Grapevine

Oil pollution in North Sea is 'grossly underestimated,' suggests new report

Growing up in Aberdeen, Scotland, the shadow of the Piper Alpha disaster loomed large over our community. The tragic explosion of the oil rig platform in 1988 claimed the lives of 167 people. Back then, I was blissfully unaware of the ecological ramifications of that disaster. But the spill of 670 tons of oil wreaked havoc on marine life and had a lasting impact on the marine environment that I love to explore.

In recent decades, there has been a gradual decline in the number of oil spills and the volume of oil discharged from tankers, rigs, wells and offshore platforms. While incidents continue to occur globally—often in less scrutinized regions than the North Sea—the UK has, thankfully, not experienced another disaster of Piper Alpha's magnitude since.

Does this mean that the UK's oil and gas sector have cleaned up their act? They would certainly like you to think so. But ocean pollution isn't just about large oil slicks that spread across the water's surface.

As a new report, Sea Slick, from marine conservation charity Oceana explains, the extent of frequent, small-scale spills are still being grossly underestimated, even though big oil spills are less frequent.

The report reveals what it claims is the true scale and impact of chronic oil pollution in the UK, showing that for many years the North Sea has been subjected to hundreds of unaccounted for "chronic oiling events." These are where oil is frequently released in lower volumes than those associated with large spills. This issue stems from a poorly regulated oil and gas sector and a lack of transparency in reporting, allowing oil and gas companies to mark their own homework.