London reviews North Sea oil safety

LONDON, June 8 (UPI) -- The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is transforming the regulatory environment in the waters of the North Sea, energy officials in London said Tuesday.

British Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said environmental agencies in London found systems in place to monitor offshore drilling in the North Sea were adequate, though the situation in the Gulf of Mexico prompted another look.

"The events unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico are devastating and will be enduring," he said. "What we are seeing will transform the regulation of deep water drilling worldwide."

British petroleum giant BP is scrambling to control a steady flow of oil and natural gas spilling into the Gulf of Mexico following the April sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform.

Huhne said the regulatory regime in his country was "fit for purpose," but the BP disaster gave London "every reason to increase our vigilance."

As a result, Huhne said the British Department of Energy and Climate Change would double annual inspections of drilling rigs and establish a new group to examine the ability to respond to spills in the North Sea.

He added that European officials have called on companies operating in regional waters to make sure they are able to take the necessary actions should a spill like Deepwater Horizon occur.

"I've had an urgent review undertaken to reassure myself and the public that all appropriate measures are in place around our shores," the energy secretary added.