University of Ljubljana

Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transportation

Presented by Marko Perkovic

Identifying Oil Spill Polluting Ships by using

AIS together with Oil Drifting Model - Operate
in Retrograde Mode
European Commission - Joint Research Centre
IPSC (SERAC Unit) + ERUNET project

Black Sea Commission

Black Sea Economic Cooperation

Satellite Monitoring and Assessment

of Sea-based Oil Pollution in the Black Sea
Turkey, Istanbul
13 - 15 June 2005
 Introduction
Although tanker accidents attract much publicity, they are not an
important source of petroleum hydrocarbons into the sea - except locally.
On the other hand, the overall amount of oil discharges resulting from
routine oil tanker and ship operations is greater and more persistent in
the longer-term. It is estimated that whilst accidental oil spills result in
37 millions of gallons world-wide each year, routine operational oil
spills input 137 millions of gallons world-wide each year.
There are three main ways in which oil tankers and ships illegally
discharge oily wastes into the sea:
• Oily mixture in ballast water (mainly from oil tankers).
• Oily mixture in cargo tank washings (mainly from oil tankers) resulting from
t a n k c l e a n i n g d i r e c t l y i n t o t h e s e a .
• Oily mixture in fuel oil sludge, in engine room effluent discharges and in bilge
w a t e r ( f r o m a l l t y p e s o f v e s s e l s ) .
Illicit Spill in Mediterranean Sea
• The problem of marine oil pollution in European waters differs from
the Baltic Sea, to the North Sea, to the Mediterranean Sea and to sub-
areas of the North East Atlantic Ocean because of differences in
amounts of effluents they receive, in climate, in physiography, and in
hydrographic regimes. The first two seas, thanks to the persistent and
effective efforts of the Helsinki and the Oslo Commissions, are
amongst the most widely studied sea in the world.
• Marine oil pollution in Mediterranean Sea is a persistent problem
because the short sea routes between North African and European
terminals are too short for effective use of "load on top“ treatment of
tanker washings.
Impacts of Tanker Casualties

• Ecological
• Economical
• Human health
OIL SPILL STATISTICS
Casualties starting place and relationship
between cause and casualties
Tanker Casualties

Incidence of spills >700 tones by cause, 1974-2004 - ITOPF

Tanker Casualties
Quantities of accidental oil spill - ITOPF
 Oil spill management
• The primary focus of oil spill management is spill
prevention, provisions for which should be incorporated
into all relevant operating procedures. The secondary focus
is the development of oil spill response procedures through
the development and maintenance of an Oil Spill
Contingency Plan.

• The OSCP is a project-specific plan, outlining the response

structure, response strategy and relevant information
needed for decision making in the event of a spill.
 Important questions:

– Where will go the oil after it was spilled in to

the sea?
• from the start of incident up to it removing from
the sea due to any processes

– What will be the oil state at all stages of spill?

• density (buoyancy)
• viscosity (recovery techniques)
• emulsion state (amount to recover)
• [chemical composition - toxicity] etc.
 Oill spill simulation
– The risk of environmental disasters related with the spilling of
oil products into the sea forces the development of the high-
quality oil spill simulation and prediction system. It would be
an important tool for the planning of the spill protection and
spill response operations etc.

– Simulation of the oil spreading and fate in the sea is one of

practical applications that requires and integrates the results of
meteorological, oceanographical and the “oil spill” modeling
communities...
Oil spill simulations system
Meteorological
Meteorological
data subsystem

Ocean currents Ocean

data
Circulation
Oil spill Models
model Environmental
data

Graphical analysis
Oil property subsystem
data

Oil spill
simulations

(Varlamov et. al., 2000)

 On line and forecast
oceanographic condition

Sea currents on surface

 Potetntional Incident Simulation,
Control and Evaluation System
Potetntional Incident Simulation, Control and Evaluation System is a response simulator
intended for preparing and conducting command centre exercises and area drills in oil spill
response. The PISCES is oriented to the accomplishment of tasks required by the Oil
Pollution Act 1990 (OPA 90) to provide improved training for spill response managers.
The PISCES provides the exercise participants with an interactive information
environment based on the mathematical modeling of an oil spill interacting with
surroundings and combat facilities.
Oil Spill Layout for two different initial areas with same mass & AIS information’s
 Oil Spill situation after 2 hours of simulation

Initial area of 350 t

oil spill
 Spill Statistics
Oil Spill Situation with Statistic Parameters After 9 hours
Polluter Identification by using
VTS/VTIS based on AIS
Emergency
Alerts Info
Vessel Data Watchstander
Position Data
Processing System Port
Radar data* Stake-
Weather holders'
VTC Currents Information
Depth * only where appropriate

Vessel Provides: ID,

position, course, heading,
speed
Vessel Receives:
Information on vessels, port
data, and hazards in area
Source: LCDR Frank Elfring
 AIS Elements
Display Assemble Communicate

ARPA Laptop HDG

GPS/ COG
ECDIS ECS DGPS Speed

Displays incoming Gathers vessel movement Initiates and controls the

vessel information on information and assembles flow of data sentences
a suitable device it into an AIS compliant between participating units
data sentence.
AIS Targets
 Thank you

contact
University of Ljubljana
Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transportation

Marko Perkovič, M.Sc., IMarEST, SNAME

lecturer, nautical & marine engineer
Office: Home:
Pot pomorščakov 4 Bernetičeva 10
6320 Portorož, Slovenia 6000 Koper, Slovenia
Tel.: +386 5 6767-256 Tel.: +386 5 628-5775
Fax.: +386 5 6767-100 Fax.: +386 5 628-5775
E-mail: Marko.Perkovic@fpp.edu Mobile: +386 41 344-569