BP Spill Criticized
Shell attacks BP over oil well safety, as US lifts ban on Gulf of Mexico drilling
By Rowena Mason, Energy Correspondent
Peter Voser, the chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, has strongly criticised BP’s well design and internal inquiry into the causes of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
BP’s report into how the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank on April 20, killing 11 men, cleared the company of any serious negligence.
But Mr Voser said to “correctly investigate” the company ought to have looked more closely at its own well design.
The oil executive sought to distance the industry from BP’s mistakes, saying his own company would have had more safety barriers in place.
“From what I know today, Shell clearly would have drilled this well in a different way and would have had more options to prevent the accident,” Mr. Voser said at the Oil & Money summit in London.
However, the Shell boss acknowledged that all oil companies failed to prepare properly for a major accident, adding that he expects tighter regulation.
BP did not send any representatives to the major annual conference and declined to comment on Shell’s criticism.
“The report was very clear in its parameters and very clear in its conclusions,” a BP spokesman said. Read more..
Source : Shell attacks BP over oil well safety, as US lifts ban on Gulf of Mexico drilling – Telegraph
Jesse Anderson
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog
