Oil Prevention Program In Former Soviet Bloc
The U.K.'s Overseas Development Agency (ODA) has embarked upon an Environmental Review program to assist Azerbaijan, a major oil-producing former USSR republic. ODA contracted AURIS, the commercial arm of Scotland's Aberdeen University, to provide the review. AURIS recruited Vector Re- sponse Corporation (VRC) to lead a four-day oil pollution prevention course, including an equipment demonstration at the Harbor of Montrose, VRC's headquarters. The review reflects the concern in the former Soviet republic for environmental preparedness, and involves field and classroom participation, and equipment mobilization.
The Azerbaijan group includes ecologists from the State Committee of Ecology, the head of Ecological Physiology at the Academy of Sciences, and members of state oil companies Socar and Hazar.
VRC, a subsidiary of Seacor Holdings, Inc., and a sister company of U.S.-based NRC, is a public company with interests in a diversified fleet of vessels dedicated to supporting offshore oil and gas exploration and environmental services on a global basis.
