Deep Oil Spills Facts, Fate, and Effects

Section 1 Preface & Introduction

Deep oil, the setting and evolution of exploration and production (emphasis on Gulf of Mexico),

include aspects of the history of deep spills including DWH, IXTOC-I, Brazil, 2011 (Chevron), and “Deep Spill”, a field-oriented research project that released oil off Norway.

Section 2 Physics and Chemistry of Deep Oil Blowouts

Impacts of petroleum type (API and GOR), reservoir characteristics (pressures and geometry),

water depth (pressure), water temperature and other factors on multi-phase flows (oil, gas,

semi-solids), including hydrate formation. Formation of deep plumes of oil droplets and

impacts of the use of dispersants in the deep sea.

Section 3. Transport and Degradation of oil from Deep Blowouts

Near- and Far-Field transport modeling (e.g., both height above the blowout, and 4-dimensional

modeling of oil transport at the surface and at depth. These models will incorporate

experimental findings in (2) above and microbial degradation processes.

Section 4. Oil in the Deep Sea

Transport to the bottom, formation of oil/mineral aggregates, oiled marine snow (“dirty

blizzard”), intersection of deep oil plumes with the bathymetry (“dirty bathtub ring”). Biological

exposure impacts on marine benthos.

Section 5. Impacts of Deep Spills on Plankton, Fishes, and Marine Mammals

Impacts on the uptake and depuration of various species monitored over time, community

organization and community dynamics post-spill (including plankton, benthic fishes, pelagic

fishes, and large vertebrates including sea turtles and marine mammals). Impacts of

confounding factors such as invasive species (lionfish) in the area of the DWH spills.

Section 6. Toxicology of Deep Oil Spills

Results of exposure studies, uptake and depuration kienetics under both chronic and acute

(lethal to sub-lethal) exposures and mixtures of both. Genotoxic effects in multigenerational

exposure experiments. Relation to field data, toxicokienetics modeling and impacts on

community structure and population dynamics.