Case Study: Oil Spill Recovery Institute solves 20-year viscous oil recovery challenge in two months with Wazoku

Oil Spill Recovery Institute - Customer Case Study

The Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI), based at the Prince William Sound Science Center in Alaska, was formed after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill to develop better techniques for Arctic and sub‑Arctic oil recovery. Faced in 2007 with tens of thousands of liters of viscous, partially frozen oil trapped in recovery barges, OSRI ran an InnoCentive challenge—“Breaking the Viscous Shear of Crude Oil”—seeking a way to make a 1,000‑gallon enclosed tank pumpable within 30 minutes and allow oil to flow 4 meters to the pump intake.

The winning idea came from John Davis, an outsider with a chemistry background who adapted a common construction technique—vibrating concrete—to loosen and fluidize the oil by inserting vibrating metal poles. The simple adaptation restored flowability, enabled rapid pumping, and solved a two‑decade problem in two months for a $20,000 award; all four OSRI challenges were ultimately solved, yielding next‑generation oil recovery approaches.

Oil Spill Recovery Institute

Scott Pegau

Research Program Manager