Abstract
In 2020, International Marine Organization (IMO) implemented new regulations on the use of heavy fuels in the shipping industry following the ISO 8217 standard with a reduction of sulphur content to 0.5% w/w compared with traditional residual marine fuels. These changes in fuel composition addressed the impacts of higher sulphur fuels on the environment generating particulate matter (PM) and sulphur oxides (SOx) which has been associated with impacts to air quality and human health. Petroleum feedstocks used to produce traditional residual fuels must be further processed to remove sulphur content to meet the standard and create very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). Hydrotreating or hydrodesulphurization of fuels to remove sulfur in the form of hydrogen sulfide provides a common process at achieving lower sulphur content, but this chemical process alters the resins and asphaltenes within the fuels. Compositional changes to the fuel feedstock result in significantly different fate and behavior upon entering the environment following a spill incident. Additional study is required to characterize the composition, physical properties, and oil-water interactions of this new material to better prepare for an oil spill.
This paper presents oil properties from nine VLSFOs from varying sources with a broad range of physical properties and compared with three conventional residual fuels. The oil properties were measured at environmentally relevant temperatures of 0° and 15°C representing temperate and arctic conditions. Data for tests assessing the behavior of oil-water interactions are presented for a sub-set of VLSFOs and a conventional fuel investigating emulsion formation tendency and dispersibility (Baffle Flask Test with Corexit® 9500A). The information presented will provide a foundation of knowledge to improve spill preparedness for this emerging environmental risk.