Oil Spill Response and AMOSC form new Alliance

June 18, 2009 - PRLog -- MARSEILLE – The Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) and Oil Spill Response Limited (Oil Spill Response) have established a ‘Resources and Services Alliance’, a milestone agreement which gives AMOSC direct call out authority status to mobilise Oil Spill Response resources for oil spill incidents occurring in areas covered under AMOSC’s area of operation. This arrangement allows governments and companies in defined regional areas to simultaneously gain access to additional resources, expedite the callout process and shorten overall response lead times.

Commenting on the sharing of resources, Ivan Skibinski, General Manager of AMOSC, said, “As the prime response organisation in Australia for the National Government, this Alliance allows us to quickly provide additional resources, particularly the Hercules aircraft and its wide area dispersant system that will complement those we have at hand. It also gives us both a better response cover for the whole region from Singapore through to New Zealand.”

All Alliance activities will be overseen and managed by a Joint Operating Committee to be chaired by Ivan Skibinski and Declan O’Driscoll, Regional Director for Oil Spill Response Singapore. Targeted activities include the joint development of consultancy and training services, supported by mutual personnel secondments and information sharing.

Building on working ties established more than five years ago, this agreement marks the greater commitment to step up cooperation between two organisations which have a strong history of working together - including most recently the Queensland spill in March this year. AMOSC and Oil Spill Response are also members of the Global Response Network, a worldwide collaboration of industry funded spill response organisations.

Archie Smith, Chief Executive of Oil Spill Response, commented on the working relationship, “Our two organisations have had a close relationship for many years and share common values and objectives. The Alliance adds significantly to this relationship and strengthens our ability to provide preparedness and response services to our existing members and others who require our services.”

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Oil Spill Response Limited is an industry owned co-operative which exists to respond effectively to oil spills wherever in the world they occur; and to ensure members having a seamless preparedness and response capability.