The OSCE Office in Baku assists Azerbaijan in oil spills preparedness. (OSCE/Zaur Zeynal)

The OSCE Office in Baku held a workshop on oil spills preparedness for 40 specialists from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) on 11 December 2013.

The event aimed at strengthening SOCAR’s capacity to execute the National Marine Oil Spill Contingency Plan, which requires that all companies involved in oil and gas exploration develop and implement oil spill emergency plans for all their operations that could cause an oil spill.

“The plan aims to foster close co-operation with oil companies working within the Azerbaijani part of the Caspian Sea, and we stand ready to provide further assistance in training staff of these companies to make sure they are better prepared for oil spills,” said Emmanuel Huntzinger, Head of the Economic and Environmental Unit at the OSCE Office in Baku.

Upon the request of SOCAR, the OSCE Office in Baku hired an international expert to develop an oil spills response plan for the national oil company in line with the international, regional and national requirements, which takes into account the guidelines developed by the International Maritime Organization and International Petroleum Industries Environmental Association.