Safer than ever

Everybody back to work

Anyone who recites the “50,000 wells with one major accident” talking point apparently thinks you’re an imbecile. They want to throw you off-guard with a seemingly bold claim that masks true risk. Energy writer Loren Steffy debunked that tactic in a recent column. Only 43 wells comparable to the one in the Macondo tract have been drilled — not tens of thousands. And the “one major accident” happens to be the worst in the history of offshore drilling.

A growing amount of troubling evidence indicates workplace and environmental safety has not improved since 2010. Here’s one metric that should be deeply concerning: 20 independent oil companies working in the gulf have scored poorly on recent safety inspections.