Role of plume dynamics phase in a deepwater oil and gas release model

Abstract Offshore exploration and production of oil and gas have increased significantly in the last decade. Computer models are used in emergency response, contingency planning, and impact assessment to simulate the behavior of oil and gas if accidentally released from a well, pipeline, or ship. There are two types of models used for this purpose-models that have both plume dynamics stage and the advection diffusion stage and models that are of simplified nature that has only the advection diffusion stage. This paper compares both types of models and shows what information are similar and what are different and under what conditions. The paper also examines in detail about different criteria that can be used as the transition point (TLPD) from plume dynamics stage to advection diffusion stage. Key findings of the paper are that except for slow leaks the two types of models give different results for surfacing time and location. This is important because sometimes the two models may show profiles that correspond to different times to be similar in shape. The present parametric study suggests that the transition point for TLPD can be based on the buoyant oil droplet velocity corresponding to the median oil droplet size.

[1]  V. Cheung,et al.  Generalized Lagrangian Model for Buoyant Jets in Current , 1990 .

[2]  P. Yapa,et al.  Modeling gas separation from a bent deepwater oil and gas jet/plume , 2004 .

[3]  Poojitha D. Yapa,et al.  Buoyant Velocity of Spherical and Nonspherical Bubbles/Droplets , 2000 .

[4]  Poojitha D. Yapa,et al.  Simulation of oil spills from underwater accidents I: Model development , 1997 .

[5]  Poojitha D. Yapa,et al.  A model for simulating deepwater oil and gas blowouts - Part I: Theory and model formulation , 2003 .

[6]  G. Bemporad.  Simulation of Round Buoyant Jet in Stratified Flowing Environment , 1994 .

[7]  Poojitha D. Yapa,et al.  A model for simulating deep water oil and gas blowouts - Part II: Comparison of numerical simulations with “Deepspill” field experiments , 2003 .

[8]  Per Johan Brandvik,et al.  VERIFICATION OF SUBSURFACE OIL SPILL MODELS , 1997 .

[9]  S. Socolofsky.  Laboratory experiments of multi-phase plumes in stratification and crossflow , 2001 .

[10]  Øistein Johansen,et al.  DeepBlow – a Lagrangian Plume Model for Deep Water Blowouts , 2000 .

[11]  Øistein Johansen,et al.  DeepSpill––Field Study of a Simulated Oil and Gas Blowout in Deep Water , 2003 .

[12]  Øistein Johansen,et al.  Development and verification of deep-water blowout models. , 2003, Marine pollution bulletin.

[13]  M. Davidson,et al.  Weakly Advected Jets in Cross-Flow , 1999 .

[14]  Li Zheng,et al.  Simulation of oil spills from underwater accidents II: Model verification Simulation de deversements de petrole dus a accidents sous -marins II:Verification du modele , 1998 .

[15]  D. J. Baumgartner,et al.  Improved prediction of bending plumes , 1994 .