Page 46: of Marine News Magazine (April 2012)

46MNApril 2012DeepwaterWhen the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) announced in late February that it had completed its Gulf of Mexico expansion program known as Deep Blue, few industry stakeholders were surprised that this capable spill responder had stepped up to enhance capabilities well in advance of any new regulatory requirements. The scope of MSRCs new response capabilities created under this pro- gram, on the other hand, now position this non-profit, dedicated spill responder to respond to virtually any oil spill incident, if and when necessary. The same organiza- tion that worked with BP during the Macondo spill ? dis- patching no less than four ships on scene within 24 hours? now boasts a significantly more capable organization, and response capability. Key to the expansion program were achievement of the following metrics: ?Increased effectiveness of mechanical recovery through expanded number of dedicated oil spill response and recovery platforms in the Gulf of Mexico; ?Increased ability to utilize commercial Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) and Multi-Purpose Support Vessels (MPSVs) to reinforce MSRCs existing dedicat- Keeping the Deep Blue inMSRCs GOM Expansion Deepens Gulf Coast Response Capabilities for the Offshore Deepwater Region. HOS Centerline