NorLense: Oil Trawl Sets New Standards for Oil Spill Response

The newly developed Oil Trawl from NorLense attracts international interest – and sets new standards for efficient oil spill recovery:

– The system collects, concentrate and store oil in one operation
– Can be operated by one vessel and one person
– Deployment-time reduced to formidable 10 minutes
– Integrated skimmer pump (ad-on) continuously pumps collected oil on board the vessel.

When the system was tested by OMSETH test tank in the United States, the conclusion was “Best result ever for a Fast current system.” The system is verified by DNV GL regarding capacity – and is also tested by NCA/Coast Guard with very good feedback. “The Oil Trawl is our greatest innovation since 1992.” says CEO Terje Olav Hansen in NorLense proudly.

Milestone

NorLense launched oil booms with automatic inflation in 1992. Ring and spiral booms quickly became a huge success – and set a new standard in the industry. With the new, fast current, system NorLense again shows the way in rational and efficient oil spill recovery:

“Strong focus on details and extensive testing describes our efforts to design a best possible system. This has been achieved – not only in terms of efficiency, but also regarding safety (EHS) and economy for the customer. The system is also very flexible in terms of different situations, and we look at the new Oil Trawl as a bit of a multitool for oil spill recovery” Hansen says.

Tackles 4-5 knots

The new Oil Trawl from NorLense is a fast current system, designed to collect a wide range of oil emulsions spread over larger areas. While conventional booms operates up to the speed of one knot, the Oil Trawl tackles effective flow rates of four to five knots. Using a paravan/trawl-door the system can be operated with just one vessel.

Easy handling

The Oil Trawl can be delivered as a container system or tailored for installation on vessels. The trawl is stored on a drum and has automatic inflation via one point. Before deployment, the system is pressurized with air. This makes the trawl easy to handle for one person, and deployment into the sea is done in one continuous operation. A sea anchor helps dragging the trawl into the sea. The process requires minimal deck space.

Fast deployment

Several tests proves that the Oil Trawl can be deployed and ready for operation in less than 10 minutes. When NCA tested the Oil Trawl equipped with integrated skimmer pump (optional ad-on) under realistic conditions, it took 17 minutes from the pressurization of air started, to the trawl being in formation, the pump was activated and liquid was pumped on board.

“Time is a critical factor to control emissions. Equally important is the need for safety for the operator of the system. Bad weather, high seas and stress are factors that contribute to dangerous situations. Easy and fast deployment, with a minimum of persons involved, increases the safety of personnel during challenging conditions,” says Terje Hansen.

Flexible solution

Oil collected by the trawl ends up in a storage unit. When full, it is easily disconnected and replaced with a new one. The operation can then proceed. The full storage unit closes automatically – and floats on the sea until it is towed to shore or emptied by a storage vessel.

The storage unit is equipped with a customer specified coupling, which makes it possible to pump oil into tanks on operational or external vessels.

The Oil Trawl can also be supplied with an integrated skimmer pump from FRAMO. This enables continuous pumping of collected oil on board to the vessel which operates the trawl. The skimmer pump is an optional ad-on that increases flexibility – and may come in handy as an emergency discharge pump if needed.

Top performance

The Oil Trawl separates oil and water very effectively – and without the assistance of a skimmer. This simplifies the working process, cut costs and eliminate possible sources of error. Effective separation also reduce the need for storage significantly, due to less water content in the separated emulsion.

When the Oil Trawl is dragged over the surface of the sea, it acts as a planer, which leads the top layer of water and oil to the storage unit. Via a patent pending separation grate oil and water separates efficiently due to a passive concept based on gravity. Tests at OMSETH, USA, documented a recovery rate of 92% under favorable conditions – and an average of 82.2%.

Thick and thin

“Simple solutions are often the best”, says research leader Hugo Svendsen. He states that passive separation performs far better than a traditional overflow skimmer when handling thick oil. During a test verified by DNV GL, the Oil Trawl was able to collect oil with viscosity around 50,000 centistokes (cSt).

“At such high values oil is as thick as butter – and collection with conventional equipment is extremely difficult. With the Oil Trawl we have succeeded in creating a flexible system that can handle very variable conditions”, says Svendsen.

Innovation

After two years of extensive testing, the Oil Trawl is ready for presentation. The international market has already showed interest and provided positive feedback on the system. Director at DNV GL’s office in Harstad, Stein Thorbjørnsen, will not comment on the specific test results, but is impressed by the strong expertise that is built on Fiskebøl in Vesterålen.

“NorLense is an innovative company and has been among the leading providers of offshore booms for decades. It’s exciting to witness the innovation that now takes place.” he says.

Perfect test conditions

Marketing Director Trond Helge Hansen at NorLense look forward to working with the new oil beam, “I feel that we have a unique product that cover unmet needs in the market. This is a kinder egg in oil spill response, with many applications.”

He highlights the company’s location in the heart of the Lofoten and Vesterålen archipelago as a big plus. “The central location and proximity to urban areas can be an advantage. In NorLense, however, we realize that we have perfect test conditions right outside our office windows. We have fun at work – where the coast, the archipelago and climate forces constitute our creative playground. We are where we should be!”