OSCE assists Azerbaijan in oil spill preparedness
By Nigar Orujova
Forty specialists of the Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR attended a workshop on oil spills preparedness by OSCE Office in Baku on December 11.
The event aimed at strengthening SOCAR's capacity to execute the National Marine Oil Spill Contingency Plan, which requires that all companies involved in oil and gas exploration develop and implement oil spill emergency plans for all their operations that could cause an oil spill.
"The plan aims to foster close co-operation with oil companies working within the Azerbaijani part of the Caspian Sea, and we stand ready to provide further assistance in training staff of these companies to make sure they are better prepared for oil spills," Emmanuel Huntzinger, Head of the Economic and Environmental Unit at the OSCE Office in Baku said.
Upon the request of SOCAR, the OSCE Office in Baku hired an international expert to develop an oil spills response plan for the national oil company in line with the international, regional and national requirements, which takes into account the guidelines developed by the International Maritime Organization and International Petroleum Industries Environmental Association.
SOCAR is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing,
processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate,
marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in the domestic and
international markets, and supplying natural gas to industry and
the public in Azerbaijan. Three production divisions, two oil
refineries and one gas refinery, an oil tanker fleet, a deep water
platform fabrication yard, two trusts, one institution, and 22
subdivisions are operating as corporate entities under
SOCAR.