Oil spill disasters & blowouts are unfortunate events that can occur during the process of oil & gas exploration, development, transportation, storage or processing of hydrocarbons. These events could be triggeredboth onshore and offshore due to various factors including extreme weather conditions which are unpredictable. The consequences of an oil spill or blowout can have disastrous consequences for the society; economically, environmentally, and socially. Past & recent incidentsacross the globe have initiated intense media attention and political uproar calling governments' stringent response and initiatives to prevent similar disasters in future.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, its regulatory bodies - The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) &Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OSID) and the National Oil Companies, together with, the Indian Coast Guard, havethus been according the highest priority to the nationwide implementation of the comprehensive Oil Spill prevention & response management systems.
The ministry is also committed to ensure that any contractor prior to seeking requisite permits must have in place the contingency, emergency response and disaster management plans for oil spills. These plans must be specific to different stages of the Contractor's/Operator's operations and are recommended to include the installation of oil spill detection software in the VTMS radars at Ports and VATMS radars of oil companies along the coastline.
Mandating & executing the requirements set down by the international Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness Response and Cooperation (OPRC 90) Article 6 and the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP), the ministry, is pooling resources and integrating the capabilities of other industry stakeholders including those of the Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, The Directorate General of Shipping & local Port Authorities, for this national cause.
One of the most significant strides made in this direction is the Oil Spill India Conference & Exhibition (OSI) - the only conference of its type in India & one of the world's leading industry forums on Oil Spill Prevention, Response & Mitigation. Attended by global stakeholders, regulators, industry experts, scientists &academia,the continuing success of OSI has not only reinforced the need for collaboration on the prevention & response frameworks but also on concurrently building an informative schedule of the raising global standards, thus helping implementation of the best initiatives on Oil Spill Response (OSR) in the region.
I am sure the 5th Oil Spill India Conference & Exhibition, scheduled to be held during 05-06 July 2018 in the capital city of India, New Delhi, would continue its tradition of providing a global forum for stakeholders commitment for Environmental Sustainability, Oil Spill Preparedness & Prevention, the need for Synergy in Oil Spill Response & Excellence in Restoration efforts.
Itthus gives me immense pleasure to welcome OSI 2018 conference participants from across the world& accord my best wishes to all for a very meaningful& successful forum.
Copyright © 2024 OSI/ENCIS | All Rights Reserved
