Ecological characteristics of 35-year-old crude-oil spills in tundra plant communities of the Mackenzie Mountains, N.W.T.

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 2935-2947 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Peter Kershaw ◽  
Linda J. Kershaw
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Similarity Coefficients ◽  
Floristic Similarity ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
Salix Planifolia

In June 1945 the CANOL Crude Oil Pipeline No. 1 from Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, was abandoned. During its short history, approximately 17 838 500 L of oil was lost through spills and 9 864 400 L was left in the line and storage tanks. Although some burning was done during salvage operations, most residual oil was drained onto the soil surface. Studies in alpine tundra indicate that this oil penetrated up to 60 cm in dry, coarse-textured soils and 8 cm in wet, clay-rich soils. Oil decomposition ranged from complete utilization of n-alkanes to selective metabolism of n-alkanes C12 to C19. Contaminated soils were drier than control soils. This, plus surface blackening and thinning or organic surface layers, resulted in subsurface warming. Floristic similarity coefficients comparing control sites and 27 crude-oil spills varied from 19 to 52. Plant cover was substantially lower on oil spills and in only one community was floristic diversity greater on oil spills than on associated control sites. Dominant colonizers included Cladonia pocillum, Cladonia pyxidata, Rinodina roscida, Carex aquatilis, Carex membranacea, Carex scirpoidea, Epilobium angustifolium, Eriophorum angustifolium, Festuca altaica, Juncus albescens, Poa alpina, Salix planifolia, Solidago multiradiata, and Trisetum spicatum.

Effects of experimental crude oil spills on subarctic boreal forest vegetation near Norman Wells, N.W.T., Canada

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (19) ◽  
pp. 2424-2433 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. C. Hutchinson ◽  
W. Freedman
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Active Layer ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Short Term

Data are presented on the effects of experimental crude oil spills made on two subarctic boreal forest plant communities near Norman Wells, N.W.T. Spray spills of fresh unweathered crude oil at an intensity of 9.1 ℓ/m2 had a general herbicidal effect and caused the death of any green tissue coming in direct contact with the oil. Death of lichens and mosses was rapid and complete. For some higher plants, a considerable lag period occurred between the time of the spill and the time of death (up to 4 years for some individuals of Picea mariana). For others, death occurred during the first winter, with marked effects on cover values in the spring. These effects resulted in large decreases in total plant cover and frequency at spill sites. However, within a few weeks, and in subsequent years, some species developed regrowth shoots. Other species survived as underground rhizomes for a number of years prior to their reappearance above ground (i.e., Equisetum scirpoides). Limited seedling establishment by vascular plants was first observed in the fourth postspill growing season, when some sporeling establishment was also noted for several bryophyte species. No Picea mariana regeneration has occurred in the spill plots in the six postspill growing seasons monitored thus far.Crude oil spills made in winter were found to be less damaging than equivalent summer spills in their short-term biological effects and on rates of recovery and species affected. Initial observations indicate that a summer diesel oil spill shows roughly equivalent toxicity to a summer crude oil spill of the same intensity. Comparisons between an intensive spill (8500 ℓ) made at one point and dispersed spray spills indicate that the former are far less damaging per unit of oil applied to the plant community, with severe detrimental effects being largely limited to areas of direct surface contamination. In the point spill examined, most of the oil percolated downwards and then laterally. Surface vegetation growing above areas with subsurface horizons contaminated by oil was not greatly affected in the first 2 years. An increased area of damage appeared in postspill years 5 and 6, including death of Picea mariana. Oil also appeared to move laterally in 1976 when severe rains occurred, and the oiled area increased somewhat.Limited short-term effects of the spill treatments on depth of active layer thaw have been noted in this study, but these initial effects were not maintained after the first postspill growing season. The low rates of oil application make the conclusions about the effects of large spills on active layer stability conjectural. Potential effects on vegetation are much more firmly based. Oil in the boreal forest soil appeared to retain toxic properties throughout the 5-year study period.

Physical and biological effects of experimental crude oil spills on Low Arctic tundra in the vicinity of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., Canada

1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (19) ◽  
pp. 2219-2230 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Freedman ◽  
T. C. Hutchinson
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Active Layer ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Soil Heat Flux ◽  
Layer Depth ◽  
Low Arctic ◽  
Made In

Data are presented on the effects of simulated crude oil spills on two Low Arctic terrestrial tundra plant communities near Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. Spills of fresh, unweathered crude oil had a general herbicidal effect, resulting in rapid damage to, and subsequent death of, all aboveground actively growing foliage coming in contact with the oil. Most species were defoliated. Mosses and lichens were especially susceptible and killed. However, within several weeks of the summer oil spillages, a limited number of relatively tolerant vascular plant species began to develop regrowth shoots.Summer spills were markedly more damaging than were equivalent spills made in winter. No increases were seen in active layer depth from spills made in summer. However, winter spills on one of the two sites did show consistent and statistically significant (P > 0.01) increases in depth of thaw. Examination of several key energy budget parameters at these field sites indicated consistently lower albedos and evapotranspiration and consistently higher soil surface temperatures and soil heat flux at all oil spill sites, relative to their controls. However, except for a winter spill on one site, the recorded differences were not sufficiently large in magnitude to produce significant increases in active layer thaw depths.

scholarly journals Geophysical investigations for stability and safety mitigation of regional crude-oil pipeline near abandoned coal mines

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-162
Author(s):  
B Butchibabu ◽  
Prosanta Kumar Khan ◽  
P C Jha
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Seismic Refraction ◽  
High Resolution Imaging ◽  
Weak Zone ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
Refraction Tomography ◽  
Geophysical Investigations ◽  
Resolution Imaging

Abstract This study aims for the protection of a crude-oil pipeline, buried at a shallow depth, against a probable environmental hazard and pilferage. Both surface and borehole geophysical techniques such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), ground penetrating radar (GPR), surface seismic refraction tomography (SRT), cross-hole seismic tomography (CST) and cross-hole seismic profiling (CSP) were used to map the vulnerable zones. Data were acquired using ERT, GPR and SRT along the pipeline for a length of 750 m, and across the pipeline for a length of 4096 m (over 16 profiles of ERT and SRT with a separation of 50 m) for high-resolution imaging of the near-surface features. Borehole techniques, based on six CSP and three CST, were carried out at potentially vulnerable locations up to a depth of 30 m to complement the surface mapping with high-resolution imaging of deeper features. The ERT results revealed the presence of voids or cavities below the pipeline. A major weak zone was identified at the central part of the study area extending significantly deep into the subsurface. CSP and CST results also confirmed the presence of weak zones below the pipeline. The integrated geophysical investigations helped to detect the old workings and a deformation zone in the overburden. These features near the pipeline produced instability leading to deformation in the overburden, and led to subsidence in close vicinity of the concerned area. The area for imminent subsidence, proposed based on the results of the present comprehensive geophysical investigations, was found critical for the pipeline.

scholarly journals Data Analysis and Discussion on the Reliability of the Control Principle of a Sealed Crude Oil Pipeline

2021 ◽  
Vol 1927 (1) ◽  
pp. 012021
Author(s):  
Junjiang Liu ◽  
Liang Feng ◽  
Dake Yang ◽  
Xianghui Li
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
Control Principle

Experimental study on the wax removal physics of foam pig in crude oil pipeline pigging

2021 ◽  
Vol 205 ◽  
pp. 108881
Author(s):  
Xuedong Gao ◽  
Qiyu Huang ◽  
Xun Zhang ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Xiangrui Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
Wax Removal

Simulation of Liquid-Gas Replacement in Commissioning Process for Large-Slope Crude Oil Pipeline

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Chen ◽  
Jing Gong ◽  
Xiaoping Li ◽  
Nan Zhang ◽  
Shaojun He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Liquid Flow ◽  
Liquid Flow Rate ◽  
Fluid Model ◽  
Engineering Application ◽  
Computational Procedure ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Production Operation ◽  
Oil Pipeline

Pipeline commissioning, which is a key link from engineering construction to production operation, is aim to fill an empty pipe by injecting water or oil to push air out of it. For a large-slope crude oil pipeline with great elevation differences, air is fairly easy to entrap at downward inclined parts. The entrapped air, which is also called air pocket, will cause considerable damage on pumps and pipes. The presence of it may also bring difficulties in tracking the location of the liquid head or the interface between oil and water. It is the accumulated air that needed to be exhausted in time during commissioning. This paper focuses on the simulation of liquid-gas replacement in commissioning process that only liquid flow rate exists while gas stays stagnant in the pipe and is demanded to be replaced by liquid. Few previous researches have been found yet in this area. Consequently, the flow in a V-section pipeline consisted of a downhill segment and a subsequent uphill one is used here for studying both the formation and exhaustion behaviors of the intake air. The existing two-fluid model and simplified non-pressure wave model for gas-liquid stratified flow are applied to performance the gas formation and accumulation. The exhausting process is deemed to be a period in which the elongated bubble (Taylor bubble) is fragmented into dispersed small bubbles. A mathematical model to account for gas entrainment into liquid slug is proposed, implemented and incorporated in a computational procedure. By taking into account the comprehensive effects of liquid flow rate, fluid properties, surface tension, and inclination angle, the characteristics of the air section such as the length, pressure and mass can be calculated accurately. The model was found to show satisfactory predictions when tested in a pipeline. The simulation studies can provide theoretical support and guidance for field engineering application, which are meanwhile capable of helping detect changes in parameters of gas section. Thus corresponding control measures can be adopted timely and appropriately in commissioning process.

Permafrost Hazard of MoHe-DaQing Crude Oil Pipeline

2013 ◽  
Vol 734-737 ◽  
pp. 2659-2663
Author(s):  
Yun Bin Ma ◽  
Dong Jie Tan ◽  
Hong Yuan Jing ◽  
Quan Xue ◽  
Cheng Zhi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
The Other ◽  
Frost Heave ◽  
Permafrost Soil ◽  
Buried Pipeline ◽  
Soil Frost ◽  
Plastic Deformations ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
Thaw Settlement ◽  
Slope Instabilities

The crude oil pipeline from MoHe to DaQing (hereafter called Mo-Da pipeline) is part of China-Russia oil pipeline. Mo-Da pipeline is the first pipeline that through high latitude cold regions of China. The pipeline is in so complicated geography environment that many kinds of permafrost hazard are easily to happen including frost heave, thaw settlement, slope instabilities, and collapse and so on. The pipeline and the permafrost act and react upon one another. On one hand, soil frost heave and thaw settlement can produce extra stresses on pipe walls, which may result in centralized stresses and plastic deformations under certain conditions, even causes pipeline faults. On the other hand, buried pipeline will disturb ambient environment and then degrade the permafrost soil and finally impact safety of the pipeline. This paper mainly introduces the permafrost hazards of Mo-Da pipeline and demonstrates some methods for monitoring the influence of permafrost.

A methodology to investigate factors governing the restart pressure of a Malaysian waxy crude oil pipeline

2021 ◽  
pp. 109785
Author(s):  
Guillaume Vinay ◽  
Petrus Tri Bhaskoro ◽  
Isabelle Hénaut ◽  
Mior Zaiga Sariman ◽  
Astriyana Anuar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Waxy Crude Oil ◽  
Waxy Crude ◽  
Oil Pipeline
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