MMS Director Johnnie Burton, Nick Glover, Cort Cooper, and
Offshore Minerals Management Associate Director Tom Readinger

Mr. Nick Glover is the Crisis Management Coordinator for British Petroleum Exploration (Alaska) (BPXA). He is the principal lead in preparing and maintaining the oil spill contingency plan for the Northstar development project in compliance with Federal Oil Pollution Act requirements. Northstar is the first OCS development project in the Alaska Region. Oil spill response capability is one of the most critical components to offshore development in the Beaufort Sea. He has made significant contributions in response planning, coordination with multiple regulatory authorities, oil spill response research, and risk assessment which have enhanced Arctic oil spill response preparedness.

Oil spill response in the Arctic faces unique challenges, including broken ice, subfreezing temperatures, extended periods of darkness, remote locations, and limited support infrastructure. Field demonstrations with mechanical response equipment proved that mechanical response would operate during broken ice conditions, but with some significant limitations. Mr. Glover oversaw the development of response strategies and tactics that represent the most realistic scenario to responding to a major oil spill in the Beaufort Sea, including broken ice conditions.

Mr. Glover was also involved in contracting studies that have improved understanding of oil spill risk, provided a better characterization of oil blowout conditions, and that better defined well control procedures and timeframes. These efforts have had a particularly important role in developing response strategies and mitigation and will help guide regulatory actions by MMS.

For the Northstar oil spill contingency plan, Mr. Glover has had to reconcile different and at times conflicting MMS and State of Alaska regulatory requirements. Because of these differences, he was responsible for the development of a spill response scenario that detailed multiple strategies through several operating seasons. This comprehensive stand-alone scenario exceeded anything required or anticipated under MMS regulations or required by the State of Alaska.

Mr. Glover has been a positive force in expanding the knowledge and capabilities of response to oil spills in ice-infested Arctic waters. He has actively supported the MMS Technology Assessment and Research Program by advancing research opportunities to BPXA upper management for funding consideration, including the ongoing MORICE (Mechanical Oil Recovery in Ice Infested Waters) project and the proposed Ice-Edge field study.

Mr. Glover personally ensures that MMS Alaska stays current with research and testing conducted by BPXA in the area of oil spill response, especially in the Arctic environment. He provides MMS personnel with BPXA documents to improve the overall understanding of response options and equipment capabilities in the severe Alaskan climate. He willingly shares his extensive knowledge and experience in spill response in the Arctic environment with Federal, state, and other industry personnel to help develop an effective toolbox of response options to best protect the Alaskan environment.

For these reasons, Mr. Glover is most deserving of the MMS Corporate Leadership Award.