Oil industry 'needs new direction in oil spill research'

The oil industry needs a new direction in oil spill research, according to Charles H. Peterson of the University of North Carolina, who argues that a new approach that stresses how gas moves through the sea and how it affects organisms on the sea surface and on coasts.

The Bioscience author based his study on reaction to the Deepwater Horizon event of 2010, where he observed that studies were far more focused on near-surface effects than on the deepwater processes.

This prompted the author to call for a 'fundamental new approach' to oil spill research, which would point more focus in the way oil and associated gas released at depth moves through the sea and affects subsurface and bottom-dwelling organisms. This approach is particularly poignant given the fact that many oil companies are now looking to deep water for exploration.

Existing policies and legislation also fail to provide research that was undertaken promptly after an oil spill occurred. This is a hindrance to emergency response action, which is highlighted by the fact that chemical dispersants are still used in clean-up efforts, even though there is little consensus on their effectiveness.

Posted by Claire Manning