In Brazil, the decision of the minimum amount of resources to be used in response operations are guided by the requirements established in the national legislation and the optimal is advised by oil spill response specialists. Important instrument to orient the determination of strategies and resources in Oil Spill Response Plans is the oil trajectory modeling, which shows the region that can be covered by the spill and the locations likely to be achieved in different seasonal conditions. Meanwhile, this modeling normally considers the drafting of the total spill volume without the action of any contingency procedure, which does not reflect a real emergency situation. The main objective of this proposal is to evaluate an oil spill trajectory modeling that covers this gap and allows a better preparation of the oil & gas companies to deal with oil spill incidents. The oil trajectory modeling (probabilistic and deterministic) suggested by this paper proposal will be made through the MEMW (Marine Environmental Modeling Workbench), a computational tool developed by SINTEF which includes OSCAR (Oil Spill Contingency and Response) model. This model, developed for calculating the dispersion of oil slick, is composed by weathering and trajectory models in three dimensions and it can assess the progress of the oil in the water surface and water column considering the influence of the main strategies used during an oil spill response. The process to evaluate and test the tool will comprise two main steps: (a) parameter sensitive analysis to determine relative importance of factors in each strategy provided in the model (containment and recovery, chemical dispersant); (b) assessment of the different strategies, capacities and locations of resources in cases of oil spills at sea, through the analysis of different incident scenarios. The main result expected for this tool is study and select, case-by-case, the best combination of oil spill response strategies and the optimal amount and distribution of resources, according to the particularities of the project. Therefore, the tool will contribute to improve the emergency response plans, increasing its reliability and efficiency, as well as provide a procedure for costs optimization.
Keyword(s):Oil spill response, waxy oil, oil spill response techniques, oil spill response equipment Waxy and high API oil presents some singularities in its behavior during a spill. This type of oil may show favorable properties in a spill such as low possibility of sinking and low emulsification tendency. On the other hand, due to the high pour point, it assumes a gel consistency during a spill in areas which environment temperature is near or below pour point. Its high viscosity, high interfacial tension and low evaporation rate present a strong influence on spill behavior, resulting in processes such as: recovery difficulties, once the oil may not flow towards skimmers or down inclined surfaces in skimmers, low spreading and resistance to dispersion, making the oil persistent on sea. Due to this behavior, traditional response equipment usually considered in emergency response plans shows skimming and pumping limited efficiency when used in waxy oils and might not be ideally suitable. Specific machinery for collection and recovery of this type of oil may be required.This paper aims to provide a better definition of the window of opportunities for countermeasures and effective emergency response resources applicable to waxy oil spill scenario.The method presented on this paper is divided into the following steps:• Discussion of the oil characteristics and its behavior at sea; • Case studies regarding oil spills occurred with oil below pour point and response strategies employed; • Identification of the range of equipment applicable to waxy oil spills, key manufacturers visiting and literature search on reliable data banks, in order to obtain information on traditional and cutting edge technologies applicable to oil spill response; • Analysis of traditional and innovative equipment identified discussing pros and cons.Due to the development of environmental awareness, evolution of legislation, and increase of offshore activities, new oil spill response strategies and devices are available and continuously being developed. In order to compare and identify best possible alternatives, there were considered information available in equipment technical information and in case studies.Finally, this study will address:• Identification of equipment and strategy applicable to waxy oil spill response; • Evaluation of techniques effectively applied to waxy oil spill response • Present innovative solutions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.