WASHINGTON – Energy experts Tuesday tried to put the spotlight back on offshore drilling safety in a panel discussion, suggesting the U.S. government might have moved too quickly in subsea drilling.
Elgie Holstein, the senior director for strategic planning at the Environmental Defense Fund, an advocacy group, said the government should not measure the industry’s success simply by how fast it has moved forward.
The offshore drilling boom comes as a result of President Barack Obama’s plan to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Nearly 30 percent of the domestic oil production in the U.S. comes from the Gulf of Mexico, according to Energy Tomorrow, a program of the American Petroleum Institute.
However, as the industry picks up its pace in drilling — moving to deep water and ultra deep water and even the Arctic — more risks will be involved.
The industry has constantly pressed the existing technology and management systems to higher risk areas, said James Watson, the director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. He pointed out temperature and pressure change in different drilling conditions, which requires new technology that is specifically designed for those factors.
Holstein warned that lack of technology and management rigor, which is a particular challenge in offshore drilling, could imperil the industry because there would not be enough oversight.
Despite the challenges, Holstein said, the nation does have the ability to maintain oil production, while also making technical and managerial improvement.