17 December 2008
Muscat -- Various government agencies, several national and regional non-governmental organisations and multiple private companies were summoned to action in the last two days in an exercise to test the nation's oil-spill response capabilities. The exercise, which tested the recently revised National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) and the Marine Operations Contingency Plan of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), was based on a made-up scenario in which a submerged oil pipeline springs a leak while a tanker is being loaded at Mina Al Fahal.
The scenario involved a significant release of crude oil into the sea, making it what is termed a "Tier 3" oil-spill emergency. The last such exercise took place four years ago.
Colonel Suleiman Al Busaidy, superintendent general of pollution control in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA), said: "The exercise was deliberately based on a worst-case scenario that tested how well the various government agencies involved worked not only with one another but also with non-government agencies within Oman as well as internationally. An exercise such as this one is important, because it helps establish what the communication and coordination strengths and weaknesses of the multiple national agencies involved are."
According to the NOSCP, any Tier 3 emergency requires the National Committee for Civil Defence (NCCD) to be mobilised to formulate the government response strategy. The NCCD provides ministerial-level authority and direction for responses to national-level emergencies.
Government agencies that took part in the exercise were: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Health, Muscat Municipality as well as the Royal Air Force of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Yacht and Royal Oman Police Coastguard. Once the exercise reached Tier-3 status, operational control of the response effort lay with the Pollution Operations Centre of MECA.
PDO provided technical assistance and operational support during the exercise, which started as local emergency before escalating to Tier-3 status. The exercise also tested the international support for oil-spill containment and clean-up efforts PDO can draw upon through its association with the Regional Clean Seas Organisation.
Johnson Awe, PDO's corporate emergency management coordinator, said: "A lot of realism was introduced into the exercise, to truly test the response capabilities of PDO, the government and other parties."
Overall, the response went reasonably well. A few areas have been identified which will need some improvements across the board. PDO's Corporate Security and Emergency Response Manager Mohammed Al Ghareebi regarded the event a great success.
"As a result of the exercise, the many parties that would be involved in a real emergency of this nature have learned some valuable lessons. And they have already started implementing improvements to their emergency procedures.
"The exercise provides clear evidence of the joint commitment of both the Government of Oman and PDO to maintain an effective system for responding to national emergencies."
The scenario involved a significant release of crude oil into the sea, making it what is termed a "Tier 3" oil-spill emergency. The last such exercise took place four years ago.
Colonel Suleiman Al Busaidy, superintendent general of pollution control in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA), said: "The exercise was deliberately based on a worst-case scenario that tested how well the various government agencies involved worked not only with one another but also with non-government agencies within Oman as well as internationally. An exercise such as this one is important, because it helps establish what the communication and coordination strengths and weaknesses of the multiple national agencies involved are."
According to the NOSCP, any Tier 3 emergency requires the National Committee for Civil Defence (NCCD) to be mobilised to formulate the government response strategy. The NCCD provides ministerial-level authority and direction for responses to national-level emergencies.
Government agencies that took part in the exercise were: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Health, Muscat Municipality as well as the Royal Air Force of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Yacht and Royal Oman Police Coastguard. Once the exercise reached Tier-3 status, operational control of the response effort lay with the Pollution Operations Centre of MECA.
PDO provided technical assistance and operational support during the exercise, which started as local emergency before escalating to Tier-3 status. The exercise also tested the international support for oil-spill containment and clean-up efforts PDO can draw upon through its association with the Regional Clean Seas Organisation.
Johnson Awe, PDO's corporate emergency management coordinator, said: "A lot of realism was introduced into the exercise, to truly test the response capabilities of PDO, the government and other parties."
Overall, the response went reasonably well. A few areas have been identified which will need some improvements across the board. PDO's Corporate Security and Emergency Response Manager Mohammed Al Ghareebi regarded the event a great success.
"As a result of the exercise, the many parties that would be involved in a real emergency of this nature have learned some valuable lessons. And they have already started implementing improvements to their emergency procedures.
"The exercise provides clear evidence of the joint commitment of both the Government of Oman and PDO to maintain an effective system for responding to national emergencies."
© Times of Oman 2008
