The Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum, and Gas encourages oil companies operating in the country to develop strategic measures to address oil spills.
To achieve this goal, it is recommended that the regulations outlined in the National Contingency Plan for Oil Spills be adhered to in order to prevent harm to the environment.
During a press statement at the conclusion of the ExxonMobil-sponsored Regional Exercise on Level Three Oil Spill Response, which was attended by Minister Diamantino Azevedo, Manuel Xavier, the National Director of Security, Emergency, and Environment at the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Petroleum, emphasized that the National Contingency Plan for Oil Spills was developed with the aim of preventing incidents in Angola and safeguarding the environment.
Manuel Xavier highlighted that the National Contingency Plan for Oil Spills contains detailed information about the various types of incidents that can occur in the oil exploration and production areas along the Angolan coast. He reassured that the National Plan also incorporates a range of tools designed to effectively respond to spills that may occur beyond petroleum exploration activities.
“Spills are primarily associated with the oil sector. In fact, the oil industry carries inherent risks, although it is regulated through comprehensive technological preventive measures. Incidents do occur, which is why it is essential for oil companies to establish response programs to prevent spills from spreading along the coast,” he explained.
He emphasized that despite Angola’s significant oil production, the country has one of the lowest spill rates in the world.
Level Three Spill Response Exercise
Murtala da Silva, the Director for Safety and Environment at ExxonMobil, stated that the level three oil spill response exercise, named “Giant Black Palanca,” aimed to demonstrate the technical capabilities and preventive measures of the American oil company in addressing an incident that could potentially impact the Angolan coastal zone.
“The objective of this activity was to showcase our response capabilities in the event of a spill reaching the Angolan coastal zone. Additionally, the exercise aimed to display the equipment utilized for such response operations, including protective booms, suction pumps, tents, and materials for oil spill cleanup,” he elaborated.
ExxonMobil’s emergency plan encompasses three levels of response. Level one oil spills are typically managed by on-site teams engaged in drilling and production operations, while level two spills are handled by emergency support teams stationed in Luanda and offshore locations.
