RPI synthesized documentation regarding impacts to various physical, biological, social, and economic resources from spills of crude oil, condensate, or diesel (and diesel-like oils such as No. 2 fuel oil and home heating oil) in two separate reports for 1) spill of 500–20,000 barrels (median volume), and 2) spills >20,000 barrels (large volume). This focus on these three oils reflects the types of oil likely to be spilled during exploration, development and production of oil and gas resources on the OCS. Crude oil and condensate are produced on the OCS; diesel is used as a fuel for support vessels and power generation on offshore platforms.

For the median volume, 62 spills were included; for the large volume, 36 spills were included. Impacts were synthesized for 20 different resources, including air and water quality, coastal and estuarine habitats, fish, invertebrates, birds, marine mammals, sea turtles, and six categories of socio-economic and cultural resources. The following information was summarized for each resource, as appropriate: description and ecological services, oil exposure pathways, impacts of oil exposure and treatment, tabular summary of the impacts and a plot of the recovery rate for each spill included in the synthesis, and a summary and discussion of data gaps for assessing impacts to the resource.

Location, oil type, and volume ranges for the thirty-six large spills included in the literature synthesis

Location, oil type, and volume ranges for the sixty-two large spills included in the literature synthesis

Publications:

Michel, J. (Editor) 2021. Oil Spill Effects Literature Study of Spills of 500–20,000 Barrels of Crude Oil, Condensate, or Diesel. US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Sterling, VA. OCS Study BOEM 2021-048. 220 pp.

Michel, J. (Editor) 2021. Oil Spill Effects Literature Study of Spills of Greater than 20,000 Barrels of Crude Oil, Condensate, or Diesel. US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Sterling, VA. OCS Study BOEM 2020-058. 326 pp.

Michel, J. (Editor). 2021. Fact Sheets for Oil Spill Effects Literature Study of Spills of Greater than 20,000 Barrels of Crude Oil, Condensate, and Diesel. US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Sterling, VA. OCS Study BOEM 2021-058. 39 pp.