BfR-Wissenschaft
63
Over the last 50 years or so there have been a number of incidents involving use of disper
sants in the UK, probably more than in any other European States:
TORREY CANYON
HAMILTON TRADER
PACIFIC GLORY
CONOCO BRITANNIA
ELENI V
CHRISTOS BITAS
SIVAND
PHILLIPS OKLAHOMA
ROSE BAY
BRAER
SEA EMPRESS
CAPTAIN FIELD
NAPOLI
1967
1969
1970
1973
1978
1978
1983
1989
1990
1993
1996
1997
2007
Here is a brief summary of three of the most well-known incidents where dispersants were
used:
Torrey Canyon “detergent” response
The very first significant use of dispersants was, with hindsight, a very damaging response.
The products used were developed in the absence of a regulatory regime and were highly
toxic. The application of those products was again, with hindsight, delivered in a manner
which led to increased environmental damage.
• 1967
• 110,000 tonnes of Kuwait crude oil carried - some burned, some sunk
• Approximately 70,000 tonnes of oil spilled
• Approximately 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes of detergent used in the UK
• Highly toxic surfactants
• Devastating effect on near-shore marine life
• Long held in memory of opponents of dispersants
• Detergent added to oil in surf zone
- Greatest mixing energy, but nowhere for dispersed oil to go
• Barrels punctured and rolled down cliffs
- Because of lack of proper spraying equipment
• Detergent hosed onto oil on the beach
- Turned beaches into a ‘quicksand’ in places
Dispersant use at the Braer spill
Dispersants were used as a primary response to the BRAER oil spill in Shetland. What
wasn’t fully understood at the time were the properties of the Gullfacs crude oil. That particu
lar crude was very light and readily dispersible without any help from chemical dispersants,
that combined with the extremely high prevailing energy conditions meant that the oil would
have dispersed without the application of dispersants.
• January 1993
• 84,700 tonnes Gullfaks crude spilt
• Extremely rough seas
• 120 tonnes dispersant sprayed
