Industry forms task forces to address offshore operations issues
Nick Snow
OGJ Washington Editor
WASHINGTON, DC, May 4 -- The US oil and gas industry formed two task forces to address short-term and long-term issues involving offshore equipment and operating practices in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico crude oil spill, the American Petroleum Institute announced.
“This tragic incident requires that we redouble our commitment to continually improve safety and response practices,” API Pres. Jack N. Gerard said. “Our industry accepts that challenge. We owe it to the workers who were lost and to the others, particularly along the Gulf Coast, bearing the burden of the accident. We also owe it to the nation that has placed its trust in us to responsibly develop oil and gas off its coasts.”
Gerard said the offshore equipment task force will bring together equipment manufacturers, industry subsea equipment specialists, and deepwater contractors to focus on maintenance, response, and testing of blowout prevention equipment and remotely operated vehicles. The offshore operating procedures task force, meanwhile, will use offshore operators and service companies’ expertise to strengthen practices related to drilling and completing deepwater wells. API looks forward to government participation on both task forces, Gerard said.
“The ultimate goal of these task forces is to improve safety and environmental performance by learning from any gaps identified from this tragedy,” he said. In the very near term, they will bring relevant experts together to identify and further reduce risks of offshore operations, while working in conjunction with SWAT teams that BP PLC is assembling and help ensure that all response efforts are coordinated.
Gerard said in the longer run, the task forces will share lessons learned from investigations of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and fire and subsequent oil spill, and update API operating standards and recommended practices on an ongoing basis.
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