scholarly journals MUTUAL AID IN OIL SPILL RESPONSE: THE ALASKAN NORTH SLOPE MODEL

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-22
Author(s):  
Bruce McKenzie ◽  
Norman Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Oil Fields ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Mutual Aid ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The North ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Alaskan North Slope

ABSTRACT The Alaskan Arctic Region provides one of the world's most remote and challenging environments in which to mount an oil spill response. To facilitate the timeliness and appropriateness of the response, Alaska Clean Seas (ACS) and the operators of the North Slope oil fields have implemented a mutual aid concept for spill response. The concept is based upon each operator on the North Slope maintaining its own inventory of personnel [a spill response team (SRT)] and equipment that is available on short notice to respond to a spill. If the spill exceeds the responsible operator's resources, additional resources can be obtained from other operators and/or ACS through mutual aid. Individuals from diverse organizations are brought together in a mutual aid event. To allow different organizations to function effectively in a multi-organizational environment, a common management structure was required. The structure chosen for the North Slope was the incident command system (ICS). A key concern when discussing mutual aid is the provision of indemnification from liability for responders. For the North Slope, ACS and its member companies are indemnified when responding to a spill through provisions in the ACS charter and the ACS response action contract.

Use of, and limits to telecommunications supporting Spill Response in the Arctic

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 281407
Author(s):  
Jim White
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Satellite Communications ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The North ◽  
Response Network ◽  
North Slope Of Alaska ◽  
Oil Spill Response

The ability to exchange critical information across a broad spectrum of users is the success of a response. Communicating on the North Slope of Alaska is a technical challenge. One of the most critical elements supporting any Contingency Response is telecommunications (telecom). Telecom, as an issue rears its head after almost every exercise or real world response situation. It never seems to matter what type of event the response is supporting, the location of the response or weather that is occurring. Telecom continues to come up as a 'lessons learned'. Recent technological advances (Last 15–20 Years) have resolved some older, yet lingering issues, (e.g. SATCOM, Fiber Optics, Digitization, and the Internet). That said, trying to communicate over an area covering tens-of-thousands of square miles in some of the harshest, most remote regions on the planet is at the very least - demanding. Technically, in many regions, telecom issues can be fairly easy to resolve. In the Arctic, several factors as well as weather play a major part in our ability to respond to an incident. Many areas are not accessible on a road system. Ice roads provide seasonal, temporary access. When ice roads are not available then various aircraft can be utilized. Some sites may only be accessible via specialized vehicles treading lightly on the tundra or that displace the tons of equipment over a broad area for frozen pond, lake and river crossings, minimizing environmental impact. To meet the challenge of Spill Response on the North Slope of Alaska, Alaska Clean Seas and its member companies have developed and employ a network of Very High Frequency (VHF), Ultra-High Frequency (UHF), Cellular, Microwave, and SATellite COMmunications (SATCOM) Systems. A recent Federal Communications Commission directive to reduce bandwidth usage forced the modernization of Alaska's Oil Spill Response Network. The nationwide requirement enables the same number of users to occupy half the frequency spectrum. Alaska is unique in that the entire State's Oil Spill Response Network shares the same frequencies and compatible equipment. This enables the cooperatives to seamlessly support each another. One of the obvious reasons that telecom becomes an issue is non-standardized exchange of ideas, recommendations, or commands. User unfamiliarity with telecom devices (radios, speaker microphones) also contributes to communication barriers. Use of jargon, ten codes and often cultural references can inhibit needed messages from being received as expected. This can easily be improved through Incident Command System training

Adaptation of the Incident Command System to Oil Spill Response During the American Trader Spill

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (1) ◽  
pp. 267-272
Author(s):  
Robert G. Rolan ◽  
Keith H. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Crisis Management ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Crisis Management Plan

ABSTRACT While developing its new crisis management plan in 1989, BP America (BPA) modified the incident command system (ICS) for use as the organizational structure of its oil spill response team. This was done to be compatible with the post-Exxon Valdez organization of the Alyeska response team and for certain advantages it would provide for responses in other locations and in other types of crisis situations. The ICS was originally developed for fighting wildfires in California and has since been widely adopted by other fire and emergency services in the U. S. While retaining most of the ICS structure, ?PA developed modifications necessary to fit the unique requirements of oil spill response. The modified ICS was used during a full scale test of ?PA's draft crisis management plan in December 1989, and thus was familiar to ?PA's top executives and other participating response team members. When the American Trader spill occurred in February 1990, BPA's management used the modified ICS organization even though the crisis management plan had not been finalized or widely distributed within the company. Details of the organizational structure evolved as the spill response progressed, in part due to the changing requirements of the response over time and in part because of previously unrecognized issues. This paper describes that evolution and the resulting final structure. Essential differences between the original ICS and BPA's oil spill version of it are highlighted. Despite the unrecognized issues and the unfamiliarity of some team members with the ICS, the organization worked well and can be credited with a share of the success of the American Trader response.

ICS CONTRIBUTES TO THE NORTH CAPE OIL SPILL RESPONSE1

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 (1) ◽  
pp. 737-742
Author(s):  
LT Tina M. Burke ◽  
LT John P. Flynn
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Management System ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The North ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT In recent years, the usefulness of the incident command system (ICS) has received much attention. Much of the oil industry and several government agencies involved in all types of emergency response have been using ICS for many years. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard formally adopted the national interagency incident management system (NIIMS) ICS as the response management system of choice in February of 1996. The response to the tank barge North Cape grounding was a complex multiagency effort that brought with it many of the issues and problems responders face when dealing with crisis situations. This paper describes the ICS-based organization that was established to respond to the major North Cape oil spill, analyzes the organization compared to standard ICS, and discusses how the ICS framework and principles contributed to the success of the response. It also explains how closer conformity to standard ICS could have remedied many of the issues that later surfaced as lessons learned, resulting in improved response efficiency. The North Cape response provides a vivid example of how ICS is a helpful management tool that, if rigorously learned and applied in a widespread fashion, can greatly enhance the nation's oil spill response posture.

Taking a Step Back. Exercises as Training Opportunities.

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1055-1058
Author(s):  
Joseph Gleason
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Personnel Turnover ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Response Exercise

ABSTRACT Historically, many response exercises conducted by the United States Coast Guard and other oil spill response stakeholders have been conducted as functional or full-scale exercises. With the increased demands placed on many U.S. agencies as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11’ 2001, there is a greater need than ever to ensure that time spent in training and exercises produces positive and tangible results for the participants. In preparation for the joint US/Canadian response exercise, CANUSLANT 2002, the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards decided to take a step back and look at the lessons learned from previous exercises. Based on this review, the Joint Response Team (JRT) decided to focus CANUSLANT 2002 as a training opportunity and to work on the lessons learned that were repeatedly identified in earlier CANUSLANT exercises. Perhaps the most common exercise conducted in oil spill response is the functional “command post” exercise where exercise participants are assigned to ICS (Incident Command System) staff elements. Participants then respond to an exercise scenario and prescripted injects that are provided to drive participant actions. With personnel turnover, transfers, and increased operational demands, many exercise participants struggle through the crisis phase of an incident scenario and never have the opportunity to learn what it is they are supposed to be doing. When all is said and done, many exercise participants are often simply go home happy that the exercise is over and done with. The goal for CANUSLANT 2002 was to produce an exercise where the participants accomplished something tangible; that long pending issues would be discussed and perhaps even resolved. The Exercise Design Team hoped that the participants walked away from the exercise saying that it was time well spent and not simply thankful that the exercise was over. This paper outlines the factors that led to the success of the CANUSLANT 2002 cross border response exercise. This paper also highlights some of the fundamentals for varying your approach to exercises to achieve tangible results while providing personnel the skills and training required to respond in the event of a real disaster.

scholarly journals Oil Spill Preparedness for Polar Bears in Alaska

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 299530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Majors ◽  
Susanne Miller ◽  
Shannon Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Mutual Aid ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Fish And Wildlife Service ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Oil Spill Response

Oil spill response in the Alaska Arctic can be difficult. Responding to marine mammals which inhabit this area is even more challenging. One of these marine mammals is the polar bear which was listed as a threatened species in 2008. Recognizing the need for improved capabilities, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Alaska Zoo, and Alaska Clean Seas have been working together to improve the capabilities in Alaska. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed the Oil Spill Response Plan for Polar Bears in Alaska which identifies the resources available and response strategies. The Alaska Zoo led an experiment to determine the best method to remove oil from a polar bear hide and conducted a limited test on one of the polar bears at the zoo. Agreements and contracts have been put in place and equipment designed, constructed, and staged on the Alaska North Slope for polar bear response. During the annual North Slope Mutual Aid Drill in 2013, Alaska Clean Seas developed a short scenario to test these capabilities and identify additional improvements. The poster will describe these efforts for continued improvements for oil spill response in the Alaska Arctic.

Responding to Oil Spills Under Ice: Alaska Clean Seas' Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) Training Course

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 300320
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Hall ◽  
Leonard Zabilansky
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Oil Exploration ◽  
Cold Regions ◽  
Training Course ◽  
The North ◽  
Oil Spill Response

The Alaska North Slope region is a demanding operating environment for oil exploration, production and transportation operations. The Arctic Ocean remains frozen for an average of nine months of the year, with only a limited open-water season in the summer. There are long periods of darkness, extremely harsh weather conditions, remote installations and limited infrastructure. As Arctic oil exploration, production and transportation activities expand, there is growing concern about the ability of public and private sector response organizations to effectively clean up oil spills under ice. Alaska Clean Seas (ACS) is the Alaska North Slope oil spill response cooperative based in Prudhoe Bay, AK. ACS oversees the training and coordination of the North Slope Spill Response Team (NSSRT), a volunteer-based organization consisting of personnel from the workforce of ACS' Member Companies and their support contractors. Beginning in January 2012, ACS partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, NH, to develop an Advanced Oil Spill Response in Ice Course. Now in its third year, this partnership has combined the unique facilities, capabilities and ice research history of CRREL with the Arctic response expertise and experience of Alaska Clean Seas to deliver realistic, one-of-a-kind training for recovering oil spilled under ice. Participants have included members of the NSSRT, several federal regulatory agencies and representatives from the Global Response Network. ACS provides response equipment from the North Slope and several vendors have demonstrated additional skimming and pumping systems specifically designed for recovery in ice. Central to the course is CRREL's outdoor saline test basin, a 60′ × 25′ × 7′ refrigerated in-ground tank equipped to grow and maintain a two-foot cover of sea ice. Approximately 600 gallons of Alaska North Slope crude oil are injected under the ice to provide a realistic field scenario to practice response tactics. These tactics include assessment and profiling techniques for safely working on the ice; employing underwater lights and ground penetrating radar for detection of oil under ice; use of augers and chainsaw sleds to cut holes and slots in the ice; deployment of recovery and storage systems to remove oil from an ice environment; and in-situ burning operations in slush and broken ice. This poster highlights the development of the CRREL Training Course and provides guidelines for course content, length, and special considerations for similar advanced field training courses.

Mobile Treatment and Rehabilitation Enclosure (MTRE) for small pinnipeds

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 300054
Author(s):  
Brett Long ◽  
Chip Arnold ◽  
Carrie Goertz ◽  
Lee Majors
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Life Support ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Mutual Aid ◽  
Term Care ◽  
The North ◽  
Care Groups ◽  
North Slope Of Alaska

The North Slope of Alaska is a demanding and harsh environment. Being prepared for an oil spill involving wildlife in this region requires training, innovation, and partnerships. For the past three years animal care groups, industry oil spill response organizations, and federal agencies have been collaborating to prepare for such an event. Protocol development is an essential and initial process to accomplish response goals. In 2011, protocols were developed for the care of oiled affected phocid seals in Alaska, focusing on the need for remote, deployable operations in the arctic. While developing these protocols, authors drew from their experiences caring for pinnipeds at their facility as well as from involvement in the statewide marine mammal stranding network. As the only institution authorized to rehabilitate stranded marine mammals in Alaska, we are uniquely positioned to assist in mitigating risks associated with possible oil exposure to these animals. Finding resources to treat oiled wildlife is a challenge on the North Slope, especially for medium to long term care. With that in mind, we designed and developed a Mobile Treatment and Rehabilitation Enclosure (MTRE). This deployable enclosure and pool with a life support system meets Animal Welfare Act holding specifications for small pinnipeds including harbor seals, spotted seals, ringed seals, and ribbon seals. The enclosure is designed to be assembled by 2 to 4 individuals and ready for use within 12 hours. While it is purpose built for small pinnipeds it would also be appropriate for short term, triage care of other marine mammals such as walrus calves, polar bear cubs, and sea otters. As a test of our oiled pinniped protocols and the MTRE this system was deployed during the mutual aid drill on the North Slope in August of 2013.

Underbalanced Drilling with Coiled Tubing: A Case Study on the Alaskan North Slope, Which Proves the Benefits of Drilling a Straight Hole

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoni Miszewski ◽  
Adam Miszewski ◽  
Richard Stevens ◽  
Matteo Gemignani
Keyword(s):  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Shallow Depth ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Coiled Tubing ◽  
The North ◽  
North Slope Of Alaska ◽  
Minimum Requirements ◽  
Bottom Hole Assembly ◽  
Alaskan North Slope ◽  
Future Work

Abstract A set of 5 wells were to be drilled with directional Coiled Tubing Drilling (CTD) on the North Slope of Alaska. The particular challenges of these wells were the fact that the desired laterals were targeted to be at least 6000ft long, at a shallow depth. Almost twice the length of laterals that are regularly drilled at deeper depths. The shallow depth meant that 2 of the 5 wells involved a casing exit through 3 casings which had never been attempted before. After drilling, the wells were completed with a slotted liner, run on coiled tubing. This required a very smooth and straight wellbore so that the liner could be run as far as the lateral had been drilled. Various methods were considered to increase lateral reach, including, running an extended reach tool, using friction reducer, increasing the coiled tubing size and using a drilling Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) that could drill a very straight well path. All of these options were modelled with tubing forces software, and their relative effectiveness was evaluated. The drilling field results easily exceeded the minimum requirements for success. This project demonstrated record breaking lateral lengths, a record length of liner run on coiled tubing in a single run, and a triple casing exit. The data gained from this project can be used to fine-tune the modelling for future work of a similar nature.

A State's Response to Oil Spill Preparedness How the Texas General Land Office built and maintains one of the premier oil spill response organizations

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 2017031
Author(s):  
Steven Buschang
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
State Response ◽  
General Land Office ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Response Organization ◽  
State Of The Science ◽  
Index Maps

Texas produces nearly twice and much oil as the next highest producing U.S. state and has approximately 3300 miles of sensitive jurisdictional shoreline boarding the second highest area of our nation's oil production, the Gulf of Mexico. It is home to over 27 operating refineries and hosts 3 of the top 10 busiest ports in the nation. Since 1991, the Texas General Land Office (TGLO) has built an oil spill prevention and response program that is arguably the premier state oil spill program in the nation; one that responds 24/7 to over 600 reported spills per year, certifies, audits and inspects over 600 oil handling facilities, administers an abandoned vessel removal program, an oily bilge facility program, and has an ongoing oil spill R&D program and its own state Scientific Support Coordinator, ensuring that prevention, planning and response activities are state of the science. The TGLO produces the Texas Oil Spill Toolkit, now in its 17th edition, which is a spill planning and response resource for the western Gulf of Mexico, and houses a collection of plans and documents in a single, easy to use online/off-line .html format. Plans include up-to-date Area Committee Plans (ACP) and pre-planning documents, all aligned with the National Response Framework (NRF). Included are Regional Response Team VI (RRT) documents and guidance, pre-authorization plans and mapping for alternative spill response, Priority Protection Areas (PPA), Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps (ESI), and site specific Geographic Response Plans (GRP). This paper describes the conception, history and evolution of the building and operation of a state response organization in an era of “less government”.

BEHAVIOR-BASED SAFETY PROCESSES IN ARCTIC OIL SPILL RESPONSE

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 703-705
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Hall ◽  
Walter J. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Safety Plan ◽  
The Face ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Behavior Based ◽  
Field Workers

ABSTRACT The Alaska North Slope region is a challenging operating environment. During spill response operations, worksite hazards are magnified and ensuring safety of response personnel becomes more difficult. In the Incident Management Team, the Safety Officer develops a Site Safety Plan to identify hazards and establish guidelines for safe operations. This information is typically communicated to the field workers when they check-in at the Staging Area or other assigned location. The Site Safety Plan alone, however, fails to address specific behaviors of the personnel that lead to unsafe activities. Behavior-Based Safety Processes fill in this missing piece. The PIRATE Process is an example of behavior-based safety at work. PIRATE - Personal Involvement Reduces Accidents to Everyone - is a fundamental part of the safety culture in the Greater Prudhoe Bay operating area. The March 2006 Gathering Center 2 (GC-2) Transit Line oil spill response presented significant challenges to all involved: extreme weather conditions, congested work areas, spilled oil on frozen lake and tundra environments, and complex field operations competing for personnel and resources. Daily involvement with PIRATE (and similar North Slope Behavior-Based Safety Processes) has made the workforce acutely aware of each individuar'S role in workplace safety, enhancing the overall safety performance of the organization. This poster shows some of the difficulties of a complex arctic oil spill response, and the application of Behavior-Based Safety Processes to enable safe and efficient operations in the face of these challenges.

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