Workshop: A Workshop on the Science and Technology of Dispersants Relevant to Deep Sea Floor Oil Releases, September 22, 2010, Arlington, VA

Tulane University, New Orleans LA

Investigators

Abstract

CBET-1049330 PI: Vijay John Tulane University Title: Workshop: A Workshop on the Science and Technology of Dispersants Relevant to Deep Sea Floor Oil Releases, September 22, 2010, Arlington, Viginia Intellectual Merit: The Deepwater Horizons oil spill is the largest in US history, with estimates ranging up to 60,000bbls/day. The human, economic and environmental consequences of this spill are unprecedented, and the challenges associated with containment and mitigation have been and remain enormous. The ability to contain such spills is a complex problem, requiring critical input and ideas from a very broad range of scientific experts coming from varying backgrounds. This workshop is being organized to bring together leading practitioners from private industry, government laboratories and academia, with an end goal of defining the key unsolved problems in the use of dispersants towards mitigating the catastrophic effects of deepwater oil spills. The intellectual aspects of this workshop will relate to the interfacial, thermodynamic and transport properties of dispersant, water, oil mixtures and to the fate and transport of such emulsion droplets. The unique aspect of the Deepwater Horizon spill is the injection of dispersants at depths of where high pressures and low temperatures are prevalent. The scientific issues underlying the formation of emulsion droplets, the transport of these droplets and their interactions with marine sediments are all aspects contributing to the efficacy of dispersant addition. Broader Impact: The long range technical impact of the workshop will be to delineate issues for research into the development of new and improved surfactants for oil spill remediation. The implications of research into these areas are far reaching as fundamental science in the development of dispersants will lead to the generation of systems that are much safer on the marine environment; The benefits to coastline communities that will accrue from such scientific advances are enormous in terms of protection of wildlife and the sustenance of employment. From an educational perspective, this workshop will lead to the delineation of research issues that will be inspirational to students who wish to integrate the care of the environment into their educational activities.