IMO has made significant progress with its contingency planning efforts to prepare for a possible oil spill from the deteriorating floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) SAFER, which is moored off the coast of Yemen. The unit has an estimated 150,000 MT of crude oil on board.
Contingency planning is taking place alongside preparations for a UN-led assessment mission on the FSO SAFER, scheduled to take place in early 2021. In line with the scope of the mission that was recently agreed, a UN team will board the FSO for 30 days to assess its state and carry out light repairs. However, the scope of the mission does not include offloading the oil currently on board the FSO.
IMO will continue to provide technical input to the UN interagency process, which is led by the UN Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen (OSESGY), with participation from UN OCHA, UNOPS, IMO and UNEP.
The IMO-led contingency planning efforts, carried out in collaboration with key stakeholders in the region, aim to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and management of emergency response operations in the event of a spill from the FSO SAFER. Should an oil spill occur, IMO is able to support national Governments and regional organizations, on the basis of a formal request for assistance , by providing technical assistance and backstopping regional efforts in line with the provisions contained in Article 12 of the OPRC Convention…
