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How were booms used to contain oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill?

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Fireboats battle a blaze on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, April 2010. — Deepwater Horizon oil spill Fireboat response crews attempt to extinguish the blaze aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, April 21, 2010.

During the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, floating booms were deployed as a primary containment strategy to manage the massive slick that spread across the Gulf of Mexico.12

These booms were used to corral portions of the oil on the surface of the water. Once the oil was successfully contained within the perimeter of the booms, it was removed through two main methods:
* Siphoning: The collected oil was pumped off the surface into collection vessels.2
* Burning: The contained oil was ignited and burned to reduce the volume of the spill.2

While booms are a standard tool for reducing the spread of oil, their effectiveness is generally highest in calm waters. During the Deepwater Horizon response, these efforts were part of a broader, coordinated cleanup strategy that also involved the use of chemical dispersants and manual removal of oil from affected shorelines.12