Page 15 - Environmental Control in Petroleum Engineering

Environmental Control in Petroleum Engineering

Table 1-1
Sources of Hydrocarbon Inputs into the Sea

Amount Introduced
Source (metric tons/year)

Natural Sources 0.25
Marine seeps (0.2)
Sediment erosion (0.05)
Offshore Production 0.05
Transportation 1.47
Tanker operations (0.7)
Dry-docking (0.03)
Marine terminals (0.02)
Bilge and fuel oils (0.3)
Tanker accidents (0.4)
Nontanker accidents (0.02)
Atmospheric Transport 0.3
Municipal and Industrial 1.18
Municipal wastes (0.7)
Refineries (0.1)
Nonrefining industrial wastes (0.2)
Urban runoff (0.12)
River runoff (0.04)
Ocean dumping (0.02)
TOTAL 3.2

Source: from National Research Council, 1985.
Copyright © 1985, National Academy of Sciences.
Courtesy of National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.

by tankers. Oil production from offshore platforms contributes less
than 2% of the total amount of oil entering the sea.

1.1.2 Environmental Impact of Wastes

The primary measure of the environmental impact of petroleum
wastes is their toxicity to exposed organisms. The toxicity of a sub-
stance is most commonly reported as its concentration in water that
results in the death of half of the exposed organisms within a given
length of time. Exposure times for toxicity tests are typically 96 hours.