Oil spillage monitoring services

Description

2) An up-to-date risk review to inform the MCA’s contingency planning and resourcing in the 2020’s is due and the Agency will now be accepting bids from organisations interested in undertaking this work. 3)This ‘Risk Review’ will evaluate the risk of a serious mineral oil spill occurring in UK waters from shipping, including oils carried as both cargo and bunkers, and offshore installations. The risk review will examine: — the nature of the risk, i.e. the quantities of oil products being carried, the types and their properties, — the likelihood of a serious spill from shipping or offshore installations in light of developments in ship and rig design and operation and analysis of historic spills and near misses, and — the future look, i.e. how anticipated changes in industry, or deteriorating infrastructure/decommissioning, will affect the level of risk. To build a complete picture of the risk, the MCA will require 4 distinct areas to be analysed. These distinct areas of analysis are Stage 1: Oil Cargo and Bunkers. Based upon typical ship types identified and categorised, the consultant will produce an up-to-date profile of the oil cargo and bunkers carried by shipping in a proximity, if spilled, to impact the UK Coastline, its internal waters or anywhere inside its EEZ. The consultant should: — identify the types and typical volumes of bunker fuel and mineral oil cargoes carried by ships transiting UK waters (EEZ and internal waters host to seagoing vessels over 1 000 GT) or in close proximity within the last 3 years, — indicate, where the data is available, the typical pour point, wax content and viscosity at typical UK sea temperatures for each of the products, or product categories, identified, and — based on economic forecasts, legislative changes and technological developments, evaluate to what extent the profile of mineral oil cargo carried and bunker fuels used in shipping is likely to change in the decade 2020 – 2030. A special area of interest bidders should make note of is the impact of the Sulphur Emission Control Areas and the global sulphur emission restrictions defined by Annex VI of the MARPOL Protocol upon bunker fuels used. Stage 2: Qualitative review of the spill risk from ships. Of the typical ship types identified in Stage 1, the consultant will conduct a qualitative review of the spill risk in light of ship design and navigational safety measures. This will be a high-level overview of ship design, including hull, bunker tank and cargo tank construction, structural integrity, engines and navigational safety measures. Based on economic forecasts, legislative changes and technological developments, assess to what extent ship design, in respect of preventative/risk mitigation measures, will change in the decade 2020 – 2030; this could include technological developments for new build ships, but also the risks associated with ageing fleets. Stage 3: The Offshore Risk: The consultant will evaluate the oil spill risk from offshore installations/pipelines on the UK Continental Shelf. This should include both worst case scenarios, as outlined in the oil and gas operator’s Oil Spill Emergency Plans (OPEP), and likely scenarios based on historic incidents. The risks of near shore drilling and decommissioning should also be examined. Stage 4: Overall Assessment of the Risk: Using the data gathered in Stages 1, 2 and 3, and an analysis of historic spills and near misses, the consultant will conduct an overall assessment of the risk to the UK from marine oil pollution. The risk should be outlined in terms of: — the likelihood/probability of a range of spill types (based on source) and sizes, — the likely impact of a range of spill types/sizes on UK interests in terms of environmental, socio-economic, financial and political interests, and — a future look, outlining anticipated changes to the risk in 2020 – 2030.