Publication | Open Access
THE BRAER SPILL: OIL FATE GOVERNED BY DISPERSION
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1995
Year
EngineeringEnvironmental EngineeringMarine PollutionSpill PreventionBraer SpillOil Spill PreventionOil SpillBraer IncidentNatural DispersionPetroleum EngineeringPetroleum Refining ProcessGullfaks Crude Oil
ABSTRACT The fate of 86,000 metric tons (t) of Gullfaks crude oil at the Braer incident was governed by the process of natural dispersion. The overall impact of the spill was minimal in time and extent indicating that dispersing oil spilled at sea can reduce the impact of oil spills. Experimental work in the North Sea has shown that the characteristics of the oil played a critical role in promoting the dispersion process. The Braer incident provides support for the use of dispersants to reduce the environmental impact of a spill in cases where the oil type is less amenable to natural dispersion.