Large-scale oil spill response exercises were held in the port of Aktau
29.05.2024
At the Aktau commercial seaport, the results of the exercise on localizing and eliminating an oil spill in the port water area and extinguishing a fire on the Almaty ship were summed up. Over 100 people were involved in the event, and about 20 pieces of special equipment were used. Representatives of Samruk-Kazyna JSC, NC KazMunayGas JSC, KazTransOil JSC, NMSС Kazmortransflot LLP, akimat and Emergency Situations Department of the Mangystau region took part in the exercises.
According to the plan of the exercise, on the Almaty tanker, anchored at the oil loading berth of the seaport, while loading crude oil, a stander, a device for connecting the onshore and ship pipelines, broke. As a result, a conditional oil spill occurred, first on the deck of the ship, and then into the port waters. An alarm has been declared for the vessel.
The captain of the tanker informed the relevant port structures about the incident. Onshore cargo pumps were stopped. At the same time, the speedboat conducted reconnaissance and assessed the area of contamination, which reached 250 sq.m. In the worst-case scenario, it was assumed that the “oil slick” moved beyond the port’s waters and threatened large-scale pollution of the coastal zone.
The operational headquarters began work in the port and a single radio communication channel was installed for effective interaction. At the signal, the port’s emergency rescue forces, ships, and employees of the Emergency Situations Department of the Mangystau region were called in to eliminate the spill.
The oil spill in the port waters was contained using floating booms, the purpose of which was to stop the spread of oil products and water-insoluble pollutants over the surface of the water. A 240-meter-long fence was installed from the bow to the stern of the vessel. At the same time, in the northern part of the water area, booms 500 meters long block the entrance gate to the port. Thus, the affected area in the sea ended up in a dense ring. Oil was collected on the vessel using modern oil collection systems. The oil-water mixture was collected from the surface of the water by the Bulak vessel. The oil spill on the deck was contained, after which it was pumped into a settling tank. And the deck is cleaned with absorbent material.
At the same time, smoke was detected in the stern of the vessel. Fire hoses were deployed to extinguish a possible fire, and the Batyr tugboat was brought in. While extinguishing the fire, the sailor found himself overboard. A life preserver has been thrown to the victim. A boat is sent to help the man.
In due time, the conditional emergency situation was eliminated.
“The goals and objectives of the exercise were completed in full. The readiness of personnel and equipment to eliminate possible emergency situations has been confirmed. Joint actions in response to oil spills have been worked out, and the readiness of emergency rescue units to act in emergency situations has been tested,” Abay Turikpenbayev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Aktau Seaport, summed up the results of the exercise.
During the training, the forces involved showed professionalism and teamwork.
The training event was held as part of the implementation of the Industrial Safety Action Plan for 2024, approved by order of the Chairman of the Board of Samruk-Kazyna JSC.
Press service of JSC «NC«Kazakhstan Temir Zholy»