Spreading Agents Provide a New Oil Spill Response Option

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 (1) ◽  
pp. abs120
Author(s):  
Tim Nedwed ◽  
Gerard P. Canevari ◽  
Eric Febbo
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Volatile Components ◽  
Residual Oil ◽  
Oil Emulsion ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Emulsified Water ◽  
Reduced Toxicity ◽  
Water In Oil Emulsion

ABSTRACT This paper describes research on a new approach to oil spill response that utilizes a silicone-based spreading agent to cause thick oil slicks to spread to extremely thin sheens. The increased surface area of the thin sheens will enhance the evaporation of the oil. Although this requires additional study, we expect that any residual oil that remains after evaporation will be less toxic because the volatile components are also soluble and contain at least a component of oil toxicity. In addition, spreading the oil will reduce areal loading of the oil and result in very low concentrations of oil entering the water column if wave energy disperses the sheens. Our tests established the ability of a silicone-based spreading agent to spread viscous oil to a thicknesses that was visually not detectable. Further, we found that treating a stable water-in-oil emulsion resulted in breaking of the emulsion and continued spreading to a thickness that was also visually not detectable. We believe the emulsion was broken when the thickness of the oil became less than the diameter of the emulsified water droplets. The new response approach is a method of reducing the impacts of offshore marine oil spills by promoting rapid spreading of the oil. This in turn increases evaporation rates, breaks emulsions, and potentially enhances natural dispersion of residual oil. The final result is less hydrocarbon transferred to the water column and reduced toxicity of the hydrocarbon that is transferred.

scholarly journals Oil Spill Fate and Trajectory Simulation for Sierra Leone's Offshore Exploration Basin, Using the Savanah-1X Well as the Focal Point

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebay Janet Bintu Momoh ◽  
Bassey Okon Bassey
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
National Development ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Oil Emulsion ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT The demand for crude oil and petroleum products have subsequently led to an increase in the likelihood of occurrence of oil spills. It is therefore imperative to understand the impacts of these spills on humans and the environment. Developing appropriate oil spill response and remediation techniques can be achieved by understanding the fate and likely trajectory of different types of oils, once they come in contact with the sea surface. Though still at the nascent stage of oil and gas exploration, the Sierra Leone basin is known to hold large undeveloped hydrocarbon reserves which are being exploited with the aim of contributing to national development. With the availability of oil spill modelling tools, and owing to the fact that environmental conditions vary over time, there is the need to carry out routine studies on the likely behavior of a spill offshore Sierra Leone. This study aims to develop a prediction model that would aid in understanding the fate, trajectory and uncertainties of oil spilled on Sierra Leone waters in the dry, rainy, and harmattan seasons. In order to analyze the trajectory of a spill in the Sierra Leone basin, the GNOME software was used. Furthermore, ADIOS2 was also employed to analyze the weathering processes of the spill. The results obtained from GNOME showed that during the dry and rainy seasons, approximately 15% of oil would be stranded on the shores of Sierra Leone, within three – five days. Owing to the permanently warm water temperatures in the Gulf of Guinea basin, a high percentage of the oil is expected to evaporate and disperse within few days of the spill. The weathering models from ADIOS2 reveal that 34% of oil would be lost to evaporation in the dry season, and 36% and 38% will be lost in the rainy and harmattan seasons respectively. Furthermore, it can be seen that dispersion accounts for 2.5% of oil lost in the dry season, 7.8% during the rainy season and 6.2% in the harmattan period. Within 5-days, ADIOS2 reveals a stable water-in-oil emulsion, leading to an increase in viscosity and density. Airborne benzene concentration is expected to be high on the first day of the spill, but would decrease as the days go by. Based on these results, it is recommended that oil spill response personnel are professionally trained, and equipment must be available to respond to spills in a timely and efficient manner.

FULL SCALE IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE-OF-THE-ART MECHANICAL OIL SPILL RESPONSE TECHNOLOGY ON THE NORWEGIAN CONTINENTAL SHELF

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 831-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tharaid M. Brekne ◽  
Gry Asheim Eide ◽  
Geir M. Skeie
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Phase 3 ◽  
Oil Emulsion ◽  
Water Exercise ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Series Of Experiments

ABSTRACT The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) has recently completed a comprehensive Research & Development (R&D) program. The main objective of this program was to provide a basis for decisions regarding selection of equipment in the next generation of NOFO's oil spill response. The R&D program was initiated in 2000 and the results from the preliminary phase of the program were presented at the 2003 IOSC in Vancouver. In the summer of 2003, NOFO successfully carried out an Oil-on-water exercise. This exercise encompassed a full scale testing of new equipment developed in the second phase of the program. A series of experiments were performed where oil was released to the sea and subsequently recovered. In total, 170 cubic meters of oil emulsion was released, and approximately 80 % recovered. Based on the experiences from the Oil-on-water exercise, NOFO implemented Phase 3 of the R&D program. This phase comprised of redesign and modifications to two types of booms, and of a high capacity skimmer. Final testing of the Phase 3 results was completed in the first quarter of 2004, and concluded that the design criteria were met. Concurrently, NOFO has embarked on a three-year replacement plan, in which existing booms and skimmers are replaced by the new equipment types. Phase 2 included a feasibility study on enhanced detection of oil spills under conditions of low light and reduced visibility. Based on results from this study, a project has been initiated to develop and implement a ship based radar system for detection of oil spills. This project is considered the first step towards the goal of achieving an oil spill response that is independent of light and visibility. This paper outlines the conclusions of the R&D program and the 2003 Oil-on-water exercise, as well as the results from the final performance tests of the new equipment. Further, the new oil spill response is comprehensive, in terms of total capability and geographical coverage.

ECOLOGICAL AND GEOMORPHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE VULNERABILITY OF THE COASTS OF THE KARA SEA TO THE OIL SPILL

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Ermolov ◽  
Alexander Ermolov
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
International System ◽  
Kara Sea ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Expert Assessments ◽  
International Systems

International experience of oil spill response in the sea defines the priority of coastal protection and the need to identify as most valuable in ecological terms and the most vulnerable areas. Methodological approaches to the assessing the vulnerability of Arctic coasts to oil spills based on international systems of Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) and geomorphological zoning are considered in the article. The comprehensive environmental and geomorphological approach allowed us to form the morphodynamic basis for the classification of seacoasts and try to adapt the international system of indexes to the shores of the Kara Sea taking into account the specific natural conditions. This work has improved the expert assessments of the vulnerability and resilience of the seacoasts.

scholarly journals Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW): An Operational Spatial Decision Support System for Maritime Oil Spill Emergency Response in the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6585
Author(s):  
Mihhail Fetissov ◽  
Robert Aps ◽  
Floris Goerlandt ◽  
Holger Jänes ◽  
Jonne Kotta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Spatial Decision Support System ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
The Baltic

The Baltic Sea is a unique and sensitive brackish-water ecosystem vulnerable to damage from shipping activities. Despite high levels of maritime safety in the area, there is a continued risk of oil spills and associated harmful environmental impacts. Achieving common situational awareness between oil spill response decision makers and other actors, such as merchant vessel and Vessel Traffic Service center operators, is an important step to minimizing detrimental effects. This paper presents the Next-Generation Smart Response Web (NG-SRW), a web-based application to aid decision making concerning oil spill response. This tool aims to provide, dynamically and interactively, relevant information on oil spills. By integrating the analysis and visualization of dynamic spill features with the sensitivity of environmental elements and value of human uses, the benefits of potential response actions can be compared, helping to develop an appropriate response strategy. The oil spill process simulation enables the response authorities to judge better the complexity and dynamic behavior of the systems and processes behind the potential environmental impact assessment and thereby better control the oil combat action.

Oil Spill Simulations and Susceptibility in Coastal and Estuarine Areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 396 ◽  
pp. 109-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Barbosa Monteiro ◽  
Phelype Haron Oleinik ◽  
Bruno Vasconcellos Lopes ◽  
Thalita Fagundes Leal ◽  
Osmar Olinto Möller Junior ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Diesel Oil ◽  
Hydrodynamic Conditions ◽  
Residual Oil ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Mass Losses ◽  
Estuarine Region ◽  
Modelling System ◽  
Oil Particles

A modelling system was utilised to simulate the movement and behaviour of oil slicks for two types of hydrocarbons, a diesel and another residual, considering hydrodynamic variations. Susceptible areas to oil touching were found in adjacent regions of two vessel manoeuvring zones, in two types of zones, one in a marine coastal and another in an estuarine environment. The evaporation rates were calculated for an estimate of the mass losses. For the maritime zone, the oil particles reached the vicinity of the beaches in approximately 4 to 8 hours after the beginning of the spill simulations, while for the estuary in approximately 1 hour. For the scenarios with diesel oil, mass losses oscillated between 13 to 16% in the estuarine region, and between 23 and 29% in the marine coastal zones. The evaporation rates for scenarios with residual oil, between 2 and 5%, were considerably lower than for diesel (15 and 22%), especially for spills simulated in the estuarine region, where the oil particles reached the lagoon banks after 1 hour. Mass losses by evaporation were more intense in marine coastal areas than for oil spills simulated in estuarine regions, possibly due to the more intense hydrodynamic conditions and the longer time that the oil needs to reach the coast. The fluctuations of observed environmental conditions justify the need for a robust number of simulations for reducing the uncertainties related to the oceanographic and meteorological variability that affect oil spill movement.

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.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF AIR CUSHIONED VEHICLES IN OIL SPILL RESPONSE1

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-133
Author(s):  
Mac W. McCarthy ◽  
John McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Fish Processing ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
International Boundary ◽  
Dense Fog

ABSTRACT On July 22, 1991, the Tuo Hai, a 46,500 ton Chinese grain carrier, collided with the Tenyo Maru, a 4,800 ton Japanese fish processing ship, off the coast of Washington State. The Tenyo Maru sank, creating an oil spill that cost upwards of $4 million (U.S.) to clean up. The incident initiated a joint response from the U.S. and Canadian governments. As part of this response, the Canadian Coast Guard mobilized an SRN-6 hovercraft. This air cushioned vehicle (ACV) provided logistical support to responders on both sides of the international boundary. The response operation along the Pacific Coast was extensive. Dense fog and the remote location of the impacted area provided formidable challenges to the cleanup effort. It was the mission scenario of the Canadian SRN-6 hovercraft to provide logistical support—as an experiment in ACV utility—to the organizations responding to this incident. Based on this experience, it can be argued that the hovercraft offers great potential value in responding to marine oil spills. Appropriate application of ACV technology can enhance oil spill response work, spill waste management, and incident surveillance. This paper discusses the contribution of the SRN-6 hovercraft to the Tenyo Maru response, briefly examines the use of another, very different hovercraft, during a response in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and reviews a new hovercraft design and discusses its potential contributions.

INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, AND REGIONAL EFFORTS IN OIL SPILL CONTINGENCY PLANNING: MALAYSIA'S PERSPECTIVES

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 503-508
Author(s):  
Hussein Bin Rahmat ◽  
Mohd Radzuan Bin Yusof
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
South China ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
The South ◽  
Contingency Plan ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Strait Of Malacca

ABSTRACT The increasing incidence of oil spills in the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea has resulted in growing concern about Malaysia's capability to respond to oil spills in its waters. This concern is compounded by the ever-growing number of oil tankers plying the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, as well as the intensifying exploration and development of offshore petroleum resources. Various measures were taken by the government to deal with the problem, including a review of its National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) and incorporating a coordinated and a cost-effective response mechanism among the various government agencies. The incorporation of the Petroleum Industry of Malaysia Mutual Aid Group (PIMMAG), which enables the oil industry to pool its oil spill response resources, reflects the industry's commitment to strengthen the NOSCP. Since the mid 1970s, a number of regional plans have been instituted including the Traffic Separation Scheme for the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Malacca and Singapore Revolving Fund, the Lombok-Macassar Oil Spill Contingency Plan, the Brunei Bay Oil Spill Contingency Plan, the ASEAN Oil Spill Response Plan, and the proposed ASCOPE Oil Spill Contingency Plan.

Recent Results from Oil Spill Response Research

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 673-676
Author(s):  
Edward Tennyson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Yield Information ◽  
Environmental Test ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Spilled Oil

ABSTRACT Recent large oil spills from tankers have reaffirmed the need for continuing technology assessment and research to improve oil-spill response capabilities. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) remains a lead agency in conducting these studies. This paper discusses MMS concerns, as reinforced by the acceleration of its research program in 1990. It briefly assesses the current state-of-the-art technology for major aspects of spill response, including remote sensing, open-ocean containment, recovery, in-situ burning, chemical treating agents, beach-line cleanup, and oil behavior. The paper reports on specific research projects that have begun to yield information that will improve detection and at-sea equipment performance. The first detection project, for which MMS has patent pending, involves the use of shipboard navigational radar to track slicks at relatively long range. The second project involves the use of conventional containment and cleanup in a downwind mode, which is contrary to the traditional procedures. The paper also discusses current research projects, including the development of an airborne, laser-assisted fluorosensor that can determine whether apparent slicks contain oil. Additional projects involve the development of improved strategies for responding to oil in broken-ice conditions, for gaining an improved understanding of the fate and behavior of spilled oil as it affects response strategies, and for reopening and operating the oil and hazardous materials simulated environmental test tank (OHMSETT) facility in Leonardo, New Jersey. Recent progress on the development of safe and environmentally acceptable strategies to burn spilled oil in-situ is also discussed. The OHMSETT facility is necessary for testing prospective improvements in chemical treating agents and to develop standard procedures for testing and evaluating response equipment.

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