A new report from conservation group Oceana has revealed that oil pollution in UK waters has been “significantly underestimated” over the past decade, putting marine ecosystems and wildlife at greater risk than previously thought. As reported by The Guardian, according to the report, the true volume of oil released into the North Sea is 43% higher than recorded figures suggest, due to flaws in the reporting system used by the fossil fuel industry.
The report, published on Thursday, highlights the issue of “chronic oiling,” defined as frequent small-scale discharges of oil into the sea. These routine spills have been poorly monitored, largely because of an “opaque” system that governs the reporting of oil spills and discharges, said Oceana.
Oil companies are required to report both accidental spills and intentional discharges of “produced water”—a toxic byproduct that can contain oil. While companies are allowed to release a certain volume of produced water, breaches of those limits are recorded separately and often escape full scrutiny, creating an underreporting of total oil pollution, the report claimed.
“The system has been set up in such an opaque way it makes it difficult to understand the full volume of oil that is being discharged via accidental spills and permit breaches,” said Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana. “No one except oil insiders can be sure of the true scale of it,” he added.
Tagholm also criticized the regulatory oversight of the industry, noting that very few oil sites are inspected, which allows violations to go unchecked, said, “Given so few sites are actually inspected, it is out of sight, out of mind. Even if people are caught, there is little enforcement.”
The report calls for tougher inspections and enforcement measures to prevent oil spills and breaches of permitted discharge limits. Oceana’s findings, obtained through a freedom of information request, revealed that only 15% of oil and gas installations were inspected by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (Opred) in 2023, a drop from 25% the previous year.
Over the last five years, only two convictions or fines have been recorded for oil pollution, including a £7,000 penalty issued to BP for a 95-tonne oil spill. BP expressed regret at the time, acknowledging that the incident “should not have happened.”
Oceana’s report also points to five oil companies as responsible for 80% of oil spills between 2011 and 2024, with Total E&P identified as the biggest offender. Additionally, five companies were responsible for 84% of all oil discharged via permit breaches, with Spanish oil giant Repsol singled out for the most violations.
The report further highlighted that 248 permit breaches occurred within UK marine sanctuaries, raising concerns about the long-term health of protected ecosystems.
In response to the report, a spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said, “Every oil spill and discharge non-conformance is investigated by Opred proportionately, which can take enforcement action against operators if needed, including the use of fines or referral for criminal prosecution.”
Mark Wilson, health, safety, environment, and operations director of Offshore Energies UK, defended the industry, said that the recent data from Opred showing that the mass of oil in produced water has “decreased since 2019.” He added that the industry remains “focused on driving continuous improvement in the production of oil and gas in the UK and communicating progress transparently and openly.”
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