New UK oil industry body prepares for first meeting

The first meeting of the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) brings UK oil industry representatives together on June 2nd to address five issues relating to how the sector acts to both stop spills from happening and to react if they do occur.

On the group's agenda for the coming weeks are technical issues including personal safety, responding and remedying oil spills, national measures to respond to emergencies, insurance and indemnity, and regulations across the North Sea oil industry.

Chair of OSPRAG Mark McAllister says: "We have not had a blow-out in the last 20 years of operations ... however, we must always ensure we put the safety of our employees first."

He adds that the UK industry already operates under tight regulatory conditions to ensure that the risks of any oil spills are minimised.

Industry organisation Oil and Gas UK advises that spills can arise due to human error or equipment failure, with concerns relating to ageing infrastructure as some operators believe older equipment may be more prone to leakage.