Development of a Cost-Effective Oil Spill Response Program on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geir Indrebø ◽  
Ivar Singsaas ◽  
Ingvild Skare
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

Risk-Based Oil Spill Emergency Preparedness on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 345-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Stokke ◽  
Jon Rødal
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) is responsible for oil spill response, planning, and preparedness on behalf of the companies that are operating on the Norwegian continental shelf The responsibility includes initial response offshore, as well as coastal protection and shoreline cleanup. NOFO is developing a plan for regional oil spill preparedness to be implemented in 2001. The plan is based on risk assessment and covers planned oil production activities in the Norwegian offshore sector. Previously, NOFO's oil spill response plan was based on authority requirements and recognized standards. NOFO is now proposing a risk-based approach, aiming to identify the need for oil spill response in different areas of the Norwegian sector. The new approach is based on estimated probability of oil spill situations, dimensioning oil spill scenarios, and oil drift modeling to define arrival time to shore, coastal areas at risk, and amount of oil that may possibly reach the shore. The risk-based approach is an alternative to traditional “worst case” considerations and allows implementation of more cost-effective measures.

Improving Oil Spill Response capability during times of downsizing and budget cuts: A glance at the Norwegian way

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 2726-2742
Author(s):  
Ståle Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Budget Cuts ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT How can we continuously develop and improve large scale emergency preparedness, such as oil spill response, in times of low oil prices, budget cuts and downsizing? NOFO (Norwegian Clean Seas Association For Operating Companies) has found its path, through modernization and cooperation. When there are spills of crude oil from the petroleum industry at the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) NOFO will perform the oil spill response (OSR) on behalf of the owner of the spill, in practical terms becoming the company’s OSR branch during the incident. NOFO was founded in 1978, as a response to the large blowout at the Bravo field the previous year. Focus on offshore OSR technology and combat strategies has been the main motivation during our almost 40 year’s existence. The last decade has included a significant improvement in our competence and training on near-shore and beach OSR, simultaneously maintaining the unique offshore segment. As part of improving NOFO capacity within large scale, and / or long duration spill situations (e.g. Macondo), NOFO have embraced and implemented ICS (Incident Command System), thus improving our capabilities and capacities through the whole range from offshore to shoreline OSR. Through 2015 and 2016 ICS training and ICS adaptions of previous organizational systems has been prioritized, and new ones have been developed. NOFO personnel have participated in numerous training sessions and exercises with our member companies (operators on the Norwegian continental shelf) nationally and internationally. Through strategic choices of planning and collaboration both internally in NOFO and between NOFO and the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA), Global Response Network (GRN), other oil spill Response Organizations (OSROs) and cooperating partners, the number of exercises has increased, the value and output of exercises is improved, and thus the capacity and capability of NOFOs whole range OSR in improved. At the same time, on behalf of our members, NOFO have consumed less money year after year. NOFO is developing and improving our proven OSR capacity and competence, from offshore to shoreline, through increased efficiency, high focus on exercise training, and cooperation with other OSR agencies.

THE APPROACHES TO THE SOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE SHELF OF THE ARCTIC SEAS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Krivichev ◽  
Alexander Krivichev
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Marginal Stability ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Technogenic Loads ◽  
Oil Spill Response

Russian Arctic shelf - rich larder of the hydrocarbons, at the same time Northern Sea Route (NSR) - a strategically important route for transporting them. The extraction and the transportation of the hydrocarbons along the NSR requires the solution of a number of ecological and economic problems in the first place to ensure environmental and technogenic safety. For the solving of these problems on the continental shelf it is required a system of comprehensive measures: - the development of the regulatory framework for environmental support oil and gas projects; - the introduction and use of integrated methods for monitoring environmental conditions at the sites of technogenic loads on the shelf of the Arctic seas, including the use of drones; - creating different models for assessing the marginal stability of ecosystems to technogenic loads during production and transportation of hydrocarbons on the continental shelf based on systems of dynamic simulations; - the development and use of sensitivity maps of coastal areas of the Arctic seas during oil spill response; - accounting of the results of the analysis of the total environmental benefit in the development of oil spill response plans; - application of the principle of "zero" resetting, due to the high fishery valuation in Barents and Kara seas and the conservation of marine biological resources.

CANADA SHIPPING ACT PLANNING GUIDELINES: EQUIPMENT FOR A 2500-TON RESPONSE CAPABILITY

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 (1) ◽  
pp. 439-442
Author(s):  
Todd Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Case History ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Geographical Region ◽  
End User ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Practical Standpoint ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Equipment Component ◽  
Response Capability

ABSTRACT This paper presents a discussion of oil spill equipment selection from a practical standpoint. The specification of effective oil spill equipment is often a difficult task because of the wide array of commercially produced goods available to the end user. In addition, in various countries there exists little or no framework legislation that quantifies the equipment component in practical terms. This paper attests to the usefulness of the new Canada Shipping Act guidelines for the purposes of planning the equipment requirements for a predetermined potential spill quantity. Through the elaboration of a case history, it presents the development of an integrated 2500-ton oil spill response capability. Since response organizations under the new Canada Shipping Act regime are in effect commercial ventures rather than simply oil spill cooperatives, innovative and cost-effective solutions are necessary to maintain capital costs at a minimum. Although the equipment in the case history was commissioned directly as a response to the new Canadian standards, the important planning principles can be applied to any geographical region.

NOFO Oil spill response “The way we train”

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 431-446
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Performance Requirement ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Large Scale Field ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Different Response ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT In a situation where oil is spilled on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) the operator is responsible for the oil spill response. To do this in a robust and efficient way Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) handles the oil spill response on behalf of all member companies. Handling an oil spill response situation in all its forms from offshore incident to beach restoration involves many different resources, skills and people. Introducing Incident Command System (ICS) as the command system for this task even increases the amount of training we need to do. How can NOFO achieve the optimal training of our common and shared response resources in a time where focus is on an effective and robust response? Having an overview of the different response needs and response plans NOFO coordinates activity, training and exercises in an efficient way. This is done with the aid of NOFO’s operative plan. The plan describes every resource with a performance requirement and puts it in to a response context. This gives NOFO a foundation to build a response that is structured and cost efficient for our members. Furthermore, this enables NOFO to tailor our training and exercises from the individual responder/resource to the complex large-scale field exercise which involves typically 250–350 people from numerous different operating companies, municipalities, governmental and private responders. This paper will describe how we plan, train and exercise on the NCS in order to be prepared for response in an efficient and robust way.

Optimizing Offshore Combat of Oil Spills – Development of New Booms and Helicopter Based Application of Dispersants

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1279-1284
Author(s):  
Tharald M. Brekne ◽  
Sigmund Holmemo ◽  
Geir M. Skeie
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Chemical Dispersant ◽  
Offshore Installations ◽  
The Status ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Robust Systems ◽  
Norwegian Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT There is an increasing focus on offshore combat of oil spills on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). One result of this focus is a change from field specific to area specific contingency, moving from many medium sized oil spill combat vessels, to fewer and more robust systems and vessels. An important element in the emerging configuration is the use of helicopter based chemical dispersant systems, permanently located on offshore installations. An increasing diversity, of oil types being produced, configuration of installations, water depths and geographic location, are all factors that require a robust, mobile and flexible oil spill response. The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) has recently initiated development of new technology, as projects under NOFO's Research & Development Programme. Three of these projects address the development of improved heavy offshore booms, applying new principles for containment of oil, and a heavy duty skimmer optimized for mobility. A fourth project addresses the development of a system for helicopter based application of chemical dispersants, optimized for offshore storage and maintenance. This paper presents the status for and experience from these projects, as well as the plan for testing and verification of this new technology.

scholarly journals A PROPOSED RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY FOR WASHINGTON STATE1

1989 ◽  
Vol 1989 (1) ◽  
pp. 275-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Geselbracht ◽  
Jonathan Rubin ◽  
Thomas M. Leschine
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Damage Assessment ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
State Legislature ◽  
State Agencies ◽  
Natural Resource Damage Assessment ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Assessment Procedures

ABSTRACT A state legislature sponsored study of Washington's oil spill damage assessment programs has revealed a number of problems. Studies designed to assess damages following major marine oil spills have not always been cost-effective and appropriate, state oil spill response activities have been difficult to fund, agencies have had difficulties spending damage recoveries in accordance with state law, and laws and regulations provide inadequate guidance on how to monetize resource damages identified. In addition, state agencies lack an alternative to field-based studies for compensation recovery in situations where damages are for all intents and purposes unquantifiable. An examination of CERCLA-based natural resource damage assessment procedures, the civil penalties in lieu of damages system employed by the State of Alaska, and other damage assessment practices had led to a recommendation for substantial changes in state marine resource damage assessment procedures. The recommended approach emphasizes the use of CERCLA-like preassessment screening to guide decisions about whether to quantify damages through field studies or to charge civil penalties in lieu of damages, as done in Alaska. In addition, emphasis is placed on direct negotiations with the responsible party to identify restoration/enhancement projects as alternatives to paying damages, and on developing capabilities to manage recovered damages and assessment costs through a new revolving fund.

scholarly journals Time Window-of-Opportunity Strategies for Oil Spill Planning and Response

1999 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atle B. Nordvik
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Oil Spill Response

This paper presents an integrated scientific and engineering strategy to improve and bring planning and decision-making for marine oil spill response to a higher level of knowledge. The most efficient, environmentally preferred, and cost effective spill response is dependent on the following factors: chemistry of the spilled product, quantity, location, response time, environmental conditions, and effectiveness of available response technologies at various degrees of oil weathering.Time windows is a highly targeted process, in which the selection of response technologies will be more efficient, cost effective, technically correct, and environmentally sensitive and appropriate. The strategy integrates dynamic oil weathering data and performance effectiveness data for oil spill response technologies derived from laboratory, mesoscale, and experimental field studies. Performance data has been developed from a wide range of viscosities of different weathering stages of transported oils into a dynamic oil weathering database to identify and estimate time periods, called "technology windows-of-opportunity." In these windows, specific response methods, technologies, equipment, or products are more effective during clean-up operations for specific oils. The data bases represent the state of the art for response technologies and research in oil spill response.The strategy provides a standard foundation for rapid and cost effective oil spill response decision-making, and is intended for use by local, state, federal agencies, response planners, clean up organizations (responders), insurance companies, tanker owners, and transporters. It provides policy, planners and decision-makers with a scientifically based and documented "tool" in oil spill response that has not been available before.

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