Oil rig safety laws need boosting

Viet Nam needed to strengthen risk-control aspects of several laws as part of efforts to enhance the safety of offshore oil and gas operations, speakers said at a seminar held in HCM City yesterday.

They also highlighted the need for strict, regular inspections and annual maintenance of all industry facilities.

The seminar, held by the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), drew the participation of senior Government officials and representatives of oil and gas joint venture companies.

Do Van Hau, deputy director of PetroVietnam, recalled the explosion on British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon rig in April that killed 11 workers and led to the biggest oil spill disaster in world history, dumping 16,000cu.m of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, describing it as a wake-up call.

It prompted State management agencies as well as the domestic oil and gas industry to work harder and ensure safety in all activities related to oil and gas exploration and exploitation, he said.

PetroVietnam and international oil and gas contractors had made great efforts to ensure safety for the people and to protect the environment. So far, there had been no serious accidents, he noted.

Dao Duy Khu from PetroVietnam’s Safety, Health and Environment Board said there were currently 15 oil fields under exploitation in the country, including Bach Ho, Rong, Doi Moi, Rang Dong, Lan Tay and Phuong Dong. Viet Nam oil and gas exploitation this year is expected to reach 14.52 million tonnes and 8 million cu.m, respectively.

Khu stressed that offshore oil and gas operations including drilling, exploitation, storage and product transport were all high-risk activities. The main risks were fires, explosions, spills, collisions and natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

State management agencies needed to strengthen risk control aspects of various legal documents including the Oil and Gas law, the Labour law, the Environment Protection Law, the Firefighting and Prevention Law, and the Maritime Law, other speakers said at the seminar.

The agencies should also inspect periodically the implementation of these legal documents.

Nguyen Xuan Hoa of the Oil and Gas Exploitation Board said safety management should cover the quality of designs, operational procedures and environment protection.

Accordingly, all enterprises should evaluate environmental impacts and prepare solutions in case of emergencies, he said. Training courses on safety should be held every year for company staff, he added. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam oil and gas industry, Vietnam oil rig