Comparative Costs of Oil Spill Cleanup Techniques1

Abstract

This paper examines the costs of various cleanup techniques, drawing mainly on information from recent oil spills from ships. Analyses of the costs for dispersant application and for the use of offshore mechanical recovery equipment are compared in relation to their effectiveness and scope for reducing shoreline cleanup costs and damage from oil pollution. Spill size, oil type, coastline character, and the extent of pollution all contribute to the observed differences in shoreline cleanup and disposal costs. The influence of these factors is evaluated and criteria are proposed for selecting the most appropriate cleanup response to suit the circumstancees of a particular oil spill. On occasions, a response at sea is both necessary and worthwhile, but for most spills shoreline cleanup, including protection of sensitive resources, is likely to be the most cost-effective option.

Total oil spill costs and compensations

“…The clean-up costs cover the removal of oil from the sea, coastal waters and shorelines as well as the disposal of collected oil waste. A number of studies have shown that the clean-up costs are strongly influenced by the geographical spill location, clean-up method employed, spill size, oil type and shoreline oiling [19][20][21][22][23]. Based on these factors and an analysis of …”

Factors that Determine the Cost of Oil Spills

“…This lack of relationship between these two parameters is not surprising since, although tanker size is indicative of potential spill volume, it is rare that an entire cargo is lost as a result of an accident. White & Nichols, 1983;Moller, Parker & Nichols, 1987;Moller, Dicks & Goodman, 1989;Grey, 1999;and Purnell, 1999). Other authors have also addressed the same topic, including Etkin (1999) who reviewed the interacting factors that affect the cost of cleaning up spills in order to establish a costestimation model.…”

A Review of the Problems Posed By Spills of Heavy Fuel Oils

“…As a category, heavy fuel oil spills are the most expensive to clean up, calculated on a cost per tonne basis. Many examples can be found amongst small Korean and Japanese spills when comparisons are made between incidents involving crude oils and heavy fuel oil (Moller et al, 1987;Grey, 1999). However, the difference was illustrated the most clearly in France where two major spills occurred affecting the same coastline in the space of two years.…”