Abstract:
During the Response to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) accident, the Unified Incident Command (IC) in Houma, comprised of agency and BP representatives, made the decision to collect samples for oil source interpretation under a number of sampling programs to aid in Response planning and decision making. Oil source interpretation involves using chemical, analytical, and statistical methodologies to assess the source of oil-related compounds present in a particular sample. In the case of the DWH accident, a key question was whether a particular sample contained compounds likely derived from Mississippi Canyon lease block 252 (MC-252) oil, as Response efforts focused on that type of oil. Generally, these samples were oil, tar balls, mousse, oiled vegetation, sheen, and sediment. Most sample collection and all of the analysis and interpretations were coordinated and conducted by BP consultants working with or within the Environmental Units of the Unified IC in Houma and, subsequently, the Gulf Coast Incident Management Team (GCIMT) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Interpretations were mapped daily and distributed by the Environmental Unit to the Unified IC; after the Macondo well in MC-252 was capped, the frequency of map generation was reduced until the last set of maps were distributed on June 16, 2011. This data posting provides the results of oil source interpretation efforts for samples collected between May 9, 2010 and June 10, 2013. This data posting includes this report, maps of sample locations and interpretations in portable document format (PDF), and sample information and interpretations in a Microsoft Excel file and an Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) shapefile for use with geographic information system mapping software. The dataset includes 1,480 interpretations for samples collected between May 9, 2010 and June 10, 2013. These samples were collected during 19 sampling programs, all of which are classified as Response (non-NRDA) studies; i.e., studies conducted by BP and/or government representatives under the direction of the Unified Area Command and in association with activities performed in response to the DWH accident.
Suggested Citation:
BP Gulf Science Data. 2016. Oil source fingerprinting interpretation results for samples collected between May 9, 2010 and June 10, 2013 from the Gulf of Mexico and adjoining coastlines. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N75719F9
Purpose:
Unified Incident Command (IC) in Houma, comprised of agency and BP representatives, made the decision to collect samples for oil source interpretation under a number of sampling programs to aid in Response planning and decision making. These data were collected by BP to help guide cleanup operations under the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard and to support the Natural Resource Damage Assessment efforts by federal and state agencies and BP to evaluate potential injury to natural resources in the Gulf. The data and supplemental information are being made available to the public in a format that will facilitate the use of the data for research and other studies. GRIIDC is making these data available following the shutdown of the Gulf Science Data Portal. This will ensure that the data are available and searchable through GRIIDC data discovery.
Data Parameters and Units:
Data Publication Date = Date published on BP website gulfsciencedata.bp.com (M/DD/YYYY H:MM) Data Publication Reference = A general description of data provided and a version control number Study Reference Number = Reference number assigned by BP to provide a link between data and associated work plans and study descriptions Study Name = The study name used by the original investigator or NOAA. Harmonized Study Name = A BP assigned name to a group of related sample collection efforts. Interpretive Sample ID = The identifier given to represent a unique combination of location, date and time, and depth. Sample Date = The date on which the sample was collected (M/DD/YYYY) Sample Time = The time at which the sample was collected. Spatial Zone = Short code descriptor to indicate high level location of a sample. Seven zones assigned where LA = Louisiana, MI = Mississippi, AL = Alabama, TX = Texas, FL = Florida, Wellhead = within 10 nautical miles of wellhead, Federal = Federal waters outside wellhead area. Latitude = North latitude in decimal degrees where sample was collected. Longitude = The west longitude in decimal degrees where the sample was collected. Field Matrix = The most general description of the substance collected for analysis. Field Sample Material = The most specific description of the substance collected for analysis. Analytical Sample ID = The client sample identifier given to a portion of the interpretive sample or to the whole interpretive sample. Laboratory Name = The name of the laboratory generating the anaytical chemistry data. Laboratory Sample ID = The internal laboratory sample identifier. Oil Source Interpretation Category = The code for the oil source interpretation. Field Data Verification Status = Summary of the field data verification process. Valid entries: not started, underway, complete.
Methods:
Interpreting the source of oil in environmental samples involved review of analytical chemistry data and supporting sample collection documents. The chemical parameters assessed to determine the oil source classification included: 1. Petroleum biomarkers—Steranes, triterpanes, and triaromatic steranes analzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) operated in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode 2. Parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons analyzed by GC/MS SIM 3. Saturated hydrocarbons and total petroleum hydrocarbons analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) 4. GC-FID chromatograms to evaluate the shape, size, and boiling range distribution of the resolved compounds and unresolved complex mixture 5. Biomarker extracted ion current profiles. The analytical data for each sample were compated to analytical results of MC-252 control oils analyzed with each batch of samples. In addition, field notes and photographs and data from shoreline cleanup assessment technique(SCAT) surveys were also considered. The five result categories were Weathered MC-252 Oil; Likely MC-252; Indeterminate Source; Possible MC-252; Unlikely MC-252; Not MC-252 Oil; No Crude Present. The quality guidance document relevant to this study is the Deepwater Horizon Quality Assurance Project Plan (Gulf Coast Incident Management Team. 2011. Deepwater Horizon Quality Assurance Project Plan for the BP MC252 Incident Sample Management Group BP-MC252-QAPP)
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