The objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of using herders to enable in situ burning as a rapid-response technique in open water. This research was accomplished by performing experiments in the laboratory with the US Navy's hydrocarbon based herder formulation and the best silicone herder formulation to find the most effective product for various water temperatures. Experiments were conducted at the Ohmsett National Oil Spill Response Research and Renewable Energy Test Facility located in Leonardo, NJ to determine the persistence of the herder monolayer in realistic waves.
This project wass a continuation of TAR Projects 554 and 617 that examined the use of chemical herders to improve response countermeasures in pack-ice conditions, in salt marshes, and for use in open water with dispersants.
Project kickoff meeting was conducted March 22, 2011. Full-scale Ohmsett experiments were conducted May 14-21, 2011. The Final Report has been reviewed and accepted by BSEE on March 1, 2012. SL Ross will look to present a shorter version of the approved final report during the Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program (AMOP) on June 5-7, 2012.