Simulation of oil slick drift with the PETROMAR-3D model in case of offshore spills in waters adjacent to the Brazilian northeast

This technical note presents the graphical outputs of the lagrangian model PETROMAR-3D, version 2.1G, specialized to assume the operative work before real spills and to obtain statistical results before climatic executions. The scenarios were created in the waters adjacent to the Brazilian NE, with simulation times of thirty days, every 3 hours in the most representative months of each season of the year. The numerical simulations were focused to characterize the oil drift, taking 3 starting points located at (30°W, 6°S), (30°W, 7°S) and (30°W, 8°S). As initial and boundary conditions the surface currents of the HYCOM (global domain 3-hourly and 1/12 degree analysis) hydrodynamic model were used and for the spill a light crude oil of 35 API (849 kg m^-3) and initial volumes of 3145 bb (500 m³) were considered. As main results, it was found that the spills located at point 1 had the fastest drifts and in many cases the slick continued to the north. Those with starting point 2 had slower drifts, but with moderate impacts on the coast, and finally, the spills starting from point 3 had the slowest drifts of all cases, however, they concentrated the most severe impacts on the adjacent coastal sectors. In January and October they have the most severe impacts and in October they have the fastest drifts, an event that should be taken into account by decision makers, in order to have more effective responses for these cases.

All figures of the simulations can be found at:

Main results of simulation of oil slick drift with the PETROMAR-3D model in case of offshore spills in waters adjacent to the Brazilian northeast.