Following the Deepwater Horizon accident,  crude oil was released at the seafloor from a depth of approximately 5,000 feet in the Gulf of Mexico. The identification of MC252 oil in the deepwater sediments (>200 m depth) was problematic due the background of petroleum hydrocarbons in sediments from well documented natural petroleum seeps. A source identification approach was developed for MC252 oil and included: evaluation the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and saturated hydrocarbons, and comparisons of geochemical biomarker profiles and ratios.  Additional steps evaluated concentrations of metals, chemical dispersant markers, and alpha olefins (drilling mud markers), followed by a comprehensive evaluation of the geochemical geography of the sampling location, photographs and other ancillary data.  The resulting approach was capable of identifying MC252 oil residues in sediment samples and indicated a localized footprint of MC252 oil close to the well-head.

Identification of petroleum hydrocarbon sources in deepwater Gulf of Mexico sediments after the Deepwater Horizon accident

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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