Aust Kwinana Oil Spills

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Oil Spills Response BP Refinery Kwinana, Western Australia

Transcript of Aust Kwinana Oil Spills

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Oil Spills Response

BP RefineryKwinana, Western Australia

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How Do Oil Spills OccurDespite all care being taken, oil spills may occur as the result of a

combination of actions and circumstances. The majority of oil spills are small

and easily contained, however large spills do occur occasionally which require

greater effort in containment and clean-up operations.

BP Refinery in Kwinana aims for zero oil spills, and our track record is

improving year on year. In 2003, four spills over 1 barrel in volume occurred,

most of them on land. BP reports to the Department of Environment

whenever it causes a spill to water.

The major causes of oil spills around the world are:

• routine operations such as refuelling, loading or unloading

• mishaps and collisions between vessels or tankers and other

transportation vehicles

• ships running aground

• ruptured pipelines

• oil exploration activities

• mechanical failure of oil collection and storage equipment

This document outlines the activities by BP and others to manage oil spills

within Cockburn Sound.

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Factors that Determine theImpact of Oil SpillsThere are many factors that determine the impact

that oil spills have on marine life and the

environment. These may include the type and volume

of oil spilled, immediate environment of the spill,

season of year, local temperature, weather and tidalconditions, and effectiveness of oil spill response.

Environmental Impact ofOil SpillsOil spills can have a serious impact on marine

organisms such as shellfish, fish, marine mammals,

waterbirds, and aquatic plants. The immediate threat

posed to marine organisms by an oil spill is that of

physical smothering, whereby the oil coats all

surfaces in a thick slick. This may eventually lead to

the death of organisms due to their inability to

normally feed, reproduce, breathe and move.

All organisms which contact an oil slick surface are at

risk, and these may include marine mammals and

reptiles, aquatic birds, shoreline marine life and any

intensive rearing or fishery operations in the

immediate area such as aquaculture pens. Seabirds

are particularly susceptible to oil spills, with many

deaths resulting from loss or damage of plumage.

The secondary threat posed to marine organisms is

the chemical composition of the oil. The most toxiccomponents of oil are soluble and highly volatile, so

animals are most at risk directly after the spill, with

the risk decreasing over time. The ability of

organisms to survive oil contamination varies. For

example, species that have mechanisms to avoid

adverse conditions, such as intertidal animals, may

simply shut their shells until the immediate threat has

passed, whereas the eggs, larval and juvenile stages

of organisms may be highly susceptible to oilpollution. The risk to large swimming animals such as

dolphins and whales is usually low due to their high

mobility, however coastal marine mammals such as

seals, reptiles and turtles may be susceptible due to

their need to surface to breathe and their requirement

of breeding on land.

Plants and animals on the sea bed may be

susceptible to sinking oil as toxic components can

cause damage to coral reefs, mangroves, andassociated communities. Seagrass beds are

susceptible to oil pollution, with mortality and

defoliation resulting from the smothering and toxic

effect of the oil on the seagrass.

Oil Spill Response TechnologyThere are many techniques that can be adopted inthe clean-up of an oil spill. These may include the use

of booms, skimmers, and absorbent materials;

recovery of oil for recycling; aerial application of

dispersants; hot water washing of rocks and walls;

burning of excess oil and debris; removal of

contaminated sand using heavy equipment; and

towing the damaged vessel to a safer area. These

techniques may be used in isolation, or in

combination, depending on the maritime and

environmental conditions of the area.

BP Refinery Kwinana Oil SpillResponse PlanBP Refinery Kwinana has an extensive oil spill

response plan in place in the event that a spill occurs

near the Refinery. This plan details the responsibility

of each of the emergency response group personnel,

the steps to be taken if a spill does occur, and lists

each item of oil response equipment that is available

within the Refinery.

The refinery has a purpose built boat available forresponse to oil spills. It is used for quick response to

any spill. This boat is used to provide initial estimates

of the size of the spill and monitor the area affected

Around 160 dolphins live in Cockburn Sound

Water birds rest on an oil spill boom

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until other vessels reach the scene.

The boat is made of aluminium,

resembles a Zodiac in design, and is

painted a bright yellow colour for

easy visibility in dim lighting

conditions. This boat has been

specifically constructed for oil spill

response and has a number of

special features. An intrinsically safe

motor powers the boat; this motor

contains no electrical parts and

therefore is incapable of producing

any sparks.

The compressor starts the motor of

the boat using air from the

atmosphere, which means that even

whilst in the presence of volatile

gases there is no risk of combustion.

This boat has a maximum speed of8 knots, and it excels at producing

large amounts of power needed for

pulling heavy boom through the

water to contain any spills.

Surrounding the boat are large

floats, which ensure stability even in

the roughest water conditions, and

the interior provides enough room to

enable the carrying of absorbents,

equipment and containers for

holding the retrieved oil.

The refinery also has a Komara Mk II Skimmer, which is used for removing

oil from the water’s surface. This is a disc skimmer, which has oleophilic (oil

loving and water repelling) discs rotating through the water column. The oil

adheres to the discs, is scraped to a central collection point and is then

pumped to storage. This device floats on the water surface and is very

successful in removing oil from the water. Large quantities of absorbent

material are available, including mats, pillows, nylon string, and sausage

booms. Inflatable “zoom boom” is also stored on site, which consists of

inflatable buoyant tubes on the water surface with a skirt attached below,

and facilities for weight attachment located on the bottom of the skirt. This

is used to contain spills in a localised position or prevent them from entering

environmentally sensitive areas. Large quantities of dispersant are stored on

site as part of the National Plan (see below for details of the National Plan)

however the use of dispersant is not employed due to the sensitive marine

communities and relatively shallow water surrounding the Refinery. Fast

tanks are also stored on site, these resemble a steel swimming pool when

constructed, and can be utilised to store any oil removed from the water.

Each tank holds approximately 10,000 litres.

Regular training exercises are conducted at the refinery in oil spill response

using the boats and booms, and a crew of fully trained emergency response

personnel are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to any

incidents. Regular refinery training sessions are conducted each year for allemergency response personnel, and additional training courses are

conducted at the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) and with the

Department of Planning and Infrastructure.

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BP's Komara Mk II Skimmer removes oil

from the water’s surface

BP Kwinana Refinery’s purpose built oil

response boat

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Additional Oil ResponseResources AvailableThe National Plan to Combat Pollution of

the Sea by Oil (National Plan) is Australia’s

contingency and response plan which

involves the joint efforts of the State,Commonwealth and Territory governments

and the oil, exploration and shipping

industries to meet the threat of oil spills to

Australia’s marine and coastal environment.

The National Plan is managed by the

Australian Maritime Safety Authority

(AMSA), a Commonwealth Government

organisation, with guidance provided by the

National Plan Advisory Committee, which

has commonwealth, state and industry

members.

The WA Oil Spill Response Team was

formed by the Department for Planning and

Infrastructure in 2001 following a review of

State oil spill preparedness arrangements.

The team consists of representatives of

the Department, various port authorities

and the state’s oil and gas industry

including BP Refinery (Kwinana).

Team members participate in regular

training exercises to ensure they are wellequipped with the skills required to

respond to an oil spill emergency along our

coast or on one of our many waterways.

The British Beech is one of BP's new fleet of double hulled ships

Oil spill response exercise in

North Fremantle

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The hands-on training includes the deployment and

use of a variety of booms, skimmers and other oil spill

response equipment.

The Department for Planning and Infrastructure

coordinates membership and ongoing training for the

team and liaises with other agencies and community

organisations often called on in the event of a spill.

The Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) is a

private company owned by the Australian Institute of

Petroleum (AIP), with members from the oil industry.

The role of AMOSC is to administer the Marine Oil

Spills Action Plan (MOSAP), through which an

individual company can obtain assistance from other

oil companies in responding to large spills.

Depending on the size of the spill, BP Refinery

(Kwinana) may call upon a number of organisations to

assist. In all emergency situations within the vicinity

of the refinery, the refinery’s emergency response

group will respond, as will Fremantle Ports, as they

are the agency which has statutory authority and

responsibility for all oil spills occurring in Cockburn

Sound. Other organisations that can be contacted for

assistance are the Department of Planning and

Infrastructure, the Australian Maritime Safety

Authority (AMSA) and the Australian Marine Oil Spill

Centre (AMOSC).

BP Refinery (Kwinana) Pty Ltd

PO Box 2131

Rockingham, Western Australia 6168

Telephone: (08) 9419 8500

Facsimile: (08) 9419 9836

Email: [email protected]