16-18 November 2021, the training course on Response to Marine Oil Spills - IMO OPRC Level 2 was held at the Russelior Hotel in South Hammamet-Tunisia; in cooperation with the Adriatic Training and Research Centre for Accidental Marine Pollution Preparedness and Response (ATRAC).

The training course was animated by Mr. Vedran Martinic Director and Ms. Anja Pilepic; Marine Environment Protection Associate from ATRAC and Mr. Kerem Kemerli; General Manager of MEKE MARINE.

The event gathered 29 delegates from MOIG members, relevant Tunisian stakeholders and oil and gas Libyan companies such as: ANPE, Azzawia Oil Refining Company, Brega, Petroleum Marketing Company, ETAP, General Secretariat of Marine Affairs, Mabruk Oil Operations, Mellitah

Oil and Gas, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Oil and Gas, National Oil Corporation, OMMP, ONPC, SEREPT, SAROST, TANKMED, TOPIC and TRAPSA.

The main objectives of this training course were to prepare Supervisors and On-Scene Commanders to coordinate and manage the response to an oil spill. The training also aims at informing senior officials, designated to act as Supervisors/On-Scene Commanders during spill response operations, on the responsibilities of the members of an oil spill response organization and on how to effectively respond to an oil spill through the deployment of equipment and resources at regional area or National levels.

The first two days training course included oral presentations hinged around the following topics : An overview of spill response, examples of specific incidents and of good spill response practices, contingency planning, response management and organization, existing regional and global regimes for assistance in responding to major marine pollution emergencies, oil spill crisis management, properties, behaviour and fate of an oil spill, environmental and economic impact of oil spill, spill assessment, operations planning, oil spill response options, health and safety including personal protection, containment and recovery of oil, use of dispersants, shoreline clean-up - principles of shoreline clean-up, media relations, termination of response and post-incident debriefing.

The third day was dedicated to table-top spill response exercise including an introduction of the oil spill scenario, the preparation of exercise reports and debriefings. The simulated scenario consisted of an explosion of one tank occurring in tanker ship in the Offshore Golf of Tunis-Tunisia.

The quantity of the spill was estimated to 40 Tonnes of crude oil. Participants have been divided in two groups to discuss the concrete actions that would be needed to contain and recover quickly the oil spill.

We were very delighted by the rewarding working atmosphere, MOIG members, representatives from Libyan oil and gas companies and relevant Tunisian stakeholders worked together, shared their views and applied what they have learned from IMO OPRC Level 2 training course during the table-top oil spill exercise.

At the end of the event, certificates of attendance were awarded to participants by Mr. Vedran Martinic and the Management Committee Members composed of MM. Mahmoud Kamour, Malek Kallel and Hatem Ben Khelil.

The Management Committee Members would like to thank Mr. Vedran Martinic, Ms. Anja Pilepic and Mr. Kerem Kemerli for the high quality training course provided to participants and greatly appreciated their professionalism and expertise, thereby contributing to the success of this event.

Thus, will pave the way for further cooperation on oil spill preparedness and response between ATRAC and MOIG.