IADC welcomes European Parliament’s offshore safety directive

Houston, 23 May 2013 -The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) welcomes the European Union’s authorization of a new directive on safety of offshore oil and gas activities.

The legislation, approved on Tuesday, 21 May, requires operators to submit emergency response plans and hazard reports before undertaking operations, along with evidence that liabilities can be handled.

“IADC worked with the OGP European Union committee on a task force for more than two years to examine successive drafts of this legislation,” said Brian Petty, IADC executive vice president, government and regulatory affairs. “Ultimately, our goal was to ensure that the legislation was framed as a directive, an important distinction that allows member states up to two years to implement it, with flexibility to conform with existing national laws. We believe this is a good outcome after years of hard work.”

“It is a challenging effort to achieve a standard and agreeable level of risk across the European Union with respect to offshore oil and gas activities,” said Alan Spackman, IADC vice president, offshore division. “As it is modeled on the safety case regimes in Northwest Europe, this new directive may prove challenging to other European Union members that have not previously adopted this approach. IADC will be working closely with these regulators across Europe toward consistent application of regulatory regimes at their national level.”

About IADC

IADC is dedicated to enhancing the interests of oil-and-gas and geothermal drilling contractors worldwide. IADC’s contract-drilling members own most of the world’s land and offshore drilling units and drill the vast majority of the wells that produce the planet’s oil and gas. IADC’s membership also includes oil-and-gas producers, and manufacturers and suppliers of oilfield equipment and services. Founded in 1940, IADC’s mission is to improve industry health, safety and environmental practices; advance drilling and completion technology; and champion responsible standards, practices, legislation and regulations that provide for safe, efficient and environmentally sound drilling operations worldwide. IADC holds Accredited Observer status at the International Maritime Organization and the International Seabed Authority, specialized agencies of the United Nations. The Association is a leader in developing standards for industry training, notably its Well Control Accreditation Program (WellCAP)® and rig-floor orientation program, RIG PASS®. IADC is headquartered in Houston and has offices in Washington D.C., the Netherlands, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as chapters in the UK, Venezuela, Brazil, Australasia, South Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and across the United States. For more information, visit the IADC website at www.iadc.org.