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11/12/2013
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Oil Spills in Marine Waters: What Really Happens
Seacoast Science Center
Nancy E. KinnerCoastal Response Research Center
Center for Spills in the EnvironmentUniversity of New Hampshire
November 7, 2013
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Format of Tonight’s Talk
• Thanks for coming/participating• Questions: Encouraged during
talk
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CAVEATS
• Will not discuss fracking as not my expertise• Talk not about merits/problems with
hydrocarbon-based economy• Hydrocarbon exploration and production is
occurring and will continue to occur for some time to come• UNH Response Centers focus on how to improve
response and restoration of spills that will occur
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• Conduct and Oversee Basic and Applied Research and Outreach on Spill Response and Restoration
• Transform Research Results into Practice• Serve as Hub for Oil Spill R&D (ALL
Stakeholders)• Facilitate Collaboration on R&D Among
Stakeholders
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Coastal Response Research Center
(NOAA $)
Center for Spills in the Environment (All Other $)
Background on Crude Oil
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What Large Volumes of Petroleum Are Being Moved
in New Hampshire and Maine?
Ships,Pipelines and Trains
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Vessels• Tankers into Portland = Oil for Portland
to Montreal Pipeline• Portsmouth Harbor:
• Oil, Coal, Kerosene, Liquid Asphalt• Mostly Oil, Propane and Coal• 1.6 Million Tons per Year
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Portland Pipeline RouteCapacity: 6.3 million gallons per day
Options for Canadian Crude By Pipeline
Source: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Crude Oil Forecast, Markets & Pipelines, June 2011
Churchill
All of CERI’s research is publically available atwww.ceri.ca
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CURRENTLY, NO OIL SANDS PRODUCTS IN MAINE
No Refinery Capacity in East for It!
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Oil Sands Products in Portland Pipeline???
• Not Now• Future: Possible to Export Out
of Portland Harbor to Overseas Heavy Crude Refineries
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Why Rail vs. Pipeline?
• Geographic Flexibility• Responsiveness
• Hard to Site/Build Pipelines
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Low Pressure Tank Car – DOT 111A100W1
Top Fittings
Bottom Outlet
Crude Oil – DOT Class 3 Hazardous Material
[Justin Piper, BNSF Railway. Presentation given in April, 2013 at CSE OSP Workshop]
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Some bitumen being transported in heated rail cars
[William Fairfield, Canadian Pacific Railway. Presentation given in Dec, 2012 at CSE OSP Workshop]
New DOT 111 Railcars
• Thicker, Puncture Resistant Shell• Extra Protective Head Shields on Ends• Additional Protection of Top Fittings• Higher Capacity Pressure Release Valve
• Recommended by NTSB in 2011• PHMSA did Not Act
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Unit Trains
• 50 to 120 Cars Per Train• All of One Commodity• Lowers Shipping Cost• Can Load/Unload 3.57 Million Gallons of
Oil on Unit Train in 24 hours• ~2470 gallons per minute
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Coastal Response Research Center38
Priority #1 = Stop Fire, Rescue PeopleHuman Health and Safety Paramount
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Coastal Response Research Center
Priority #2 - Stop Source of Leak
•Start Relief Well•Install “Cap” to Stop Flow
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Coastal Response Research Center
Relief Wells
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Coastal Response Research Center 41
Capping Well
Coastal Response Research Center
• Crabs, Shrimp, Oysters, Blue Fin Tuna, Charismatic Marine Mammals
• Recreational Beaches
• Commercial Fishing• Subsistence Fishing
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Priority #3 – Identify Natural Resources at Risk
Shorelines on ESI maps are color-coded by sensitivity to oil. Symbols mark localized areas for biological and human-use resources.
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Coastal Response Research Center
• Purpose of Response Technology
• Key Is Select Most Appropriate Response Techniques
• Unique to Each Spill and Each Day of Spill• Weather
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Priority #4 – Minimize Damage to Natural Resources
Coastal Response Research Center
Oil was in patches, not one continuous slick
Oil plumes were on surface and at depth
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Coastal Response Research Center 45
Response: Sorbents
Coastal Response Research Center
Booms and Skimmers
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Capture and Concentrate Oil, Deflect Oil from Critical Area
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Response: In Situ Burning
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Coastal Response Research Center
Response: Chemical Dispersants
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Surface Application
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Sub-Surface ApplicationResponse: Dispersants
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Coastal Response Research Center
Why Use Chemical Dispersants?
• Wind and Waves Often Too High to Allow Mechanical Removal (Booms & Skimmers) or Burning
• Kept Oil Out of Nearshore Waters and Marshes• Where organisms were breeding and juveniles• Marshes hard to clean if repeatedly fouled with
oil
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Dispersant Controversy
• Exposure/Toxicity of Dispersants to Marine Life, Humans, Seafood
• Exposure of Marine Organisms Below Surface to Dispersed Oil
• Proprietary Mixture• Where Did Oil Go?
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Nature’s Response
• Function of Environmental Conditions• Temperature
• (H2O, Air)
• Wind• Oil Type• Currents, Tides
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Coastal Response Research Center
Response: Biodegradation
• Every Year, ~ 20 Million Gallons of Oil Enter GOM from Natural Seeps
• Naturally Occurring Bacteria Live in GOM Use Oil as Food Source
• DWH Oil is More Food• Takes <10 days to Degrade Oil Mass by Half
• 10 g 5 g
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T. Hazen, LBL, 2010
Gulf of Mexico Oil Degrading Microbes
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