Arabian Oil Company, Ltd.
Terminal & Marine Department
Environmental Protection Section

IMPLEMENTATION OF JOINT OIL SPILLRESPONSE EXERCISE BETWEEN PAJ ANDSAUDI ARAMCO

Presented by:

Mr. Dhaifallah Ali Al ShamraniSupervisor, Environmental Protection Section
TMD-AOC

March 2, 2000

INTRODUCTION

Oil Spill is one of the most critical issues for the petroleum industry. Most ofoil companies have already owned enough capability to respond to oil spillincidents in usual operations, in accordance with the government regulations,mainly the Marine Pollution.

Furthermore, the international and the regional concern took place to Arabian
Gulf area after Gulf crisis, where the biggest oil spill accident in the history
has occurred on 1991G.

However, the said oil spill triggered international concern over the world andregional concern to the gulf environment conservation, especially necessity ofstrengthens oil spill response capability.

HISTORY RECORD OF PAJ’S OIL SPILL RESPONSE
EQUIPMENT AT AL-KHAFJI- Petroleum Association of Japan(PAJ) on behalf of
Ministry ofInternational Trade and industry of Japanese Government (MITI) hasasked Arabian Oil Company (AOC) to set a Stockpile of Oil Spill
Response Equipment Base at Al-Khafji as one of the scheme of major Oil
Spill Program, which has been implemented since 1991 to cope withmajor oil spill in and out of Japan.

- AOC received a proposal regarding the “Stockpiling of Oil Spill
Equipment at AL-Khafji“ in September, 1993 from the Petroleum
Association of Japan (PAJ).

- AOC received the PAJ’s Oil Spill Response Equipment on March, 1994
and March, 1996.

- The inauguration Ceremony of the PAJ’s Stockpiling Base andEquipment Demonstration were conducted on by PAJ and AOC at FieldOffice-Alkhafji with attendants of some officials from Saudi Arabia“Ministry of Petroleum & Minerals”(PETMIN) and Japan. As for Kuwaitidelegation headed by Executive Secretary of Regional Organization for
the Protection of Marine Environment (ROPME).

PAJ’S OIL SPILL RESPONSE EQUIPMENT AT
AL-KHAFJI BASE

1- VIKOMA High Integrity Sprint Boom -250m
Power Pack
Air Inflation unit

(4units)(4units)(4units)

2- PHAROS MARINE Oil Skimmer GT-185
Power Pack
Remote Control UnitHigh Pressure Cleaning Unit

(4units)(4units)(4units)(4units)

3- VIKOMA POWERVAC SYSTEM(Beach cleaner) with Diesel Engine(2units)

4- VIKOMA Fastank 2000 gallons(8units)

COMMENTS ON PAJ’S OIL SPILL PROGRAME ON
BEHALF OF AOC
Base management of Stockpiled Oil SpillResponse Equipment
In accordance with " The Agreement of Oil Spill Response Equipment
Storage", "Entrustment Agreement" and "Lending Agreements" concluded
between Petroleum Association of Japan (PAJ) and Arabian Oil Company(AOC).
AOC is managing any thing related to the above mentioned or with borrowing
parties by coordination with PAJ at Tokyo. This Equipment is supervised by
AOC's Top Management and through Terminal & Marine Department- Environmental Protection Section (EPS).
Experience in lending the PAJs oil spill Equipment.
Since PAJ started at KhafJi base with the procedure of lending though thePAJ's lending agreement to the borrowing parties (any member companies ofGulf Area Oil Companies Mutual Aid organization (GAOCMAO) and/orGovernment Authorities. None of the members have requested to us, which
this mean good news of no major oil spills in the area.
Also no request from any parties through "Special contact" was made forlending of Oil Spill Response Equipment which was concluded between PAJand AOC.
Delivery of PAJ’s Oil Spill Equipment to saudi Aramco-Ras Tannura
The first delivery of PAJ's Equipment was implemented on November 27,
1999 to Saudi Aramco-Ras Tanura to be used for the Joint Oil Spill
Response Exercise between PAJ and Saudi Aramco.
At that time, local contractor (ACMC) was requested by PAJ through AOC(coordinator) to transport some of PAJ's equipment from PAJ's base at
Alkhafji to Ras Tanura by special transportation contract.

The documentation and transportation works have been carried out smoothlyand safely without any obstructions and the equipment were arrived on thedue time.
Maintenance of the equipment
The Routine maintenance work for PAJ's equipment is held on the monthly
bases through local contractor “Arabian Construction & Maintenance
Company” (ACMC), and supervised and controlled by Environmental
Protection Section (EPS), Terminal and Marine Department (TMD). Also,
there is General maintenance program is taken for the equipment on SemiAnnual bases (Six-months period).
The maintenance work includes Dry Operation on the site, Checking Oils,changing of damaged spare pasts if it is needed, cleaning of Equipment,Rearranging of the storage area.
PAJ’s Training for Oil Spill Response Staff of Alkhafji-base.
Regarding exchange information (exercises) between PAJ and Khafji base, it
was conducted two times. First at UAE - Sharjah base on November 1997.
Six staffs have attended the said exercise from AOC and two staffs fromcontractor (ACMC). The training was to operate and deploy Booms atOffshore with skimmers, fixing and folding FASTANK, addition topresentation and lecturing.
Then, Second at Saudi Arabia-Ras Tanura on November, 1999, joint oil spill
response exercise was conducted between PAJ and Saudi Aramco andparticipating of Oil Spill Response Staff of Alkhafji-base (AOC’s staff /ACMC’s staff) with attendance of some Saudi Government Authorities
members.

IMPLEMENTATION OF JOINT OIL SPILL RESPONSE
EXERCISE BETWEEN PAJ AND SAUDI ARAMCOEPS/TMD has been requested through AOC’s top management to involveon Oil Spill Response Exercise between PAJ and SAUDI ARAMCO atSaudi Arabia-Ras Tanura from the period of 27~30 November 1999.
After the preparatory meeting between PAJ, Saudi Aramco and AOC which
was held at Ras Tanura, the main subjects of the exercise have been
discussed such as Exercise Scenario, date, Schedule/Program and number ofparticipants. As well as delivery of some PAJ’s Oil Spill Response
Equipment from Alkhafji-base to be used in the exercise (one Oil Boom
{250m}, one Skimmer, two Beach Cleaner and eight Fastanks).
The Oil Spill Response team of Alkhafji-Base (Total numbers is 8 persons, 5from AOC/3 from ACMC) have participated successfully on the saidexercise.
Exercise Objectives for Arabian Oil Company, Ltd. (AOC)
1. Conducting with Saudi Aramco by exchanging the information of Oil Spill
Response in order to establish new Regional coordination.
2. Exercise communications with Saudi Aramco and consultation with PAJ.
3. Determine the time of preparation and mobilization of equipment to bedelivered to borrowing party when requested in case of emergency.
4. Quick response of using PAJ’s Equipment in case of emergency.
Exercise Benefit for Oil Spill Response Staff of Alkhafji-base.
1. Getting new experience by conducting Training for AOC’s Oil Spill
Response Staff with other parties.
2. Practical exercise for using PAJ’s Equipment on the actual oil spill
accident.
3. Knowing the members of other parties in PAJ/Saudi Aramco.
4. Doing the exercise of Oil Spill Combating on rough weather gave a good
opportunity for Oil Spill Response Staff to deal with the problem even in
the bad weather condition.
5. The strong inward of working in a team with the others gave good
indication for the successful experiment