Environment Report 2015

ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2015

5.4 Accidental Oil Releases Breakdown

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.

Diesel oil (used for power generation and a lighter oil product) at just under 14 tonnes makes up the majority of the mass of oil accidentally released on the UKCS in 2014 (see Figure 27). Of the number of oil-based products in use or produced in the oil and gas industry, none of the other categories, such as crude oil, hydraulic oil and lubricating oil, contributed more than ten per cent each to the total mass released.

However, over a longer time frame, the most released product by mass between 2011 and 2014 was crude oil, with hydraulic oil, lubricant and diesel also making up a significant proportion of the amount spilled.

Figure 27: Mass of Accidental Oil Releases by Product Type

Waste

Other*

Diesel

Hydraulic Oil

Lubricant

Crude

0.3 tonnes, <2%

0.6 tonnes, 3%

0.9 tonnes, 5%

2.6 tonnes, 13%

1.5 tonnes, 8%

13.7 tonnes, 70%

2014

1.9 tonnes, 1% 8.3 tonnes, 4%

31 tonnes, 14%

74.7 tonnes, 35%

36.9 tonnes, 17%

63.4 tonnes, 29%

2011-2014

*Other includes small amounts of oils such as sludges, condensates and kerosene

Source: DECC July 2015

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