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Tuesday, November 28, 2017. 12:00PM. Webinar: Dynamics of Oil and Gas during a Subsea Accidental Oil Well Blowout. Scott A. Socolofsky, Texas A&M University. Sponsored by NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research. More information here.

Predicting the fate and transport of oil and gas released from accidental subsea oil well blowouts is critical for directing response to the spill and determining the natural resource damages following the disaster. We have developed a comprehensive model system to describe the properties of oil and gas in the deep ocean and to track their dynamics in the near field (within 10 km of the wellhead) of a subsea spill.  We compared the model simulations to results for the Deepwater Horizon accident for the period between June 4 and July 15. The model shows good skill at predicting atmospheric measurements of volatile components of the oil and subsea sequestration of the release gas and light hydrocarbons in the intrusion layer that formed at about 1100 m depth. The model was validated during a period when subsea dispersant injection (SSDI) was on-going.