Oil from BP spill probably sprayed out in tiny drops
Dispersants at the Deepwater Horizon wellhead may have had little effect
By Beth Mole
Much of the oil that gushed into the Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill may have shattered into droplets too small to rise to the surface.
Droplets with an average diameter of about 80 micrometers would have formed as the oil violently rushed out of the well and into the crushing pressure of 1,500-meter-deep water, researchers report in the May 4 Chemical Engineering Science. Such tiny spheres lack the buoyancy to resist ocean currents and rise through the water. The finding could help researchers account for oil still missing from the spill. It could also help in future spills to decide whether to apply chemical dispersants, which responders use to create similarly small droplets, the authors say. They suggest that use of dispersants should be considered on a case-by-case basis and that they may not be necessary for such deep, violent spills.