Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) has taken over the management of a response base on the west coast of Shetland.

The facility, based at Scalloway, houses equipment that can be rapidly deployed in the event of an incident, either offshore or nearshore.

OSRL

From left: Ken Church (OSRL), Dean Sherwood (Shetland Response Base supervisor), John Johnson (Shetland Base technician), Rob Bly (BP, Crisis and Continuity manager, North Sea)

Response equipment can be transported to the ports of Scalloway or Lerwick for deployment onto suitable vessels. Shoreline equipment is stored in trailers ready to deploy at short notice to any areas that could potentially be impacted.

The base supports several west of Shetland operators and was established by BP. OSRL and BP completed a thorough handover to ensure continuity of service under OSRL’s operatorship.

Robert Limb, OSRL chief executive, said: “While we never want to face a situation requiring deployment, this important service provides an extra layer of protection when responding to incidents. Its favourable location on the west coast of Shetland allows us to act quickly and efficiently.

“The base will be run on a daily basis by our trained contractors on Shetland and managed remotely from the OSRL Aberdeen office. Training courses will also be offered at the base for our contractors and other interested stakeholders on the island.”

OSRL responds to oil spills wherever in the world they happen, providing response and intervention services. It is wholly owned by oil and gas companies around the globe.