• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 04 / 12 / 2011

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By Jorge Piñón. Energy ministers and senior government and oil companies’ officials from 13 countries and the European Union will meet in Washington DC this Thursday, April 14, at the invitation of U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The task: Discuss how to reduce the risks associated with deepwater drilling.

Participants from Brazil, Mexico, Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Russia, Canada, India, Israel, Netherlands, Angola and the European Union will meet to discuss lessons learned from recent offshore drilling accidents and offer alternatives on how to prevent them and respond to the possible ensuing catastrophe.

“Just as we share oceans with our neighbors, we have an interest in sharing best practices for how all of us can develop our resources safely and responsibly,” Salazar said. “Those of us engaged in offshore energy exploration and production have a collective responsibility to strengthen our capabilities for containing potential deepwater blowouts and promoting international collaboration, research, and development going forward.”

Conspicuously absent and missing from this conclave is Cuba, where later this year a number of national oil companies, some from the countries meeting in Washington, will be conducting exploratory drilling in over 5,000 feet of water depth just about 65 miles south of the Florida Keys in Cuba’s economic exclusive zone.

Cuba’s environmental agency, the Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente (CITMA), and the energy regulatory agency Oficina Nacional de Recursos Naturales (ONRN) are in the process of reviewing and updating Cuba’s drilling regulations; they should have full and open access to the lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon incident.

Cuba should not be kept out of these important meetings as the debate and solutions offered by the Interior Department’s new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement to tighten standards for well design, drilling equipment, safety certification, emergency response and personnel training are discussed.  It is in the United States’ best national interest for Cuba to participate in these important conversations as a full-fledged partner.

The 1990 United Nations International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation agreement could offer the United States and Cuba a common umbrella under which to meet and thereby avoiding the potential political minefield presented by U.S. legislation limiting Cuba’s possible inclusion in Thursday’s meeting.  

Source: www.cubastandard.com/2011/04/12/pinon-on-energy-u-s-invites-world-minus-...