Oil barriers protect environment

The 3200 mm wide oil barriers set new benchmarks in environmental engineering: They can withstand harsh conditions on the open sea and are not overtopped even by high waves.

New standards on high seas

Increasing the energy requirements around the world mean an increase in the amount of crude oil transported by sea. It brings increase in the risk of incidents entailling considerable impact on the environment, as well as on a company’s profitability – both during pumping on the drilling rigs and in the event of martime disasters involving damage to giant tankers. Hand-made oil barriers produced by Continental not only protect the environment, but also reliably contain oil spills even in turbulent seas. With a width of 3200 mm, they are especially suitable for use on rough seas. Floating barriers surround leaked oil at sea so that tankers can quickly pump it out of the water using hoses. The oil barriers have extremely thin walls for their width – 6-7 mm. This prevents even thick layers of oil from floating into the open sea and ensures instead that the oil is reliably contained.

The new project of an old idea

The method of surrounding oil in this way is not new and the floating barriers have also proven themselves for many years in several use during maintenance work on drilling rigs. However, the latest generation of the oil barrier has a special feature to offer. Tested by Continental company under special test conditions and at sea, floating barriers are extraordinary reliable and secure. The development team also paid particular attention to strength. Flotsam in the sea can damage the floating barriers. The high-strength fabric and sturdy rubber layer of the Continental development is extremely impressive in this respect, too, withstanding pressures up to 0,5 bars in the laboratory. The barriers are airtight like bicycle inner tube – after all no air must be allowed to escape during deployment. Air is pumped into the barriers as soon as they are lowered into the water by the winch of the ship contained.