Rapid oil spill simulation within Ghana’s coastal waters

Abstract

Given the adverse externalities of hydrocarbon operations, particularly the impacts of oil spills – environmental, political, cultural and socio-economic – the hypothetical simulations of oil spills enhances the study and appreciation of the trajectory and fate of spilled oil in the marine environment; so as to plan timely and cost effective clean-up responses and management strategies. This paper therefore presents the results of a rapid hypothetical simulation of oil spills in Ghana’s coastal waters, and the clean-up technique(s) most applicable in the area. Using MIKE 21, tidal elevations were used as forcing to run the hydrodynamic model, after which a series of hypothetical simulations were conducted with the worst case scenario divulging both the trajectories of the oil slicks and the potential areas to be impacted. The simulation results closely matched the results highlighted in the Phase-1-Development EIA report of the Jubilee Field. Following the simulation, an assessment of the most viable clean-up technique was conducted. Given the geophysical state of the coastal system and the met-ocean conditions, the mechanical recovery method, complemented by bioremediation, is most applicable due to its marginal environmental impacts.