In-situ burning of Alaskan oils and emulsions: preliminary results of laboratory tests with and without waves

The efficiency of in-situ burning (ISB) as a response tool for oils transported in Alaska was studied. ISB can be an effective measure during an oil spill clean-up and has the potential to quickly remove large amounts of oil from the water surface. However, studies have shown that it is important to act quickly before the oil evaporates and before water-in-oil emulsions form, rendering the slick unignitable. Small-scale laboratory tests were conducted to determine the limits to ignition of slicks of four oils, and to determine the effectiveness of chemical emulsion breakers in extending the ignition limits. Results showed that while evaporation and emulsification could curtail ignition of oil slicks, the addition of a chemical emulsion breaker could extend the limits of ignition and burnability. Preliminary results also showed that waves had an effect on the burning of fresh, weathered and slightly emulsified crude oil. Burn efficiency and burn time were found to decrease with increasing wave energy. 14 refs., 18 tabs., 4 figs