Oil Spill Occurrence Rates for Alaska North Slope Crude and Refined Oil Spills

Publication Title: Oil Spill Occurrence Rates for Alaska North Slope Crude and Refined Oil Spills

Subject: Anthropogenic Properties
Pipeline; Oil Field; Oil Spills; North Slope; Occurrence Estimators

CSE Reference: Robertson T, Campbell LK, Pearson L, Higman B (Nuka Research & Planning Group, LLC., Seldovia, AK). 2013. Oil spill occurrence rates for Alaska North Slope crude and refined oil spills. Anchorage (AK): US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 160 p. Obligation No.: M11PC00021. Report No.: OCS Study BOEM 2013-205. URL: https://espis.boem.gov/Final%20Reports/5329.pdf

Abstract: BOEM is charged with ensuring the environmentally and economically sound management of offshore resources on the U.S. OCS. Estimates of oil spill occurrence rates are useful for analyzing potential oil spill impacts and contingency planning. This analysis will provide BOEM with a tool based on Alaska-specific data to estimate oil spills from future onshore oil and gas operations on the North Slope to inform environmental analyses of future project proposals required under the National Environmental Policy Act. A dataset was compiled from 7 existing datasets of spills resulting from oil and gas operations on the North Slope of Alaska resulting in a dataset of 1,577 oil spills greater than one barrel reported in the time period from 1971 to 2011. The dataset included variables describing spill date, minimum and maximum spill volume, substance, cause, facility, and oil field.