Meeting the Challenge of Potential Deepwater Spills: Cooperative Research Effort Between Industry and Government

Abstract

Abstract As offshore oil and natural gas activity moves into deeper water, both industry and regulatory agencies face an increasing challenge to protect the ocean environment from potential oil spills. Due to the high pressure and cold water temperatures found in deepwater, it is harder to predict where, when, or even if potential spills from well blowouts and pipeline will surface at the site of a spill. The physical and chemical forms of oil that may reach the surface from deep water can also be uncertain. This uncertainty has implications for contingency planning, spill trajectory modeling and cleanup options. Several oil companies and the MMS recognized these concerns related to deepwater development and formed a partnership to cooperatively fund research that addresses them. Since 1998, with the formation of the Deep Spills Task Force, this group has accomplished the following: Funded two related research projects to develop a numerical model and conduct laboratory experiments that will help forecast blowout plume dynamics and oil and natural gas transport from deep water.Involved industry organizations, such as the Offshore Operator's Committee and Deepstar, in workshops to discuss the research aspects of these deepwater development issues.Proposed the formation of a Joint Industry Project, known as "Deep Spill" to calibrate the deepwater blowout model and obtain "real world" information about potential deepwater spills. "Deep Spill" proposes to conduct an experimental release of oil and natural gas off the coast of Norway in June 2000. The paper discusses the formation of this industry and regulatory agency partnership and the mutual benefits obtained. The paper also provides an overview of the results from the blowout model project and related laboratory experiments, as well as any progress to date on "Deep Spill."