We’re sorry, says oil boss over spill

Reader's Comments

So are they apologising for withholding information?
Robin Harwell
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I don't agree with the implication in Robin Harwell's question. Invariably people feel guilty about the wrong things and tend to apologise for the wrong things. The company should apologise for causing the spill, accepting full responsibility. Also, they should apologise for failing to take the necessary actions to stem the leak if that turns out to be the case. The rest is subsidiary, including releasing information when the full facts were not known.
Jock W
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You both make valid points. Whatever happened to honesty and integrity though? Getting any company to admit problems is like pulling teeth these days.
Ron Campbell
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Jock. They could have informed the press that they had an oil leak. It must have been obvious straightaway.
Robin Harwell
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Of course it is like pulling teeth, Ron, and companies don't help themselves. We are now obsessed by the mechanics of PR. Shell has apologised for failing to notify the RSPB early enough and has promised to learn from such communications mistakes. I would rather that they guaranteed that there would be no more major oil spills but I am sounding like those Govt Ministers in the aftermath of a train crash who take steps to ensure that 'this can never happen again', whereas we all know that life is too full of uncertainties.
Jock W
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Robin, they informed the Govt straight away. Going to the Press without the full facts is a recipe for disaster. Trusting Fleet Street and the other media not to catastrophise in the absence of hard facts is akin to opening a vein in public.
Jock W
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Indeed Jock. Leaks will always occur with an ageing infrastructure. What is needed is a robust inspection and maintainance programme to minimise the possiblities of system failures. It has often been revealed that offshore operations have a less than desirable health and safety regime and some have paid the price in well documented court cases.
Ron Campbell
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Never mind Maintenamce and Inspection, Decommissioning and renewed investment is what is required. BandAids and sticking plasters are fine for a while but the fact remains the infrastructure out there is old and needs replacement where applicable.
Sasha M
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Jock, you can say what you like but they have handled it very badly.
Robin Harwell
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Sasha. I don't think that will happen. The beancounters will want to get out every drop of oil they can at minimum cost.
Robin Harwell
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What troubles me, as usual, in all this is the editorial independence of the P&J. Did somebody from Shell call Damian Bates and tell him "it's just a tiny leak, nothing to worry about, not worth reporting..." In the age of the Internet, that sort of tactic is doomed to failure, as we have seen with the P&J's "reporting" of Trumptown and the ongoing persecution and harassment of the Menie Four.
Bill Harrison
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Is there a competition these days, between Shell and BP too see who is going to make the biggest mess in the Oceans and Seas of the World ????
Jimmy Gault
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Accidents will happen, and if 216 tons is correct that is not a lot of oil, it is also far enough away from the coastline and it will have broken up before it reaches the shore. I can assure you that other vessels mainly fishing vessels dump old oil in the sea all the time.
Dennis Morrison
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Dennis- So that's O.K. then? Was it not John Lydon whose lyrics on 'Don't Ask Me' 20 odd years ago, included the line-"oily as an ocean". It also had the line-"develop your body, but your mind is still a slum". Pretty much on the ball there.
harvey freshwater
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You are of course correct, Dennis. This is a significant leak in relation to the last decade. However, the expert opinion from the prof at St Andrews is that little damage will accrue to marine and wildlife. The RSPB representative expressed concern, but more at what might have been than the actuality. Shell are admitting that they could have handled the media stuff better but that is definitely a secondary concern. I just hope that they will prevent another major leak regardless of how they deal with the media.
Jock W
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