API In-Situ Guidelines: NOBE, Macondo,

and Beyond

Tom Coolbaugh

In Situ Burning

Technology has been demonstrated

And different approaches continue to be explored

NOBE (Newfoundland Offshore Burn Experiment)

Crude oil burn, 1993

Largest demonstration at

the time

Showed high efficiency

Gained understanding of

limitations of fire boom

Potential exposures to air

emissions shown to be

below levels of concern at

seal level

Feasible spill response tool

Macondo

411 burns, 2010

Largest use of ISB

Demonstrated operational

feasibility

Valuable lessons learned

for future improvement

API Joint Industry Task Force

ISB – What’s Next

API Joint industry Task Force - 2010 In situ burning was a visible component of the Macondo

response

– Would not have been possible without research and regulatory

changes of the past 20 years

– Sufficient fire boom represented a marked improvement in capacity

– In situ burn technology remains limited by performance of the fire

boom itself

– Research should focus on performance parameters, to support

response at spills in arctic environments or under specific

circumstances, especially continuous releases

– Similar to dispersant use, misperceptions and knowledge gaps

delayed its use and may have led to missed opportunities to remove

more oil from the water

Communicating the risks and benefits of in situ burning is recommended

API JITF ISB Work Products

A number of resources are in the final stages of

development – ISB: A Decision Maker’s Guide

– Field Operations Guides for ISB of Inland and On-Water Spills

– Fact Sheet Series

– ISB Guidance for Safety Officers and Safety and Health

Professionals

– Selection and Training Guidelines for ISB Personnel

– Comparison of Emissions from Burning of Petroleum,

Petroleum-Derived Fuels and Common Vegetative Fuels

API JITF ISB Work Products

Other work has looked at other aspects aspects of

ISB

Soil heating models for inland burns – Wide diameter core burns were conducted to measure

soil heating with a variety of soils, moisture conditions,

and petroleum products (Initial results published in

AMOP, 2013)

– Moisture content of saturated soils (standing water and

2 cm of standing water) sufficient to insulate soils from

burning oil

Design of ignition systems – Objective was to evaluate ignition devices and aircraft to

improve safety, burn reliability, targeting

– Intended to address the use of fixed and rotary wing

platforms with potential to develop new or modified

igniters

API Work Complements IOGP-IPIECA JIP

Guidelines for the selection of ISB equipment

Document on ISB residues (CEDRE)

Document on plumes and emissions from ISB

(Draft, Ineris)

Document on efficiency of ISB equipment

Good Practice Guide – Controlled ISB of

spilled oil

Past API Focus on ISB

ISB Practitioners Workshop

Presented at EPA Fresh Water

Symposium (2009)

Considered emissions compared to

‒ Wild fires

‒ Car emissions

‒ Cow emissions

CO2 is the major GHG from ISB

Aerosol and soot from ISB are not

significant cooling contributors

1000 bbl ISB is equivalent to a 10-

acre wildfire (25 tons/acre) in terms

of GHG emissions

Recent API JITF builds on this

significantly

Other ISB-Related Science

Elapsed time: 1’ 15” Significant area reduction/increased thickness

Herder Laboratory Testing

Shown to be effective at

reducing slick area and

increasing its thickness

Products are on the EPA NCP

list and available for use

Herding effect works in ice-

containing environments

Testing continues re: delivery

systems

Field Results in Ice

630 liters of fresh

crude

Oil release &

spread

(15 minutes)

Herder applied

& contracts

slick

(9 minutes)

Ignition & ISB

(9 minutes)

Courtesy of Ian Buist/SL Ross

0.4 mm thick,

excluding sheen

4.1 mm thick,

at ignition

2015 Field Tests at Poker Flats

Elapsed time: 1’ 00”

Any burning questions?