Arctic Marine Oil Spill Response Methods: Environmental Challenges and Technological Limitations

Abstract

The most important issue, besides financial viability, which stops oil and gas industry from operating in full scale in Arctic seas, is the harsh environmental conditions, which can undermine oil spill response actions in case of oil spill accidents. The methods and technologies that are currently in use, cannot deliver efficient and fast oil recovery from the sea surface under icy, stormy, low visibility and extremely cold conditions. In 2015, Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group of the Arctic Council (EPPR), an international body that strengthens oil spill response (OSR) in the Arctic region, discussed the need of improvements in this field. In 2018, after comprehensive studies of the Arctic waters, EPPR concluded that natural climate conditions are too challenging for the present level of OSR preparedness in many regions. There are still many technological limitations and no optimized strategies for oil spill abatement. Thus, OSR issues are and will stay on the agenda in future, too. This chapter will focus on main available OSR methods and give an overview of challenges and limitations set by the demanding Arctic environment. It will analyze the different methods, in situ burning, dispersants use, mechanical and physical response, and their efficiency, applicability, and multiple environmental, economic and technical parameters.