Industry is required to exercise all facets of their
OSCP over a three year period using the tactics, equipment and personnel
cited in the plan. These are accomplished through notification, equipment
deployment and tabletop exercises. In developing the drill scenarios, the
operator must simulate environmental conditions in the area along with
seasonal weather conditions that may exist. In Alaska these conditions
could include high tidal changes, fast currents, and the presence of solid
or broken ice in geographically remote locations.
Tabletop exercises test the ability of the Incident
Management Team (IMT) to effectively initiate actions to adequately
respond to a spill event. These drills require the IMT to establish
priorities for spill response actions, order up personnel and equipment,
establish equipment staging areas, arrange for billeting and
transportation of response personnel, arrange for temporary storage and
disposal of recovered oil and debris and initiate oil spill trajectory and
tracking, wildlife hazing and capture, public information programs.
Equipment deployment exercises require the operator to
deploy and operate each type of equipment staged at onshore locations and
cited in their plan. These drills demonstrate industry response
personnel’s ability to deploy and correctly operate the equipment.
Notification exercises test a company’s ability to
quickly and efficiently inform key personnel about incidents that require
immediate action. These exercises also demonstrate the company’s ability
to notify the appropriate governmental agencies that a spill has occurred.
In the Alaska Region, these requirements are primarily
accomplished through a joint mutual aid exercise. The Alaska Region
participates in the annual North Slope operator mutual aid drill (MAD) to
test offshore oil spill response capabilities. Oil and gas operators on
the North Slope have established an agreement to provide personnel and
equipment to support an emergency spill response in the event a member
company experiences a significant release of oil to the environment. Each
year one of the mutual aid member companies conducts a spill response
exercise that requires activation of the mutual aid agreement. The annual
MAD exercise tests the ability of the company to establish an incident
cOEMMand center, activate the Unified COEMMand and mobilize personnel and
equipment located across the North Slope to the “spill site” to begin oil
recovery operations. All of these drills are evaluated using the
National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program guidelines. If
deficiencies are noted during these exercises, the Alaska Region will
advise the operator of any needed changes in equipment, training or
response tactics.
