Documents & Guides
Explore a variety of topics about marine spills, response and compensation matters in the pages below.
Each topic and area of interest provides access to more detailed documentation that is freely downloadable.
This includes our 18 Technical Information Papers which are fully illustrated with photos and diagrams and are available in several languages.
Compensation for Ship-source Marine Oil Spills
What legal arrangements and sources of compensation are available for a spill from a ship?
Disposal
What planning and waste management systems need to be put in place to reduce the volume of oily waste for treatment or disposal?
HNS
What are the specific chemical response strategies for responding to a Hazardous and Noxious Substance spill, and what are the potential effects on human and marine life?
Contingency & Response Planning
What information is needed for an effective oil spill contingency plan? How can aerial observation and protective strategies assist with response operations?
Economic Effects
Which industries might suffer temporary economic losses and loss of market confidence?
Fate of Oil Spills
What happens to oil in the marine environment over time when spilled at sea? How do different factors such as volume and physical and chemical properties affect the fate of oil spills?
Explore the Resources
Oil spills in ports (2006)
Whilst large oil spills arising from shipping accidents often make dramatic news, most oil spills are small and originate in or near ports. ITOPF oil spill statistics for tankers, for instance, reveal that 80% of all tanker spills are less than 7 tonnes and that 80% of these arise from operational accidents such as those that might occur during loading, discharging, and bunkering.
Categories: Response Techniques, Papers
Oil spills from floating production & storage craft: Contingency & response considerations (2006)
As exploitation of undersea oil moves further offshore floating production and storage systems offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional fixed platforms and seabed pipelines. Floating systems come in a variety of designs but due to their versatility, FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading units) are a particularly popular choice.
Categories: Response Techniques, Planning & operations, Papers
Volunteers and oil spills - a technical perspective (2011)
Many oil spill cases around the world have experienced significant volunteer turnouts. One of the most recent was the HEBEI SPIRIT incident in South Korea in 2007, where 10,500 tonnes of crude oil were spilled, 400km of shoreline were contaminated and 1.2 million volunteers came to help, creating extra issues that add to the core work of cleaning up the spill.
Categories: Response Techniques, Papers
The use of chemical dispersants to combat oil spills at sea: a review of practice and research needs in Europe (2007)
In order to better understand the practice of dispersant use, a review has been undertaken of marine oil spills over a 10 year period (1995 – 2005), looking in particular at variations between different regions and oil-types. This viewpoint presents and analyses the review data and examines a range of dispersant use policies.
Categories: Dispersants, Papers
Comparative costs of low technology shoreline cleaning methods (1999)
This paper examines the trends in costs associated with the various low technology shoreline clean-up methods that were used in the response to the SEA EMPRESS incident, by drawing on information gathered during the response and the subsequent claims for compensation from the local government councils involved.
Categories: Response Techniques, Compensation, Papers
The cost of oil spills from tankers: An analysis of IOPC Fund incidents (1999)
The 1971 and 1992 International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds ("IOPC Funds") provide compensation to the victims of oil spills from tankers in countries which have ratified the 1971 and 1992 Fund Conventions.
Categories: Compensation, Papers
Admissibility of claims for compensation for environmental damage under the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions (2001)
The definition of Pollution Damage in the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions provides that "compensation for impairment of the environment other than loss of profit from such impairment shall be limited to costs of reasonable measures of reinstatement actually undertaken or to be undertaken".
Categories: Compensation, Papers
Factors affecting the cost of oil spills (2002)
The NAKHODKA and ERIKA oil spills in Japan and France, respectively, have once again focused the attention of politicians, regulators, the media and claimants on the potentially high cost of such events and the adequacy of the current international compensation arrangements.
Categories: Compensation, Papers
Facilitating the speedy payment of oil spill compensation claims Under the CLC and Fund Convention (2002)
The prompt settlement of claims for compensation following oil spills from tankers is in everyone's interests, especially those who have incurred clean-up costs, had their property contaminated or suffered economic losses.
Categories: Compensation, Papers
Factors that determine the cost of oil spills (2003)
The NAKHODKA and ERIKA oil spills in Japan and France, respectively, have once again focused attention on the potentially high cost of such events and the adequacy of the current international compensation arrangements. This prompted a study by the International Group of P&I Clubs of the costs of 360 oil spills occurring outside of the USA between 1990 and 1999.
Categories: Compensation, Papers