Pure and Applied Chemistry

It has been estimated that some 6 million tonnes of crude oil is routinely transported by tankship around the world's oceans on a daily basis. Despite the introduction of stringent operating and safety regimes there remains the possibility of an incident occurring that could threaten the waters and shorelines of countries that are in the vicinity of these routes. Shipboard and international contingency plans assume a level of preparedness which may be limited in some of the countries that lay along these shipping lanes.

Although the probability of significant oil pollution incidents occurring whilst the vessel is on the high seas is m minimal, they have occurred, some with considerable impact on the areas concerned.

Whilst the majority of countries have some form of mutual aid and agreements in place and a number have access to equipment stockpiles, there are still a significant number of areas where there is heavy reliance on local resources.

This paper addresses ways in which countries with limited resources can best be prepared for an oil spill and some of the challenges, which this entails.