Ocean in the News: Oil Spills

1
Ocean in the News Oil Spills

• By Kelly Peak
• MEA 200H
• October 10, 2005

2
44 Oil Spills found in southeast Louisiana

• Article from MSNBC.com Sept. 19th 2005
• Three weeks after Hurricane Katrina and a few
  days before Hurricane Rita
• Only now are the Coast Guard and other agencies
  able to tackle environmental problems since the
  search and rescue effort is winding down
• Spills range from several hundred gallons to the
  largest of nearly 4 million gallons

3
Extent of Spills and Recovery

• More than 7 million gallons of oil were spilled
  from industrial plants, storage depots and other
  facilities
• 2/3 as much oil as spilled from the Exxon Valdez
  tanker in 1989
• nearly 2 million gallons have been recovered and
  another 2.3 million gallons contained
• None of the leaks sent oil directly into the
  Mississippi River (protected by levees)

4
Concerns and Significant Cases

• But numbers are only estimates
• And its too early to tell how effective the
  cleanup will be
• Two significant cases one in Meraux and another
  in Venice
• Meraux Spill (just outside New Orleans on the
  Mississippi River) oil mixed with floodwaters
  and sediment to submerge hundreds of homes
• Already two class action lawsuits filed against
  the company responsible Murphy Oil

5
Katrina-caused slick in Breton Sound, La.
Satellite Image of Katrina Oil Spills
6
Classification of Spills

• Largest known spills are along the Mississippi
  River south of New Orleans
• Major Spills over 100,000 gallons 5 locations
• Medium Spills 10,000 to 100,000 gallons 4
  locations
• Offshore Oil
• No reports of offshore spills in Gulf of Mexico
• Though leaks could spring when the thousands of
  oil platforms and hundreds of miles of pipeline
  are restarted
• And this is all before Hurricane Rita.

7
Report by the American Petroleum Institute
8
APIs Impacts on Oil Gas Operations from
Katrina and Rita
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) which
services tankers delivering oil imports
9
Hurricane Impacts on Gulf of Mexico Production
10
Facts about Oil Spills

• How much oil enters the ocean?
• Estimated at 0.25 of world oil production or
  about 6 million tons per year
• How much oil enters the oceans with oil spills?
• Spills account for only 5 of oil entering oceans
• During the last decade, more than one billion
  gallons of oil spilled worldwide

11

• Are tanker accidents the major source of marine
  oil pollution?
• No, only about 10-15 of oil into oceans
• Breakdown of sources
• Natural Seeps in seabed fissures and eroding
  sedimentary rocks- 46
• Discharges from consumption of oils (ships and
  land-based sources including storage facilities,
  refineries, terminals and filing stations)- 37
• Accidental spills from ships- 12
• Offshore Extraction of oil (platforms, pipelines,
  etc.)- 3

12

• What happens to oil spills in sea water?

13
Clean up Methods

• Booms floating barriers to oil
• Skimmers boats that skim spilled oil from the
  water surface
• Sorbents big sponges used to absorb oil
• Chemical dispersants and biological agents break
  down the oil into its chemical constituents
• In-situ burning method of burning freshly
  spilled oil while its floating on the water

14
Chemical Dispersants
Skimmer
Boom
In-Situ Burning
In
15
Take Home Points

• More than 7 million gallons of oil were spilled
  as a result of Hurricane Katrina alone (2/3 the
  oil spilled with Exxon Valdez Tanker)
• Largest spills along Mississippi River south of
  New Orleans technically no offshore spills (only
  leaks)
• Globally, oil spills account for only 5 of oil
  entering the ocean tanker accidents only a small
  percentage
• Many clean up methods available booms, skimmers,
  chemical dispersants, etc.

16
References

• Article http//www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9365607/
• Louisiana Oil Rig Photo http//www.jerrylabella.c
  om/louisianas_steel-legged_reefs.htm
• Image of Hurricane Katrina http//en.wikipedia.or
  g/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina
• Exxon Valdez Photo http//www.hamburger-bildungss
  erver.de/welcome.phtml?unten/ozean/oel-111.html
• Louisiana oil spill photos http//www.msnbc.msn.c
  om/id/9612756/ and http//www8.dotd.louisiana.gov/
  emergency/
• API Slides on Katrina Ritahttp//api-ec.api.org
  /filelibrary/KatrinaSlides.pdf
• Facts about Oil Spills http//oils.gpa.unep.org/f
  acts/faqs.htm and http//www.offshore-environment.
  com/facts.html
• Clean up methods and photos http//www.nos.noaa.g
  ov/education/stories/oilymess/supp_primer.html
  http//www.epa.gov/glnpo/image/viz_man1.html
  http//www.ohmsett.com/For_Students_Questions_boom
  er_skimmer_Skimmer.asp http//www.vs-c.de/vsengin
  e/printvlu/vsc/en/ch/16/uc/vlus/cleanup1.vlu.html