I heard from a deep drilling oil expert on radio 4 that from what we know it looks likely that this could never have happened in the UK because our regulations are much tougher.
Plus. I'd deep drill you any day lovely and you wouldn't be gushing oil etc.
( TFD is sporting this season's finest necropants, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:25, 1 reply)

That's exactly it.
UK/EU deepwater drilling requires specifically several extra *mumblemumbleshouldn'ttalkaboutthis* and, yeah, the same rig blowout wouldn't have resulted in a leak here.

But we are very, very cautious about deepwater drilling here. It's very very very high risk and the only reason the US do it is because of their insatiable desire for a self-sustaining oil supply so they are never at the mercy of the middle east.

You could argue that BP should have forced the drilling company to meet UK regs rather than US ones, but the company would have refused and someone else other than BP would overseen the operation. Maybe that's a bit morally grey, but it's not breaking regulations.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:32, closed)

As I said, I'd love for this to have a knock on effect and make the US take environmental issues seriously, but it wont.
They'll just drill in protected areas because it's 'safer'. Then complain when their eco system is utterly fucked.
( Wicca'd Witch needs ideas for a new sig on..., Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:48, closed)