This joint Ipieca-IOGP technical support document helps operators navigate the steps and good practices involved in planning for, and implementing, a monitoring and sampling (M&S) programme.
Regardless of the type, size or location of an oil spill, M&S activities are an important component of the incident response and are often a regulatory requirement. Typically occurring within the active response phase, M&S activities provide reference data that is critical to understanding the spill and evaluating the effectiveness of a response plan, as well as accommodating wider scientific impact analysis.
The Ipieca-IOGP Oil spill monitoring and sampling technical support document aims to help ensure M&S activities are incorporated early in an oil spill response, by outlining the aspects that may be planned in advance, and providing guidance and tools to facilitate the initiation of an M&S plan during the early days of an incident and as the incident evolves.
Appendices 1 and 2 draw on the information presented in this guide to provide a series of good practice checklists that operators can use to help develop processes and templates to prepare for, and implement, an oil spill M&S programme.
