Environmental analysis points to oil spill difficulties

Environmental analysis has suggested that oil spills in Arctic conditions are impossible to deal with on one day in every five.

The study commissioned by Canada's energy regulator has found that icy winds and poor visibility that hampers the direction issued from aircrafts makes it extremely hard to fully clear up a leak, the Canadian Press reports.

However, a representative from the World Wildlife Fund's Arctic programme has said that the results may still be "overly optimistic".

Rob Powell told the publication that the report is welcome, as it may force companies to think harder before sanctioning drilling activity in such areas.

"Our reading is that oil spills into the Arctic environment in any quantity cannot be recovered with the means currently available. It's kind of like unscrambling an egg," he was reported as saying.

Last month, BP announced a series of new safety measures that are likely to be implemented on its oil drilling sites in the Gulf of Mexico in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the high profile spill in 2010.

Posted by Claire Manning