Features of Oil Spills Monitoring on the Water Surface by the Russian Federation in the Arctic Region

Abstract

Given that the recent rapid growth of offshore production, especially in the Arctic region of the Russian Federation, is causing increased concern about oil spills on the water surface, this issue is especially relevant and important today. These pollutants have a devastating impact on the world’s marine biosphere. Therefore, effective and reliable methods and instruments must be used for operational spill detection in order to detect a remote oil spill. Several methods for oil spill monitoring and Russian developments in this area were described, including their features, advantages, and drawbacks. In cases when use in difficult Arctic conditions was anticipated, due to the harsh climate and ice-covered water surface, it was not always possible for spill detection instruments to be utilized. Despite this, such methods as radar, infrared, and ultraviolet were proven to be effective during this research. Ultimately, the combination of these methods returned the greatest volume of information to offshore platform staff about a detected oil spill. The information provided includes the spread area of the spill, the thickness of the leak, and the chemical composition of the oil.