Oil giant learns BP spill lesson

BEIJING - China's largest offshore oil company is doing its best to ensure that its production facilities at sea do not repeat the mistakes of BP, which is still struggling to contain the disastrous Gulf of Mexico spill, a senior company official said on Sunday.

The company has "ordered checks on every offshore oil and gas project to ensure safety," said Zhou Shouwei, vice-president of China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC). "We are making every effort to make sure this (oil spill) does not happen."

Among improvements to technological capabilities for safety enhancement, CNOOC has started upgrading the blowout preventer (BOP) system of its 3,000-m deepwater oil-drilling rig which is being built in Shanghai, Zhou said.