North Sea Installations Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what were the numbers of fatal accidents on oil platforms and other installations in the North sea in each year since 1978;(2) how many workers on North sea oil and gas installations were killed and seriously injured, respectively, in each year since 1978;(3) how many serious accidents, excluding fatal accidents, occurred on North sea oil and gas installations in each year since 1978. Mr. Wakeham The number of fatalities and serious accidents—injuries to persons—on or near to offshore installations on the United Kingdom continental shelf reported to my Department from 1978 to 1989 are as follows: -- || -- Source: "Development of the Oil and Gas Resources of the United Kingdom". This is published annually and copies are held in the Library of the House. Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what was the complement of full-time inspectors for North sea safety duties in his Department in each year since 1978; and what was the level of vacancies;(2) how many professional inspectors are employed by his Department on North sea oil and gas installation inspections; and what was the equivalent figure in each year since 1978;(3) how many full-time field inspectors are now engaged in offshore installations; and what was the equivalent figure in each year since 1978. Mr. Wakeham The number of full-time professional inspectors employed in my Department's safety directorate, together with the complement and the number of vacancies is set out in the table. ----------------- |Date | ----------------- |1980 (June) | ----------------- |1981 (July) | ----------------- |1982 (March) | ----------------- |1985 (October) | ----------------- |1987 (March) | ----------------- |1988 (November)| ----------------- ---------------- |Date | ---------------- |1989 (October)| ---------------- |1990 (October)| ---------------- Prior to 1988, figures are available only for the dates shown. No part-time inspectors are employed. Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many installations there are in the British section of the North sea; and what was the equivalent figure for each year since 1978. Mr. Wakeham Information on the number of fixed platforms on the United Kingdom continental shelf and on mobile drilling activity—rig years—is shown in the table: -- || -- Source: "Development of the Oil and Gas Resources of the United Kingdom". This is published annually and copies are held in the Library of the House. Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total spent on the North sea safety inspectorate of his Department in each year since 1978 at constant prices. Mr. Wakeham This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many inspectors are currently directly employed by each of the certifying authorities licensed by him to inspect North sea oil and gas installations. Mr. Wakeham There are six certifying authorities appointed to carry out surveys and assessments of offshore installations in order to certify that they are fit for their intended purpose. They currently employ some 475 technical staff on this work. Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many of the prosecutions mounted against operations of North sea oil and gas installations arose from accidents and how many arose from regular inspections;(2) if he will list the operators of North sea oil and gas installations who have been prosecuted in each year since 1978;(3) how many prosecutions of operators of North sea oil and gas installations have been made in each year since 1978; and how many were successful. Mr. Wakeham Decisions on prosecutions are taken by the appropriate legal authorities, taking into account reports submitted by my Department.Details of companies convicted for breaches of health and safety legislation are as follows: ------------------------------------------------ |Year and companies convicted | ------------------------------------------------ |1978 || ------------------------------------------------ |Union Oil Co. of Great Britain | ------------------------------------------------ |Shell UK Exploration and Production | ------------------------------------------------ |Total | ------------------------------------------------ |1979 || ------------------------------------------------ |Seagull Offshore Enterprises | ------------------------------------------------ |1980 || ------------------------------------------------ |Stothert and Pitt Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |1981 || ------------------------------------------------ |Chevron Petroleum (UK) Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |1982 || ------------------------------------------------ |Southeastern Drilling Services | ------------------------------------------------ |Bawden Drilling (UK) Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Dixilyn Field Drilling Venture | ------------------------------------------------ |Halliburton Manufacturing and Services Limited| ------------------------------------------------ |Shell UK Exploration and Production | ------------------------------------------------ |BNOC (Development) Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Total | ------------------------------------------------ |1983 || ------------------------------------------------ |Jack Tighe (Offshore) Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Western Oceanic Inc. | ------------------------------------------------ |Heerema Offshore Contractors | ------------------------------------------------ |Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Total | ------------------------------------------------ |1984 || ------------------------------------------------ |Strathclyde Process Engineering Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Shell UK Exploration and Production | ------------------------------------------------ |Western Oceanic (UK) Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Total | ------------------------------------------------ |1985 || ------------------------------------------------ |BP Oil Development Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Rigblast Offshore Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Bawden International Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Global Marine Drilling Company | ------------------------------------------------ |Wilh Wilhelmsen Enterprises Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Shell UK Exploration and Production | ------------------------------------------------ |Jack Tighe (Offshore) Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Total | ------------------------------------------------ |1986 || ------------------------------------------------ |OTIS Pressure Control Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |1987 || ------------------------------------------------ |Sonat Offshore Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |1988 || ------------------------------------------------ |Shell UK Exploration and Production | ------------------------------------------------ |Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Santa Fe UK Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Total | ------------------------------------------------ |1989 || ------------------------------------------------ |Mobil North Sea Limited | ------------------------------------------------ |Shell UK Exploration and Production | ------------------------------------------------ |Total | ------------------------------------------------ Information on the number of prosecutions resulting from accidents and from inspections is available only at disproportionate cost. Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many prohibitions or improvement notices under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act have been issued since 1978 to operators of North sea oil and gas installations. Mr. Wakeham Thirteen prohibition and improvement notices under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act have been served on offshore operators since 1978. My inspectors have additional powers under the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971 to prohibit an activity or the use of equipment or to require improvements to be made. These powers have been designed specifically for offshore operations and are used extensively. Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when his Department first considered the installation of sub-sea emergency shut-off valves on oil and gas pipelines in the North sea. Mr. Wakeham Following development of sub-sea valve technology in the early 1980s, amendments were introduced in 1986 to the Institute of Petroleum pipeline safety code on the advice of a committee on which my pipelines inspectorate was represented. These amendments recommended that risk assessment should be undertaken for new large inventory trunk and interfield pipelines to assess the need for sub-sea valves. In August 1988 my director of safety wrote to all pipeline operators asking them to re-evaluate immediately the need for sub-sea isolation systems on all existing pipelines. Mr. Dobson To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of serious and fatal accidents on North sea oil and gas installations were investigated by his Department in each year since 1978. Mr. Wakeham It is the policy of my safety directorate to investigate all fatal accidents on offshore installations. The percentage of serious accidents investigated since 1978 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.