Petroleum Ministry askes oil companies to have institutional mechanism for safety
Oil Ministry pitches for safety mechanism
New Delhi, July 6 ::: The Petroleum Ministry has asked the companies in the business of hydrocarbon exploration to have an institutional mechanism in place to meet the safety requirements for all operations relating to production of oil and gas. The Ministry has also asked them to work in close co-ordination with the Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) and Coast Guard.
BP Effect::::::::::::::::In the aftermath of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in which the oil major BP has come into a lot of public scrutiny, the Ministry recently held a meeting with all the stakeholders. These included the Ministry of Environment & Forest, Coast Guard, Directorate General Hydrocarbons (DGH), and officials of both public and private operators such as Reliance Industries, Cairn India and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. Speaking to Business Line, the Additional Secretary, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr Sudhir Bhargava, said, “Safety is the top priority for all operations relating to production of oil and gas. The companies should work in close co-ordination so that they can share resources. ”
‘Upgrade facilities'::::::::::::“Although all the companies said that they have contingency plans in place, it is important that they keep revisiting and upgrading their facilities,” the Additional Secretary said. Besides, constant audit and inspections of the facilities and manpower training should take place, he added. A safety council chaired by the Petroleum Secretary has an in-depth review of safety systems and investments made by the companies twice a year. At the meeting, a presentation was made by the OISD. Also various issues pertaining to safety aspects of offshore drilling, particularly in deepwater, were discussed, he said adding that “the preparedness of oil companies particularly in case of deep sea drilling was reviewed.”
Nodal agency:::::::::::::Indian coast guard, which is the nodal agency for handling oil spills in India, discussed the issues in case the specialized equipment is to be air freighted and also gave some valuable suggestions to strengthen the oil spill response mechanism in the country. At the meeting ONGC submitted its preparedness and capabilities on managing oil spill. The company can manage oil spill of Tier-I capacity that is up to 700 million tonne.
….by…Richa Mishra….in THE HNDU BUSINESS LINE newspaper.
