Opinion & Analysis
Codes of practice crucial to monitoring oil drilling
An oil coated containment boom is seen close to the shore after it was moved out of place during high winds and waves which brought oil ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico July 9, 2010 in Waveland, Mississippi. Photo/AFP
Posted Wednesday, September 1 2010 at 00:00
Also we have increasingly more of the smaller independent oil and gas companies with fewer resources than the likes of BP engaging in offshore drilling.
It becomes inconceivable how the less capitalised independents would have fared in the event of a spill the magnitude of the Gulf of Mexico.
It is not only in the deep seas that environmental violations are happening.
We have seen environmental degradation in the Niger Delta which must be a shame to the Big Oil ( Exxon, Shel, Chevron etc ) operating in Nigeria.
Excuses will be given to shift blame, but this is not like the Big Oil which we have known for long.
The Big Oil guiding business principle has for many years been that it matters how and where they do business, and that environmental and safety compliance comes ahead of profits.
If the Big Oil cannot influence the destiny of spills in the Niger Delta they will eventually lose a lot in brand value.
Mozambique has made the first offshore oil discovery on the eastern coastline of Africa which has been prone to natural gas presence.
It is, however, not yet established if the Mozambican oil finds are of commercial quantities.
wachira@petroleumfocus.com
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