In-Situ Burning - One Method of Effective Oil Spill Response in the South China Sea

Abstract Phillips Petroleum International Corporation Asia (PPICA) is the operator of the twin Xijiang Oilfields in the South China Sea. The very special characteristics of the Xijiang crude demanded that innovative means of cleanup be employed in the event of a major oil spill. The Xijiang crude has a very high wax content and high pour point. The crude must be heated to flow. In the event of a major oil spill, clean up would require non-traditional means of response. During the laboratory analysis it was discovered that if a specific thickness of crude could be contained on the surface of the water that it could be ignited and burned. The potential effectiveness of the bum was ascertained to be 95-98%. A decision was made in 1992 during the design engineering phase to utilize in- situ burning as the primary means of response in the event of a major oil spill. During April 1995 the first ever demonstration of in-situ burning was conducted in Shekou, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China by Phillips Petroleum International Corporation Asia. This exercise clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of in-situ burning on the Xijiang crude.