The 2010 Macondo blowout and oil spill continues to haunt the indust
ry, and inspire new regulatory rules not only in the US, but across Europe.
Explaining why he opened yesterday’s Industry Progress Post Macondo presentation with fiery photos of the Deepwater Horizon rig, Jan Panek, head of unit, directorate-general for energy of the European Commission, said that the photos were not an indictment against industry, but a case for action.
“It is an imperative that only by continuous attention to safety that we can move forward,” Panek said. “Industry is highly capable, but safety culture is insufficiently embedded.
“If you compare safety systems across Europe, you’ll find they are fragmented,” he said. “Everyone wants to be best in class, but they’ll arrive there in different ways.”
The Macondo incident prompted several investigations, which eventually showed an insufficient regulatory process in the US.
“These investigations found profound weaknesses in the regulatory attempt to address accidents and spill response,” said Michael Bromwich, The Bromwich Group. ”It was a painful wakeup call to the industry and the government.”
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