Response to spills of oil and other harmful substances
Responding to Pollution by Oil and other
Harmful Substances
Response to oil spills
Importance of prevention of oil pollution
•
Escape of 100 tons of a light oil
•
Spill 2 km2
•
90 tons within an area of 1 km2
•
20 tons will evaporate in 24 hours
•
Rest of oil might emulsify increasing the quantity to 280 tons
•
If this quantity comes ashore around 1,000 to 3,000 tons of oily waste
will be collected
Response to oil spills
Importance of prevention of oil pollution
Response to oil spills
Historical background

Oil was known to human since ancient times.

Primitive humans observed flames coming out of the land, especially in the Persian Gulf and
the Caspian Sea regions.

Egyptians used asphalt for mummifying the dead.

Ancient Greek doctors Hippocrates and Galinos considered it as a valuable medicine.

The infamous “water fire” of the Byzantines must have had oil as its main content.
Response to oil spills
The complex composition of crude oil and its products
•
Crude oil is mainly made up of hydrocarbons with a molecular weight varying from that
of methane to those of heavy molecules containing more than 80 carbon atoms.
•
It contains oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen compounds as well as traces of metals.
•
Its behavior and impact on the marine environment depend on the composition of the
oil and the environmental conditions
•
Based on specific gravity, we classify oil into:
- Light oils
- Intermediate to heavy oils
- Heavy oils, including residual oils and marine fuel oils.
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea – Critical factors
•
Specific gravity
•
Boiling point
•
Viscosity
•
Pour point
•
Flash point
•
Solubility
•
Asphaltenes content
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Evaporation
•
The most important process that removes oil from the sea surface.
•
The higher the boiling point, the faster and more extensive the evaporation
•
Crude oil may lose up to 40% of its volume in the firs 48 hours.
•
Heavy fuel oils contain few volatile compounds and usually show a low degree of
evaporation
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Evaporation of 7 tons HFO (380 cSt) in summer season
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Evaporation of 7 tons of crude oil in winter season
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Evaporation of 70 tons of diesel oil
Evaporation of gasoline
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Emulsification
(Water-in-Oil Emulsion)
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Emulsification (Water-in-Oil Emulsion)
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Movement of a slick on the surface of the sea
Response to oil spills
Behavior of oil into the sea
Movement of a slick on the surface of the sea
2 hours simulation of a 350 tons oil spill
Light Crude oil
Heavy Fuel oil
Response to oil spills
Permissible oil discharges from E/R
Response to oil spills
SPILL
PREPARDNESS AND
RESPONSE
- ΜΑRPOL 73/78
- OPRC’90/HNS 2000
Response to oil spills
Spill Contingency Plans
SOPEP, All ships
Oil
SMPEP, Tankers carrying noxious liquid substances
NLS
Response to oil spills
Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Basic Elements
 Reporting procedure
 List of Authorities that must be notified in case of a pollution incident

Actions to be taken by the ship’s crew for mitigating or limiting pollution
 Procedures for the coordination of the response operation in cooperation with
national and local authorities
 Training – Drills
Response to oil spills
Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Response to oil spills
Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Steps to control the discharge - Priority actions
1.
The Master’s priority will be to ensure the safety of personnel and the ship,
and to take action to prevent escalation of the incident.
2.
Prior to considering remedial action, the Master will need to obtain detailed
information on the damage sustained by the ship.
3.
Having assessed the damage sustained by the ship, the Master will be in
position to decide what action should be taken to prevent or minimize
further discharge
Response to oil spills
Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Mitigating Activities
When the safety of both the ship and personnel has been addressed, the Master
can initiate mitigating activities, having the overall responsibility for continuous
monitoring and assessment of the situation and act respectively.
Assessment and monitoring requirements
Personnel protection issues (protective equipment and threats to health and
safety)
Containment and other response techniques (e.g. dispersing, absorbing,
neutralization)
Isolation procedures
Decontamination of personnel
Response to oil spills
Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Transfer of Bunker / Cargo Lightening
Should the ship sustain extensive structural damage, it may be necessary to
transfer all or part of the bunker oils to another ship/barge.
The Plan should provide guidance on procedures to be followed for ship-to-ship
transfer of cargo.
It should also address the need for co-coordinating this activity with the Coastal
state, as such operation may be subject to the coastal state’s jurisdiction.
Response to oil spills
HELMEPA Ship’s Manual
Response to oil spills
Common spill response methods
Oil Booms
Response to oil spills
Common spill response methods
Skimmers
Response to oil spills
Common spill response methods
Chemical dispersants
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Transport of Dangerous Cargoes – Marine Pollutants
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Transport of HNS substances
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Transport of chemicals in packaged form
•
Mont Blanc Accident, 1917
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Hazards from the carriage of bulk chemicals
Response to spills by other harmful substances
NLS Categorization
X
Major Hazard
(13%, 70 substances)
Y
Hazard
(65%, > 320 substances)
Z
Minor Hazard
(22%, > 110 substances)
OS
No hazards
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Permissible discharges of tank washings and dirty ballast
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Properties assessed in classifying an NLS cargo
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Behavior of spills
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Behavior
Impacts
Response
Response to spills by other harmful substances
SMPEP vs SOPEP
SMPEP shall include all the casualties referred in SOPEP plus:
• spills by noxious liquid substances, and
• response practices in relation to:




dangerous reactions of cargoes carried on the vessel,
dangerous cargo releases,
loss of tank environmental control, and
cargo contamination that might lead to a hazardous condition
Response to spills by other harmful substances
Accidental release of a rapidly evaporating and flammable cargo
EXPLOSIVE
(Gas / vapour cloud)
Is Concentration <10% LEL?
No
Monitor
No
Monitor
No
Restrict access /
Consider evacuation
Yes
Is there a threat to life or pollution?
Yes
Is time available to response?
Yes
Apply appropriate response methods
-Knock down spray
-Ventilate
-Prevent ignition
-Remove ignition sources
Thank you for your attention!
Questions