Clean sea organisation hosts oil spill conference

In delivering the keynote speech at the opening ceremony, Abdulhakim A. Al-Gouhi, Vice President of Industrial Services with Saudi Aramco, called on members to collaborate in order to protect the pristine Gulf environment through prevention, preparedness, and response. “We come together to demonstrate our unlimited commitment towards protecting the marine environment from any harmful effects of pollution in general, and of oil spills in particular,” said Al-Gouhi. Al-Gouhi further noted that Saudi Aramco demonstrated its expertise in oil spill mitigation at the height of the Gulf War in 1991, when an estimated 8 - 11 million bbls of oil were released in what is thought to be the largest oil spill in human history, and established oil spill contingency plans, response teams, training programs, and oil spill drills that put Saudi Aramco at the forefront of the industry.

Despite this, Al-Gouhi added that “the need to pursue research and development in new technologies and more efficient oil spill combatting tools and equipment could not be emphasised more.” Al-Gouhi additionally noted that a major element to test readiness is the conducting of drills and exercises. One such exercise was successfully conducted at the South Red Sea this year, and involved all stakeholders, including government, military, and civil authorities, as well as specialised international oil response, tanker, and shipping companies. Response operations included offshore containment and recovery, shoreline cleanup, and aerial dispersant spray by Saudi Aramco.

The conference included 65 speakers, and 30 exhibiting companies representing more than 20 countries. Workshops provided an opportunity for interactive discussions between presenters and delegates on key topics and new technologies for oil spill prevention, mitigation, and response.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/28102019/clean-sea-organisation-hosts-oil-spill-conference/