Understanding how oil behaves is important for developing appropriate response strategies. Crude oils are composed of a large number of individual chemical compounds.

Almost all of these are hydrocarbons, composed of only hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons can be classified by molecular weight or carbon chain length, and the majority of hydrocarbons in crude oil contains from 5 to 35 carbon atoms.

An effective response to a spill of oil is dependent to a great extent on the preparedness of the organization and the individuals involved. This can be enhanced by developing and maintaining a plan to address all likely contingencies. The process of producing a contingency plan provides the opportunity to identify roles and responsibilities and to define response strategies and operational procedures without the intense pressures that inevitably arise at the time of a spill.

SPEKS Environmental & Engineering Consult Ltd provides extensive consultancy services to ensure immediate and effective handling of spill emergencies; minimize danger to the public and personnel; minimize the impact on the local and surrounding environment; minimize loss of property and production, and facilitate and ensure effective communication to all parties impacted by or involved in response to emergencies.