What is the issue?

Spills of oil and refined products can harm the environment, contaminate soil and groundwater and put our employees and neighbouring communities at risk. Some spills are the result of events that we can control, like corrosion and operational failures. Others occur because of sabotage or extreme events - such as hurricanes - that are harder to control.

Reducing our spills is a priority for us. Our Global Environmental Management Standards set out the measures for spills prevention as well as effective response should an incident occur. Preventative actions include ensuring consistent compliance with our operating procedures, preventative inspection and maintenance of pipelines and storage tanks, and investment to maintain the physical integrity of our facilities.

→ Shell Sustainability Report 2006

Visit the online Shell Sustainability Report 2006 and discover what we say about spills - opens in new window.