CRUDE OIL SPILLS RESEARCH. AN INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION OF ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES

The Bureau of Mines started a continuing program to investigate and evaluate analytical techniques to assist governmental agencies to select simple, rapid, reliable methods for crude oil spill identification. Six crude oil samples were analyzed to evaluate gas-liquid chromatography, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, infrared spectroscopy, sulfur and nitrogen determinations, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrosocpy, and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Samples were studied from the following selected fields: El Morgan, Egypt; Duri, Indonesia; Minagish, Kuwait; Bachaquero, Venezuela; Gach Saran, Iran; and Prudhoe Bay; Alaska. These samples were chosen to represent high-production fields that are likely to be involved in oceanic transport. Over 50 years of Bureau of Mines analytical research on petroleum served as the basis for evaluation of the experimental results to determine which of the methods are effective techniques to identify crude oil spills. Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis, atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis, and sulfur- nitrogen determinations are recommended as the most useful of the techniques investigated.

• Corporate Authors:

  Bureau of Mines

  College Park Research Center
  College Park, MD  United States  20742
• Authors:
  • Wilson, C A
  • Ferrero, E P
  • Coleman, H J
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 28 p.
• Serial:
  • Bureau of Mines-Report of Investigations
  • Issue Number: 8024
  • Publisher: Bureau of Mines

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Gas chromatography; Identification systems; Infrared detectors; Oil spill cleanup; Spectroscopic analysis
• Old TRIS Terms: Oil spill identification
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00099470
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1975 12:00AM