Preparation is the key factor in managing an effective oil spill response operation, Western Canada Spill Service (WCSS) has announced.

Company equipment manager Mike Locke told the Herald Tribune that as with any emergency, knowing how to react is vital in ensuring a swift and impactful response.

His comments came during an oil spill response training day held in the Grand Prairie region of Saskatoon Island Provincial Park in Saskatchewan, Canada.

"We hope that we never have a spill, but if we do have a spill we want to be as well prepared as we can," he said.

More than 150 workers in the local oil and gas industry took part in the training programme. WCSS, a non-profit organisation, is required by law to host at least one spill response training session in each of its mandated areas every year.

The company also maintains an annual research and development budget to develop technologies that will plug gaps in the country's spill response capabilities.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development