Flume tank studies to elucidate the fate and behavior of diluted bitumen spilled at sea.
An economical alternative to conventional crudes, Canadian bitumen, harvested as a semi-liquid, is diluted with condensate to make it viable to transport by pipeline to coastal areas where it would be shipped by tankers to global markets. Not much is known about the fate of diluted bitumen (dilbit) when spilled at sea. For this purpose, we conducted dilbit (Access Western Blend; AWB and Cold Lake Blend; CLB) weathering studies for 13 days in a flume tank containing seawater. After six days of weathering, droplets detached from the AWB slick and were dense enough to sink in seawater. The density of CLB also increased, but at a slower rate compared to AWB, which was attributed to the high concentration of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in it, which are more resistant to weathering. An empirical, Monod-type model was introduced and was found to closely simulate the increase in oil density with time. Such a model could be used within oil spill models.
Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 1 Challenger Dr., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2, Canada. Electronic address: Thomas.King@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Thomas L
TL
King
Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 1 Challenger Dr., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2, Canada.
Brian
B
Robinson
Center for Natural Resources Development and Protection, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States of America.
Michel
M
Boufadel
Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship, CSIRO, Australian Resources Research Centre, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia.
Kenneth
K
Lee
D002170:Canada; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater; D012767:Ships; D014872:Water Movements; D014887:Weather
D006838:Hydrocarbons; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; C006647:asphalt
Dilbit; Diluted bitumen; Flume tank; Natural weathering; Non-conventional oil; Submerged oil