Global Dispersant Approvals in Asia Pacific – Current Status and On Going Challenges

Abstract

ABSTRACT Following the Macondo Incident, the international oil and gas industry spent significant time and effort analyzing lessons learned and implementing key projects to ensure that critical response and preparedness issues that were identified are addressed to improve response capabilities. The Global Dispersant Stockpile (GDS) was established as part of a post-Macondo Joint Industry Project through Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), recognizing that delivery of sufficient quantities of dispersant is a key element for a successful dispersant operation, especially during the initial phases of a large scale response to an event such as a subsea well blowout. Taking into account the global approval status and proven effectiveness on a range of crude oils, three key oil dispersants, Finasol® OSR 52 (Total), Corexit® EC9500A (Nalco) and Slickgone® NS (Dasic) were selected for the Global Dispersant Stockpile. A total of 5,000 m3 of these dispersants are now stored and ready to be deployed from five strategically positioned global locations. For example, sizable volumes of two of these products (total volume = 700 m3) are located at OSRL’s response base in Singapore, which can be quickly mobilized to support a response in the Asia Pacific region. An ongoing effort associated with the management of the GDS is to enable the pre-approval of at least one of the three products for countries in the region where spill response may be required. At present, this is not the case in the region for a variety of reasons, e.g., toxicity concerns and biodegradation processes of dispersed oil. A particularly cautious approach by regulatory authorities following the Macondo incident, coupled with a number of other specific regional concerns, has exacerbated the issue of obtaining and maintaining dispersant approvals in the region. The aim of this paper is to identify and discuss the existing regulatory framework governing the dispersant product approval process and dispersant use authorization for countries in Asia Pacific. The paper will detail the present status of regulations related to dispersant use for a number of countries in the region, the potential challenges associated with achieving permissions in countries with no regulations and a discussion of strategies to address identified obstacles. Additionally the activities that are being undertaken to expand regulatory approvals will also be addressed. It is anticipated that a greater understanding of the reasoning behind the GDS will facilitate a positive regulatory perspective and the potential for dispersant pre-approval in the region.