How Other Comapanies are Preventing Oil Spills by Rhiannon Ballard

Much like BP, other companies, such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and Conoco, are also worried about oil spills and have put into effect many efforts to prevent and be prepared for any oil spills. A quote on ExxonMobils website explains their commitment to preventing oil spills: ExxonMobils marine affiliates continue to voluntarily find and support innovative ways that often exceed regulatory standards to enhance the safety, security, and reliability of marine transportation. ExxonMobil, after the Valdez Oil Spill, was in the same predicament as BP after the 2010 oil spill. Therefore, by the time that BPs spill occurred, Exxon had already begun to prepare for such events. The BP oil spill helped renew their commitment to safeguard the environment. They now boast modified tanker routes and increased safety requirements. For example, drug and alcohol testing programs are in effect for all safety-sensitive positions. In fact, a background check is run on all employees in safetysensitive positions. If they have any history at all of substance abuse, they are not allowed to be employed in that position. All ExxonMobil vessels and facilities are periodically assessed for safety, and the training programs for vessel captains and pilots were strengthened. They also applied new technology to improve vessel navigation and ensure the integrity of oil containment systems. ExxonMobil is a founding member of every major oil spill response team. Over 1,000 Exxon employees are involved in oil spill response teams worldwide, and they hold frequent oil spill drills around the world. The two main programs that ExxonMobil is implementing are the Tanker Management and Self-Assessment Program, which is a practice guide for ship operators that complements existing quality standards, and SIRE (Ship Inspection Report Exchange), which includes both tank ships and barges. Chevron, like ExxonMobil, has also taken extra precautions. They maintain an extensively trained Oil Spill Response Team in Pascagoula and regularly conduct drills, much like BP and ExxonMobil. Their team can respond to an oil spill immediately with floating oil booms, which would help absorb the oil in the water. The oil absorbed would be pumped into a storage tank for recycling. Chevron also protects the air quality at marine terminals by monitoring it to make sure it doesnt get out of hand. Members of the Pascagoula Oil Spill Response Team even created a one-of-a-kind wildlife rehabilitation unit, which is the first fully-equipped oiled wildlife rehab unit that can be transported by air or pulled by a truck. This trailer is 38 x 8 ft and contains specialized equipment to help save wildlife, including the lab facilities required by a vet. Shell mainly drills in the cold Artic. A quote on their website explains how they feel about oil spills: We have decades of experience in oil spill prevention in a number of Arctic and subarctic regions. We take very seriously the consequences of any potential accident. Dealing with the immense cold of the arctic is very damaging to the oil drilling equipment. Floating ice can destroy pipelines. To avoid this, Shell has buried pipelines several meters underwater. Systems are designed to detect oil spills almost immediately and stop leakage. Shell is prepared to respond to an oil spill within 60 minutes, 24 hours a day. Shell has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Alaska for training employees. They have worked with SINTEF, which is a Norwegian company on a response research program to learn

about how oil reacts in ice-covered water. They are using this information to create a well-containment system in Alaska. ConocoPhillips began to really worry about oil spills after the BP oil spill, the American Petroleum Institute (API) assembled three joint task forces: 1. The Joint Industry Task Force to address Offshore Operating Procedures and Equipment 2. The Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Task Force 3. The Subsea Well Control and Containment Task Force These companies were created to find quicker and more effective methods for capping an uncontrolled well, make improvements to subsea dispersant application and monitoring, and to improve shoreline protection and clean-up. ConocoPhillips is committed to collaborating with government regulators. They are creating a new well construction interface and continue to review all existing policies with global leaders to ensure safety for not only their company, but the entire industry. Resources

"Offshore Incident Prevention & Response." ConocoPhillips. ConocoPhillips Company, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2013. <http://www.conocophillips.com/sustainable-development/safety-health/offshore-incidentprevention-response/pages/industry-response.aspx>.

" Oil Spill Prevention & Preparedness." Chevron.com. Chevron Corporation, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2013. <http://pascagoula.chevron.com/home/environmentandsafety/safetyandhealth/oilspillprevention.aspx >.

"Oil Spill Prevention and Response." Shell Global. Shell Global, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2013. <http://www.shell.com/global/future-energy/arctic/oil-spill-prevention-reponse.html>.

"The Valdez Oil Spill." ExxonMobil. ExxonMobil, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2013. <http://www.exxonmobil.com/corporate/about_issues_valdez.aspx>.