Shoreline oil granular particle interaction and the formation of sunken oil contamination

This project will explore the interaction between sediment and oil that has been stranded on a shoreline as a result of an oil spill. More specifically, this project will investigate how stranded oil can entrain or adsorb oil and, as a result, sink and contaminate the marine environment. The two proposed oils to be tested are diluted bitumen (dilbit) and Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO). These oils have been selected because dilbit is an important growing export in Western Canada and VLSFO is a fuel common in large ships around the world. This research will help the partnering organization better understand the behaviour and fate of oil in the aquatic environment in the event of a spill and allow them and the broader oil spill response community to better prepare for such an event.

Faculty Supervisor:

Bing Chen

Student:

Partner:

Trans Mountain Pipeline LP

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Transportation and warehousing

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Program: