ABSTRACT

Before undertaking a discussion of water-in-oil emulsion formation and stability, it is necessary first to review several general aspects of emulsions and emulsification. The stability of water-in-oil emulsions is dependent on a variety of factors, including: the presence or absence of the emulsifying agent, viscosity, specific gravity, water content, and the age of the emulsion. Payne et al. concluded that the presence of surfactant materials, such as wax and asphaltenes, are necessary for mousse formation, the slight increases in their relative concentrations could not account for the observed stability of the mousse formed during the tank experiments. All of these factors can affect mousse formation and stability. Bocard and Gatellier suggested that viscosity did not directly affect water-in-oil emulsion stability, slightly conflicting results were reported by Lee et al. These phenomena will be discussed in greater detail in the next chapter on case studies of mousse formation from major open ocean and coastal spills and blowouts.