Preventing spills

We recognise that the spillage of oil, drilling muds and other chemicals presents a significant potential environmental risk arising from our activities. To mitigate these risks, we implement best-practice spill prevention measures as an integral part of our environmental management plans for all our exploration and production activities.

We also recognise that despite the implementation of even the most careful prevention programmes, spills can occur and we need to be ready to deal with such scenarios.

As a result, all our exploration and production activities develop detailed spill contingency plans and allocate resources to implement these appropriately. We monitor spills from our operations closely both in terms of numbers and volumes spilled, regardless of whether the spill reaches the environment or is contained.

Spill prevention and contingency plans are particularly prominent in our preparations for exploration drilling in the waters to the west of Greenland, which are due to commence, subject to Greenlandic Government approval, in the summer of 2010. The environmental conditions and the challenges of mobilising spill response equipment to this remote area requires careful planning. Consequently, we are drawing on the knowledge of working in this region from across the oil and gas industry to ensure we meet the challenges effectively.