Oil spill response in cold and ice conditions, experiences and developments in Baltic Sea States

The Arctic Energy Summit´sTechnology Conference

Anchorage AlaskaOctober 15 - 18, 2007

Kari LampelaFinnish Environment Institute SYKEHelsinki. Finland

Outline

Baltic SeaMaritime transport development and risksInternational cooperationOil spill response in ice• R&D• Different methods and

options• Baltic approach• Reacent development

Conclusions

Baltic Sea

Nine countriesNine different languages

Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

Baltic SeaLargest brackish water area, 400 000 km2

Mean depth 53 metresSignificant fresh water input Nearly non-tidalHeavily polluted25 to 30 years to change the waterThe most difficult ice conditions are in the northen part of the Gulf of Bothnia and the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland

The variation of ice coverage in the Baltic Sea

Only one year ice

Maritime traffic development trends

Maritime Traffic is increasing in the Baltic SeaOil transportations will grow significantly especially in the Gulf of Finland areaNew risk control options are scheduled in the near futureRecent statistics shows increased risks for collisions and groundings in the Baltic SeaWinter navigation may encounter problems in severe winters

Shipping in numbers (HELCOM)

Oil transportation in the Gulf of Finland through main oil ports

SYKE/YVY/MH 1st Nov 2006

Traffic in the Gulf of Finland duringone day (18th of Oct 2006)

Seatrack Web

SYKE/YVY/MH 1st Nov 2006

Traffic in the Gulf of Finland during onewinter day (28th of Feb 2007)

Seatrack Web

Marine accidents in the Baltic Sea during 2006 (HELCOM)

Accidents in the Baltic 2000 – 2006 (HELCOM)

International cooperationBaltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, Helsinki Commission, HELCOM.

Members: Nine Baltic Sea countries plus EUMain tools:

Recommendations and ministerial declarationsWorking groupsResponse manualsOrganize exercisesAreal cooperation

Pictures from BALEX DELTA exercise Gdynia, Poland September 6, 2006

The HELCOM responsevessel fleetand surveillanceplanes

HELCOM recommendations

Application of no special fee system to ship-generated wastes in the Baltic Sea areaSafety of winter navigationAssessment of the need for escort towing in tanker transport routes to prevent accidents in the Baltic Sea areaEnsuring adequate emergency capacityFurther development and use of Drift Forecasting for Oils and other Harmful Substances in the Baltic

HELCOM recommendations, cont.Restricted use of Chemical agents and other Non-chemical means in Oil Combatting Operations on the Baltic Sea AreaDevelopment of national ability to respond to spillages of oil and other harmful substancesGuidelines for the Establishment of Adequate Reception Facilities in PortsCo-operation and assistance to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia in the field of CombattingMarine Pollution IncidentsRecommendation Concerning Establishing of a Pollution Reporting System for Pollution Incidents

EU

EMSA, European MaritimeSafety Agency

Based in LissabonHired five response vessels for the Baltic Sea (have also arctic skimmers on board)Started spring 2007 satellite imagery serviceOrganize training

International cooperation, cont.

Cooperation within Nordic Countries:Copenhagen Agreement

Contracting parties are Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and IslandOrganize exercises between neighbouring countriesSupports also R&D

Additionally concerning FinlandTrilateral cooperation between the GoF StatesBilateral agreements, like

Russia – FinlandEstonia – FinlandEstonia – Russia

Why Baltic Sea States and Finland needsan effective and 24 hour responsereadiness also in winter timeThe whole Baltic Sea is alreadyheavily polluted and the situationis worst in the Gulf of Finland (GoF)Narrow and shallow fairwaysHeavy and constantly increasingmaritime traffic year aroundBaltic Sea and GoF is one of the main routes of the Russian oil to the westDifficult ice conditions especiallyin the Gulf of Bothnia and in the eastern part of the GoF

Problems in the oil combatting capacity in the Baltic Sea area and especially in Finnish waters

Inadequate techniques and capacity for operations in ice conditions in case of largespills.Lack of vessels which can operate in high seaconditions.Lack of ”ordinary” response vesselsexpecially in Russia and Estonia.Collecting and pumping of high viscous oils.Regular aerial surveillance is not in operational use in all Baltic Sea countries.Lack of efficient shoreline cleaningequipments and techniques.

Winter recovery

Difficulties:Location of the oilFreesing ambientIce going specializedvessels neededHigh viscosity, difficult skimmingand pumping

Advantages:Limited spreadingNormally no waves

Fate and behaviour of oil in ice: many complications

Detecting oil under, between and on ice

Several methods have been tested, likeInfraredMicrowave radiometersAcoustic methodsSniffersLaser fluorosensors

The last have greatest potential for oil in or with ice detection. Other methods give false alarms, are still under development, etc.Simple methods are often the best, like using divers and ROV, drilling holes

Examples of Finnish ice going multipurpose response vessels

Heavy oil, 1 million cSt, how it looks like ?

R&D in oil spill recovery methods in ice

Old studies by WärtsiläMarine and VTTNorwegian (SINTEF) studies and experiments• Tests in ice basin,

field tests in Svalbard, etc.

• MORICE-projectStudies and tests in USA and Canada• OMHSET

Older tests made by Wärtsilä Marine

Oil behaviour in and response options in ice. Model test D 30/Yrjö Kalaja. July 1983. 66 p. (in Finnish)Full scale test of an oil recovery skimmeron the front of a fairway service vessel. Report D 54, December 1985. 18 p. (in Finnish)

Older tests made by VTT, TechnicalResearch Centre of Finland

Full scale oil recovery trials of LORI Ice Cleaner. LAI 1583/91, June 1991. 44 p. (in English)Laboratory oil recovery tests of LORI Ice Cleanerbrush pack in cold conditions. LAI 1209/92. March1992. 33 p. (in English)Adhesion of oil on some skimmer materials and ice. VAL 3230/94/LAI. February 1994. 72 p. (in English)Adhesion between oil and ice. Seppo Liukkonen. VALB160 November 1996. 120 p. (in English)Laboratory study on spreading and drifting of oilunder ice. Seppo Liukkonen et al. November1996. 53 p. (in English)

Technical development, some Finnishand Nordic studies since 1987

Oil and ice interaction in brackish Baltic Sea waterHow commercial dispersant behaviour in Baltic Sea circumstancesUse of brush skimmers in icy and freezingconditionsThe performance of different kind of skimmers with high viscosity oilsPumping of high viscosity oilsTest reports of several new constructions

Large development project conducted by SINTEFJoint Industry Program (JIP), a 4 year program started2006Overall objective and other main details are:

To develop tools and technologies for oil spillresponse in ice infested watersTesting for existing and also new projectsTests in basin in Norway and also field testsSponsores by major oil companies both from USA, Canada and Europe and also Norwegian oil spillresponse assiciationsConducted by SINTEF

In-situ burningAdvantages

CapacityLogistic applicabilityIce restricts the spreading

LimitationsLocationSmoke and residuesDifficult to ignate emusified, weathered oilsTo be conducted in controlled mannerThe use of in-situ burning is restricted dueHELCOM recommendation

In-situ burning, cont.

Minimum thickness for ignition:From 1 mm for fresh crude oil to 10 mm or more for heavy fuel oils and emulsions

Oil removal rates:For large fires from 3.5 to 4.5 mm/min)For small fires 1 mm/min

Residue remaining:1 mm for crude oil up to 20 mm thickThicker residue for thicker slicks

Chemical method; DispersantsEasy to deploy.Can in some cases minimizethe damages.Oil remains still in the water, on the contrary morechemicals added. In general not usable with highviscosity and weathered oils.The decission must be donewithout delay.In ice conditions it is difficultto have enough energy for mixing the oil and dispersant.

Mechanical methods used and tested for collecting oil in ice in Finland

Brush technology:• Ice bow• Brush bucket• Vibrating grid

Excavator shovelsVacuum pumpsSkimmers operating under iceUsing of air or propeller flow to steer oilunder iceUsing of ice barriers and ice dwells

Ice bow, LORI Ice Cleanermounted to the fairway servicevessel Letto.Sea trials 1994

Ice bow mounted to response vesselHalli

The principle of vibrating grid as an oilin ice skimmer

The principle of ice and open watercollecting skimmers on fairway servicevessel Seili

Seili with her LOIS collectors in collecting mode

Oil recovery bucket

Baltic approach

Based on HELCOM recommendationand the fact that Baltic Sea is already alreadyheavily polluted

Main principlesPrefer mechanical recoveryChemical agents can be used only in limitedsituationsIn situ-burning also only when other means arenot available and when greater damages can thenbe avoided.International cooperation

New Finnish brush skimmer construction for ice conditions during trials in spring 2007

Novel brush skimmer for ice conditions installed to the new Finnish multipurpose response vessel

New multipurpose response vessel for Finnish Environment Institute/Finnish Navy

Conclusions

Possible to response small spills in iceTo succeed you must have many alternative methods Much work is needed to develop real operative response methods for large spills in ice Locating of oil under (snow covered) ice is a problemIf the oil sinks, it is very difficult to find and collectReliable oil/ice drift models don´t exist

Thank you for attentionQuestions?