This is a Joint Industry Project (JIP) between MMS and Environment Canada to: (1) develop tests for oil spill chemical treating agents and apply these lessons to develop more effective and improved products; (2) to test commercial products for efficacy and toxicity; (3) to test oil spill dispersants to understand effectiveness and how they might be improved; and (4) to test new product ideas.
Dispersants:
- The dispersibility of Deep Water Gulf of Mexico oils was measured.
- The dispersant method developed has being written and submitted as an ASTM standard.
- Four new products were tested, Super dispersant, Disperant Sc-100, Vytac and a new (unnamed) Canadian dispersant.
- Testing dispersant effectiveness with catalog oil continues. Gulf of Mexico deepwater oils were completed and entered into the catalog.
Emulsion Breakers:
- Extensive work on emulsion formation was completed
Biodegradation Agents
- One new agent was tested
- The methodology has been finalized and three products moved forward towards acceptability
- Work has started on a soil methodology
- A series of papers were published on the consortium of bacteria used to standardize the methods
Solidifiers
- No work has been performed in this area, It has not been an active interest-wise area.
Work has focused on filling gaps in dispersibility in the oil properties catalog. More than 400 new entries were added.