Houston's Baker energy consultancy critiques post-Macondo safety of a decade later
During the decade following the Macondo disaster that unfolded on April 20, 2010, there was a global reassessment of offshore safety, focused on U.S. waters
HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In its 20th report on the Macondo industrial and environmental disaster that unfolded off the coast of Louisiana on April 20, 2020, the consultancy highlights advances and gaps in offshore safety in the Gulf of Mexico. Facts are sorted by the filter of the glass of water that appears half-full, contrasted with the same glass of water that appears half empty.
In the first category, there are new institutions, regulations, and technology-driven enhancements. The Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC), created in late 2010, stands ready, 24/7, to deploy its capping stacks of the kind that were devised to seal the oil spill. The Center for offshore Safety (COS), also headquartered in Houston, and created in 2011, pools ideas and experiences of operators and contractors in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The center holds conferences and brainstrorms safety issues. There is ample room for legitimate self-congratulation by the global oil industry.
Each operator and contractor maintains and perfects its own Safety and Environmental Management System (SEMS). Diverse engineering advancements have taken place regarding the prevention and containment of oil spills.
As for the second category, the report faults American geocentrism and the anglophone bias of safety institutions, regulations, and documentation.
The report notes that neither MWCC nor COS is required to engage with Mexico or with Pemex, the largest operator in the Gulf. The American Petroleum Institute in 2019 issued the 4th edition of its guidance for offshore safety, known as Recommended Practice (RP) 75, but a Spanish translation has not been undertaken. Likewise, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issues safety bulletins but not in a Spanish translation.
The report (PPP 10067.1) also faults Pemex for its non-transparency regarding offshore accidents. In addition, there is no regulator that is responsible for reporting offshore accidents or near-misses by both Pemex and the private oil companies with licenses issued during during 2015-18. Neither Pemex nor ASEA, the hydrocarbon safety regulator since 2014, participates in industry safety conferences, which are held in English without the benefit of Spanish interpreters.
“The response to Macondo by government and industry pretends that the Mexican portion of the Gulf of Mexico is politically toxic or is risk-free regarding a Macondo-scale accident,” says George Baker, the lead author of the report and publisher of MEXICO ENERGY INTELLIGENCE, an industry newsletter.
The report concludes that while offshore safety in American waters has substantially improved since Macondo, there is no evidence that, in Mexico, Pemex, the government, or private operators have thereby benefitted. "Regarding offshore safety, there is a binational impasse," Baker warns.
This situation creates environmental and financial risks for Americans. “Pemex was exempted by a Houston court in 1983 for liability for the contamination of Corpus Christi beaches tarred from the 1979-80 oil spill,” notes Baker, “but we have seen nothing that confirms that the shield of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 has been removed. American beaches, coastal wetlands, and local economies are thereby vulnerable to the impacts of a major oil spill in Mexican waters.”
George Baker
Mexico Energy Intelligence
+1 832-434-3928
[email protected]
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Facebook
X
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. XPRMedia and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact [email protected]
