Wreck Environment Risk Analysis (WERA)
Wreck’s environmental risk analysis is an important phase before the beginning of oil removal operations. When the wreck’s environmental risk is analyzed following factors have to be considered.
- Environmental circumstances around the wreck
- Circumstances inside the wreck
- Oil tanks’ location
- Wreck’s condition (condition of oil tanks)
- Amount of oil in the wreck (technology)
- Nature of the oil (samples, laboratory)
- Environmental risk analysis (oil spill risk)
The decision of oil removal from a wreck can be done only after the consideration of the steps above.
The volume of oil or other hazardous material lost during a spill incident is not necessarily the most important factor in determining the seriousness of an oil spill event or possible risk posed by a sunken vessel. The location of the incident /vessel, how the oil material behaves, the prevailing sea and weather conditions, as well as the sensitivities of the environmental resources it impacts upon, are often the important considerations.
The decision of oil removal is made based on the wreck’s environmental risk analysis.
