MSC Chitra Pollution Response

Overview

Saturday 7th of August 2010 the bulk cargo vessel MV Khalijia collided with the container vessel MSC Chitra off Mumbai India spilling an estimated 800 tonnes of oil and 400 containers into the sea.

The Dutch salvage company SMIT were awarded the salvage of the grounded MSC Chitra and Briggs Environmental were contracted by SMIT as oil spill technical advisors.

Captain Bill Boyle Divisional Marine Operations Manager and George Ross of Briggs Environmental Services flew out to Mumbai to take charge of Oil Spill Response Operations. BMES also despatched specialised oil spill response equipment from their Aberdeen base and Norway.

Our Work

On the arrival of the Briggs two man team in Mumbai, it was evident that an effective oil spill response plan had to be submitted to SMIT and the local authorities quickly.

Vessels suitable for oil spill response operations had to be found and altered for the ease of deployment of oil spill response equipment. Oil Storage Barges had to be found for the storage of recovered oil on location.

Local vessel crews and oil spill response operators had to be found and trained in:

• Safe Operations during oil spill response
• How to check oil spill response equipment such as Power Packs, Generators, Pumps, Skimmers and Boom Reels.
• How to Deploy and Recover Oil Spill Response Equipment.
• Vessel Masters and Deck Officers had to be given instruction on how to manoeuvre their vessels while towing oil spill response equipment especially in strong currents.

Result

This project has been running since the 9th of September 2010, the Briggs two-man team work a rota system and are changed out every six to eight weeks. Although we had Christmas and New Year during this period the job hasn’t incurred any down time, which has pleased the client.