Transfer of Decanting Technology Research to Oil Spill Response Organizations and Regulators

摘要

This report presents the results of a study that completes a program of research on decanting recovered oil spill fluids spanning over seven years. The focus of this report is the regulatory aspects of decanting during offshore spill response operations in US waters. Guidance is provided for On Scene Commanders in making the decision whether or not to allow the discharge of decanted water. Section 2 presents a detailed summary of the experimental studies of decanting and emulsion breaking. Section 3 summarizes the regulatory regime governing decanting of recovered oil spill fluids offshore in the United States and Canada. Section 4 presents a series of hypothetical scenarios in which decanting could be used to improve the efficiency of an offshore mechanical response operation and presents model results for the dilution of the water discharged overboard. Section 5 estimates the potential environmental impacts from the discharged water.