BP says it will create a new safety division in the aftermath of this summer’s oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The “powerful“ new unit “will have authority to intervene in all aspects of BP’s technical activities,“ the company said in a statement Wednesday.
The safety division is one of the new initiatives announced by incoming BP chief executive Bob Dudley, who will step into his new role Oct. 1, BP said.
The unit “will have its own expert staff embedded in BP’s operating units, including exploration projects and refineries. It will be responsible for ensuring that all operations are carried out to common standards, and for auditing compliance with those standards,“ the company statement said.
BP and federal agencies have said as much as 60,000 barrels (2.5 million gallons) per day spilled into the Gulf after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank April 20, killing 11 men. The well was temporarily capped July 15, and was permanently
