HSE figures on offshore oil and gas leaks

The number of offshore oil and gas leaks that could potentially lead to a major incident has fallen, according to new safety statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Figures show that there were 73 major or significant hydrocarbon releases associated with offshore installations in 2010/11, compared with 85 the previous year. There were 61 recorded in 2008/09 - the lowest since HSE began regulating the industry. Overall, there continues to be a downward trend in the total of all reported hydrocarbon releases offshore.