Europe should freeze deep water drilling: top official

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hH9CO09mCfGHYSym_bB7rTkT584A

(AFP) – 22 hours ago

STRASBOURG — Europe should freeze new deep water drilling until the causes of the rig explosion which triggered the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are known, a top EU official said Wednesday.

EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said governments need to make sure that the energy industry launches all possible measures to boost safety and enhance disaster prevention.

"Utmost caution must be exercised for the moment with respect to new drillings," Oettinger said, according to prepared remarks he was to deliver to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

"Given the current circumstances, any responsible Government would at present practically freeze new permits for drilling with extreme parameters and conditions," he said.

[dipsydoodle]

1. I wasn't aware

we had much "deep" in and around Europe. :shrug:

The biggest "accident" we've had in the past was Occidental's Piper Alpha gas platform which killed 167.