As previously announced, the Tunisian National Oil Company (ETAP) wishes to establish a credible and practical Tier 2 oil spill response coordination system in Tunisia in the form of Public Private Partnership "PPP". To ensure all options past and present are considered, ETAP performed many visits to various Tier 2 facilities throughout the region in the UK, Greece and the Middle East, coordinated by MOIG.
As an ETAP seconded, the MOIG Director was invited again on 25-26 April 2016 by ETAP to accompany the ETAP delegation for the turn to visit the Tier 2 Coordination Center located in Sherm El Sheikh; managed by the International Environmental Marine and Services “IEMS”.
The main objectives of this visit were:
- To exchange information and knowledge on Oil Spill Preparedness and Response with industry Tier 2 experts
- To see closer the operations, planning, management, resources of personnel and equipment, infrastructures and architectural aspects
The delegation were afforded escorted tour of the equipment warehouse and the opportunity to observe various types of Oil Spill Response stockpiles and response packages such as : shoreline and offshore booms, skimmers, fast and inflatable tanks, inland spill response packages, support boats, boom cleaner and dispersants etc.
The delegation had also the opportunity to see the maintenance and training areas, the emergency operations center and observe in real time an Oil Spill Response Exercise performed in Ras Mohamed in Red Sea.
During the communications and visit, the delegation was able to observe the IEMS response center model, giving the delegation the options to further support the successful development of the Tunisian Tier 2 coordination project.