Oil Containment Booms News

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) conducted a multi-agency Joint Oil Spill Exercise (JOSE) yesterday (Friday) to test its abilities to respond to oil spills at sea. A mock collision and oil spill was staged in Singapore waters near Pulau Semakau in a response exercise.More than 250 personnel from 26 agencies participated in JOSE 2018 (please see Annex A for list of agencies), which comprised a table-top exercise at the MPA’s Port Operations Control Centre. During the exercise, agencies deliberated on operational and policy measures to deal with a major oil spill in Singapore waters, and a seaward deployment exercise scenario near Raffles reserved anchorage.The seaward deployment exercise scenario involved a simulated collision between two tanker vessels…

An all new workboat, produced by the Portuguese company SWB, Seismic Workboats, Lda headquartered in Peniche, has been designed and developed by engineering teams from Portugal, England, the U.S. and Norway and built at Peniche Shipyard. The new vessel is the first workboat SWB has produced for oil spill response. In October, the National Maritime Authority in Portimão, Algarve (AMN) carried out a validation test consisting of an exercise for oil spill response in the marine environment, allowing testing and validation of the workboat in multiple scenarios.

The U.S. Coast Guard closed a 15-mile stretch of the Ohio River on Tuesday after at least five thousand gallons of fuel oil spilled from a 60-year-old power plant owned by Duke Energy near Cincinnati, Ohio. The spill occurred late on Monday during a "routine transfer of fuel oil" at the W.C. Beckjord plant in New Richmond, Duke said. It began at 11:15 p.m. and was stopped 15 minutes later. It was not clear if the oil had been contained or if there was any impact on wildlife or drinking water. "We are still assessing the situation and any effects that may occur," a spokeswoman for the company said on Tuesday. Intake for drinking water has been closed on the river, she said.

‘No man is an island.’ Today, the interconnectivity of business can drive opportunity, but those same interactions can significantly affect us and our businesses. Today’s marine businesses have to manage and prepare for the actions of “the other guy” as much as they have to manage their own operations. While businesses often ask their customers, tenants and subcontractors to carry insurance, they often do not carefully delve into insurance specifics to assure that gaps in insurance coverage don’t exist, that limits are adequate, or that they have the right coverage for their operations. To explain some unforeseen liability issues that may occur…

Russia is an energy superpower and the country has vast and rich natural resources. Besides gas and coal reserves (some of the largest in the world), Russia today is ranked as the world’s biggest oil producing nation accounting for well over 12% of the global output. Moreover, the country exports more than 70% of its oil to the world markets. That said, Russia’s output of oil amounts to a third of what collectively the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) produces. The country has relied on oil production for decades, however there has been a notable geographical shift.

Miko introduces new permanent magnet for robust temporary anchor points above or below water. Miko Marine AS of Oslo, Norway, has a new lightweight and compact addition to its range of permanent magnets. The MAM Light possesses exceptional magnetic strength relative to its size and this enables it to bring new benefits to divers, boat crews, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and salvage operators. The MAM-Light is a powerful permanent magnet that weighs just 1.5 kg yet has a holding force of up to 150 kg.

The April 2010 Gulf of Mexico massive oil spill needed immediate external support, expertise, solutions and equipment to assist in the containment and clean-up efforts. Finnish based Lamor Corporation immediately set its action plans into motion and within 36 hours, through its global network, the company airlifted its arsenal of equipment and key personnel to the scene. The blown-out well on the ocean floor off Louisiana threatened the entire ecosystem in the area as well as the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people at a rate of over 5,000 barrels of leaking crude oil per day.

On Nov. 4, The Marine Department co-ordinated an annual joint exercise in the waters off Tsing Lung Garden, Tuen Mun, to test the response and efficiency of government departments and oil companies in handling oil spills. A Marine Department spokesman said the anti-oil pollution exercise, code-named "Oilex 2008", enabled personnel of related organizations to have key functions in dealing with oil spills and individual and team knowledge, skills and capabilities examined. As well as the Marine Department, five government departments, the Civil Aid Service, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Government Flying Service, Police Force…

JOSE 2008 involved a scenario where a very large crude carrier (VLCC), ‘Moon Shadow’ (299,999 dwt), carrying 290,000 tons of light crude oil, was hit by an oil tanker MT (motor tanker), ‘Sun Explorer’ (8,722 dwt), carrying 7,700 tons of marine fuel oil. At that time, the VLCC was leaving the traffic separation scheme to discharge its cargo at Shell SBM. After the collision, the VLCC suffered severe damage to two of its cargo tanks containing 32,310 tons of crude each, while the oil tanker’s bow was damaged. The VLCC leaked around 8,000 tons of crude into the sea, causing potential threat to the environment. The ship master of the VLCC immediately reported the incident to MPA’s Marine Safety Control Centre and requested assistance. The first response craft arrived within 30 minutes.

The M/V Kent Reliant was successfully refloated yesterday at afternoon after a thirteen-day salvage and response operation. The 522-ft. cargo ship, grounded outside San Juan harbor September 18. Titan Maritime salvage company removed most of the fuel oil from the vessel, and oil containment booms were pre-staged in environmentally sensitive areas to ensure minimal impact on the marine environment. Next enough cargo was removed to lighten the vessel so that it could safely be pulled from its grounded position.

The Coast Guard, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the City of Seattle Public Utilities continue to investigate the cause of the patches of light oil sheen that covered parts of of Elliott Bay in Seattle Friday. Federal, State and City of Seattle pollution investigators continued their search throughout the weekend and today for the cause of the oil spill. On Friday oil containment booms and sorbent materials were placed at storm drain outfalls at SW Lander St., and SW Florida St., on Harbor Island, along the West Waterway, as a precautionary measure to capture and collect any oil that may discharge from the drains. Both storm drains were monitored throughout the weekend and no oil was visible inside the booms.