OSR is poised to achieve its goal of providing the best technologies, products, professional expertise, and support services for marine environment protection around the world. Under MLB's direction, it is actively continuing the search for a partner in the ship building industry to further refine, manufacture and market the COV's on a worldwide basis.
The Clean Ocean Vessel (COV) brings a new dimension to the environmental nightmare of oil spill clean up in oceans and lakes. Its unique patented technology and simplicity of design allows for spilled oil recovery rates in operating conditions unheard of by the competition. The COV has been extensively tested both in the U.S and Japan. COVs have seen actual service off Canada’s west coast and in the Far East. The time has come for COVs to be manufactured and put into service on a worldwide scale.
Most experts agree that the poor results of oil spill containment and clean up efforts worldwide are the result of three factors:
1. Lack of preparedness for an oil spill. For example: no equipment or personnel near the spill.
2. Slow response to the situation. Quick response is the key as an oil spill spreads out rapidly, starts to sink, breaks up, oil viscosity increases and oil reaches the shoreline, all of which compound the problem.
3. Ineffective recovery techniques and equipment. Current equipment and techniques either do not recover much of the oil, or try to bury the problem. Current mechanical recovery techniques do not operate in rough seas or in floating debris. Recovery rates in the 10% to 15% range are considered “a successful clean up”. Aerial dispersants do not solve the oil spill problem but merely mask and defer it. The oil sinks to the bottom where it contaminates marine life and can wash up on beaches for years.
OSR will use the experience gained over the last few years to develop a World Ocean & Marine Environment Center concept and expand its product range into oil spill containments, recovery and disposal equipment, high-speed response vessels, hovercraft, surveillance aircraft, remote sensing submersibles, ad computerized management systems. OSR plans to fully support its products with comprehensive on-site training, consulting and maintenance programs.
OSR Systems Ltd., a division of MLB Industries, a publicly listed company in Canada, is currently actively pursuing this opportunity. The OSR management team has extended into negotiations with interested parties in both the Middle East and Australia. Several trips have been made to both of these parts of the world, with an extensive network of contacts having been made. The proposal being put forth is to build Oil Spill Response Centres featuring the COV technology as the prime oil spill clean up technology. Shipbuilders have been contacted in both the Middle East and Australia. COV construction estimates have been secured. The next steps, currently underway, are to secure sales contracts for COVs and contracts to build Response Centres.
