Spill Response Strategies

Paul Irving, AMSA

The full spill response toolbox

Mechanical Recovery:

Booms & Skimmers

In-situ

Burning

Monitor &

Evaluate

Aerial &

Vessel &

Subsea

Dispersant

Shoreline

cleaning

Wildlife Response

Waste Management

Protect

& deflect

Natural

Attenuation

Encounter rate drives response effectiveness

Courtesy of Ocean Imaging

Shoreline

At sea recovery

Shoreline response

Dispersant efficacy

Response control Response actionsPre-planning

Dispersant

Resource atlas

Modelling

Satellite Aerial On water Deep water

Situational awareness, planning, analysis and advice

Baseline studies

Inform options, decisions and

actions

Confirm, validate and

verify

Assess and evaluate

InformsAction and feedback

Situational Awareness – INFORMATION from EVERYWHERE OSMH, Fig 6.1 p107

Intelligence Tools

Protection Priorities

✓ Human safety✓ Environment✓ Economic✓ Infrastructure✓ Habitat✓ Cultural✓ Amenities✓ Social

Determining Response Strategies

Incident Action Plan✓ Outcomes✓ Objectives✓ Strategies✓ Tactics

Monitor & Evaluate

Contain and Recover

• Use of booms and skimmers to capture oil at sea

• Boom types vary depending on conditions and location

• Skimmer types dependent on oil type and wind & wave effects

• Logistics, waste & storage

Contain and Recover

Contain and Recover

Contain and Recover

Contain and Recover

Contain and Recover

Contain and Recover

Contain and Recover

OGP/IPIECA, 2013

Temporary Storage tanks or

barge

Intermediate storage tanks

or containers, sometimes

lined pits or waste skips

Final waste storage or

management locations

Final Storage

Intermediate Storage

Temporary

Storage

Boom

Contain and Recover

Protection & Deflection

Waste Storage

Shoreline response

Shoreline response

Shoreline response

Shoreline response

Hot ZoneCold Zone

Shoreline response access & Safety Management

Shoreline responseWaste management

Shoreline response responder safety

Dispersant response objective

OF THE WATER

COLUMN

Dispersed oil rapidly dilutes to concentrations below toxicity thresholds

• <10 ppm = mins

• <1 ppm = hours

• ppb range = days

Horses for courses, and swings and roundabouts

Two options, depending on:

spill, location, logistics &

timing.

• Can treat relatively small area

• Less complex operation

• Effective monitoring platform

• Long transit times, if not on site or

not fitted with trained crew

• Carry limited volumes

• Higher encounter rate, larger coverage

• Type 3 concentrate

• Trained and exercised capability

• Can be on scene quickly, shorter transit times

• Capable of sustaining long term operations

• Greater operational complexity

• Requires additional air support

• Crew hours and refuelling

Dispersant response

Dispersant response

Dispersant response

Spraying – Aircraft

• Supporting aircraft

• Concentrate dispersants

• Air tractor (802)

• Payload – 2200 to 3600L

• Swath width – 50ft

• Boeing 727-2S2F

• Payload – 15,000L

• Swath width – 110ft

• C130 Hercules (L-382)

• Payload – 12,000 to 20,000L

• Swath width – 150ft

• Maintenance – incl. wash down

Dispersant response

Transport/logistics requirements

• Transport by aircraft, vessels and road

• IBCs/drums most often on road transport

• Local forklift and/or cranes to unload and load out

• Not Dangerous Goods (DG) for road, sea or air

Dispersant response

In-situ burning

Oiled and injured wildlife

Oiled wildlife response

Oiled wildlife response

The full spill response toolbox – rarely used one at a time!

Mechanical Recovery:

Booms & Skimmers

In-situ

burning

Monitor &

Evaluate

Aerial &

Vessel &

Subsea

Dispersant

Shoreline

cleaning

Wildlife Response

Waste Management

Protect

& deflect

Natural

attenuation

Paul IrvingSenior Adviser, Science and Technical

Paul.irving@amsa.gov.au

Thank you…

Questions?