Enhancing safety during offshore oil and gas exploration and production was the main topic of a seminar, hosted by the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) in Ho Chi Minh City on Sept. 30.

PetroVietnam’s Deputy General Director Do Van Hau recalled the Deepwater Horizon explosion which occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, killing 11 people and triggering the largest-ever oil spill in the history of oil and gas exploration.

The incident set off alarm bells throughout the industry and reminded management agencies and the oil and gas industry to re-examine safety in the sector, he said.

Hau said that over the past 30 years, PetroVietnam and international contractors have spared no effort in ensuring the safety of their staff and the environment, stressing that there have been no serious accidents so far.

However, following the Deepwater Horizon incident, safety in offshore oil and gas production has become a special concern for the State and a priority task for the Vietnamese oil and gas industry.

The delegates, including managers and representatives from oil and gas joint ventures and services companies from Vietnam and overseas, reviewed and recommended various measures to ensure safety in the industry.

They also discussed the lessons learnt from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as well as its impacts on the international insurance market and the risk management measures and insurance policies used by oil and gas companies./.