ONGC says it can handle oil spills up to 700 tonnes

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the country’s biggest oil explorer, has a capacity to handle oil spills of up to 700 tonnes, the company said in its first sustainability report released last week. However, the company has affiliations with a collaboration of major global spill response organisations to combat spills of greater magnitude. The report covers a one year period ended March 31, 2010.

The capacity of 700 tonnes is small if the recent oil spill of over 800 tonnes off the Mumbai coast, caused by collision between container vessel MSC Chitra and cargo ship Khailijia 3 is considered. It is much smaller if the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that is estimated to have released around 650,000 tonnes of oil is taken into account.

“The regional contingency plan of ONGC is linked to the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan of Coast Guard for major oil spills. Moreover, for oil spills of higher magnitude, ONGC has taken the membership of Oil Spill Response Ltd, UK,” the report said.

The report further says the recent incidents of oil spill internationally bolsters the company’s resolve to strengthen the processes, technology and human resources to meet the challenges.