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An annual joint anti-oil pollution exercise, co-ordinated by the Marine Department to test the response and efficiency of various government departments and oil companies in combating oil spills, was carried out in the waters off Tai Wan To Beach, west of Lamma Island today (November 10).
A Marine Department spokesman said the exercise, code-named Oilex 2005, enabled members of the response organisations to validate key functions and demonstrate individual and team knowledge, skills and capabilities.
"In addition, the simulation of crisis management and communication helps refresh our understanding on how the incident command system would operate during a major oil spill," he said.
During the simulation exercise, a mock 2,248-tonne tanker ran aground at Ha Mei Wan with about 200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil spilling into the sea at the rate of 40 tonnes an hour.
The spokesman said the exercise was divided into six parts demonstrating the various techniques and stages in combating oil spills.
These included deployment of oil containment booms, oil recovery by skimmers, spraying of oil dispersant by launches and by helicopter, shore-sealing boom, shoreline clean-up and recovery of booms and equipment.
Apart from the Marine Department, five other government departments and six private companies joined today's exercise. They were the Civil Aid Service, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Government Flying Service, Hong Kong Police Force, Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department, China Resources Petrochems (Groups) Co Ltd, ExxonMobil (HK)
Ltd, Shell (HK) Ltd, Caltex (HK) Ltd, the Hong Kong Response Ltd. and Kai Fat Oil Pollution Response Ltd.
As a prelude to today's exercise, a desktop exercise to test the communication capabilities and co-ordination among the participating units was conducted on November 3.
Ends/Thursday, November 10, 2005
Issued at HKT 15:58
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