Investigating the necessity of in-situ and laboratory data in determining thermal properties of tar sands, an experimental design approach

Thermal properties of tar sand are useful parameters in planning its thermal recovery. These properties that are usually measured in-situ are reconfirm through the laboratory sample measurement, which shows any alteration, errors or uncertainties that might have been experienced during the sample collection process. Repeating this measurements procedure on the field and laboratory could be cumbersome, costly and time consuming (man hours). Therefore, this study set out to investigate the necessity of having both laboratory and field data in determining the thermal properties of Tar sand using the same device. To achieved this, the study compares the in-situ and laboratory measurements of tar sand thermal properties, using the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) to evaluate the field and laboratory (treatment) effect. Tar sands thermal properties namely; thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and specific heat were measured using KD2 Pro thermal analyzer in twelve locations along the tar sand belts in some parts of Southwestern Nigeria. Also, samples were taken at these twelve locations and the same properties were measured in the laboratory using the same thermal analyzer. These thermal properties measured and computed from the field and laboratory are regarded as treatments, while the location points on the field constitute the blocking factor. The responses obtained were statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA, and the results showed that measurements could be taken either on the field or in the laboratory, as both measurements are statistically the same. Therefore, judgment on data acquired for these parameters should not be based on accuracy as influenced by the locations where the measurement took place, but instead on other factors such as feasibility, urgency, and cost among others.