Page 2 - Customer Needs and Use Assessments (CNUA) of Hydrocardon Sensors
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ACT In Situ Hydrocarbon Sensors Customer Needs and Use Assessment.....................................................
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I. OBJECTIVE
The fundamental goal of this survey was to assess user needs and applications and to
provide the focus for an Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT,
)
Technology Verification of hydrocarbon sensors. The Customer Needs and Use
Assessment strives to better understand how hydrocarbon sensors are used, and not to
promote a specific approach to recording/reporting hydrocarbon values. We hope this
information can also assist manufacturers in refining hydrocarbon sensor technologies to
better address user priorities.
II. SURVEY COMPOSITION
From January 6th to January 31st, 2011, ACT conducted a web-based survey to aid in a
Customer Needs and Use Assessment of hydrocarbon sensors. ACT Headquarters,
Partners and Hydrocarbon Technical Advisory Committee members developed the
questionnaire. SurveyMonkey.com provided the web-based survey tool. The survey
contained a total of fifteen questions (listed below along with their responses), divided
into three sections: Application, Specification, and Recommendations.
III. DISTRIBUTION OF SURVEY
Survey participants were divided into two groups: “Users” and “Vendors.” Users were
asked to consider the primary in situ hydrocarbon sensor(s) they used when responding to
each question. Unaware if any specific vendor (sensor manufacturer) had its own
proprietary statistics collected already, Vendors were simply asked to summarize what
they felt were the perspectives of their "typical" customers. All participants received
emailed requests to participate in this online survey.
IV. PARTICIPANT SELECTION PROCESS
To assure broad geographic coverage, regional outreach personnel at the six ACT Partner
Institutions and members of the Technical Advisory committee nominated participants
based on their professional interests, background, and expertise. Approximately 100
coastal resource mangers, regulatory and environmental health agency representatives,
manufacturers, and scientific researchers were targeted to take part in the survey; one-
third responded.
Who Participated in this Survey?
Among ACT Workshop Participants in ACT’s Hydrocarbon Workshop held in Seward,
Alaska 2008, the following participated:
•
California Department of Fish and Game
•
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
•
Minerals Management Service Engineering and Research Branch
•
United States Coast Guard Research and Development
•
Environment Canada Emergencies Science and Technology
•
Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company
•
Oil Spill Recovery Institute
