Guyana’s offshore oil industry now produces more than 900,000 barrels of oil per day from the Stabroek Block, requiring systems that ensure personnel are prepared to respond to potential incidents.
According to ExxonMobil’s Oil Spill Response Plan, the U.S. major’s framework combines training programs, drills and exercises that prepare personnel for specific responsibilities during an incident. The system includes the Emergency Response Team (ERT), which handles field response activities, and the Incident Management Team (IMT), which oversees strategy, coordination and decision-making.
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Training responders
ICS is a standardized emergency management framework used to organize response activities.
Training begins with ICS 100, a web-based introductory course that familiarizes personnel with the fundamentals of the system, including basic terminology, common responsibilities, principles and organizational structure. Completion of this stage is required before progressing to higher levels of ICS training.
ICS 200 builds on these fundamentals and is designed for Tactical Response Team members and first-level supervisors involved in site-level incident response. The course covers incident facilities, resource management, organizational structure, and team responsibilities.
Senior personnel, including On-Scene Incident Commanders, ERT leaders and IMT members, complete ICS 300 training. This level focuses on managing larger incidents and covers areas such as staffing, resource management, unified command, transfer of command, incident planning and establishing response objectives.
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Testing preparedness
Training is supported by a schedule of oil spill response exercises that simulate different emergency scenarios. ExxonMobil develops an annual exercise schedule based on operational needs, with approval from the company’s country manager or a designated representative.
The exercise program begins with Oil Spill Response Plan (OSRP) orientation sessions whenever new ERT or IMT members are assigned. These workshops help personnel understand response procedures, responsibilities and how the plan is applied during an incident.
ExxonMobil also conducts notification and callout exercises every quarter to test emergency communication systems. These exercises evaluate whether personnel can be contacted quickly, whether communication channels function properly and whether response teams can receive and share information during an emergency.
Practical oil spill equipment deployment exercises are conducted annually. This provides personnel with hands-on experience using response equipment while working through scenarios involving factors such as weather conditions, operational decisions and coordination challenges.
An annual IMT tabletop exercise uses simulated oil spill scenarios to test decision-making, teamwork and response procedures. These exercises typically last between two and eight hours and allow teams to evaluate how effectively they manage information, resources and communication.
Every three years, ExxonMobil conducts full-scale incident management exercises, which combine simulated decision-making with the deployment of personnel and equipment. These exercises test coordination, communication, resource allocation, documentation and overall response management, and can last one or more days.
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The company also participates in joint exercises with regulators and other organizations to test responses to larger incidents requiring national or regional cooperation. ExxonMobil notifies the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before these exercises and submits documentation afterward detailing the exercise type, objectives achieved and lessons learned.
