Oil Containment Booms are used to stop oil spread after an oil spill

An Oil Containment Boom is a temporary floating barrier used to contain and concentrate floating oil after an oil spill.

Containment booms are the most commonly used and most environmentally friendly response method used to deal with oil spills. They are often the first equipment to be mobilized at an oil spill site.

Oil containment booming is usually considered to be preferable to other methods used to clean up oil spills, such as chemical dispersants or in site burning.

How do Oil Containment Booms work?

Oil Containment Booms come in many sizes and styles, but each design incorporates the following features:

• A chamber filled with air or a buoyant material that serves the dual purpose of keeping the oil containment boom afloat and preventing oil from splashing over
• A sub-surface skirt that prevents oil from escaping under the boom
• A chain, wire, or rope that provides strength, keeps the oil containment boom taut, and maintains tension to keep the boom upright in the water

Oil Containment Booms are used for many purposes

Containment, concentration & recovery of oil

After a spill, ocean waves and currents cause oil to spread quickly, dispersing it so that the surface layer of oil is thin and patchy. A properly deployed oil containment boom keeps the oil contained and concentrates it into thicker surface layers so that skimmers, vacuums, or other collection methods can be used more effectively.

Diverting oil to a collection area

In situations where the oil-contaminated water is moving, a well-placed oil containment boom can divert the flow of the oil and direct it into a collection area.

Protection of important or sensitive places

If an oil spill is too dispersed to be completely contained, oil containment booms can be placed around important or sensitive areas to keep oil out.