Oil Spill Response Centers in Brazil – a New Experience

Abstract

ABSTRACT It has been noticed, in the latest Brazilian oil spill emergencies, that the time of arrival of equipaments in the emergency site, due to some differents facts (Brazilian dimensions, transport infrastructure, Customes etc) was of 48–60 hours. Furthermore, one may notice that all the Brazilian oil spill response equipment was not enough for Tier 2 and 3 emergencies. Petrobras has decided to install a total of nine Oil Spill Response Centers, strategically located throughout Brazil, thus increasing its response capacity for potential oil spills. Each of the Centers is equipped with special barges, oil recovery boats, skimmers, sorbents, containment and sorbent booms. Equipments and logistic support can be rapidly dispatched to any area in Brazil where an emergency might occur. The CDAs operate with about 250 trained technicians, available 24 hours per day. This provides regularly trained skills, together with Petrobras technicians and the local communities, in order to guarantee readiness in the event of a spill. Some data about how and where the Centers have been working after two years operation are now shown. In fact, the CDAs have been participating in a lot of response calls, although most of them are inspections for prevention, supporting the Petrobras’ units operations, other companies’ emergencies and ocasional oil spills. However, it should be noted that Brazil has more capacity to face oil-related emergencies than before.