Dugong – Weathering properties and behaviour at sea - In relation to oil spill response

A standardized bench-scale and meso-scale flume testing weathering study has been conducted on Dugong crude oil at 13 °C. The dispersibility testing on Dugong was included to estimate the viscosity limits and time window for dispersant use. The laboratory data were used as input to the SINTEF Oil Weathering Model (OWM) for weathering predictions from a surface release of Dugong at sea at 5 and 15°C, reflecting winter and summer conditions . The weathering properties of Dugong are also discussed in relation to oil spill response.