This guide covers the key factors to consider in estimating the effectiveness of containment and recovery systems that may be used to assist in the control of oil spills on water. The purpose of this guide is to provide the user with information on assessing the effective use of spill-cleanup equipment. It is intended for use by those involved in planning for and responding to oil spills. In evaluating the effectiveness of containment and recovery systems used in response to oil spills, many factors need to be considered of which skimmer performance is but one. The objective of this guide is to describe a range of factors that must be considered in estimating recovery system effectiveness. Response strategies will depend to some extent on the type of spill. The spill scenario should be defined as to whether it is an instantaneous or continuous release, whether or not the spill has ceased flowing, and whether the spill is contained or uncontained. The following oil slick properties must be specified for the spill scenario: spill volume; area; slick thickness; slick viscosity; and emulsification.

1.1 This guide covers the key factors to consider in estimating the effectiveness of containment and recovery systems that may be used to assist in the control of oil spills on water.

1.2 The purpose of this guide is to provide the user with information on assessing the effective use of spill-cleanup equipment. It is intended for use by those involved in planning for and responding to oil spills.

1.3 Sections of this guide describe calculation procedures for estimating recovery system effectiveness. It should be understood that any such calculations cannot be expected to predict system performance, but are intended to provide a common basis for comparing system performance.

1.4 One of the main reasons that the calculation procedures cannot be used to predict system performance is that the analysis is sensitive to assumptions made on the properties of the oil slick, and particularly the changes in slick thickness and emulsification. It is emphasized that the purpose of this guide is not to provide a standard method for estimating slick property changes, but rather to provide a standard guide for using that information in comparing system performance.