 In
situ burning is an oil spill response tool that involves controlled ignition
and burning of an oil spill on the surface of the water or in a marsh. When
used early in a spill before the oil weathers and releases its volatile
components, burning can remove oil from the waters surface very efficiently
and at very high rates. Removal efficiencies for thick slicks can exceed 95
percent. In situ burning offers a logistically simple, rapid, inexpensive
and if controlled a relatively safe means for reducing the environmental
impacts of a spill. Burning gasifies the oil during combustion and rapidly
changes large quantities of oil into its primary combustion products (water
and carbon dioxide). This greatly reduces the need for collection, storage,
transport, treatment and disposal of recovered material. Burning requires
minimal equipment although some specialized
equipment
(fire resistant boom and igniters) and training is required. The use of
towed fire containment boom to capture, thicken and isolate a portion of the
spill, followed by ignition, is far less complex than the operations
involved in mechanical recovery.
 There is a limited window of opportunity (or time
period of effectiveness) to conduct successful burn operations. The type of
oil, prevailing meteorological and oceanographic conditions and the time it
takes for the oil to emulsify define the window. Once spilled, oil begins to
form emulsions. When water content exceeds 25% most slicks are unignitable.
In situ burning is being viewed with interest as a response tool in high
latitude waters where other response techniques may not be possible or
advisable due to the physical environment (extremely
low temperatures, ice-infested waters), or the remoteness of the impacted
area. Additionally, the magnitude of the spill may quickly overwhelm the
deployed mechanical equipment necessitating the consideration of other
techniques in the overall response strategy.
The Minerals Management Service in situ burn program
consists of research and development projects (many conducted jointly with
international partners) to evaluate various aspects of burning as an oil
spill countermeasure. Emphasis is on the emissions to air and water, burn
equipment evaluations, smoke plume modeling, and research to extend the "Window
of Opportunity" through the use of chemical emulsion breakers.
- Improve the operational capability of
existing in situ burn equipment and techniques to respond to oil spills
in the marine environment.
- Work cooperatively with U.S. local,
state and federal agencies and foreign countries to develop and improve
new operational in situ burn capabilities. This includes fire resistant booms, igniters, smoke plume
models and training of responders.
-
 Work
cooperatively with U.S. state and federal agencies and foreign countries
to expand in situ burn capabilities for oil spills in the marine
environment.
- Continue
testing of operational and prototype fire resistant containment booms and
igniters.
- Work
cooperatively with U.S. state and federal agencies and foreign countries
to conduct operational and training exercises on the use of in situ
burning to respond to oil spills in the marine environment.
- Work
cooperatively with U.S. state and federal agencies and foreign countries
to improve smoke plume models and the monitoring of smoke plumes during in
situ burn operations.
- Take
advantage of planned full-scale field trials to validate and prove
response technologies and strategies developed in meso-scale experiments
and to improve operational guidelines in situ burning.
For more information on In Situ Burn Research, contact
Joseph Mullin
at 703-787-1556 or via e-mail.
|
In Situ Burn Research Projects |
|
102 |
Analysis of Oil-Slick Combustion |
|
119 |
Helicopter-Borne Laser Ignition of Oil
Spills |
|
244 |
Testing of Fire Resistant Booms in Waves
and Flames |
|
259 |
Laboratory Testing to Determine
Operational Parameters for In Situ Burning of U.S. OCS Crude Oil
Spills |
|
288 |
Outdoor Wave Tank and Program of Mid-Scale
In Situ Burn Testing in Alaska |
|
289 |
Re-Engineering of a Stainless Steel
Fireproof Boom for Using in Conjunction with Conventional Firebooms |
|
291 |
Technology Assessment and Concept
Evaluation for Alternative Approaches to In Situ Burning of Oil in
the Marine Environment |
|
312 |
Laboratory Testing to Determine In Situ
Burning Parameters for Six Additional U.S. OCS Crude Oil |
|
373 |
Development of a Draft ASTM Standard on
Characterizing Oils for In Situ Burning |
|
391 |
Fire Boom Testing at Ohmsett |
|
452 |
Mid-Scale Tests to Determine the Limits to
In-Situ-Burning in Broken Ice |
|
647 |
Research on Improving Methods for
Recovering Residues from In Situ Burning of Marine Oil Spills |
|
