IMO provides expertise in oil spill preparedness for FSO SAFER‏‏

IMO is urging Member States to contribute equipment to help UN-led efforts to prevent a possible catastrophic oil spill from the FSO SAFER، an ageing and rapidly decaying floating storage offshore (FSO) unit moored 4.8 nautical miles off the Red Sea coast of Yemen.

In accordance with the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness، Response، and Cooperation (OPRC)، the IMO is supplying expertise in oil spill preparedness and response as part of the contingency planning for a potential oil spill from the FSO SAFER.

The FSO SAFER is a converted super tanker that holds an estimated 150،000 metric tonnes (or around 1.1 million barrels) of crude oil، which is four times the quantity that was split during the 1989 Exxon Valdez catastrophe. Since 1988، it has been anchored in Ras Isa، receiving، storing، and exporting crude oil flowing from the Marib oil fields. However، manufacturing، offloading، and maintenance activities on the FSO SAFER were put on hold in 2015 as a result of the conflict in Yemen.

FSO SAFER has not been inspected since then، but all assessments of its structural integrity suggest it has now deteriorated to the extent that it is beyond repair، and at imminent risk of breaking up or exploding. The danger is of a significant oil spill that would surpass Yemen’s capacity and resources to effectively respond.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Nautica were to be purchased under a contract that was signed on March 9 in order for the Nautica to be used for an emergency ship-to-ship transfer of oil from the FSO SAFER. These operations are difficult and inherently dangerous.
On April 6، the Nautica departed Zhousha، China، and is scheduled to reach the Red Sea in early May.

Therefore، the transfer operation's backup preparation is getting more serious. The absence of specialised equipment in Yemen is one major weakness in the nation's ability to respond to an oil spill.

Because of lengthy lead times for the manufacture and acquisition of oil spill response equipment، IMO is seeking contributions of used or near end-of-life spill response equipment that can be transported to the region within weeks.

An indicative list of the required equipment annexed to Circular Letter No.4714 includes items for the containment and recovery and the resource protection aspects of the operation، such as booms to contain any spill and oil skimmer brushes، as well as oil dispersants and rapid erection، self-standing storage tanks.

An oil spill from the FSO SAFER would be a major humanitarian and environmental disaster likely to heavily impact the north-western coastline of Yemen، including the Yemeni Islands in the Red Sea، and Kamaran Island in particular - an area that encompasses vulnerable ecosystems. There is also potential for oil to drift and impact neighbouring countries، including Djibouti، Eritrea and Saudi Arabia.

Many Yemeni coastal communities that could be affected already rely on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs، and a significant oil spill would seriously impact on the health and livelihoods of the people relying on resources from the sea. It could also severely disrupt operations at Yemen’s Hudaydah port، the point of entry for essential imported food، fuel and life-saving supplies. UNDP estimates the cost of clean-up alone would be $20 billion.