Engineering & Environmental Research

DF Dickins Associates Ltd.

Projects: Oil Spills

BACKGROUND

Dickins initially specialized in oil spill research studies associated with offshore development: fate and behavior of oil, marine transportation, impact assessment, and coastal sensitivity. Projects over the past ten years cover all aspects of marine risk analysis including accident frequency, spill consequences, preventive measures and oil spill response strategies.

Dickins played a major role in six experimental spills in Canadian waters, including three in the Arctic and three off the east Coast. Findings from these projects still form the basis for much of the current knowledge about the behavior of oil spilled in cold water and arctic environments. In 1986, Dickins Associates produced the first comprehensive oil spill response atlas in Canada and went on to develop several other atlases covering critically sensitive marine environments in Lancaster Sound and the West Coast of British Columbia.

Oil spill projects linked to offshore oil developments around the world include: evaluating marine conditions off the Colville Delta Alaska, developing oil spill response strategies for BP's Northstar Project, evaluating oil spill research priorities for the Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute, developing response strategies for Sakhalin Energy (SEIC), and recommending best practices for a winter response in the North Caspian Sea.

Selected Oil Spill Projects

Phase 2 of this program was completed with the final report issued to all the sponsors in December 2006. This highly successful field experiment was a joint venture with SINTEF, The University Centre in Svalbard and Boise State University, funded by ADEC, MMS, Alaska Clean Seas, Statoil, ExxonMobil, Shell Norway and Store Norske.   The Svalbard 2006 project had two main study components utilizing a 3,500 litre crude oil spill under ice: (1) oil chemistry and physical behaviour in ice; and (2) evaluation of ground penetrating radar and acoustics technologies to detect and map oil under ice.  Preliminary results confirmed the findings from 2004 tests at the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover New Hampshire; the radar system successfully detected and mapped oil under 65 cm ice from the surface. The oil rose naturally to the surface in the spring and was effectively burned on top of the ice.  Phase 2 of this program was completed with the final report issued to all the sponsors in December 2006. www.mms.gov/tarprojects/569.htm

A paper on this project will be presented at the upcoming 2008 International Oil Spill Conference in Savannah, May 2008 – see new publications above.   Phase 3 aimed at modeling the radar response to different oil in ice scenarios is underway (2007-08) with the goal of evaluating the feasibility of achieving reliable airborne detection of oil under ice in the future.

Dickins Associates assisted Polaris Applied Sciences in reviewing a series of Oil Spill Response Plans for a massive new $3 billion oil production project which will eventually see up to one million barrels of oil per day moved through an 1,800 km pipeline from offshore ACG oil fields in Azerbaijan, through Georgia to a new tanker terminal at Ceyan in Turkey. An exhaustive review was conducted for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on behalf of the lenders. As part of the process, David Dickins participated in a site visit to Baku with other members of the technical team at the onset of the review in 2004.  In August 2005, Mr. Dickins represented the World Bank and EBRD in evaluating a full-scale deployment and spill drill at the new oil terminal in Ceyan.  The inaugural shipment of about 600,000 barrels of crude oil was delivered by tanker to Savona, Italy in June 2006, marking the start of export of Azerbaijan's crude oil via the BTC oil pipeline.

Advancing Oil Spill Response in Ice Covered Waters for Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute, 2002 to 2004 Dickins Associates created a research and development agenda for oil spills in ice-covered regions of the world, using the 2000 Oil and Ice Workshop proceedings (Chair: D. Dickins) as a starting point. Initial project areas and ideas were distributed to researchers around the world for comment and a final selection of priority areas made through an expert workshop in Anchorage, Nov 2003. The color report was released jointly through the US Arctic Research Commission and Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute in March 2004. Findings were presented at a special session on arctic spills at Interspill 2004 in Trondheim, Norway in June, 2004. The report can be downloaded from: www.pws-osri.org (what's new) www.arctic.gov (publications).

Training for Winter Oil Spill Response for St. Lawrence Seaway Authority, Massena NY, Feb 2003 Dickins assisted Polaris Applied Sciences in putting on a highly successful three day training course, focusing on spill behavior in fast flowing waters with ice. There is a risk of accidental spills from cargo vessels moving through the Seaway late in the season. The course program included a mix of classroom sessions and field exercises. A brochure describes the joint winter response training capabilities of Polaris and Dickins. Click here to view the brochure in PDF format.

Best Practices for Oil-in-Ice Response in the Caspian Sea for Statoil, Stavanger, 2002 The company prepared a comprehensive evaluation of ice conditions and realistic response strategies to deal with several possible spill scenarios at different locations in the North Caspian Sea. The project made extensive use of astronaut imagery acquired during Shuttle and MIR missions.

Tests to Determine the Limits of In-situ Burning of Thin Oil Slicks in Brash and Frazil Ice subcontract to SL Ross Environmental Research (for MMS and Exxon/Mobil) 2002 Dickins participated in a field program using a test tank at Prudhoe Bay to evaluate the effectiveness of burning oil in slush and brash ice. Publications: Oil Spills www.mms.gov/tarprojects/452.htm

SL Ross Environmental Research

Fried Ice: Should we torch oil spills off Alaska with napalm?
By Lisa Margonelli DISCOVER, Vol. 24 No. 11 | November 2003

Click here to view the article.

Alpine Spill Response for Phillips Alaska Inc. with Polaris Applied Sciences Inc., 2002 Dickins evaluated the ice conditions off the Colville River Delta with the objective of identifying potential pathways whereby a surface spill from proposed oil developments could interact with nearshore sea ice in shallow water. Paper presented at AMOP 2002. Publications: Oil Spills

USGS - Landsat 7

Oil in Ice at Ohmsett for SL Ross Environmental Research Ltd. (Client: US Minerals Management Service) 2002 Dickins assisted SL Ross in developing options for introducing sea ice into an existing outdoor test tank in New Jersey and participated in the initial field trials to test a skimmer in a manufactured broken ice sheet at the Ohmsett facility. Publications: Oil Spills

Oil-in-Ice Spill Response Strategies: Sakhalin 2 for Sakhalin Energy Investment Corporation (subcontract to Polaris Applied Science) 2002 This project recommended techniques to deal with spills in a variety of ice conditions found off the NE coast of Sakhalin Island. The document was used as input into contingency plans submitted for approval by the Russian regulatory agencies.

Gulf Canada Resources

Feasibility and Economic Review of Potential Oil-in-Ice Spill Response Techniques: Sakhalin Oil Production and Transportation for an oil industry client, October 2001 This project examined possible new techniques to deal with spills in ice. Up to twelve different techniques ( a mix of novel ideas and proven concepts) were evaluated against five scenarios involving platform, pipeline, terminal and tanker spills.

Northstar Oil Spill Response for BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., 1996 -2001 The company prepared descriptions of oil spill fate and behavior, and response options for spill scenarios connected with both the production facility and pipeline operation. Work scope included participation in meetings with regulatory agencies and community organizations, and the development of discussion papers to develop spill response strategies in different seasons. Northstar is now in production as the first year-round arctic offshore oilfield in the world.

International Oil in Ice Workshop
for Alaska Clean Seas, April 2000

David Dickins developed the technical program and acted as the facilitator of a two day workshop with 300 participants at the Anchorage Hilton. This workshop was a great success with many comments that it was the best organized and managed event of its kind.
Conferences

Detection and Tracking of Oil Under Ice for the United States Minerals Management Service, Department of Interior, April 2000 Dickins submitted a successful "white paper" in response to a call for research proposals to assess the available technology to detect and track an oil spill under ice in the Arctic Ocean. www.mms.gov/tarprojects/348.htm

Advisor to Marine Risk Management Panel for Washington State Department of Ecology and United States Coast Guard, 1999 Dickins as selected as a technical advisor to work with a federally appointed panel representing the marine industry, government agencies and environmental groups looking at ways to reduce the risk of oil spills related to shipping in the Pacific Northwest area of Puget Sound.

Cross Cascade Pipeline Application
for Tidewater Barge Lines, Portland, 1996 to 1999

Dickins acted as an expert witness in providing testimony and opinions on the relative risks of moving oil by barge and pipeline with respect to an application to build a new pipeline to connect Seattle with Eastern Washington. Responsibilities including reviewing and critiquing work of other experts and undergoing cross examination before a federal review panel.

Rescue and Escort Tugs for Tankers
for Robert Allan Ltd., RCG/Haglar Bailly, 1995 (Clients: Canadian Coast Guard, British Columbia Government)

These studies examined the potential costs and benefits associated with deploying a mix of rescue and escort tugs across Canada, and a dedicated rescue/salvage tug off the West Coast. The objective was to determine whether tug escorts could significantly reduce the frequency of oil spills from tankers.

Conference on Oil Spill Response in Dynamic Broken Ice
for Cook Inlet Spill Prevention and Response, March 1994

Dickins Associates organized and facilitated a highly successful conference held in Anchorage. The focus of the program developed with the cooperation of the local US Coast Guard MSO, was to understand and develop effective strategies for dealing with oil spills in an environment similar to Cook Inlet, Alaska, with strong tidal streams and floating ice.
Conferences

Evaluation of Unsolicited Proposals for Oil Spill R&D
for the Marine Spill Response Corporation, Washington DC., 1993 to 1995

Dickins Associates was selected through competitive bid to act as the agent for MSRC in reviewing all unsolicited proposals and ideas submitted worldwide to the organization. The work involved screening novel oil spill countermeasures ideas for possible funding. The contract ceased when the research arm of MSRC was disbanded in 1995.

"Ice is Nice" Brochure for Amoco Eurasia Petroleum Company and Canadian Marine Drilling Limited, 1993 Dickins was contracted to develop a full colour marketing handbook highlighting the state of practical knowledge on dealing with oil spills in ice. Detailing appropriate strategies in different seasons, the brochure traces the history of Canadian research efforts in this area over the past fifteen years, focusing on experiences in the Beaufort Sea. The document was published in Russian and English.

Canmar

Newfoundland Oil Burn Experiment (NOBE) for Environment Canada, 1989 to 1993 This joint Canada/US project involved the first large-scale in-situ oil burning experiment on the open ocean. The burn was successfully carried out off Newfoundland in August 1993. Dickins contribution covered permitting, participation in public meetings, technical design, environmental assessment, and management support. The company monitored environmental conditions (air and ocean) during the experiment. Publications: Oil Spills

Environment Canada

Inventory of Facilities/Sites for Disposal of Oily Waste
for BC Environment and Burrard Clean Operations Limited, 1993

Dickins Associates conducted a comprehensive survey of all facilities within British Columbia that might have a capability to assist in the disposal or storage of oily waste arising from marine oil spills.

Review of Oil Spill Cleanup Costs
for an oil industry client (subcontract to Coastal & Ocean Resources Inc.), 1992

Dickins Associates reviewed the cleanup costs associated with nine recent spills worldwide. Data was further broken down into shoreline versus marine components of the cleanup in order to compare the cost per barrel of oil recovered for both types of cleanup.

Beaufort Sea Oily Waste Disposal Sites for Environment Canada, 1992 Dickins directed a project to evaluate and recommend potential oily waste disposal sites along the Beaufort Sea coast. The results of this study can be used to recommend final sites for possible pre-approval by the different agencies and native organizations in the Yukon and the NWT.

Environmental Sensitivity and Risk Analysis along a Tanker Route for Transport Canada (subcontract to Canarctic Shipping Co. Ltd.), 1992 Dickins Associates evaluated the environmental sensitivity of a tanker route from the Canadian High Arctic to Montreal. Human use, biological resources, special status areas, and shoreline sensitivities were evaluated on each segment of the route in order to compare relative spill risks.

Canarctic (FedNav)

Comparative Oil Spill Risk of Marine Areas
for Canadian Coast Guard with AECL Research, 1992

The relative sensitivity of different Canadian marine areas to 10,000 tonne oil spills was evaluated, and the probability of marine accidents was calculated using historical vessel casualty and traffic data.

Oil-Ice Interaction: Review of Physical Behavior for Environment Canada, U.S. Minerals Management Service, and the American Petroleum Institute, 1992 with Fleet Technologies This project provided a comprehensive review and summary of the behavior of oil in, under, and amongst ice. The work compiles all known observations, measurements, and process equations for oil-ice interactions from worldwide sources. Over 60 individual summaries of experimental programs and spills of opportunity are included in the final report.

Comparative Risk Evaluation of Tankers and Pipelines
Trans Mountain Pipeline Company Limited (subcontract to Dames and Moore), 1990 and 1992

Dickins Associates evaluated the differences in marine spill risk, which would result if a new offshore oil terminal was built at Low Point on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

Shoreline Cleanup Options: Performance and Effects
Vancouver Island and North Coast Surveys, April 1991 to Sept 1992
for Environment Canada

Over two years, Dickins Associates conducted an extensive screening and site assessment along the north coast of Vancouver Island and northern B.C. (from the Alaskan border south) in search of sites suitable for a series of shoreline oil spill experiments designed to evaluate the effects and effectiveness of different shoreline cleanup methods in a controlled setting. www.mms.gov/tarprojects/158.htm

In-Situ Burning Workshop for Alaska Clean Seas, 1991 Dickins facilitated an international workshop held in Anchorage. Over 160 people discussed the technical, environmental, and social aspects of burning as a viable oil spill clean-up technique. Conferences

Norcor

Strategies for Remote Sensing and Trajectory Modelling in Support of Oil Spill Response
for Environment Canada, Conservation and Protection, 1991

Dickins Associates facilitated two workshops held in June 1991 to survey user requirements and establish the outline of a national strategy for remote sensing and trajectory modeling.

Oil Spill Response Atlas for the Southwest Coast of Vancouver Island
for the B.C. Ministry of Environment, 1990

This computer generated atlas maps shoreline sensitivities, identifies priority areas and makes specific recommendations for oil spill response strategies.
Publications: Oil Spills

Environmental Risks of Oil Tanker Traffic on the West Coast (2 vols.)
for the States/British Columbia Task Force on Oil Spills, 1990

Dickins Associaters was the principal consultant to the States/B.C. Task Force on spill risk analysis. Five detailed spill scenarios are developed in terms of the environmental consequences and cost.

Tanker/Barge Safety
for the States/British Columbia Task Force on Oil Spills, 1989-90

This study evaluated proposed measures for reducing the risk of oil spills from tankers and barges along the West Coast and made recommendations on the effectiveness of different improvements.

Blowout Analysis in a Worst Case Summer, December
for Gulf Canada Resources Inc., December 1990

This analysis involved developing probable areas of influence for oil spilled into broken ice during a severe ice year in the Beaufort Sea. Dickins carried out this work in response to concerns raised during environmental hearings into arctic offshore drilling.

Evaluation of Tank and Basin Facilities
for Environment Canada and the U.S. Minerals Management Service, 1989

Dickins reviewed all available towing tanks and maneuvering basins in Canada and the United States against a set of requirements for testing oil spill response equipment.

Oil Spill Trajectory Models
for Gulf Canada Resources Limited, 1989-1990

This project evaluated available trajectory models in North America and Europe in terms of their ability to accurately predict the movement of oil spilled in open water and ice on a real-time basis.

Oil Spill in Pack Ice with S.L. Ross Environmental Research Limited for the Environmental Studies Research Funds, 1987 Dickins participated in three unique experimental spills conducted in dynamic pack ice conditions off Cape Breton Island in March 1986. The primary objective was to document the physical and chemical interaction of crude oil with pack ice. Publications: Oil Spills

Newfoundland Oil Spill Exercise - Meteorological Conditions
for S.L. Ross Environmental Research Limited, 1987

Dickins documented sea conditions and climate during the largest experimental spill of crude oil ever conducted in North America (18,000 gallons of oil, five large vessels and over 100 personnel). The joint U.S./Canada project afforded an unequaled opportunity to observe the capabilities of different oil spill containment booms and skimmers in the open ocean.

Environmental Atlas for Beaufort Sea Oil Spill Response
for Environment Canada, 1987

This computer-generated colour atlas was the first of its kind for a Canadian Arctic area. The atlas synthesizes environmental information relevant to the planning and implementation of year-round oil spill countermeasures in both coastal and offshore areas. www.aina.ucalgary.ca/scripts/minisa.dll/144/hiproe/hiproe/sisn+20902?COMMANDSEARCH

Oil Discharge Systems for the Baffin Island Oil Spill Project (BIOS) for Environment Canada, 1980-81 BIOS was a twelve million dollar international experiment to assess the short and long-term fate and effects of oil stranded onshore compared to the impact of the same volume of oil when chemically dispersed into the nearshore environment. Dickins Associates designed and operated the systems used to discharge the oil. In addition, the company monitored beach processes along the shoreline through a series of time- lapse camera installations. Dickins was cited by Environment Canada for outstanding contract performance in this project. Publications: Oil Spills

Oil and Gas Under Sea Ice (Scientific Co-ordination) for Dome Petroleum Limited, 1979-1980 (now Amoco Canada Limited) This work is widely considered a milestone study in the state of knowledge surrounding the behaviour of crude oil in sea ice. The experiment involved three simulated oil well blowouts of Prudhoe Bay crude and compressed air in shallow water beneath a sea ice sheet. Cleanup was accomplished by burning and mechanical removal. Publications: Oil Spills

Air Deployable Oil Spill Igniter Tests, Yellowknife
for Canadian Marine Drilling Ltd. and the Arctic Petroleum Operators Assoc., 1979

A series of prototype igniters were dropped from a helicopter into an oiled melt-water pool, on the ice surface of a small lake. Over 90% of the oil was burned and recommendations made for improvements to future igniter design.

Eastern Arctic Blowout Scenarios
for inclusion in Canadian Government Major Oil Blowout Contingency Plan for the Eastern Arctic, 1979

The Labrador Sea, Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound and Beaufort Sea areas were compared in terms of the physical environment affecting oil spill contingency planning. A worst-case blowout scenario was developed for a Davis Strait drill site in 800 m of water with a dynamic broken ice cover.

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