Saudi Aramco carries out oil spill response readiness exercise

Saudi Aramco’s Ain Dar 3, crewed by members of the company’s Marine Department and a special team of oil spill response engineers recently carried out the deployment and testing of oil spill response equipment in the open water.

The exercise, designed by Khalid Al Harbi, the Arabian Gulf Regional Oil Spill Response Co-ordinator, had four main objectives: collaborating with a primarily consumer on protecting the environment; testing equipment transportation from Khafji to Tanajib Pier; sharing knowledge and expertise; and full equipment deployment.

Support from the Petroleum Association of Japan

This drill, one of many undertaken each year, marked the first time the Petroleum Association of Japan (PAJ) oil spill response equipment was used on Saudi Aramco vessels. The PAJ is an industry group of 14 oil refiners and petroleum distributors in Japan.  

“Exercises such as this are very important to us because Saudi Aramco is the largest single source of petroleum imports,” said Masami Kato, General Manager of PAJ’s Oil Spill Response and Industry Support Department.

Beginning in the early 1990s, the PAJ established five storage locations to keep ready to use oil spill response equipment in oil producing countries, as well as along maritime petroleum shipping routes called the Oil Road.

Emergency preparedness

The equipment is designed to be used during an emergency by producers that provide substantial amounts of hydrocarbon products to Japan. 

Edited from various sources by Cecilia Rehn

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/offshore-and-subsea/16032015/saudi-aramco-carries-out-oil-spill-response-readiness-exercise/