Environmental Implications of a Massive Oil Spill and

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       of a Massive Oil Spill and F~e in the Persian Gulf
           Submitted to the National Response Team by the
          National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

                        January 23, 1991

Background

At the request of the National Response Team, NOAA examined the
environmental implications of a massive oil spill and fire resulting from
the demolition of oil field wellheads in Kuwait and simultaneous ignition of
other non-reservoir sources such as oil storage tank farms, man-made oil-
filled trenches, pipelines and oil tankers. This analysis is qualitative in
nature, however is based on Department of Energy assumptions as to the
possible extent of destruction. The following agencies have been involved
in reviewing this document: Department of Defense, Department of
Energy, Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and
the U. S. Coast Guard.


1. What would be the characteristics of the plume of smoke from fires in
multiple oil wells, tank farms, and from a massive oil spill?

There will obviously be a pall of dense smoke~blockrng the sunlight and
rising into the atmosphere and extending far downwind. The combustion
by-products of burning crude oil are similar in nature to what is found in
the exhaust of a poorly functioning truck or automobile. The principal -
constituents of the plume would be smoke~particIes, carbon dioxide, and
water vapor, all mixed with background air and other gaseous chemicals
(mainly unburned hydrocarbons and small quantities of partially oxidized
combustion products such as carbon monoxide - the quantities will vary
with the size and intensity of the fire). The plume would also contain
sulfar dioxide and various forms of nitrogen oxides, which would interact
to produce other gaseous compounds.

If the fire is large and/or intense, the supply of air may not be sufficient to
permit all the fuel to be completely burned; combustion under this
condition would not be complete, and carbon monoxide concentrations
would climb. The dangers of exposure to carbon monoxide are well