respectively. This in turn reduces the oil’s resistance to flow and increases its ability
to horizontally spread out.
12.2.3 Chemical Characteristics
Molecular weight, solubility, explosivity limits, partition coefficient, boiling point,
flash point, melting point, and flammability limits are the oil’s chemical properties.
Different types of oils have different chemical characterizations (Dave and Ghaly
2011). Oil includes hydrocarbons and can include nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and
some other metals. Hydrocarbons include alkanes (the simplest form of hydrocarbons); alkenes and alkynes (unsaturated molecules); cycloalkanes, which are
carbon–hydrogen (ring-like in structure), aromatic hydrocarbons; and a carbon–
hydrogen ring. Oils are classified into four groups with various components (Clayton
2005) including unsaturated, saturated, polar compounds, and aromatics. Crude oil
has on average 50% naphthenes or cycloalkanes, 15% aromatics, 30% paraffins or
alkanes, 5% nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Gasoline includes paraffins, olefins,
napthenes, and aromatics (Dave and Ghaly 2011).
Response to Oil Spills and Prevention Guidelines
Table 12.1 shows three events with large marine oil spills and their effect, cost, and
cleanup (Dave and Ghaly 2011).
To prevent the oil spills in an offshore environment, the countries have many
government regulations. Most of them are related to design of the used device and
equipment in the offshore medium as well as safety inspections. The regulations of
Canada, USA, and UK are the most detailed regulations.
Canadian Prevention Regulations
According to Canadian regulations, a development schedule including the scope,
goal, place, time, and nature of a plan for an oil field or an oil pool has to be approved
before starting its construction. This development plan also must contain the evaluations of the area, production rate, recovery methods, potential recovery measures
of gas and oil, technical proposals, monitoring processes, costs and environmental
agents. The National Energy Board takes the responsibility to review the project to
be safe, before its beginning. The board seeks advice from the Chief Safety Officer to
decide if the proposed oil field or pool is safe for the environment and workers (Dave
and Ghaly 2011).
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M. Fatehi et al.
to horizontally spread out.
12.2.3 Chemical Characteristics
Molecular weight, solubility, explosivity limits, partition coefficient, boiling point,
flash point, melting point, and flammability limits are the oil’s chemical properties.
Different types of oils have different chemical characterizations (Dave and Ghaly
2011). Oil includes hydrocarbons and can include nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and
some other metals. Hydrocarbons include alkanes (the simplest form of hydrocarbons); alkenes and alkynes (unsaturated molecules); cycloalkanes, which are
carbon–hydrogen (ring-like in structure), aromatic hydrocarbons; and a carbon–
hydrogen ring. Oils are classified into four groups with various components (Clayton
2005) including unsaturated, saturated, polar compounds, and aromatics. Crude oil
has on average 50% naphthenes or cycloalkanes, 15% aromatics, 30% paraffins or
alkanes, 5% nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Gasoline includes paraffins, olefins,
napthenes, and aromatics (Dave and Ghaly 2011).
Response to Oil Spills and Prevention Guidelines
Table 12.1 shows three events with large marine oil spills and their effect, cost, and
cleanup (Dave and Ghaly 2011).
To prevent the oil spills in an offshore environment, the countries have many
government regulations. Most of them are related to design of the used device and
equipment in the offshore medium as well as safety inspections. The regulations of
Canada, USA, and UK are the most detailed regulations.
Canadian Prevention Regulations
According to Canadian regulations, a development schedule including the scope,
goal, place, time, and nature of a plan for an oil field or an oil pool has to be approved
before starting its construction. This development plan also must contain the evaluations of the area, production rate, recovery methods, potential recovery measures
of gas and oil, technical proposals, monitoring processes, costs and environmental
agents. The National Energy Board takes the responsibility to review the project to
be safe, before its beginning. The board seeks advice from the Chief Safety Officer to
decide if the proposed oil field or pool is safe for the environment and workers (Dave
and Ghaly 2011).
392
M. Fatehi et al.