NEW IMO/EPPR GUIDES TO ARCTIC OIL SPILL RESPONSE – STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL

ABSTRACT In 2015 and 2016, two complementary projects produced both a new strategic guide (in two versions) and an updated operationally oriented guide to assist managers, regulators and responders in responding effectively to oil spills in snow and ice conditions. The objective of the first initiative, which began as a Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) project, a “Guide to Oil Spill Response in Snow and Ice Conditions”, was to identify and describe the strategic aspects of planning and operations. This program gained a separate phase through the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) working group of the Arctic Council to adapt the Guide specifically for Arctic waters. The second initiative by EPPR was to update the 1998 “Field Guide for Oil Spill Response in Arctic Waters” while retaining the original operational focus. The 2016 version of the Field Guide incorporates major revisions and updates to sections on strategies and countermeasures, for example the use of herders and burning, dispersants in ice and specialized brush skimmers as well as advances in remote sensing and tracking. In addition, new sections address important topics such as Health and Human Safety, Logistics and Wildlife Response. The overall goal was to produce two complementary documents that provide a broad base of essential information to key decision-makers and responders at both the strategic planning level and at the field tactics and operations level. These two projects bring together a wide range of new knowledge generated over the past two decades that make many previous manuals and documents out of date. With such a vast amount of recent literature, the new strategic guide and the operational field guide update can only provide a brief summary of the new material but are valuable tools to indicate where the more detailed documents can be found.

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UNIQUE DISPOSAL TECHNIQUES FOR ARCTIC OIL SPILL RESPONSE

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1985-1-395 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 1985 (1) ◽

pp. 395-398 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James J. Swiss ◽

Donald J. Smrke ◽

William M. Pistruzak

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Open Water ◽

The Arctic ◽

Air Cooling ◽

Wide Range ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

One Step ◽

Remote Sites ◽

Forced Air

ABSTRACT Disposing of oil and oiled debris from Arctic oil spills presents problems not encountered in temperate regions. The remoteness of potential spill sites, the wide range of environmental conditions, the lack of support facilities like roads and dump sites, and the presence of permafrost make it impossible to use many standard disposal techniques used in the south. To solve this problem, Dome Petroleum Limited, has developed a number of unique techniques for disposing of oil and oiled debris in Arctic spill responses. These techniques include (1) a method for using air-deployable igniters to burn pooled oil, (2) an air-transportable burner that can be flown to remote sites to burn recovered liquid oil with water contents up to 80 percent, (3) a helicopter-transportable incinerator for burning oil-contaminated debris at remote sites, in which forced air cooling replaces refractory material as fire box protection, and (4) a fireproof boom, for offshore open water, that can collect and burn oil in one step. All of these techniques were developed to address specific disposal problems in the Arctic. They now form part of the industry's Beaufort Sea oil spill response arsenal.

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National Oil Spill Response Planning in the U.S.S.R.: Principal Conceptions and Objectives

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1991-1-3 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 1991 (1) ◽

pp. 3-5

Author(s):

O. Khalimonov ◽

S. Nunuparov

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Data Bank ◽

Effective Utilization ◽

Contingency Plan ◽

Response Planning ◽

Wide Range ◽

International Monitoring ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

System Data

ABSTRACT International and domestic experience in the response to major oil spills at sea confirms the vital necessity of a national contingency plan to guarantee effective utilization of national resources and those of assisting countries and organizations. Experience in responding to recent major oil spills underlines deficiencies connected with the shortage of technical means and also with ineffective organization of the response and cooperation of all parties involved. This results in unjustifiable delays in decision making and, finally, in catastrophic damages to the environment. The main principles of the U.S.S.R. national oil spill response plan, currently under consideration for approval, are as follows:involvement of a wide range of national forces and forces of the neighboring countries under preliminary agreed-upon schemes;strengthening and development of appropriate legal instruments to stipulate obligations of the parties involved in pollution response operations;development of a mechanism to reduce impediments to financial, technical, and related agreements required prior to commencement of operations (sources of finances, preliminary approval of the response technology by competent authorities, facilitation of custom procedures);unification of the structure of the U.S.S.R national contingency plan with a view to making it compatible with corresponding plans of neighboring countries following the prototype developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO);cooperation in the establishment of the international monitoring system, data bank, and computerized exchange of information.

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Arctic Oiled Wildlife Response: Exploring Potential and Limitations

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2014.1.1569 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 (1) ◽

pp. 1569-1582

Author(s):

Hugo Nijkamp ◽

Saskia Sessions ◽

Philippe Blanc ◽

Yannick Autret

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

Arctic Region ◽

The Arctic ◽

Migratory Species ◽

Arctic Council ◽

Response Planning ◽

Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

The Arctic Region

ABSTRACT The Arctic is an extremely vulnerable area for oil pollution. Because of global warming and the resulting retreating ice, new economic shipping and Exploration & Production activities are likely to develop in the coming years and decades. Both governments (e.g. Arctic Council) and the oil industry (e.g. Arctic Response Technology Joint Industry Programme) are preparing for increased oil spill response capabilities in the Arctic region, and are looking to join forces for more efficiency and effectiveness. In connection to oil spill response planning in the Arctic both onshore and offshore, attention should be given to oiled wildlife response preparedness in this region. The Arctic is characterized by unique ecosystems and biodiversity, either marine or terrestrial, with a large proportion of migratory species. So although species diversity is assumed to be low compared to other regions, Arctic wildlife is very sensitive to the effects of oil pollution. Additionally the Arctic is a remote and extreme area for setting up a wildlife response in the framework of an oil spill response. This paper explores what the limitations of an Arctic oiled wildlife response would be (physical/logistical, health & safety, environmental monitoring, ecosystems understanding, biodiversity data, sensitivity mapping, etc.), and identifies how current gaps in response preparedness could be filled. Special emphasis is laid on investments into the capabilities of specialised responders and their equipment, including creation of a specialised Arctic Wildlife Response Strike Team.

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MANAGING RISKS OF EXPLOSION DURING OIL RECOVERY, STORAGE, AND TRANSFER OPERATIONS

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2005-1-427 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 2005 (1) ◽

pp. 427-431 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Barry A. Romberg ◽

Dennis M. Maguire ◽

Richard L. Ranger ◽

Rod Hoffman

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Recovery ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Additional Risk ◽

Operational Risks ◽

Regulatory Standards ◽

Wide Range ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

Spilled Oil

ABSTRACT This paper examines explosion hazards while recovering spilled oil utilizing oil spill recovery barges. The risk of static accumulation and discharge is well understood after thorough investigations of several incidents in the 1970s and 1980s involving explosions on tank barges and vessels during petroleum cargo loading and unloading operations. However, those lessons learned only partially apply to oil spill recovery operations due to the differences in liquid properties, crew training, and additional tasks required during an oil spill response. While regulatory standards have been enacted for petroleum tankers and barges involved in commercial transportation of oil and other hazardous materials, the utility of these standards for oil spill response vessels has not been fully considered. Inverviews were conducted with marine transporters and response organizations to understand the wide range of operational risks and mitigation proceedures currently in use. This paper outlines the four basic conditions that must be present to create a static discharge-induced explosion during liquid cargo operations. A review of explosion casualty history was completed for cargo operations and compared to operations that create similar hazards during oil spill recovery operations. Specific processes that create additional risk of static-induced explosions during response operations were studied to review mitigation actions. Finally, recommendations for continued training are provided to help guide the spill response community when preparing for and responding to oil spills.

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SPILL IMPACT MITIGATION ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK FOR OIL SPILL RESPONSE PLANNING IN THE ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2017.1.2017-351 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (1) ◽

pp. 2017-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hilary Robinson ◽

William Gardiner ◽

Richard J. Wenning ◽

Mary Ann Rempel-Hester

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

The Arctic ◽

Arctic Ecosystems ◽

Oil And Gas Development ◽

Response Planning ◽

Wide Range ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

Different Response

ABSTRACT #2017-351 When there is risk for oil release into the marine environment, the priority for planners and responders is to protect human health and to minimize environmental impacts. The selection of appropriate response option(s) depends upon a wide range of information including data on the fate and behavior of oil and treated oil, the habitats and organisms that are potentially exposed, and the potential for effects and recovery following exposure. Spill Impact Management Assessment (SIMA; a refinement of Net Environmental Benefits Analysis, or NEBA, in the context of oil spill response) and similar comparative risk assessment (CRA) approaches provide responders a systematic method to compare and contrast the relative environmental benefits and consequences of different response alternatives. Government and industry stakeholders have used this approach increasingly in temperate and subtropical regions to establish environmental protection priorities and identify response strategies during planning that minimize impacts and maximize the potential for environmental recovery. Historically, the ability to conduct CRA-type assessments in the Arctic has been limited by insufficient information relevant to oil-spill response decision making. However, with an increased interest in shipping and oil and gas development in the Arctic, a sufficiently robust scientific and ecological information base is emerging in the Arctic that can support meaningful SIMA. Based on a summary of over 3,000 literature references on Arctic ecosystems and the fate and effects of oil and treated oil in the Arctic, we identify key input parameters supporting a SIMA evaluation of oil spill response in the Arctic and introduce a web portal developed to facilitate access to the literature and key considerations supporting SIMA.

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A 30-Year Probability Map for Oil Spill Trajectories in the Barents Sea to Assess Potential Environmental and Socio-Economic Threats

Resources ◽

10.3390/resources11010001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Victor Pavlov ◽

Victor Cesar Martins de Aguiar ◽

Lars Robert Hole ◽

Eva Pongrácz

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Environmental Data ◽

The Arctic ◽

Probability Map ◽

The Barents Sea ◽

Oil Spill Response

Increasing exploration and exploitation activity in the Arctic Ocean has intensified maritime traffic in the Barents Sea. Due to the sparse population and insufficient oil spill response infrastructure on the extensive Barents Sea shoreline, it is necessary to address the possibility of offshore accidents and study hazards to the local environment and its resources. Simulations of surface oil spills were conducted in south-east of the Barents Sea to identify oil pollution trajectories. The objective of this research was to focus on one geographical location, which lies along popular maritime routes and also borders with sensitive ecological marine and terrestrial areas. As a sample of traditional heavy bunker oil, IFO-180LS (2014) was selected for the study of oil spills and used for the 30-year simulations. The second oil case was medium oil type: Volve (2006)—to give a broader picture for oil spill accident scenarios. Simulations for four annual seasons were run with the open source OpenDrift modelling tool using oceanographic and atmospheric data from the period of 1988–2018. The modelling produced a 30-year probability map, which was overlapped with environmental data of the area to discuss likely impacts to local marine ecosystems, applicable oil spill response tools and favourable shipping seasons. Based on available data regarding the environmental and socio-economic baselines of the studied region, we recommend to address potential threats to marine resources and local communities in more detail in a separate study.

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RESULTS FROM OIL SPILL RESPONSE RESEARCH—AN UPDATE

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1993-1-541 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 1993 (1) ◽

pp. 541-544 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Edward J. Tennyson

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Management Service ◽

Response Strategies ◽

Yield Information ◽

Broken Ice ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

Ice Conditions ◽

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. This paper discusses Minerals Management Service concerns, as reinforced by the acceleration of its research program in 1990. It briefly assesses current state-of-the-art technology for major aspects of spill response, including remote sensing, open-ocean containment and recovery, in-situ burning, use of chemical treating agents, beachline cleanup, and oil behavior. Specific research projects have begun to yield information that will improve detection and at-sea equipment performance; current projects, include the development of an airborne laser-fluorosensor to 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 defining the capabilities of available dispersants and development of improved formulations. Recently progress has been made on the development of safe and environmentally acceptable strategies to burn spilled oil in situ. The Ohmsett facility has been reopened and will be used to test prospective improvements in chemical treating agents and to develop standard procedures for testing and evaluating response equipment. Results of research published since the last Oil Spill Conference are discussed.

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Responder Needs Addressed by Arctic Maritime Oil Spill Modeling

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering ◽

10.3390/jmse9020201 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 201

Author(s):

Jessica Manning ◽

Megan Verfaillie ◽

Christopher Barker ◽

Catherine Berg ◽

Amy MacFadyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Arctic Region ◽

Coast Guard ◽

The Arctic ◽

Maritime Shipping ◽

Oil Spill Modeling ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

Natural Resource Development ◽

Spilled Oil

There is a greater probability of more frequent and/or larger oil spills in the Arctic region due to increased maritime shipping and natural resource development. Accordingly, there is an increasing need for effective spilled-oil computer modeling to help emergency oil spill response decision makers, especially in waters where sea ice is present. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Response & Restoration (OR&R) provides scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) during oil spill response. OR&R’s modeling products must provide adequate spill trajectory predictions so that response efforts minimize economic, cultural, and ecologic impacts, including those to species, habitats, and food supplies. The Coastal Response Research Center is conducting a project entitled Oil Spill Modeling for Improved Response to Arctic Maritime Spills: The Path Forward, in conjunction with modelers, responders, and researchers. A goal of the project is to prioritize new investments in model and tool development to improve response effectiveness in the Arctic. The project delineated FOSC needs during Arctic maritime spill response and provided a solution communicating sources of uncertainty in model outputs using a Confidence Estimates of Oil Model Inputs and Outputs (CEOMIO) table. The table shows the level of confidence (high, medium, low) in a model’s trajectory prediction over scenario-specific time intervals and the contribution of different component inputs (e.g., temperature, wind, ice) to that result.

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