Planning for the Human Dimensions of Oil Spills and Spill Response

Oil spill contingency planners need an improved approach to understanding and planning for the human dimensions of oil spills. Drawing on existing literature in social impact assessment, natural hazards, human ecology, adaptive management, global change and sustainability, we develop an integrative approach to understanding and portraying the human dimensions impacts of stressors associated with oil spill events. Our approach is based on three fundamental conclusions that are drawn from this literature review. First, it is productive to acknowledge that, while stressors can produce human impacts directly, they mainly affect intermediary processes and changes to these processes produce human impacts. Second, causal chain modeling taken from hazard management literature provides a means to document how oil spill stressors change processes and produce human impacts. Third, concepts from the global change literature on vulnerability enrich causal models in ways that make more obvious how management interventions lessen hazards and mitigate associated harm. Using examples from recent spill events, we illustrate how these conclusions can be used to diagrammatically portray the human dimensions of oil spills.     

海上溢油回收技术研究及发展

论述了厌氧-好氧(A/O)工艺的基本原理及工艺参数。该工艺在冀东油田两座废水处理站的应用结果表明,对废水中石油类物质、COD、硫化物去除效果明显。高一联合站及柳一联合站污水经处理后,石油类物质去除率分别为90.6%和96.0%;COD去除率分别为86.0%和91.6%;硫化物去除率分别为94.8%和98.2%,处理后的污水均达到一级排放标准。另外,采用厌氧-好氧工艺的成本相对较低,处理费用低于0.5元/m3。处理后的污水若回注地下,平均费用为4.7元/m3。     

海上石油设施溢油风险管理与防控研究

对海上溢油风险进行了分析,介绍了海上石油设施溢油风险管理方法与溢油防控技术。提出综合考虑设施本身情况、海域特点、天气海况以及人员素质等多方面因素及其各因素之间的相互关系,建立溢油风险源数据库和风险评价体系,加强溢油风险分析和管理,是预防海上石油设施溢油事故的有效措施;提高溢油监控技术、溢油预测预警技术和溢油清除技术是降低溢油污染损害的关键。     

海上溢油回收技术研究

论述了厌氧-好氧(A/O)工艺的基本原理及工艺参数。该工艺在冀东油田两座废水处理站的应用结果表明,对废水中石油类物质、COD、硫化物去除效果明显。高一联合站及柳一联合站污水经处理后,石油类物质去除率分别为90.6%和96.0%;COD去除率分别为86.0%和91.6%;硫化物去除率分别为94.8%和98.2%,处理后的污水均达到一级排放标准。另外,采用厌氧-好氧工艺的成本相对较低,处理费用低于0.5元/m3。处理后的污水若回注地下,平均费用为4.7元/m3。     

A港区海上溢油事故数值模拟预测

为研究A港区溢油事故的影响,通过MIKE21软件建模、并综合考虑风向、风速和潮流等因素设定6种不同情景进行模拟预测。结果显示,在不利风条件下,72 h油膜扩散距离为0.7~39.50 km,扫海面积可达0.03~142.97 km²,风场对油粒子的漂移和扩散起决定性作用,潮流场次之。通过模拟预测,为加强区域溢油应急联动、充分利用周边溢油应急资源,做好溢油应急防范提供参考。     

海洋溢油的风化过程及其对环境的影响

随着沿海和海上油田的大规模开发，溢油事故屡有发生。据估计，我国海洋年均溢油量约为２万ｔ，对海洋环境构成了严重的危害，成为海洋环境中的主要污染源。根据近年来对海洋溢油污染的研究，详细介绍溢油进入海洋环境的扩散、挥发、溶解、分散及乳化等过程，并进而阐述了对海洋环境的影响。     

Oil spill vulnerability assessment integrating physical, biological and socio-economical aspects: Application to the Cantabrian coast (Bay of Biscay, Spain)

A methodology has been developed to carry out an integrated oil spill vulnerability index, V, for coastal environments. This index takes into account the main physical, biological and socio-economical characteristics by means of three intermediate indexes. Three different integration methods (worst-case, average and survey-based) along with ESI-based vulnerability scores, V_ESI, proposed for the Cantabrian coast during the Prestige oil spill, have been analyzed and compared in terms of agreement between the classifications obtained with each one for this coastal area. Results of this study indicate that the use of the worst-case index, V_R, leads to a conservative ranking, with a very poor discrimination which is not helpful in coastal oil spill risk management. Due to the homogeneity of this coastal stretch, the rest of the methods, V_I, V_M and V_ESI, provide similar classifications. However, V_M and V_I give more flexibility allowing three indexes for each coastal segment and including socio-economic aspects. Finally, the V_I procedure is proposed here as the more advisable as using this index promotes the public participation that is a key element in the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM).     

A conceptual model for response to Arctic oil spills

The potential for oil spills in Arctic regions has increased significantly because of the development of petroleum resources. Response to an oil spill in the Arctic is likely to be much slower than that in the temperate region because of the remoteness of the area and its severe climate. In the face of these unique problems, accurate prediction of the extent and subsequent movement of an oil spill is vital to any cleanup effort. Presented is the framework of a program to study the movement of oil spills in the Arctic. Existing models of oil spreading and polar ice dynamics are reviewed and areas where new model development is required are defined. A system design is developed that may be used for developing a plan to act in the event of a major spill.     

Decision Support System for Managing Oil Spill Events

The Mediterranean environment is exposed to various hazards, including oil spills, forest fires, and floods, making the development of a decision support system (DSS) for emergency management an objective of utmost importance. The present work presents a complete DSS for managing marine pollution events caused by oil spills. The system provides all the necessary tools for early detection of oil-spills from satellite images, monitoring of their evolution, estimation of the accident consequences and provision of support to responsible Public Authorities during clean-up operations. The heart of the system is an image processing–geographic information system and other assistant individual software tools that perform oil spill evolution simulation and all other necessary numerical calculations as well as cartographic and reporting tasks related to a specific management of the oil spill event. The cartographic information is derived from the extant general maps representing detailed information concerning several regional environmental and land-cover characteristics as well as financial activities of the application area. Early notification of the authorities with up-to-date accurate information on the position and evolution of the oil spill, combined with the detailed coastal maps, is of paramount importance for emergency assessment and effective clean-up operations that would prevent environmental hazard. An application was developed for the Region of Crete, an area particularly vulnerable to oil spills due to its location, ecological characteristics, and local economic activities.     

溢油污染处置技术现状分析

大规模的海洋溢油常常导致非常严重的环境污染事件和生态灾难,溢油事故应急是世界应急技术领域面临的重大技术难题。文章通过引用典型事故案例和国内事故概况说明了溢油事故的巨大风险及其危害,分析油品入水、扩散、漂移以及着陆四个不同事故演化阶段的污染特征,系统梳理溢油事故应急的物理、化学和生物处置方法,并通过对比各类方法的适用范围和优缺点,总结当前溢油应急处置技术、应急能力以及环境适应性等方面存在的不足,提出加强溢油应急处置能力应该在提高应急装备能力、开发新技术产品、建立全球联动机制等方面加强努力。     

EFFECTS OF COAL PILE RUNOFF ON STREAM QUALITY AND MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES1

Samples of coal pile runoff, Georges Creek water, and macrobenthos above and below two coal storage areas along Georges Creek, Allegany County, Maryland, were collected in July, August, and September 1982, and February and July 1983. Coal pile runoff was collected under high- and low-flow conditions. Water samples were analyzed for Hg, Zn, As, Fe, Mn, Al, SO₄^?2, pH, filterable and non-filterable residue, conductivity and acidity. Leachate from coal piles along Georges Creek contained high concentrations of heavy metals, particularly manganese, aluminum and zinc. Iron and sulfate were very high and the pH ranged from 1.4 to 3.1. Georges Creek water had much lower concentrations of metals, iron and sulfate and a pH of about 7.0. The distribution of macrobenthos in Georges Creek showed the effects of both runoff from coal storage piles and periodic drought. Brillouin's diversity index values were low even in areas which did not dry. Densities of tubificid worms and chironomid larvae were very high above the coal storage areas where organic inputs were high. At all the rest of the sampling stations, macroinvertebrate densities were very low. Where coal pile runoff enters Georges Creek, it compounds the effects of periodic drought and further stresses the aquatic community.     

地理信息系统与海上溢油模型集成研究

将地理信息系统(GIS)技术与溢油模型进行集成,其优点是能发挥GIS在模型参数获取、空间数据分析与管理、模拟结果可视化等方面的优势,使整个溢油建模过程更为便捷。文中介绍了GIS与溢油模型集成的概念,分析了GIS技术在海上溢油模型中的应用实例,给出了一种GIS与溢油模型的紧密集成方案,讨论了两者集成的发展趋势。     

海洋石油开发中含油污水处理与溢油防治技术

海洋石油工业清洁生产的关键是防止油污染,而油污染的主要来源是日常排放的含油污水中的油及事故性溢油。首先概述了海上含油污水的处理方法及其原理,并结合实际论述了主要采用的处理工艺,并分析了各工艺技术的处理效果和存在的问题。文章还叙述了海上溢油事故及防止溢油事故发生所应采取的多方位预防措施;建立管理体系,加强管理,通过培训来提高全员操作管理水平,建立溢油处置应急计划和组织系统。在溢油控制方面建立海上溢油漂移模拟程序,对溢油进行实时监控,并对采用的溢油处理装置及方法进行了评述     

海洋石油污染处理方法优化配置

溢油是石油进入海洋的主要方式之一,如何对溢油事故进行有效的预防和处理成为有效预防海洋污染、保护海洋环境的重要举措。文章从三个方面介绍了如何进行溢油防治,并对溢油处理措施进行了详细说明,论证了不同海面状况下各种处理方法的优化组合,并以辽河油田浅海石油开发公司导管架平台溢油事故为例进行了说明。     

油码头溢油风险防控措施研究

油码头生产过程中的溢油事故隐患主要集中在码头(泊位)、油品罐区、输运船舶及输油管道4个单元,文章通过查找和研究相关法律、法规、标准及规范等关于油码头溢油风险防控的要求,对不同类型的溢油事故提出了有针对性的风险防控措施,明确了油码头在溢油风险监督管理工作中应关注的重点,从而为油码头企业开展溢油风险防控措施自查提供参考。     

秦皇岛海域溢油事故分析研究

通过对秦皇岛海域溢油污染事故进行分析,运用溢油风险评估的理论,对秦皇岛水域海上溢油风险作出了评估,以期当出现溢油事故时损失减小到最低。     

Criteria for Oil Spill Recovery: A Case Study of the Intertidal Community of Prince William Sound, Alaska, Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Marine intertidal organisms in Prince William Sound were exposed to crude oil following the T/V Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. The intertidal communities were also subjected to mechanical disturbance during invasive oil spill remediation and cleanup efforts. Using monitoring data collected from 1989 to 1997, impacts and eventual recovery were assessed at oiled but uncleaned sites and oiled and cleaned study areas. A statistical model where recovery was defined as parallelism between the time profiles at control and oiled sites was evaluated. Statistical analysis and graphical presentations of the data suggest intertidal epibiota communities recovered from the oil spill by 1992 at the oiled sites and by 1994 at the oiled and remediated sites. Empirical data from the intertidal monitoring program supports the use of tests of parallelism in evaluating recovery and the need to avoid simply the comparison of sample means from control and oiled sites.     

Economic use value of the Belize marine ecosystem: Potential risks and benefits from offshore oil exploration

The announcement of plans for exploratory oil drilling at a number of offshore sites in Belize raised concerns about the risks associated with drilling, particularly given the socio‐economic importance of the marine ecosystem. The current economic value of fisheries and marine ecotourism is estimated, along with the potential revenue from offshore oil and potential economic losses stemming from oil pollution, under various assumptions on risk and uncertainty. Marine fisheries and ecotourism are estimated to generate around US$ 183 million per year. Single‐year estimated maximum revenue is higher for oil extraction initially but quickly declines; during a 50 year (two generation) period, total discounted benefits from marine fisheries and ecotourism are estimated at US$ 5.1 billion, compared to US$ 3.2 billion from offshore oil revenue. Following a hypothetical oil spill, discounted losses in marine fisheries and ecotourism due to perception and ecological impacts are estimated at US$ 912 million, with clean‐up costs and capital losses of US$ 6.1‐10.4 billion. Considering the short extraction life of oil resources compared to fisheries and ecotourism, the difference in benefits increases substantially in favour of the latter with a longer time horizon. A recent public referendum resulted in a 98% vote against oil exploration and a subsequent annulment of oil concessions pending environmental impact assessments.     

Overland flow model for asphalt oil spills

Along the asphalt production line, the hot asphalt oil needs to undergo a cooling process that involves temporary storage in a tank. Safety is always a concern as to what if the tank is ruptured. Scenario studies of asphalt oil spills are required when designing the layout and open space for such a cooling process in the refinery yard. Applying the laminar flow theory to an asphalt oil spill, this paper presents an overland flow model to calculate the possible range of spread. The major parameters used in this model include fluid viscosity, ground slope, hydraulic conveyance, and asphalt oil volume. As a simplified model for a quasi-steady state flow condition, a hot asphalt oil spill for a typical case in a refinery yard can run approximately 400 to 600 feet before the asphalt mass cools down and becomes solid-like.     

浅谈突发溢油事件应急处置技术及装置的应用

概述了海洋溢油应急处置的技术方法,分析了溢油应急处置装置设备的应用特点,为海洋溢油应急处置工作提供理论依据。