Desmi Ro-Clean have been involved in the development and commercialization of “OIL HERDER” chemicals since the re-emergence of interest in this technology by the oil industry in about 2008. We commercialized two products under a grant from Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company in 2011. Since the acceptance of the two products on the USEPA schedule in June of 2012, we have been involved in the development of a commercially practical applicator and most recently, an integrated ignitor system which can be operated from a single helicopter. This latter activity has been sponsored by the International Oil and Gas Producers Association (IOGP) Joint Industry Project (JIP) Meso scale testing of the herder and Igniter methods was tested at Poker Flats near Fairbanks Alaska in a JIP funded project conducted in association with SL Ross Environmental Consultants Ltd. The purpose of this poster session is to highlight the activities and track the progress of the project from inception to current status. We are presently involved in the integration project which will be nearly completed by June 30, 2016, so this poster session will be timely to the International Oil Spill Conference. Development and presentation of the poster session will be conducted by Peter Lane, currently a contractor and consultant to DESMI Ro-Clean whose sole responsibility within the corporation is to continue the ongoing task of commercialization of herders and associated accessories. Peter Lane has over 46 years of experience in the Oil Spill Industry. While semi-retired, Lane has continued working in the OSR field as a consultant to other companies outside of DESMI Ro-Clean.

ABSTRACT In situ burning (ISB) aided by herding agents is a promising tool for oil spill response in Arctic waters. An advantageous aspect of the herder mediated ISB approach is that the application of herders as well as the subsequent ignition of the slick could potentially be carried out from aerial platforms. This could obviate the need for personnel to conduct operations on the surface near the burn, as well as reduce the response time required to mobilize the spill response equipment, especially in challenging Arctic conditions. In the last decade, several laboratory and field-scale tests have been conducted to prove the efficacy of herder-assisted ISB operations, sometimes achieving burn efficiencies greater than 90 %. However, there have been no field tests of aerial herder application followed by ignition. This paper presents results from a series of field experiments performed in a custom-built test basin 50 km northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, in April 2015. A helicopter was employed to first apply herding agents (Siltech OP-40 or ThickSlick 6535) to Alaska North Slope crude oil slicks in simulated drift ice conditions, and then ignite the herded slicks using a Heli-torch. Two of five test burns yielded measurable outcomes, resulting in 70% - 85% removal of the test oil as it was drifting freely. Three of five test burns did not yield reliably measurable results, as wind action at the site prevented an accurate measurement of free-drifting burn efficiency. An unmanned aircraft, carrying prototypical payloads for herder spraying and in situ burn ignition was also tested. This is the first time successful aerial application of herders for ISB in the Arctic or elsewhere has been accomplished, and furthers the development of better tools for oil spill response in Arctic waters and beyond.

ABSTRACT Since the 2011 Conference (Buist et al. 2011 and Buist and Nedwed 2011), work on advancing oil herding agents for in-situ burning (ISB) has focused on three areas:Obtaining regulatory approvals for their use in North America;Developing an application system for use in a helicopter; and,Researching the effectiveness of herders for rapid-response ISB in open water. Desmi-AFTI worked in conjunction with S.L. Ross Environmental Research to get approval to use herders in North American waters. The proscribed test data from an accredited laboratory in Louisiana on three candidate herding agents (also called surface collecting agents) was submitted to the U.S. EPA for approval to list them on the National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule. Two herders have been placed on the list and are now commercially available. These two can be used, with the FOSC's concurrence, for spill response operations in U.S. waters. Samples of all three herders have been sent to Environment Canada, along with all the EPA test data, for their consideration. Quantities (200 L) of the two herders listed on the NCP Product Schedule have been produced and are stockpiled at Desmi-AFTI in Buffalo, NY. An application system, consisting of a pump, controls and reservoir has been designed to be placed inside an appropriate helicopter. It incorporates a reel-able hose that is used to lower the application nozzle to the correct height above the water for herder application. Dry land, static trials were conducted in September 2013 and helicopter flight trials are planned for summer and fall 2014. A back-pack sprayer system for herder application from a small vessel is available off-the-shelf, with only minor modifications required for cold-temperature use. The US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement sponsored a series of laboratory and Ohmsett experiments to see whether herders could contract oil slicks in wave conditions in open water. The results showed that the monolayer of each of the two best herders will survive for more than 45 minutes in a calm sea. The presence of breaking or cresting waves rapidly disrupts the herder monolayer and the oil slick resulting in the production of many small slicklets from the herded slick and the re-spreading of the oil to thin slicks. The monolayer survives for considerable periods of time in a swell condition, but the constant stretching and contracting of the herded slick results in elongating the oil slick and slowly breaking the slick into smaller segments. Testing of the helicopter application system with a herding agent on a 10 m3 experimental crude oil release in drift ice is planned for spring 2015. Further laboratory study of the approved herders is also planned with the goals of better understanding their toxicity and biodegradation and the window of opportunity for their effective use on weathered, emulsified and waxy oils.