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Content:
Joe Mullin
Pagemasters:
OEMM Web Team
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Properties
and Behavior
of Spilled
Oil
The effectiveness of
various strategies for oil spill response depends on the physical and
chemical properties of the spilled oil in relation to the environmental
conditions at the spill site. A large number of different types of crude
oils and refined products are produced and transported through U.S.
territorial waters. These crude oils and oil products all differ in the
physical and chemical properties and these properties affect their rates of
weathering in the environment. The changes in the physical and chemical
properties of the oil have a direct bearing on oil recovery operations. They influence the selection of response methods and technologies
applicable for cleanup, including their effectiveness and capacity, which
can effect the time and cost of operations and the impacts on natural
resources.
Before oil spill
response plans are developed or approved, it is important to understand the
chemistry and physical behavior of the spilled oil and how its
characteristics change over
time. Petroleum products (crude oils and fuels) vary in their volatility,
flammability, water solubility, tendency to emulsify, viscosity and density. Some products are light, volatile, non-viscous, and highly flammable (e.g.
gasoline), whereas others are heavy, non-volatile, viscous, and less
flammable (e.g. heavy fuel oil). Spill response will differ depending
on the oil type and its distinct characteristics. Safety concerns are
greater for light, volatile flammable products than for heavier oils. The response preferences for flammable products are essentially to control
the source and maintain a safe distance. As safety concerns diminish,
the number and variety of preferred response actions increase. Knowledge of the ultimate fate and behavior of oil should drive
countermeasure decisions.
Desired Outcomes
- Ensure that
the physical and chemical properties of crude oil and refined products
produced and transported through
U.S.
territorial waters are measured and included in an Internet accessible
database. Properties to be measured include viscosity, density,
specific gravity, solubility, flash point, pour point, distillation
fractions, metal content, volatile organic compounds, interfacial tension
and vapor pressure.
- Ensure that
the fate and behavior of crude oil and refined products produced and
transported through U.S. territorial waters are measured and included in an
Internet accessible database. Properties to be measured include
evaporation, emulsion formation, chemical dispersibility, ignition
temperature and adhesion.
Tactical Plan (2005-2010)
-
Oils that are transported are often blends of different crude oils, and
the relative proportions of component oils frequently change. Therefore
the physical and chemical properties will vary. Similarly, the properties
of crude oil taken from an individual well can vary with the depth of the
well and the year of production. MMS will continue to measure the
physical and chemical properties of crude oils (especially crudes from
deepwater Gulf of Mexico and the Alaskan Beaufort Sea) and refined
products that are produced and transported through U.S. territorial waters
and include this new information in an Internet accessible database.
-
Continue
to conduct research on the fate and behavior of crude oil and refined
products that are produced and transported through U.S. territorial waters
and include this new information in an Internet accessible database.
-
Investigate the fate and behavior of non-typical crude oils and refined
products. Unlike most domestically produced crude oils, these oils
rapidly form emulsions, surface skins or sink in a relatively short period
of time. They persist as a result of their chemical properties and
unusual behavior. Understanding the fate and behavior of these oils is
crucial in developing improved response strategies.
-
Continue basic research on oil behavior mechanisms including weathering,
evaporation, emulsification, dispersion, dissolution and photooxidation.
-
Take advantage of planned, experimental oil spills conducted outside of
U.S. territorial waters to obtain information on the fate and behavior
of oil for improving spill response operations.
For more information on
the Properties and Behavior of Oil Projects, contact
Joseph Mullin at 703-787-1556, or via email.
Properties and
Behavior of Oil Projects |
120 |
Physical Behavior of Oil in the Ocean |
162 |
Development of a Portable Oil Analysis Kit for Responders |
287 |
Fate and Behavior of Deepwater Subsea Oil Well Blowouts in the Gulf of
Mexico |
298 |
Testing at Ohmsett to Determine Optimum
Times to Decant to Temporary Storage Devices |
311 |
Oil Spill Containment, Remote Sensing, and Tracking from Deep Water
Blowouts Status of Existing and Emerging Technologies |
324 |
Experimental and Analytical Study of Multi-phase Plumes in a Stratified
Ocean with Application to Deep Ocean
Spills |
347 |
Emulsions Formed at Sea and in Test Tanks |
377 |
Project "Deep Spill" |
390 |
A
Method to Determine Worst Case Discharges From Facilities That Produce
Or Transport Oil in the U.S.
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) |
395 |
Extending Temporary Storage Capacity
Offshore with Emulsion Breakers |
506 |
Analysis of IFO-180 and IFO-380 Oil Properties for Dispersant Window of
Opportunity |
512 |
Transfer of Decanting Technology Research to Oil Spill Response
Organizations and Regulators |
516 |
Development of a Method to Produce Large Quantities of Realistic
Water-In-Oil Emulsions for use in Evaluating Oil Spill Response
Equipment and Methods |
527 |
The Effect of Warming Viscous Oils Prior to Discharge on Dispersant
Performance |
569 |
Svalbard, Norway Experimental Oil Spill to Study Spill Detection and Oil |
585 |
Mitigating Oil Spills from Offshore Oil
and Gas Activities by Enhancement of Oil-Mineral Aggregate Formation |
595 |
Identification of Window of Opportunity
for Chemical Dispersants on Gulf of Mexico Crude Oils |
Privacy |
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Topic Index | FOIA
Last Updated:
08/08/2008,
01:29 PM
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