Date:15/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/15/stories/2008121553930600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Uniform offshore safety code to be implemented

R. Vimal Kumar

Photo: M. Balaji

Winner: J.B.Verma (second right), executive director, Oil Industry Safety Directorate, Government of India, distributing prizes to the winners of cultural competitions conducted by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in Tirupur. –

Tirupur: The Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) under Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas will soon implement a uniform offshore safety regulation code for both public sector and private oil companies across the country, according to J.B.Verma, Executive Director, OISD.

Procedure

The procedure was developed with the technical cooperation of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), Department of Interior, the U.S., with whom the Directorate had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for development of regulation and enforcement systems pertaining to oil exploration sector, he told The Hindu.

“Development of a uniform offshore safety regulation standard for the country have become imperative following the Mumbai High incident that took place a few years ago in which the Oil and Natural Gas Commission has lost one of its most productive offshore oil processing platforms in a devastating fire,” he said.

The agreement entered into with the MMS would also help the Directorate to exchange ideas in the areas of oil spill management and fire detection systems.

Mr. Verma said that the Directorate had been giving adequate focus to ensure high-quality operating practices at the LPG bottling plants, refineries and petro-chemical industry.

“We have already developed 110 standards and codes of procedures to monitor safety at these installations,” he added.

Awards

Earlier on Saturday evening, Mr. Verma gave away awards to the winners of various cultural and educational competitions conducted by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in association with Sri Gowri Durga Gas Service (a Bharat gas distributor) for its LPG consumers here. Das Gupta, deputy general manager, BPCL; Kiran Kumar, executive (sales), Bharat Petroleum; and D. Samivelu, a senior Bharat Gas distributor, spoke.