Although over the years the amount of oil produced and transported has greatly increased as the world’s economy has expanded, the amount of oil spilt has decreased. This reduction is primarily due to the concerted efforts of the various stakeholders in the oil supply chain to develop more effective preventative measures. This guide focuses on the transportation of oil by ship and is the result of a collaborative effort by many organisations who have an interest in the prevention and/or mitigation of oil pollution and its effects on the marine environment.

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Note: Documents supplementary to this publication are available from the Secretariat.

This updated summary brings together the complete IPIECA oil spill report series under one cover. It provides a complete overview of issues that can be referenced in the preparation for, and response to, oil spills at sea. The core content of this publication is made up of report summaries which reference the full report series. In the printed version of the summary (which are available from the secretariat) the full report series is included on CD-ROM in English, French, Spanish and Russian.

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Note: Documents supplementary to this publication are available from the Secretariat.

The purpose of this Guide, which has been recently updated, is to provide a summary of the fundamental features of the two Conventions, and to provide a basis on which tanker owners, oil companies and other interested parties can promote their ratification by all coastal States. The Guide comprises an explanatory text and a series of answers to commonly asked questions.

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This report supersedes 'The Use of International Oil Industry Spill Response Resources: Tier 3 Centres'. It describes the principles of Tiered Preparedness and Response, and provides guidance on designing and building oil spill response capabilities. Following these principles will assist in the development of suitable capabilities commensurate with the oil spill risk at the local, regional, national and international levels.

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Contact Details for Tier 3 Centres

The aim of this document is to highlight waste management issues related to oil spill clean-up. It outlines the sources of waste, how the waste should be collected, the storage considerations and the disposal options available. Case studies are used to demonstrate the importance of learning from past incidents. This document follows the progress of the waste through each stage as demonstrated in a waste management model.

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Accidental oil spills, including oil tanker spills, non-tanker ship spills, pipelines, oil production platforms and tank farms, may cause serious problems for coastal and marine wildlife, especially birds, mammals and reptiles. An adequate assessment of environmental impacts, will depend on a comprehensive wildlife response plan.

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When an oil spill occurs, the issue of Health and Safety is of critical concern, and should form the cornerstone of all oil spill preparatory measures. This task is made especially difficult during a spill, because of the vast array of tasks - each with their own Health and Safety issues, and often in conflict with each other - that need to be analysed and prioritized. This document provides a broad based guide which focuses on the practical and technical considerations during oil spill planning and response operations, including: Management of Safety, Risk Assessment, Physical and Chemical safety issues during response operations, and Volunteer Management

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This report aims to provide a balanced view about when it is productive to use dispersants and when it is not, with particular reference to environmental concerns. It uses 'real life' information from spills and from field experiments and considers the dispersant option, in relation to contingency planning.

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While the environmental priority for all tanker operations is the prevention of oil spills, it is recognized that marine spills are a factor for which management must plan. This report describes the elements of the contingency planning process and stresses the importance of cooperative activity between industry and government.

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Once oil has been spilled, urgent decisions need to be made about the options available for clean-up.The advantages and disadvantages of different responses need to be weighed up and compared both with each other and with those of natural clean-up. This process is sometimes known as 'net environmental benefit analysis'. This publication outlines the evaluation process and provides examples of clean-up options both onshore and offshore.

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This report describes the main types of sedimentary shores, their vulnerability to oil spill damage, clean-up after an incident, and their capacity to recover.

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A 25-minute CD-ROM, produced jointly with the International Maritime Organisation, stresses the need for government and industry to work together to prepare oil spill contingency plans. This programme explores the steps that need to be taken to plan for an oil spill incident, i.e.: assessment of risk; concept of tiered response; response strategies and options; education and training; and financial aid and compensation. Copies of the CD-ROM can be purchased directly from the IPIECA Secretariat and is available in English, French and Spanish.

Fisheries and aquaculture may be affected following an oil spill. The report describes the direct effects on the species, and indirect effects through impacts on their habitats. The impact on fishing gear and aquaculture facilities is also considered and information is included on basic ecology of the species concerned, and on fishing and aquaculture methods. Response to spills is discussed and reference is made to case history examples.

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This report describes the factors that make some rocky shores more sensitive to oil spills than others and considers the most appropriate methods of clean-up. Case histories are used to illustrate the effects of spills and spill clean-up, as well as typical recovery rates.

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The making and updating sensitivity maps are key activities in the oil spill contingency planning process. This report provides information and guidelines on different types of map, categories of information to be included and symbols to be used, with reference to the various potential users and their requirements.

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This report has been designed to guide all those in government or industry who are faced with the responsibility of developing and managing oil spill response exercises. A series of case studies provide examples of such exercises, as carried out by many IPIECA member companies.

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Saltmarshes are among the 'most vulnerable' category of habitats. This report considers factors affecting the fate and effects of oil on saltmarshes, and provides guidelines on clean-up options. It also includes information on the ecology and uses of saltmarshes.

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Information is provided in this report on the ecology and human use of mangroves, and on the fate and effects of oil. Oil spill response plans to address habitat protection options are discussed, along with clean-up methods, with reference to case history experience and results from field experiments.

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This report summarizes and interprets the findings of a number of published scientific papers concerning effects of oils on corals, and provides background information on the structure and ecology of coral reefs. It also discusses clean-up operations and their implications in the light of the latest evidence from case histories and field experiments.

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These guidelines aim to summarize short and long-term biological effects of oil pollution and are intended to help anyone facing questions about damage assessment, prediction of possible long-term effects, or clean-up. The emphasis is on marine ecosystems, but some reference is made to other environments.

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IPIECA produces the GI Newsletter as part of its commitment to improving oil spill contingency planning. The current issue can be downloaded here in PDF format; for past issues see the archive links on the GI Newsletter page.

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The objectives and activities of OSPRI are explained in this short Briefing Paper

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IPIECA and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), representing the interests of the oil and gas industry and government respectively, are working together with other partners as part of the Global Initiative to enhance oil spill preparedness and response capacity for marine spills at priority locations around the world. This updated brochure gives an overview of the GI programme and showcases some of the achievements of the GI regional groups over the last 11 years.

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The objectives and activities of the Mediterranean Oil Industry Group (MOIG) are explained in this short brochure.

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