Fire on the sea surface, Spitzbergen 1994

SINTEF has carried out two experiment series at Spitzbergen in 1994, burning large oil slicks on the sea surface. A first series of the experiments was carried out during the winter with confined fires in a dike cut in the ice. The second series was carried out during the summer with un-confined fires on the sea surface. The aim of the project was to study the fire behaviour and thermal impact from fires on the sea surface from a safety point of view. The results is to be used by the offshore oil companies, and is valuable for risk assessment of rescue operations in oil spill fires.

The Svalbard Experiments was a joint project between two divisions of the SINTEF group: SINTEF Applied Chemistry and SINTEF Energy which Norwegian Fire Research Laboratory was a part of at that time. The intention of the Svalbard Experiments for SINTEF Applied Chemistry was to study the possibilities of in situ burning of oil to prevent pollution.

The main intention of these experiments from a safety point of view was to find the extent of flames on the sea surface and the belonging flame heights for large oil slicks as well the temperature ( C) and heat flux distribution (kW/m2) within the flame. A steel tower with diameter of 1 m, reaching 8 m above the water surface was placed within the fire in the dike in the ice in order to find the effective heat load on steel structures due to the exposure from a fire. This will make a basis for the dimension of steel structures and the need for passive fire protection. There is today a great controversy concerning the effective or dimensioning heat load onto structures from such fires. The controversy arises mostly from the lack of knowledge concerning fire on the sea surface in general.

During the test programme experiments with fresh crude oil and emulsions were carried out. Maximum oil amount was 8000 l in one fire. A total of five burns in the 15 m diameter basin were carried out during the Winter Experiment and a total of 7 burns were carried out during the Summer Experiments.

The picture shows the fire from an oil spill where 8000 l fresh crude oil was released into a 10 m diameter ring in the water. The ring was removed after ignition of the oil spill and the extent of the fire increased with respect to diameter and flame height. The tests were carried out at SINTEF's test site at Svalbard located close to the mines of Svea which is sited approximately 70 km South of Longyearby-en. The place where the experiments were carried out, was located in the Vallunden lagoon in the Van Mijenfjorden, approximately 1.5 km West of the old quay of Svea. The lagoon is naturally formed by the movement of a glacier, and is about 1.3 km long and 0.8 km wide. The lagoon is connected to the Van Mijenfjorden by a shallow passage only. The tidal water makes a shifting in- and outflow of sea water.

The sponsors of SINTEF NBL's part of the experiments have been: BP Group Research and Engineering, UK Elf Petroleum Norway Exxon Production Research Company, USA Health and Safety Executive, Offshore Safety Division, UK Norsk Hydro, Norway Saga Petroleum, Norway Statoil, Norway
The total cost for this project has been NOK 4 000 000,-.  

Contact person: Ragnar Wighus
Telephone: + 47 73 59 10 78
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