Ice Skimmer
Operating a skimmer in ice conditions is always and always will be a difficult operation. First of all the cold conditions will make the physical part of the operation difficult. Further the physical oil properties will also make the operation difficult. A cold ambient temperature will always increase the viscosity of the oil as well as the density. For heavy types of oil it has been observed that the oil actually sinks some 2 – 5 metres down the water column when the water temperature decreases and resurfaces again when the temperature increases.

Furthermore it is difficult to detect the oil when floating around in ice conditions. When floating in ice quite a quantity of the oil will stick to the ice which makes the cleaning operation even harder. 

The Global Warming issue may actually cause an increased need for skimmers suitable for oil spill response. The Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean may be very close to being used on a more commercial scale. Despite the reduced area covered with ice the Northwest Passage will still remain a shipping route with a potential risk for having an oil spill in ice conditions. 

RO-CLEAN DESMI has tested two types of skimmers in real ice conditions (Norway) with remarkably good results. Our Helix Skimmer has shown an excellent ability to recover the oil in ice with a very limited uptake of water/ice. In slush ice the water content in the recovered oil was 0%. In broken ice (50% ice) the water content was 12%. 

Helix Skimmer in Ice                        
Drum-Brush Skimmer in Ice

Also our Brush-Drum skimmer showed very good performance in ice conditions. What should be highlighted is that we are talking about equipment with a weight of less than 200 kg. Even a purpose built Ice Skimmer using the Helix Brush Skimmer principle will have a weight of approx 600 kg. Some of the other ice skimmers have a weight of more than 40,000 kg. The logistic complications in operating a piece of equipment with a weight of 40,000 kg compared to 600 kg should be only too obvious to understand. 

If you have a specific need for Ice Skimmers please contact us.