The Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) is an organisation set up by the
petroleum industry
The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The large ...
to enable a quick and effective response to
oil spills around the Australian coastline. The organisation is owned by the
Australian Institute of Petroleum and is financed by nine participating oil companies and other industry-related companies.
It was established in 1991
and the following year moved its base to
Geelong,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. Its establishment was a direct result of a review conducted by the Australian oil industry following the ''Exxon Valdez''
oil spill.
Accident response
The Centre has an equipment stockpile on 24-hour stand-by. The AMOSplan is voluntary mutual aid arrangement where oil company equipment may be shared to best respond to a spill.
AMOSplan replaced the former Marine Oil Spills Action Plan (MOSAP).
The MOSAP was activated when an oil spill became too large for an individual company to adequately deal with.
Integration with government responses to spills is framed within the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil, which is managed by the
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is an Australian statutory authority responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations. The authority ...
.
Major incidents
In 2009, AMOSC responded to the
Montara oil spill in the
Timor Sea
The Timor Sea ( id, Laut Timor, pt, Mar de Timor, tet, Tasi Mane or ) is a relatively shallow sea bounded to the north by the island of Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, and to the south by Australia.
The sea contains a number of reefs ...
by mobilising aircraft and dispersant for aerial spraying.
See also
*
Petroleum industry in Western Australia
The petroleum industry in Western Australia is the largest contributor to the country's oil exports. Western Australia's North West Shelf (NWS) is the primary location from which production originates. Oil exports are shipped from Port Hedland ...
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.amosc.com.au/
Organizations established in 1991
Organisations based in Geelong
Emergency management in Australia
1991 establishments in Australia
Petroleum industry in Australia