The Oil Industry International Oil Spill Response Centres: What Future?¹

Over the years the oil industry has invested significantly in strategically placed oil spill response centres and continues to fund them. Oil spill response strategy has historically been based around the tiered response structure which favours these stockpiles. When first positioned, the major risks were in oil tanker traffic and the headline accidents, with major oil company names attached, warranted their future

A number of the oil majors have since moved out of shipping and the services provided have changed from the simple “fire station” service to the delivery of a range of training, consultancy and other services. This increases awareness and helps mitigate the impact of spills, but also changes the nature and expectations of the centres. A similar change in the end user, with ever greater need to protect major exploration, production and development programmes inevitably shifts the requirement to a need for more substantive tier two facilities close to these locations.

Does this shift in requirements necessitate a shift in the thinking regarding the international tier 3 centres, should they continue in their current format or is more change needed?

This paper explores these issues and looks in detail at what changes could come about and how they could add value. The paper analyses the cost and value of current global populace of the centres and attempts to quantify the benefit of change to the industry.