The program's objective is to 1) determine the ignition and combustibility potential and window of opportunity of several California crude oils including fresh, weathered and emulsified states; and 2) conduct a Saturates, Aromatics, Resins, and Asphaltes (SARA) analysis and two dimensional GC x GC (Gas Chromatography) of the oils to determine their components and determine their "Fingerprint" to show additional features of their components and better match potential chemical surfactants to break water-in-oil emulsions thus rendering the oil more ignitable.

This project will evaluate three novel approaches to herding oil including

use of sawdust treated with hydrophobic/oleophilic agents, use of sawdust treated with hydrophobic/oleophilic agents and bioremediation agents, and modification of commercially available sorbent products. This study will pursue the most promising options through proof of concept testing at large tank facilities, such as Ohmsett or CRREL.

The objective of this proof-of-concept study is to develop and test methods to directly measure the volume of oil burned and the burn rate in real time during in-situ burns (ISB) by integrating the direct thickness measurements using acoustic methods and surface area measurements derived from visible and infrared images.

The project will consist of the following overall tasks:

The objective of the study is to experimentally investigate flammability of crude oil slicks in cold conditions. Specifically, the controlling parameters of ignition, flame spread, burning rate, and radiative fraction of heat release for oil spills in Arctic environmental conditions will be obtained. The approach taken is similar to an earlier study by WPI and sponsored by BSEE as Project 1007. A predictive model validated using intermediate and large-scale tests will also be developed.

The long-term objective of this effort is to ensure safe and efficient oil spill response and recovery methods (as well as wellhead control measures) are developed and in place for potential offshore oil spills from man-made gravel islands in the federal waters off of Alaska. The immediate objective is to ensure that a thorough understanding of all historical, technical and scientific issues is gained in order to consider the case for using wellhead burning as a response tool to mitigate the effects of a well blowout from a gravel island.

The objective of this project is to transition the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of a low-emission, low pressure atomization and combustion process for emulsified crude oil from TRL 3 to TRL 5 by developing and refining the performance of a quarter and half-scale flow blurring atomizer spray burner. This project builds off of the proof-of-concept project complete as OSRR #1012.

The objective of this proof-of-concept study is to develop the concept and design of a simple prototype system to directly burn off oil slicks in booms at high efficiencies and with low emissions. The approach uses noncombustible and conductive immersed object to enhance the heat transfer from flames back to the fuel to achieve higher vaporization rates. The proof-of-concept project will be carried out in three phases: Phase I: Small-scale (10 and 25 cm diameter burn pans): Determine how basic material and geometric parameters affect the heat transfer and mass loss rates.

The long term objective of this project is to ensure that a safe and efficient in-situ burn (ISB) process is developed for offshore spills. The immediate objective is to ensure that all lessons learned have been incorporated into guidance for future burns, confirm the state of any new developments, and conduct initial test burns in the burn tank at the Joint Maritime Test Detachment (JMTD) at Little Sand Island in Mobile Bay, Alabama.

This project will consist of the following overall tasks:

The objective of this project was to develop a planning standard for in-situ burning of crude oil on the surface of the water. This draft standard encompasses all factors involved in offshore burns including operating conditions, mobilization and transit times, variations in the condition of the surface slick, burn rates, and the feasible boom swath widths.

The objective of this study was to develop a technology to use conductive metal rods to enhance the burning rate of a liquid pool of emulsified oil. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) developed experiments in order to evaluate and optimize various parameters of importance in developing this technology, including the length, diameter, and spacing of the rods.