Spill response: OSRL and Cedre strengthen cooperation

Robert Limb, OSRL CEO, and Stéphane Doll, Director of Cedre exchange gifts and sign a Letter of Cooperation to underline a shared desire to work together more closely

FEBRUARY 14, 2018 — Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) and France’s Center for Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution (Cedre) have signed a Letter of Cooperation to strengthen operational level collaboration and to increase personnel and knowledge sharing across a range of areas related to spill preparedness and response.

Southampton, U.K., based OSRL is an international industry-funded cooperative that exists to respond to oil spills wherever in the world they may occur, providing preparedness, response and intervention services. Its members collectively representing well over two thirds of the world’s oil production and it currently employs 300 people across nine locations around the world.

Brest, France, headquartered Cedre is known for its expertise in accidental water pollution and has been operating in France and abroad for nearly 40 years. Its multidisciplinary team is composed of 50 technicians, engineers and scientists.

The signing of the letter formalizes and reaffirms the two organizations’ commitment to maintaining high levels of operational cooperation – a relationship that has existed for many years. The agreement is primarily operational in nature and will focus on advancing technology, training and good practice approaches when dealing with oil spills.

OSRL CEO, Robert Limb, and CEDRE Director, Stéphane Doll, signed the agreement earlier this week at OSRL’s base in Southampton, UK, following a tour of OSRL’s facilities and extensive equipment stockpile.

“The signing of this agreement is an important step towards an increased level of cooperation between our organisations,” said OSRL CEO, Robert Limb. “It is a significant development for OSRL’s members and will facilitate advances in our understanding and approach to dealing with a spill by combining our collective experience, research and technical capabilities in this area,

“The signing of this letter of cooperation is an important landmark for Cedre as it is the first building block in the bridge both organisations will strive to develop and consolidate,” said Stéphane Doll, Director of Cedre. 


Specific areas contained in the agreement, include:

• Documentation and sharing of technical expertise
• Collaborative development of best-practice principles, including technical studies and contingency planning
• Training of in-house and OSRL member personnel
• Analysis of equipment and research and development
• Research to identify new technologies and improved operational methods