–Guyana hosts successful oil spill response simulation exercise

THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Wednesday held a successful national oil spill response exercise, both onshore and offshore the Atlantic Ocean.

The exercise was undertaken with the guidance of the recently completed National Oil Spill Contingency Plan. It was the culmination of a series of training sessions and workshops which began in September 2021, as part of the national oil spill response effort.

Lieutenant-Colonel Kester Craig, Director-General of the CDC, said the intention of the exercise was to test Guyana’s capabilities to respond to a tier-two oil-spill scenario.

In December 2019, Guyana officially became an oil-producing nation as ExxonMobil began pumping oil for commercial purposes offshore. Today, Guyana produces over 100,000 barrels of oil per day, and this is set to increase to as many as 257,000 barrels per day on average in 2022, when the Liza Unity floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) begins production.

In addition, Guyana’s economy is set to grow by 47.5 per cent this year, a growth rate not projected by any other country in the world.

Led by the CDC, the Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force’s Coast Guard, Maritime Administration, Guyana Energy Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency, all participated in the exercise. Technical support was also provided by The Response Group (TRG), an international incident and crisis-management entity.

“The exercise seeks to identify strengths, weaknesses and lessons learnt to enhance the plan, thereby preparing all stakeholders to be ready to respond effectively and efficiently if there is an oil spill in the future. The exercise is being conducted in a real-time, stressful environment that is intended to mirror a real tier-two incident,” the Director General said.

“It aimed to simulate reality by presenting complex and realistic problems that require critical thinking, rapid problem-solving and effective response by trained personnel from all the various agencies,” Lt. Col. Craig added.

A meeting is scheduled for Thursday following the end of the programme, to discuss challenges and recommendations to strengthen the response mechanism.  A report will then be compiled and made available to all stakeholders. Similar exercises are expected to be undertaken throughout the year.

Prime Minister Brigadier (r’td) Mark Phillips congratulated the team for undertaking a successful simulation exercise. The Prime Minister said the government is committed to providing all the support necessary to prepare Guyana for any disaster. (DPI)