scholarly journals Effect of long term natural weathering on oil composition: study of the 41-years-old Amoco Cadiz and 20-years-old Erika oil spills

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronan Jézéquel ◽  
Julien Guyomarch ◽  
Justine Receveur ◽  
Stéphane Le Floch
Keyword(s):  
Methylene Chloride ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Terrestrial Vegetation ◽  
Oil Composition ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Steering Mechanism ◽  
Weathered Oil ◽  
Specific Degradation

On 16 March 1978, the oil tanker the Amoco Cadiz, transporting 223,000 tons of crude oil and 4,000 tons of bunker fuel oil, suffered a failure of her steering mechanism and ran aground on Portsall Rocks, on the Breton coast. The entire cargo spilled out as the breakers split the vessel in two, progressively polluting 360 km of French shoreline from Brest to Saint Brieuc. This was the largest oil spill caused by a tanker grounding ever recorded in the world. The consequences of this accident were significant, and it caused the French Government to revise its oil response plan (the Polmar Plan), to acquire equipment stocks (Polmar stockpiles), to impose traffic lanes in the Channel and to create Cedre. On 12 December 1999, the tanker Erika broke up and sank off the coast of Brittany (France) leading to the spill of 20,000 tons of a heavy fuel oil. 400 km of the French Atlantic coastline were polluted. Because of the characteristics of the oil (a very heavy fuel oil with a high content of light cracking oil) and the severe weather conditions (a centennial storm with spring tides) when the oil came on shore, the Erika spill was one of the most severe accidental releases of oil along the French coastlines. All types of habitat were concerned, and pollution reached the supratidal zone affecting terrestrial vegetation and lichens. In 2019, respectively 41 years and 20 years after these major oil spills affecting the French shoreline, a sampling round was conducted at two sites recorded to present some residual traces of oil. Samples of weathered oil were collected, extracted with methylene chloride and then purified through an alumina-silica microcolumn. SARA fractionation and GC-MS analyses were performed in order to assess respectively the total degradation of the weathered oil (amount of saturates, aromatics and polar fraction) and the specific degradation of nalkanes from n-C9 to n-C40, biomarkers (such as terpanes, hopanes and steranes) and PAHs (parents and alkylated derivatives).

scholarly journals THE USE OF SURFACE DRIFTING FLOATS IN THE MONITORING OF OIL SPILLS. THE PRESTIGE CASE

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 613-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio García-Ladona ◽  
Jordi Font ◽  
Evilio del Río ◽  
Agustí Julià ◽  
Jordi Salat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
Wave Forecast ◽  
The Prestige

ABSTRACT On November 13th, 2002 the 26 year old tanker Prestige reported an emergency off the North Western Spanish coast (Galicia). The ship was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil that started to be spilled while the vessel was towed away from the coast, affecting more than 900 km of shoreline. The location and the way the accident occurred implied a great challenge for the organization and coordinaton of actions to fight against the oil pollution. The site, just off the Finis terre cap, is a complex region from the oceanographic point of view and weather conditions, and this facilitated the fuel transport and spread over a great area. In order to take rapid preventive actions, it was crucial to have accurate spill trajectory forecasts covering direction and coastal impact. Under the coordination of public agencies and Spanish academic and research institutions, an operational monitoring system was built including wind and wave forecast, oil spill dispersion models, and visual inspection flights. Although the use of lagrangian floats was made in other incidents in the past (i.e Erika tanker) the characteristics of the Prestige accident indicated the need to deploy a relative great number of buoys as a major novelty respect to similar accidents in the past. The purpose of this contribution is to describe the operational actions performed during this particular accident, and to show the use of Lagrangian floats as an efficient procedure to improve the management and advice for such catastrophic events.

scholarly journals MASSIVE USE OF BERM RELOCATION AND SURFWASHING DURING THE 2006 JYEH OIL SPILL (LEBANON): THE ACCURATE RESPONSE FOR BEACHES CLEANUP

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 331-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard Fichaut ◽  
Bahr Loubnan
Keyword(s):  
Surf Zone ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Power Station ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Sediment Removal ◽  
Calm Weather ◽  
Oily Waste

ABSTRACT Following the bombardment of the Jyeh power station in Lebanon on July 16 2006, about 10 to 15000 tons of heavy fuel oil drifted 150 km northward all the way to the Syrian border. Because of the continuing war, the cleanup operations could not start until early September. The response consisted of conceptually dividing the coast line into several sectors managed by various operators; from Jyeh to Beyrouth, a 34.5 km stretch of shoreline, the treatment of beaches was assigned to the lebanese N.G.O “Bahr Loubnan’. In this area, 5.3 km of sandy and gravel beaches appeared to be heavily oiled on a width that seldomly exceeded 10 m. Oil was found buried down to a depth of 1.8 m at several locations. Additionnally oil was also found sunken in shallow waters in the breaker zones of numerous beaches. In order to minimize sediment removal and production of oily waste to be treated, it was decided to operate massive treatmenN in situ. After manual recovery of stranded oil, about 12,000 m of sediment including 1,000 m of cobbles have been relocated in the surf zone. Despite the lack of tides and of the generally calm weather conditions, surfwashing was very efficient due mainly to the fact that, in non tidal conditions, sediments are continuously reworked by wave açtion which operates at the same level on the beaches. Only 540 m of heavily oiled sand, was removed from beaches and submitted for further treatment. The lack of appropriate sorbents material in Lebanon to capture the floating oil released by surfwahing was also a challenge. This was addressed by using locally Nmanufactured sorbents, which proved to be very efficient and 60 m of sorbent soaked with oil were produced during the cleanup.

Comparison and Assessment of Waste Generated during Oil Spills

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1647-1658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Wadsworth
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Contingency Planning ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Spilled Oil

ABSTRACT Experience has shown that the most time-consuming and costly component of a response to an oil spill is often the treatment or disposal of collected waste. The amount of waste generated is dependent on many factors, some which may be controlled more readily during the response. This paper analyses a number of important incidents as a result of which spilled oil affected shoreline resources with significant resultant clean-up effort. Spills of crude oil and of heavy fuel oil carried as cargo in tankers are reviewed to determine the types and volumes of waste generated and the clean-up methods undertaken to generate that waste. A comparison of the incidents will allow the most effective response methods to be determined, to show the techniques that generated the least volumes of waste. Data from DEEPWATER HORIZON is included to allow a discussion of the associated response. To achieve a practical comparison, the amount of waste is balanced against the amount of oil spilled to determine the oil:waste ratio. This ratio has evolved over many years into a long held guideline, used often for the purpose of contingency planning, that the amount of waste generated during an incident is approximately ten times the amount of oil spilled. This paper shows that with appropriate response actions, the guideline can be upheld.

Oil Spill Risks from Nontank Vessels1

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 263-266
Author(s):  
Jean R. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Emergency Plan ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
The U.S

ABSTRACT An issue of increasing concern worldwide is that of oil spills from nontank vessels that carry large quantities of petroleum product as fuel or lubricants. The New Carissa incident in Oregon in 1999 is only one of several that have impacted the U.S. West Coast in the last few years. Others include the M/V Kuroshima, which grounded in Dutch Harbor, Alaska in 1997, and the M/V Kure, which spilled oil in Humbolt Bay also in 1997. The Tenyo Maru was cut in half in a collision and sank with the loss of one life and a spill of at least 100,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil and diesel in Washington State in 1991. Additional examples of both spills and threats of spills are sited, both in the United States and worldwide. This paper examines a number of actions that have been taken in response to this threat. One such model is the Canadian requirement that vessel owner/operators demonstrate a formal agreement with an approved response contractor, and list that contractor in their Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP). A more comprehensive approach would be to establish approved “umbrella” contingency plans for major port areas, supported by contracts with oil spill removal organizations (OSROs). This preferred model has been adopted by the U.S. West Coast states, and affords the opportunity for the contracted responders to drill with emergency response officials, thus improving the likelihood of an efficient, coordinated spill response. This paper also proposes spill prevention design elements for nontank vessels.

scholarly journals A 3-YEAR BASELINE SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS STUDY OF PETROLEUM POLLUTANTS IN COASTAL LOUISIANA

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (2) ◽  
pp. 851-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gisclair ◽  
Debra McMillin
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Standard Operating Procedure ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Analytical Results ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Contaminant Sources

ABSTRACT The Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office (LOSCO) has conducted a 3-year study of baseline petroleum pollutant levels in South Louisiana. The project collected a total of 3,540 composite sediment samples from 1,180 sites. Each site was sampled three times, once a year from 1997 through 1999. Samples were collected within four zones; each zone was assigned to a different contractor. The zones were located primarily along the Louisiana coast, with additional sampling points along the Mississippi River, Atchafalaya Navigation Channel, Red River, and Ouachita-Black River. LOSCO emphasized areas at high risk of sustaining oil spills. The project required a 10 parts-per-billion detection limit for 65 analytes, including parent and alkylated polynuclear aromatic hyrdrocarbons (PAHs), saturated hydrocarbons (up to 35 carbon units), pristane, phytane, hopanes, and steranes. The targeted analytes provide a sample profile that can be used to both classify contaminant sources (crude, heavy fuel oil, combustion sources, etc.) and identify crude oil sources. To standardize analytical results between contract laboratories and to ensure data quality, LOSCO funded development of an analytical standard operating procedure (SOP). The SOP describes a tumbling method of sample extraction and gas Chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) selected ion mode (SIM) analysis. This method is similar to procedures used to assess the environmental impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, as well as other spills. SOP appendices describe identification and standardization procedures for quantifying alkylated PAH. Extraction and quantitative analysis of a reference-contaminated sediment supplied by LOSCO was required for every 30 samples. The review process included: (1) a review of electronic spreadsheets to pinpoint incorrect or invalid results, and (2) an examination of hardcopy laboratory documents and electronic data files to determine if the analysis and data processing were performed correctly. Baseline Sampling and Analysis Monitor Point Locations data sets1, in Geographic NAD83 (LOSCO, 1999a) for each of the sampling years, have been compiled in a geographical information system (GIS) format. Analytical results will be provided via the Internet or CD-ROM. The linking of field and analytical results allows examination and spatial analysis of study results.

BLUE MASTER: USE OF COREXIT®9500 TO DISPERSE IFO 180 SPILL1

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (2) ◽  
pp. 815-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Kaser ◽  
Julie Gahn ◽  
Charlie Henry
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Tier Ii ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Calm Weather ◽  
Unified Command ◽  
The Right ◽  
Time Limitations

ABSTRACT COREXIT®9500 was used to disperse 100 barrels (bbls) of Intermediate Fuel Oil (IFO) 180 30 nautical miles south of Galveston, Texas. The dispersant was highly effective in dispersing this heavy fuel oil. Efficacy was based on the fact that only 1.5 barrels of oil washed up on the beach in the form of tarballs a week later. No reports of oiled birds or wildlife related to the incident were received. The pre-authorization limits of the Regional Response Team (RRT) Region VI On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) Pre-Approved Dispersant Use Manual were outdated; COREXIT®9500 was placed on the National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule list of approved dispersants after the manual was written. COREXIT®9500 enables dispersal of heavier products than those originally considered by the RRT. The specific gravity of IFO 180 is 0.988 while the OSC Pre-Approved Dispersant Use Manual considered 0.953 an upper limit. The dispersant was applied outside the 6-hour time limit because an overflight showed little to no emulsification of the oil because of calm weather conditions. Although current conditions were calm, thunderstorms were expected to develop in the area that would provide the mixing action needed to enhance dispersal. The Unified Command considered this dispersant application a “cautious success.” The small amount of oil that reached the beach and the absence of oiled birds support a statement of success but, because of time limitations, Tier II SMART (Specialized Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies) data were not obtained to substantiate this conclusion. Following this case, RRT Region VI convened a committee to review the Pre-Approved Dispersant Use Manual, to evaluate whether the pre-approved protocols were still relevant, and to develop changes to the Pre-Approved Dispersant Use Manual if needed for consideration and approval by the RRT. At its January 2000 meeting, RRT Region VI approved several short-term changes to the manual and authorized continued work on several mid- and long-term revisions. These changes not only give the OSC more flexibility in choosing the right dispersant tools, but also give greater requirements to document dispersant operations.

ESTIMATING OIL VOLUME FOR THE 2006 SAVANNAH RIVER MYSTERY SPILL

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 541-544
Author(s):  
Heidi Dunagan ◽  
Jacqueline Michel ◽  
Bradford Benggio
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Original Estimate ◽  
History Of ◽  
Length Width

ABSTRACT The July 2006 spill of heavy fuel oil into the Savannah River, in Savannah, Georgia, presented two common issues facing responders: the source and amount spilled were unknown and the oil contaminated extensive areas of fringing marshes. The initial spill volume was estimated to be 5,000 gallons. Shoreline assessment teams mapped the length, width, height, and percent cover of the oil bands on the vegetation, determining that approximately 7.25 miles were very lightly oiled, 5.0 miles were lightly oiled, 6.3 miles were moderately oiled, and 2.0 miles were heavily oiled. These data were used to estimate that there were 22,000 gallons of oil (with a range of 17,220–28,700 gallons) on the vegetation, indicating that the original estimate of 5,000 gallons was too low. This poster will briefly discuss the history of oil spills on the Savannah River as well as summarize the methods used to estimate spill volume during the 2006 oil spill.

Long-Term Fate of a Heavy Fuel Oil in a Spill-Contaminated B.C. Coastal Bay

1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 521-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Cretney ◽  
C. S. Wong ◽  
D. R. Green ◽  
C. A. Bawden
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Marine Fauna ◽  
Coastal Bay ◽  
Long Term Studies

The fate of accidently spilled No. 5 fuel oil in a small coastal bay in British Columbia was observed 6 times during 4 yr. The oil's composition was first changed by loss of the lower molecular weight components by evaporation and dissolution. Biodegradation accounted for almost complete removal of n-alkanes in the 1st yr. Pristane and phytane were biodegraded more slowly, but were almost completely gone in 4 yr. The non-n-alkane components in the nC28–30 range seem to be the most resistant to degradation of all the components resolved in the gas chromatograms. The resistance to degradation of these components indicates their potential for long-term studies of oil spills. Key words: petroleum, fate, environment, gas chromatography, n-alkanes, pristane, marine fauna and flora

scholarly journals DMAIC Six Sigma Methodology in Petroleum Hydrocarbon Oil Classification

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.14) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azimah Ismail ◽  
Saiful Bahri Mohamed ◽  
Hafizan Juahir ◽  
Mohd Ekhwan Toriman ◽  
Azlina Md. Kassim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Pareto Chart ◽  
Six Sigma Approach ◽  
Oil Type

This research focuses on the use of the DMAIC method (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) as a Six Sigma approach in studying oil spill fingerprint of samples recovered from Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah (East Malaysia). The DMAIC approach in this study was used as a way to classify oil types based on data obtained from GC-FID and GC-MS measurements. The cause-effect diagram was used to define the factors leading to the failure of the oil spill fingerprinting based on inaccurate oil type clustering. Discriminant Analysis (DA) was also applied to quantify the root-cause of the failure. An Ishikawa diagram obtained in the analysis phase identifies the potential failure causal. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied and was successful in discriminating four clusters of oil types, namely diesel, heavy fuel oil (HFO), mixture oil lube and fuel oil (MOLFO) and waste oil (WO) with a total variance of 85.3%. In the control phase, the use of a Pareto chart indicated 100% cumulative percentage of oil type clustering with a 95% confidence level. The DMAIC approach to be effective in solving oil spill fingerprinting problems and results in quality improvement in the clustering of oil spills into the different hydrocarbon types.  

Recovery of Submerged oil from an Alaska Lake

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 713-718
Author(s):  
Don A. Kane
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Surf Zone ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Lake Bottom ◽  
Responsible Party

ABSTRACT On November 26, 1997, the M/V Kuroshima was anchored near Unalaska, Alaska when extreme weather conditions dislodged it from its anchorage. Winds exceeding 90 miles per hour and waves exceeding 25 feet forced the vessel onto rocks, where its hull was punctured. Approximately 39,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil (IFO 380) were discharged into marine waters, onto adjacent shorelines, into a creek, and into Summer Bay Lake. Shoreline cleanup was implemented immediately following the spill, but was suspended until spring due to harsh weather conditions, safety concerns, and inefficient cleanup operations. Because the oil had a very high viscosity, was stranded high on the shoreline and winter had set in, the oil did not present an immediate environmental or human health threat. It was suspected that some of the discharged oil mixed with sand as it moved through the surf zone and sank when it entered the lake. During the winter, state and federal agencies and the responsible party developed a plan to survey the lake and creek for submerged oil. In early spring, divers conducted visual surveys of the lake bottom along 6.5 miles of transect to locate submerged oil. Transect locations were identified using a Differential Global Positioning System and the bottom was videotaped. A survey approach similar to that used to conduct a shoreline cleanup assessment was employed to characterize the lake bottom and the nature and spatial extent of the submerged oil. An oil recovery plan and cleanup criteria were developed and implemented. This case study describes the approach and technology utilized to survey for submerged oil and presents the survey findings and oil recovery and disposal methods employed. The challenges presented by the remote location, difficult working conditions, and natural resource concerns are also discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document