On Wednesday, August 16, OSRL's CEO Robert Limb lead a multifaceted OSRL team to Brazil to present a forum on Preparedness for a Major Subsea Incident. The forum was held at the Brazilian Petroleum & Gas Institute (IBP) in Rio de Janeiro, with a follow-on visit on Thursday, August 17, to the SWIS base at Angra dos Reis.
The forum brought together approximately 70 operators, government regulators, and stakeholders and almost 30 visitors to the SWIS base. Three constant themes, introduced by OSRL's Americas Regional Director, Kurt Kriter, provided the context for the entire forum:
- Tiered Preparedness & Response
- Planning & Logistics
- Working Together
Matt Clements, Chris Moore, and Matt Simmons, provided information on OSRL’s global capping, containment and subsea injection (SSDI) capabilities, B727 Tersus aerial dispersant spray systems, and surface response capabilities. Brazil Country Manager, Aldo Pace, examined OSRL capabilities in Brazil and the Brazilian response environment, and logistics and regulatory coordination issues, including information about the new Water Column Monitoring Package soon to enter the OSRL inventory.
The forum also included a presentation on Petrobras’s Centers for Defense Environmental (CDA), and closed with a panel discussion with BP, the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), National Environmental Agency (IBAMA), and OSRL. Paul Schuler, OSRL's Director of Regional External Affairs moderated the forum and Mitch Quinn, OSRL's Senior Response Specialist, provided subsea engineering expertise.
On Thursday, OSRL's Angra base was opened to a small entourage of OSRL Members, potential members and representatives of ANP and IBAMA, for a guided tour of the Capping and Containment equipment. Brazil is one of the most active offshore (and deep water) plays in the world.
The forum provided a good opportunity to build relationships with Members, exchange information vital to effective preparedness and response, and facilitated exchanges with regulatory authorities on key topical issues.