Advanced study of unconventional oil behaviour, innovative emergency measures to surface water oil spills: protection of water sources

由于常规石油储备日益稀缺，以及对石油需求的反应，非常规石油的开采正在增长。加拿大的油砂（来自阿尔伯塔的Dilbit）和美国的轻油（来自北达科他州的Bakken）都是如此。通过铁路和管道运输这些石油的增加带来了更高的风险，导致大量意外泄漏，造成巨大的恢复费用。值得注意的是，卡拉马祖河（密歇根州，2010年）的一条管道破裂泄漏了Dilbit，以及Lac Mégantic（魁北克，2013年）的一列火车出轨，暗示巴肯石油污染了190公里的Chaudière河。这些灾害污染了淡水资源，从而使人类和环境的健康处于危险之中，从而阻止了将其生态服务用作饮用水、维持生境和灌溉的来源。这些事件的后果突出表明，城市、政府和补救行业缺乏应对非常规石油紧急情况的准备。事实上，由于它们的物理化学性质（酸度、粘度、成分、密度、粘附性）根本不同，一旦溢出，非常规石油的表现就不同 传统原油使目前的应对措施在紧急和恢复行动中不足、无效和不充分。由于迫切需要独立的研究来解决这些问题，这个多学科，结构化的研究项目旨在实现：I）Dilbit和Bakken油的先进物理化学表征; II）创新吸附剂和氧化剂的开发;和III）这些油的自然衰减和改善水和沉积物中的辅助生物降解的评估。研究成果，包括知识、工具和装置，将有助于保护人口和淡水资源。大量的HQP将接受培训，并加入急需领域的劳动力队伍。此外，将通过参与该项目的大量不同NAO和利益攸关方的参与和合作，将结果转移给政府，公民协会和行业。

The extraction of unconventional oil is growing due to the increasing scarcity of conventional oil reserves and in response to oil demands. This is true for Canada with oil sands (Dilbit from Alberta) and for the USA with light oil (Bakken from North Dakota). The increased transport of these oils by rail and pipeline has brought higher risks resulting in large accidental spills at monumental rehabilitation costs. Notably, the rupture of a pipeline that spilled Dilbit in Kalamazoo River (Michigan, 2010) and a train derailment at Lac Mégantic (Quebec, 2013) implicating Bakken oil that contaminated 190Km of the Chaudière River. These disasters placed in danger human and environmental health by contaminating fresh water sources thereby preventing the use of its ecological services as a source of drinking water, sustaining habitats and for irrigation purposes. The aftermath of these events, have emphasized the lack of preparedness of cities, government and the remediation industry to respond to unconventional oil emergencies. Indeed, due to their fundamentally different physicochemical properties (acidity, viscosity, composition, density, adherence), once spilled, unconventional oil behaves differently from traditional crudes making present response measures insufficient, ineffective and inadequate during emergency and rehabilitation actions. As independent research is critically needed to address these issues, this multidisciplinary, structured research project aims to achieve: I) the advanced physicochemical characterization of Dilbit and Bakken oils; II) the development of innovative adsorbents and oxydants; and III) the evaluation of these oil's natural attenuation and improvement of assisted biodegradation in water and sediments. The research outputs, including knowledge, tools and devices, will assist in the protection of populations and fresh water sources. An important number of HQP will be trained and join the workforce in a critically needed area. Furthermore, the results will be transferred to government, citizen associations, and industry, with and through the participation, and collaboration, of a large and diverse number of NAOs and stakeholders participating to the project.********