Rising Concerns Over Oil & Gas Leaks In North Sea

The oil leaks issue has come to the fore again, with The Guardian reporting serious oil spills in the North Sea occurring as frequently as one per week, putting at risk the field employees and proving hollow the companies' claims of adhering to the safety regulations.

The Guardian obtained reports of the Health and Safety Executive that keeps a database to track the potentially hazardous oil spills in the North Sea. It revealed more than 100 lethal and largely unpublicised oil and gas spills in the area in the years 2009 and 2010.

According to reports Shell seems to lead the pack despite claims by the company on the safety of its operations.

The present government's leniency to firms keen on setting up operations in the Arctic has now come under the spotlight. However, the energy minister Charles Hendry, is quick to claim the "legitimacy" of the operations of companies such as Cairn Energy, which he says do follow Britain's "robust" safety regulations.

Most leaks recorded in the HSE database are classified "major" or "significant", which are capable of causing fire accidents, that can put many lives in danger. And Shell and the French oil giant Total, seem to own the two rigs with the maximum number of leaks, despite the companies' management frequently claiming that safety will always be their top priority.

Furthermore, the documents record seven leaks off Brent Charlie, the Shell-run platform which has been pumping oil since 1976 from its location 115 miles (180km) north-east of Scotland. The worst spill being last year on 26 April when four tonnes of leaked gas from one of its columns led to a shutdown of production.

The oldest rigs which were established in the 70's when oil was discovered off North Sea have also come under serious criticism on account of danger they pose due to their expired and outdated platforms.

Maersk and Canadian firm Talisman, both recording five leaks, and BP owning up to four spills from its rig known as Mungo Etap come close to Shell in the list of serious safety offenders.

Robert Paterson, health and safety director of the Oil & Gas UK, however brushed aside the safety concerns saying oil companies last year agreed to "redouble efforts to reduce the number of leaks by 50% over three years and many companies are building this target into their business plans."

"We believe there is a very high standard of compliance when it comes to companies reporting offshore incidents to the regulator and a constructive culture in the workforce when it comes to reporting health and safety concerns."