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Oil/Sea Temperature Dispersability Matrix
This matrix is provided only as a guide to the dispersability of "fresh" and unemulsified crude oils and refined products. It can only be used as a guide to whether an oil may be "dispersable" or not, and makes no presumption as to the level of effectiveness of dispersion. It is assumed in the matrix that a high mixing energy is present. If weathering or emulsification of the oil is suspected then the computer modelling of the changing oil properties is required using the software Automated Data Inquiry for Oil Spills (ADIOS), or similar software (eg IKU). This computer modelling service can be provided by AMSA on request during spill incidents. If a sample of the oil is able to be obtained this can be tested using field dispersant effectiveness kits.
Crude Oil Name
| Specific Gravity 60 F |
API Gravity 60 F |
Pour Point C |
Viscosity @ 20 C cSt |
Dispersability of Fresh Crude Oil at Various Sea Temperatures
in Degrees Celcius Yes = Dispersable, ? = May be dispersable, # = Unlikely to be dispersable. |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-13 C | 13-18 C | 18-24 C | >24 C | |||||
| Alaskan (North Slope) | 0.896 | 26.4 | -18 | 160 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Algerian Blend | 0.799 | 45.5 | -29 | 18 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AL Residue | 0.962 | 15.6 | +18 | Solid | # | # | # | ? |
| Arun Condensate | 0.761 | 54.4 | -30 | 1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Arabian Light | 0.854 | 34.2 | -36 | 10.7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Arabian Medium | 0.872 | 30.8 | -15 | 25 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Arabian Heavy | 0.887 | 28.3 | -36 | 65.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bach Ho (Vietnam) | 0.885 | 34.0 | +33 | Solid | # | # | # | # |
| Bachequero (Venezuela) | 0.973 | 14.0 | -17 | >3000 | # | # | # | ? |
| Barrow Island (Aust-NW Shelf) | 0.841 | 36.7 | -60 | 3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Basrah Light (Iraq) | 0.857 | 33.7 | -15 | 9 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Basrah Heavy (Iraq) | 0.909 | 24.2 | -30 | 54.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Boscan (Venezuela) | 0.994 | 10.9 | +21 | Solid | # | # | # | ? |
| Brae (North Sea - UK) | 0.857 | 33.6 | -6 | 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brent Crude (UK) | 0.835 | 37.9 | -9 | 6.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Challis (Timor Sea) | 0.827 | 39.6 | -15 | 3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cinta (Indonesia) | 0.865 | 32.0 | 43 | na | # | # | # | # |
| Cooper Basin | 0.800 | 45.4 | +12 | 7 | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dai Hung | 0.840 | 36.9 | +27 | na | # | # | # | ? |
| Dubai | 0.870 | 31.1 | -9 | 20 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ekofisk (North Sea - Norway) | 0.825 | 40.1 | -6 | 9 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forties (North Sea - UK) | 0.838 | 37.4 | -5 | 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gippsland Crude/Bass Strait - Aust | 0.800 | 45.4 | +15 | 3.1 | ? | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Griffin (Nth West Aust) | 0.758 | 55.0 | -48 | 1.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Halibut (Gippsland) | 0.817 | 41.7 | +10 | 9 | ? | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Harriet | 0.837 | 37.5 | +6 | na | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Iranian Light | 0.859 | 33.2 | -15 | 20 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Iranian Heavy | 0.979 | 13.0 | -6 | 30 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jabiru (Timor Sea Aust) | 0.814 | 42.3 | +15 | 3.7 | ? | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Kutubu (PNG) | 0.806 | 44.0 | +3 | 2.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kuwait | 0.873 | 30.6 | -12 | 25.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lakes Entrance (Gippsland) | 0.959 | 16.0 | -15 | 250 | # | ? | ? | ? |
| Mc Kee (NZ) | 0.827 | 39.6 | +20 | Solid | # | # | ? | ? |
| Minas (Indonesia) | 0.853 | 34.3 | +39 | Solid | # | # | # | # |
| Murban (Abu Dhabi) | 0.825 | 39.9 | -12 | 4.5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nigerian Light | 0.846 | 35.8 | +15 | 7 | # | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Nigerian Medium | 0.905 | 24.8 | -30 | 45 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nth West Shelf Condensate (Aust) | 0.758 | 55.0 | -30 | 1.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Oman | 0.856 | 33.8 | -33 | 24 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pilon (Venezuela) | 0.970 | 13.5 | -12 | >5000 | # | # | # | ? |
| Saladin (Aust -WA) | 0.787 | 48.2 | -30 | 1.7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stratfjord (UK) | 0.836 | 37.8 | -5 | 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Taching (China) | 0.860 | 33.0 | +35 | na | # | # | # | # |
| Talisman | 0.820 | 41.0 | +9 | na | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tapis (Malaysia) | 0.798 | 45.7 | +6 | 2.7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thevenard | 0.790 | 48.3 | -30 | 1.7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trinidad | 0.876 | 30.0 | +7 | 15 | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Undang (Borneo) | 0.827 | 39.6 | +37 | 90 | # | # | # | # |
| Venezuela Mix | 0.919 | 22.5 | -32 | 150 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wandoo | 0.940 | 19.3 | -30 | 182 | Yes? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| West Texas Intermediate (USA) | 0.830 | 39.0 | -21 | 4.9 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Widuri (Indonesia) | 0.864 | 32.1 | +48 | Solid | # | # | # | # |
| Zaire | 0.867 | 31.7 | +26 | na | # | # | # | # |
Oil/Fuel Product Name
Dispersion of light oils and highly evaporative fuels may only be required when a fire or safety hazard exists. Dispersion of these oils and fuels can increase their persistence and toxicity in the marine environment.
| Specific Gravity 60 F |
API Gravity 60 F |
Pour Point C |
Viscosity @ 20 C cSt |
Dispersability of Fresh Oil at Various Sea Temperatures
in Degrees Celcius Yes = Dispersable, ? = May be dispersable, # = Unlikely to be dispersable. |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-13 C | 13-18 C | 18-24 C | >24 C | |||||
| Asphalt (Bitumen) - no solvent | 0.99-1.2 | na | +40 to +80 | Solid | # | # | # | # |
| Aviation Gasoline | 0.716 | 66.2 | -60 | 1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bunker Fuel C eg 1 (fuel oil #6) | 0.984 | 12.3 | +15 | Solid | # | # | # | ? |
| Bunker Fuel C eg 2 | 1.000 | 10.0 | +2 | Solid | # | # | ? | ? |
| Bunker Fuel C eg 3 (BHP Hawaii) | 0.993 | 11.0 | +10 | >3000 | # | # | # | ? |
| Bunker Fuel #6 (BP) | 0.991 | 11.3 | -1 | >800 | # | # | # | ? |
| Bunker Fuel #6 (Phillips) | 1.022 | 7.0 | +26 | >650 | # | # | # | ? |
| Bunker Fuel Caltex/Ampol (K-940) | 0.991 | 11.3 | +15 | >2000 | # | # | # | ? |
| Bunker Fuel Shell (FO-467) | 0.980 | 12.9 | +15 | >300 | # | ? | ? | ? |
| Diesel (automotive-Winter blend) | 0.855 | 34.0 | -20 | 7.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Diesel (automotive-Summer blen) | 0.865 | 32.0 | -12 | 13.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gas Oil (Marine Diesel) | 0.854 | 34.2 | -11 | 13 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gasoline | 0.739 | 60.0 | -18 | 3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gasoline (Leaded) | 0.750 | 57.2 | -29 | 1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heating Oil (fuel oil #2) | 0.876 | 30.0 | -12 | 7.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heating Oil (fuel oil #5) | 0.925 | 21.5 | -9 | 190 | # | # | ? | Yes |
| IF-3- Bunker | 0.936 | 19.7 | -6 | 180 | # | ? | ? | Yes |
| IFO-180 Bunker (BHP) | 0.983 | 12.5 | (4-15) | >1000 | # | # | ? | ? |
| IFO-280 Bunker (BHP) | 0.986 | 12.0 | (4-15) | >1700 | # | # | # | ? |
| IFO-380 Bunker (BHP) | 0.990 | 11.5 | (4-15) | >2400 | # | # | # | ? |
| Jet Fuel (fuel oil #1 A-1) | 0.806 | 44.0 | na | 1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jet Fuel (JP-1) | 0.800 | 45.4 | -40 | 1.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kerosene (fuel oil #1) | 0.800 | 45.4 | -25 | 1.5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lube Oil 10W30 | 0.882 | 29.0 | -40 | 200 | # | ? | ? | Yes |
| Naphtha (White Spirit) | 0.794 | 46.8 | na | 1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Naphtha (Exxon) | 0.758 | 55.0 | -17 | 3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No.2 Fuel Oil | 0.871 | 31.0 | -30 | 6.5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mineral Spirits (Petroleum Spirit) | 0.794 | 46.8 | na | 1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Paraffin/Waxes | Solid | # | # | # | # | |||
| Residual Oils #6 | 0.986 | 12.0 | +15 | >45,000 | # | # | # | # |
| Solvents | 1-5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Transformer Oil (Electrical Oil) | 0.883 | 28.8 | -30 | 18 | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Oil Chemistry Data Sources: ITOPF, USCG, IMO, AMSA & Oil Companies
For further information and comments please email Environment Protection Response
last updated: 19 October 2006