Ohmsett

This is a Multi-Phase Joint Industry Project (JIP) whose current fund providers include the MMS, Alaska Clean Seas, Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute, BP Exploration, Phillips Alaska, Norsk Hydro and Store Norske Spitzbergen Kulkompani. The MORICE program was initiated in 1995 to develop technologies for more effective recovery of oil spills in ice-infested waters and is a multinational effort involving Norwegian, Canadian, American and German researchers.

The Objective of this study is to conduct full-scale tests of recovered oil/emulsion/water separation rates at OHMSETT in order to predict the optimum time for decanting separated water in temporary storage devices.

This is a Joint Industry Project to re- engineer an existing, stainless steel fire boom. The new boom design is reduced in size, weight, and cost. It is compatible with existing fire booms and be used to form a burn pocket, inserted between refractory fabric fire boom 'arms.' This will extend the life of the fabric boom and make the stainless steel boom easier to handle.

This is a Joint Industry Project (JIP) between MMS and Environment Canada to investigate the performance of sorbent materials used in the remediation of oil spills. A database will be developed to provide responders with firsthand information during a spill. The objectives of this study include: (1) develop a test procedure for sorbents used for oil spill remediation; (2) test these products to ensure repeatable, reliable, and representative data; and (3) generate a database of information from testing results to determine certifiable criteria.

The Minerals Management Service initiated a cooperative effort with Environment Canada to participate in continuing evaluation of innovative oil spill response technology and procedures. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has suspended operation of the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank (OHMSETT) facility at Leonardo, New Jersey, and alternative facilities and procedures are necessary to minimize the delay in testing innovative oil spill response technology and procedures.

This was a Joint Industry Project (JIP) with Environment Canada to evaluate and optimize the design of an innovative oil spill containment barrier. The barrier uses high pressure water and fine droplets above and parallel to the water surface resulting in a high velocity local wind. This wind drives the surface oil in front of it but the near surface water layer is not as affected as it would be with conventional mechanical containment booms. Phase I of the project focused on field testing of various nozzle configurations and jet velocities.

BSEE recently conducted independent performance testing of various skimming systems owned by BSEE and the US Coast Guard with the goal of better understanding the relationship between manufactures' published nameplate recovery rates and rates obtained through testing with a prescribed standard. Skimmers were tested at the Ohmsett Facility to ASTM F2709-08 Standard Test Method for Determining Nameplate Recovery Rate of Stationary Oil Skimmer Systems. Most skimmers were tested in Type I and Type II test oils as defined by ASTM F631 standard.

The objective of this project is to quantify the mixing energy in Ohmsett's test tank during wave conditions. Mixing energy is a key parameter in dispersant effectiveness tests and is quantified in small and intermediate scale tests by such methods as the EPA baffled flask test. To collect data that will help correlate dispersant effectiveness tests conducted at small scale with those conducted at Ohmsett, NRL will tow a MicroRider turbulence sampling package in Ohmsett's test tank at different depths and wave conditions.

The objective of this project was to improve the performance of Ohmsett's test tank by designing a new wave-damping beach system (which would be built under a future project) to reduce wave reflection, and to investigate the capability of the current wave generator to produce breaking waves at discrete locations in the tank.

It has been argued that the presence of surfactants on the water surface of wavetanks from prior dispersant applications prevents the spreading of oil within the tank. It is further argued that the dispersant effectiveness (DE) measured in wavetanks could be severely reduced in comparison to the DE of the same dispersants at sea. Previous research has agreed with this argument and has advocated the flushing of the wavetank to ensure that no surfactants are present at the water surface.