OSRR-390-A Method to Determine Worst Case Discharges from Facilities that Produce or Transport Oil in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

This project produced a model to predict a discharge from a pipeline. It also included a pocket guide to quickly make an estimate of a worst case discharge from a pipeline. The model is known as the Minerals Management Service Pipeline Oil Spill Volume Estimation Model (POSVEM). POSVEM is a computer-based methodology to estimate discharges from seafloor pipelines. The system is composed of a Release Module and a Near Field Module, linked together with necessary databases through a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The GUI allows the user to sketch a platform-pipeline layout, enter characteristic parameters, and run a quasi-3-phase flow model to estimate the volume of potential or actual leaks. Inputs to the model are parameters describing the configuration and characteristics of a pipeline system, the fluid it contains, and the leak or break from which the discharge occurs. Key outputs are the evolution of the release rate over time, the total mass of oil released, and the mean thickness of any eventual surface slick being formed. A user's manual is also available below.