Hong Kong Oil Spill Exercise

Hong Kong emergency response groups took to the land, sea and sky on Tuesday 15th November 2011 to test the city's response in tackling a possible large-scale oil spill. An anti-oil pollution exercise on a beach on Hong Kong's outlying Lamma Island, code-named Oilex 2011, went into full damage-control mode. Headed by Hong Kong's Marine Department, the exercise simulated the response to a mock oil spill from a beached product tanker.  

 

The scenario was that 5,200 tonnes of leaking fuel oil posed a threat to the cooling-water system of the main power station on Lamma Island, which supplies energy to Hong Kong. Oil spill response teams practiced laying floating booms around the tanker to prevent the mock oil spill from spreading to the beach, a popular leisure spot.

 

The exercise is part of the government's annual Maritime Oil Spill Response Plan. Five government departments and four local oil companies took part.

 

Government Flying Services joined in the drill, simulating spraying oil dispersant from the skies. According to the Marine Department, annually around 50 to 60 minor oil pollution cases occur in Hong Kong waters. The worst oil spill the Marine Department has had to deal with so far involved 200 tonnes of oil leaking from a sinking vessel.