LUKOIL-BUNKER holds oil spill response exercises at port Yaroslavl

LUKOIL-BUNKER on October 28, 2014 successfully completed oil spill emergency response (OSR) drills in the waters of the Volga river, at the 527th km fairway stretch (offshore anchorage of oil tankers, the port of Yaroslavl), the Company told IAA PortNews.

The drills were attended by representatives of Rosmorport's navigation support department, The Volga Basin Authority, Central Yaroslavl branch of state maritime and river transport supervisor Gosmorrechnadzor and Yaroslavl regional department of Russia's EMERCOM.

The OSR drills were aimed at:
- exercising of warning & communications under the OSR Plan;
- exercising of actions of an independent standby emergency response unit of Sea Engineering LLC for confinement and removal of oil spill of the regional significance;
- exercising of interaction between emergency response units of LUKOIL-BUNKER, of Sea Engineering and ECOSPAS (Rescue & Environmental Operations Centre) for confinement and removal of oil spill of the regional significance that may occur while performing bunkering operations by LUKOIL-BUNKER in the area of responsibility the OSR emergency plan (in the harbour of Yaroslavl);
- exercising of the organization of initial actions for spilled oil containment and clean-up by the crew of the vessel;
- exercising of the OSR headquarters deployment to manage the OSR emergency operation of LUKOIL-BUNKER.

The OSR drills involved the following emergency response teams "SHIPKA" and "Nalivnaya, 2406", 10 certified emergency response specialists from teams, a team of 13 of "ECOSPAS", dedicated equipment of ships and rescue units, including: booms, skimmers, vacuum systems, powerboats, sorbents, automotive equipment and other facilities. Sorbent was used to imitate a would-be oil spill debris.

Representatives of the supervisory and regulatory authorities, who attended the exercises, noted the high level of drills, competency of teams and coordinated interaction of rescue units. The OSR scenario organizers have prepared a report on the drills result.