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MMS Compiles a Summary of it’s Arctic Oil Spill Response Research

The US Minerals Management Service (MMS) has compiled a report that provides a comprehensive summary of activities and accomplishments of the MMS Arctic Oil Spill Response Research (OSRR) program.

The program directly supports MMS missions of ensuring safe and sound operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) through leadership in research and standards development for Arctic operations and in facilitating the use of science in making policy and leasing decisions.

From 1997 through 2008 the MMS has successfully developed and conducted thirty-one projects directly related to improving equipment and processes for the prompt identification and removal of oil from harsh Arctic environments.

Rather than working independently, the OSRR program has reached out and partnered with state and federal government agencies, academia, private industry, and other countries who share similar interests in Arctic oil spill response research.

As a product of these partnerships, over 40 per cent of these projects were jointly funded.

 

The OSRR projects highlighted in the document are examples of how the MMS has and continues to address the ongoing operational and environmental concerns associated with energy exploration and exploitation in the Arctic.

Research projects, many of which were conducted at Ohmsett - The National Oil Spill Response Test Facility, range from mechanical containment and recovery in ice conditions, to dispersant use in cold water, and reflect an expanding body of work that has advanced knowledge of oil spill response capabilities in cold water environments that is essential to making planning, regulatory, and emergency response decisions.

 

Completed projects can be found at

http://www.mms.gov/tarprojectcategories/ and the full report will be posted at a later date.

Significant Accomplishments of the MMS Arctic Oil Spill Response Research Program

 

Detection of Oil in and Under Ice

- Development of Ground Penetrating Radar into a useful operational tool to reliably detect and map oil trapped in, under, on, or among ice

Oil Spill Thickness Sensor -

Development of an aerial sensor to measure and accurately map the thickness of oil on water and to rapidly transmit this information to response personnel in the command post. This includes the ability to determine the thickest portions of the oil slick and to operate effectively in bad weather or darkness

Mechanical Containment and Recovery in Ice Environments (Open Water, Broken Ice, and On or Under Ice) -

More than a decade of MMS research has focused on methods to improve the effectiveness of equipment and techniques for the mechanical recovery of oil spills in ice-infested waters. This research has substantially improved mechanical recovery of oil spills in Arctic environments.

In Situ Burn Research -

Development of in situ burning into a viable countermeasure for oil spills in Arctic environments.

Dispersants in Cold Water/Broken Ice Environments -

Experiments at Ohmsett have demonstrated that dispersants are effective in near-freezing water temperatures but this is highly dependent on the properties of the crude oil. Dispersants can be effective in broken ice if there is some mixing energy present. Dispersants provide an invaluable third response option when strong winds and sea conditions make mechanical cleanup and in situ burn techniques unsafe and/or ineffective.

Chemical Herders -

The use of chemical herding agents to extend the window of opportunity for oil spill response countermeasures in Arctic environments.

Ohmsett – The National Oil Spill Response Test Facility -

Ohmsett is an integral part of the MMS oil spill research program and is essential for fulfilling the agency’s regulatory responsibilities under OPA-90.

The facility directly supports MMS’s mission of ensuring safe and environmentally sound oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf. Ohmsett is not only a vital component of the MMS oil spill research, it is also a national asset where government agencies, private industry and academia can conduct full-scale oil spill research and development programs in a controlled environment with real oil.

In addition, it is the premier hands-on training site for spill response personnel from state and federal government agencies, private industry and foreign countries.