Wednesday 2 June 2010

UK Oil Spill Prevention and Response Group Begins Work

The UK oil and gas industry’s new Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) today (2 June 2010) met for the first time to set out a path for the early review of the sector’s practices and its readiness to respond to a major event in the UK continental shelf (UKCS), in light of the incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Group’s chair and Fairfield Energy Ltd’s chief executive, Mark McAllister, said: “While the measures companies take under the current regulatory regime in the UK continental shelf (UKCS) have been effective in preventing blowouts over the last twenty years of operations, what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico dictates that we must re-assess the provisions and procedures we employ here and the extent of our preparedness for oil spill prevention and response.

“The Advisory Group, which includes representatives from Oil & Gas UK, its member companies, regulators and trade unions, were keen to start this comprehensive review at the earliest opportunity so that if appropriate, the industry in the UK is poised to respond quickly to the recommendations or learnings that may arise from the investigations in the US. This is the most efficient way to help ensure that the arrangements in the UKCS continue to be fit for purpose.”

At the meeting, the key objectives of the Group were agreed. OSPRAG’s work will be carried out within four technical groups, each focusing on one of:

• Technical issues including first response for the protection of personnel and competence;
• Oil spill response capability and remediation, including national emergency response measures;
• Indemnity and insurance requirements;
• Pan-North Sea issues and response mechanisms.

The Group intends to review UKCS practice and regulation concerning the arrangements for pollution prevention and response, as well as the assessment of the adequacy of financial provisions for that response. It will also facilitate the implementation of any recommendations from the US investigations that are pertinent to the UK.

The next OSPRAG meeting will be held next month. More information on the Group’s structure and membership and background information is available online here.

Ends

For more information, please contact Sally Fraser on 020 7802 2404.

Notes to Editors

1. Oil & Gas UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK offshore oil and gas industry. Its members, which number more than 100, are licensed by the Government to explore for and produce oil and gas in UK waters and those who form any part of the industry's supply chain. 2. In order to minimise the risk of oil or gas releases in the UKCS, the HSE has in place a goal-setting regime which requires companies to implement robust checks. This type of regulation enables a responsive approach because it allows companies to utilise the latest technology for minimising risks as and when it becomes available rather than waiting for regulations to be updated. The regulations also require a second level of assurance in that the design, construction and maintenance of wells must be independently verified by an independent and competent person (ICP). In addition, operators are required to have the resources in place to deal with an oil spill through two statutory instruments (The Merchant Shipping Regulations 1998 and The Offshore Installations Regulations 2002). 3. To request a photo of Mark McAllister, please email sfraser@oilandgasuk.co.uk