The more than 4,000 oil and natural gas platforms operating in U.S. waters have an outstanding safety and environmental record. U.S. offshore exploration and production are among the most heavily regulated activities in this country and meet what could easily described as the world’s most stringent government regulations and industry standards.
Protecting the environment is a national imperative and oil and natural gas operations have established an impressive record of protecting our coastal waters.
The record also demonstrates that the U.S. offshore oil and gas industry is operating safely. According to government statistics, the offshore industry – despite the challenging environment and complex equipment involved – is safer than many other industries and among the safest among all U.S. oil and gas industry sectors.
U.S. operators participate in voluntary safety and environmental management programs, in cooperation with the MMS and the Coast Guard. The result is that before a single drop of oil is removed from beneath the seabed, an offshore platform will have met some of the most rigorous environmental standards ever devised.
Cutting-edge technology allows platforms to extract more oil and natural gas in a safer manner. Platforms use sophisticated high-pressure valves that close automatically to prevent oil spills when sensors detect an unusual event. Automatic fail-safe devices are installed in wells below sea level, protecting sea beds and sea life. Master control switches are located at various stations on the platform so they can be reached easily. The exemplary safety record, even in the face of devastating hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, has proven the success of these efforts.