Solid response to oil spills

Recent events in Prudhoe Bay have served as a stark reminder of the magnitude of dealing with oil spills quickly, with minimal damage to the environment. Dan Parker, President of Immediate Response Spill Technologies, explains how effective solidifiers are proving in swift clean-up operations.

O&G. What are solidifiers comprised of?

DP. Most solidifiers available in today’s market are products composed of dry high molecular weight polymers that have a porous matrix and large oleophilic surface area. When in contact with oil, solidifiers form a physical bond with the oil. The result is that the oil’s viscosity increases to the point that the oil becomes solidified into a rubber-like solid. The end product can range from a firm cohesive mass to a non-cohesive granular material. Solidifiers are available in various forms, including dry powder, granules, semi-solid materials (e.g. pucks, cakes, balls, sponge designs), and contained in booms, pillows, pads, and socks.

Products classified as oil-spill treating solidifiers are:

• Insoluble in water
• Have a specific gravity of less than 1.0
• Composed primarily of polymers (with few other additives)
• Contain less than 5ppm of heavy metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons
• Have a physical reaction with oil whereby, at the prescribed application rate, the oil is sorbed by the product in a manner where the oil is resistant to leaching
• Do not release solidified liquids under pressure
• The solidifier product itself non-toxic to wildlife and other species

O&G. So how exactly do they work?

DP. Solidifiers are polymers that have a physical attraction to the hydrocarbon that is caused by Van deWaal’s forces. They consist of long chains of hydrocarbons that have a loose molecular structure and a very porous matrix. They are soluble and excessive liquid (solvent) but with continual application will increase the viscosity of the oil to the point that it forms a solid mass. The reaction time is primarily controlled by grain size (and thus surface area) of the product. Fine-grained powders solidify faster than granulars because of higher surface area on the product and higher diffusion rate of the oil. Once a solid mass is formed, it is very easy to manage and remove with simple tools such as rakes, shovels and nets.

O&G. What is your opinion of mechanical countermeasures?

DP. Countermeasures such as Vac Trucks and skimmers are slow, and tend to extract more water than they do oil. Although that technology has improved dramatically over the years, as the first line of defense, having these on hand is not feasible.

The first line of defense at an oil spill should be similar to a fire. Without proper training on how to use a fire extinguisher and having them on hand would result in possible loss of life and environmental damage. No one would think of not having a fire extinguisher on their vessel or home. That is why we feel that chemical countermeasures outweigh mechanical countermeasures as a first line of defense. Two that come to mind are solidifiers and dispersants.

O&G. Are mechanical countermeasures cost-effective?

DP. Over the past five years, chemical countermeasures have been studied and used in actual spill response on a very limited basis. The lessons learned from those responses were that in fact chemical countermeasures were 50-80 percent less costly overall than the use of mechanical countermeasures. The largest savings is labor and disposal.

O&G. What are the advantages of solidifiers?

DP. The use of solidifiers are to mitigate oil spills. The solidifiers form a physical bond with the oil and are expected to be beneficial to the environment and protect species as they increase oil spill recovery and containment. The solidifiers themselves have low to no toxicity and do not sink when they react with oil. The use of these products are considered an appropriate response for spills, marinas, harbors, on land, inside facilities and in small water bodies as any loose product can readily be contained and recovered.

• To immobilize the oil, to prevent further spread, or penetration in to the substrate. In some cases, the edge of the oil can be treated, forming a solidified barrier to further spreading.
• Solidification can reduce the vapor pressure of volatile oils.
• Product booms or pillows could be deployed along sensitive areas before the oil approaches, or downstream of oil containment areas to recover sheens.
• Solidifiers are well suited for small spills on land to prevent, for example, run-off into drains and rivers.

O&G. What materials are available to remove sheen from water effectively?

DP. Tests have been run on everything from sorbents, pom-poms and a variety of organic materials (hair, feathers, and peat moss). Solidifiers have been put to the test and have been proven that certain chemical formulations will in fact remove sheen from water very cost-effectively.

O&G. If solidifiers are available, why are they not in more widespread use?

DP. The most common response when asked this question is that a regulatory person generally addresses cost and availability as well as lack of experience and knowledge of solidifiers.

Solidifiers have been around since the 1970’s and have been studied by all the major oil companies. When cost is mentioned, because of the lack of experience and knowledge, the responsible party (RP) or on-scene coordinator (OSC) is merely addressing material cost, not overall cost. Availability has always been an issue because of the restrictions set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not allowing an RP to react to a spill short of mechanical countermeasures until an OSC has arrived to the site. Pre-approvals are necessary to allow the RP to respond when it is a time sensitive situation – and all spills are time sensitive.

Responsible parties will not invest in technology if they are not allowed to use it.
Allowing the RP to have the chemical countermeasures on hand and pre-approved mitigates the financial and ecological impact of the incident. Pre-approvals are in process and take time, but we feel it was the only viable way to make this technology available to the RP’s and oil spill removal organizations.

Dan Parker has spent the last seven years developing a solidifier called CI Agent that would instantly solidify all types of hydrocarbons including gasoline, diesel and oil as well as Bunker-C and animal and vegetable oils.

Thanks to new technology and sound scientific methods, CI Agent is a viable and effective solution for rapidly removing petroleum-based spills on water without risk to the environment. It is listed on the EPA’s National Contingency Plan Product Schedule and has been effectively utilized in land-based applications for nine years.

CIAgent is a non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-corrosive, non-carcinogenic and environmentally friendly petroleum-based blend of several different polymers. These polymers are used to immobilize petroleum and related petrochemical emergency releases on land and water. CIAgent can also be used as a preventative measure where a spill is likely to occur in many applications. Then the solidified product can be used as a fuel or sold to companies that produce as a filler to add strength and flexibility to their products or is suitable for land-fill disposal (non-leeching).

After five years of diligence and tenacity, Dan has achieved a first in the history of the US. CI Agent is in the process of being added to the pre-approval list for the US Regional Response Team IV and Caribbean RRT. The approval allows any marine operator who spills less than 500 gallons of oil or petroleum into waterways to pour as much as 1000 pounds of CI Agent onto the spill to contain it before authorities respond. A formal signing ceremony is scheduled in the upcoming quarter.