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| Oil companies going unpunished for thousands of North Sea spills | Oil companies going unpunished for thousands of North Sea spills |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Oil companies operating in the North Sea have been fined for spills just seven times since 2000, despite 4,123 separate spills being recorded over the same period, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (Decc) has confirmed. | Oil companies operating in the North Sea have been fined for spills just seven times since 2000, despite 4,123 separate spills being recorded over the same period, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (Decc) has confirmed. |
| The revelation came as Decc said on Thursday that a "record-breaking" 167 new licences have been offered by the government to oil and gas companies seeking to drill in the North Sea. A further 61 "blocks", or licences, are under environmental assessment. | |
| The total fines between 2000 and 2011 came to just £74,000, with no oil company having to pay more than £20,000. Two companies received fines of £20,000 – BP, for causing 28 tonnes of diesel to spill into the sea in 2002 from the Forties Alpha platform, and, a year later, Total E&P for causing six tonnes of diesel to enter the sea during a transfer between fuel tanks on the Alwyn North platform. | The total fines between 2000 and 2011 came to just £74,000, with no oil company having to pay more than £20,000. Two companies received fines of £20,000 – BP, for causing 28 tonnes of diesel to spill into the sea in 2002 from the Forties Alpha platform, and, a year later, Total E&P for causing six tonnes of diesel to enter the sea during a transfer between fuel tanks on the Alwyn North platform. |
| Information about the total number of fines was released by Decc following a freedom of information request. The lowest fine over this period was when two companies, Venture North Sea Oil and Knutsen OAS Shipping, were each fined £2,000 for causing 20 tonnes of crude oil to spill during a tanker transfer on the Kittiwake platform. | Information about the total number of fines was released by Decc following a freedom of information request. The lowest fine over this period was when two companies, Venture North Sea Oil and Knutsen OAS Shipping, were each fined £2,000 for causing 20 tonnes of crude oil to spill during a tanker transfer on the Kittiwake platform. |
| In total, 1,226 tonnes of oil were spilled into the North Sea between 2000 and 2011, according to Decc's archives. | In total, 1,226 tonnes of oil were spilled into the North Sea between 2000 and 2011, according to Decc's archives. |
| Decc says there is no "volume threshold" determining whether a prosecution will be brought against a company found to have caused a spill at sea, although a spill under five tonnes is unlikely to be prosecuted. A tonne of crude oil is broadly equivalent to seven barrels, or, more precisely, 1,136 litres. | Decc says there is no "volume threshold" determining whether a prosecution will be brought against a company found to have caused a spill at sea, although a spill under five tonnes is unlikely to be prosecuted. A tonne of crude oil is broadly equivalent to seven barrels, or, more precisely, 1,136 litres. |
| Decc says its inspectors, all of whom have enforcement powers, judge each case separately to assess the circumstances and the seriousness of the alleged offence. Slightly different arrangements exist in Scotland compared to England, Wales and Northern Ireland for pursuing a prosecution. | Decc says its inspectors, all of whom have enforcement powers, judge each case separately to assess the circumstances and the seriousness of the alleged offence. Slightly different arrangements exist in Scotland compared to England, Wales and Northern Ireland for pursuing a prosecution. |
| A Decc spokesman said: "The UK has one of the toughest and most successful oil and gas regimes in the world and we work closely with industry to ensure the highest standards of environmental protection are in place and enforced. There are a number of enforcement options available to Decc, with court action reserved for serious offences. On the rare occasions legal proceedings have been deemed necessary, it is for the court to decide the level of fines to hand down." | A Decc spokesman said: "The UK has one of the toughest and most successful oil and gas regimes in the world and we work closely with industry to ensure the highest standards of environmental protection are in place and enforced. There are a number of enforcement options available to Decc, with court action reserved for serious offences. On the rare occasions legal proceedings have been deemed necessary, it is for the court to decide the level of fines to hand down." |
| Environmental campaigners said it was worrying that Decc views itself as operating the global gold standard of offshore regulation, especially as oil companies are now pressing for permission to drill in extreme, vulnerable environments such as the Arctic. | Environmental campaigners said it was worrying that Decc views itself as operating the global gold standard of offshore regulation, especially as oil companies are now pressing for permission to drill in extreme, vulnerable environments such as the Arctic. |
| Vicky Wyatt, a Greenpeace campaigner, said: "Ministers and oil companies can spout all the carefully crafted quotes they like to tell us how safe drilling at sea is. But while they're spouting these words, their rigs are all too often spouting oil into our oceans. The government should hit these companies who pollute the oceans in this way with meaningful fines. A few grand is not even a slap on the wrist for companies who pocket millions of pounds every hour. It's both staggering and wrong that some of these companies are now also drilling in the fragile and pristine Arctic, where a similar oil leak would be catastrophic." | Vicky Wyatt, a Greenpeace campaigner, said: "Ministers and oil companies can spout all the carefully crafted quotes they like to tell us how safe drilling at sea is. But while they're spouting these words, their rigs are all too often spouting oil into our oceans. The government should hit these companies who pollute the oceans in this way with meaningful fines. A few grand is not even a slap on the wrist for companies who pocket millions of pounds every hour. It's both staggering and wrong that some of these companies are now also drilling in the fragile and pristine Arctic, where a similar oil leak would be catastrophic." |
| Speaking about the issuing of new drilling licences, the energy minister John Hayes said: "Fortune has favoured the UK. Oil and gas from our waters provides around half the energy we need to heat our homes, fuel our cars and power our industry. It is the single largest industrial UK investor, supporting 440,000 jobs, and benefits the UK's trade balance to the tune of £40bn." | Speaking about the issuing of new drilling licences, the energy minister John Hayes said: "Fortune has favoured the UK. Oil and gas from our waters provides around half the energy we need to heat our homes, fuel our cars and power our industry. It is the single largest industrial UK investor, supporting 440,000 jobs, and benefits the UK's trade balance to the tune of £40bn." |
| He added: "This successful licensing round shows we are taking the right action to offer certainty and confidence to investors. Our fiscal regime is now encouraging small fields into production and our licensing regime supports new faces as well the big players to invest. Importantly, we are guaranteeing every last economic drop of oil and gas is produced for the benefit of the UK. It is our work with industry that is cultivating this precious resource, making our seas a fertile landscape for investors for many years to come." | He added: "This successful licensing round shows we are taking the right action to offer certainty and confidence to investors. Our fiscal regime is now encouraging small fields into production and our licensing regime supports new faces as well the big players to invest. Importantly, we are guaranteeing every last economic drop of oil and gas is produced for the benefit of the UK. It is our work with industry that is cultivating this precious resource, making our seas a fertile landscape for investors for many years to come." |
| Fined North Sea oils spills since 2000 | Fined North Sea oils spills since 2000 |
| Kerr McGee North Sea (UK) Ltd – 22 October 2000 | Kerr McGee North Sea (UK) Ltd – 22 October 2000 |
| Release of about 400 tones crude oil to sea from subsea pipeline: £10,000 fine. Pipeline between NW Hutton platform and Hutton TLP, northern North Sea. | Release of about 400 tones crude oil to sea from subsea pipeline: £10,000 fine. Pipeline between NW Hutton platform and Hutton TLP, northern North Sea. |
| BP Exploration Operating Company – 2 December 2002 | BP Exploration Operating Company – 2 December 2002 |
| Release of approximately 28 tonnes diesel to sea due to accidental draining of fuel to open drain system and sea sump: £20,000 fine. Forties Alpha platform, central North Sea. | Release of approximately 28 tonnes diesel to sea due to accidental draining of fuel to open drain system and sea sump: £20,000 fine. Forties Alpha platform, central North Sea. |
| Total E&P UK PLC – 17 June 2003 | Total E&P UK PLC – 17 June 2003 |
| Release of about 6 tonnes diesel after diesel transfered from tanks via valve not identified as dump valve: £20,000 fine. Alwyn North, northern North Sea. | Release of about 6 tonnes diesel after diesel transfered from tanks via valve not identified as dump valve: £20,000 fine. Alwyn North, northern North Sea. |
| Shell UK Ltd – 12 May 2003 | Shell UK Ltd – 12 May 2003 |
| Release of 7.5 tonnes diesel to sea during bunkering operations – return path for diesel supply system found to be closed and plant condition not as expected: £7,000 fine. Comorant Alpha, northern North Sea. | Release of 7.5 tonnes diesel to sea during bunkering operations – return path for diesel supply system found to be closed and plant condition not as expected: £7,000 fine. Comorant Alpha, northern North Sea. |
| Amoco (UK) Exploration Company – 1 July 2004 | Amoco (UK) Exploration Company – 1 July 2004 |
| Release of 31 tonne diesel to sea from day tank during bunkering operations: £12,000 fine. Lomond, central North Sea. | |
| Shell UK Ltd – 10 November 2004 | Shell UK Ltd – 10 November 2004 |
| Release of 7.33 tonnes oil-based mud to sea during bunkering operations. £3,000 fine. North Cormorant, northern North Sea. | Release of 7.33 tonnes oil-based mud to sea during bunkering operations. £3,000 fine. North Cormorant, northern North Sea. |
| Venture North Sea Oil Ltd and Knutsen OAS Shipping AS – 5 April 2007 | Venture North Sea Oil Ltd and Knutsen OAS Shipping AS – 5 April 2007 |
| Release of 20 tonnes crude oil to sea from SAL [single anchor loading] during transfer onto tanker. £2,000 fine each. Kittiwake, central North Sea. | Release of 20 tonnes crude oil to sea from SAL [single anchor loading] during transfer onto tanker. £2,000 fine each. Kittiwake, central North Sea. |