The number of offshore oil and gas leaks that could potentially lead to a major incident continues to fall, new safety statistics have revealed.
But Steve Walker, the head of offshore safety at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), has warned industry not to be complacent following the encouraging figures. He said:
"While we welcome the continued downward trend, the industry will need continued focus to achieve its target of halving the number of hydrocarbon releases by April 2013. The major gas release from the Elgin platform at the end of March was a salutary reminder of the potential consequences that such releases can present.