CHANGES IN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF A HEAVY RESIDUAL OIL WEATHERING UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS

When the tanker ARROW went ashore in Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia, in 1970, most of its 15,000 ton cargo of residual fuel oil was driven ashore. Much of the coastline was cleaned but enough contaminated areas remained to provide an opportunity for the study of how a residual fuel oil weathers under natural conditions. The indicators of weathering used were viscosity, density, suplhur, nickel, vanadium and asphaltene content. The ratio of vanadium to nickel was found to be independent of time over the twenty months of the study. The total loss of material, calculated from the increase in nickel and vanadium concentrations, was less than 20 per cent and after one year changes in composition were almost negligible indicating that the weathering process had almost stopped.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Petroleum

  61 New Cavendish Street
  London W1M 8AR,   England 
• Authors:
  • Betancourt, O J
  • McLean, A Y
• Publication Date: 1973-9

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 223-230
• Serial:
  • Institute of Petroleum, Journal of
  • Volume: 59
  • Issue Number: 569

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chemical analysis; Monitoring; Oil spill cleanup; Oil spills; Oils
• Old TRIS Terms: Oil analysis; Oil spill behavior; Oil spill monitoring
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00054814
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 15 1974 12:00AM