Author(s)

Z.A. Sabeur, A.O. Tyler & M.C. Hockley

Abstract

In order to simulate the environmental dispersion and behaviour of effluent discharges from offshore oil and gas installations, a model has been developed to simulate the physical mixing behaviour of neutrally and positively buoyant plumes. The mathematical foundations of a Langevin based model capable of representing three phase (initial mixing, dynamic buoyancy collapse and ambient turbulence) dispersion are described. An initial asymptotic analysis is presented as part of a laboratory and field calibration process. 1 Introduction During the production of oil/gas from offshore hydrocarbon deposits, significant quantities of water are returned to the surface with the oil. An oil-water separation process is conducted, often involving

Keywords