Development of acoustic methods to measure oil droplet size and slick thickness on ROV and AUV platforms

ARA (Applied Research Associates, Inc.) has developed and tested acoustic techniques and sensors mounted in free-swimming platforms [Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) /  Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)] for field applications to measure: (a) slick thickness on the surface of the water, and (b) oil droplet size distribution at the wellhead for subsurface releases of crude oil and dispersants in the presence of natural gas.