OFFSHORE OIL SPILL AND REMEDIAL

MEASURES

Prof. V.P. Sharma

Department of Petroleum Engg.
ISM Dhanbad

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When an oil spill occurs there are only
a limited number of options available
to responders to deal with the
problems.

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The strategic options will be dictated by a
number of parameters. Key factors which affect
the strategy selection is the nature of the oil
itself.
• Specific gravity
• Pour point
• Viscosity
• Asphaltene content

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 Fate of spilled oil
• Spreading
• Evaporation
• Emulsification
• Dispersion

Figure 1: Fate of oil spilled at sea showing the main

weathering processes

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 Remedial Measures
• Monitor and evaluation
• Dispersants
• Contain and recover
• Shoreline clean up
• Emerging technologies
• Burning

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 Strategies
Strategy must be presented as a position
response action to maintain its support and be
supported by a comprehensive monitoring
program.

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 Monitor and Evaluate
• Refined product spills dissipate due to effects
of evaporation and dispersion.
• Spills must be monitored to determine its
location and evaluate its potential threat.

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 Chemical Dispersion
• It assists in the break up of oil spills.
• Break down the interfacial tension of oil layer
and break the oil into droplets.
• Not effective in high viscous oil and weather
emulsions.
• It is applied in Boat Mounted Spray sets,
Helicopter systems, Fixed wing systems.

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 Containment
• Booms systems
• Efficiency depends upon sea conditions,
current spreads.
• Good for protecting coastal environment.

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Oil Boom and Design of Couplings

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 Oil Recovery Skimmer
Four basic principles of operation
 Weir skimmer
 Oleophilic skimmer
 Vacuum system
 Mechanical skimmer

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 Weir skimmer
• To separate the oil and water phases by
placing a Weir skimmer
• Controlling the weir height, inducing flow
• Pump performance

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Weir skimmer

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 Oleophilic Skimmer
•Relies on the property of oil to stick to materials

•Can be of 3 types-
Disc, Rope mop, Bell
Disc skimmer Rope mop Skimmer

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Vacuum Skimmer
•An air pump is used to reduce the pressure in a
storage tank

•A suction hose is connected to the tank which is then

used to collect the oil

Mechanical Skimmer
•Physically picking up the oil from the surface of water
•Types of mechanical skimmer
1. Belt
2. Tooth disc
3. Grab Bucket
4. Drum

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Belt Disk
Skimmer Skimmer

How the Disk Skimmer with Diverter Works

1.Oils (tramp and coolant) enter here
2.Coolant sinks and passes under this
weir
3.Clean coolant returns to your sump
here
4.Tramp oils discharge to waste
container here

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Operating Range of Skimmer Types

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Shoreline Cleanup-
Labour Intensive

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 DEEPWATER HARIZON OIL SPILL

• Macondo Oil Spell

• Spell Data 20th April – 15th July 2010
• Well Officially sealed: 19th Sept. 2010
 CAUSE: Wellhead Blowont
Causalities:13 dead (11 killed on Deepwater horizon,
2 additional at related deaths)

Operator: Transocean under contract with BP.

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 SPILL CHARACTERISTICS

• Volume : Upto 4,900,000 barrels (206,000,000 US Gallons; 779000

Cubic meters).
• Area 2500 to 68,000 sq.miles (6500 to 180,000 km2).
• 80 square miles (210 km2) Kill zone where it looks everything is dead
on the seafloor
• Spells continues to cause extensive damage to marine and wild life
habitats as well as Gulf ‘s fishing & tourism Industries.
• January 2011, eight months after explosion tar balls continues to
wash up, oil sheer trails seen, wetlands marsh grass remains fouled
and dying.
• Oil slick is brighter than the surrounding water
in some places and darker than the surrounding
water on others due to sun's Reflection and
positioning of the centerline of the path of
satellite.
• The tip of Mississippi Delta is surrounded by
muddy water, which appears tan.
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Government- Industry Co-operation
•Exemption of income tax on income received.

•To move equipment from bonded custom area.

•Approval on the transfer of nominated equipment from

oil companies.

•Approval of entry points for external OSR equipments.

•Work permits.

•Constantly reviewing and updating its oil spill

response capability.

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