Empirical Weathering Properties of Oil in Ice and Snow

Abstract

The objective of this study was to generate experimental data to validate and refine oil spill weathering algorithms for computerized models for spills in ice and snow. Six series of laboratory-scale experiments were conducted over a four-year study: (1) Spreading on Ice and in Snow; (2) Evaporation in Ice and Snow; (3) Slick Thickness on Cold Water; (4) Migration Rates through Brine Channels; (5) Formation of Water-in-Oil Emulsions; (6) Full Spill-Related Characterization of Crude Oil Samples. The experiments were conducted at three facilities: (1) An outdoor test facility near Ottawa, ON constructed using insulated, IBC shipping containers as the test tanks each containing 1 m3 of salt water. (2) An indoor, 11-m³ wind/wave tank at SL Ross in Ottawa, ON. (3) The 10,000-m3 Ohmsett Facility in Leonardo, NJ, outfitted with large-capacity industrial water chillers to ensure freezing water temperatures. Four Alaskan crudes were used: Alaska North Slope, Northstar, Endicott, and Kuparuk.