Emergency Response Drill
 Incident response team members review spill trajectory maps during a drill to better direct mobilization of resources. 

The complex nature of our business means we must be prepared to respond to a range of possible disruptions such as major accidents, political instability or extreme weather. Preventing incidents through good project planning, design, implementation and leadership is our primary objective. However, if a spill or other unplanned event occurs, we have procedures and processes in place to respond effectively. We also conduct thorough investigations of all significant incidents to understand the root cause, and we share lessons learned to prevent future incidents. We report on our spill performance annually.

Preparedness Policies

Our corporate Crisis and Emergency Management Plan outlines the framework used to manage our response to significant incidents of all types. A Crisis Communications Functional Support Plan outlines how we will communicate with internal and external stakeholders, including emergency responders, regulatory agencies and community members, should an incident occur. Each business unit maintains emergency response plans specific to each asset’s potential risks. Response plans are available to all employees, contractors and designated suppliers.

We have a comprehensive tiered response framework to efficiently mobilize the appropriate teams in an emergency. A Tier 1 response is fully managed at the business unit level. If the response exceeds the capabilities of an individual business unit, the Crisis Management Support Team and Global Incident Management Assist Team (GIMAT) will be activated as part of our Tier 2 and Tier 3 response frameworks. The Crisis Management Support Team provides functional, strategic and/or tactical support to the affected business unit during a significant incident or crisis. The GIMAT is comprised of subject matter experts from across the company who have undergone extensive emergency response training. In all tiered response scenarios, the Crisis Manager has direct access to the Executive Leadership Team to provide situational updates.

Training and Exercise

Each year, we conduct multiple emergency response training events and exercises for our global operations in compliance with company standards and local regulatory requirements, including the U.S. Oil Pollution Act.

Scenario training and exercises provide an opportunity to evaluate incident management systems at various levels throughout the company. Lessons learned and best practices from key exercises are shared within our internal emergency response community and with external response partners and vendors to further enhance capabilities.

In 2022, one notable example with transferable learnings to the wider organization was a joint emergency exercise with Equinor in Norway. The drill enabled us to evaluate our abilities to work in collaboration with our peer company in a simulated event and large-scale response, work in a unified command structure and coordinate the response to a hypothetical oil spill event impacting the environment. 

24/7 Monitoring

Our Crisis Management Notification Process is anchored by a hotline — staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week — that allows stakeholders to report emergencies. The number is publicly available and is included in product transport paperwork. If assistance is required, a ConocoPhillips representative will coordinate the activation and/or mobilization of corporate resources as necessary.