Oil-paid study says Arctic spills easier to clean

Oil spills in Arctic ice may be easier to clean than those in open water, according to research funded by oil companies that are seeking offshore exploration in federal waters.

Shell Oil Co. brought scientists from the Norwegian nonprofit research institute SINTEF to Anchorage this week to present findings from May experiments run in the Barents Sea above northern Europe, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

The researchers said oil spilled in open water tends to spread quickly and contaminate the shoreline. The Barents Sea testing found that ice can act as a natural blockade, giving responders more time for cleanup.

The findings conflict with conventional wisdom. Environmentalists cite botched spill cleanup experiments that occurred a decade ago in the Beaufort Sea. At the time, the state of Alaska determined that Prudhoe Bay oil field operator BP could not adequately clean spills in slushy water.

News-Miner