Environment Report 2018

ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2018

5.3 Accidental Oil Releases Breakdown

Releases by Oil Type Determining the oil product type is an important element of an oil spill response; it enables understanding of how the release will behave in the marine environment under varying conditions and helps to determine the appropriate response strategy. Diesel and light oils will be rapidly broken up by wind and wave action if released, after which they will evaporate. More persistent oil spills will be monitored and appropriate clean-up operations will take place, as determined in the installation’s OPEP. This may include allowing the oil to break up through the action of wind and waves, and then to be digested by naturally occurring oil-degrading bacteria; mechanical recovery of oil at sea; use of dispersants to facilitate break-up of the oil; or active protection of sensitive areas along the coast, together with the collection and recovery of oil along the shoreline, should it come ashore. In 2017, condensate was the most common hydrocarbon type released, with 8.5 tonnes accounting for 37 per cent of the total. There were only seven releases of condensate, one of which was over 8 tonnes. The next largest category was crude, of which 3.58 tonnes was released (15 per cent of the total) closely followed by hydraulic oil (3.52 tonnes).

Figure 27: Mass of Accidental Oil Releases by Product Type, 2017

Other, 4.40 tonnes

Condensate, 8.50 tonnes

Lubricant, 1.02 tonnes

Crude, 3.58 tonnes

Waste, 0.02 tonnes

Diesel, 2.24 tonnes

Hydraulic, 3.52 tonnes

Source: BEIS July 2018, Oil and Gas UK

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