1 of 32

Links Description Facility PI Funding Year Objective

AK-11-

11

Interagency Protocols for Immediate 

On-Scene Arctic Oils Spill Impact 

Science 

NA BOEM-AK 2012 Beaufort, Chukchi 

Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program 

(AMOP) Technical Seminar on 

Environmental Contamination and 

Response

NA EC 2012 http://www.etc-cte.ec.gc.ca/news/conferences_e.html

Spill Response in the Arctic Offshore

SL Ross, DF 

Dickins 

Associates, 

Polaris 

Applied 

Sciences

API- OSRI 2011

Prepared for the American Petroleum Institute and the Joint 

Industry Programme on Oil Spill Recovery in Ice

http://www.api.org/~/media/Files/EHS/Clean_Water/Oil_Spill_P

revention/Spill-Response-in-the-Arctic-Offshore.ashx

Offshore Technology ConferenceArctic 2011

Joint Industry Program on Oil Spill 

Contingency for Arctic and IceCovered Waters: Summary Report

 SINTEF, SL 

Ross, DF 

Dickins 

Associates

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

Summary of the Joint Industry Program on Oil Spill 

Contingency for Arctic and Ice-Covered Waters (JIP on oil in 

ice. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-32-Summary-report.pdf

An Inventory of Research Projects on Oil Spills in Arctic Waters

Research 

Initiatives 

Assessments and Workshops 

This matrix is a selection of Arctic oil spill research drawn largely from US government sources and supplemented by representative projects from other sources 

including foreign governments and privately funded programs. The collection of refrences are limited to those available in the public domain. 
2 of 32

Beaufort Sea Oil Spills State of 

Knowledge Review and Identification 

of Key Issues 

SL Ross, DF 

Dickins 

Associates, 

Envision 

Planning 

Solutions

Environmental 

Studies Research 

Funds

2010

Comprehensive review of the Arctic oil spill knowledge, 

including behavior and modeling, surveillance and monitoring, 

containment, recovery, in situ burning, dispersants, oil waste 

management, shoreline spill response and case histories. 

http://www.esrfunds.org/pdf/177.pdf 

Advancing Oil Spill Response in IceCovered Waters 2009 http://www.arctic.gov/publications/oil_in_ice.pdf

Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program 

(AMOP) Technical Seminar on 

Environmental Contamination and 

Response

2009

Conference is every other year. 

http://www.ec.gc.ca/scitech/default.asp?lang=En&n=66A57AF7-

1

587 International Oil in Ice Workshop 2007

SL Ross, DF 

Dickins 

Associates 

MMS, ACS, 

Alaska 

Department of 

Environmental 

Conservation, 

Cook Inlet Spill 

Prevention and 

Response, OSRI, 

USCG

2008

Project is to organize and conduct an international workshop 

on recent advances in cleanup of oil spills in ice and cold 

climates.

Arctic Oil Spill Response Research 

and Development Program: A Decade 

of Achievement

MMS MMS 2008

Report provides a comprehensive summary of activities and 

accomplishments of the (MMS) Arctic Oil Spill Response 

Research (OSRR) program. Significant accomplishments of 

the OSRR program include:

• Detection of oil in and under ice

• Oil spill thickness sensor

• Mechanical containment and recovery in ice environments

• In situ burn research

• Dispersants in cold water/broken ice environments

• Chemical herders

• Operation of Ohmsett

http://www.iccopr.uscg.gov/iccopr/i/files/MMSArcticResearch_2

009.pdf
3 of 32

Short State-of-the-Art Report on Oil 

Spills in Ice-Infested Waters SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In Ice 2006

The objective of this report is to give a short and "to-the-point" 

presentation of the status, knowledge gaps, and research 

needs regarding oil spill response in Arctic and primarily in iceinfested waters. The report identifies technology gaps and 

recommendations are to be used to develop a scope of work 

for an R&D program to support petroleum exploration and 

production in Arctic areas. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-1-State-of-the-art-2006-oil-in-ice.pdf

555 

Partnering in a Workshop to 

Determine the Scope of an 

Experimental Oil Spill in Pack Ice in 

Canada

SL Ross, DF 

Dickins 

Associates

MMS 2006 Conduct a planning workshop for an experimental oil spill in 

pack ice offshore Canada.

512 

Transfer of Decanting Technology 

Research to Oil Spill Response 

Organizations and Regulators

SL Ross MMS 2005

Distill research results collected during the past six years of 

decanting experiments (including the use of chemical 

demulsifiers to enhance water separation) into proposed 

guidelines for operational use and to transfer technology to 

responders and regulators.

518 Workshop on the Issue of Prevention: 

What are the Next Challenges?

American 

Petroleum 

Institute 

MMS 2005 International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) is the pre-eminent 

gathering of oil spill experts from around the world.

520 

Project Canceled Summary Report 

of Activities at the Bureau of Ocean 

Energy Management, Regulation, and 

Enforcement Ohmsett Facility

ATRP 

Corporation MMS 2005

The objective of this project was to prepare a series of 

technical summaries detailing the oil spill related research, 

testing, and training activities conducted at Ohmsett.

451 Global Challenges to Preparedness 

and Response Regimes Workshop

American 

Petroleum 

Institute

MMS 2003

International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) is the pre-eminent 

gathering of oil spill experts from around the world. 

354 International Oil and Ice Workshop DF Dickins 

Associates MMS & ACS 2002

The workshop assembled experts on oil fate and behavior, 

Arctic oil spill response, ice environments, and Arctic oilfield 

development to present the leading edge technologies in a 

seminar and field setting.
4 of 32

153 Alaska Arctic Workshop NIST MMS 1990

The objectives of the workshop were to: 

(1) Provide a public forum to describe existing research 

programs 

(2) Identify future research needs and priorities 

(3) Improve and to advance Arctic oil spill response capabilities 

(4) Present discussions of the state-of-the-art for all aspects of 

oil spill response under Arctic conditions

Alaska Arctic Offshore Oil Spill Response Technology, 

November 29– December 1, 1988, Workshop Proceedings, 

National Institute of Standards and Technology Special 

Publication 762, April 1989.

120 Physical Behavior of Oil in the Ocean EC-ESD MMS & EC 2002

Behavior and oil properties, particularly those of heavy oils. 

The study includes: buoyancy behavior, solubility, evaporation, 

dispersion, photo-oxidation, and emulsification

347 Emulsions Formed at Sea and in Test 

Tanks EC MMS 2002 Evaluate the tendency of oils to emulsify at sea into unstable, mesostable, or stable emulsions

298 

Testing at Ohmsett to Determine 

Optimum Times to Decant to 

Temporary Storage Devices

SL Ross MMS 2001 Conduct full-scale tests of recovered oil/emulsion/water 

separation rates 

287 

Fate and Behavior of Deepwater 

Subsea Oil Well Blowouts in the Gulf 

of Mexico

SL Ross MMS 1997 Analyze the behavior of oil spilled during a deepwater blowout

162 Development of a Portable Oil 

Analysis Kit for Responders EC-ESD MMS & EC 1992 Develop a field kit to measure oil properties

RFP Environmental impacts of Arctic spills 

and their response OSRT-JIP 2012

Provide a robust information base that will support the use of 

net environmental benefit analysis (NEBA) for Arctic oil spill 

environmental impact assessments and response decisionmaking

Environmental Response 

Management Application (ERMA) UNH

NOAA, UNH, 

EPA,USCG and 

Department of 

Interior,

2012

Online mapping tool that integrates both static and real-time 

data, such as Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps, ship 

locations, weather, and ocean currents, in a centralized, easyto-use format for environmental responders and decision 

makers. 

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/erma_portal

AK-08-

09

Aggregate Effects Research & 

Environmental Mitigation Monitoring of 

Oil Operations in the Vicinity of 

Nuiqsut

BOEM-AK 2012 Beaufort

Environmental Effects

Fate and Behavior of Oil

Proposed

Ongoing
5 of 32

RFP Trajectory modeling in ice OSRT-JIP 2012

Create or adapt an existing numerical model that is capable of 

modeling the trajectory of spilled oil in various ice 

concentration

RFP Oil spill detection and monitoring in 

low visibility and ice OSRT-JIP 2012

To advance and expand the oil and gas industry's oil spill 

remote sensing and mapping capabilities and technologies in 

Arctic conditions

Project P5: Remote Sensing 

Summary Report

DF Dickins 

Associates 

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The main objective s of this report are threefold: (1) summarize 

the findings of the primary JIP remote sensing activities from 

2007 to 2009,( 2) draw conclusions recommending the most 

effective combination sensors and systems based on 

information gathered through the JIP, including the initial 

technology screening and assessment and field experiments 

offshore and on Svalbard, and (3) highlight several evolving 

technologies and/or research that could enhance industry's 

capabilities in the next few years. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-30-RSSummaryFinal.pdf

Remote Sensing Technology Review 

and Screening

DF 

DickinsAssoci

ates & 

Norconsult

SINTEF Oil in Ice 

JIP - AGIP KCO, 

Chevron,Conoco

Phillips,Shell, 

Statoil & Total

2009

Spill detection and mapping are particularly important for Arctic 

spills as oil may be hidden from view under snow and ice 

during periods of almost total darkness. Very little is known 

about the capabilities of existing remote sensing 

systems—airborne, surface, and satellite—when faced with an 

accidental spill in a specific ice condition ranging from very 

open drift ice (1–3/10) to very close winter pack ice (9/10). This 

report considers the likely performance of different sensors in a 

range of ice types based on their signal attributes and identifies 

the most likely systems for future field testing in the JIP such 

as airborne multispectral systems, synthetic aperture radar, 

ground penetrating radar, and trained dogs. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-22-RSScreening-Final.pdf

Underwater sensors to detect and 

map oil spills under ice CRREL OSRI WHOI & SAMS 2012

Explored the possibility of using upward-looking capabilities to 

detect and map oil spills under ice. The suite of sensors, to 

include cameras, sonar and lasers, were attached to a 

submersible trolley, which was pulled under ice.

Reports on Remote 

Sensing

Detection, Mapping and Tracking 

Underwater 

Proposed
6 of 32

Measurement of Methane Emission 

from Oil Spill Experiments at Svea 

Test Site, Svalbard, April 2007

Shell JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The spills were primarily aimed at improving understanding of 

the weathering and ignitability of spilled crude. However, they 

provided an opportunity for Shell staff supported under the JIP 

tto obtain the first ever measurements of methane emissions 

from such spills. Those emission rates are reported here. Gas 

dispersion modeling shows that the level of emissions from a 

significant spill are probably sufficient for its remote detection 

and mapping from a range of several kilometers using 

LightTouchTM, Shell’s hydrocarbon seepage detection 

technology. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-23-MethaneFinalUnrestricted.pdf

517 

New and Innovative Equipment and 

Technologies for the Remote Sensing 

and Surveillance of Oil in and Under 

Ice

CRREL Dickins/ BSU MMS, Statoil, 

ACS 2005 Project positively detected oil trapped in and under ice with two completely independent technologies

547 

Developing New and Innovative 

Equipment and Technologies for the 

Remote Sensing and Surveillance of 

Oil in and Under Ice - Phase 2

Dickins/ BSU MMS, Statoil, 

ACS 2005 Follow up on work to develop technologies to detect oil located in or under ice. See 517 and 569

161 Development of a New Generation 

Laser Fluorosensor EC-ESD

MMS, EC, USCG, 

Canadian 

Transportation 

Development 

Centre, and the 

Canadian 

Petroleum 

Association 

2002 Develop the new laser fluorosensor technology for the 

detection of oil on water, ice, and shorelines.

348 Detection and Tracking of Oil Under 

Ice Dickins MMS 2002

Establish a baseline of information that can be used to plan 

field trials with prototype systems to detect and map oil under 

ice

Using dogs to detect oil hidden in 

snow and ice–results from field 

training on Svalbard April 2008

SINTEF & 

Trondheim 

Hundeskole

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2009

The main objective of this project has been to train dogs to find 

oil spills hidden in snow or ice. Previous tests performed during 

2007 in a laboratory environment in Trondheim showed that 

dogs are able to detect and identify the smell of oil, both 

weathered crude and bunker fuels. Outdoor tests in the 

Trondheim area have also shown that dogs detect the smell of 

oil and can find point source at an outdoor temperature down 

to -5C. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-14-Oildog-snow-ice.pdf

Surface/ 

Instrumentation 

Surface / Dogs 
7 of 32

Oil Detection By Specially Trained 

Dogs 2007

Brandvik, P.J. and T. Buvik. Nov 2007. Oil Detection By 

Specially Trained Dogs. Report from Phase 1 feasibility study. 

Memo prepared by SINTEF and Trondheim Hundeskole as 

part of Oil-in-Ice JIP Project 5 – Remote Sensing

157 Development of an Airborne Oil Spill 

Thickness Sensor EC-ESD MMS 2000

Develop the technology of oil slick thickness sensor for the 

measurement of oil slick thickness on water from an airborne 

platform

154 Development of Improved Oil Spill 

Remote Sensing Techniques EC-ESD MMS & EC 1990

Three approaches were taken: 

1. Use of shipborne radar as a practical aid to spill control 

2. Study Infrared oil spill remote sensing

3. Study dispersant signature in remote-sensing imagery.

136 Shipboard Navigational Radar as an 

Oil Spill Tracking Tool MMS MMS 1989 Refine the use of existing shipboard navigational radar units to detect and track oil spill slicks

659 

Detecting Oil On and Under Sea Ice 

Using Ground Penetrating Radar: 

Development of a New Airborne 

System

 Dickins, BSU

ACS, BSEE, 

ConocoPhillips, 

ExxonMobil, 

Shell, Statoil

2010-12

Expand the practical operating window for oil detection with 

ground penetrating radar (GPR) to cover a wider range of sea 

ice and climate conditions. This project is a direct continuation 

of TAR projects 348, 517, 547, 569, and 588

Evaluation of Airborne Remote 

Sensing Systems for Oil in Ice 

Detection

Dickins & 

Norconsult

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The airborne programs in 2008 and 2009 provided real-world 

demonstrations of the capabilities and limitations—technical 

and operational—of using airborne surveillance aircraft to 

detect and monitor spills confined by ice in remote Arctic areas. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-28-AirborneRSFinal.pdf

Airborne GPR to Detect Oil Under 

Snow

BSU, Dickins, 

SINTEF

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

Numerical modeling shows that GPR is sensitive to the 

presence of oil in the snow pack over a broad range of snow 

densities and oil types. Results of a controlled field experiment 

using a helicopter borne, 1000 MHz GPR system, showed that 

a 2 cm thick oil film trapped between snow and sea ice was 

detected based on a 51% decrease in reflection strength. Our 

results indicate that GPR has the potential to become a robust 

tool that can substantially improve oil spill characterization and 

remediation. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-24-GPRFinal.pdf

Surface / Dogs 

Vessel 

Airborne 
8 of 32

658 

Open Water Multispectral Aerial 

Sensor Oil Spill Thickness Mapping In 

Arctic and High Sediment Load 

Conditions

Ocean 

Imaging 

Corporation

BSEE 2011

Temperate sea and atmospheric conditions with reasonable 

water clarity do not exist in the Arctic conditions at high 

latitudes. There is a need for the testing of simplified, selfcontained multispectral system configurations. This project is a 

direct continuation of TAR projects 544 and 594.

594 

Development of a Portable 

Multispectral Aerial Sensor for RealTime Oil Spill Thickness Mapping in 

Coastal and Offshore Waters

Ohmsett

Ocean 

Imaging 

Corporation

MMS & Cala F&GOil Spill 

Prevention and 

Response

2009

Develop a portable, easy-to-operate aerial sensor to detect 

and accurately map the thickness and distribution of an oil slick 

in coastal and offshore waters in real time

588 Detection of Oil on and Under Ice - 

Phase 3

Dickins & 

BSU MMS 2008

The development of oil and ice detection system has made 

significant progress through a series of successful projects 

(TAR-517, TAR-547 and TAR-569). This new research project 

will undertake a series of four tasks to assess the technical 

feasibility and cost of developing and incorporating airborne oil 

detection systems in future field trials with oil and ice.

544 

Real-time Detection of Oil Slick 

Thickness Patterns with a Portable 

Multispectral Sensor

Ocean 

Imaging 

Corporation

MMS 2007 Develop an oil slick thickness measurement algorithm with 

laboratory and field validation.

240 

Development of a Frequency 

Scanning Radiometer to Measure Oil 

Slick Thickness, Phase II

USAF / MIT, 

Lincoln 

Laboratory

USAF 2000 Development of an all-weather, airborne instrument capable of 

measuring oil thickness over an oil-slick area in real time.

AK-08-

12-08

Satellite Tracked Drifter 

Measurements in the NE Chukchi Sea BOEM-AK ongoing Chukchi Sea

Detection of Oil Under Ice Using 

Satellite CRREL TAS 2012 Test ability to detect oil under ice leveraged with TAR 659.

The Utilization of Satellite Images for 

the Oil in Ice Experiment in the 

Barents Sea. May 2009

NERSC & 

KSAT

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

Twenty-six satellite images were received for analysis as a part 

of the Oil in Ice project: 10 Envisat ASAR wide swath images, 6 

Radarsat-l images, 7 Radarsat-2 images, and 3 

COSMO¬SkyMed. The main objectives were to determine 

which images cover the activities, and what can be seen in 

these images with regards to ships, oil, and ship tracks through 

ice.

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-29-SatelliteFinal.pdf

626 

Evaluation of Satellite Data in 

Determining Pollution Resulting from 

Damage to the Oil & Gas Industry 

Infrastructure of the GOM Project 

Canceled

Naval 

Research Lab MMS 2008

Identifying damage to the pipelines and structures in the Gulf 

of Mexico and resulting oil pollution by sensors on board 

satellites such as the such as the Advanced Very High 

Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on board the NOAA-n 

satellite series, and the Moderate-resolution Imaging 

Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board of the TERRA and 

AQUA satellites.

Airborne 

Satellite 
9 of 32

355 

Using Satellite Radar Imagery to 

Detect Leaking Abandoned Wells on 

the US Oouter Continental Shelf

Advanced 

Resources 

International

MMS 2004 Use satellite radar imagery to detect if there are leaking 

abandoned wells.

Review of Oil Spill Trajectory 

Modelling in the Presence of Ice COOGER COOGER 2011

The review addresses all the components of a comprehensive 

oil spill trajectory model, including: (1) a blowout plume model 

to determine the distribution of oil in the water column for spills 

that occur at depth, (2) models for the physical environmental 

forcing (wind, air temperature, precipitation, ocean currents, 

sea ice, and waves), and (3) an oil fate-and-effects model to 

address weathering, evaporation, ice-oil interactions, and other 

details of the oil’s interplay with the environment.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/344774.pdf

OWM Weathering model SINTEF 2011

(OWM) provides comprehensive predictions of the behavior of 

spilled oil at sea under different weather conditions. Excellent 

agreement with field observations has been consistently 

achieved with this model when predictions are based on 

standardized laboratory studies of specific oils and petroleum 

products

Modelling of Oil in Ice with OSCAR SINTEF JIP SINTEF Oil In 

Ice 2011

Fresh crude oil was released uncontained between the ice 

floes to study oil weathering and spreading in the ice by 

multiple sampling throughout the six-day experiment, including 

meteorological and oceanographic (MetOcean) data. The 

objective of the comprehensive sampling program was to 

acquire more knowledge of how the presence of ice influences 

the distribution and spreading of oil on the surface and in the 

water column. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/A19804%20JIP-reportno%2035%20Petromaks%20modelling%20Final.pdf

OSCAR Model SINTEF 2011

Develop models addressing effects and risks associated with 

operational and accidental discharges to the marine 

environment. The OSCAR model provides a scenario-based 

and 3-D statistic approach to objective evaluation of alternative 

response strategies. Both physical and biological measures of 

success and effectiveness are provided. This 3-D map-based 

system uses the SINTEF OWM for weathering calculations.

Numerical Models 
10 of 32

Experiment Oil Release in Broken Ice 

– A Large-Scale Filed Verificatioon of 

Results From Laboratory Studies of 

Oil Weathering and Ignitability of 

Weathered Oil Spills

SINTEF JIP SINTEF Oil In 

Ice 2010

This field data from the large-scale experiment (70–90% ice 

coverage) correspond well with data from previous mesoscale 

basin experiments at similar ice coverage. This confirms that 

the results from the weathering experiments performed in the 

mesoscale basins at SINTEF SeaLab can be interpreted as 

reflecting realistic conditions. This is a significant verification 

since the possibility to perform large-scale field experiments is 

limited. The data set from the basin studies and field 

verification is used to improve SINTEF Oil Weathering Model's 

capability to predict weathering of oil spills: in cold conditions 

and ice. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-26-FEX2009-weathering-ISB%20final.pdf

AK-11-

12

Maximum Credible Blowout 

Occurance and Size Estimators for AK 

OCS

NA BOEM-AK 2012 Beaufort, Chukchi 

AK-11-

15 AK Environmental Database NA BOEM-AK 2012 Beaufort, Chukchi 

AK-12-

03a

Characterization of the Circulation on 

the Continental Shelf Areas of the 

Northeast Chukchi and Western 

Beaufort Seas

NA BOEM-AK 2012 Beaufort, Chukchi 

AK-12-

03b

Applications for Mapping Spilled Oil in 

Arctic Waters NA BOEM-AK 2012 Chukchi 

NT-08-

02 Adaption of Arctic Circulation Model NA BOEM-AK 2011 Chukchi 

AK-11-

01

Updates to the Fault Tree for Oil-Spill 

Occurance Estimators Needed Under 

Forthcomming BOEM 5 year program

NA BOEM-AK 2011 Beaufort, Chukchi 

On Going 

Mitigation

Planned
11 of 32

AK-11-

02

Oil Spill Occurrence Estimator for 

Onshore AK North Slope Crude and 

Refined Oil Spills Training and 

Response (STAR) Calculator Program

NA BOEM-AK 2011 Beaufort, Chukchi 

AK-11-

07

Shore Zone Shoreline Mapping of the 

North Slope AK NA BOEM-AK 2011 Beaufort, Chukchi 

Ice Regimes for Oil Spill Response 

Planning

SINTEF, Oil 

Spill 

Consultant, 

Counterspil 

Research

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2008

The ice conditions were reviewed for nineteen regions where 

oil exploration and production (E&P) activities are either 

ongoing or planned. Using internationally accepted 

classification terminology to describe the ice, the immediate 

objective of the work became one of identifying ice regimes 

common to most circumpolar areas of the world. 

There are some overall similarities in the ice conditions of the 

19 regions that have permitted grouping according to five ice 

regimes: i.e. Arctic shallow semi-enclosed sea, Arctic opensea, Arctic and sub-Arctic coastal, sub-Arctic estuary and nonArctic shallow sea. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-15-Ice%20regimes-final_2010.pdf

662 

Combining Mineral Fines with 

Chemical Dispersants to Disperse Oil 

in Low Temperature and Low Mixing 

Energy Environments

DoFO BSEE 2012

Assess the feasibility of a cold water and Arctic marine oil spill 

countermeasure strategy based on the stimulation of oilmineral aggregate (OMA) formation in the presence of a 

chemical dispersant.

647 

Research on Improving Methods for 

Recovering Residues from In Situ 

Burning of Marine Oil Spills

SL Ross BSEE 2011

Research program is to develop methods for (1) recovering 

potentially nonbuoyant ISB residues through innovative surface 

and subsurface collection mean, and (2) recovering buoyant 

residues, including those attached to sorbent agents that were 

intentionally added to the residue to prevent subsequent 

residue sinking.

On Going 
12 of 32

673 Effective Daily Recovery Capacity 

(EDRC) Project

Genwest 

Systems, Inc. BSEE 2011

Deepwater Horizon oil spill response has highlighted that the 

EDRC for an oil skimmer may not be an effective or accurate 

planning standard and predictor of oil response equipment 

recovery capacity. EDRC is a regulation that greatly influences 

vessel and facility response planning standards nationwide and 

established the basis for the initial capitalization of Oil Spill 

Removal Organizations (OSROs).

625 Oil Spill Training and Response 

(STAR) Calculator Program

Genwest 

Systems, Inc.

MMS, Shell 

International 

Exploration and 

Production, Inc. 

and the American 

Petroleum 

Institute. NOAA 

2010

Project are to standardize the existing software packages; to 

enhance their utility, user-interface and output; and to integrate 

all three response options (mechanical, burning, and 

dispersants) using improved algorithms for their efficient use 

under a variety of spill scenarios.

585 

Mitigating Oil Spills from Offshore Oil 

and Gas Activities by Enhancement of 

Oil-Mineral Aggregate Formation

COOGER

MMS & 

Department of 

Fisheries and 

Oceans 

2009

Project will assess the feasibility of a marine oil spill 

countermeasure strategy based on the stimulation of OMA 

formation. Experiments will be conducted on both laboratory 

and wave tank systems under controlled conditions to evaluate 

its potential effectiveness for the treatment of oil spills from 

ships, facilities, or pipelines. 

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/publications/article/2009/05-

19-09-eng.htm 

Oil Spill Management SINTEF 2005

Oils cause them to behave very differently when spilled at sea. 

Also, recent incidents of various light, medium, and heavy 

bunker fuel oils like the North Cape Spill in the US, Erika 

incident in France, the Baltic Carrier in Denmark, and the 

Green Ålesund and John R incidents in Norway have shown a 

wide spectre in physical behavior, biological effects, and in the 

performance of response options. Prior knowledge of the likely 

behavior and weathering of various oils and pre-spill analyses 

of the feasibility and effectiveness of different response 

strategies under various environmental conditions, are 

essential part of any oil spill contingency planning to optimize 

the overall "Net Environmental Benefit" of a combat operation.

453 

Production of a White Paper and 

Workshop Regarding a Full Scale 

Experimental Oil Release in the 

Barents Sea Marginal Ice Zone

SINTEF MMS 2004

Evaluated alternative oil spill response options and in 

supplying data strengthened model simulations of oil-ice 

interactions.

Response 
13 of 32

310 Mechanical Oil Recovery in Ice 

Infested Waters (MORICE) - Phase III OHMSETT SINTEF

MMS, Alaska 

Clean Seas, 

Prince William 

Sound Oil Spill 

Recovery 

Institute, BP 

Exploration, 

Phillips Alaska, 

Norsk Hydro and 

Store Norske 

Spitzbergen 

Kulkompani

2003 Develop technologies for more effective recovery of oil spills in 

ice-infested waters. 

390 

A Method to Determine Worst Case 

Discharges From Facilities That 

Produce Or Transport Oil in the U.S. 

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

SINTEF

MMS and 23 

different oil 

companies to 

conduct this 

research

2003

Produced a model to predict a discharge from a pipeline. It 

also included a pocket guide to quickly make an estimate of a 

worst case discharge from a pipeline. The model is known as 

the MMS Pipeline Oil Spill Volume Estimation Model 

(POSVEM). POSVEM is a computer-based methodology to 

estimate discharges from seafloor pipelines.

297 

Comprehensive Spill Response 

Tactics for the Alaska North Slope-Oil 

in Broken Ice Spill Response 

Scenarios

SL Ross, DF 

Dickins 

Asscociates, 

Vaudrey

MMS and Alaska 

Clean Seas 1998

Developed comprehensive oil spill response plans for 

petroleum operations on the North Slope of Alaska. The 

objective of the study was to evaluate the capabilities to 

recover spilled oil from very large oil well blowouts occurring 

during broken ice conditions in the southern Beaufort Sea.

156 World Catalog of Oil Spill Response 

Products

Environmental 

Consultants 

Inc.

MMS, USCG, EC 1991

Equipment listed in catalog has become obsolete. Updated list 

available at 

http://www.slross.com/WorldCat/WorldCatmain.htm

Fighting Oil Spills with Air Bubbles SINTEF 2009

Obvious advantages in using the bubble curtain instead of 

traditional oil-booms: it is an efficient way of closing off a 

vulnerable area to prevent an oil-spill from entering it. It also 

enables us to limit the spread of a spill and improves our 

prospects of collecting the oil.

330 Oil Spill Response - Performance 

Review of Booms

Environmental 

Consultant

MMS 2005 Analyzed and summarized all available performance test data 

of oil spill containment boom.

353 

The Use of Ice Booms for the 

Recovery of Oil Spills from Ice 

Infested Waters

Fleet 

Technology 

Limited

MMS 2004

The objective of this research contract was to study the 

technology in the design and use of ice booms for recovering 

spilled oil in ice infested waters.

457 Effect of Oil Spill Containment Boom 

Characteristics on Boom Performance Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2004 Research investigated the effect of a previously identified key containment boom characteristic on boom performance.

299 Estimation of Towing Forces on Oil 

Spill Containment Booms Ohmsett MMS 2001 The purpose of the study is to determine the maximum towing forces allowable for different boom types.

Contaiment Booms 
14 of 32

247 

Numerical Modeling of Oil Boom 

Behavior and Rapid Current Boom 

Development

URI, UNH USCG 2000 Develop a rapid current boom using the submergence plane 

concept. 

333 

Field Experiments at the Ohmsett 

Facility, Especially for a Newly 

Designed Boom System

Ohmsett University of 

Miami MMS 2000

Developed a new boom design that uses inclined plane 

technology project was to build a full-scale prototype and test it 

at Ohmsett.

121 Water Jet Barrier Containment of Oil 

in the Presence of Broken Ice EC-ESD MMS and EC 1997

Optimize the design of an innovative oil spill containment 

barrier. The barrier uses high pressure water and fine droplets 

above and parallel to the water surface resulting in a highvelocity local wind. 

RFP Chemical Herders to Expand ISB 

Window of Opportunity OGP JIP- AOSRT 2012

Conduct meso- and large-scale basin research and field 

verification experiments with chemical herders to enhance and 

improve the effectiveness of ISB in specific Arctic ice 

environments.

Field Testing of the USN Oil Herding 

Agend on Heidrun Crude in Loose 

Drift Ice

SINTEF & SL 

Ross 

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

A two-day field research program was conducted off Svalbard 

in late May 2008 to test the efficacy of a chemical herding 

agent in thickening oil slicks on water among very open drift ice 

for subsequent in situ burning. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-6-FEX2008-Herders-Final.pdf

617 

Employing Chemical Herders to 

Improve Oil Spill Response 

Operations

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2011

Extend the research on chemical herders into pack ice 

conditions (mechanical containment recovery), in salt marshes 

(mechanical recovery, and in situ burning), and in open water 

(dispersants). This project was a direct continuation of TAR 

Project 554 Mid-Scale Test Tank Research on Using Oil 

Herding Surfactants to Thicken Oil Slicks in Broken Ice. As a 

skimmer removes oil from the center of a herded slick, the 

action of the herding agent may cause the slick to continuously 

contract towards the skimmer, eliminating the need to move 

the skimmer around to contact all the oil.

554 

Mid-Scale Test Tank Research On 

Using Oil Herding Surfactants To 

Thicken Oil Slicks In Broken Ice

CRREL SL Ross MMS,ExxonMobil 

&PERF 2007

Research on the use of chemical herding agents to thicken oil 

spills in broken ice to allow them to be effectively ignited and 

burned in situ.

RFP State of Knowledge OGP JIP-AOSRT 2013

To prepare educational and outreach materials to educate and 

make stakeholders aware of the significant body of existing 

knowledge on ISB.

Herders 

Contaiment Booms 
15 of 32

RFP Aerial Ignition Systems OGP JIP-AOSRT 2013

To provide technology improvement that will deliver a reliable 

means of aerial ignition and improve oil slick targeting to 

support the use of in situ burning.

683

Using Oil Herding Agents for Rapid 

Response in situ Burning of Oil Slicks 

on Open Water

Ohmsett SL Ross BSEE 2012

Evaluate the feasibility of using herders to enable in situ 

burning as a rapid-response technique in open water. This 

research was accomplished by performing experiments in the 

laboratory with the US Navy’s hydrocarbon based herder 

formulation and the best silicone herder formulation to find the 

most effective product for various water temperatures. 

Continuation of TAR Projects 554 and 617 

Tests of Fire-Resistant Booms in Low 

Concentrations of Drift Ice- Field 

Experiment May 2009

SL Ross JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The goal in the 2009 tests was to tow the same two sections of 

fire-resistant boom through a field of drift ice containing oil, and 

then burn the oil in situ. Boom ‘s mechanical performance was 

tested in 2008.

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-27-FEX2009-FireboomFieldTests-final.pdf

Experiment Oil Release in Broken IceA Large-Scale Filed Verificatioon of 

Results From Laboratory Studies of 

Oil Weathering and Ignitability of 

Weathered Oil Spills

NA JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

Ignitability for In Situ Burning of Oil Spills. 

For removal of oil spilled in ice-infested waters, in situ burning 

(ISS) is one of the response techniques with the highest 

potential for Arctic conditions especially in snow and dense ice. 

In order to make in situ burning an operational tool, there is at 

need to better define the potential and limitations for ignition of 

oil spills with regard to oil type and weathering degree. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-26-FEX2009-weathering-ISB%20final.pdf

Establishing, Testing, and Verification 

of a Laboratory Burning Cell to 

Measure Ignitability for In Situ Burning 

of Oil Spills 

SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

For removal of oil spilled in ice-infested waters, in situ burning 

is one of the response techniques with the highest potential for 

Arctic conditions especially in snow and dense ice. In order to 

make In situ burning an operational tool, there is at need to 

better define the potential and limitations for ignition of oil spills 

with regard to oil type and weathering degree. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-20%20Burning-cell-final.pdf

In-Situ Burning (ISB)

Fire Booms 
16 of 32

Tests of Fire-Resistant Booms in Low 

Concentrations of Drift Ice – Field 

Experiment May 2008

SINTEF & SL 

Ross

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The overall objective of this portion of the field program was to 

determine whether fire-resistant containment boom can be 

used to aid in burning oil in situ in lower drift ice 

concentrations. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-5-FEX2008-FireboomFieldTests-final.pdf

286 Project Cancelled: In Situ Oil Burning 

Manual Preparation EC MMS, EC, CCG, USCG 2010 Research on the environmental effects of burning oil in situ.

102 Analysis of Oil-Slick Combustion NIST MMS 2005

Focuses on the burning characteristics of crude oil fires on 

water; ALOFT--FT (A Large Outdoor Fire plume Trajectory 

model). http://fire.nist.gov/aloft/. 

391 Fire Boom Testing at Ohmsett Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2004

fire exposure portion of the test involves three cycles of onehour exposure to air-enhanced propane flames in waves, 

followed by a one hour cool down period in waves alone,

452 Mid-Scale Tests to Determine the 

Limits to In Situ Burning in Broken Ice SL Ross MMS 2004

This purpose of this research project is to investigate the 

minimum ignitable thickness, combustion rate, effects of 

waves, and residue amount for crude oils burned in situ in cold 

water and broken ice conditions.

312 

Laboratory Testing to Determine In 

Situ Burning Parameters for Six 

Additional U.S. OCS Crude Oil

SL Ross MMS 2000

Six additional oils from OCS facilities are being analyzed to 

determine if their suitability of spill response by in situ burn 

methods. See 288.

244 Testing of Fire Resistant Booms in 

Waves and Flames SL Ross MMS & CCG 1999

Develop a near full-scale screening test protocol for the 

effectiveness and durability of fire resistant oil containment 

boom that incorporates simultaneous testing in waves and 

flames. 

259 

Laboratory Testing to Determine 

Operational Parameters for In Situ 

Burning of U.S. OCS Crude Oil Spills

SL Ross MMS 1999

Baseline burn tests were conducted to determine the natural 

burning characteristics of water-free and emulsified slicks of 

fresh and weathered oils. Burn efficiency and burn rate were 

calculated from the data gathered in the burn tests.

289 

Re-Engineering of a Stainless Steel 

Fireproof Boom for Using in 

Conjunction with Conventional 

Firebooms

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 1999 Re-engineer an existing stainless steel fire boom. The new 

boom design is reduced in size, weight, and cost.

In-Situ Burning (ISB)

Fire Booms 
17 of 32

291 

Technology Assessment and Concept 

Evaluation for Alternative Approaches 

to In Situ Burning of Oil in the Marine 

Environment

Marine 

Research 

Associates 

LLC

MMS 1998 Assess the technical and operational feasibility of two 

alternative approaches to in situ burning of oil spills.

288 

Outdoor Wave Tank and Program of 

Mid-Scale In Situ Burn Testing in 

Alaska

SL Ross

Alaska 

Department of 

Environmental 

Conservation, 

Alaska Clean 

Seas, BP 

Exploration

1997 Consisted of a modest laboratory-scale program to evaluate 

the burning characteristics of four Alaska risk oils.

152 Recovery Methods for High Viscosity 

Oils EC-ESD MMS & EC 1991 Evaluate two different atomization systems to be used in a catamaran-type burner to recover high viscosity oils. 

119 Helicopter-Borne Laser Ignition of Oil 

Spills

Physical 

Sciences Inc. MMS& EC 1990 Evaluate necessary components for the development of airborne laser ignition of oil spilled on the open ocean.

RFP Fate of Dispersed Oil Under Dynamic 

Drift and Pack Ice OGP JIP-AOSRT 2013

Develop a numerical model to predict the fate of a dispersed oil 

plume that develops under ice, particularly the resurfacing 

potential.

RFP Dispersant Testing Under Realistic 

Field Conditions OGP JIP-AOSRT 2013

Understand operational needs for dispersant and mineral fines 

application in Arctic conditions. Conduct large-scale basin tests 

and field verification on the efficacy of dispersant and mineral 

fines in Arctic marine waters.

637 

Validation of the Two Models 

Developed to Predict the Window of 

Opportunity for Dispersant Use in the 

Gulf of Mexico

EC BSEE 2012

BSEE-funded research project entitled: Identification of 

Window of Opportunity for Chemical Dispersants on Gulf of 

Mexico Crude Oils. Two correlation models were developed to 

predict the window of opportunity (or time window) for 

successful chemical dispersant use in the Gulf of Mexico. The 

models consist of correlation relationships established using 

best-fit correlation between readily available fresh oil properties 

and the window of opportunity for successful chemical 

dispersant.

638 Chemical Dispersant Research at 

Ohmsett: Phase 2 SL Ross BSEE 2011

A review of oil spill dispersants, their efficacy and effects, 

recently completed by the US National Research Council (NRC 

2005), recommended that research on chemical dispersants 

be conducted in several different areas. See TAR project 615.

Dispersants 
18 of 32

666 Baffled Flask Dispersant Effectiveness 

Testing EPA BSEE 2011

Large-scale test tank produced DE data on 20 crude and fuel 

oils using Corexit 9500 dispersant. Laboratory-scale DE tests 

at Ohmsett will be conducted using the same dispersant and 

oil combinations, and results will be compared to determine if 

the bench-scale test results can be used to provide reasonable 

estimates of field performance.

The effects of use on dispersants and 

in situ burning on Arctic marine 

organisms- A laboratory Study

SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2011

The effect and toxicity of a water soluble fraction (WSF) of oil 

versus oil added dispersants, and WSF versus the underling 

water after in situ burn, were studied. The exposure 

concentrations used were based on monitoring of the WSF in 

the water column during an offshore field experiment. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/A19803%20Jip-rep-no-34-Petromaks%20exposurefinal.pdf

681 

Laboratory-Scale Investigation of a 

Method for Enhancing the 

Effectiveness of Oil Dispersants in 

Destabilizing Water-in-Oil Emulsions

Auburn 

University BSEE 2011

Investigated the feasibility of enhancing the de-emulsifying 

properties of commercially available oil dispersants by 

modifying the composition and fraction of polar constituents in 

the oil phase of water-in-oil emulsions and increasing the pH of 

the emulsion aqueous phase.

685 Operational Chemical Dispersant 

Research at Ohmsett Ohmsett SL Ross BSEE 2011

(DWH) oil spill and subsequent use of large quantities of 

chemical dispersants in the response to the spill has 

heightened the interest in the use of dispersants questions 

concerning the use of dispersants so regulators, decision 

makers, end-users, and the public can make informed 

decisions regarding their use. This proposed project is a 

direct continuation of TAR Project 638 “Chemical Dispersant 

Research at Ohmsett: Phase 2.”

697 

Assessment of Dispersant 

Effectiveness using Ultrasound to 

Measure Oil Droplet Particle Size 

Distributions

Applied 

Research 

Associates, 

Inc. (ARA)

BSEE 2011

Develop novel ultrasonic scattering methods to measure the 

droplet size of dispersed oil to provide technologies to monitor 

the efficacy of dispersants subsea. ARA will develop ultrasonic 

measurements to determine the crude oil droplet size of 

dispersed oil to monitor/determine the efficacy of dispersants 

as a function of oil type, dispersant type, dispersant-to-oil ratio, 

water temperature, oil temperatures, and the presence of 

sediment on the effectiveness of dispersants.
19 of 32

Development and testing of a 

containerized dispersant spray system 

for use in cold and ice-covered area

SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The overall goal has been to optimize and improve the 

methodology and strategies for dispersant response operations 

in cold and ice-covered areas. This paper summarizes the 

systematic and scientific approach in this technological 

development and tests documentation of the containerized 

dispersant spray system.

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-13-Development-of-spray-arm-final.pdf

Evaluation of Dispersant Spray 

Systems and Platforms for Use on 

Spilled Oil in Seas with Ice Present 

(JIP Project 4, Act 4.21)

SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2007

This report gives a short overview and evaluations of different 

dispersant application platforms for use in ice-covered areas. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-12-Evaluation-of-dispersants-spray-platforms200207.pdf

A Review of Studies of Oil Spill 

Dispersant Effectiveness in Arctic 

Conditions. (JIP Project 4, Act.4.11)

SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2007

This report gives a short state-of-the art of the testing oil spill 

dispersants in simulated cold conditions that has been 

undertaken by several research groups, but with different 

combinations of low temperature, absence or presence of ice, 

and water salinity. This report was to ensure transfer of newest 

knowledge and a good planning and experimental design of 

the dispersant effectiveness testing in task 4.1. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-11-Dispersant-Effectiveness-in-ArcticConditions-150207.pdf

615 Chemical Dispersant Research at 

Ohmsett Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2010

PERF funded a research project conducted by SINTEF in 

Norway and Cedre in France that has looked at the same issue 

of dispersant wash out but at laboratory bench scale. The 

Oseberg crude oil used in the PERF study was shipped to 

Ohmsett and was used in the 2007 study (TAR Project 563).
20 of 32

635 

Literature Review on Chemical 

Treating Agents in Fresh and Brackish 

Water

SL Ross MMS 2010

Chemical dispersants are designed to work effectively in salt 

water (35 ppt salinity). Nearshore environments water in these 

areas will be fresh (0% salinity) and brackish (10–15% salinity) 

and this may alter the effectiveness of chemical treating agents 

and dispersants and thus alter the treating agents and 

dispersant use decision. The three regional representatives on 

the MMS oil spill response research team identified an 

information gap and requested a comprehensive review of the 

of the effectiveness of chemical treating agents, including 

dispersants in fresh and brackish water.

663 Heavy Oil Dispersion Research SL Ross BSEE 2010

The objective of the project was to study the mechanism by 

which oil viscosity limits the effectiveness of dispersants. 

Specifically, two viscosity issues were studied. One was the 

ability of the dispersant to penetrate into viscous oil upon initial 

application prior to being washed away by surface water. The 

other was the internal visco-elasticity of the oil-dispersant mix 

(in conjunction with the dispersant dosage that has 

successfully mixed into the oil) that may prevent the oil from 

being broken into droplets when wave energy is applied. 

613 

Development of a Training Package 

on the Use of Chemical Dispersants 

for Ohmsett – The National Oil Spill 

Response Test Facility

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2009

This project will develop a chemical dispersant training course 

to be conducted at Ohmsett that includes practical hands-on 

experience with handling, safety, application, monitoring, 

efficacy, and recovery in breaking wave environments.

Evaluating the Biodegradability and 

Effects of Dispersed Oil using Arctic 

Test Species and Conditions

UAF, 

NewFields 

Northwest

JIP with Shell, 

ExxonMobil, 

Statoil and 

ConocoPhillips 

2008

Addressed the following data gaps: (1) the toxicity of physically 

and chemically dispersed oil on pelagic species that are key 

components of Arctic food webs, and (2) the biodegradation of 

physically and chemically dispersed oil released into pelagic 

waters using indigenous Arctic microbes under Arctic 

conditions.

see AMOP 2011 proceeding 

563 

Understanding the Effects of Time and 

Energy on the Effectiveness of 

Dispersants

SINTEF MMS 2008

Designed to gather data to support decision makers in the 

process of determining whether dispersants should be used in 

low energy environments. This information will be useful for 

dispersant decision making in ice cover (an ice field reduces 

wave motion) or other calm conditions.

589 

Investigation of the Ability to 

Effectively Recover Oil Following 

Dispersant Application

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2008

Determine whether the application of dispersants to an oil slick 

reduces the ability to subsequently recover oil with 

conventional skimming systems.
21 of 32

590 

Changes with Dispersant 

Effectiveness with Extended Exposure 

in Calm Seas

Ohmsett

SL Ross & 

Alun Lewis 

Oil Spill 

Consultancy

2008

The project is to continue to investigate the conditions that 

might lead to the loss of surfactants from dispersant-treated oil 

so that subsequent application of breaking waves will not result 

in dispersion.

598 Upgrade of SMART Dispersant 

Effectiveness Monitoring Protocol SL Ross MMS 2008

Analysis of monitoring data (visual and instrumental 

monitoring) collected during Ohmsett dispersant experiments, 

completed between 2003 through 2007, for the purposes of 

verifying the reliability of existing SMART effectiveness 

monitoring protocols.

542 Dispersant Effectiveness Testing on 

Realistic Emulsions at Ohmsett Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2007

Determine the viscosity limit for the effective application of 

chemical dispersants to realistic emulsions. Large-scale 

dispersant effectiveness experiments will be conducted at 

Ohmsett on these emulsions using Corexit 9500 and Corexit 

9527 dispersants.

545 Calm Sea Application of Dispersants Ohmsett SL Ross

MMS, 

ExxonMobil, & 

PERF

2007

Determine the period of time that oil spill dispersants applied to 

spilled oil in a calm sea will remain effective before the sea 

state increases and dispersion occurs.

427 Dispersant Effectiveness Test Protocol 

Development for Ohmsett Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2006 Developed a standard test protocol for a wide range of dispersant related variables at the Ohmsett facility. 

477 

Correlating Results of Dispersants 

Effectiveness at Ohmsett with 

Identical At-Sea Trials: Effects of Oil 

Viscosity and Dispersant to Oil Ratio

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2006

Determine if the results of dispersant effectiveness tests are 

consistent with laboratory and actual at-sea conditions 

deployment of the Surveillance and Monitoring for Alternative 

Response Technology monitoring protocols in experiments 

where direct, independent measurements of effectiveness.

514 Dispersant Effectiveness Testing on 

Heavy OCS Crude Oils at Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2006

Project will determine the limiting viscosity for the effectiveness 

of chemical dispersants applied to viscous US Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS) crude oils from the Gulf of Mexico and 

Pacific OCS.

526 

Correlate Ohmsett Dispersant Tests 

with At-Sea Trials; Supplemental Tests 

to Complete Test Matrix

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2006

Testing will be conducted on IFO-180 fuel oil treated with 

Corexit 9500 dispersant at a DOR of 1:25. In replicated tests 

at sea this combination yielded consistently high levels of 

dispersant performance. See TAR 477.
22 of 32

527 

The Effect of Warming Viscous Oils 

Prior to Discharge on Dispersant 

Performance

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2006

Assess the dispersibility of fresh and weathered Alaskan and 

Canadian crude oils in very cold water. Results from these 

experiments indicate that the crude oils tested were dispersible 

at near freezing water temperatures. 

529 

Analysis of Dispersant Effectiveness 

of Heavy Fuel Oils and Weathered 

Crude Oils at Two Different 

Temperatures Using the Baffled Flask 

Test

 EPA and 

University of 

Cincinnati 

US EPA and 

MMS 2006

Conduct laboratory effectiveness testing using two test 

protocols the BFT and the and SWT with three dispersants 

(Corexit 9500, SuperDispersant 25 and Agma DR 379), two 

oils (IFO-180 and IFO-380) at one Dispersant to Oil Ratio 

(DOR 1:25) at one temperature (16°C). See TAR 513.

546 

Chemical Dispensability of OCS 

Crude Oils in Non-Breaking Waves, 

Part 1: Determining the Limiting Oil 

Viscosity for Dispersion in NonBreaking

Ohmsett SL Ross

MMS, 

ExxonMobil, & 

PERF

2006

Determine whether chemically treated low-viscosity OCS crude 

oils disperse in a nonbreaking wave environmental and if so, to 

determine whether there is a limiting oil viscosity for chemical 

dispersion for OCS crude oils in nonbreaking waves.

568 

Research at Ohmsett on the 

Effectiveness of Chemical Dispersants 

on Alaskan Oils in Cold Water

Ohmsett SL Ross & 

Dickins MMS 2006

Large-scale dispersant experiments in very cold water at 

Ohmsett using Alaska North Slope, Endicott, Northstar and Pt. 

McIntyre crude oils; Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527 dispersants 

were used in the two test series.

375 Development of Dispersant Test 

Protocol at Ohmsett Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2005

Examined various ways that dispersant testing might be 

accomplished at Ohmsett and evaluated the feasibility and 

costs.

449 Effects of Chemically Dispersed and 

Biodegraded Oils

Plymouth 

Laboratories, 

Inc. 

MMS 2005 Determined the effects of chemically dispersed and 

biodegraded oils.

493 Understanding Oil Spill Dispersants: 

Efficacy and Effects

National 

Research 

Council, 

Ocean 

Studies Board

MMS, NOAA, 

API, and USCG 2005

Review and evaluate existing information regarding the 

efficacy and effects of dispersants as an oil spill response 

technique.
23 of 32

296 

Chemical Response to Oil Spill: 

Ecological Effects Research Forum 

(CROSERF)

Ecosystem 

Management 

and 

Associates, 

Inc.

API, Exxon, 

Chevron, Marine 

Spill Response 

Corporation, state 

government 

agencies (AK, 

CA, FL, LA, TX, 

WA), federal 

government 

agencies (MMS, 

NOAA, EPA) Env 

Canada

2004

Coordinate and disseminate the research information on 

dispersants funded by private industry (API, Exxon, Chevron, 

Marine Spill Response Corporation), state government 

agencies (AK, CA, FL, LA, TX, WA), federal government 

agencies (MMS, NOAA, EPA,) and Environment Canada.

350 

Laboratory Study to Compare the 

Effectiveness of Chemical Dispersants 

When Applied Dilute versus Neat

SL Ross MMS 2004

Determine if the application of dispersants in a dilute form 

reduces their effectiveness when compared with neat 

application. 

413 Assessment of the Use of Dispersants 

on Marine Oil Spills in California SL Ross MMS 2004

Assessment of the operational and environmental factors 

associated with the use of chemical dispersants to treat oil 

spills in California Marine waters, with a view toward expediting 

dispersant use decision making and planning for such spills. 

450 

Using Dispersants to Test and 

Evaluate the Effectiveness of 

Dispersants in Cold Water and Broken 

Ice

SL Ross MMS 2004 Evaluate the effectiveness of Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527 

dispersants on Alaskan and Canadian crude oils.

476 Ohmsett 2003 Cold Water Dispersant 

Effectiveness Experiments Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2004

Fourteen large-scale dispersant effectiveness experiments test 

were completed at the Ohmsett facility with various 

combinations of oil type and dispersant-to-oil ratios (DORs). 

506 

Analysis of IFO-180 and IFO-380 Oil 

Properties for Dispersant Window of 

Opportunity

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2004

Extend the work to complete property analyses on IFO-180 

and IFO-380 fuel oils used in the June 2003 UK field trials and 

in the Ohmsett dispersant effectiveness experiments 

completed in the fall of 2003.

507 

Correlating Results of Ohmsett 

Dispersant Test with At-Sea Trials: 

Workshop to Coordinate Publications 

and Prioritize Follow-up Research

Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2004

Project was to coordinate the publications of results of the 

2003 MMS-sponsored “Correlating Results of Ohmsett 

Dispersant Tests with Identical At-Sea Trials.”
24 of 32

160 Study of Oil Spill Chemical Treating 

Agents EC-ESD MMS & EC 2002

1. Develop tests for oil spill chemical treating agents and 

develop more effective and improved products 

2. Test commercial products for efficacy and toxicity 

3. Test oil spill dispersants to understand effectiveness and 

how they might be improved

4.Test new product ideas (i.e. dispersants: emulsion breakers, 

biodegradation agents, solidifiers)

338 Biodegradation of Chemically 

Dispersed Oil an Ecosystem Approach

AEA 

Technology

MMS, USCG, and 

Alaska 

Department of 

Environmental 

Conservation

2002 Determine the fate and effects of chemically dispersed oil in 

the context of an ecosystem approach.

RFP Mechanical Recovery in Ice-Infested 

Waters OGP JIP-AOSRT 2013

The objective is to conduct a workshop that identifies as 

possible step change in recovering spilled oil in ice-infested 

waters (completed March 2012).

"Oil in Ice JIP" Testing of Oil Skimmer 

via Field Experiments in the Barents 

Sea, May 2009

SINTEF & 

CounterSpil 

Research

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The main objective of the field testing was to test and verify the 

Ro-Clean Desmi and Framo skimmers in the field under more 

realistic conditions compared to what can be accomplished in 

the basin testing. This includes lower oil, temperature 

fluctuations, wind, and a more dynamic ice field. This report 

covers the of mechanical recovery equipment performed 

during the experimental field trial in the Barents Sea from May 

7–23, 2009. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-21-Field%20report%202009-mechanicalfinal_2010.pdf

Testing and Verification of Oil 

Skimmers During the Field 

Experiment in the Barents Sea , May 

2008

SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The work reported herein was part of an experimental field trial 

in the Barents Sea from 18 to 30 May 2008. The field trial was 

performed in the eastern part of the Barents Sea east of the 

island of Hopen. Three oil recovery skimmers were tested 

during this field trial over a period of two days. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-9-Field%20report%202008-mechanicalfinal_2010.pdf

Dispersants 
25 of 32

Testing of Ro-Clean Desmi Polar Bear 

Skimmer in SINTEF Ice Basin. Task 

3.2 Testing of New Concepts and 

Units

SINTEF

SINTEF, SL 

Ross, & DF 

Dickins 

Asscoiates

JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

This report summarizes the findings of a test program 

conducted in September 2008 in the SINTEF ice basin of the 

Polar Bear skimmer. The skimmer is a mechanical oil recovery 

device that was designed on the basis of 2007 tests in the 

SINTEF ice basin of Ro-Clean Desmi's Helix Skimming 

adapter and Ice Skimmer as well as subsequent field 

evaluations of the Helix in the Barents Sea in May 2008. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-10-Desmi%20Polar%20Bear-Basin%20test2008-final_2010.pdf

Testing of Lamor GT 185 Skimmer 

and LRB 150 Skimmer in SINTEF Ice 

Basin. Task 3.1.Testing of Existing 

Concepts. A Technical Report

SINTEF SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2010

The main objective of this project was to document the 

capability and potential application of commercially available 

skimmers for recovering oil in ice. Based on this 

documentation, suggestions should be possible for defining 

and improving the operational spill response window in ice and 

cold conditions. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-8-Report-Lamor-task%203.1-final_2010.pdf

Testing of Ro-Clean Desmi Ice 

Skimmer and Helix Skimmer in 

SINTEF Ice Basin. Task3.1: Testing of 

Existing Concepts

SINTEF SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 20010

The main objective of this project was to document the 

capability and potential application of commercially available 

skimmers for recovering oil in ice. Based on this 

documentation, suggestions should be possible for defining 

and improving the operational spill response window in ice and 

cold conditions. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-7-Report-Desmi-task%203.1-final_2010.pdf 

486 Fate of Emulsion Breakers Used for 

Decanting Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2008

Determine the partitioning of different chemical emulsions 

breakers between oil and water phases when they are used to 

enhance decanting of recovered water from offshore. See 395 

skimming operations.

180 Testing and Evaluation of Sorbents SAIC-Canada MMS & EC 2007

Performance of sorbent materials used in the remediation of oil 

spills. 

http://www.etc-cte.ec.gc.ca/databases/Sorbent/Default.aspx.

573 

Oil Recovery with Novel Skimmer 

Surfaces under Cold Climate 

Conditions

CRREL U of C-SB / 

Ohmsett Staff MMS 2007

The objective of this project was to perform a comprehensive 

analysis of the adhesion processes between oil or ice-in-oil 

mixtures and various surface patterns and materials that are 

being used or proposed for use in oil skimmers, under cold 

climate conditions.

Mechnical 

Recovery 
26 of 32

511 

Tailored Polymeric Materials for Oil 

Spill Recovery in Marine 

Environments

U of C-SB MMS 2006

This project substantially increased the efficiency of 

mechanical oil spill recovery equipment by replacing traditional 

recovery unit materials with polymetric materials that have the 

highest affinity for oil and are specifically tailored to collect oil 

from water surfaces.

528 Optimization of Oleophilic Skimmer 

Recovery OHMSETT U of C-SB MMS 2006

Existing oleophilic skimmers collect oil at a relatively slow rate, 

in large part because the selection of materials used for the 

adhesion surfaces of the oil recovery units has not been based 

on their adhesion properties, but rather on historical practice or 

availability. See TAR 511.

159 Evaluation of Skimmers for Offshore 

and Ice-Infested Waters EC-EED MMS & EC 1993

Innovative skimming technology for oil spill cleanup offshore 

and in icy waters. Current skimmer technology for recovering 

oil in broken ice conditions was practically nonexistent.

114 Field Evaluation of Oil Spill Chemical 

Additives EC-C&PA MMS &EC 1990

Evaluated two new oil spill chemical additives during a series 

of intentional oil spills off the Canadian coast during September 

1987 to mechanical recovery.

084 Surface Oil Spill Containment and 

Cleanup

Veritas 

Technical 

Services, Inc.

MMS 1987

Engineering concept analysis of the effectiveness of a large, 

self-contained oil spill collection ship capable of deploying 

large skimming booms in the proximity of a blowing oil well.

085 Subsea Collection of Blowing Oil and 

Gas

Brown and 

Root MMS 1985 The prospects are attractive for using large, self-contained collection ships which can deploy subsea collectors. 

377 Project "Deep Spill" SINTEF

MMS and 23 

different oil 

companies to 

conduct this 

research

2005

Simulate a blowout or pipeline rupture in deep water and 

obtain data to verify the predictions of a deep water blowout 

model. 

311 

Oil Spill Containment, Remote 

Sensing, and Tracking from Deep 

Water Blowouts Status of Existing and 

Emerging Technologies

PCCI Marine 

and 

Environmenta

l Engineering

MMS 1999

Assessment of existing or developing technologies that could 

be used to sense, track, contain, and recover oil released by 

deep water blowouts or pipeline ruptures.

290 Project Cancelled: In Situ Burning on 

Mud Flats SINTEF MMS 2010

Investigate the feasibility of using in situ burning to remove 

crude oil from mud flats in an environmentally and ecologically 

favorable manner. 

Beach 

Deep Well 
27 of 32

295 In Situ Clean up of Oiled Shorelines; 

Svalvard Shoreline Project EC

MMS, EC, Texas 

General Land 

Office, Norwegian 

Pollution Control 

Authority, Exxon 

Imperial Oil 

Resources Ltd., 

UK Marine 

Pollution Control 

Unit, Swedish 

Rescue Service, 

and the CCG.

1999

Investigated the effectiveness of mainstream in situ shoreline 

cleanup techniques (tilling, surf-washing), as well as some of 

the scientific aspects of oil behavior and oil removal from 

shorelines by what was commonly referred to as the clay-oil 

flocculation process.

158 Development and Evaluation of 

Shoreline Cleanup Techniques EC-W-TDB MMS & EC 1994

Evaluated the effectiveness of minimizing biological damage of 

spilled oil to such beaches and attempted to establish a 

correlation between cleanup effectiveness and environmental 

damage caused by various cleanup techniques. 

Oil Distribution and Bioavailability 

Field Experiment–FEX 2009 SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In Ice 2010

GPS trackers, large-volumes water samplers (KISPs), in situ 

oil-in-water monitoring systems and passive absorption 

devices (SPMDs) were all installed under ice floes in and 

around the oil slick to enable a detailed monitoring of oil-inwater dynamics and ice interactions throughout the six-day 

experiment. Meteorological and oceanographic data were 

recorded for the monitoring of wind speed and direction, air 

temperature, currents, and ice movement. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-33-

FEX2009%20Oil%20distribution%20and%20bioavailability.pdf

Oil Biodegradation in Arctic ice SINTEF 2005

Biodegradation is one of the most important processes for the 

removal of petroleum hydrocarbons from marine environments. 

Also, in Arctic environments, biodegradation is important, and 

during summer conditions degradation follows a pattern 

indistinguishable from that exhibited under temperate climate 

conditions. However, the necessary knowledge about 

hydrocarbon biodegradation of oil frozen in Arctic ice is lacking. 

The ice contains a variety of cold-adapted microorganisms, 

and metabolic activities have been measured at ice 

temperatures well below –10°C. 

Beach 

Testing Standards 

Micro-Biological 

Remediation 
28 of 32

513 

Laboratory Testing to Determine 

Dispersion Predictability of the Baffled 

Flask Test (BFT) and Swirling Flask 

Test (SWT)

US EPA / 

University of 

Cincinnati

MMS 2006

Conduct standardized laboratory dispersant effectiveness 

testing to determine if either the Baffled Flask Test (BFT) or the 

Swirling Flask Test (SWT) is able to predict chemical 

dispersion effectiveness of oil spills.

373 

Development of a Draft ASTM 

Standard on Characterizing Oils for In 

Situ Burning

SL Ross MMS 2005 Developed a draft ASTM guidelines for in situ burning from lab 

analysis of the oil to determine how easily it can be burned.

428 

Procedures for Reporting Tests of Oil 

Spill Containment Booms and 

Skimmers

Environmental 

Consultant, 

Inc. 

MMS 2005

Reviewed existing test procedures for oil containment booms 

and skimmers and developed standardized test reporting 

procedures that will eliminate the problems of incomplete test 

documentation. 

478 

Development of a Standard Method 

for Measuring the Buoyancy-to-Weight 

Ratio for Oil Spill Containment Boom

OHMSETT SL Ross MMS 2005

The objective of the work was to develop a standard method 

for measuring the buoyancy-to-weight ratio of oil spill 

containment booms.

516 

Development of a Method to Produce 

Large Quantities of Realistic Water-InOil Emulsions for use in Evaluating Oil 

Spill Response Equipment and 

Methods

SL Ross MMS 2005

Developed a methodology and equipment to enable 

researchers to produce large quantities of realistic water-in-oil 

emulsions.

163 

Preparation a Test Protocol for 

Offshore Oil Skimmers and 

Containment Booms

Chapman MMS & EC 1992

Development of a nonpolluting, cost-effective standard test 

procedure for evaluating the performance of open ocean 

containment booms and oil skimmers is needed. 

(1) Test Protocol for the Evaluation of Oil-Spill Containment 

Booms (February 1992) and

(2) Suggested Test Protocol for the Evaluation of Oil Spill 

Skimmers for the OCS (February 1992). 

109 Oil Spill Response Equipment 

Performance Verification OHMSETT

Frank Weston 

and 

Associates

EPA 1990

Develop and verify an innovative test procedure for measuring 

the performance of offshore oil spill response equipment at 

sea.

113 Open Ocean Boom Test EC-C&PA MMS & EC 1990 Develop a nonpolluting and cost-effective testing procedure for 

recovery equipment.

Recent Field Demonstrations (post 2000)
29 of 32

RFP

Countermeasure Verification Through 

Controlled Field Releases and 

Exercises

OGP JIP-AOSRT 2012

To create opportunities for the JIP technical working groups to 

test, evaluate, and verify selected technologies and to conduct 

related research (for example, environmental effects) in a field 

setting.

Field experiment in the St. Lawrence 

River estuary

COOGER & 

CCG 2008

A small spill was carried out in pack ice from a Coast Guard 

icebreaker and immediately treated by spraying OMA and 

agitating the oil dispersant mixture.

Full scale field experiment 2009 

Cruise report SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In Ice 2009

This report gives an overview of the activities and main 

findings during the full-scale field experiment carried out in the 

period May 9–25, 2009, in position N77.30 - E30.90 east of 

Hopen in the Barents Sea. 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-25-Field-report-FEX%202009-final.pdf

Field experiments in the Norwegian 

Barents Sea - East of Svalbard 

SINTEF Oil in 

Ice JIP

AGIP KCO, 

Chevron,Conoco

Phillips,Shell, 

Statoil & Total

2008/09

Series of experimental spills carried out from research vessel 

and icebreaker. Response techniques included herding 

agents, burning in situ and in fireproof booms, dispersants, 

mechanical systems, and remote sensing 

586 

Planning Support for an Experimental 

Oil Spill in Pack Ice. Project was 

canceled a due to CGC rescue 

mission

SL Ross & 

Dickins MMS 2008

Experimental oil spill was to be conducted by the Department 

of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada offshore eastern 

Canada in March 2007. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) 

was committed to supplying an ice breaker and helicopter as 

support vessels for one week as services in kind to the project. 

Full-Scale Field Experiment 2008, 

Summary of Results SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In Ice 2008

Report is an overview of the activities and main findings during 

the full-scale field experiment carried out in the period May 

18–28, 2008, in position N77.30–E30.90, east of Hopen in the 

Barents Sea.

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-18-FEX-2008-field-results-summary.pdf

FEX 2008. Activity Report SINTEF JIP SINTIF Oil In 

Ice 2008

Report is an overview of the 2008 JIP oil in ice full-scale filed 

experiment 

http://www.sintef.no/project/JIP_Oil_In_Ice/Dokumenter/publica

tions/JIP-rep-no-17-FEX-2008-field-activity-report.pdf
30 of 32

569 

Svalbard, Norway Experimental Oil 

Spill To Study Spill Detection and Oil 

Behavior in Ice

 DF Dickins 

Asscoiates, 

SINTEF, 

BSU, The 

University 

Center at 

Svalbard

MMS, ADEC, 

ACS, 

ConocoPhillips, 

ExxonMobil, Shell 

Technology 

Norway, and 

Statoil ASA

2006

This project involved spilling 3,400 liters of crude oil within a 

skirt inserted through fast ice at Svea on Svalbard. Acoustic 

and GPR systems (surface and airborne) were tested for there 

abilities to detect oil under ice. Oil behavior was studied to 

look at migration rates, dissolution into the water column and 

weathering. The oil was removed successfully by burning. 

Oil-in-Ice on Svalbard SINTEF

Norwegian 

Research 

Council, Statoil, 

and Hydro

2005

The purpose of this three-year project was to investigate 

weathering processes in marine oil spills under Arctic 

conditions. The focus was on weathering of the bulk oil phase 

(evaporation, w/o emulsification, and dispersion), dissolution of 

water-soluble components, photo-oxidation and biodegradation 

processes of oil in ice. 

636 

Characteristics, Behavior and 

Response Effectiveness of Spilled 

Dielectric Insulating Oil in the Marine 

Environment

Louisiana 

State 

University

2011

of wind turbine generators connected to a centralized electrical 

service platform (ESP). The ESP could contain approximately 

40,000 gallons of dielectric insulating oil and approximately 

2,000 gallons of assorted oil-based fluids (diesel fuel, 

lubricating oils, etc.) stored on site for facility maintenance.

668 Ohmsett Biofuel Feasibility Study SL Ross BSEE 2011

BioFuels (bio-diesels, and gasoline/ethanol blends) in the 

worldwide marketplace. The different physical and chemical 

properties of these products in comparison to the petroleum 

products they are replacing leads to the issue of response 

countermeasure actions in the event of a BioFuel spill. In order 

to pursue testing and implementation of BioFuel response 

techniques at Ohmsett, the facility’s operating systems and 

protocols for traditional oil spill response must be reviewed, 

compared, and possibly modified, to adapt to the potential 

requirements for BioFuel response techniques testing.

Miscellaneous
31 of 32

649 

The Industry/University Cooperative 

Research Center for Multiphase 

Transport Phenomena

Michigan 

State 

University 

and the 

University of 

Tulsa

BSEE 2010

Multiphase Transport Phenomena has focused on two 

technologies important to DOI/MMS: (1) cross flow filtration 

hydrocyclones for oil/water separation (onshore, offshore, 

subsea, and downhole) and (2) the use of computational 

methods to address flow assurance issues associated with oil 

and gas production.

567 Synthetic Based Drilling Fluid Droplet 

Survey

Southwest 

Research 

Institute

MMS 2007

Synthetic-based drilling muds (SBMs) have been developed to 

provide the desirable operating qualities of oil-based muds with 

the lower toxicity of water-based muds. The objective of this 

project was to evaluate the fall velocity distributions that would 

result from an accidental release of SBMs in offshore waters.

595 

Identification of Window of 

Opportunity for Chemical Dispersants 

on Gulf of Mexico Crude Oils

SL Ross MMS 2007

Develop best-fit correlations between readily available fresh oil 

properties and the window of opportunity for successful 

chemical dispersant use on Gulf of Mexico crude oils.

458 

Process for the Removal of Spent Oil 

Spill Dispersants from Test Water at 

Ohmsett

Ohmsett SAIC 

Canada MMS 2004

The project identified potential methods for the removal of 

dissolved dispersants from Ohmsett tank water using 

membrane filtration technology. The goal was to lower the 

dispersant concentration in the tank water to undetectable 

levels after dispersant effectiveness testing. 

515 Wave Field Characterization at the 

Ohmsett Wave Test Basin Ohmsett U of Wa MMS 2004 The project was designed to find out the characterizations of waves in the Ohmsett Wave Basin facility.

456 Techniques to Remove Dissolved 

Dispersant from Ohmsett Basin Water Ohmsett SL Ross MMS 2003

Researched techniques to remove dissolved dispersant from 

Ohmsett water after the tank has been used for a series of 

chemical dispersant effectiveness experiments.

309 Development of an Ohmsett Activity 

Summary Report Ohmsett

Marine 

Research 

Associates 

LLC

MMS 1998

Develop an effective means of summarizing and disseminating 

the testing capabilities, protocols, and test results for the MMS 

Ohmsett. 
32 of 32

155 Identification of Substitute Test 

Facilities for Ohmsett EC-EED MMS 1990

EPA suspended operation of the Ohmsett facility, and 

alternative facilities and procedures are necessary to minimize 

the delay in testing innovative oil spill response technology and 

procedures.

Oil and Gas Transportation RussiaEurope SINTEF

Research and development project supported by the European 

Union. The overall objective of ARCOP is to form an 

operational platform for the development of oil and gas 

transportation from the Russian Arctic (the Pechora and Kara 

Sea) to Europe. 

http://www.sintef.no/home/Materials-and-Chemistry/MarineEnvironmental-Technology/Projects-and-News/Oil-and-gastransport-Russia---Europe-/
Acronym Summary Web Site

ACS

Alaska Clean Seas: ACS protects the environment by providing effective 

response services to the Alaska North Slope Crude Oil Producers and the 

first 167 miles of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System 

http://www.alaskacleanseas.org/

AKEC-SPAR

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Spill Prevention and 

Response (SPAR) prevents spills of oil and hazardous substances, prepares 

for when a spill occurs and responds rapidly to protect human health and the 

environment. 

http://dec.alaska.gov/spar/index.htm

BOEM

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Protecting the environment while 

ensuring the safe development of the nation’s offshore energy and marine 

mineral resources is a critical part of BOEM’s mission.

http://www.boem.gov/

BOEMRE Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement http://www.boemre.gov/

BSU Boise State University, John Bradford http://cgiss.boisestate.edu/~johnb/Pubs.html

BSEE

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement works to promote safety, 

protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous 

regulatory oversight and enforcement. 

http://www.bsee.gov/

CCG Canadian Coast Guard http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/Home?is_mobile=2

CISPRI

Cook Inlet Spill Prevention & Response Inc. (CISPRI) Team provides our 

Member companies with the most professional, cost-effective contingency 

planning and spill removal possible.

http://www.cispri.org/

COOGER

Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research (COOGER). Fisheries 

and Oceans Canada established COOGER in 2002 to coordinate the 

department's nation-wide research into the environmental and oceanographic 

impacts of offshore petroleum exploration, production, and transportation.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/coe-cde/cooger-crpgee/indexeng.htm

CRREL US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/

http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/innovations/oil_spill_research/

Dickins DF Dickins and Associates, LLC http://www.dfdickins.com/

DFO

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and its Special 

Operating Agency, the Canadian Coast Guard, deliver programs and services 

that support sustainable use and development of Canada’s waterways and 

aquatic resources.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/index-eng.htm

EC

Environment Canada is a diverse organization where our programs, services, 

and people lead the way in implementing the Government of Canada’s 

environmental agenda. We collaborate with our partners at home and 

abroad, to realize concrete progress on initiatives that will protect the health 

of our people and our planet.

http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=BD3CE17D-1

EC-C&PA Conservation and Protection Agency, Environment Canada

EC-EED Emergencies Engineering Division, Environment Canada http://www.ec.gc.ca/ee-ue/

EC-ESD Emergencies Science Division, Environment Canada http://www.etc-cte.ec.gc.ca/organization/estd_e.html

EC-W-TDB Western Office, Technology Development Branch, Environment Canada

Acronyms Used in "An Inventory of Research Projects on Oil Spills in Arctic Waters"
EPA

EPA seeks to prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spills that occur in and 

around inland waters of the United States. EPA is the lead federal response 

agency for oil spills occurring in inland waters, and the US Coast Guard is 

the lead response agency for spills in coastal waters and deepwater ports.

http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/

JIP- AOSRT

Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology (AOSRT)–Joint Industry Programme. 

An international research program to further enhance industry knowledge 

and capabilities in the area of Arctic oil spill response. 

http://www.arcticresponsetechnology.org/

JIP-API American Petroleum Institute and the Joint Industry Programme on Oil Spill 

Recovery in Ice

JIP-SINTEF http://www.sintef.no/Projectweb/JIP-Oil-In-Ice/

MMS Mineral Management Services evolved to BOEMRE and subdivided to 

BOEM and BSEE

Ohmsett

The National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy Test Facility 

provides independent and objective performance testing of full-scale oil spill 

response equipment and marine renewable energy systems (wave energy 

conversion devices), and improving technologies through research and 

development.

http://www.ohmsett.com/

OSRI Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute http://www.pws-osri.org/

PERF

Petroleum Environmental Research Forum (PERF)was established in 1986 

to stimulate cooperative research & development of technology for 

environmental pollution control & waste treatment for the petroleum Industry. 

http://www.perf.org/

SL Ross SL Ross Environmental Research Ltd. http://www.slross.com/

SAIC Canada http://www.companylisting.ca/SAIC_Canada1/default.aspx 

SAMS Scottish Association for Marine Science http://www.smi.ac.uk/

SINTEF

SINTEF is the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia. Its 

goal is to create value through knowledge generation, research, and 

innovation, and develop technological solutions that are brought into practical 

use.

http://www.sintef.no/home/

http://www.sintef.no/home/Materials-and-Chemistry/MarineEnvironmental-Technology/Fate-and-effects/

Statoil http://www.statoil.com/en/EnvironmentSociety/Sustainability/2007/Envi

ronment/Environment/Research/Pages/OilInNorth.aspx

TAS Thales Alenia Space http://www.thalesgroup.com/Markets/Space/Related_Activities/Thales_

Alenia_Space/

TC Transport Canada http://www.tc.gc.ca/

UNH-CRRC Costal Response Research Center at University of New Hampshire http://www.crrc.unh.edu/ 

USCG US Coast Guard http://www.uscg.mil/default.asp

WHOI Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution http://www.whoi.edu/