Crisis and Emergency Response

CERP training and exercises

Even with the restrictions created by the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of practical exercises were conducted during the reporting period.

In 2020, we conducted three oil spill exercises in collaboration with OSRL, which were used to test different equipment types and techniques for their use. These included:

• Fast water booming to test our response inland waterway oil spills;

• Vessel-based dispersant simulation, a practice dispersant application to understand the challenges associated with response during COVID-19 pandemic and to increase responders level of competency; and

• Offshore boom to practice deploying offshore oil spill equipment.

In 2021, we identified a minimum set of training requirements for CERP’s IMT to ensure their full preparedness to effectively respond to any emergency. Training using the new requirements was held across all our departments.

The RECSO Table Top Exercise Clean Gulf-1 was successfully conducted on 2nd November 2021. The exercise was coordinated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Dubai Petroleum Establishment (DPE). Other RECSO Members which participated included Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), Wafra Joint Operations (WJO), Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Al Khafji Joint Operations (KJO) and Saudi Aramco. Representatives from the Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre (MEMAC) also participated.

We have also conducted two successful CERP exercises that tested Bapco’s response capabilities at a national level. With the COVID-19 restrictions faced at the time of the exercises, a hybrid system was established with a number of participants in the Bapco Command Center, and others attended remotely or worked from their offices, supporting the team through various means of communication to ensure CERP’s IMT effectively functioned and met the required objectives.