ABU DHABI // A UAE team of oil spill experts with $1 million worth of equipment is on standby, ready to head to the US to assist in the clean up of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
"Everyone and everything is ready. We are just waiting for that one phone call," said Craig Buckingham, the leader of the Crisis Management Team overseen by the Supreme Petroleum Council and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc).
Speaking yesterday at the Crisis Management Center in Abu Dhabi, Mr Buckingham broke down the team's track record, which included successful oil spill clean up operations in Lebanon and Egypt, and the equipment and expertise that will be heading to the US.
"A team of 30 people, six Emiratis and the rest from Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and the Philippines, all fully trained in oil spill response, have cancelled all their plans and leave in preparation for the trip to Louisiana," he said.
Every member of the team has on-site expertise, besides their own specialisations in marine engineering, chemistry, environmental studies and IT.
"This will be a great chance for us, the UAE, to show how we can help in international disasters and that we have what it takes," said Ayedh al Masaabi, 28, an Emirati marine engineer.
If the call comes, he said, "I would be heading to the waters itself as well as overseeing the co-ordination of our team with the rest of the teams there ... We are ready to get our hands dirty in the effort to save the environment and the livelihood of the people affected by the oil spill."
Besides its skilled manpower, the UAE is offering the latest technology to tackle oil spills of this scale.
Four skimmers, recovery units that suck out the oil, 2,000 metres of onshore boom and 400 metres of offshore boom, as well as two helicopter spray pots to disperse chemicals, are waiting to be mobilised.
"We have been in direct touch with the US authorities, and have presented all our documents and passports to the US embassy. Now we are just hoping we will get the chance to learn and help in the clean up in one of history's worst oil spills," said Mr Buckingham.
A stream of oil has been pouring into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank on April 20, killing 11 employees. The spill is the largest in US history, with its daily flow estimated at 12,000 barrels.
The latest efforts by the oil company BP to seal the hole in the damaged well include a "top kill" operation, in which mud-like drilling fluid is pumped into the well to tamp down the gusher and then seal it with cement. Yesterday, BP said the operation had not yet worked and the company was looking at other ways to plug the leak.
The UAE has already sent an Adnoc dispersant report to the Joint Response Center in the US. The report shows the effectiveness of various dispersants on different varieties of oil.
"It is not a matter of a country or an isolated incident anymore, this disaster has impacted the entire oil industry and caused everyone to reassess their safety and response measures at their own oil fields," Mr Buckingham said.
The offer of help from the UAE comes at a time when the US president Barack Obama has pledged a tripling of manpower in the affected coastal areas.
The UAE is the latest country to join 14 other countries and the United Nations in offering to assist with the clean-up.
@Email:rghazal@thenational.ae
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
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3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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SRI LANKS ODI SQUAD
Perera (capt), Mendis, Gunathilaka, de Silva, Nissanka, Shanaka, Bandara, Hasaranga, Udana, Dananjaya, Dickwella, Chameera, Mendis, Fernando, Sandakan, Karunaratne, Fernando, Fernando.
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Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
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Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
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Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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