The Flow of North Slope Crude Oil and Its Emulsions at Low Temperatures

ABSTRACT During the evening of the second day following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 gallons (57,000 to 114,000 L) of North Slope crude oil were eliminated using in-situ combustion techniques. The oil was collected with the 3M Company's Fire Boom, towed in a U-shaped configuration behind two fishing boats. Working with 500-foot (152-m) tow lines, a 450-foot (137-m) boom was moved at about one-half to one knot (0.26 to 0.52 m/s) through slightly emulsified oil patches downwind of the spill. Once oil had filled the downstream portion of the U-shaped boom and the boats were clear of any surrounding slicks, a gelled-fuel igniter was released from one of the tow boats. Shortly after ignition, flames gradually spread out over the entire area of the contained oil. As flames reached 200 to 300 feet (61 to 91 m) into the air, the area of the contained oil layer (and therefore the size and intensity of the fire) could be controlled by adjusting the speed of the vessels. The total burn time was approximately 75 minutes; however, the intense part of the burn lasted for about 45 minutes. The original volume of oil, likely between 15,000 and 30,000 gallons, was reduced to approximately 300 gallons (1,136 L) of stiff, taffy-like burn residue that could be picked up easily upon completion of the burn. The controlled elimination of crude oil therefore resulted in an estimated 98 percent or better efficiency of burn.

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PAHS AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS IN EFFLUENTS FROM ARTIFICIALLY WEATHERED OIL ON GRAVEL

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2005-1-197 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 2005 (1) ◽

pp. 197-200

Author(s):

Walter H. Pearson

Keyword(s):

Crude Oil ◽

Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Anaerobic Biodegradation ◽

North Slope ◽

Pacific Herring ◽

Fish Eggs ◽

Oil Droplets ◽

Developmental Abnormalities ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Oil Toxicity

ABSTRACT Several recent studies report that low parts per billion (ppb) concentrations of petroleum polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are toxic to marine fish embryos and that crude oil toxicity increases as it weathers. Such claims for Pacific herring embyros derive from two experiments by Carls et al. (1999) in which herring eggs were exposed to seawater passed through gravel coated with artificially weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil. The experiments differed in the extent of weathering of the oil on gravel. Carls et al. reported that developmental abnormalities in herring embryos occur during chronic exposure to PAH levels as low as 0.4 ppb in seawater passed through the oiled gravel. Earlier studies had shown that effects are observed at low PAH levels only when oil droplets or films adhered to the herring eggs. To better understand Carls et al. experiments, we examined effluent from a gravel bed prepared following Carls et al. and report that ammonia, sulfides, and oil droplets were present in the effluent from oiled gravel generators that were shut down between two 16-day trials (as was done by Carls et al.). Oil droplets (0.5 to 1 mm) were intermittently present in effluent from oiled gravel generators even when the flow was continuous. Two hours after restarting flow, low dissolved oxygen, ammonia, and sulfides were present in the generators and in the effluent. Droplets, ammonia, and sulfides all induce developmental abnormalities of the types seen by Carls et al. The presence of ammonia and sulfide in the effluent after shutdown is a laboratory artifact and constitutes clear evidence of anaerobic biodegradation of the oil on gravel. Evidence of anaerobic biodegradation suggests that the exposure regime of Carls et al. did not effectively simulate field conditions. Our results demonstrate that the presence of confounding toxicants in the Carls et al. experiments cannot be dismissed. There is no basis to conclude that aqueous exposure to low ppb PAH levels affects herring eggs or that weathering increases oil toxicity to fish eggs without additional experiments that specifically account for the potential confounding factors and all chemicals in effluents from oiled gravel columns.

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DEGRADATION OF CRUDE OIL ENHANCED BY COMMERCIAL MICROBIAL CULTURES

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1997-1-995 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 1997 (1) ◽

pp. 995-996 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Salvador Aldrett ◽

James S. Bonner ◽

Thomas J. McDonald ◽

Marc A. Mills ◽

Robin L. Autenrieth

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Crude Oil ◽

Laboratory Study ◽

Biological Markers ◽

Cost Efficiency ◽

Oil Spills ◽

North Slope ◽

Standard Methods ◽

Microbial Cultures ◽

Biological Methods

ABSTRACT Remediation and cleanup of oil spills has been attempted using different technologies. Biological methods such as bioremediation have been favored over others due to their cost efficiency and their low environmental impact. Bioremediation of Alaska North Slope crude oil was effectively attempted in a laboratory study using 13 commercial products. The products containing the microorganisms were provided by different vendors. The treatments were tested over a 28-day period, and the samples were extracted and analyzed using standard methods. After 28 days, four products showed an effective enhancement of the bioremediation process: the saturate fraction was degraded approximately 80%, and the aromatic fraction was degraded approximately 70%. Biological markers such as pristane, phytane, and C30 hopane were partially degraded.

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Research and Application of Drag Reducer for Oil Products

2008 7th International Pipeline Conference, Volume 4 ◽

10.1115/ipc2008-64230 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

Zhongyuan Guan ◽

Jinghua Liang ◽

Chunyang Liu ◽

Weichun Chang ◽

Feng Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crude Oil ◽

Energy Saving ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Low Temperatures ◽

Bulk Polymerization ◽

Oil Products ◽

Chemical Additive ◽

Manual Operation ◽

Products Pipeline ◽

Equipment System

Taking the exact demands of chemical additive components added in oil products into account, it is necessary to prepare a drag reducer both with desirable functions and pure composition for oil products differing from that for crude oil. However, that is evidently difficult. This article presents the research and application of a newly-developed drag reducer for oil products, which is innocuous to oil products and easy to handle in its applications. The preparation of the drag reducer was based upon a series of integrative techniques involving adsorbent purification of monomers, implementation of bulk polymerization at low temperatures and ultramicro grinding of polyalphaolefins at normal temperatures. Simultaneously, the drag reducer can be manufactured in different scales by purpose-made equipment system with a little manual operation on safe, reliable, efficient and convenient base. The application test of the drag reducer was conducted successfully and has been commercially applied in Lanzhou-Chengdu-Chongqing Oil Products Pipeline. The application results for the pipeline showed that this drag reducer, as a feasible and available technical method, was not only positively helpful to increase the flow rate of Lanzhou-Chengdu-Chongqing Oil Products Pipeline, but also of great significance for other oil products pipelines in throughput increase and energy saving.

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Effects of Biomass and Crude Oil Co-Combustion on NO and SO2 Emissions

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.694.489 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 694 ◽

pp. 489-493

Author(s):

Guang Yang ◽

Zi Fang Wang ◽

Meng Si ◽

Jing Hong Lian ◽

Lian Sheng Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crude Oil ◽

High Temperatures ◽

Electric Furnace ◽

Low Temperatures ◽

Mass Fraction ◽

No Emission ◽

Air Atmosphere

In this paper, a tube electric furnace is used to process the co-combustion of biomass and crude oil in air atmosphere, the influence of the biomass mass fraction and the temperature on NO and SO2 emissions are analysed. Research shows that with the increasing addition ratio of biomass to crude oil, the amount of NO in per unit heat reduces. This tendency is more apparent at high temperatures. Compared with crude oil, the NO emission of 20% biomass mass fraction at 1100°C is reduced by 25.8% while 19.02% at 700°C. SO2 emission in per unit heat decreases with the increasing biomass mass fraction. This tendency is more apparent at low temperatures. Compared with crude oil The generation of SO2 of 20% biomass mass fraction can reduce 91.5% at 700°C while 36.7% at 1100°C.

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