Ferry colliding with oil tanker exercise

Exercise Dalriada will test the interaction between the MCA and Clydeport Authority and local authorities as well as various emergency services. The ferry 'Jupiter', with 100 people on board, on passage from Dunoon to Gourock collides with an oil tanker, 'Futura', causing a serious oil spill. The exercise is being played as 'live', with a real ferry.

Andrew Healy, Principal Counter Pollution and Salvage Officer at the MCA said: "Exercises of this kind are invaluable in testing the Agency's search and rescue, counter pollution and salvage procedures during a major incident at sea. We will be building on experience gained during recent incidents, such as the Multitank Ascania fire on board a chemical tanker in The Pentland Firth earlier this year and from previous national exercises such as 'Exercise Trafalgar' in the Bristol Channel. Exercise Dalriada will use live assets including a ferry, lifeboats, military aircraft from the Royal Navy and Royal Airforce. A Coastguard Emergency Towing Vessel, aerial spraying aircraft to combat the oil spill from the air and vessels to recover oil at sea will also participate. A Shoreline Response Centre (SRC) will be established to co-ordinate the shoreline clean-up and a booming exercise will take place at Loch Strivan."

Exercise Director Robin Perry, of Robin Perry Associates said: "Dalriada will be one of the largest Counter Pollution Exercises ever to be held in the UK. The Clydeport Oil Spill Contingency Plan and the Oil Pollution Contingency Plans of the participating authorities will be exercised in order to test the working relationship between participating organisations."