Industry News

Updated marine spill preparedness and response good practice guides published

More details from: https://www.iogp.org/bookstore/ product/incident-manage ment-systems/

In partnership with Ipieca, IOGP has released updated marine spill preparedness and response good practice guides. This Ipieca-IOGP series aims to align practices, inform stakeholders, and promote awareness and education on marine spill preparedness and response. The new releases are IOGP-Ipieca Reports 517 – Incident Management System for the oil and gas industry, 515 – Oil spill exercises, and 480 – Oil spill responder health and safety.

Incident Management System for the oil and gas industry

An Incident Management System (IMS) is essential for optimizing response times, providing clarity in command and control, improving resource coordination, and facilitating the cooperation and integration of responding organizations.

This document introduces the structure of an IMS to stakeholders, such as contractors, governmental entities, and response agencies, who may be asked to provide expertise, assistance, or response resources during an emergency+

Oil spill excercises

A well designed and implemented oil spill exercise programme enables personnel to simulate emergency response actions in a controlled, low-risk setting, providing the opportunity to assess and improve plans, responsibilities, and coordination.

This document is for those responsible for ensuring that oil spill contingency plans are practiced and verified, providing guidance on developing a programme that meets an organization’s or facility’s requirements.

Oil spill responder health and safety

When there is an oil spill, the health and safety of everyone, including the public and responders, are of the highest importance.

This document focuses on practical and technical safety considerations when responding to an oil spill. It identifies the main health and safety issues, their severity, and the practical steps needed to minimise the impact of the spill.

Another step forward for renewable liquid fuel as Government’s amendment is passed

More details at: https://oilinstaller.co.uk/2023/09/another-step-forward-for-renewable-liquid-fuel-as-governments-amendment-is-passed/

The most significant piece of energy legislation in a generation, the Energy Bill, was debated in parliament on Tuesday and the government’s amendment regarding the creation of a Renewable Liquid Heating Fuel Obligation was passed without objection.

The amendment (new clause 63) mirrors proposals put forward by former environment secretary George Eustice in response to the industry’s (primarily OFTEC and UKIFDA) Future Ready Fuels campaign and paves the way for the removal of the financial barriers to rural homeowners making the switch to renewable liquid fuels such as HVO.

In a joint statement on the renewable liquid heating fuel amendment to the Energy Bill, Paul Rose, Chief Executive of OFTEC, and Ken Cronin, Chief Executive of UKIFDA, said:

“Following the conclusion of the Energy Bill’s Report Stage on Tuesday evening, we are pleased that a renewable liquid heating fuel amendment to the Energy Bill, proposed by the new DESNZ Secretary of State, Claire Coutinho, following support

from more than 30 MPs from across the political divide who supported George Eustice’s amendments on rural decarbonisation, has been accepted.

“Rural communities deserve to have a range of options to decarbonise their homes which reflect their view on affordability and level of acceptable disruption. The provision of a drop-in replacement renewable liquid fuel provides a clear pathway to achieving decarbonisation quickly.

“This amendment will require the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero to deliver a consultation on a renewable liquid heating fuel obligation within 12 months of the Bill receiving Royal Assent.

“We will work closely with the Department to make this happen and also to meet the clear wishes of many MPs expressed yesterday to ensure this process is delivered as quickly as possible and well within that timeframe.”

The bill returned to the Lords in September before progressing to Royal Assent.

Marine Spill & Plastic Pollution Conference

Speakers:

Oil Spill Response Ltd, ITOPF, Cedre, University of Plymouth, University of Portsmouth, FIDRA, Oracle Environmental, Flora and Fauna International, Socotec, Sustainable Oil Recovery and Remediation - And more to come Alternative Fuels Panellists from: Blue Tack Marine, BP, Cedre, ITOPF, Oil; Spill Response, Lloyds Register, Harwich Harbour Authority, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and more to come.

International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) - Monday, May 13Thursday, May 16, 2024. New Orleans, Louisiana

The International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) provides a vital forum for professionals from the international spill response community, private sector, government, and non-governmental organizations to come together to tackle the greatest challenges facing us with sound science, practical innovation, social engineering, global research, and imagination.

The International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) provides a vital forum for professionals from the international response community, private sector, government, and non-governmental organizations to come together to tackle the greatest challenges facing us with sound science, practical innovation, social engineering

and imagination. This conference is an ideal environment for government agencies, contractors, researchers, industry, and other stakeholders to work together toward mutual objectives through the exchange of ideas and lessons learned from actual spill responses and research around the world.

IOSC will celebrate its 25th Anniversary and look back at how far the industry has come and continue innovation in oil spill response.

The following Association members are attending: Darcy, Oil Spill Response, Vikoma and Interspill.

To register:https://www.iosc.org/registration/registration

The conference programme is at: https://www.iosc.org/program/full-program

More details at: https://www.iosc.org

Interspill 2025

Whilst much will focus on IOSC in 2024 in the short term, preparation for the next event in the Triennial series is Interspill 2025 to be held at London Excel from 8 – 10 April 2025.

Europe’s premier event for oil spill research, prevention, preparedness, response and restoration reveals new dates, venue, website and organising partner for its 10th edition and 25th anniversary year in 2025.

Interspill Ltd, the owners of Interspill – a triennial event that unites international stakeholders involved in marine spill research, prevention, preparedness, response and restoration – made a series of announcements pertaining to their 2025 show:

Interspill 2025 will take place in London at the world-class venue, ExCeL London.

The event’s three-day Exhibition, Conference and Supporting Programme (of educational, innovation and networking content) will be staged from 8-10 April 2025.

A new event website has been launched at www.interspill.org.

Five Senses Media Ltd (experienced UK-based organisers of international events) have been appointed as the official event management partner for Interspill 2025.

Interspill Ltd Director, Mark Orr said:

“We are thrilled to start the New Year with these exciting announcements; they combine to ensure the road to Interspill 2025 starts from the strongest possible platform. Our last event in Amsterdam 2022 was a great success. It reminded the industry of the huge value of coming together, face-to-face to affect positive change. Interspill 2025 will be a landmark edition in so many ways; we are aiming for record participation from exhibitors, sponsors and attending delegates. We are delighted to be working with the vastly experienced team at Five Senses Media and to have secured dates at ExCeL London, a world-class venue. Our new website is live, our Conference Committee are honing cutting-edge content themes and leading international brands have already booked their stands.”

Five Senses Media Ltd Commercial Director and Interspill 2025 Event Director, Tom Treverton, said:

“It’s an honour for Five Senses Media to be appointed as the official event management partner for Interspill 2025. This is a unique influential triennial occasion, with a rich legacy and an important future. The hard work is well underway, with market-leading companies securing their stands. It’s been a privilege to have already met so many inspiring people and companies. The industry’s passion for and commitment to this event is remarkable, and we are fully focussed on ensuring this is both harnessed and reflected within our delivery of a momentous, world class 2025 edition.”

Launched in 2000, the 2025 event will be both the 10th edition and 25th anniversary year of the influential event. For over two decades, Interspill has provided an unparalleled European-based live platform, which draws together leading specialists from

across the globe to engender positive change and champion industry best practises, via its internationally recognised Exhibition, Conference and supporting programme of Science & Innovation workshops, training seminars and collaboration concepts. Previous editions have been staged in The Netherlands, France, Norway and the UK. For more introductory info see www.interspill.org/2025/about-interspill/story-and-purpose.

IMO agrees new guidance for safe transport of plastic pellets on ships

The IMO is advancing efforts to ensure the safe transport of plastic pellets transported on ships, which can cause damage to the marine environment if released into the sea.

Meeting from 19 to 23 February at IMO Headquarters in London, IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 11) agreed draft recommendations for the carriage of plastic pellets by sea, along with draft guidelines for cleaning up plastic pellet spills from ships.

The draft recommendations for the carriage of plastic pellets by sea in freight containers include the following actions:

Plastic pellets should be packed in good quality packaging which should be strong enough to withstand the shocks and loadings normally encountered during transport. Packaging should be constructed and closed to prevent any loss of contents which may be caused under normal conditions of transport, by vibration or acceleration forces.

Transport information should clearly identify those freight containers containing plastic pellets. In addition, the shipper should supplement the cargo information with a special stowage request requiring proper stowage.

Freight containers containing plastic pellets should be properly stowed and secured to minimize the hazards to the marine envi-

ronment without impairing the safety of the ship and persons on board. Specifically, they should be stowed under deck wherever reasonably practicable, or inboard in sheltered areas of exposed decks.

These recommendations, which aim to prevent a spill of pellets occurring, will be submitted for urgent consideration and approval by the Marine Environment Protection Committee at its next meeting in March 2024 (MEPC 81).

I think many had hoped that these recommendation would go further BUT they are a positive start.

The MEPC is likely to agree these first steps. As ever the key is in the wording and in our opinion should be stronger. The shipping lobby have toned down the language in the first recommendation to make it ‘normal conditions of transport’ . The most visible source of plastic nurdles is containers falling off the ships which this does not cover.,

However there are other matters in train related to the Plastic Treaty which is moving positively forward and the EU’s own guidance that promises to tighten usage and outlawing most single use plastic.

There is reason to be optimistic!

More details at: https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/Pages/WhatsNew-2043.aspx

Oxford roadmap launched to manage plastic waste

Oxford researchers have published a vision for a sustainable , circular economy of plastics. The researchers from Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Plastics at University of Oxford have outline ambitious targets to help deliver a sustainable and net zero plastic economy. In their paper published in Nature, the authors argue for a rethinking of the technical, economic and policy paradigms that have entrenched the status-quo, one of rising carbon emissions and uncontrolled pollution.

Currently the global plastics system results on 1 Gigatonne per annum (Gt/annum) of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions which is the same as the total combined emissions of Europe’s three largest economies (UK,, Germany and France). If left unchecked these emissions could rise to 4-5 Gt/annum. A further problem is the lack of recycling. In 2019 only 9% of the world plastic waste was turned into new products through mechanical recycling. The majority ended up in landfills or was incinerated and a significant proportion was mismanaged, ending up polluting terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

For more detail:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-02-01-oxford-scientists-launch-ambitious-roadmap-circular-carbon-plastics-economy#:~:text=Oxford%20scientists%20launch%20ambitious%20roadmap%20for%20a%20circular%20carbon%20plastics%20economy,-Mathematical%2C%20Physical%20and&text=Researchers%20from%20the%20Oxford%20Martin,and%20net%20zero%20 plastic%20economy.

Tobago IDs Tug and Barge in Oil Spill as Search for Missing Tug

Officials in Tobago announced that they have identified a tug that is believed to have been moving the barge that later capsized causing the national emergency and still growing oil disaster onshore and in the Caribbean Sea. The information is similar

to an independent investigation that determined it was an articulated tug and barge system that foundered with the barge coming to rest upside down lodged on a reef just offshore at the southwestern end of the island.

The Ministry of National Security reports that its Coast Guard has reviewed video footage, satellite images, and other material, as well as working with multiple agencies and others including the Guyana

Coast Guard. As a result, they identified the tug which is missing at this point as well as revised their earlier reports to say the capsized vessel is an unpowered fuel barge that was being taken to Guyana.

They believe the tug Solo Creed (registered in Tanzania) operating out of Panama was towing the barge named Gulfstream. The tug had departed Panama in January and made a stop in Aruba and according to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard satellite images showed the tug towing an object approaching the area around Tobago on February 4. They were able to track the vessel into the country’s

territorial waters, but eventually lost radar contact with both vessels. The oil slick and capsized vessel were first spotted on February 7.

The Equasis database lists the owners of the tug as unknown. They show the vessel as being built in 1976 but list it under a former name of Margie V. The tug was reported sold in the summer of 2023.

The authorities in Guyana confirmed that the tug and barge did not arrive as anticipated. Officials in Tobago continue to work with the various agencies and international authorities to locate the tug and its owners.

Understanding the fate and behaviours of Low Sulphur Fuel Oils Continues

Ship accidents can result in oil spills, causing time consuming and costly response operations. Successful oil spill response, using adequate equipment and methods, may reduce the impacts on environment and affected coastal communities. In recent years a new generation of fuel oils, LSFOs, are posing new risks and challenging oil spill responders. The proposed project is based on identified gaps in response technology and methods identified by the IMAROS project. The current project proposal is focused on two main challenges:

• Improve understanding of oil spill behaviour of LSFOs, and consequently decision making on all levels of response operations

• Improve capacities of mechanical recovery and shoreline response Data will be collected across Europe to improve risk perception and ensure representative collection of oil samples for the project. Characterization of the samples’ physical and chemical properties will be carried out to improve the knowledge of oil behaviour when spilled into the environment. The results are used to assess different response options, and as input to modelling of oil properties and drift.

Previously observed problems with oil recovery will be addressed in three separate trial periods. Equipment manufacturers are invited to participate in recovery trails under controlled conditions in test facilities in Norway and Finland, to identify promising approaches to recover oils with adverse properties. Shoreline response to LSFOs will be addressed, regarding oil behaviour, environmental impacts, and clean-up techniques. The activities cover laboratory and meso-scale experiments, as well as practical trails of cleaning techniques. The project consortium consists of both operational and scientific personnel and will synthetize the results from all work packages to general conclusions and operational guidelines.