Boom (containment)

Oil spill containment booms in use after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010

Two Indian Coast Guard vessels deploying an ocean boom

A containment boom is a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill. Booms are used to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and other resources, and to help make recovery easier. Booms help to concentrate oil in thicker surface rather than disperse across larger areas. ^[1] Booms are also used to prevent ice jams. ^[2]

Tactics

• Containment booming: placing a boom in a body of contaminated water for the purpose of holding or slowing the movement of contamination. ^[3]
• Diversion booming: placing a boom in a body of contaminated water for the purpose of diverting the contamination to a collection point. ^[4]
• Deflection booming: placing a boom in a body of water for the sole purpose of changing the course of the contamination. This method is used for contamination that is not intended to be recovered and so is not typically associated with oil spills. ^[5]
• Exclusion booming: placing a boom in a body of water for the purpose of blocking off a sensitive area from contamination. It is not recommended in fast water, and as diversion booming or deflection booming is better suited. ^[6] However, when diversion booming and deflection booming tactics are not suitable and resource protection is still needed, like because of a fast high tide in a sensitive estuary, an arrangement of booms with a decelerator is needed. ^{[1] [7]}

See also

• Boom (navigational barrier)
• Log boom

References

1. "AN ADVANCED VOF ALGORITHM FOR OIL BOOM DESIGN" (PDF). International Journal of Modelling and Simulation. 26. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 21, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
2. "Section 6: Lake Erie - Niagara River Ice Boom". International Joint Commission. 2018-08-23. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
3. Mechanical Recovery – Containment and Recovery – Containment Boom (PDF), NUKA Research Planning Group & Spill Tactics for Alaska Responders (STAR), April 2006, retrieved June 8, 2010
4. Mechanical Recovery – Containment and Recovery – Diversion Boom (PDF), NUKA Research Planning Group & Spill Tactics for Alaska Responders (STAR), April 2006, retrieved June 8, 2010
5. Mechanical Recovery – Containment and Recovery – Deflection Boom (PDF), NUKA Research Planning Group & Spill Tactics for Alaska Responders (STAR), April 2006, retrieved June 8, 2010
6. Mechanical Recovery – Containment and Recovery – Exclusion Boom (PDF), NUKA Research Planning Group & Spill Tactics for Alaska Responders (STAR), April 2006, retrieved June 8, 2010
7. USpatent 7056059,Kaufui Wong,"Boom with ramped or horizontal skirt structure for slowing the flow speed of buoyant fluids on moving water for fluid, containment, fluid containment system and method",published 2006-06-06