Response with Applicability to the Arctic Amy Tidwell amp Tim Nedwed ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company Ian Buist amp Randy Belore SL Ross Environmental Research Ltd Gerald Canevari ID: 797851
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Slide1
Advances in Treating Agents for Oil Spill Response with Applicability to the Arctic
Amy Tidwell & Tim Nedwed, ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyIan Buist & Randy Belore, SL Ross Environmental Research, Ltd.Gerald Canevari, Canevari & Associates
2012 United States-Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum
Anchorage, Alaska
November 13-15, 2012
Slide2Outline
The OSR ToolboxDispersantsBackgroundDevelopment of New DispersantIn situ BurningBackgroundDevelopment of Herding AgentsCommercialization Plans Summary
Slide3Spill Response Options: The Toolbox
Mechanical Recovery: Booms & SkimmersIn-Situ Burning
Monitor & Evaluate
Dispersants
The goal is to design a response strategy based on
Net Environmental Benefit Analysis
Slide4Background on Dispersants: What are they?
Dispersants are solutions of surfactants dissolved in a solventSurfactants reduce oil-water interfacial tension – allows slicks to disperse into very small droplets with minimal wave energyDispersed oil rapidly dilutes to concentrations <10 ppm within minutes, <1 ppm within hours, ppb range within a day
Slide5Background on Dispersants: What are they?
Oil-degrading micro-organisms are present everywhere Each dispersed oil droplet is a concentrated food source that is rapidly colonized and degraded by marine bacteriaRapid dilution allows biodegradation to occur without nutrient or oxygen limitations Rapid dilution reduces toxicity issues – dispersed oil plume dilutes to <1 ppm in hours and <1 ppb within 1 – 2 days
Graphic consistent with Venosa & Holder, EPA 2007
Slide6Development of New Dispersant Gel
Consistency of warm honeyPositively buoyant dropsCohesive & persistentOleophilic behavior85+% active ingredient
Properties of Dispersants Used in Testing
Dispersant
Dispersant Viscosity (15
C)
Density @ 20
C
(g/cc)
Viscosity (cP)
Shear Rate (s
-1
)
Corexit 9500
107
100
0.968
New dispersant
1500
10
0.921
Gel Pour Video
9500 Pour Video
Slide7Development of New Dispersant: Testing
Dispersant-effectiveness results for light, medium, & heavy crude oils
Slide8Controlled burning of oil “
in situ”Conventional process requires booms to keep oil thickFire resistant booms are a challenge to transportOnly operational use offshore during Deepwater HorizonBackground on in situ BurningNewfoundland Offshore Burn Experiment, 1993
Slide9H
erders enable in situ burning without boomsRequires application of small volume of surfactant on water surface on perimeter of slickHerding process requires minutes to thicken slick enough to burnHerder application and burn initiated quickly from a single helicopterBackground on in situ Burning: Herding AgentsLab-scale application of herders
Slide10Development of Herders: Recent TestingField testing of herding agents, 2008
Herder testing since 2004 focused on supporting in situ burning in iceRecent field tests were done in very limited ice supporting use of herders in open water
Slide11Commercialization Efforts: New Dispersant and Herders
Dispersant gelPlans are for dispersant gel to be available for sale by early 2013Herding agents Currently listed with US EPA for potential use in US marine watersCommercially available through Applied Fabrics, Buffalo, New YorkHelicopter delivery system under final development
Slide12Summary and Conclusions
Two new treating agent technologies – new dispersant and herding agents – have been developed which could enhance oil spill response capabilities New dispersant Treated light-to-medium oils with 2/3 less dispersant than a currently available product Dispersed viscous oils that were previously considered un-dispersibleHerding Agents Potential to enable in situ burning in both ice conditions and open water without the need for fire-resistant boomsMay turn an infrequently used response option into a readily available tool because it can be applied rapidly from helicopters
Slide13Questions
Slide 13
Slide14Background on Dispersants
Dispersants Enhance Removal of Oil from the Environment Through Biodegradation