Estimation of Oil Spill Risk from Alaska North Slope, Trans-Alaska Pipeline, andArctic Canada Oil Spill Data Sets

摘要

The study gathered (1)data on oil spills of 100 barrels of greater in volume thatoccurred in the Alaskan or Canadian study areas and which were associated with oil industry, (2)documentation for spills of 500 bbl or greater, (3)data on crude oil production, pipeline mileage, pipeline throughput and other crude transportation volumes by year and study area, and (4)information on current and historical government oil spill notification requirements. Oil spill, crude oil production, pipeline mileage, and pipeline throughput and other crude transportation data were collated and entered into a Microsoft Access 97 database and provided to MMS. The comprehensive and completeness of the oil spill data were evaluated. Data for Alaskan oil spills were sufficiently comprehensive and complete for use in statistical analyses and calculation of oil spill risk rates. Canadian oil spill data were not sufficiently comprehensive for analysis and use in risk estimate calculations. A total of 126 spills of at least 100 bbl or greater were identified within the Alaskan and Canadian study areas; 111 spills in Alaska and 15 in Canada. Alaskan oil spill dates were obtained from nine sources and spanned the years from 1970 to 1999. Canadian oil spill data were obtained from two sources and spanned the years 1973-1999. More than sixty percent of all Alaskan oil spills appeared in two or more data sets. Spills of 500 bbl or more and spills of 1,000 bbl or more appeared in two or more data sets at a higher percentage than spills of 100 bbl or more. Of 28 spills that were 500 bbl or greater, documentation was obtained for 24 of the spills. The Alaskan oil spill data were used to calculate preliminary oil spill risk rates. The MMS will maintain the spill database and use the database to calculate formal spill risk statistics in environmental assessments of oil and gas activities on Federal lands in and offshore of Alaska.