Establishment of Oil Spill Response Plans for Crude Export Facility in Iraq｜Middle East
Oil and Gas Development Consulting and Engineering Company, Japan Oil Engineering

Special Assistance for Project Implementation for "Crude Oil Export Facility Reconstruction Project" Establishment of Oil Spill Response Plans for Crude Export Facility in Iraq

The Iraqi government has initiated various projects to increase the crude export capacity of the offshore terminals of Basrah up to 4.5 million BPD by 2015 through revamping/ reconstructing of the existing export facilities. Upon successful completion of the projects, the crude export facilities will be one of the largest crude export terminal in the world. Accompanying the development, it comes the increased potential risks of oil spill from the facilities operation other than fire/explosion, and ship collision during the operation of the terminal.

The goal of the study is to establish a practical oil spill response plans (OSRPs), which addresses all potential oil spill incidents in the terminal operational waters, for minimizing environmental and social impacts and effective recovery of probable damages arising from such oil spill. In order to address such inherent risks, a study under the program of Special Assistance for Project Implementation (SAPI) of JICA was implemented by a joint study team comprised of members of JICA expert team (JOE) and the ministry of oil, ministry of environment, national oil company, port authority as well as other organizations concerned in Iraq in three (3) phases as follows.

The study was carried out according to the following phases:

Phase 1

- Assessment of oil spill incident risk in operational water and its surrounding area

- Prediction of fate and trajectory of spilled oil and assessment of oil spill impacts on coastal areas in Iraq and neighboring countries

- Development of Basic OSRP indicating policy, general scheme/ organization, strategy, measures for emergency response operations

Phase 2

- Development of Regional (terminal) OSRP based on the Basic OSRP

- Drafting of specific OSRP to small oil spill at the existing and new Al Basrah Oil Terminal (ABOT Tier 1 OSRP)

- Oil spill response training and exercises (Table-top exercise and IMO certified Level 2 training)

Phase 3

- Establishment of the specific OSRP to small oil spill at the existing and new Al Basrah Oil Terminal (ABOT Tier 1 OSRP)

- Development of oil spill response operations manuals (oil containment and recovery, dispersant spraying, waste management, logistics, health and safety, etc.)

- Oil spill response training and exercises (Table-top exercise and IMO certified Level 1 & 2 training)

- Inquiry and drafting of procurement specifications for oil spill response equipment and materials

(This project was conducted under JICA’s Special Assistance for Project Implementation：SAPI (Contract period with JICA: Phase 1 from August 2010 to March 2011, Phase 2 from July 2011 to March 2012, Phase 3 from October 2012 to March 2013.) JOE was entrusted with the project as JICA’s consultant and execution partners.)