INTRODUCTION This report is an evaluation of the status of information available for developing a mass balance of an oil release in a water environment. The evaluation is based primarily on literature published prior to July@ 1972. However@ research in this area has accelerated within the last several years and some of the most recent work has provided a significant amount of quantitative information. Therefore@ we have also referred to several unpublished manuscripts because they provided valuable rate data that increased our knowledge of oil transport phenomena.