Tag: drilling

Oil Recovery System The Coast Guard conducted pollution response training for the deployment of the Spilled Oil Recovery System, Wednesday,in Pensacola Bay.Members from the Eighth Coast Guard District Response Advisory Team, Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team and Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala.,deployed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Cypress, a 225-foot seagoing buoy tender homeported in Mobile, for the exercise, which is aimed at testing and improving the Coast Guard's ability to assemble and deploy the Cypress'SORS to recover surface oil from the water after a spill or release.SORS is an over-the-side, single-ship recovery system, designed to be used on a Coast Guard buoy tender for response to a maritime environmental emergency.The exercise will coincide with the Cypress' annual oil-spill response training that will test the crew's proficiency at operating the SORS equipment."This annual training and deployment exercise is required under the National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program Guidelines," said Todd Peterson, Eighth Coast Guard District DRAT."PREP incorporates the exercise requirements from Oil Pollution Act of1990 and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and is ultimately designed to improve response plans and response systems."Each SORS consists of two of the following:A Desmi Floating Terminator Weir Skimmer with control stand to recover ...

Based on the mock scenario of NYK containership NYK Themis being involved in a serious accident NYK, NYK Group South Asia Pte. Ltd (NGSA), and NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd (NYKSM) conducted an accident-response drill on November 15 based on the mock scenario of NYK containership NYK Themis being involved in a serious accident. NGSA is a Singapore-based subsidiary that manages NYK's container business, and NYKSM is the NYK Group's Singapore-based ship-management company,The scenario had NYK containership NYK Themis (gross tonnage: 76,928 tons) departing from the port of Singapore, proceeding eastward to enter the Singapore Strait's traffic separation lanes, and then colliding with a containership arriving at the port of Singapore. The collision left a hole in the rear starboard of the NYK vessel's hull, and about 300 tons of oil then leaked from the hole. The following actions were then taken:(1) Based on the assumption that NYK Themis had been in a serious accident, NYK, NGSA, and NYKSM established a crisis management headquarters in response to an urgent report sent to NYKSM from the vessel.(2) The crisis management headquarters reported information about the accident to the local port authority and responded to the incident to minimize the damage and control ...

To test responses in combating oil pollution in Hong Kong waters A joint annual anti-oil pollution exercise, codenamed Oilex 2011, was held last week off Tai Wan To, Lamma Island, to test responses in combating oil pollution in Hong Kong waters.Under the Maritime Oil Spill Response Plan, the Marine Department co-ordinated the exercise, in which other government departments including the Auxiliary Medical Services, Civil Aid Service, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Government Flying Service and Hong Kong Police Force as well as oil companies took part.During the exercise, response groups contained a mock oil spill from a beached product tanker carrying 5,200 tonnes of fuel oil which posed threats to the cooling water intakes of Lamma Power Station, Hung Shing Yeh and Lo So Shing beaches, and Sham Wan in the south of Lamma Island, which is a nesting site for Green Turtles.In the wake of the "spillage", the oil combat teams set up a ring of floating barrier booms around the tanker while the shipowner's salvage teams plugged an underwater gash of the tanker. A second defence line of barrier booms was also rigged on the power station's cooling water intakes and on the shorelines near the stranded tanker. ...

Preparations for a worst-case-scenario close to US coasts The U.S. Coast Guard continues to work closely with federal, state and local agencies as well as maritime industry officials to update contingency plans to ensure readiness to respond to any potential oil spills in international waters that could potentially impact U.S. waters and coastline.At the local-level, Coast Guard Sectors Jacksonville, Miami, Key West and St. Petersburg are updating their respective Area Contingency Plan, which will have specific response guidance pertaining to, the near and on-shore response efforts to be conducted along all of the State of Florida coastline that is within the 7th Coast Guard District's area of responsibility.On a broader scale, the Coast Guard is overseeing work on an Offshore Drill Response Plan and Regional Contingency Plan that focuses on response operations; strategies and tactics that will be employed out at sea to combat a spill and other response operations."Our primary focus for the past several months has been updating our contingency plans, ensuring they are ready to be activated in the event an incident was to occur that posed a substantial risk to our marine environment, and ensuring that lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are incorporated ...

To ensure the ship's safety during the voyage and visits to foreign ports Russia and Italy began on Monday the Ionex-2011 naval exercises in the Ionian Sea with the focus on joint antiterrorism and anti-piracy operations.Russia is represented by the Smetlivy patrol ship and the Epron rescue boat from the Black Sea Fleet, while Italy has sent the Espero and the Aviere frigates.The Smetlivy is carrying a naval infantry unit to take part in the drills and to ensure the ship's safety during the voyage and visits to foreign ports.The Ionex joint exercises in the Mediterannean are held on a regular basis to enhance interoperability between the Russian and Italian navies.In 2010 the Ionex exercises off Sicily involved Russia's patrol ship Ladny and the rescue tugboat Shakhter and the Italian frigates Artiglieri and Aliseo.Source: RIA Novosti

Latest techniques and equipment being used today The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the Ship Operations Cooperative Program will conduct an anti-piracy technology and training demonstration aboard a MARAD vessel in Baltimore.The demonstration will include some of the latest techniques and equipment being used today, and provides the U.S. shipping industry, labor and government agencies an opportunity to examine and gauge the tools and technology available to reduce the risks associated with piracy.All maritime industry and labor representatives are invited to attend. Registration information is available at http://www.socp.usSource: MARAD

Near a South China Sea shoal disputed by China and the Philippines More than 200 U.S. and Filipino marines staged an amphibious assault on a beach in a combat drill Sunday near a South China Sea shoal disputed by China and the Philippines.U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Craig Timberlake said the exercise at a sprawling Philippine naval reserve in the coastal town of San Antonio in Zambales province would allow the military allies to operate jointly in a range of scenarios, including responding to disasters.He refused to discuss whether or not the annual drill, which has been staged for 28 years, was now being held partly to address concerns by Asian countries like the Philippines over China's growing naval power. China has expressed unhappiness in the past over such drills near disputed South China Sea regions.The Oct. 17-28 military maneuvers involve about 2,000 Marines and 1,000 Filipino counterparts. Both sides have said the exercises were not aimed at China or any country as an imaginary target."The long-term objective is to have better inter-operability between the two militaries," Timberlake told The Associated Press, adding the marines have also engaged in disaster relief work and humanitarian missions."If you can do those things, then ...

An effort to reduce toxic threats to public health and safety The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) will test the ability of two industry-sponsored companies to respond to oil spills during an exercise on the Columbia River near Cathlamet on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011.As part of the spill preparedness drill, Clean Rivers Cooperative and Marine Spill Response Corp. will deploy boats, oil-skimming equipment and oil-containment boom in the river Tuesday morning.Ecology will observe and evaluate the exercise. No oil will be released."Being prepared to respond to oil spills is a critical part of Ecology's effort to reduce toxic threats to public health and safety, and our environment," said Ecology Spill Preparedness Manager Linda Pilkey-Jarvis. "The drill helps ensure that companies operating commercial vessels on the Columbia River can mount a rapid, aggressive and well coordinated response to a spill and help minimize harm to our shorelines."Clean Rivers Cooperative is a member-based, non-profit organization dedicated to responding to and preventing maritime oil spills. The Maritime Safety & Fire Association, one of its member companies based in Portland is helping sponsor the Oct. 11 drill.The association maintains an umbrella oil-spill contingency plan covering more than 600 commercial vessels calling in the Columbia ...

Exercise using the DACON SCOOP method of recovery

Order for lifeboats, davits, fast rescue boat for Maersk Drilling Norwegian company Noreq has received an order for lifeboats, davits, fast rescue boat and rescue boat davit for six drill ships for Maersk Drilling, which are being built at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea.The contract is for a package for each ship comprising six 80-person lifeboats together with davits, plus one fast rescue boat with davit. The total makes it, according to Noreq, the largest single lifeboat order it has received.This new order joins several other recent contracts. "2012 and 2013 are looking to be very promising for our company, and we are proud to be approved by the biggest players in our industry. We are confident that more orders are coming our way as even more yards and owners discovers the benefits of our davit system" says managing director Styrk Bekkenes.Source: The Motorship