Oil Spill

By
Dr.Amer Abdel Razik

Oil Spill
Major oil spills attract the
attention of the public and
the media
Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill

This attention has created

a global awareness of the
risks of oil spills and the
damage they do to the
environment

The tanker Burmah Agate catches fires after

colliding with another ship. (International
.Maritime Organization)

Properties of Oil
The main physical properties which affect the
behaviour and the persistence of an oil spilled at sea
:are
,specific gravity- 1
, distillation characteristics-2
viscosity- 3
. and pour point- 4
All are dependent on chemical composition (e.g. the
amount of asphaltenes, resins and waxes which the
.oil contains)

Weathering Processes
The processes included in weathering are
evaporation, emulsification, natural
dispersion, dissolution, photooxidation,
sedimentation, adhesion to materials, interaction
with mineral fines, biodegradation, and the
formation of tar balls

Behaviour of Oil in the

Environment

A schematic representation of the fate of a

crude oil spill showing changes in the relative
importance of weathering
processes with time - the width of each band
indicates the importance of the process

Oil with a low specific gravity

(high API) tend to contain a high
proportion of volatile
components and to be of low
viscosity

When medium and light oils spread

unhindered, the oil will eventually form very
thin films. These appear as iridescent
(rainbow) and silver sheens, which dissipate
rapidly

Appearance, spreading, and evaporation loss

of various oils spilled on an absorbent surface
and in a beaker.

Comparison of spreading of different oils

.and fuels

When oil becomes mixed with sediment, the density can

become sufficiently high for it to sink if it is washed off the
beach. In this photo, large patches of sunken oil are visible
in
.shallow water close to the beach

Oils spilled into the sea at temperatures below their pour point
form solid fragments. This photo shows Nile Blend crude, pour
point +33o C, in sea water of 28o C. Such oils are highly
persistent and have the potential to travel great distances

Emulsification

The dissipation of many oils is slowed by the

formation of
highly viscous water-in-oil emulsio

Water-in-oil emulsions often

accumulate on shores in

Emulsified oil is very viscous and

dense

A greatly magnified image (x1,000) of a water-in-oil

emulsion showing individual water droplets
.surrounded by oil

Typical rates of viscosity

increase in moderate to rough
seas. The viscosity of Group 1
oils never exceeds 100cSt and so
is not shown.

The volume of oil and water-in-oil emulsion remaining on the sea surface
shown as a percentage of the original spill volume
(100%). The curves represent an estimated average behaviour for each
group. The behaviour of a particular crude oil may differ
from the general pattern depending on its properties and environmental
conditions at the time of the spill.

Oil Spill Cleanup

The average cost of cleanup ranges from $20 to $200 per liter
The first response to oil spill is containment of the spill
to avoid spread of the oil
For offshore oil spills, combination of the following methods are
:used for clean up

Booms

Skimmers
Chemical Dispersants
In-situ burning
Bioremediation

The effectiveness of any cleaning method depends on ocean

currents and tides, as well as the weather

Booms
Booms are floating
barriers used for the
confining the spilled oil
:either to
Prevent it from spreading
to a particular area
Divert it to another area
where it can be recovered
or treated
Concentrate the oil so it
can be recovered, burned
.or otherwise treated

Skimmers
Skimmers are
mechanical devices
designed to remove
oil from the water
surface
Surface skimmers
Vacuum skimmers
Oil-sorbents

Dispersants
Dispersing agents are
surfactants used to
promote formation of
small oil droplets that
disperse throughout the
top layer of water
Their effectiveness and
environmental impact
are controversial

In-situ Burning
Controlled burning of
oil at or near the spill
site
Rate of burning 3-4
mm/min
Liter/m2/day 5000
Disadvantages
Requires at least 2-
3 mm thick oil
slack
Toxic emissions

Bioremediation
Biological methods
involve
microbiological
biodegradation
Addition of natural
materials to
contaminated
environment to
accelerate the natural
biodegradation
process

Oil Sorbents
Sorbents are materials that recover oil through
either absorption or adsorption
:Sorbents come in many different forms
Loose materials to pads or even booms
:They are used in the following ways
To clean up the final traces of oil spills on water or
land
As a backup to other containment means, such as
sorbent booms
As a primary recovery means for very small spills

Sorbents for Oil spill Removal

Sorption Capacity
250

Sorption capacity
:depends on

Oil

Density
Viscosity
Composition

Temperature

)
sorbent

Actual and bulk density

Hydrophobicity
Surface area
Pore size distribution

200

SorptionCapacity,Smax

oi

S (25 API)

Sorption Capacity, S (g l/g

Sorbent

S (40 API)

moil
msorbent

oil s b
b
s

: oil forlow b
b

150

100

50

20

40

60

80

100 120 140 160 180 200

3

(mg/cm )
b