Response to Marine Oil Spills: Introduction to oil spills

Summary

This script delves into the complexities of oil spill response, highlighting the importance of understanding oil types and their behavior in marine environments. From the historical lessons of the Torrey Canyon disaster to the expertise of organizations like ITOPF, it emphasizes the need for well-planned strategies that consider weathering, dispersion, and biodegradation. The narrative illustrates how knowledge of oil's interaction with sea conditions can significantly influence the impact and response to spills, showcasing the evolution of our preparedness since past incidents.

Takeaways

• 🌏 Global oil consumption has reached four billion tonnes annually, highlighting the scale of potential environmental impacts from oil spills.
• 🚢 Oil spills, though rare, can have severe consequences for the environment, livelihoods, and local economies, emphasizing the importance of effective response strategies.
• 🛡 The Torrey Canyon disaster in 1967 marked a turning point, leading to the establishment of ITOPF to provide technical advice on marine spills.
• 📈 ITOPF's experience shows a significant decrease in major oil spills since the 1970s, with a shift towards smaller volume spills from non-tanker ships.
• 🛑 Understanding the type of oil spilled is crucial for planning an appropriate response, as different oils behave differently in the marine environment.
• 🔬 The physical properties of crude oil can vary widely, affecting how it spreads, evaporates, and interacts with the environment after a spill.
• 🌊 Weathering processes, such as spreading, evaporation, emulsification, and dispersion, significantly alter the oil's behavior and must be considered in response strategies.
• 🧪 Experiments simulating ocean conditions are vital for understanding how oil behaves and for preparing effective response equipment and techniques.
• 🌡️ The environmental impact of a spill can vary greatly depending on the oil type and weather conditions, as demonstrated by the contrasting outcomes of the Exxon Valdez and Braer incidents.
• 🌿 Biodegradation by marine microorganisms is a natural process that helps to break down and remove residual oil from the marine environment over time.
• ⏳ The response to an oil spill must be swift and well-planned, taking into account the specific characteristics of the oil and the environmental conditions.

Q & A

How much oil is consumed globally every year?

Globally, we consume four billion tonnes of oil every year.

What was the impact of the Torrey Canyon oil spill in 1967?

The Torrey Canyon oil spill in 1967 resulted in the release of 119,000 tonnes of oil into the sea off the UK coast, threatening livelihoods and causing the death of thousands of sea birds.

What is the role of ITOPF in oil spill response?

ITOPF (International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited) provides technical advice on oil and chemical spills to shipowners, insurers, local governments, environment agencies, and people affected by oil spills.

Why was the response to the Torrey Canyon oil spill ineffective?

The response to the Torrey Canyon oil spill was ineffective because the know-how for dealing with spills on such a large scale did not exist at the time, and in some cases, the authorities made matters worse.

How has the number of major oil spills changed since the 1970s?

The number of major oil spills has dramatically declined since the 1970s, with an average of two spills per year in the last decade compared to around 25 major spills per year in the 1970s.

What challenges do heavier oils, like bunker oil, pose during clean-up?

Heavier oils, such as bunker oil, pose challenges during clean-up because they are thicker and more persistent, staying at sea for much longer, and when they come ashore, they smother things and become very tarry and difficult to clean.

How does the type of oil spilled affect the response strategy?

The type of oil spilled affects the response strategy because different types of oil have different physical properties and behaviors in the marine environment, requiring tailored clean-up techniques to minimize impact.

What is the significance of understanding the weathering process in oil spill response?

Understanding the weathering process is crucial in oil spill response because it involves physical and chemical changes that oil undergoes at sea, such as spreading, evaporation, emulsification, and dispersion, which significantly affect the behavior of oil and the response strategy.

Why was the environmental impact of the Braer oil spill relatively small compared to the Exxon Valdez spill?

The environmental impact of the Braer oil spill was relatively small because the spilled oil was a light crude oil with low viscosity that did not form persistent water-in-oil emulsions, and the force of the winds and waves helped disperse the oil into the water column.

How does biodegradation contribute to the clean-up of oil spills?

Biodegradation contributes to the clean-up of oil spills by involving microorganisms that naturally break down oil into water-soluble compounds. This process accelerates when the oil is dispersed into small droplets, increasing the surface area available for the bacteria to attach and break down the oil.

What is the importance of planning in oil spill response?

Planning is crucial in oil spill response as it saves precious time at the outset when the potential damage is the greatest. It involves understanding the type of oil spilled and predicting its behavior to apply the right blend of techniques that will minimize the impact.