The demand for oil and gas has brought exploration and production to unprecedented depths of the world’s oceans. Currently, over 50% of the oil from the Gulf of Mexico now comes from waters in excess of 1,500 meters (one mile) deep, where no oil was produced just 20 years ago. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill blowout did much to change the perception of oil spills as coming just from tanker accidents, train derailments, and pipeline ruptures. In fact, beginning with the Ixtoc 1 spill off Campeche, Mexico in 1979-1980, there have been a series of large spill events originating at the sea bottom and creating a myriad of new environmental and well control challenges. This volume explores the physics, chemistry, sub-surface oil deposition and environmental impacts of deep oil spills. Key lessons learned from the responses to previous deep spills, as well as unresolved scientific questions for additional research are highlighted, all of which are appropriate for governmental regulators, politicians, industry decision-makers, first responders, researchers and students wanting an incisive overview of issues surrounding deep-water oil and gas production.

It has often been said that generals prepare for the next war by re-fighting the last. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was unlike any previous – an underwater well blowout 1,500 meters deep. Much has been learned in the wake of DWH and these lessons should in turn be applied to both similar oil spill scenarios and those arising from “frontier” explorations by the marine oil industry. The next deep oil well blowout may be at 3,000 meters or even deeper. This volume summarizes regional (Gulf of Mexico) and global megatrends in marine oil exploration and production. Research in a number of key areas including the behavior of oil and gas under extreme pressure, impacts on biological resources of the deep sea, and the fate of oil and gas released in spills is synthesized. A number of deep oil spills are simulated with detailed computer models, and the likely effects of the spills and potential mitigation measures used to combat them are compared. Recommended changes in policies governing marine oil exploration and development are proposed, as well as additional research to close critical and emerging knowledge gaps. This volume synthesizes state-of-the-art research in deep oil spill behavior and response. It is thus relevant for government and industry oil spill responders, policy formulators and implementers, and academics and students desiring an in-depth and balanced overview of key issues and uncertainties surrounding the quest for deep oil and potential impacts on the environment.

In the aftermath of the “Deepwater Horizon” oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the need arose for experimental data on oil and gas hydrodynamics and particle formation under deep-sea conditions. This work presents a new High-Pressure Test Center that allows for experimental oil spill research under artificial deep-sea conditions. It also contains experimental data on drop formation processes and oil drop size distributions generated within this test center and a modeling approach based on the turbulent energy dissipation that has been developed to predict the droplet sizes of an oil-and-gas jet under high pressure.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of oil spill remediation from the perspectives of policy makers, scientists, and engineers, generally focusing on colloid chemistry phenomena and solutions involved in oil spills and their cleanup. • First book to address oil spill remediation from the perspective of physicochemical and colloidal science • Discusses current and emerging detergents used in clean-ups • Includes chapters from leading scientists, researchers, engineers, and policy makers • Presents new insights into the possible impact of oil spills on ecosystems as well as preventive measures

Oil Spill Science and Technology, Second Edition, delivers a multi-contributed view on the entire chain of oil-spill related topics from oil properties and behaviors, to remote sensing through the management side of contingency planning and communicating oil spill risk perceptions. Completely new case studies are included with special attention to the Deepwater Horizon event, covering the impacts of wetlands and sand beaches, a mass balance approach, and the process for removing petroleum chemicals still trapped near Alabama beaches. Other new information on lingering oil left behind from the Exxon Valdez spill, the emergency system used in the Prestige incident, and coverage on the Heibei Spirit spill in Korea are also included. This updated edition combines technology with case studies to identify the current state of knowledge surrounding oil spills that will encourage additional areas of research that are left to uncover in this critical sector of the oil and gas industry. - Updated with new chapters on risk analysis and communication, contingency planning, restoration, and case studies - Supported with technological advances evolved from the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil tragedy and events in the Arctic/Antarctic - Multi-contributed from various industry experts to provide an extensive background in technical equipment and worldwide procedures used today

Marine Hydrocarbon Spill Assessments: From Risk of Spill through to Probabilities Estimates describes the methods used for estimating hydrocarbon spill risks and the potential consequences. Throughout the book, mathematical methodologies and algorithms are included to aid the reader in the solving of applied tasks presented. Marine Hydrocarbon Spill Assessments: From Risk of Spill through to Probabilities Estimates provides a fundamental understanding of the oil properties and processes which determine the persistence and impacts of oils in the marine environment. It informs the reader of the current research in hydrocarbon spill assessments, starting from an assessment of a risk of a spill, and moving on to modelling approaches to impact assessments, laboratory toxicity assessments, field impact assessments and response options, and prevention and contingency planning. Identifies efficient solutions to protect coastal regions from the marine pollution of hydrocarbon spills Includes case studies examining and analyzing spills, providing lessons to prevent these in the future Covers the science of oil spills from risk analysis to cleanup and the effects on the environment

Whether the result of an oil well blowout, vessel collision or grounding, leaking pipeline, or other incident at sea, each marine oil spill will present unique circumstances and challenges. The oil type and properties, location, time of year, duration of spill, water depth, environmental conditions, affected biomes, potential human community impact, and available resources may vary significantly. Also, each spill may be governed by policy guidelines, such as those set forth in the National Response Plan, Regional Response Plans, or Area Contingency Plans. To respond effectively to the specific conditions presented during an oil spill, spill responders have used a variety of response optionsâ€"including mechanical recovery of oil using skimmers and booms, in situ burning of oil, monitored natural attenuation of oil, and dispersion of oil by chemical dispersants. Because each response method has advantages and disadvantages, it is important to understand specific scenarios where a net benefit may be achieved by using a particular tool or combination of tools. This report builds on two previous National Research Council reports on dispersant use to provide a current understanding of the state of science and to inform future marine oil spill response operations. The response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill included an unprecedented use of dispersants via both surface application and subsea injection. The magnitude of the spill stimulated interest and funding for research on oil spill response, and dispersant use in particular. This study assesses the effects and efficacy of dispersants as an oil spill response tool and evaluates trade-offs associated with dispersant use.

Oil Spill Environmental Forensics Case Studies includes 34 chapters that serve to present various aspects of environmental forensics in relation to "real-world oil spill case studies from around the globe. Authors representing academic, government, and private researcher groups from 14 countries bring a diverse and global perspective to this volume. Oil Spill Environmental Forensics Case Studies addresses releases of natural gas/methane, automotive gasoline and other petroleum fuels, lubricants, vegetable oils, paraffin waxes, bitumen, manufactured gas plant residues, urban runoff, and, of course, crude oil, the latter ranging from light Bakken shale oil to heavy Canadian oil sands oil. New challenges surrounding forensic investigations of stray gas in the shallow subsurface, volatiles in air, dissolved chemicals in water (including passive samplers), and biological tissues associated with oil spills are included, as are the effects and long-term oil weathering, long-term monitoring in urbanized and non-urbanized environments, fate and transport, forensic historical research, new analytical and chemical data processing and interpretation methods. - Presents cases in each chapter on the application of specific oil spill environmental forensic techniques - Features chapters written by international experts from both academia and industry - Includes relevant concepts and theories elucidated for each theme

As the Gulf of Mexico recovers from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural resource managers face the challenge of understanding the impacts of the spill and setting priorities for restoration work. The full value of losses resulting from the spill cannot be captured, however, without consideration of changes in ecosystem services-the benefits delivered to society through natural processes. An Ecosystem Services Approach to Assessing the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico discusses the benefits and challenges associated with using an ecosystem services approach to damage assessment, describing potential impacts of response technologies, exploring the role of resilience, and offering suggestions for areas of future research. This report illustrates how this approach might be applied to coastal wetlands, fisheries, marine mammals, and the deep sea-each of which provide key ecosystem services in the Gulf-and identifies substantial differences among these case studies. The report also discusses the suite of technologies used in the spill response, including burning, skimming, and chemical dispersants, and their possible long-term impacts on ecosystem services.