WASHINGTON, April 11, 2012 - In
remarks to reporters this afternoon, API Group Director of Upstream and Industry Operations Erik Milito reiterated the oil and natural gas industry’s commitment to offshore safety and outlined the latest efforts by the industry to promote standards of excellence for safe drilling operations:
“The tragic Macondo well accident in April 2010 drove a comprehensive reappraisal of safety for offshore operations. That evaluation has led to significant safety enhancements in the offshore business and an enhanced framework of rules, standards and oversight to ensure the highest level of safety for the development of our ample offshore resources.
“As a result of this work, and extensive resources devoted to safety that continue to draw on the best minds from the industry and government, we’ve established a multi-layer system, with many built-in redundancies to help prevent incidents, to intervene and stop a release that might occur, and to manage and clean up spills.
“There are three critical aspects to this network of safety for offshore operations. First, prevention, embodied in the Center for Offshore Safety, through industry drilling standards and the promotion of robust safety and environmental management systems. Second, new innovative well containment and intervention capabilities. And third, improved planning and resources for oil spill response.
“The industry has always demonstrated a strong commitment to safe and responsible operations. Since the Gulf spill, the industry has continued in that commitment by driving performance even further on offshore safety and rapid response capabilities. The bar continues to rise, the commitment is stronger, and the mechanisms are in place to support the strongest safety standards possible.”
An outline with additional details of the oil and natural gas industry’s continued commitment to enhance offshore drilling safety are available
here.
API represents 500 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America's energy, supports 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.7 percent of the U.S. economy, delivers more than $86 million a day in revenue to our government, and, since 2000, has invested more than $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.