WASHINGTON, May 1, 2013 – Operators, contractors and regulators are working in close cooperation to maintain continuous improvement in offshore safety, Center for Offshore Safety Executive Director Charlie Williams told reporters this morning. He said the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston next week would provide a firsthand look at the important progress being made:

“Safety has always been a core value of the oil and natural gas industry. As we mark three years since the tragic Macondo well accident, operators, contractors, and regulators continue to work hard every day to continually improve the safety of America’s offshore oil and natural gas operations.

“The Center for Offshore Safety was designed to foster innovation, share best-practices and to learn from API’s member companies on how best to improve the safety of America’s offshore oil and natural gas facilities. Much of the Center’s focus has been on developing and implementing Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS). We believe SEMS will be a critical driver on continuous safety improvement in the years ahead.

“Looking ahead, oil and natural gas producers must always ensure that the ability to provide reliable and affordable energy – produced from our country’s vast domestic resources – is always in sync with efforts to safeguard workers, the environment and the public. That’s the goal of The Center for Offshore Safety and its programs and that’s the lasting commitment of the oil and natural gas industry.”

API is a national trade association that represents all segments of America’s technology-driven oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 500 members – including large integrated companies, exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms – provide most of the nation’s energy. The industry also supports 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.7 percent of the U.S. economy, delivers $85 million a day in revenue to our government, and, since 2000, has invested over $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.