BP urged to be vigilant as it sets to explore Libyan waters
Waves carry in blobs of oil as it washes ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP
Environmentalists are urging the government to keep a watchful eye on the British oil giant BP, which was responsible for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, after Libya gave it the go-ahead to start oil exploration in the Mediterranean.
BP was granted permission by the Libyan government this week to start test drills in its territorial waters after an exploration agreement was signed between the two in 2007.
The operation comes in the wake of worldwide criticism over millions of gallons of oil leaking from one of BP’s wells into the Gulf of Mexico since April – a spill the company estimates will cost it over €2 billion.
In fact, three Maltese environmentalists – Alan Deidun, Edward Mallia and the chairman of the Church’s environment commission Victor Axiak – believe the government should keep a careful eye on what will take place in Libyan waters.
Although oil exploration was not as dangerous as extraction, Dr Deidun said the government should keep tabs on the situation, especially if an oil well were found.
“The direct intervention on the seabed is very limited in exploration so there is not much need for concern. They might find oil but it will not be released,” he said.
However, the situation would change drastically if oil was found and the government should have a look at what safety measures would be put in place.
“The Libyan coast is one of the most important eco-systems for turtles and a major oil spill would definitely create a huge biological disaster,” Dr Deidun said.
During the exploration and appraisal phase, BP is expected to drill around 17 exploration wells in around 54,000 square kilometres in deep waters around the Sirt basin and Ghadames area.
The exploration will be undertaken with the Libyan National Oil Company with a minimum expenditure of $900 million.
But Prof. Mallia was more sceptical about how effective the government’s intervention would be. “They could warn against possible accidents but the Maltese government will not have any powers to enforce anything. I doubt that anyone could interfere in what goes on between Libya and BP.”
In his comments, Prof. Axiak questioned the seriousness of BP which was put in a “bad light” by the oil spill.
“The government needs to be careful and see what risk management measures will be put in place once they start,” he said.
A government spokesman said it was the responsibility of the Libyan government and BP to make sure that all the safety procedures were in place.
“It is the role of the local competent authorities in charge of oil licensing and maritime safety, in this case Libya, to make sure all contractors in their national jurisdiction adopt the necessary industry-accepted standards and practices,” the spokesman said.
He also pointed out that the risks associated with oil exploration were recently discussed at EU level at a meeting attended by the Malta Resources Authority.
A spokesman for BP told The Times the recent “tragedy” was on their minds as they were preparing for the exploration drilling offshore in Libya.
Although it was not yet clear what had caused this “complex accident”, it was clearly “unprecedented”.
“In due course the lessons of the accident will be learned and applied in all of BP’s operations globally, including in Libya,” the spokesman said.
He also insisted that BP would never carry out any operations unless they had full confidence in their contractor’s and their own ability to commence and run an operation “safely and efficiently”.
BP Libya had completed a very rigorous and detailed audit, the spokesman added, which was standard practice before it started any deepwater drilling.
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Charles.C.Brown
Jul 2nd 2010, 22:23
If i was you i will be more concerned about the Burri oilfield half way between malta and libya where old rusty and outdated drilling platforms are operated by the italians rather then worring about BP, reknown all over the world for their expertise and their specialist personnel.
J.camenzuli
Jul 2nd 2010, 18:59
My worry is that if a leakage occur on the level of the Gulf of Mexico, what will happen to our fresh water supplies. The Maltese Islands depends on reverse osmosis of sea water to sustain the Maltese with fresh water. We don't have rivers like some countries and Libya does not care about our seas.
Paul Smith
Jul 2nd 2010, 14:41
F J Scicluna
what Malta has in local waters is probably not worth extracting due to low EROI (energy returned over invested) plus the costs of running a platform goes from about half a million to a million dollars a day. There are no big finds in Maltese waters otherwise we would have ended our dependency on Mid East oil and got it from friendly southern Med countries years ago.
F J Scicluna
Jul 2nd 2010, 12:58
what ever happened to Malta's oil drilling? are we giveing up our OIL to others to get rich on our backs?
m.farrugia
Jul 2nd 2010, 11:53
Nista inkunu nafu jekk Victor Axiak kienx qieghed jitkellem fil-kapacita tieghu ta Chairman of the church environment commission jew inkella fil-kapacita tieghu personali. Jekk dan qieghed jitkellem bil-kunsens tal-Knisja Malti nghid prosit lill-awtoritajiet taghha jekk le meta nelenkaw fil-gazetta xi titlu lil individwu nistaw nisgwidaw lil poplu.
Franco Farrugia
Jul 2nd 2010, 12:19
Ghandek ragun mija fil-mija.
Michael Neville Cassar
Jul 2nd 2010, 11:27
God help us all if something was to go wrong.
Franco Farrugia
Jul 2nd 2010, 11:23
I very much doubt whether this expert advice will be followed by the Maltese government. The government is a bully: it tries to bully environmentalists like Greenpeace but when it comes to the Libyan government, or indeed, the British Petroleum, that is another kettle of fish!
Paul Smith
Jul 2nd 2010, 11:06
Some of the retoric on here is mind numbing, Firstly BP or beyond Petroleum is an international company and not British Company. Secondly, what have you done today to reduce your own oil consumption? Malta is one of the highest oil consumers of all EU nations. I think the Maltese use around 18.5 barrels a year per person. You have also opted for a power station extension that will use HFO. All the easy super giant oil fields are gone, hence why BP in the GOM are going beyond any
limits that man has gone to before, hence why the rig was called Deep water horizon.
It does make you wonder how long current levels of consumption can continue, with the North Sea dropping off a cliff, Mexico dropping off a cliff (two major swing producers) and only tiny pubbles being found in very deep off shore water. Something isnt quite right when Saudi Arabia has started to drill in the Red sea.The last global oil shock is knocking at the door, and what does Malta do? carries on developing for a world of plenty when in fact we are heading into an age of very scarce oil!
Eric Gahn
Jul 2nd 2010, 10:32
Some people really love the sound of thier voice. If nothing had happened in the Gulf of Mexico to a BP well, all this blah blah blah would not have been heard. But then again, as Oscar Wilde had said, "Worse than being talked about, is not being talked about".
albert leone ganado
Jul 2nd 2010, 10:30
We should do much more than keep a watchful eye. BP is a british company and therefore must fall within the domain of a number of EU offshore oil drilling regulations espefcially as North sea drilling has been going on for a long time. Together with other EU mediterranean countries we should engage in discussion to ensure that the protection of mediterranean waters is safeguarded and obtain guarantees that the company will operate the best of breed drilling practices.
The Gulf of Mexico disaster has shown that oil drilling obligations and responsibilities extend beyond the international or territorial waters in which a company is operating.
ASpiteri
Jul 2nd 2010, 10:17
“Alan Deidun, Edward Mallia and the chairman of the Church’s environment commission Victor Axiak”
A BIG THUMB UP TO THE THREE OF YOU!
If it wasn’t for you the people wouldn’t even be informed about this potential environmental threat.
Where are our illustrious politicians in all this?!?!...ow sorry...there’s their Libyan friends involved...so shhhhhhhh