Experimental Oil Releases in Ice: Past Projects Informing Response to Present-Day Spill Risks in Arctic and Subarctic Areas

Abstract

Much of our present-day understanding of oil behavior in ice derives from a relatively small number of deliberate, difficult to execute, and, arguably, impossible to replicate large-scale field releases permitted in Canada, Norway, and the United States. This paper identifies 14 projects involving experimental oil releases in ice over the period 1970 – 2015, with brief synopses provided for five of these. Three previously unpublished projects in Canada (1974 – 86) are reviewed and discussed in greater detail with the findings interpreted in light of changing oil spill risks in Arctic and subarctic areas.

Despite the sharp decline in Arctic oil exploration since 2015, numerous potential sources of accidental spills in ice remain, for example, the high density of winter vessel traffic in the Baltic Sea, and extensive oil infrastructure in the Bohai Bay and Sea in China. Changes to the Arctic and subarctic oil-in-ice risk profile are tied to increasing use of the Russian Northern Sea Route, and to a lesser extent the Northwest Passage, by large vessels, and the adoption of low sulfur fuel oils with variable behavior in cold water, potentially impacting the effectiveness of current response strategies.

The small number of oil-in-ice field experiments reviewed here still forms the basis for much of our understanding of how oil behaves in a range of sea ice types. The emphasis on in situ burning as a primary countermeasure for spills in or on ice, pursued successfully in many of the significant historical experimental releases, is increasingly valid in the context of many current scenarios where the remoteness and sparse logistics support continue to favor countermeasures requiring minimal resources. Key findings from these historical projects can guide today’s responders in developing strategies to address present and future spill risks in Arctic and subarctic areas.