Oil Spill Behavior and Response in the Arctic. Risk Analysis of Existing Response Methods Applicable for the Arctic Conditions

Abstract

Due to the demand for diversifying and modifying sources of raw materials and trade routes, the Arctic is the region of high interests. Development and carrying out the offshore activities associated with oil and gas industry and maritime transport are growing rapidly in the Arctic. However, an acute problem associated with the development of offshore activities is the ecological consequence caused by an accidental oil spill that is a complex event due to the variety of scenarios associated with the oil behavior spilled in ice-covered waters. That is why it is of high importance to develop efficient strategies for oil spill response in order to eliminate or decrease the rate of potential negative impacts for the environment, society and economics. However, unpredictable Arctic conditions and lack of appropriate and valid data regarding the effective application of the response methods lead to the demand for developing an approach that combines the challenges associated with offshore activities in cold climate conditions. The research that has been conducted provides an overview over the spreading and behavior of oil spilled in the Arctic and main influencing factors for oil weathering as well as the existing methods for oil spill response. What is more, the risk assessment for response strategies has been carried out on the basis of hazard identification.