. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  5. ↑ Travels of Marco Polo. Project Gutenberg. p. 46. This oil is not good to use with food, but 'tis good to burn, and is also used to anoint camels that have the mange. People come from vast distances to fetch it, for in all the countries round about they have no other oil.
  6. ↑ Huseinov DY, Rustamov AI (1995). "Naftalan: The Oil that Heals". Azerbaijan International. Vol. 3, no. 4. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Abbasov E (2002). "Naftalan - The Miracle Oil". Azerbaijan International. Vol. 10, no. 2. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  8. ↑ Karslı B, Kürüm B (2024). "Comparison of the efficiency of epidermal growth factor, silver and Naftalan in the wound healing of rats". Journal of Applied Biological Sciences. 18 (1): 106–117. ISSN   2146-0108.
  9. 1 2 Vržogić, Ostrogović & Alajbeg 2003, p. 179.
  10. ↑ "Azerbaijan: Painting With Oil – No, Not that Oil | Eurasianet". Eurasianet. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
  11. ↑ Casper SA. "The Bolshevik Afterlife: Posthumous Rehabilitation In The Post-Stalin Soviet Union, 1953-1970". Repository.upenn.edu.
  12. ↑ Vržogić, Ostrogović & Alajbeg 2003, p. 178.
  13. 1 2 3 Vržogić, Ostrogović & Alajbeg 2003, p. 180.
  14. 1 2 Vržogić, Ostrogović & Alajbeg 2003, p. 181.
  15. ↑ Vržogić, Ostrogović & Alajbeg 2003, p. 182.
  16. ↑ Imbert L (11 July 2009). "Feeling low on energy? Have a bath in a barrel of crude oil". The Independent.
  17. ↑ Adigozalova VA, Hashimova UF, Polyakova LP (2019). "Composition and Properties of the Unique Oil from Azerbaijan's Naftalan Oilfield". Russian Journal of General Chemistry. 89 (3): 631–640. doi:10.1134/S1070363219030459.
  18. ↑ Richard H. McKee, Colin M. North, Paula Podhasky, Jeffrey H. Charlap, Adam Kuhl (February 2014). "Acute and Subchronic Mammalian Toxicity of Naphthenic Acids from Oil Sands Tailings". International Journal of Toxicology. 33 (1): 347–355. doi: 10.1177/1091581813504229 . PMID   24179025.
  19. 1 2 Schur DV, et al. (20 April 2013). "Solubility of Fullerenes in Naftalan". In Veziroğlu A, Tsitskishvili M (eds.). Black Sea Energy Resource Development and Hydrogen Energy Problems. Springer. ISBN   978-94-007-6152-0.
  20. 1 2 Vtorushina EA, Kulkov MG, Salakhidinova GT, Butyrin RI, Aliev AE, Nigametzyanov IR, et al. (2023). "Comparative Analysis of High-Viscosity Oils from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and the Naftalan Oil Field to Assess Their Balneological Potential". Petroleum Chemistry. 63 (9): 1027–1038. Bibcode:2023PetrC..63.1027V. doi:10.1134/S0965544123060282.
  21. ↑ Rosenbaum (January 1899). "Naftalan". The International Dental Journal. 20 (1): 27–29. PMC   10139374 . PMID   37912428.
  22. ↑ Montazami M (2018). Caspian: The Elements. Peabody Museum Press. ISBN   978-1-59711-444-8.
  23. ↑ Dewe Mathews C. "Caspian". Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2024. Click numbers lower left for slideshow.
  24. ↑ O'Hagan S (19 October 2010). "Lives bathed in oil: how Chloe Dewe Mathews captured the Caspian coast". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2024. Here, a substance that is usually associated with power, wealth and global trade is used for healing and wellbeing.
  25. ↑ Hampshire G (5 April 2016). "'Bitumen bubble' ? How about an Alberta bitumen spa resort?". CBC News . Retrieved 11 April 2024.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.