Environment Report 2017

5.3 Accidental Oil Releases Breakdown

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Releases by Oil Type Determining the oil product type is an important element of an oil spill response, as it enables understanding of how the release will behave in the marine environment under varying conditions and helps to determine the appropriate response strategy. In 2016, a single outlying high mass release of 95 tonnes was of crude oil released through the produced water system. As a result, crude oil makes up 84 per cent of the total mass accidentally released. The next largest category was diesel, of which 11 tonnes (10 per cent) was released. Even over a longer timeframe, the high mass release events tend to dominate figures. As a result, almost half of the oil accidentally released between 2010 and 2016 was crude oil at 597 tonnes. Condensate accounted for a further third at 407 tonnes due mostly to a single release in 2012. Of these high mass release events, none have impacted the shoreline. Diesel and lubricating oil contributed the most after these two groups, with 75 tonnes and 74 tonnes, respectively (6 per cent each). Diesel and light oils will rapidly break up by wind and wave action and evaporate when they are released. More persistent oil spills will be monitored and appropriate clean-up operations will take place, as determined in the installation’s OPEP. This may include allowing the oil to break-up through the action of wind and waves and then be digested by naturally occurring oil-degrading bacteria; mechanical recovery of oil at sea; use of dispersants to facilitate break-up of the oil; active protection of sensitive areas along the coast; and collection and recovery of oil along the shoreline should it come ashore.

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