Maltese registered vessel in first EMSA oil spill exercise off Bulgarian coast

MT Santa Maria, a European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) oil recovery vessel flying a Maltese flag recently conducted an international oil spill recovery exercise in the Black Sea, in conjunction with the Bulgarian Maritime Administration.

A Falzon Group tanker, Santa Maria was docked at the Odessos ship repair yard in Varna, Bulgaria.

Earlier this month, the EMSA participated in an oil pollution response exercise organised off the port of Varna. Santa Maria was one of two EMSA-contracted oil spill recovery vessels taking part. The other vessel was GSP Orion.

This is the first time this type of exercise was conducted in Bulgaria, with the aim of testing the co-ordination and co-operation between EMSA vessels and Bulgarian oil spill response resources. It is also the first time that a vessel registered in Malta carried out such an exercise in the Black Sea.

Santa Maria is the second vessel to be docked in Varna. Prior to this vessel, Falzon Group had converted Santa Elena into a double hull.

EMSA's contracted vessels participate in regular training activities and drills. These are designed to verify and improve the operation of onboard equipment. Together with national maritime authorities - national coastguards, port administrations and search-and-rescue organisations - the vessels also participate in wider exercises involving larger scale marine disaster preparedness activities.

Falzon Group owns a fleet of six tankers, three of which are double hulls and have been in the bunkering/oil sector business for over 55 years.

For more information, visit www.emsa.europa.eu or http://econ.bg/en/news/article176730/first_emsa_oil_spill_preparedness_exercise_off_the_bulgarian_coast