NRL assessed and evaluated the capabilities and limitations of the current oil spill detection and analysis systems for use in offshore oil and gas operations on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OSC). The assessment considered a range of operational and experimental systems that are currently in use, or under development, and their practicality under different oil spill scenarios. The evaluation considered the suitability for intended use and strengths and limitations. It also considered the hardware and operational requirements, mounting and delivery options, and costs.
The project milestones were:
Development of a set of evaluation criteria for the technology (including sensors, integrated or multi-band sensor packages, and sensor suites); Construction of a set of scenarios describing a variety of possible spill sizes and types on the OSC; Survey and assessment of the technology; and Evaluation of this technology against the evaluation criteria.
Project is complete.