In-Situ Burning Operations D During D Deepwater H Horizon Oill Spill ll
Topics
Pre-”Deepwater” Pre Deepwater Burns Trade-offs and Constraints Deepwater Horizon Burn Operations Important Observations
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Tank Tests – 1980’s & 1990’s Products Burned: Diesel Crude oil Diesel, & Propane Temperatures: o o ~ 1100 C (> 2000 F) Flame Durations: Typically 2 to 3 hours
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Field Trials Field Trials Full‐Scale Burns Aerial & Surface Ignition Burn times: 2 to 3 hours
Svalbard 1988
North Sea 1996 Newfoundland 1993 Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Actual Spill Event – 1989 Prince William Sound, Alaska Exxon Valdez
~ 17 km2 (> 6 ½ miles2 of continuous dark oil
Day 2: Controlled burn in a towed “U” configuration with fire boom
Spiltec Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Preferred Conditions for Burning Oil Thickness
Exposure
> 2 to 3 mm > 1/10 / inch
< 25% to 30% evaporated < 24 to 48 hours exposure
Emulsification
Wind
< 20% to 25% water
< 20 knots
Waves
Current
< 1 to 1 ½ m < 3 to 5 feet
< ½ m/sec / < 1 knot Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Burn Locations: ~ 25 to 55 miles off shore Ti i Timing: A il 28th – July April J l 19th 2010 Source: Continuous Release, 5,000’ deep, dispersant injection Surface Slicks: Light crude, widely spread, unstable emulsion
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Towed Fire Boom Configuration
g Tow Vessels starting a gradual left turn to intercept heavy oil ahead
To w L i n e 90 m 90 (300 feet)
Nominal Burn Area
Typically ~ 650 m2 (7,000 feet2) To 2 ~ 2,500 m (27,000 feet2) when full to leading ends of boom
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
All Ignitions with Hand All Ignitions with Hand‐‐held held Igniters Igniters
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Vessels of Opportunity
Local fishing vessels provided the h “core” “ ” of f the h Controlled ll d Burn Fleet
Captains p & Crews received HAZWOPER training as well as classroom l and hands-on training for C t ll d Controlled Burning Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
More than 400 burns conducted. 376 burns of f significant si nificant size eliminatin eliminating between ~ 220,000 bbl and 310,000 bbl.
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Many days involved multiple simultaneous burns simultaneous burns On June 18 8th, 2010, 0 0, the burn teams conducted 16 burns resulting in the elimination of ~ 50,000 to 70,000 bbl of oil.
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Oil “even emulsions” Could be fed to Ongoing Burns
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Burning Outside of Fire Boom If sufficient volumes of oil collect ll t directly di tl d downstream, t burning may continue outside the boom. Such burning is normally small and can be controlled with boat wakes and fire monitors. f Rising hot air may draw oil into the fire helping to sustain fire that would normally burn out within minutes.
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Long –– Duration Burns Long BURN # 224 Lasted for 11 Hours And Forty Eight Minutes
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Types of Fire Boom Hydro-Fire H d Fi B Boom Pyro P Boom B 3M/AMI Oil Stop and Kepner
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Hydro‐Fire Boom Water-Cooled Water Cooled Reelable Individual Inflated Segments Redundant Water Cooling & Filtering Systems
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
American Marine – 3M High-Temperature H h T Ceramic C and d Stainless Steel Covers Solid Flotation Core
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
PyroBoom
Fence-Type Boom with Silicone Coated d Refractory f Fabric Aluminum *Connectors & Stainless Steel Floats with Glass Foam
* Recent enhancements include SS Hinge Connectors & Top‐Edge Reinforcement Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Fire Boom Summary (Used during Deepwater Horizon Spill – 2010) (Used during Deepwater Horizon Spill – (Used during Deepwater Horizon Spill Performance P f Factors
Elastec Hydro‐ Fire
Elastec American Marine‐3M
AFT, Inc. AFT I Pyro
Oil Stop
Kepner
No. of Systems Used
27
37
13
3
2
Longest Continuous B Burn
11 hours, 48 min.
11 hours, 21 min.
3 hours, 13 min.
27 min.
43 min.
Average No. of Barrels Burned per System
5,061
3,915
1,749
28
295
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Controlled Burning y Disadvantages g y Authorization Required y Oil Encounter Rate f for Wide-Spread p Slicks y Smoke Plume & Burn Residue y Proximity Constraints for Populated Areas y Limited Availability of Fire Boom & Expertise y Potential Secondary Fires
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Controlled Burningg y Advantages
3
2
2
y High Hi h oil il elimination li i ti rate t (0 (0.171 171 m /Hr/m /H / , 0.07 0 07 gpm/ft /ft ) y Very High Efficiency of Removal (typically 90% -95%) y Risk reduction (hazardous/flammable vapors)
y Minimal logistics and equipment requirements
y Effective over wide range g of oil types yp & conditions
y Specialized equipment (fire boom) cost effective, easily
maintained and transportable y Storage/Disposal not required (except for burn residue) y Minimal environmental impact (short-term & localized)
Alan A. Allen, Spiltec
Important Observations • Controlled Burning – Shift from “Alternative” to •
• •
• •
“Primary” response option. Fi B Fire Boom T Technology h l – Tools T l and d Tactics T ti now proven for the rapid and efficient elimination of large quantities of oil at sea. sea Most Vital Ongoing Support – Surveillance, Spotting & Communications. Cost per Barrel Burned – Typically US$ 20 to 40 (a fraction of the cost for dispersant application and d mechanical m h i l recovery/disposal). /dis s l) Inventories & Trained Personnel – Need to stock fire boom & igniters; and, and train fire teams teams. Important Proactive Effort – Coordination with regulators, public and media, and integration of all response options. Alan A. Allen, Spiltec