MSRC completes Gulf of Mexico oil spill response expansion
The Marine Spill Response Corp. (MSRC) said it completed the Gulf of Mexico expansion program known as Deep Blue to respond to an oil spill incident, if necessary, and MRSC has arranged contracts with Edison Chouest Offshore and Hornbeck Offshore Serivces to modify additional equipment.
MSRC repositioned one of its 210-ft Oil Spill Response Vessels (OSRV) from the Atlantic Coast to Port Fourchon, La. That OSRV is named the Deep Blue Responder.
OSRVs have temporary storage for recovered oil and have the ability to separate oil and water aboard ship using oil-water separation systems. To enable the OSRV to sustain cleanup operations, recovered oil is transferred into other vessels or barges.
MSRC now has seven OSRVs positioned within 60 hr of deepwater Gulf of Mexico operations. In addition, it has five storage barges in the gulf as dedicated skimming barges that are staged from Ingleside, Tex., to Tampa, Fla.
The contract with Edison Chouest Offshore and Hornbeck Offshore Services are to modify five platform supply vessels and multipurpose support vessels for potential use as OSRVs.
MSRC, founded in 1990, is the largest standby oil spill and emergency response company in the US. The not-for-profit MSRC is financed by the Marine Preservation Association through its member oil companies.
Paula Dittrick | Senior Staff Writer
Paula Dittrick has covered oil and gas from Houston for more than 20 years. Starting in May 2007, she developed a health, safety, and environment beat for Oil & Gas Journal. Dittrick is familiar with the industry’s financial aspects. She also monitors issues associated with carbon sequestration and renewable energy.
Dittrick joined OGJ in February 2001. Previously, she worked for Dow Jones and United Press International. She began writing about oil and gas as UPI’s West Texas bureau chief during the 1980s. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska in 1974.
