906 Oil Spill Cleanup

Aerial Tracking and Remote Sensing

Aerial tracking and remote sensing technologies play a vital role in oil spill response operations. They help responders detect, map, monitor, and assess the movement and impact of spilled oil across large and hard-to-reach areas. These tools increase response accuracy, improve worker safety, and support real-time decision-making in both offshore and shoreline recovery operations.

• sUAS Drones: Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), or drones, can perform a wide range of missions. These include oil spill detection, shoreline damage assessment, large-scale mapping of impacted areas, and real-time video streaming to command centers. Drones improve safety by reducing the need for direct human observation in hazardous environments and can quickly cover areas that are inaccessible by foot or boat.
• Vessel-Mounted X-Band Radar & FLIR Systems: These advanced sensors are installed on Responder-Class Oil Spill Response Vessels (OSRVs). The X-band radar helps detect changes on the water’s surface, while the Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) system detects temperature differences. Combined, they help crews locate oil slicks during on-water recovery, even in poor visibility conditions like fog or nighttime.
• Containerized X-Band Radar & FLIR Systems: These portable sensor systems can be temporarily mounted on Oil Spill Response Barges. Like the vessel-mounted systems, they enhance oil detection capability during active recovery operations by providing surface monitoring and thermal imaging to spot oil on water.
• Aerial Imaging Systems: These systems use Multispectral and Thermal Infrared (TIR) cameras mounted on aircraft or drones. They can scan large areas to detect and classify oil as recoverable or non-recoverable and map the oil's distribution for inclusion in the Common Operating Picture (COP). Different flight patterns are used depending on whether the goal is detection or mapping.
• Portable FLIR Cameras: These lightweight, hand-held or vessel-mounted cameras give Vessels of Opportunity (VOOs) the ability to detect oil using thermal imaging. With a range of up to 500 meters, they can be used during day or night operations. Their effectiveness depends on weather, sea state, and other environmental conditions.

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