New software can forecast the movement of an offshore oil spill in under five minutes to prevent spread, reduce contamination, and cut socioeconomic and environmental costs.
The initiative comes from Digital Earth Solutions, with its general manager, Juan Roos, reassuring Efe that the system can predict how spills will behave over the next three to five days on the ocean surface.
From this emerging company comes a design that estimates sea currents, waves, tides, and wind-driven displacement, enabling containment actions to be planned more effectively.
Although the technology was not developed exclusively for hydrocarbons, it also forecasts the drifting motion of plastics, algae, and even people to determine future trajectories and origins, according to Roos.
Hydrocarbon spill investigations in the sea
Models currently in use last only a few hours, Roos notes, while the new software delivers five minute predictions for particle movement in the ocean, addressing the shortcomings of older methods that have not integrated recent mathematical advances from the last decade and a half.
The software also helps reduce costs by providing precise, immediate forecasts of spill behavior, enabling more efficient response efforts to lower collection expenses by a significant margin and reduce environmental impact, as well as the socioeconomic effects on industries and ports in sectors such as fishing and tourism.
Developers are exploring how to automate the software so clients can use the map to input discharge quantity, density, and location for the simulation without direct consultation, speeding up the process.
Leak of ship OS35 and protection of dolphins
In relation to the recent incident in the Strait of Gibraltar where hydrocarbons spilled from ship OS35 after a collision, a marine biologist collaborated on a study of microplastics in the Bay of Algeciras and its impact on marine mammals. The team sought an estimate of the displacement of the discharge to protect local wildlife and relied on the model to inform decisions.
The Strait hosts high biodiversity including sperm whales, killer whales, dolphins, and other species, so the model proved valuable for monitoring spill behavior even when not present in the water. Computer-based predictions indicated potential impacts on dolphin populations observed just days earlier, guiding timely actions.
With around 400 commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Gibraltar daily, tools that predict this type of emergency are highly beneficial to conservation and maritime operations alike.
Some teams continue to refine methods and extend application to broader environmental monitoring and safety planning.
Environmental authorities and stakeholders emphasize the importance of rapid, accurate spill forecasting to protect ecosystems, coastal economies, and public health in exposed regions.