What Is Oil Remediation?

Petroleum pollution refers to pollution caused by the leakage and discharge of petroleum during the process of oil extraction, transportation, loading and unloading, processing and use, which mainly occurs in the ocean. Oil floats on the sea surface and rapidly diffuses to form an oil film, which can be migrated and transformed through diffusion, evaporation, dissolution, emulsification, photodegradation, and biodegradation and absorption. Oils can stick to fish gills, suffocate fish, inhibit waterfowl from spawning and hatching, destroy the impermeability of their feathers, and reduce the quality of aquatic products. The formation of oil film can hinder the reoxygenation of the water body, affect the growth of marine plankton, and disrupt the marine ecological balance. In addition, it can also destroy the coastal landscape and affect the aesthetic value of the coast. Oil pollution prevention and control, in addition to controlling pollution sources and preventing accidents, can be handled through oil fences, absorbing materials, degreasers, etc. ^[1]

During the production, storage, transportation, refining, processing and use of petroleum, there will be spills and discharges of petroleum hydrocarbons due to accidents, abnormal operations and maintenance. For example, blowout accidents in the development of oil fields; leakage accidents of oil pipelines and oil storage tanks; leakage accidents of oil tankers and tankers; oil well dewaxing and oilfield surface equipment maintenance; refining and petrochemical production equipment maintenance. Petroleum hydrocarbons spilled in large quantities and should be recovered as much as possible, but in some cases it is difficult to recover. Even if you try to recover, some will remain, causing pollution to the environment (soil, ground and groundwater). ^[2]

Not only is the environmental impact of oil on the environment so simple, it should now be used

The vast majority of marine oil pollution comes from human activities, including ship transportation, offshore oil and gas extraction, and coastal industrial sewage. Due to the uneven distribution of oil production and consumption areas, more than half of the world's annual oil production is at sea through tankers. Transported, which brings 71% of the ocean s surface

In order to prevent oil spills from polluting the ocean, China has also established its own monitoring system, developed and equipped with corresponding pollution prevention equipment such as oil booms, oil skimmers, and oil recovery bags. Researchers have also drawn oil sensitivity maps of the marine environment, and Established a numerical model of oil spill drift, a database and software for oil spill drift. Once an oil spill occurs, the relevant personnel will understand the pollution situation of the oil spilled sea area and the running trajectory of oil spill in a short time.

The main pollution that may be caused by marine oil and gas production to the marine ecological environment is oily sewage. Oily sewage is a mixture extracted from the oil layer. The remaining sewage after dehydration, if the sewage is discharged into the sea without treatment, the oil contained in it will be Causes severe impacts on marine life and fish.

The Bohai Chengbei Oilfield is the first fixed offshore oil production platform constructed in China. Its treatment of oily sewage is completed by three processes of oil isolation, flotation and filtration. After passing through the inclined plate oil separator, most of the sewage The oil is separated, and then passes through the flotation device, so that small oil droplets become large oil droplets, and is collected by the oil collector, and finally passes through the transition, so that the oil content in the sewage is lower than 30 mg per liter, and meets the national emission standard. Then drain into the sea.

There is still a long way to go to remove marine oil pollution. Only by raising the environmental protection consciousness of the whole society can the sea be truly blue. ^[1]

In March 1967, the Liberia tanker Torre Canyon sank in the waters near the British Isles of the Isles of Scilly, 120,000 tons of crude oil poured into the sea, and the oil slick drifted to the French coast.

In March 1978, the Liberian tanker "Amoco Cadiz" sank in the waters near Brittany in western France. 230,000 tons of crude oil leaked and the 400 km coastal area was polluted.

In June 1979, an oil well exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. One million tons of oil flowed into the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in a large area of oil slick.

In March 1989, Exxon's "Walders" tanker was stranded in Prince William Sound, Alaska, leaking 50,000 tons of crude oil. The 1,300-kilometer coastal area is polluted, local salmon and herring are nearly extinct, and dozens of companies are bankrupt or on the verge of bankruptcy. This is the worst marine pollution incident in American history.

In January 1991, during the Gulf War, the Iraqi army ignited an oil well in Kuwait before withdrawing from Kuwait. As much as 1 million tons of oil leaked, polluting 500 kilometers of coastal areas in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

In December 1992, the Greek tanker "Aegean Sea" ran aground near the port of A Coruna in northwestern Spain and was broken into two parts under the impact of strong winds. At least 60,000 tons of crude oil leaked and polluted Galicia 200 km area.

In February 1996, the Liberian oil tanker "Sea Queen" touched the reef near Cape St. Ann, Wales, in the west of England, and 147 thousand tons of crude oil leaked, killing more than 25,000 waterbirds.

In December 1999, the Maltese tanker "Erica" suffered a storm in the waters of northwestern France, sinking in a fracture, leaking more than 10,000 tons of heavy oil, and polluting 400 kilometers of coastal areas.

In November 2002, the Liberian tanker "Prestige" disintegrated and sank in the waters of northwestern Spain, and at least 63 thousand tons of heavy oil leaked. Thousands of kilometers of coasts in France, Spain and Portugal have been contaminated, and tens of thousands of seabirds have died.

In November 2007, the Russian tanker "Volga Oil 139" carrying 4,700 tons of heavy oil encountered severe winds in the Kerch Strait, disintegrated and sank, and more than 3,000 tons of heavy oil leaked, causing serious pollution to the sea area.

In April 201, the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States exploded. The crude oil spill caused by the accident formed a pollution zone of more than 100 kilometers, causing serious pollution.

At 18:20 on July 16, 2010, under the circumstances that the "Cosmic Gem" tanker had suspended oil unloading operations, Fraser and Xiangcheng continued to inject crude oil desulfurizers containing strong oxidants into the oil pipelines, resulting in A chemical explosion occurred and the fire broke out instantly. It quickly hit the oil depot in the Dalian Free Trade Zone and a 100,000 cubic meter oil tank burst into flames. As a result, 1,500 tons of crude oil leaked, and the once polluted Dalian Bay was covered with oil. ^[1]