A Survey of Classical and New Response Methods for Marine Oil Spill Cleanup

Both classical and new marine oil spill cleanup response methods and techniques are discussed. The intention is mainly to answer the fundamental questions of when, where, and how to apply the different methods. A brief review of the stages of the oil spill response problem is first presented, followed by the factors that influence the different methods. This is followed by an analysis of some new cleanup methods and improvements to existing methods, specifically: bioremediation, the use of more efficient ships for skimming, the use of fishing nets for heavy oil recovery, and new materials and designs of sorbents. Some cases are also analyzed to evaluate the performance of some methods under real conditions.