scholarly journals ABSORB: A THREE YEAR UPDATE IN ARCTIC SPILL RESPONSE

1983 ◽  
Vol 1983 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-226
Author(s):  
Sharon O. Hillman ◽  
Richard V. Shafer
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
The Status ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Development Engineering

ABSTRACT In 1979 the petroleum industry formed an oil spill response organization called the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Oilspill Response Body (ABSORB). This group's purpose is to help participating oil companies provide an integrated capability to deal with the possibility of a major oil spill in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. ABSORB and its member companies have maintained a high priority on increasing the state-of-the-art capabilities for effective response during the solid ice season, as reported in earlier conferences. In addition they have worked to identify and fill the data gaps for all season response capabilities. The ongoing research and development engineering projects have complemented this goal, along with the ongoing efforts of the ABSORB staff and member company technical representatives in the areas of equipment selection, purchase, modification and training. This paper briefly reviews the status of ABSORB today in terms of its organization and staffing, facilities and equipment, contingency planning, research and development (R & D), training programs, and response techniques.11,9

Personal Computer Oil Spill Response Model: Canadian Beaufort Sea

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 607-618
Author(s):  
Katherine Jayko ◽  
Malcolm L. Spaulding ◽  
Eoin Howlett ◽  
Will Knauss ◽  
Tatsu Isaji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Personal Computer ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Response Model ◽  
Fine Grid ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT An oil spill response model, configured for operation on a personal computer, was developed for the Canadian Beaufort Sea (in the Mackenzie Bay-Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula area) for a consortium of oil companies operating in the region. The spill model predicts the drift, spread, evaporation, dispersion, emulsification, and shoreline interaction of spilled oil in ice-infested waters. Wind conditions and ice distribution data are input by the user. Currents are provided by a three-dimensional, fine-grid hydrodynamic model of the study region forced by river flow and wind. The spill model allows the user to reinitialize the spill location based on observations and to simulate either instantaneous or continuous spill scenarios. The model predicts the spill's trajectory, the areal distribution of the oil slick, the oiled shoreline, and the oil mass balance as a function of time. Model output is provided on a color ink printer or a color graphics monitor.

CAN OIL SPILL RESPONSE PLANS BE FUNCTIONAL AND REGULATORY COMPLIANT?

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1846-1858
Author(s):  
Martin Cramer ◽  
Bridget O’Farrell-Villareal ◽  
Guy Miller ◽  
Niell Irvin ◽  
Phil Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
General Information ◽  
Guidance Document ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT In the event of an oil spill, rapid and effective response actions are the key to minimizing impacts to the environment and local communities. Consequently, oil spill response plans (OSRPs) should be prepared in a user friendly format that maximizes access to crucial information and focuses on the critical first few hours or days of a response. While existing OSRPs are generally adequate, they typically are not organized logically and contain fairly general information that focuses on the overall response rather than the initial stages. For many plan holders the primary, or in some cases the only, objective when preparing OSRPs is obtaining regulatory approval and believe there is little latitude in deviating from the format or content of previously approved plans to make them more functional. Following the 2010 Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico, the American Petroleum Institute (API) sponsored Joint Industry Task Force (JITF) identified the need to enhance the usefulness of OSRPs. A workgroup was convened consisting of representatives from integrated and independent oil companies and spill response planning consultants to develop a guidance document for preparing OSRPs that are highly functional and regulatory compliant. The JITF guidance document includes a detailed OSRP outline that provides the intended purpose and recommended content and format for each section. The primary features include:Information presented in the general order required when responding to an oil spillFocus is on the first 24 hours when guidance is needed the mostKey information is provided in tabular or graphical formats at the front of each sectionInitial responder health and safety issues are addressed that are often missing in OSRPsSimilar information is located in the same section to avoid searching multiple sectionsMore expansive and detailed information, response guidance and specific cleanup strategies are referenced, as appropriate, in other documents The guidelines were designed to be Gulf of Mexico centric with the concepts being applicable to all industry sectors and regions of the world. Similar to the Integrated Contingency Plan concept developed in 1996, they can be adapted to comply with multiple oil spill planning regulations. They were, however, designed specifically to comply with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) 30 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 254 and Notice to Lessees NTL 2012-N06. The draft guidelines were reviewed and well received by BSEE and the few regulatory compliance issues they identified were addressed in the final document. Therefore, it is possible to prepare OSRPs that are both functional and regulatory compliant.

International Ice Services’ Planning for an Arctic Oil Spill Response

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 1166-1181
Author(s):  
CDR Gabrielle G. McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Council ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Contact Information ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT 2017-382 Formed in 1999, the International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG) is a consortium of the ice services from all over the world. The operational ice services representing nations from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, including all eight Arctic Council nations, come together with a common goal of promoting cooperation between the world’s ice centers on all matters concerning sea ice and icebergs. In 2013, the IICWG began to focus on how the ice services can support an emergency response in ice-laden waters. This focus was on providing current and forecasted information on sea ice and iceberg conditions in the area of the incident as well as for the shipping routes approaching the area. With rapidly changing sea ice, ice information would be critical to planning an effective response. The IICWG formed a partnership with the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF) and Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) in 2015 to expand the awareness of the ice services and their capabilities to the oil companies and oil spill removal organizations. In 2016, the IICWG conducted an unannounced emergency notification exercise to validate the contact information for each of the ice services. In an effort to ensure responders would be able to access the most accurate contact information, IICWG published this ice services’ contact list worldwide in classification society periodicals. The preparations of these nations culminated in a Tabletop Exercise at the group’s annual meeting in October 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The exercise scenario involved a major oil spill response in ice-infested waters with participants from the ice services, maritime users, satellite data providers, and OSRL. The lessons learned from this exercise will prepare all of the ice services for a coordinated oil spill response. The IICWG also collaborated with the Arctic Council Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Working Group for future exercises and planning.

scholarly journals DOME PETROLEUM'S OIL SPILL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR THE ARCTIC

1981 ◽  
Vol 1981 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-181
Author(s):  
W. M. Pistruzak
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Oil Well ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Future Production

ABSTRACT Canadian Marine Drilling (Canmar), a wholly owned subsidiary of Dome Petroleum Ltd., is conducting exploratory drilling in the Beaufort Sea with the objective of on-stream production by the mid-1980s. If a major oil well blow-out should occur, and the probability of such an occurrence is very small, (Bercha, 1977), oil would be released to the surface of the sea until a relief well could be drilled or the well sealed itself. The relief well could be drilled during the same drill season, or, in the worst case, it might not be completed until the following year. Therefore, Dome could be faced with the problem of cleaning up an oil spill during open-water, freeze-up, and winter or spring break-up conditions. To this end, Dome has developed a contingency plan, based on, and updated according to, its ongoing research and development programs to deal with an oil spill during each of the above-mentioned periods of time. To date, Dome has invested approximately $10 million in its research and development programs. This paper deals with Dome's research and development in oil spill countermeasures for its present ongoing exploration activities and its future production and transportation systems.

OIL SPILL PREPAREDNESS: THE OIL INDUSTRY AND THE NATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 830
Author(s):  
D.J. Blackmore
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
State Governments ◽  
National Plan ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Current State ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Definition Of

It is vital that there is a credible and well organised arrangement to deal with oil spills in Australia.The National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil, the umbrella oil spill response plan for Australia, is a combined effort by the Commonwealth and State Governments, the oil industry and the shipping industry.The Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC), formed in 1991, is an industry centre set up for rapid response with equipment and resources, together with a training and industry coordination role.A review of the National Plan in 1992, identified, amongst a number of issues, that the National Plan needed to be re-focussed, to ensure full integration of all government and industry activities for the first time. This has led to greatly improved understanding between government and industry and significant improvements to Australia's oil spill response preparedness. The National Plan review has also resulted in a clearer definition of the responsibilities for operational control, together with the organisational structure to deliver a successful response.The current state of Australia's National Plan is such that it does provide confidence that there is the capacity to deliver an effective response to oil spills in the marine environment. Nevertheless, there is more to be done, particularly in the areas of planning and exercises.

REVIEW OF UNITED KINGDOM OIL SPILL RESPONSE TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT

1983 ◽  
Vol 1983 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-19
Author(s):  
Douglas Cormack
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
General Nature ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Status ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Operational Aspects

ABSTRACT As a result of recent studies in the United Kingdom and elsewhere on the factors affecting oil spilled at sea, it has been possible to redefine the problems presented for oil spill response given the general nature of response techniques and their likely future development. This topic has benefited in the past two years from discussions in the Bonn Agreement Working Group on Technical Scientific and Operational Aspects of Oil Pollution. The influence of this problem definition on the choice of response equipment in the United Kingdom is discussed. The chosen equipment is described in relation to success in meeting identified requirements and likelihood of success in real operations. The status of the various approaches exemplified by individual equipment choices is presented and future developments anticipated.

OIL SPILL RESPONSE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT—BOHAI SEA—CHINA

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 905-908
Author(s):  
Mark Boben ◽  
Liu Yuheng
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Bohai Sea ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
The Bohai Sea ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Response Organization ◽  
Offshore Oil

ABSTRACT Oil spill response along the coast of China has been recognized as an important issue by the Chinese government. The Bohai Sea in particular, is an area of high oil exploration and production activity, with offshore developments comprising platforms and FPSO's (floating, production, storage and off-loading) together with associated vessels and pipelines. Major shipping lanes from the East China Sea into China also pass through the offshore oil fields. For the oil companies operating in the area, the prospect of an accidental oil spill is a concern from both a domestic and international perspective. In 2000, the companies involved in upstream activities in the Bohai Sea began discussions with the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to develop an oil spill response capability. Led by ConocoPhillips, the international oil companies worked with CNOOC to build a framework for developing an oil spill response organization (OSRO) to provide appropriate services within the Bohai Sea. The key tenet for this OSRO, was to be able to perform to international standards. In 2002, the CNOOC executive management, through its subsidiary, Bohai Corporation(COOBC) committed to establishing a commercial oil spill response organization, Bohai Environmental Services Ltd. (BES). The BES remit is focused on the Bohai Sea, but with the eventual goal of providing response services along the wider China coastal region and eventually fulfilling a longer term vision of expanding into the international market. This Paper describes the standards required by the international oil companies and how BES was conceived and organized to meet them.

THE IPIECA OIL SPILL WORKING GROUP 20:20 VISION REFLECTIONS AND PROJECTIONS ON OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 1093-1095
Author(s):  
Bernie Bennett ◽  
Yvette Osikilo
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
International Convention ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
20Th Anniversary ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT The International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) Oil Spill Working Group (OSWG) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Its mission has been, through education, training and awareness initiatives, to enhance the state of preparedness and response to marine oil spill incidents in priority coastal locations around the world. Its programme is carried out in close cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and operates within the context of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC), 1990. The OSWG is made up of oil spill managers and specialists from IPIECA member companies and associations, supported by invited representatives from other organisations in the oil spill response community. It aims to ensure that the full range of industry interests is adequately reflected in its work programme. Coordination between these industry-based organisations and the IMO remains an essential ingredient in the success of the OSWG programme This paper reviews the main activities and achievements of the IPIECA OSWG over the last 20 years and attempt to illustrate and measure the impact of its work on global oil spill preparedness. We then hypothesize as to how the work of the IPIECA OSWG might develop over the next 20 years, which could serve as future strategic/planning guidance.

Advances from Arctic Oil Spill Response Research

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 1487-1506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph V. Mullin
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Oil Spill Response

Abstract 2017-161 Over the past four decades, the oil and gas industry has made significant advances in being able to detect, contain and clean up spills and mitigate the residual consequences in Arctic environments. Many of these advances were achieved through collaborative research programs involving industry, academic and government partners. The Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology - Joint Industry Programme (JIP), was launched in 2012 and completed in early 2017 with the objectives of building on an already extensive knowledge base to further improve Arctic spill response capabilities and better understand the environmental issues involved in selecting and implementing the most effective response strategies. The JIP was a collaboration of nine oil and gas companies (BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, ExxonMobil, North Caspian Operating Company, Shell, Statoil, and Total) and focused on six key areas of oil spill response: dispersants; environmental effects; trajectory modeling; remote sensing; mechanical recovery and in-situ burning. The JIP provided a vehicle for sharing knowledge among the participants and international research institutions and disseminating information to regulators, the public and stakeholders. The network of engaged scientists and government agencies increased opportunities to develop and test oil spill response technologies while raising awareness of industry efforts to advance the existing capabilities in Arctic oil spill response. The JIP consisted of two phases, the first included technical assessments and state of knowledge reviews resulting in a library of sixteen documents available on the JIP website. The majority of the JIP efforts focused on Phase 2, actual experiments, and included laboratory, small and medium scale tank tests, and field research experiments. Three large-scale field tests were conducted in the winter and spring months of 2014–2016 including recent participation of the JIP in the 2016 NOFO oil on water exercise off Norway. The JIP was the largest pan-industry programme dedicated to oil spill response in the Arctic, ever carried out. Twenty seven research projects were successfully and safely conducted by the world’s foremost experts on oil spill response from across industry, academia, and independent scientific institutions in ten countries. The overarching goal of the research was to address the differing aspects involved in oil spill response, including the methods used, and their applicability to the Arctic’s unique conditions. All research projects were conducted using established protocols and proven scientific technologies, some of which were especially adjusted for ice conditions. This paper describes the scope of the research conducted, results, and key findings. The JIP is committed to full transparency in disseminating the results through peer reviewed journal articles, and all JIP research reports are available free of charge at www.arcticresponsetechnology.org.

Optimizing Offshore Combat of Oil Spills – Development of New Booms and Helicopter Based Application of Dispersants

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1279-1284
Author(s):  
Tharald M. Brekne ◽  
Sigmund Holmemo ◽  
Geir M. Skeie
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Chemical Dispersant ◽  
Offshore Installations ◽  
The Status ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Robust Systems ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT There is an increasing focus on offshore combat of oil spills on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). One result of this focus is a change from field specific to area specific contingency, moving from many medium sized oil spill combat vessels, to fewer and more robust systems and vessels. An important element in the emerging configuration is the use of helicopter based chemical dispersant systems, permanently located on offshore installations. An increasing diversity, of oil types being produced, configuration of installations, water depths and geographic location, are all factors that require a robust, mobile and flexible oil spill response. The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) has recently initiated development of new technology, as projects under NOFO's Research & Development Programme. Three of these projects address the development of improved heavy offshore booms, applying new principles for containment of oil, and a heavy duty skimmer optimized for mobility. A fourth project addresses the development of a system for helicopter based application of chemical dispersants, optimized for offshore storage and maintenance. This paper presents the status for and experience from these projects, as well as the plan for testing and verification of this new technology.

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