This 1970s color film written by Forrest F. Adrian, directed by Raymond Bradford, sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute’s Committee on Environmental Affairs and produced by Shell Pipeline presents a liability-deflecting “training aid” for those facing daunting oil spill cleanups. It probably dates from 1972, three years after the infamous Santa Barbara oil spill, which galvanized the environmental movement and changed the industry overnight. The film implies that oil spills are inevitable, demonstrates flawed reclamation technology, and subtly shifts responsibility from companies at fault to employees tasked with challenging mitigation efforts. (TRT: 32:26)

P.N. Gammelgard, Sr. V.P. of the American Petroleum Institute, speaks (0:07). Opening titles: “The American Petroleum Institute Presents, Oil Spill Control: Containment and Removal of Spilled Oil from Water” over a stream that runs from clear to slick (2:24). Narrator Max Anderson. “Nobody likes oil spills, but they do occur, and they’re everybody’s business.” Split-screen footage of pipelines adjacent to waterways (2:56). An animated illustration shows oil traveling via currents, winds, waves, and low temperatures. Rotating arrows imply a cycle (4:08). A chemist in a laboratory uses a Precision Scientific Co. instrument. Pouring two beakers of oil into trays of water, one spreads more quickly than the other (4:58). Oil in open sea water, seen via aerial photography. A beaker of emulsified oil pours in thick blobs (5:35). Illustrations of equipment used to control oil spills, including “booms” and “skimmers” (6:21). Animated illustration: A mechanical, floating boom barrier with a weighted skirt. An actual boom up close, and in use (6:48). Booms seen from afar are divided into categories: Flexible, semi-flexible, rigid. Rigid booms appear as linked barrels (8:03). An oil refinery exterior. A demonstration shows the failure of a boom to contain an oil spill, with droplets going under the boom (9:02). Helicopter footage shows wavy waters. A man answers a phone call. A motorboat. A boom is deployed by men in hardhats and vests (10:07). A line is launched across an inlet via a towing gun (11:47). A used boom is hosed down with water (12:46). In the test tank, a bubbling air barrier is demonstrated (13:00). An illustration shows a manifold with holes, producing a rising curtain of bubbles. The test tank shows this method’s failure when a current is present (13:38). Air barriers in practice. A tray of oil and water is treated with a surface tension modifier (14:25). A spray helicopter carrying chemicals. A powerboat. Concentrated oil on water’s surface (15:03). A variety of sponges and oil absorbing materials. A graph, “Absorption Capability,” shows polyurethane foam in the lead (17:03). A small test tank with a timer. Straw and foam are compared, foam wins, while straw becomes oily and sinks (17:42). Animation shows a floating foam mass. Crews mulch and blow foam and straw into water (18:44). Oil soaked straw. An excavator dredges oily straw. A screened fishing cage (20:01). A man in glasses demonstrates a model of a mechanical skimming device. Animation illustrates a skimmer in use (21:15). Booms form a “V.” A skimmer surrounded by debris (21:50). Two men carry a skimmer (22:36). Titles: “Skimmers: Weir Skimmer, Floating Suction, Sorbent Surface.” Small skimmers, a large barge (23:10). An illustration of a suction skimmer’s pump hose (24:16). A belt-driven skimmer is illustrated in animation (25:04). A chemist pours more oil into a beaker of water, then adds a chemical dispersant, blending the liquids. “In time, nature will take care of it…” (25:49). A boat tows a mixing board (25:37). Oily foam sponges are burned. A kerosene lamp (27:08). Animation: Sinking rocks. Sand is poured into a small aquarium, carrying oil to the tank’s floor (28:06). The host reviews previous scenes in split-screen (29:12). A family on a beach. Seagulls. Sailboating. Sunbathing. “You can make this possible” (30:52).

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