Test Shows Remote Sensing System Can Detect Oil in Ice

摘要

Despite the expense, petroleum companies in the United States, Norway, Russia, and other countries are giving greater attention to exploring and drilling for oil in Arctic regions. Potential oil fields in Alaska and on the Russian island of Sakhalin, for example, have attracted billions of dollars in investment, and new investments are being planned for the next decade. Pipelines buried 4.6 to 6.1 m beneath the seafloor transport oil from the platforms to processing plants onshore. Although the pipe walls are thicker than normal and the pipelines incorporate advanced leak detection systems, there is still a small risk of accidental spills. Any oil released during the months when the water is frozen remains trapped. Such oil is very difficult to detect with traditional tools unless there is visible evidence of it on the surface. According to David Dickins, P.Eng., a consultant with expertise in environmental studies in the Arctic and the founder of D.F. Dickins Associates Ltd.—a firm based in La Jolla, California, that specializes in marine environmental projects—oil companies are according high priority to the development of technologies that can detect spills.