Legal Study On Compensation For Oil Pollution Caused By Offshroe Drilling Platform

On 20 April 2010,"Deepwater Horizon", an offshore drilling platform located in Gulf of Mexico, exploded and caused the most disastrous oil pollution in U.S. history, however, according to the investigation, this accident was supposed to be avoided. The huge penalty which the U.S. government posed on BP shows the serious effect of this oil pollution. The inspiration of this essay originated from the"Deepwater Horizon"accident as well as the following disaster in Dalian oil pipe explosion. As oil drilling industry develops, the risk of which increases. While offshore drilling platform causes greater damage than oil tanker to the sea environment as a result from facing directly to the oil drilling process, the relevant international and domestic legislation goes far beyond perfect. Although there are many legislations concerning vessel sourced oil pollution, the legislations of offshore drilling platform just take a minor part in comparison. As a result, it is necessary to analyze the issue of compensation for oil pollution caused by offshore drilling platform and seek the solution.The Forward of this essay introduces basic information about offshore drilling platform and tells brief story of the"Deepwater Horizon"accident, states the severity of oil pollution caused by offshore drilling platform. Chapter One analyzes the scope of offshore drilling platform from an aspect of comparison from international convention, maritime organization to domestic legislation, and compares the differences between offshore drilling platform and vessel as well as the legal practice. Chapter Two emphases on the damage and liability issue of offshore drilling platform, and analyses the international obligation and scope of damage related to offshore drilling platform. Chapter Three focuses on the issue of compensation for oil pollution caused by offshore drilling platform from the following aspects: character of compensation obligation, compensation responsible party, scope of compensation and compensation limitation, and compares the current regime of international convention, U.S. legislation and the PRC legislation. Chapter Four analyzed the Oil Spill Compensation Fund from international fund, U.S. fund to the PRC fund, and seek the applying issue of fund to offshore drilling platform.summarizes the whole essay and brings forward some advices to the establishment of the PRC oil compensation fund which can be applied to the oil pollution caused by offshore drilling platform.