When tasked with a topic regarding oil spills, CAPP always says that the number one priority is their prevention. However, as an industry, they really want to co-op with other various operators, as well as with response organizations in order to guarantee that they have a completely robust oil spillage response regime.
During the course of the year, operators regularly carry out training regarding oil spill response with their vessel teams along with the personnel that work offshore. Team work provides the great opportunity for all to come together and work closely with other operators, as well as with various oil spill response organizations.
Oil and Gas Canada says:
"Thank you very much for participating in the Synergy oil spill counter-measures exercise that is being performed today. This is a truly important day for Suncor, as well as for all of the other operators, and Suncor is hosting this exercise on behalf of Hibernia, Husky, and Statoil.
So, are they to do a loop now, we got it in the water there, is that the plan ?…
Well, yep. Yes, so what they basically are going to do is the vessel will start moving, thus allowing the boom to kind of open up and form that nice U-formation. And then they will be deploying the skimmer out into the open water.
Engaging in this co-op effort with the other operators enables us to make absolutely sure that our oil response programs are functional, as well as effective. This way we can also learn a lot from each other and thus make sure that the very best of the best management practices are being employed.
This Synergy exercise is very important and essential to us because it serves as a demonstration of our ability to deploy the necessary equipment in the safest and and most effective manner. You simply can’t deploy oil spill equipment in a mere five minutes time. It is a very precise process that takes a fair share of your time to do it properly. It is important to us to make absolutely sure that we do not hurt anybody and that we can manage to have equipment that will be capable of responding accordingly in a spillage situation.
This way we not only demonstrate our work, but we also get to acquire and spread a lot of know-how of the industry and this way we can continuously improve our oil spillage response capability here on the East coast. So, again, if you happen to have any suggestions whatsoever regarding the matter at hand, please feel free to pass them along.
Oil spill response is something we focus and work on every single day. Through the use and employing of regular training of ship crews, equipment maintenance and various drills and exercises, it is an ongoing activity for us. And we’ve made it this way so that we can be assured that our teams are fully capable of handling any offshore spill that may or may not occur."