The European Commission launched a report, tracking the progress in the safety of offshore oil and gas operations in EU member states following the implementation of the safety directive.
Specifically, according to the Directive on Safety of Offshore Oil and Gas Operations agreed in 2013, the EU has put in place a set of rules to help prevent accidents, as well as respond promptly and efficiently should one occur.
It is stated that there are clear indications that the aims of the Directive have been met thanks to its transposition by the EU Member States, according to the European Commission’s report on the assessment of the directive.
The EU notes that Member States and industry have largely welcomed the introduction of the Directive in its current scope, the report states, while environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are more nuanced in their assessment, calling for further tightening of some measures.
All stakeholders highlight the importance of more time needed and monitoring required before considering legislative changes.
In the meantime, the report focuses on possible areas for further work, including liability of owners and operators of offshore installations e.g. for loss, damage and pollution from an accident and the handling of compensation claims.
Also, the report addresses decommissioning of installations, including the sealing of wells and future monitoring of former sites, as an area of concern. Specifically, it deals with questions on the removal of fixed production platforms when they have reached the end of its life cycle.
The report confirmed that the Directive, which concerns principally, though not exclusively, the 16 Member States in which licensed oil and gas operations take place, has been transposed by all Member States.
The Directive was agreed in 2013 with the aim to address the risk of accidents arising from offshore oil and gas operations and subsequent response and recovery mechanisms if preventive measures fail. It was intended in particular to address shortcomings identified following the incident in the US Gulf of Mexico at a drilling operation controlled by an EU-based company in April 2010, which sparked worldwide concerns as to whether the risks of offshore drilling and production were adequately managed. Assessments of disasters in the US and Europe concluded that major accidents were occurring in situations that were avoidable.
To learn more about the report, you may click herebelow
