Assessing the Spreading of Nile Blend Crude Oil in the Sudanese Red Sea Coastal Water

Abstract

Spreading is one of the most important processes of the early stages of oil slick transformation. Four physical forces were considered to develop spreading: gravity, inertia, viscous and surface tension forces. In this study Fay’s analytical approach was used to predict the spreading of Sudanese Nile Blend in the Red Sea coastal water. These results were verified using experimentally determined data from the measurement of the spread of Sudanese crude oil and kerosene on the surface seawater of the Red Sea. Two different weather conditions (wind and calm weather) were considered. The spread under calm condition was found to be slower than that under wave action. Field data showed that Fay's theory greatly underestimates slick growth. The spreading rate of kerosene is found to be 1.12 to 4.78 times the spreading rate of NB crude oil. The results of NB was compared with other three crude oils namely Arabic Light crude oil, North Sea crude oil, and Venezuela crude oil using Fay spreading theory. The results show that spreading rate of Arabic light, North Sea and Nile Blend are all most the same. Venezuela crude oil showed a lower spreading rate.