But what are the potential risks of oil drilling in the arctic. Oil spill response and the challenges of arctic marine shipping. Elastec is the largest manufacturer of oil spill cleanup and surface water pollution equipment in the world. And what would happen in the event of an arctic spill. The bilateral oil spill response established by norway and russia is an example of an effective system of arctic states cooperating to address concerns of risks of petroleum development related. The first reason of the beginning of arctic exploitation was the world oil crisis, started in 1970s. Without a good emergency response system in place it will not. Arctic marine sustainability arctic maritime businesses. Topics covered in this book include a brief historical background of arctic oil and gas development. Finlands experience provides valuable lessons for other arctic states, but the remoteness of the arctic provides unique challenges compared to an oil spill response in the baltic sea surrounded. Arctic council has an important role in crossborder harmonization. Apr 03, 2020 it will be sent under the ice to map and provide images of the underside of ice floes. Arctic conditions are one of the most difficult environments for oil spill response operations.
The future of petroleum development in the arctic is a widely discussed theme e. The finnish environment institute syke held their second large oil spills in arctic areas conference this april and this is the place to be if response and preparedness in arctic areas is your. A major oil spill that occurs in severe arctic conditions will never be cleaned up to the point that serious environmental damage will be avoided. Arctic marine environment by the transportation research board and national research council for. Prime members enjoy free twoday delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, tv shows, original audio series, and kindle books. Recommendations on oil spill prevention, response, and safety the search for oil is reaching into ever more remote corners of the world, including the u. Capabilities for detection of oil spills under sea ice from autonomous underwater vehicles, arctic oil spill response technology joint industry programme final report 5. As sea ice melts and the oil industry prepares to exploit the arctic s vast resources, the united states faces big gaps in its preparedness for an oil spill in the region, according to a report. Recent years have seen increasing interest in offshore oil. Every year, tens of thousands of icebergs break off antarctica and scatter across the southern ocean. Integrating dispersants in oil spill response in arctic and other icy. Guidelines on implementing spill impact mitigation assessment sima a technical support document to accompany the ipiecaiogp guidance on net environmental benefit analysis neba. Our american fireboom for insitu burning of oil isb has been successfully tested in arctic conditions.
This report describes the unique ecosystems and environment of the arctic and makes recommendations to provide an effective response effort in. An introduction and inventory of research activities and usarc recommendations u. This book is a compilation of research on oil spills in icecovered arctic waters and recommendations for future work. The risk of a serious oil spill in the arctic is escalating due to potential increases in shipping traffic and oil and gas activities. An introduction and inventory of research activities and usarc recommendations. Apr 22, 2011 no oil company is remotely prepared for a major spill in the arctic, says wwf.
Effects of oil spill response technologies on marine. As sea ice melts and the oil industry prepares to exploit the arctics vast resources, the united states faces big gaps in its preparedness for an oil spill in the region, according to a report released wednesday by the national research council. While these activities may seem like new developments, arctic oil exploration and in some cases production has been taking place for many years in these regions. Little black book of oil spill response contractors. Oil spill response capabilities and technologies for ice. The older ice has deep topography that can potentially trap oil. Effects of oil spills in arctic waters by karl magnus eger oil in the arctic marine ecosystem originates mainly from two sources. With the focus on increasing petroleum activity in the arctic, there is a growing concern about the effectiveness of the systems for oil spill emergency preparedness. No oil company is remotely prepared for a major spill in the arctic, says wwf. This directory has been in publication since 2001 and is the only directory dedicated to listing oil spill contractors world wide. Oil spill modeling for improved response to arctic maritime spills.
Arctic oil spill solutions clean up oil spills elastec. What is the report on environmental effects of oil and oil spill response technologies in the arctic. This report describes the unique ecosystems and environment of the arctic and. May 08, 2015 the many unknowns of inevitable arctic oil spills. Written specifically for potential spills in the alaskan beaufort sea, the book is also in important resource for environmental evaluation of other arctic regions. Adventures in developing tools for oil spill response in the. May 24, 2012 for the arctic, the administration last year released its own modeling for a very large oil spill from an exploration wellhead blowout that would continue for 74 days, spill over 2 million barrels of oil, spread over 200,000 mi2 an area larger than the state of california, and oil over 850 miles of shoreline, even spreading into russian. To provide an effective response effort in challenging arctic. Oil spill response an overview sciencedirect topics.
However, arctic conditions impose many challenges for oil spill responselow temperatures and extended periods of darkness in the winter, oil that is encapsulated under ice or trapped in ridges and leads, oil spreading due to sea ice drift and surface currents, reduced effectiveness of conventional containment and recovery systems in measurable ice concentrations, and issues of life and safety of. This means that when oil does spill, the consequences can be much more severe, and search and rescue missions can face even greater difficulties. The finnish environment institute syke held their second large oil spills in arctic areas conference this april and this is the place to be if response and preparedness in arctic areas is your thing. Only a small number of coastal communities have access to the most basic oil spill response equipment from the canadian coast guard. Evaluating oil spill response technologies in the arctic.
Oil spill response ltd signs a strategic alliance with trendsetter and halliburton for integrated subsea wellcapping response solutions. Arctic ocean and then estimate the frequency and duration of periods when no oil spill response. The field guide focuses on practical oil spill response strategies. The main areas of focus are the biological resources of arctic seas vs. National commission on the bp deepwater horizon oil spill and offshore drilling, this staff working paper describes some of the difficulties of spill response in the arctic. We studied how exposure to oil spill response technologies affect marine microorganisms during arctic winter and spring.
Icebergs make oil spill response difficult from an operational and safety perspective. Arctic oil spill response is challenging because of extreme weather and. This report describes the unique ecosystems and environment of the arctic and makes recommendations to provide an effective response effort in these challenging conditions. The research uncovered major issues with the state and availability of oil spill response equipment, limited training resources and unreliable communications infrastructure. Hardtofind guide to establishing contingency plans for oil spills in the arctic environment. What are the potential risks of oil drilling in the arctic and how prepared is the world to handle a catastrophic spill. As a result, the probability of more and larger spills, particularly of petroleum, is increasing the need for response relevant computer modeling.
The long history of oil spills around the world has made one thing clear. The challenges of oil spill response in the arctic springerlink. At the same time, unique aspects of the arctic environment can in some instances work to the responders advantage. Read the first post, noaa again joins coast guard for oil spill exercise in the arctic and the second post, overcoming the biggest hurdle during an oil spill in the arctic. In particular, focus is given to the evaluation of oil spill countermeasures for use under arctic conditions in light of anticipated regional increases in marine traffic e. Exxon valdez oil spill a cautionary tale for arctic ocean. Thats why ocean conservancy is working to make reduce risks from increasing ship traffic in the region. Arctic ocean and then estimate the frequency and duration of periods when no oil spill response may be feasible.
The dangers of arctic oil greenpeace international. Arctic marine sustainability arctic maritime businesses and. Summary even the remote polar regions are not immune to oil and fuel. Joint initiative hones arctic oil spill response plan.
Arctic spill the hull of a hitech oil tanker takes a beating from the barrage of massive icebergs in the arctic until it is ripped apart, causing a major oil spill. Hundreds of wells have been drilled in arctic waters without any sustained, uncontrolled release of oil or gas. Ottawa major weaknesses in response preparedness mean remote arctic communities face an almost certain environmental catastrophe in the event of an arctic shipping oil spill, reports released by wwfcanada today reveal. Gaping holes revealed in arctic oilspill response plans. After the embargo announced by opec membercountries, it was necessary to look for an alternative way of source of oil. Finland prepares for nightmare wintertime baltic oil spill. The challenges of oil spill response in the arctic. An oil spill in the arctic could happen in a number of ways. Oil spill response osr is therefore an essential aspect of offshore petroleum activity in the arctic. A top us coast guards official recently admitted that they currently have zero spill response capability in the arctic. Vessels transiting the arctic have little or no emergency response infrastructure for support.
The dynamics of the ice pack combined with the long life of the oil could allow an oil spill to have a major effect on the albedo in certain regions of the. A 20 boem analysis of oil spills in the north slope area between 1971 and 2011 identified 1,577 spills larger than 42 gallons one barrel, 10 spills larger than 21,000 gallons, and two spills larger than 42,000 gallons. Treaty regulation of arctic oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response. Petroleum activity in these areas is particularly challenging due to harsh weather conditions, darkness, ice, icing, and. The arctic region is projected to experience an increase in maritime shipping and natural resource development. Oil spill response limited osrl is the largest international industryfunded oil spill response cooperative which exists to respond to oil spills wherever in the world they may occur, by providing oil spill preparedness, oil spill response and subsea well intervention services. International governance of oil spills from upstream. Why an oil spill in arctic waters would be devastating oil. A major oil spill in the beaufort sea world could be a disaster for the people and wildlife who depend on a healthy arctic ocean. We are wholly owned by several of the most environmentally responsible oil and gas companies, and our membership. The slow rate of biological degradation of oil at nearzero temperatures has led biologists to suggest that oil spills in the arctic ocean might remain there for periods of 50 years or more. While these activities may seem like new developments, in fact arctic oil exploration, and in some cases production, has been going on for about half a century. Osrl attend the oil spills in arctic areas conference in oulu. The challenges of oil spill response in the arctic ebook.
Arctic oil spill response plans are triumphs of hope over. International convention on oil pollution preparedness, response and cooperation oprc and the agreement on cooperation on marine oil pollution, preparedness and response in the arctic mospa. About 2,500 penguins en route to their antarctic mating grounds could be sickened by a diesel fuel spill from a cruise boat that struck an iceberg and sank last week, chilean scientists said friday. Oil spill response scenarios for remote arctic environments. National commission on the bp deepwater horizon oil spill and offshore drilling. Diminishing sea ice is opening arctic waters to increased industrial activities such as shipping and oil and gas development. It will be sent under the ice to map and provide images of the underside of ice floes. Spill response in the arctic offshore 1 introduction recent years have seen increasing interest in offshore oil exploration in the arctic and other frontier regions. Download a pdf of responding to oil spills in the u. It could be a cruise ship thats run aground while passengers are looking at a sea bird colony. Why an oil spill in arctic waters would be devastating. Preparing to respond to oil spills in the arctic u. Throughout this report, reference is made to other useful documents on specific aspects of spill response including conference proceedings and publications from organizations involved with spill response research. Defining oil spills, prevention, and response in the arctic.
Improvements in oil spill response are vital to receive a license to operate. We subsampled the mesocosms and studied the effects of oil in laboratory incubations as changes in biomass of the. An oil spill in the remote, icechoked waters of the arctic would be impossible to clean up. Gaps in oil spill response capacity are outlined in two parallel assessments for the beaufort region in the western arctic and nunavut in the east. This system would provide important information for responders to know if oil was caught under the ice in the event of an arctic oil spill. This is the third in a series of posts about the arctic technology evaluation supporting arctic shield 2014. The book spans 118 pages, and lists the contact details of over 1,200 oil spill clean up contractors. This book provides an overview of the many issues relevant to offshore oil and gas development in the arctic. Fragile arctic ice and tricky weather conditions make a spill in the region even more likely.
Arctic oil spill response is challenging because of extreme weather and environmental conditions. Preparing to respond to oil spills in the arctic increased activity in the arctic means an increased risk of oil spills. Oil spill response limited global oil spill response. The arctic oil spill response technology joint industry programme jip is a fiveyear research programme focussed on six key areas of oil spill response. An oil spill response plan is, all can agree, a critical document, particularly when drilling is breaking new ground in the arctic. Oil spill response guide abebooks shop for books, art. This paper provides background information regarding the status of offshore drilling in arctic waters, identifies problems with.
Oilspill response in the russian arctic request pdf. Oil spills can be devastating to arctic marine environments given the current lack of oil spill response capabilities. But cairn energys plan, released despite their best efforts to. Coast guard, partners deploy spilled oil response systems. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Future oil exploration and marine navigation may well extend into the arctic ocean, and government agencies and responders need to plan for. This book explores issues such as oil vulnerability of marine birds, black carbon emissions from vessels, resilience of marine ecosystems to climate change impacts. Oil spill response ors involves many actors and requires strong coordination. This free access encourages viewers to come back time and again, this shown by the large number of user sessions we experience every month. Recent years have seen increasing interest in offshore oil exploration in the arctic and other frontier regions. Oil spill response agrees new 10 year contract with 2excel aviation to provide global reach capabilities. Oil spill response is demanding under any circumstances, and arctic conditions impose additional environmental and logistical challenges. Sunken antarctic cruise ship left oil spill nbc news.
This staff working paper describes some of the difficulties of spill response in the arctic. Arctic oil spill response arctic fact sheets iogp bookstore. Icebergs formed from this land ice are much harder and more compacted than sea ice and are more frequent in antarctic than arctic waters. The arctic council and offshore oil pollution prevention. In may, the initiative published its findings and achievements in relation to improving arctic spill response and the industrys overall preparedness for such an event.
Microorganisms were exposed to chemically dispersed oil disp, in situ burnt oil isb, and natural attenuated oil natt in mesocosms from february to may. The path forwardthe workshop report is available hereoverview. Ors is a meeting point for business, regional and environmental interests. International experts in the field of oil spill response, including reprsentatives from 26 nato countries, participated in a workshop in canada to discuss their experience in the development and application of current and emerging technologies for oil spill response in the marine environment. This paper examines the scope and application of the relevant treaties and argues that a regulatory gap exists in the prevention of oil spills and addressing the challenges of response.
And its why we cant afford to allow risky offshore drilling in remote arctic waters. Crews on annual scientific expeditions practice skills and test technologies to keep themselves prepared to respond. Arctic and antarctic spills handbook of oil spill science and. Whereas national laws vary extensively across the arctic states, international law does not offer a uniform approach to prevention of and response to oil spills. Conduct fullscale deployment exercises under a range of offshore arctic conditions to determine the limits for safely and effectively mounting a largescale offshore response in the u. In this chapter, we examine the system of oil spill preparedness and response in the russian arctic. Even the deepwater horizon oil spill spewed for months with a tremendous toll in the relatively calm waters of the gulf of mexico. In the field of offshore oil pollution prevention, preparedness and response, the u. Elastec manufactures equipment to make this tough job easier. Sl ross is pleased to announce that work is underway on the 12th edition of the world catalog of oil spill response products, since 1986 it has become the essential reference book of the oil spill response community. Coast guard, partners deploy spilled oil response systems in arctic posted by pac sara mooers, friday, august 10, 2012 coast guard personnel aboard the coast guard cutter sycamore set a desmi polar bear skimmer into the arctic ocean using. Work underway for 12th edition of the world catalog. The oil industry cannot guarantee the safety of arctic drilling and is recklessly putting profit before the environment.
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