Response equipment

Equipment based around New Zealand

There are three national equipment stockpiles located around New Zealand. The primary national equipment stockpile location is in Te Atatū, Auckland.

National stockpiles feature larger and more specialised equipment to deal with more complex spills and spills of greater volumes.  All oil pollution response equipment is subject to scheduled maintenance.

Each region has the equipment necessary to deal with minor spills and to mount a credible first response to more significant incidents. There are regional equipment stockpiles in over 20 locations throughout New Zealand (including Wharekauri / Rēkohu / the Chatham Islands).  The amount and type of equipment available in each location is based on the anticipated likelihood and volume of a spill. For example, regions with sizeable oil terminals have larger stockpiles and specialist equipment. Equipment can be mobilised quickly from anywhere in the country and transported by road and air to the location of an oil spill.

Additional response equipment, if required can be brought in from overseas, including Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Maritime NZ has agreements with several overseas partners who will provide response equipment and resources. If this is needed.

Types of oil pollution response equipment and their use

The characteristics of the spilled oil will affect how it behaves and what response techniques can be used. There is no one technique, or type of equipment, suitable to deal with every situation.

The equipment used to respond to a spill includes a wide range of booms, pumps, oil skimmers and dispersant chemicals.

Booms

This is the most common piece of equipment used to contain an oil spill. A boom is a floating barrier that can be towed or anchored into place. All booms have a freeboard above the water to collect the oil and a skirt below the water to stop the oil moving under the boom. Booms are less effective in large waves and strong currents. Maritime NZ stockpiles hold a wide range of boom types.

Booms can be used to:

• contain oil until it is recovered
• protect sensitive areas or shorelines by preventing oil from contacting those areas
• deflect oil away from sensitive areas. 

Skimmers

Skimmers remove oil from the water’s surface. The skimmed oil is then stored in tanks awaiting transport and disposal. Booms can be used to concentrate the oil to make it thick enough to be skimmed off the surface. Maritime NZ has a range of skimmers that can be used in different situations.

Dispersants

Dispersants are chemicals that help remove oil from the sea surface by breaking oil slicks into small droplets. The small droplets are then dispersed and diluted into the underlying seawater by wave action where they are broken down by naturally occurring bacteria. Maritime NZ has a dispersant stockpile, and international agreements for overseas supply.