Reproducing trajectory of oil spilled from Turkmenistan oil fields

In order to numerically simulate transmission of oil spilled in Caspian Sea from Turkmenistan oil fields, wind induced currents in the sea were simulated using an unstructured grid Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) in the summer and spring of 2012. The results of the model in the fall season were then compared to the measured data for surface currents in three stations of Astara, Roudsar, and Amirabad. Comparison of the measured data and the current model output revealed that implementing turbulence closure module produces more accurate results than once when the module was excluded. Later on, in order to determine the destination for the oil spilled from Turkmenistan oil fields, the output of flow model was imported into the GNOME computer application along with 6-hourly wind time series. Turkmenistan’s oil wells on the eastern shores of the southern fields of the Caspian Sea in front of the Cheleken Peninsula were considered as the locations of oil pouring. The type of pouring was momentary and the volume of oil pouring in each well was 100 barrels. Simulation of trajectory of spilled oil was conducted based on different pouring time and the location of the oil spill hitting the shore were acquired. Comparing the results from simulation and location of collecting oil spills in August 2012 demonstrates acceptable accuracy; thus, it could be said that, considering the wind system governing the Caspian Sea, it is quite feasible that oil spills from Turkmenistan oil fields could reach the shores of Iran in the summer.