Abstract
The main objective of this study is to develop a new protocol for bench-scale dispersant effectiveness testing adapted for subsea dispersants injection (SSDI). The new approach includes turbulence conditions, dispersant injection techniques and quantification of effectiveness, more representative for a SSDI operation. Results from the new system are compared to dispersant effectiveness measured with established laboratory methods, used for screening dispersants for surface application. The most significant result is that the dispersant ranking obtained with the new test relevant for subsea releases was very different compared to the ranking obtained by screening methods used for surface application of dispersants. This strongly indicates that existing standard methods for dispersant effectiveness testing designed for simulating conditions relevant for surface application of dispersants, are less relevant for SSDI effectiveness testing and justify the need for a more relevant method. Such a Dispersant Injection Effectiveness Test (DIET) is suggested and documented in this study.
Highlights
Both for oil spill contingency planning and in operational situations where dispersants are used, selecting the most effective product is important
The most significant result is that the dispersant ranking obtained with the new test relevant for subsea releases was very different compared to the ranking obtained by screening methods used for surface application of dispersants
Three different types of experiments are discussed : 1) Dispersant dosage experiments, 2) Oil temperature experiments, and 3) Comparison of dispersant effectiveness screening for subsea dispersants injection (SSDI) (DIET) and surface dispersant application (IFP)
Summary
Both for oil spill contingency planning and in operational situations where dispersants are used, selecting the most effective product is important. Oil fields operators or refinery owners usually screen different products on actual oil types to document their selection of dispersant. Multiple laboratory methods have been developed, over the last four decades, to measure dispersant effectiveness. These methods give relative effectiveness and are mainly used to compare products. Different standard test methods have been developed over the years, MNS (Canada), WSL (UK), IFP (France), EXDET (USA) and Swirling/Baffled flask (USA) [1]-[7]. Many of these methods are included in national protocols for dispersant approval or used indispersant screening studies (product/oil types) and for dispersant research and development. It is important to remember that these laboratory methods only give a relative effectiveness and does not necessarily reflect the effectiveness obtained when the products are applied in a real situation
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