CAN OIL SPILL RESPONSE PLANS BE FUNCTIONAL AND REGULATORY COMPLIANT?

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 1846-1858
Author(s):  
Martin Cramer ◽  
Bridget O’Farrell-Villareal ◽  
Guy Miller ◽  
Niell Irvin ◽  
Phil Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
General Information ◽  
Guidance Document ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT In the event of an oil spill, rapid and effective response actions are the key to minimizing impacts to the environment and local communities. Consequently, oil spill response plans (OSRPs) should be prepared in a user friendly format that maximizes access to crucial information and focuses on the critical first few hours or days of a response. While existing OSRPs are generally adequate, they typically are not organized logically and contain fairly general information that focuses on the overall response rather than the initial stages. For many plan holders the primary, or in some cases the only, objective when preparing OSRPs is obtaining regulatory approval and believe there is little latitude in deviating from the format or content of previously approved plans to make them more functional. Following the 2010 Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico, the American Petroleum Institute (API) sponsored Joint Industry Task Force (JITF) identified the need to enhance the usefulness of OSRPs. A workgroup was convened consisting of representatives from integrated and independent oil companies and spill response planning consultants to develop a guidance document for preparing OSRPs that are highly functional and regulatory compliant. The JITF guidance document includes a detailed OSRP outline that provides the intended purpose and recommended content and format for each section. The primary features include:Information presented in the general order required when responding to an oil spillFocus is on the first 24 hours when guidance is needed the mostKey information is provided in tabular or graphical formats at the front of each sectionInitial responder health and safety issues are addressed that are often missing in OSRPsSimilar information is located in the same section to avoid searching multiple sectionsMore expansive and detailed information, response guidance and specific cleanup strategies are referenced, as appropriate, in other documents The guidelines were designed to be Gulf of Mexico centric with the concepts being applicable to all industry sectors and regions of the world. Similar to the Integrated Contingency Plan concept developed in 1996, they can be adapted to comply with multiple oil spill planning regulations. They were, however, designed specifically to comply with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) 30 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 254 and Notice to Lessees NTL 2012-N06. The draft guidelines were reviewed and well received by BSEE and the few regulatory compliance issues they identified were addressed in the final document. Therefore, it is possible to prepare OSRPs that are both functional and regulatory compliant.

scholarly journals ABSORB: A THREE YEAR UPDATE IN ARCTIC SPILL RESPONSE

1983 ◽  
Vol 1983 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-226
Author(s):  
Sharon O. Hillman ◽  
Richard V. Shafer
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
The Status ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Development Engineering

ABSTRACT In 1979 the petroleum industry formed an oil spill response organization called the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Oilspill Response Body (ABSORB). This group's purpose is to help participating oil companies provide an integrated capability to deal with the possibility of a major oil spill in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. ABSORB and its member companies have maintained a high priority on increasing the state-of-the-art capabilities for effective response during the solid ice season, as reported in earlier conferences. In addition they have worked to identify and fill the data gaps for all season response capabilities. The ongoing research and development engineering projects have complemented this goal, along with the ongoing efforts of the ABSORB staff and member company technical representatives in the areas of equipment selection, purchase, modification and training. This paper briefly reviews the status of ABSORB today in terms of its organization and staffing, facilities and equipment, contingency planning, research and development (R & D), training programs, and response techniques.11,9

DEVELOPING A GUIDELINE FOR OIL SPILL RISK ASSESSMENT AND RESPONSE PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 314-327
Author(s):  
Torild Ronnaug Nissen-Lie ◽  
Odd Willy Brude ◽  
Ole Oystein Aspholm ◽  
Peter Mark Taylor ◽  
David Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Offshore Installations ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT Following the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico (Macondo) oil spill and the 2009 Montara incident in Australia, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) formed the Global Industry Response Group. This Group identified nineteen oil spill response recommendations (OGP, 2011) that are being addressed via an Oil Spill Response Joint Industry Project (OSR-JIP) during 2012–2014. The OSR-JIP is managed by IPIECA on behalf of OGP, in recognition of IPIECA's long-standing experience with oil spill response matters. One of the nineteen recommendations concerned the development of an international guideline for offshore oil spill risk assessment and a method to better relate oil spill response resources to the risk level. Consequently, the OSR-JIP has published a guideline covering oil spill risk assessment and response planning for offshore installations. This paper describes the development and content of the guideline, including how the oil spill risk assessment process provides structured and relevant information to oil spill response planning for offshore operations. The process starts by defining the context of the assessment and describing the activity to be assessed. Thereafter it addresses a series of key questions:What can go wrong, leading to potential release of oil?What happens to the spilled oil?What are the impacts on key environmental - both ecological and socio-economic - receptors?What is the risk for environmental damage?How is the established risk utilised in oil spill response planning? The guideline draws on existing good practices in the determination of oil spill response resources. It promotes consideration, in tactical and logistical detail, of the preferred and viable response strategies to address scenarios covering the range of potential oil spills up to the most serious. The methodology to evaluate the potential spill scenarios utilizes a series of questions:What are the viable techniques/strategies to deliver response with greatest net environment benefit?What are the tactical measures required to implement the identified response strategies, considering technical, practical and safety factors?What Tiered resources are required to mount the tactical measures and achieve effective response? The paper summarizes the useful tools, key information and the necessary level of detail essential to perform an oil spill risk assessment for use in oil spill response planning.

WILDLIFE RESPONSE: PART OF THE PLAN

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 349-352
Author(s):  
Curt Clumpner
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Seasonal Behavior ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Efficient Management ◽  
Wildlife Rehabilitation ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT When an oil spill impacts wildlife, the success of the wildlife response often depends on the quality of the preplanning and the responders ability to manage the factors that they can control. While factors such as season and weather, seasonal behavior and lifecycle stages of wildlife cannot be controlled, training of personal, equipment caches and pre-identifying facilities can have a huge influence on the success or failure or a wildlife response. Effective planning prior to the event is the only way to assure maximum preparedness and effective response. Wildlife response planning has become a key component of oil spill preparedness and response. With the recent publication of the IPIECA Report: A Guide to Oiled Wildlife Response Planning, planning for wildlife response has become an accepted and expected component of any oil spill contingency plan. Depending on available resources, appropriate response strategies may include any of a variety of tools: assessing impacts, use of dispersants, protective booming, hazing, wildlife rehabilitation and euthanasia. A good wildlife plan should address each of these issues and provide the information and guidance to necessary for responders to make appropriate and timely decisions that will maximize the success execution of the plan and the objectives of the specific response. This paper will outline the components necessary in a good wildlife plan within a framework that should be familiar to oil spill response planners. It will include a strategy section, an action section and a data section. As with every other phase of the response there are a variety of factors that affect the success of the wildlife plan. These include efficient management of all resources including the human resources, equipment and facilities. Quick initiation of the operations is critical to minimize the time between oiling of animals when they are collected and rehabilitation initiated. This paper will provide a framework for planners or responders with little or no wildlife experience to assist them in planning for the wildlife component within the overall response.

TRACKING BUOYS FOR OIL SPILLS

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron H. Goodman ◽  
Debra Simecek-Beatty ◽  
Don Hodgins
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Positioning Errors ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
And Training ◽  
Selection Of

ABSTRACT The use of tracking buoys in oil spill response, planning, and training and criteria for the selection of these buoys were studied in conjunction with an experiment conducted in the Gulf of Mexico during March 1994 on the relative motions of several oil spill drifter buoys. For the test, wood chips and cottonseed hulls were used to simulate the motion of the oil. Six different types of buoys and three different positioning and tracking systems, in various combinations, were tested. The first day of the program was conducted in Galveston Bay, the second in the Gulf of Mexico off Galveston. Significant differences were noted in the movements of the various buoys. Analysis of the data from these experiments suggests that tracking of the buoys should occur for a longer time period than in the experiments in order to reduce the influence of positioning errors.

scholarly journals New Risk-Based Framework for Oil Spill Response Planning Requirements – Ports and Oil Terminals – A Brazilian Study Case

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Cochrane Esteves ◽  
Anna Carolina Pereira ◽  
Rodrigo Zapelini Possobon ◽  
Gustavo Xavier
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Task Force ◽  
International Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Response Capability

Abstract In 2000, Brazil experienced its most relevant oil spill accident until today: 1.3 thousand cubic meters (c.m.) of crude oil were leaked from a pipeline to the waters of Guanabara Bay, in Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, in 2001 the Government implemented a federal legislation requiring oil spill response plans (OSRP) which was strongly inspired in the United States requirement for ports and terminals. In 2016, an interdisciplinary task force was initiated to improve this legislation. Thus, a new risk-based framework was developed in order to better engage some of the environmental and social-economical complexities of Brazil as adequate inputs for the oil spill response planning process. This methodology was expanded from the guidelines published by International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP). First, the concept of sensitive receptors were introduced to describe any valuable element that can be harmed by the spill. These were selected from environmental sensitivities, protection areas, wildlife occurrence, human occupation, tourism and fisheries, among others. These criticalities were categorized in five classes using an oil slick forecast modelling results for different spill volumes such as the minimum time to reach these receptors and oiling probability. After this, they were associated with certain spill volumes, resulting in three possible requirement levels. Consequently, the minimum response capability demand for the facility is calculated, as well as tactical and logistics plans. This new approach not only optimizes the allocation of first response equipment at the highest risk spots, but also regulates the sharing of these capabilities when there is a concentration of these facilities. In this paper, this methodology was applied to a major oil terminal located in a high sensitivity area at Ilha Grande Bay, in Rio de Janeiro. The worst-case scenario was around 6.923 c.m., which allowed the identification of 116 vulnerable receptors. Of these, 02 were identified as having high criticality and, therefore, were prioritized for response planning. The minimum nominal response capability was estimated as being equal to 4.760 m3/day for full deployment condition after the initial 60 hours. This value is about 25% higher than that predicted in facility's existing OSRP. However, with the application of resource sharing rules, the amount of equipment staged on site is equal to only 1298 m3/d, allowing a significant optimization due to logistics processes after the initial 24h.

Oil Spill Response Planning in Developing Countries

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 497-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Local Area ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Planning Strategy ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Response Organization ◽  
Regional Basis ◽  
A Company

ABSTRACT Standards adopted in North America, Europe, and by most major oil companies are being broadly applied to regions around the globe that have either not developed their own standards or have standards that allow for a broad range of interpretation. An umbrella plan allows a company or agency to document policies, overall response organization and operations, and regulatory compliance. The site-specific plans are the hands-on, operational guides to initial responders. The planning strategy of using combined umbrella plans and local area plans is now in use on projects in Africa, Russia, Middle East, and SE Asia. If applied consistently on a regional basis, the resulting plan framework can provide companies and governments with detailed tactical plans in many developing parts of the world.

scholarly journals MIRG ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENT: AN OIL SPILL RESPONSE PLANNING TOOL FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO

1983 ◽  
Vol 1983 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-181
Author(s):  
June Lindstedt-Siva ◽  
Bart J. Baca ◽  
Charles D. Getter
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Industry Group ◽  
Sensitive Areas ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Marine Industry ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Environmental Element ◽  
Spilled Oil

ABSTRACT Several companies involved in the marine transportation of petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico have established the Marine Industry Group (MIRG). MIRG has funded two oil spill contingency planning information projects for the Gulf of Mexico. The Resources and Logistics Element identifies the location and accessibility of cleanup equipment in the area of interest. The Environmental Element describes Gulf of Mexico environments, identifies biologically and socioeconomically sensitive areas, and includes countermeasure considerations. This paper examines the environmental element of the MIRG project. The purpose of this element is to provide environmental information on the Gulf of Mexico coastline in a form that can easily be used during an oil spill emergency. The information covers both U.S. and Mexican nearshore waters and coastal areas and is specific enough to provide meaningful guidance to spill response personnel. The environmental element is divided into two volumes. Volume I is an environmental overview of the Gulf of Mexico, including physical processes that influence the movement of spilled oil, a description of Gulf of Mexico environments, an analysis of possible spill impacts, and spill cleanup considerations for each type of environment. Volume II is divided into regional sections. Each section includes overview maps of the area covered, detailed maps of identified sensitive areas, and accompanying data sheets which include reasons for sensitivity, access and possible launch points for equipment, and countermeasure considerations. These volumes are designed to function as field manuals during spills as well as reference documents for spill response planning.

THE HASBAH 6 (SAUDI ARABIA) BLOWOUT: THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL OIL SPILL AS EXPERIENCED IN QATAR

1983 ◽  
Vol 1983 (1) ◽  
pp. 381-388
Author(s):  
Joseph A.C.M. van Oudenhoven
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Task Force ◽  
The State ◽  
Oil Well ◽  
Mutual Aid ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Neutrally Buoyant ◽  
Oil Company

ABSTRACT An oil well blowout in the Gulf lasted only eight days; however, the resultant oil spill threatened neighboring coasts for as long as two months. On windy days, nearly neutrally buoyant oil slicks approaching the Qatar coasts seemed to disappear, but they soon surfaced again whenever the weather improved. Qatar, suddenly faced with a very unusual spill, did not have an oil spill response plan. Throughout the emergency, therefore, valuable time was lost discussing the appropriate measures and setting protection priorities. Often, any understanding of the nature of the problems involved was lacking. Although most beaches became covered with the tar-like substance, a small task force from the state oil company, supported by a few foreign advisers, was able to protect all the important water intakes. Examples are given of how general principles were adapted to the specific local circumstances; for instance, lagoons were used to trap and handle the oil, and discarded SBM hoses served as breakwaters. To ensure an environmentally responsible cleaning operation, the few personnel available were provided with lists of “do's and don'ts.” The effectiveness of various approaches to dispose of collected oil is discussed. A framework for an oil spill contingency plan for Qatar has been developed and a government environmental committee set up. The oil companies’ mutual aid organization, put to the test, revealed weak areas, such as transboundary and communication problems, forcing the partners to review the organization. To enhance in-house response, the state oil company purchased spill-response equipment and is considering hands-on training of emergency crews. The valuable experience gained during this emergency should be used to improve future spill preparedness.

International Ice Services’ Planning for an Arctic Oil Spill Response

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 1166-1181
Author(s):  
CDR Gabrielle G. McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Council ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Contact Information ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT 2017-382 Formed in 1999, the International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG) is a consortium of the ice services from all over the world. The operational ice services representing nations from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, including all eight Arctic Council nations, come together with a common goal of promoting cooperation between the world’s ice centers on all matters concerning sea ice and icebergs. In 2013, the IICWG began to focus on how the ice services can support an emergency response in ice-laden waters. This focus was on providing current and forecasted information on sea ice and iceberg conditions in the area of the incident as well as for the shipping routes approaching the area. With rapidly changing sea ice, ice information would be critical to planning an effective response. The IICWG formed a partnership with the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF) and Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) in 2015 to expand the awareness of the ice services and their capabilities to the oil companies and oil spill removal organizations. In 2016, the IICWG conducted an unannounced emergency notification exercise to validate the contact information for each of the ice services. In an effort to ensure responders would be able to access the most accurate contact information, IICWG published this ice services’ contact list worldwide in classification society periodicals. The preparations of these nations culminated in a Tabletop Exercise at the group’s annual meeting in October 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The exercise scenario involved a major oil spill response in ice-infested waters with participants from the ice services, maritime users, satellite data providers, and OSRL. The lessons learned from this exercise will prepare all of the ice services for a coordinated oil spill response. The IICWG also collaborated with the Arctic Council Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Working Group for future exercises and planning.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document