BP rebuked over North Sea oil leak
Source: The Guardian
BP has been rebuked by the Norwegian oil and gas safety authority after a leak at one of its major North Sea platforms last year.
The watchdog accused BP of poor maintenance and "serious breaches of regulations". The criticism is another blot on the company's safety record and is the second such censure in the last two years.
Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority said BP's maintenance systems were deficient, and demanded a review of the company's management of the platform at the Ula field "with a view to assessing whether it is adequate for identifying and managing risk". The UK company has also been asked to explain why its maintenance was so inadequate that a "substantial" leak occurred last September.
An estimated 125 barrels, or 20 cubic metres, of oil flowed out of the leak, along with 1,600kg of gas, from the installation on the Ula field at the southern end of the Norwegian continental shelf.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/apr/29/bp-north-sea-oil-leak-ula-norway