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

由于常规石油储量的日益稀缺以及对石油需求的响应，非常规石油的开采正在增长。加拿大的油砂（来自阿尔伯塔省的Dilbit）和美国的轻质油（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，导致大规模意外泄漏，需要巨额的修复成本。值得注意的是，卡拉马祖河（密歇根州，2010年）的管道破裂导致Dilbit在卡拉马祖河（密歇根州，2010年）泄漏，以及拉克m<s:1>甘蒂克（魁北克省，2013年）的火车脱轨，都表明巴肯石油污染了190公里长的chaudi<e:1>河。这些灾害污染了淡水资源，从而使其生态服务无法作为饮用水来源、维持生境和用于灌溉，从而危及人类和环境健康。这些事件的后果强调了城市、政府和补救行业在应对非常规石油紧急情况方面缺乏准备。事实上，由于非常规石油的物理化学性质（酸度、粘度、成分、密度、粘附性）与传统原油截然不同，一旦发生泄漏，非常规石油的表现与传统原油不同，这使得目前的应对措施在应急和恢复行动中存在不足、无效和不足。由于迫切需要独立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：1)Dilbit和Bakken油的先进物理化学特性；II)新型吸附剂和氧化剂的开发；III)评价这些油在水和沉积物中的自然衰减和辅助生物降解的改善。研究成果，包括知识、工具和设备，将有助于保护人口和淡水资源。一批重要的HQP人员将接受培训，并在一个急需的领域加入工作队伍。此外，在大量不同的国家组织和利益相关者参与项目的参与和协作下，结果将传递给政府、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.********