International Journal of Research In Science & Engineering e-ISSN: 2394-8299

Volume: 1 Issue: 6 p-ISSN: 2394-8280

OIL SPILL REMEDIATION AND ITS REGULATION

Saurabh Tewari1, Abhinav Sirvaiya2

1
Ph.D (scholar), Department of Petroleum Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology,
saurabhtewari8@gmail.com
2
B.Tech, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology ,
abhinavsirvaiya@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Crude oil production is the largest and most profitable business in the world. From its development phase to
production phase, many disasters have occurred in oil industries. Oil spill is the most important type of
environmental disaster which usually occurs. It has impact on humans as wells as on plants and wild life,
including birds, fish and mammals. Drilling and production accidents and everyday human activities are the
main causes of oil spills. The oil spills are hazardous to environment and also affect human health. The adverse
effects have been seen on soil, ground water, plants and animals. Immediate actions are required to eradicate the
spill problem. Oil spill at any point may result into explosion and fire hazards. Effective attempts have been made
for the remediation of the soil and cleaning the water resources on onshore and offshore. In this paper, some of
the known and new methods of remediation have been discussed to solve the oil spill problem economically.
Remediation techniques for marine as well as onshore environment are available but still more advance
researches are required. New techniques like soil vapor extraction, degradation, bioremediation are major
methods of soil remediation. Physical, chemical, thermal methods are used for cleaning oil spills in marine
environment. Many government guidelines and policies have also been discussed in this paper which is made for
national and international level to control and prevent oil spills problem.

Keywords: Oil spills, remediation techniques, marine environment, soil, groundwater.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. INTRODUCTION
Oil spill is an environmental disaster that occurs due to release of liquid petroleum into the environment.
This may happen accidentally, intentionally, or resulted from everyday human activities. The causes and sources of
oil spill may also vary. Oil spills are well-known from natural seeps of oil which regularly occur in the Gulf of
Mexico. It mainly occurs at production sites (drilling sites and refineries), storage sites due to leakage of container
and at transportation sites like pipelines, truck etc. [1]. There have been several oil spills in the last many years in
various regions of the world. The largest spill that has taken place resulted into 1, 00,000 tons of oil loss [1]. Oil
spills are taken seriously by both up and downstream oil industry. Though land operations do not cause spill
accidents. Offshore oil spill is the major cause of concern because of its hazardous impact on marine life. In recent
years it has been proven that the physical and chemical properties of spilled oil in addition to the area's
environmental and weather conditions are main factors that decide the effects of oil spill [2].
Oil spills are described into mainly four types– minor spills, medium spills, major spills and disaster. These
are categorized on the basis of discharge quantity of oil on land, coastal or offshore waters [3]. The damaging impact
and distortion of environment due to oil spill is a major concern of discussion. Marine, land, and ground water are
being affected by the oil spills and resulted into land and sea water pollution. The marine and onshore lives are in
danger because of these oil spills. The difference between oil spill in water and soil is the degree of spread. Small
amounts of soluble ingredients in crude oil spills have rare effects on contamination where as refined HC-products
with larger amounts of soluble components like BTX (Benzol, Toluol, Xylol) are the real danger to the environment
[4]. Oil spills significantly change the chemical and physical properties of oil [5].Weathering of oil due to action of
waves and sunlight which includes spreading, drifting, evaporation, dissolution, photolysis, biodegradation and
formation of water oil emulsions has caused significant changes in oil viscosity, density and interfacial tension [6].
Contamination of groundwater by oil and petroleum products has been recognized as a major environmental issue
throughout the world [7]. Spillages from tankers have contributed 5% of the total oil pollution in ocean. These spills

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 International Journal of Research In Science & Engineering e-ISSN: 2394-8299
Volume: 1 Issue: 6 p-ISSN: 2394-8280

have pulled the attention of public as well as media due to extent of damages they can cause on marine and
terrestrial environment [8].
Several remediation techniques are developed to control and solve the disaster of oil spill. The
effectiveness of these techniques depends upon the type and quantity of oil spill, weather conditions and surrounding
environment [10]. In this paper, remediation techniques for oil spill cleanup and control has been uttered. A
comparative analysis among those techniques and governmental policies has also been discussed.

2. REMEDIATION FOR OIL SPILLS

Remediation of oil spills is a serious issue because of its adverse effects on the biosphere. Oil spreads on
the top surface of water and form a horizontal smooth and slippery surface known as slick. It forms thin coating on
the bird’s feathers which loses its insulating properties and results in freezing death. It will also reduce the amount
of oxygen dissolving from air in water which is necessary for marine life. Oil spill has toxic impact on aquatic
animals and damages their food resources and habitats. Therefore, proper remediation must be done after oil
spillage.

2.1 Marine remediation

Effective attempts have been made in remediating the marine environment. Many of these attempts have
been made by the major E&P companies [7]. The remediations that are being taken by these companies are as
follows as: (a) physical (b) chemical (c) thermal and (d) biological [10]. Physical remediation methods are mostly to
control oil spills in a water environment. There are two main steps in controlling the oil spills are containment and
recovery. They are mainly used as a barrier to control the spreading oil spill without changing its physical and
chemical characteristics. Different equipments are used to control oil spills which are as follows [12; 13; 9]:
(a) Boomers – They are used for both containment and recovery. They are floatation device which act like physical
barriers which would not allow the oil to spread in water so that oil could be recovered. During recovery period,
they are sailed through the heaviest sections of the spill at slow speed and a shipping vessel scoops the oil and traps
it between the angle of the boom and the vessel hull. They are also characterized into fence boomer, curtain boomer
and fire-resistant boomer [14] on the basis of floating tendency, material with which they are made weight and
stopping tendency.
(b) Skimmers– They helps in the recovery of spread oil with the help of boomers. Oleophilic skimmers try to trap the
oil from the surface with help of belts, disks, continuous chain of oleophilic material and then oil is squeezed out in
the recovery tank. Weir skimmers use dam for trapping the oil inside and then it can be pumped out through a pipe
or hose to storage tank for recycling purpose. Type and the thickness of oil spill determine the success of skimming.
Skimmers are effective and work efficiently in calm water [9]. They are clogged by the debris in floating water.
(c) Adsorbent materials - Absorbents which are oleophilic and hydrophobic in nature come out as a good controller
of oil spills. After skimming operation, adsorbent are used to clean the remaining oil. These adsorbents can be
natural organic, inorganic or synthetic materials. Natural organic sorbents includes peat, hay, feathers, ground
corncob etc. They can soak up from 3 to 15 times their weight in oil. Natural inorganic sorbent includes perlite
vermiculite, glass, clay, wool, sand and volcanic ash. They can absorb up to 4 to 20 times their weight in oil.
Synthetic absorbents include materials similar to plastic like polyethylene, and nylon fibers. They can absorb up to
70 times weight in oil but cannot be cleaned and reused.
Chemical remediation methods are among the best remediation techniques available for both on shore and
offshore. They not only block the spreading of oil spill but also protect the sensitive marine habitat. They are usually
used in addition with physical methods in marine oil spill remediation [9]. In this technique physical and chemical
property of oil is being changed. Various chemicals are used to treat the oil spills as they have capabilities to change
the physical and chemical properties of oil [13]. The chemicals which control oil spills include dispersants and
solidifiers. Dispersants have capabilities to break down the slick of oil into smaller droplets and transfer it into the
water column where it undergoes rapid dilution and can be easily degraded (Lessard and Demarco, 2000).
Dispersants have surface active agents known as surfactant. They weather the slick of oil into smaller droplets and
transfer it into the water column where it undergoes to rapid dilution and can be easily degraded [16]. Dispersants
are applied through spraying the water with the chemical and confirming the mixing by wind or propeller of boat
whereas solidifiers are those hydrophobic polymers which on reaction with oil convert it into solid rubber state
which can be easily removed [9].
Thermal remediation method involves the burning of oil. Though this technical high rates of oil can be
easily removed by using minimal specialized equipment, like fire resistant boom or igniters. Thermal technique is

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 International Journal of Research In Science & Engineering e-ISSN: 2394-8299
Volume: 1 Issue: 6 p-ISSN: 2394-8280

more beneficial in calm wind environment and for fresh spills or refined products which can burn quickly without
any harm to marine life. Fire resistance booms are used to accumulate oil and concentrate into a slick that is thick
enough to burn. The left residue is removed by the mechanical means [17]. The thick oil and high supply oxygen
condition are important for its success. Factors affecting the thermal methods are water temperature, speed, wave
amplitude, wind direction, slick thickness, oil type and amount of weathering and emulsification that has occurred.
Bioremediation method is a very simple and cheap remediation technique. In this method, microorganisms
degrade and metabolize any chemical substance and re-establish environmental quality. Microorganisms fasten the
natural weakling process by assimilating organic molecules to cell biomass with carbon dioxide, water and heat as
by products. Biostimulation and bioaugmentation are the two bioremediation methods. In biostimulation, nutrients
are added to stimulate the growth of the microorganism while in case of bioaugmentation microorganisms are added
to existing native oil degrading population. For different hydrocarbons there are different microorganisms that have
been used. They work with different degradation mechanisms depending on the type of hydrocarbon present in oil.
The best degrader in the entire microorganism is bacteria. Good concentration of nutrients like nitrogen and
phosphorus are growth inhibitor of hydrocarbon-degrader. Because of environment friendly and economic
properties, bioremediation has become an advantageous technique for remediation.

Year Location Country Oil spill (million

gallon) approx.
1991 Gulf of Kuwait Kuwait 240 – 336
1979 Bay of Campeche Mexico 140
1979 Trinidad & Tobago West Indies 88.3
1992 Fergana Valley Uzbekistan 87.7
1983 Nowruz Oil Field Persian Gulf 80
1991 ABT Summer Angola 80
1983 Saldanha Bay South Africa 78.5
1978 Off Brittany France 68.7
1988 Coast of Nova Scotia Canada 43.04
1991 Genoa Italy 42

Table-1: 10 biggest oil spill of world

Year Location Country Oil spill (Tonnes)

19 May 2015 California coast U.S.A 330
13 April 2015 English Bay Canada 2.3
5 March 2015 Near Galena U.S.A Unknown
17 January 2015 Glendive U.S.A 41-160
6 December 2014 Trans-Israel Israel 1948 -4300
Pipeline

Table-2: Recent Oil Spills of the world.

Fig-1: Oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

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 International Journal of Research In Science & Engineering e-ISSN: 2394-8299
Volume: 1 Issue: 6 p-ISSN: 2394-8280

Fig-2: Boomering use to separate the clean ocean water from the oily water

Fig-3: skimmer is deployed in Western Lake

2.2 Remediation of soil and ground water

Remediation technique for soil and water are different. Many factors are responsible which determine the
type of remediation technique that should be used. Type of contamination present and where the contamination has
taken place are the two main factors that have to be considered in determining the remediation. Cleaning
contaminated soil is not an easy process and needs time to get clean. The remediations that can be used as on-site
contamination are: soil vapor extraction, Pump and Treat Systems, Degradation, and Bioremediation [12].
Soil vapor extraction is the technique in which contaminates present in the soil are made to vaporize at the
soil temperature only by applying vacuum in soil [18]. This creates pore spaces and increases the air flow in soil.
That is why this process is also called vacuum extraction, or enhanced in situ volatilization. Contaminates are
sucked by the vacuum blower in gaseous form through a vapor extraction well which is further transported for
separator.
Pump and treat system is a very usual technique which is used for remediation. In this method, the
pumping well is drilled which brings out the contaminated water to the surface which is further treated in surface
water facilities [18]. The water that is obtained after treatment can be reused or is supplied for use. The further
treatment depends on the kind of contaminants present in the groundwater. If non- aqueous phased liquid is resent,
then phase separation is done by adding other pumping unit. This technique can also be used with vapor extraction
technique.
Degradation remediation is of two types: a) chemical degradation and b) biological degradation. In
chemical degradation, neutralization of the contaminants is accelerated by using chemicals and transforming them
into a state which is less harmful. These chemicals oxidize the metals and reduce the oxidation state of contaminants
[19] while in biological degradation, the organic reagents work as a chemical entity like in chemical degradation
[20]. It is a type of bioremediation technique which converts the hydrocarbon present in soil into carbon dioxide,
water and harmless products.
As discussed already, in remediation of marine oil spill, bioremediation is healthy environmental technique
in which microorganisms are being added with the soil which accelerates the natural remediation process [20]. It is a
slow process but is the best fruitful remediation technique that is in use now days. Ground itself remediates of the
contaminants slowly. The first step in bioremediation is to determine the type and kind of microorganism that should
be added for remediation which depends on the soil type. Second step is to inject the microorganism required to the

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 International Journal of Research In Science & Engineering e-ISSN: 2394-8299
Volume: 1 Issue: 6 p-ISSN: 2394-8280

soil and provide nutrients that are needed for survival [18]. The nutrients that are put into the soil along with the
microorganisms help in the reproduction of the microorganisms and permit them to grow vigorously in the
environment. This allows microorganism to process the contaminants. After the remediation is done these
microorganisms automatically decay into steady initial state. This makes them ecologically friendly. The main
factors that determine the growth are temperature, acidity, and oxygen level of soil. If these are not proper, then
bioremediation would fail.
Leaking is also known as washing. In this method, soil is scrubbed and hydrocarbons are removed, which
are treated separately later. Soil flushing is a similar technique like leaking which is done on large scale by flooding
a zone of contamination with an appropriate solution to remove the contaminants from soil. They are not still well
developed but are promising for some applications [21]. The left contaminations are than mobilized by
solubilisation, formation of emulsions, or a chemical reaction to get pure forms.

3. GOVERNMENT POILICIES FOR OIL SPILLS

Governments of various countries have shown interest to solve problems produce by oil spills. For this,
governments have firmed many polices which is mandatory for every company to adopt. Developed country like
U.S.A has especially setup National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under the department of Health and
Human Services to handle the oil spillage problem. They are running regular educational courses and training
programs of oil spill for their workers in coordination with Occupational Safety and Health Administration [23].
They have also developed National Contingency Plan for responding to both hazardous substance and oil spill
releases. Areal Contingency plans are developed for smaller area which describes the responsibilities and actions of
operators, company and the government agencies for prevention of hazardous discharges [23]. The third level is the
Facility Contingency Plans for quick remediation responses for oil facilities likes refineries, petroleum storages etc.
Developing country like India has also developed contingency plans like National Oil spill Disaster
Contingency Plan under Ministry of Defense in cooperation with Directorate of Fisheries & Environment and Coast
Guard. India is a part of United Nation Convection on the Law of the Sea and therefore has obligation to protect
marine environment [24]. The Forty-second amendment to the Constitution of India obliges the States for protection
of environment [24]. Here States coordinate with coast guards for response actions during oil spillage. Many
countries like turkey, France, United Kingdom, Dutch etc. have form a proper contingency plan for handling of oil
spillage.

Fig-3: Hierarchy of contingency plan

There are some common policies which the governments of various countries have accepted [22].
1. Pre-plan to act in case of oil spills and releases.
2. To notify the respective departments if there is any kind of spill occurrences.
3. Take respective remediation technique to stop those spills and releases.
4. Cease the spill or release of the pollution substance.
5. Prevent the migration of oil from the site of the spill or release.
6. Prevent the oil from reaching or impacting surface water or groundwater.
Acts are also been made regarding remediation process. Every operator has to submit the success report within 15
days only.

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 International Journal of Research In Science & Engineering e-ISSN: 2394-8299
Volume: 1 Issue: 6 p-ISSN: 2394-8280

Country Central Responsibility at sea Responsibility at shore Policy for clean up

Government
Departments
India Ministry of Coastal Guard Environmental Skimmer, Boomer, and
Defence Government Agencies, dispersants
N.G.Os
France Secretary of State Maritime Coastal Communes Containment and recovery
for Sea, Ministry Prefect(Navy) preferred but dispersants
of used in designated areas
Defences/Interior
United Department of Marine Pollution Marine Pollution Control Aerial application of
Kingdom Transport Control Unit of Unit of Martine dispersants; containment and
Martine Directorate Directorate; coastal recovery where applicable.
Netherlands Ministry of North Sea Directorate Coastal provincial and Containment and recovery.
transport and of State waterways municipal states.
Public works Board
Federal Ministry of Federal Board of Coastal states Containment and recovery
Republic of Transport Waterways and preferred dispersants used in
Germany navigation; coastal North Sea.
states
Sweden Ministry of Coast Guard services Municipal fire brigades; Containment and recovery
Defence provincial authorities preferred dispersants used in
certain permissible
conditions.

Table-3: Example of nations oil spill arrangements [25]

4. CONCLUSION
There are different remediation techniques for both marine and soil, ground and water oil spills. The most suitable
remediation for spill is being determined by physical and chemical properties of oil. Act quickly and firmly to
remove oil from the ground, is the basic of minimizing the environmental effects of a sub-surface oil spills or
leakage. The techniques which are used for marine remediation are physical, chemical, thermal and biological, and
for soil groundwater remediation are soil vapor extraction, Pump and Treat Systems, degradation, and
bioremediation. The techniques used for remediation depends on factors like oil type, physical, biological and
economical characteristics of the spill location, weather and amount of spill. Bio remediation has come out to be the
best environment friendly and successful remediation technique. Government policies are also playing a crucial role
in the success of remediation techniques and disaster managements. More researches are still required for the
development of advances techniques for the remediation of oil spill.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge Dr. U.D. Dwivedi, Department of Petroleum Engineering, of RGIPT for his guidance and support
during the study.

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Volume: 1 Issue: 6 p-ISSN: 2394-8280

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