Oil Spills at Sea

If you become aware of an oil spill in marine waters, it is important to act quickly by reporting it to the appropriate authorities. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), including the Coastguard, manages responses under the [National Contingency Plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-national-contingency-plan.

To request approval to use an oil spill treatment product call the MMO Marine Pollution incidents line on:

There are 2 main options when dealing with an oil spill at sea.

Natural processes may disperse, evaporate and degrade the spill. This may be the best option when:

Use an oil spill treatment product (OSTP)

Responders can intervene if an oil spill represents a safety risk, or poses a significant threat to commercial, environmental or amenity interests. The effects of any intervention must be considered. Various techniques can be used to respond to oil spill incidents, however some are poorly suited to marine conditions around the coast of the UK. Unless the oil can be physically recovered, the choice is often between leaving the oil alone or using an approved OSTP.

Request authorisation to use an OSTP during a pollution incident

In all cases authorisation from MMO must be obtained before an OSTP is used to treat an oil spill in the marine environment. Only oil spill treatment products from the Approved OSTP list can be authorised for use.