At present, the only known method of searching and detecting the presence of oil leaking at low rates from a marine pipeline in the winter period involves drilling holes at frequent intervals along the pipe to expose any oil which could be trapped in or under the ice. This method is expensive, labor intensive, and exposes personnel to the vagaries of extreme weather. There is a strong motivation within government agencies and industry to identify and develop a reliable and safe means of remotely detecting oil in and under ice. Phase 1 of this research study will establish a baseline of information, which can be used to plan field trials with prototype systems to achieve this purpose. The principal investigator will gather and evaluate all available knowledge about the subject of oil-under-ice detection with the objective of identifying the most promising technology or process for future development and testing. The project is complete. The final report has been received by MMS and distributed.
The contract was completed on October 6, 2000 and the final report posted below.