SERS Partners IEMS for Enhanced Oil Spill Response Services

Dubai-based Swire Emergency Response Services (SERS), a fully owned subsidiary of Swire Pacific Offshore group, announced its partnership with Mediterranean-based International Environmental and Marine Services (IEMS) to jointly provide Tier 2/3 response services to clients in Europe, Africa and the Middle East The partnership was inked on 24 October in Dubai.

“We are excited about the collaboration between SERS and IEMS. This partnership will allow both companies to leverage on each other’s expertise and provide a broader range of highly sophisticated, prompt and reliable emergency response services to the offshore oil and gas industry. With the combined strengths and experience of both companies, we are confident that we will be able to provide prompt and high standards of response capabilities to manage oil spill incidents across the globe,” says General Manager, Emergency Response Services of Swire Pacific Offshore Operations (Pte) Ltd, Mr Eric Kraan.

The partnership will offer joint Tier 2 / 3 response services to clients in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. SERS provides oil spill response and equipment rental services on a global basis.

It does so by providing rental of prepackaged oil spill response equipment, offering retainer services during clients’ drilling/ production programme and offering consultancy services and training prior to and during a project. SERS owns and operates one of the largest available oil spill response stockpile in the Middle East and has further comprehensive equipment stockpiles in Dubai, Singapore, South Africa and West Africa. IEMS is the first independent international environmental and marine services company in the Middle East and specialises in providing and installing custom contingency equipment packages as well as oil spill deflection and protection systems.

“The strategic alliance between SERS and IEMS will provide a co-ordinated network of resources comprising vessels, equipment, personnel and response centres with standardised (ISO 9001, 14001 and OHASAS Certified) operating procedures. Through our partnership, we will be able to provide effective yet cost-effective local, national and international emergency response services to the global offshore oil and gas industry,” says Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IEMS, Captain Richard Byrnes.

As part of this partnership, SERS and IEMS will also jointly establish an Oil Spill Response Centre (OSRC) in South Africa by the end of 2014. This centre will provide supplementary personnel and equipment to enhance the response capabilities of the current OSRCs of IEMS and SERS. Both companies will also jointly offer International Maritime Organization (IMO) Level 1 and Level 2 Oil Spill Training from dedicated operational OSRCs in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The training will equip clients’ personnel with effective oil spill response knowledge, to undertake initial assessments of spill risks and to choose the correct response
options.