Training gets excellent marks (photo report)

The port of Yeisk has hosted the exercise on cooperation of the Azov - Black Sea Branch of Baltic BASU and Yeisk Authority of Azov - Black Sea Basin Branch of FSUE Rosmorport during oil spill response activities. The exercise was held in the course of a routine functional inspection of oil spill response system within the port water area.

According to scenario, port services are busy with routine operations, operations control centre is on twenty-four-hour alert when they get information about oil spill which occurred during diesel fuel pumping at the icebreaker Kapitan Krutov. The oil spill was imitated with the wood dust posing no danger for the environment.

The announcement was arranged immediately without involving municipal services. Emergency alert facilities and services were actuated and commenced arrangements on oil spill response activities. The first task was to choose the oil spill response technology and to arrange the personnel and equipment for the operations. Boom defense was placed for spill containment. Then the oil skimmer Komara Mini was launched and oil receptacle was installed at the passenger berth. Boom order of M/V Reidovy 43 was placed between the spurs of the port’s inner basin. Operation motor ship screws washed oil products from under the second berth and then booming was placed between the icebreaker’s stern and the second berth. The trawling of oil with the boom chain moved the oil spill to the passenger berth. Finally, the skimmer commenced its operation. Then the sorbent was scattered all over the rest of the spill. Thus the simulated oil spill was liquidated.

Three vessels participated in the exercise: M/V Reidovy 43, motor boat Yeya and M/V Vodnadzor.

Besides, OSR training exercises were held at other vessels of Yeisk ABSB Authority: icebreaker Kapitan Krutov and motor vessels Kolguyev, Tekhflotets and Engineer Popovich.

“Emergency response units of Azov - Black Sea BASU branch which is based in Yeisk and services of FSUE Rosmorport have worked excellently today. They have demonstrated all their skills and operational efficiency in response to simulated oil spill. This training was held to measure sufficiency of resources and facilities for oil spill response alert. In this case we can say that there are enough resources and facilities, Sergey Grechkin, Yeisk Harbour Master, said.

Gambik Asuturyan, head of the emergency response unit of Azov - Black Sea BASU, supports this opinion: “I think the exercise was held at quite a high level. The educational objectives have been achieved. There is personnel, resources and facilities in the port and they are ready for oil spill response activities.

According to Igor Pavlov, deputy director for operations of ABSB of Rosmorport, the warning system was checked separately. “This information should reach the federal agency and the Ministry of Transport. The operations control centre of Rosmorport is an integral part of the warning system. It took 3.5-4 minutes from the beginning of the exercise till the alert was received at the Azov - Black Sea Basin Branch,” Pavlov said adding that this result complies with the current warning standards.

Detailed photo report >>>> 

Elena Tkacheva