WASHINGTON, April 15 (UPI) -- Though Washington is strengthening its rules for offshore oil and gas work, industrial safety is a global responsibility, the U.S. Department of Interior said.
The U.S. Department of Interior hosted a multilateral meeting in Washington to examine international initiatives to enhance the safety of offshore oil and gas work.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told delegates the summit laid a strong foundation for international cooperation in the offshore energy sector.
"As global neighbors, we have a shared responsibility to improve the safety of offshore energy development around the world," he said in a statement.
The 2010 sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico prompted a review of work in the offshore energy sector. The accident killed 11 workers and resulted in one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of the industry.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement this year began awarding licenses for offshore work after Washington lifted a drilling moratorium.
BOEMRE Director Michael Bromwich said the multilateral meeting was an important first step in finding common ground on safe and sustainable energy development.
"It is important that we work together with our international colleagues to learn from each other and develop global containment capabilities," he said in a statement.
