Qualitative Understanding of the Mechanism of Oil Mineral Interaction as Potential Oil Spill Countermeasure—A Review

Abstract

Industries today are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the stringent environmental laws. Besides, the resources, both capital and human, are stretched to the limit. The oil industries are seeking enhanced opportunities by merging with one another to cut costs and increase production. Accidental spilling of crude oil often happens in the course of exploration and transportation to consumption. Cleaning the spilled oil is a costly problem on a global scale. The Prestige oil spill in 2002 along the coast of Spain alone was valued at 9 billion dollars, with several occurring per year. Many techniques and methods of oil spill cleanup exist, but it is not clear which one functions better. The aim of this article is to review the emerging, and more economic method, of oil spill remediation—oil-mineral aggregation, (OMA). This article also suggests future areas to better improve its potential as a spill countermeasure.

Keywords:

• aggregates
• clay
• coagulation
• flocculation
• oil-mineral aggregates
• oil spill

Acknowledgment

This study was supported by Atlantic Canada Petroleum Institute and NSERC.