oil spill case study.docx

8/14/2019 oil spill case study.docx

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MARINE POLLUTION ASSIGNMENT

SUBMITTED BY

B.GEETH SRAVAN

309106918004

4/4 B.E.N.A.M.E


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WHAT IS AN OIL SPILL?

An oil spill is the release of aliquidpetroleumhydrocarbon into the environment,

especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is

usually applied tomarine oil spills, where oil is released into theocean orcoastal waters,

but spills may also occur on land. Oil spills may be due to releases ofcrudeoil fromtankers,offshore platforms,drilling rigs andwells,as well as spills ofrefined

petroleum products (such asgasoline,diesel)and their by-products, heavier fuels used by

large ships such asbunker fuel,or the spill of any oily refuse orwaste oil.

Imagine yourself as a killer whale. You are swimming around when you decide to stick your

head out of the water to take a breath. As you are taking a breath, you see a large stream of

thick black oil heading your way. You go back under water only to find other animals dying

one by one because the oil is damaging their bodies. This is the way some animals must die

in the ocean. They die because of an oil spill occurring in their habitat.

WHAT AFFECTS DO OIL SPILLS HAVE ON ANIMALS?

Birds die from oil spills if their feathers are covered in oil. The bird will then be poisonedbecause it will try to clean itself. Animals may die because they get hypothermia, causingtheir body temperature to be really low. They may die from really low body temperature.Oil may also cause the death of an animal by entering the animals lungs or liver. The

animal will then be poisoned by the oil. Oil also can kill an animal by blinding it. The animalwill not be able to see and be aware of their predators. If they are not aware of otheranimals, they may be eaten.

Oil spills sometimes are the reason for animals becoming endangered. This means that acertain type of animal is getting so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct.

Sea Birds

Seabirds are strongly affected by oil spills. A seabird may get covered in the oil. The thickblack oil is too heavy for the birds to fly, so they attempt to clean themselves. The bird theneats the oil to clean its feathers and poisons itself. If workers have found sea birds that arenot dead because of oil, they will take the birds to a cleaning center or captivity where theyare kept in a facility because they can not live in the wild on their own. Animals that are in

captivity because of an oil spill will be cleaned by professionals and volunteers. When abird is in captivity, the oil will be flushed from its eyes, intestines, and feathers. The birdwill be examined for any more injuries like broken bones, and it will take a medicine toprevent any more damage. After the bird seems healthier, it will take a test on its abilitiesto float in the water and keep water away from its body. As soon as the bird passes its test,it will soon be let out into the wild.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_(ocean)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_watershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crude_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crude_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_tankerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_platformhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drilling_righttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_wellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_refineryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_refineryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_refineryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasolinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunker_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunker_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasolinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_refineryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_refineryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_wellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drilling_righttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_platformhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_tankerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crude_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crude_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_watershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_(ocean)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid


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Sea Otters

Sea otters are affected by oil in many ways. The otters bodies may getcovered in oil, which causes build up in the otters air bubbles. These air

bubbles are located in their fur and help them survive the cold oceans. They

act like a covering for their body and help the otters to float. When oil buildsup in the air bubbles, the otters may die of low body temperature. Many seaotters are being placed in captivity after an oil spill until the otters arecleaned and ready to live in the ocean again.

Killer Whales

Oil spills are one of the many ways killer whales have become endangered. The oil may beeaten or enter the whales blowhole. A blowhole

is a hole to help them breath. Whales will rise upover the water to take a breath. If the blowhole is

plugged with oil, the whale can not breathe. Themain reason for whales dying because of a spillhappens when they eat a fish that swam throughthe oil. If a fish swam through the oil, the whalewill eat the oil along with the fish. Because thewhale has eaten the oil, it will be poisoned, and itwill die.

Small Organisms

Many people dont realize all the animals in the ocean that oil spills affect. Plankton, larval

fish, and bottom dwelling organisms are strongly affected. Even seaweed, clams, oysters,and mussels can be affected by oil spills. Only offshore accidents can really cause thedeath of these small living creatures because this is mainly the home for these smallorganisms. When hundreds of plankton die because of oil, that specie of animal maybecome extinct. Then, fish wont be able to eat the plankton, so they will become extinct. A

killer whale could then become extinct because it cant eat the fish.This is what happenswhen a specie from animal becomes extinct of a large oil spill. The oil spills can damage theentire food chain in the area.

HOW DO THEY CLEAN UP THE OIL ON THE BEACHES OR THE WATER AFTER A SPILL?

There are many ways to stop the spread of oil in the ocean. Workers can place a boomaround the tanker that is spilling oil. Booms collect the oil off the water. A boom may beplaced somewhere before an oil spill. They can be placed around an entrance to the ocean,like a stream. They also can be placed around a habitat with many animals living there.These booms will absorb any oil that flows around it.


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The workers can also use skimmers. Skimmers are boats that can remove the oil off thewater. Sorbents are sponges that can collect the oil. An airplane can fly over the waterdropping chemicals into the ocean. The chemicals can break down the oil into the ocean.

They also can burn freshly spilled oil with fireproof booms to contain the oil. They might

not decide to burn the oilbecause this method causes airpollution.

There are just a few ways toclean the oil off the beaches.Workers can use high or lowpressure hoses to spray the oilthat is on the beaches. Vacuumtrucks may be driven on thebeaches to vacuum up the oil.

They can also simply useshovels or road equipment tocollect all the oil off the beaches.

The method they use to clean the beaches or oceans depends on many things. They have tolook at the weather, the type and amount of oil spilled, if people live in that area, whattypes of animals live in that area, and many more things. In some situations, they may notreact to a spill. It may not be helpful or it would just cause even more damage to thathabitat.

HOW DO THEY CLEAN ANIMALS AFTER A SPILL?

Birds

There are many ways that animals are cleaned after an oil spill. When birds arrive at thecleaning center, the oil is flushed from the eyes and the intestines. They will also beexamined for any broken bones, cuts, or any other injuries. Next, they will get a stomach-coating medicine to prevent any more oil from entering birds stomachs. Birds will then bewarmed and placed in a quiet area.

Birds need to eat so they have some nutrition while they are recovering. Some animals

might eat off a pan. Others may be forced to eat by a worker before they can feedthemselves.

When a bird appears to be normal, it is allowed to swim. The bird will then trim and cleanits own feathers to bring them back to their normal body structure. This will help the birdswim again. Next, the bird will have to pass a waterproof test. If the bird passes, it willslowly be introduced to the temperatures outside. In the test, the bird must show theability to float and the ability to keep the water away from its body. Before they let the bird


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go, they must check it to make sure that its muscular structure is average for its species andthe birds have no disease. Then the birds are released into the wild.

Sea Otters

When sea otters are taken to a cleaning facility, the heavy oiled otters will be washed first.Workers will wash the otters with warm water because they hope it will break down theoil. The warm water also can warm the otters up. The otters also will get medical treatmentwhile they are being cleaned. The otters will then have to wait so they can dry. After theirfur is dry, they have to stay a few more days so the workers are sure of no diseases orbroken bones.

HELPING AND SAVING THE SEA LIFE TODAY

Have you ever stopped to think what you use oil for? Every one uses oil a lot. The wholeworld uses nearly three billion gallons of oil every day. We all use it to fuel our cars, trucks,

buses, and even to heat our homes. If you have touched a chain on a bicycle, you havetouched some oil. The black stuff that appears on your fingers is an oil that makes thechains on your bike run smoothly. We use oil to make asphalt which can help us pave ourroads. You can get examples of oil at a toy store, a hardware store, or a drugstore, becauseoil is made into plastics, which could be any of your toys or CD players. Oil is also used inmedicines, ink, paints, and to create some electricity. We all can help stop oil spillshappening in the oceans. If you use less oil, then less will have to be transported. We canuse less oil by not using our cars when we can walk or ride a bike. We also can use less oilby paving the roads with cement. That way we are not using oil.

Think about how many lights you have in your house. Also think about all the electronicslike computers or televisions. All of these things use electricity. If we all were to turn offlights, computers, or televisions when not in use, we wouldnt be using as mush oil to

create the electricity throughout the house.

There are many things being done to prevent more spills. The US Congress passed OPA(Ocean Pollution Act) 90 (in 1990). The OPA 90s major laws are:

Emergency Response Plans- This law says that the owners of the tanker must have adetailed plan on what they will do if there was a spill. They must have this planwritten before any spill.

Double Hulls- The law says that all ships in the U.S are required to have a doublehull by 2015.

Liability- The law says that the owners of a boat that spills oil will have to pay$1,200 for every ton they spill.

Spill Fund-The law says that the government has money from companies thattransport the oil so when a spill occurs, the government can pay for the clean up.

Navigation- The law says that the Coast Guard must know where the oil tankers candrive without an oil spill occurring.


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DIFFERENT MAJOR OIL SPILLS

Ocean oil pollution from large oil spills involving tanker accidents are thought to be themost important source of oil in the ocean by the public. The following table lists the largestoil spills that have been recorded (greater than 100,000 tons). However, most oil pollution

in the ocean actually comes from municipal and industrial runoff, cleaning of ships bilgesand tanks, and other routine activities and events.

Date Cause Location BarrelsSpilled

Rank, by

Spilled

Volume

1991 Iraq begins deliberately dumpingoil into Persian Gulf

Sea Island,Kuwait

1,450,000 1

1979 Itox 1 oil well blows Southern Gulf ofMexico

600,000 2

1983 Blowout in Norwuz oil field Persian Gulf 600,000 3

1942 German U-boats attacks on tankersafter U.S. enters World War II

U.S. East Coast 590,000 4

1994 Pipeline bursts, oil enters riversthat flow into Arctic Ocean

Near Usinik,Russia

312,500 5

1979 TankersAtlanticEmpressandAegeanCaptaincollide

Off Trinidad andTobago

300,000 6

1991 TankerABT Summerfounders 700 mi. offAngola

260,000 7

1983 Fire aboard tanker Castillo de

Beliver

Off Cape Town,

South Africa

250,000 8

1978 TankerAmoco Cadizgrounds NorthwestFrance

223,000 9

1991 Tanker Havengrounds Genoa, Italy 140,000 10

1988 Tanker Odyssey flounders Off Nova Scotia,Canada

132,000 11

1967 Tanker Torrey Canyongrounds English Channel,off Lands End,

UK

119,000 12

1972 Tanker Sea Starcollides withanother ship

Gulf of Oman 115,000 13

1976 Tanker Urquiolagrounds La Coruna, Spain 100,000 141970 Tanker Othellocollides with

another shipTralhavet Bay,Sweden

60,000 to100,000

15


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OIL SPILL CASE STUDIES

GULF WAR CASE STUDY (oil spill involving human cause)

Major oil spill occurred in Kuwait (Gulf war, 1991)

Location:KuwaitGallons:240 to 336 million

Responsible party:Iraq

Cost:$540 million (estimated)

How It Happened:As Iraqi forces retreated from Kuwait during the first Gulf War, they opened the valves ofoil wells and pipelines in a bid to slow the onslaught of American troops. The result was the

largest oil spill history has seen. Some 240 million gallons of crude oil flowed into thePersian Gulf. The resulting oil slick spanned an area just larger than the size of the island ofHawaii.

The Cleanup:Coalition forces managed to seal off some of the open pipelines using smart bombs, butmost recovery efforts had to wait until after the war. At that point 25 miles of booms(orange ropelike products that contain the oil that is floating on top of the water) and 21skimmers (machines that separate oil from water) were deployed in the gulf, mostly toprotect the water intakes of desalinization, industry and power plants. Together withvacuum trucks, about 58.8 million gallons of oil was recovered from the gulf.

The largest oil spill the world has seen exacted little permanent damage on coralecosystems and local fisheries, according to a report by the IntergovernmentalOceanographic Commission at UNESCO. The study concluded that about half the oilevaporated, one-eighth of it was recovered and another quarter washed ashore, mostly inSaudi Arabia

This oil spill is not directly related to sea


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IXTOC I CASE STUDY (oil spill involving offshore structure)

The IXTOC I exploratory well blew out on June 3, 1979 in the Bay of Campeche off Ciudaddel Carmen, Mexico. By the time the well was brought under control in 1980, an estimated140 million gallons of oil had spilled into the bay.

Location:Bay of Campeche, Mexico

Gallons:140 million


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Responsible party:PEMEX

Cost:$42 million

Inflation-adjusted:$1.3 billion

How It Happened:

In June 1979, an oil well in the Bay of Campeche collapsed after a pressure buildup sparked

an accidental explosion. Over the next 10 months about 140 million gallons of crude

spouted into the Gulf of Mexico from the damaged oil well.

The Cleanup:

In order to slow down the flow of oil from the damaged well, mud and later steel, iron and

lead balls were dropped down its shaft. According to PEMEX (Mexican Petroleum), half the

oil burned when it reached the surface and a third evaporated. PEMEX also hired a

company to spray dispersants over 1100 square miles of oil slick. Dispersants effectively

act like dish soap, breaking up oil so that more of it can mix into the water. That way, they

can reduce the effect of the oil slick on shorelines. On the Texas side of the gulf, skimmers

and boomers were placed in the water to protect the bays and lagoons of the Barrier

Islands.

AEGEAN CAPTAIN/ ATLANTIC EMPRESS CASE STUDY (oil spill involving tanker)

Biggest oil slick due to a vessel

Location:Trinidad and Tobago, West IndiesGallons:88.3 million

Responsible party:Greece

Cost:Unknown


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How It Happened:One stormy evening in July 1979, two full supertankers collided off the

coast of Tobago in the Caribbean Sea, precipitating the largest ship-sourced oil spill in

history.

Crippled by the accident, both vessels began to leak their crude and caught fire. The fire on

one of the vessels, theAegean Captain,was soon controlled, and the damaged vessel was

towed to Curacao, where its remaining cargo was recovered.

The other tanker, theAtlantic Empress,stubbornly ablaze, was towed farther out to sea

until it exploded 300 nautical miles offshore.

All told, 26 crew were killed in the disaster and nearly 90 million gallons of crude was

dumped into the sea.

The Cleanup:The response to the incident included firefighting efforts and the use of

dispersants to treat the oil that spilled over the course of the accident and then while the

Atlantic Empresswas towed away. Luckily, only minor shore pollution was reported on

nearby islands.There wasn't much cleanup, partly because the climate took care of it. Thecargo was light crude, and it spilled in warm waters. This meant that much of the oil either

evaporated or fell into the ocean in clumps, which were broken down by microbes. Also, a

substantial amount had burned off during the crash.

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