Experiments were
conducted in 2002 and 2003 at Ohmsett – The National Oil Spill Response Test
Facility to assess the dispersibility of fresh and weathered Alaskan and
Canadian crude oils in very cold water. Results from these experiments
indicate that the crude oils tested were dispersible at near freezing water
temperatures. However, there has been criticism of the findings related to
the heating of the viscous oils prior to discharge onto the waters surface
and subsequent dispersant application. This project will address criticism
of dispersant testing at Ohmsett and has two potential benefits. First, the
work will determine empirically whether or not heating viscous oil prior to
testing influences dispersant performance in Ohmsett tests. Second, if
there is evidence that heating the oil has any impact on dispersant
performance.
The proposed project
will repeat certain critical Ohmsett tests using unheated oil to determine
whether the effect of preheating the oil is large enough to alter the
overall conclusions of the original dispersant effectiveness experiments
conducted in 2002 and 2003. Specifically this work will:
-
Determine the rate of cooling of slicks formed by discharging heated crude
oil on cold seawater.
-
Compare the dispersibility of oils that are heated prior to discharge
against oils discharged at ambient temperatures.
-
Conduct tests at Ohmsett using Alaska North Slope crude oil discharged at
ambient temperatures (if heating of oil prior to discharge significantly
influences dispersibility of the oil in small scale tests).
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