An oil containment system aboard a vessel includes a pneumatic system to provide power to a winch and reel assembly containing boom whereby the pneumatic supply is capable of simultaneously powering the winch-reel assembly for boom deployment through inflatable gas fed to a pneumatic motor while also inflating the boom. The inflation of the boom is accomplished by diverting, all or any portion thereof, the inflatable gas from a pneumatic supply through a hose that runs concurrently on the outside of the boom. The pneumatic supply originates from a single pneumatic system powering both the winch and reel assembly as well as associated brake and feeding inflatable gas pressure to the inflation hose running concurrently with the boom. The system can be utilized to confine a discharge of a floating material such as hydrocarbons floating on the surface from a vessel or structure.

A bottom boom and method of use is disclosed for containing heavy or sinking oils which migrate on an underwater floor. The bottom boom is comprised of an upper wall, a lower wall that abuts an underwater floor, a support structure and a ballast section. The upper wall and lower wall when properly supported by support structure provides an upright barrier to guide or stop heavy non-floating oils on an underwater floor. The support structure is a series of chambers, longitudinally spaced between the upper and lower walls of the bottom boom, such that when each chamber is filled with water the chambers vertically support the upper wall at an angle above the lower wall and horizontally maintain the lower walls width thus forming said upright barrier. Additionally the chambers can be filled with air to expedite recovery of bottom boom from underwater floor.

A barrier 10 for use in an oil spill on water, having a substantially rigid planar member 12 made from plastics, a weight 16 attached to a lower end 14 of the barrier 10, use, art upper portion 12a of the barrier 10 extending vertically above the waterline and a lower portion 12b of the barrier 10 extending vertically beneath the waterline.

Disclosed herein are aggregators that can be cellulosic particles having high oil sorption capacity, high hydrophobicity, high buoyancy in water, and an aggregation quality that can support environmental remediation of hydrocarbon spills (e.g., crude oil spills) by various cleanup strategies including burning, skimming, or bioremediation. Also disclosed are methods of making the materials and methods of using the materials for environmental remediation.

A spill vacuum apparatus having a container having a cavity and a fluid inlet, the lower portion of the cavity including a fluid outlet closed by a check valve, the upper portion including a vacuum port and a fluid-level actuated release valve, the release valve cooperating with the upper portion to seal the cavity from the atmosphere until the release valve is actuated by a high fluid level reached within the lower portion by fluid volume, wherein coupling a vacuum source to the vacuum port depressurizes the cavity when the release and check valves are closed, and wherein when fluid is received in the lower portion through the inlet so as to reach the high fluid level, the release valve is actuated to unseal the cavity to the atmosphere, thereby releasing the weight of the fluid to actuate the check valve and release the fluid through the outlet.

A device and method for dispersing oil on water comprises a rig structure for being mounted in a vessel, the rig structure including a front transverse structure with at least one nozzle for flushing with pressurized water supplied from a pressure facility located on the vessel.

Systems, apparatus and methods useful for collecting and separating floating debris and water from a body of water on a vessel, the vessel including at least one inflow regulator (IFR) chamber at least partially separated from a main collection compartment and at least one fluid discharge pump.

Some embodiments of the invention relate to a spill containment boom unit for deployment in ambient water, using water absorbing material, such as SAP, to encourage expansion of a chamber thereof. Some embodiments provide boom units which comprise one or more surfaces which form at least one hollow chamber, wherein at least one wall of the hollow chamber comprises at least one fillable compartment.

A boom for containing floating material spilled in water including an elongated sheet including units and spaces between the units, each one of the units including a plurality of plates attached to the sheet, designed to fold flat when packed, and to self-expand into a polygonal cross-sectional shape when unpacked. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Two segments according to the invention, which form a brush structure created by brush fibres and plastic rings, are joined together by bolts or screws and sleeves with a water-permeable discoid hub, in such a way that a separate brush structure can be joined to the segments by stud bolts or similar, to the metal ring of which a plastic ring, equipped with brush fibres, is attached for the collection of very heavy oils. For the cleaning of the brush fibres of the segment and the good recovery of the oil being collected, there is a curved metal sheet, preferably on supports, as a continuation of the cleaner, and which forms a casing-like space, preventing the oil flowing off the brushes from returning to the water circulation and improving the collection capacity. The device is suitable, for instance, for the collection of all grades of oil, with continuously changing properties.