In-Situ Burning As An Oil Spill Control Measure And Its Effect On The Environment

Abstract

In-situ burning (ISB) is a process of burning crude oil at the point of spill, as a containment measure for oil spill control. It is usually applied as one of the last resort to prevent spilled oil from reaching ecologically sensitive habitats and recreational activities in coastal areas. While booms, skimmers and dispersants may be very expensive and difficult to deploy, ISB is relatively inexpensive, making it attractive to oil spill responders. ISB can be applied in marine, coastal, freshwater, arctic and terrestrial environment. Factors affecting burn efficiency include water density, type of oil, slick thickness, degree of emulsification and weathering, flame coverage, wind speed and wave action. Although ISB has been very successful in removing spilled oil from polluted environment, there are great concerns about the transport and fate of emissions and residues from the burned oil, on the environment, biodiversity and public health. Potential air pollutants from oil burning include particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and mixtures of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Many developing nations lack the legal and regulatory frameworks, the contingency planning process and human resources to monitor the implementation of ISB in the oil and gas industry, making the practice very complicated and of imminent danger to society. There is also need to develop alternative measures to ISB in order to mitigate the effects on the environment and human population.