Study Of Ship-related Oil Spill Risk And Determination Of Places Of Refuge For Ships In Emergencies In The Chinese Bohai Sea

Due to human error and various irresistible factors,oil spill accidents occur frequently on the sea,exerting disastrous effects on the marine ecological environment as well as economic and social development around where the accidents occur.Among them,oil spill of ships,especially tankers,can cause the most serious harm.For the Chinese Bohai Sea,it is surrounded with many densely populated and economically developed cities.Besides,there are numerous ports,densely covered traffic routes and heavy traffic here.With oil spill accidents have frequently occurred,the Bohai Sea faces a high risk of oil spills and a relatively great pressure when it comes to dealing with oil spill disasters.Therefore,it is of great importance to study the risk of oil spill in the Bohai Sea area,carry out risk assessment and evaluate the existing emergency capabilities,which can play a vital role in avoiding major losses caused by oil spill accidents.In addition,by studying the strategy of selecting evacuation sites for ships at a technical level so as to timely rescue the ships in danger,the crew in distress can be rescued in time,the safety of other ships can be ensured,the ecological environment around the site of the accident as well as infrastructure for socio-economic development can be protected.Based on the statistics of the ship accidents,this study first analyzes the risks and characteristics of ship accidents,especially the ship oil spill accidents,in the Bohai Sea area.Then,according to the statistical data gained by the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association?IPIECA?,the potential amount of oil spilled when a 300,000-ton tanker is stranded is estimated,and an oil spill risk matrix is established to assess the damage to the Bohai Sea when the?worst-case accident?occurs.Secondly,a questionnaire survey is carried out to obtain the number of oil emergency equipment on spillovers in various jurisdictions in the Bohai Sea,and such data is taken as the actual emergency response capacity to be compared with the expected emergency response capacity.Thirdly,through a comprehensive consideration of factors in three aspects,i.e.the natural environment,social economy and emergency response capacity,the GIS tool is used to design the standardized score system to select places suitable for evacuation among the pre-designated ports and anchorage grounds.This method solves the problem of selecting evacuation sites foe ships at a technical level.The main research findings obtained by this paper are as follows:?1?Oil spill accidents of ships weighing more than 10 tons mostly occurred in the coastal waters of China,and few accidents happened in inland waters.In the coastal waters,including the Bohai Sea,most of the oil spill accidents occurred in areas where there are frequent ship exchanges.Collision is the main cause of either oil spill accidents or chemical accidents,and the spilled oil is mainly fuel oil.By establishing the risk matrix,it is found that the Bohai Sea faces a serious risk of oil spill,and oil spill of large ships can cause serious damage.?2?There are many oil skimmers,oil containment booms and professional emergency vessels in the 1^st,4^thh and 5^th areas,whereas there are few emergency facilities in the 8^th area.In the Bohai Sea,when the?worst-case accident?occurs,the actual mechanical recovery capacity can hardly match the expected mechanical recovery capacity.There are huge differences between the actual and expected mechanical recovery capacities in the 1^st,2^nd,4^th and 5^th areas.When the?worst-case accident?happens,the actual oil containment capacity in all the eight areas is greater than it is supposed to be,and the oil containment capacity of each area can meet the emergency needs under extreme conditions.?3?When the accident only involves fire explosion but no leakage,Port of Tianjin,No.28 Anchorage Ground and No.29 Anchorage Ground are recommended as PoRs for ships,whereas Port of Weifang,No.50 Anchorage Ground and Port of Zhuanghe are not recommended.When the accident only involves leakage,Port of Tianjin,Port of Dalian and No.45 Anchorage Ground are recommended as PoRs for ships,while Port of Weifang,No.50 Anchorage Ground and No.18 Anchorage Ground are not recommended.If the accident is faced with the risk of sinking,Port of Chaoyang,Port of Weihai and No.43 Anchorage Ground are recommended as PoRs for ships,while No.16 Anchorage Ground,No.42 Anchorage Ground and Port of Bayuquan are not suggested.The paper analyzes the risk of ship oil spill in the Bohai Sea and evaluates the actual emergency response capacity in each area under jurisdiction.Furthermore,a method for selecting Po Rs for ships in emergency is further proposed based on the GIS technology.Providing a new technical means for PoRs selection for ships,this method can assist decision makers in scientifically and rationally responding to oil spill accidents,protect the marine environment and promote sustainable socio-economic development.