Recovery of the Irving Whale oil barge: Overflights with the laser environmental airborne fluorosensor

In the summer of 1996 the oil barge, Irving Whale, was successfully raised from the depths of the St Lawrence River with the majority of its cargo of bunker C fuel oil intact. As part of the recovery effort, the Emergencies Science Division of Environment Canada performed airborne remote sensing flights over the site of the barge prior to, during and following the lift procedure. The primary sensor employed during these remote sensing flights was the laser environmental airborne fluorosensor (LEAF). Additional equipment on board Environment Canada's DC-3 aircraft included an RC-10 colour mapping camera and two down-looking video cameras.In the days leading up to the lifting of the Irving Whale, the LEAF system detected bunker C fuel oil on the surface of the gulf in close proximity to the location of the sunken barge. This oil was believed to have been dislodged from beneath structures on the top of the barge during inspections, welding and other preparations in advance of the lift. On the actual day of the lift, 30 July, greatly increased amounts of bunker fuel were detected. During each overflight, the real-time LEAF system produced timely, concise map-based oil contamination information in hard-copy form. The locations of the visibly thick and recoverable oil were radioed to spill response personnel on the surface and promptly recovered by booming and skimming operations. In addition, the LEAF system found extremely thin, sub-sheen levels of oil over the majority of the southern Gulf of St Lawrence on the day of the lift. The extent of this coverage was greatly reduced the following day (presumably due to further spreading) and essentially eliminated by 1 August. The LEAF system on the DC-3 continued to monitor the Irving Whale as it was transported to Halifax, Nova Scotia on the deck of the submersible vessel Boabarge 10. During transit no oil which could be attributed to the Irving Whale was detected, apart from a small residual amount at the lift site.     

Application of Ultraviolet Fluorescence Spectroscopy to Monitor Oil–Mineral Aggregate Formation

At an excitation wavelength of 320 nm, the ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF) spectra emitted by reference oils dispersed in seawater with mineral fines yielded two important results:

• (1)Resuspended negatively-buoyant oil–mineral aggregates (OMAs) exhibited maximum fluorescence at an emission wavelength of 450 nm and,
• (2)the hydrocarbons dispersed and/or dissolved in the seawater that remained after the aggregates had settled out exhibited maximum fluorescence at 355 nm.

Data from UVF analysis (450 nm emission) and microscopical observations of seven reference oils suggest that higher-viscosity oils are less likely to form aggregates with mineral fines. This decline in OMA formation with increased oil viscosity could be predicted from a decrease in the ratio of emission at 450–355 nm. The data suggest that direct UVF spectroscopy of dispersed/dissolved oil and OMAs in seawater can be used to predict and verify the extent of OMA formation.     

Oil-spill research program of the US Minerals Management Service

Current oil-spill research funded by the US Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS), emphasizes technology development in the fields of in situ burning, spill counter-measure standardization using large wave tank testing, remote sensing and oil-spill trajectory analysis. Research projects include efforts in large field observational programs, surface drifters, and modeling to support trajectory simulation in the Gulf of Mexico and the Santa Barbara Channel. Research progress is outlined with emphasis on data-sharing and collaborative efforts.     

Using ultraviolet light to investigate petroleum-contaminated soil

Ultraviolet (UV) light can aid in the investigation of petroleum-contaminated soil and sediment. The visible fluorescence of many petroleum products under UV illumination often results in a striking contrast when compared with surrounding, uncontaminated media. This contrast can be used in a variety of applications, including delineating the extent of petroleum in excavations, locating seeps along shorelines, and selecting sample intervals in sediment cores. In another application, a field screening test using UV light combined with solvent extraction was developed to detect low levels of petroleum in soil. The test rapidly screens soil samples for the presence and relative concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons. The test was used to screen samples for laboratory analysis and identify residual petroleum product in boring samples.     

Review of oil spill remote sensing

Airborne and space-borne sensors are reviewed and evaluated in terms of their usefulness in responding to oil spills. Recent developments and trends in sensor technology are illustrated with specific examples. The discussion of the sensors is divided into two main categories, namely active and passive. Active sensors are those that provide their own source of illumination or excitation, whereas passive sensors rely on illumination from a secondary source. A common passive sensor is an infrared camera or an IR/UV (infrared/ultraviolet) system. The inherent weaknesses include the inability to discriminate oil on beaches, among seaweeds or debris. Among active sensors, the laser fluorosensor is a most useful instrument because of its unique capability to identify oil on backgrounds that include water, soil, ice and snow. It is the only sensor that can positively discriminate oil on most backgrounds. Disadvantages include the large size, weight and high cost. Radar offers the only potential for large area searches and foul weather remote sensing. Radar is costly, requires a dedicated aircraft, and is prone to many interferences. Equipment that measures relative slick thickness is still under development. Passive microwave has been studied for several years, but many commercial instruments lack sufficient spatial resolution to be practical, operational instruments. A laser-acoustic instrument, which provides the only technology to measure absolute oil thickness, is under development. Equipment operating in the visible region of the spectrum, such as cameras and scanners, is useful for documentation or providing a basis for the overlay of other data. It is not useful beyond this because oil shows no spectral characteristics in the visible region which can be used to discriminate oil.     

A Review of the Status of Advanced Technologies for the Detection of Oil in and with Ice

Remote sensors for application to oil in ice and oil with ice are assessed. Radio-frequency methods to detect oil in ice depend on the difference in dielectric properties between oil and water. Freshwater ice is relatively transparent to frequencies below about 200 MHz. Despite extensive theoretical studies, there is a lack of experimental evidence to support the notion that radio-frequency methods have potential.Acoustic methods for the detection of oil in ice show promise. Regular metal inspection equipment is capable of detecting oil layers under ice. Oil propagates shear waves and detection methods based on this unique property are capable of identifying oil in ice. One unit has been built and tested in the field based on this principle.Oil with ice detection is a well developed technology. A common sensor is an infrared camera or an IR/UV (infrared/ultraviolet) system. The inherent weaknesses include the inability to discriminate oil on beaches, among weeds or debris. The laser fluorosensor is a most useful instrument because of its unique ability to identify oil on backgrounds that include water, soil, ice and snow. It is the only sensor that can positively discriminate oil on most backgrounds. Radar offers the only potential for large area searches and foul weather remote sensing, however, there is little potential to detect oil in the immediate vicinity of ice. A major weakness of radar is that it is limited to operation over seas with winds of about 2–8 m/s.Equipment operating in the visible region of the spectrum, such as cameras and scanners, is useful for documentation or providing a basis for the overlay of other data. It is not useful beyond this because oil shows no spectral characteristics in the visible region that can be used to discriminate oil.     

The evaporation of oil spills: Prediction of equations using distillation data

This work follows on extensive empirical studies on the evaporation of oil and petroleum products. A study of the evaporative characteristics of 19 different crude oils and petroleum products was conducted. Best-fit equation parameters were determined for both percentage loss by time and absolute weight loss. All oils except for three (diesel fuel, FCC Heavy Cycle and Bunker C light) were found to fit logarithmic curves. The exceptions noted, fit square root curves with time for periods up to about 5 d. The equation constants were correlated with oil distillation data. The equation constants correlated highly with the percentage distilled at 180°C. Using this correlation, equations were developed by which the oil evaporation can be predicted using the distillation data alone.     

Calcined Oil Shale Semi-coke for Significantly Improved Performance Alginate-Based Film by Crosslinking with Ca2+

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Oil shale semi-coke (OSSC) is the residual solid waste after refining of oil shale, which principally contains organic matter and minerals. The common...     

Overview and future trends in oil spill remote sensing

Remote sensing has great potential to provide data to improve oil spill response efforts. There are a number of sensors available that have been proven capable of detecting oil on water and measuring some of its properties. There is no single sensor that provides all the data needed, and hence a combination of sensors must be used. Even if finances and aircraft load capacity were unlimited, there are still many parameters of an oil slick that cannot be measured by remote sensing. This paper describes the cyrrently available sensors and their method of operation and outlines some new developments that have the potential to increase the amount of data available from an airborne remote sensing operation.     

Use of a novel biomarker,botryococcane, to monitor biodegradation of two lacustrine‐sourced crude oils

Bioremediation is a proven alternative for remediating petroleum‐impacted soils at exploration and production (E&P) sites. Monitoring remediation performance can involve detection and quantification of biodegradation resistant compounds such as C₃₀17α(H),21β(H)‐hopane, which requires the use of gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC/MS). Due to the remoteness of many E&P sites, this technology is not always available, and alternative methods are needed to provide reliable quantitative measurements of petroleum remediation efficiency. This study provides a detailed chemical characterization of lacustrine‐sourced crude oils and a technical basis for measuring the effectiveness of bioremediation efforts for soil impacted by those crudes. We show that the novel isoprenoid hydrocarbon botryococcane is relatively stable in lacustrine‐sourced crude oils compared with C₃₀17α(H),21β(H)‐hopane under moderate biodegradation conditions generally observed in field samples. We have also demonstrated that, due to the stability and relatively elevated concentration of botryococcane in lacustrine oils, it can be reliably measured using the more cost‐effective and available GC/FID methodology, and thereby be used to monitor the progress of ongoing soil bioremediation activities at remote sites.     

老化油处理技术研究进展

老化油是石油工业生产过程中产生的含大量化学药剂、水、黏土及无机盐的状态稳定的复杂乳液,其产生量大、处理难度高。介绍了老化油的来源、成分、数量、对生产的危害、特点及处理难点,总结了老化油现有的处理方法,包括物理法、化学法、生物法及组合工艺,分析了各种方法的优缺点,并对老化油的管理和研究方向提出了建议。     

溢油监测技术在石油石化企业环境风险防控中的应用

针对石油石化企业的溢油风险,提出企业在厂区雨水系统、外排口、涉水生产设施、环境敏感受体、溢油事故应急处置5类场景下的溢油监测需求,总结了溢油监测技术的类型和特点,介绍了可见光、红外、紫外、荧光、高光谱、微波辐射、雷达、电磁能量吸收等溢油监测技术的应用现状和优缺点。提出:企业溢油监测系统可分为企业内部溢油风险分级管控监测、企业边界的溢油风险报警监测、敏感环境监视的风险预警监测、溢油事故应急救援的溢油处置监测4个层次的运行模式。     

The Preparation and Characterization of Polyurethane Foam with Coconut Oil Polyol and Rapeseed Oil Polyol

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The bio-based acoustic materials have flourished with the future depletion of petroleum resources in recent years. This paper dedicates on the synthesis of...     

Biodiesel from lignocellulosic biomass – Prospects and challenges

Biodiesel can be a potential alternative to petroleum diesel, but its high production cost has impeded its commercialization in most parts of the world. One of the main drivers for the generation and use of biodiesel is energy security, because this fuel can be produced from locally available resources, thereby reducing the dependence on imported oil. Many countries are now trying to produce biodiesel from plant or vegetable oils. However, the consumption of large amounts of vegetable oils for biodiesel production could result in a shortage in edible oils and cause food prices to soar. Alternatively, the use of animal fat, used frying oils, and waste oils from restaurants as feedstock could be a good strategy to reduce the cost. However, these limited resources might not meet the increasing demand for clean, renewable fuels. Therefore, recent research has been focused the use of residual materials as renewable feedstock in order to lower the cost of producing biodiesel. Microbial oils or single cell oils (SCOs), produced by oleaginous microorganisms have been studied as promising alternatives to vegetable or seed oils. Various types of agro-industrial residues have been suggested as prospective nutritional sources for microbial cultures. Since the most abundant residue from agricultural crops is lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), this byproduct has been given top-priority consideration as a source of biomass for producing biodiesel. But the biological transformation of lignocellulosic materials is complicated due to their crystalline structure. So, pretreatment is required before they can be converted into fermentable sugar. This article compares and scrutinizes the extent to which various microbes can accumulate high levels of lipids as functions of the starting materials and the fermentation conditions. Also, the obstacles associated with the use of LCB are described, along with a potentially viable approach for overcoming the obstacles that currently preclude the commercial production of biodiesel from agricultural biomass.     

CytoSol – Cleaning Oiled Shorelines with a Vegetable Oil Biosolvent

A cleanup process has been developed to aid in the removal of crude or fuel oil from shorelines using CytoSol “biosolvent” formulation based on vegetable oil methyl esters in combination with bioremediation enhancers. The CytoSol biosolvent dissolves and floats the oil, the oil/biosolvent mixture is rinsed off with ambient temperature water for collection as a consolidated layer with skimmers. The collected oil mixture can be recycled as a burner fuel. Nutrient enhancers in the formulation then stimulate the natural biodegradation of the remaining residual hydrocarbons. This new approach minimizes physical and chemical impacts to marine organisms, cleans oiled surfaces effectively, and allows the oiled ecosystem to recover with less mortality than conventional methods involving hot water, detergents or other chemical cleaners. CytoSol is ideally suited for port facilities and waterfronts dealing with occasional small oil spills and has undergone extensive laboratory testing for the US EPA. In 1997, the CytoSol biosolvent was licensed in the state of California as a shoreline cleaner and set up for commercial distribution.CytoSol biosolvent can extract heavy petroleum (crude, fuel oils) off shoreline habitats, mussel-encrusted breakwaters or pilings, and estuary vegetation. The viscosity of the product tends to limit the penetration of the CytoSol/oil mixture into sand and gravel beaches, allowing more of the dissolved oil to be removed from the shoreline by washing. The product has a low specific gravity (0.87), tends to consolidate oil, and is practically immiscible with water, so it facilitates the recovery of spilled oil with conventional skimming and absorbent boom technologies. Since it is non-volatile and non-flammable, there is little danger of explosion or fire when spraying it inside confined spaces.     

Sorption and Recovery of Heavy Oils by Using Exfoliated Graphite

The behavior of sorption of heavy oils into exfoliated graphite samples with different bulk density was studied by using four grades of heavy oil with different viscosity. Maximum sorption capacity of exfoliated graphite was found to be 83 g of A-grade heavy oil per 1 g of the exfoliated graphite and also its sorption occurs very rapidly, within 1 min. Sorption capacity depended strongly on bulk density and total pore volume of exfoliated graphite. Time to reach maximum sorption, as well as sorption capacity, of an exfoliated graphite depended strongly on grade of heavy oil; a large amount of heavy oils with low viscosity was sorbed in a short time, but oils with high viscosity needed a long time although sorbed amount was relatively small.Heavy oils sorbed into exfoliated graphite could be recovered by a simple filtration under reduced pressure with the recovery ratio of about 70% and could not be differentiated from molecular weight values and the contents of various hydrocarbons. The exfoliated graphite packed into a bag was shown to give also high sorption capacity, if the material of the bag and the way of picking up from heavy oil were properly selected.     

Storage stability of biocrude oils from fast pyrolysis of poultry litter

The unstable nature of biocrude oils produced from conventional pyrolysis of biomass is one of the properties that limits its application. In the disposal of poultry litter via pyrolysis technology, the biocrude oil produced as a value-added product can be used for on farm applications. In this study, we investigated the influence of bedding material (wood shavings) on the storage stability of biocrude oils produced from the fast pyrolysis of poultry litter. The biocrude oils produced from manure, wood (pine and oak), and mixtures of manure and wood in proportions (75:25 50:50, and 25:75 w/w%) were stored under ambient conditions in sealed glass vials for a period of 6 months and their stability were monitored by measuring the changes in viscosity over time. The manure oil had the lowest rate of viscosity change and thus was relatively the most stable and the oils from the 50:50 w/w% litter mixtures were the least stable. The rate of viscosity change of the manure biocrude oil was 1.33 cP/day and that of the 50/50 litter mixture was 7.6 cP/day for pine and 4.17 cP/day for oak.The spectrometric analyses of the biocrude oils showed that the presence of highly reactive oxygenated functionalities in the oil were responsible for the instability characteristic of the litter biocrude oils. The poor stability of the biocrude oil from the 50:50 w/w% litter mixtures was attributed to reactions between nitrogenous compounds (amides) from protein degradation and oxygenated compounds from the decomposition of polysaccharides and lignin. The addition of 10% methanol and 10% ethanol to the oil from 50% manure and 50% pine reduced the initial viscosity of the oil and was also beneficial in slowing down the rate of viscosity change during storage.     

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990: A Decade Later

Analysis of oil spills data confirms that accidental oil spills are natural phenomenon and that there is a relationship between accidental oil spills and variables like vessel size, vessel type, time and region of spill. The volume of oil spilled bears relationship with the volume of petroleum imports and domestic movement of petroleum and proportion of large oil spills. Finally, navigational risk increases with increase in marine traffic and is also determined by variables like hydrographic and meteorological conditions, water configuration, maneuvering space, obstructions and nuisance vessels. The Oil Pollution Act, 1990 (OPA 90) was passed by the US Congress in the aftermath of 11 million gallon spill of crude oil in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The objective of OPA 90 was to minimize marine casualties and oil spills by addressing preventive, protective, deterrent and performance aspects of accidental oil spills. The arm of various regulations like double-hull tankers and vessel response plans extended to both US flagged and foreign-flagged tank vessels. The cost–benefit analysis of major regulations shows that the estimated costs exceed estimated benefits. We observe from USCG data on oil spills by size, by vessel type, Coast guard district and type of petroleum product that there have been significant reductions in the number and the quantity of oil spills. Our regression results show that the quantity of oil spilled increases with increase in oil imports but increases at a decreasing rate. The quantity of oil spilled decreases with increases in the domestic oil movements. Furthermore, percent of oil spills larger than 10,000 gallons also increases the potential quantity of oil spilled. OPA 90 has been a deterrent to accidental oil spills but the finding is not conclusive.     

Recovery of different waste vegetable oils for biodiesel production: A pilot experience in Bahia State,Brazil

In Brazil, and mainly in the State of Bahia, crude vegetable oils are widely used in the preparation of food. Street stalls, restaurants and canteens make a great use of palm oil and soybean oil. There is also some use of castor oil, which is widely cultivated in the Sertão Region (within the State of Bahia), and widely applied in industry. This massive use in food preparation leads to a huge amount of waste oil of different types, which needs either to be properly disposed of, or recovered. At the Laboratorio Energia e Gas-LEN (Energy & Gas lab.) of the Universidade Federal da Bahia, a cycle of experiments were carried out to evaluate the recovery of waste oils for biodiesel production. The experiences were carried out on a laboratory scale and, in a semi-industrial pilot plant using waste oils of different qualities. In the transesterification process, applied waste vegetable oils were reacted with methanol with the support of a basic catalyst, such as NaOH or KOH. The conversion rate settled at between 81% and 85% (in weight). The most suitable molar ratio of waste oils to alcohol was 1:6, and the amount of catalyst required was 0.5% (of the weight of the incoming oil), in the case of NaOH, and 1%, in case of KOH.The quality of the biodiesel produced was tested to determine the final product quality. The parameters analyzed were the acid value, kinematic viscosity, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, free glycerine, total glycerine, clearness; the conversion yield of the process was also evaluated.     

A study on the effects of oil fires on fire booms employed during the in situ burning of oil

For over 10 years scientists have studied the effects of in situ burning of oil on air and water quality and potential related health issues. The recent Newfoundland Offshore Burn experiment, conducted by Environment Canada, was the culmination of several years of work. The results of this experiment found that ‘emissions from the in situ oil fire were lower than expected and all compounds and parameters measured were below health concerns at 150 m from the fire’ (The Newfoundland Offshore Burn Experiment—NOBE, Preliminary Results of Emissions Measurement). Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found to be lower in the soot generated from the fire than in the starting oil prior to the fire. The conclusion reached was that the environmental benefits resulting from the burning of oil spills far outweigh the potential air pollution caused from the smoke. These findings now open the door on the use of in situ burning of oil as a major tool to be used to mitigate environmental damage from oil spills.As a result of these and other test findings, Region 6 of the Regional Response Team (made up of the U.S. Coast Guard, The Minerals Management Service, The Department of Environmental Quality, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other state and federal agencies) had pre-approved the use of in situ burning of oil spills for offshore Louisiana and Texas. Other parts of the country and other countries are evaluating the use of in situ burning to combat oil spills. Now that the scientific community has weighed the environmental costs and benefits of in situ burning it is time to address the operational and procedural issues.