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Even across the Atlantic it seems oil giant BP cannot escape the criticism that has haunted it over it’s handling of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Before beginning to speak on home turf as it were, at major oil conference in London, Steve Westwell the company’s chief of staff’s welcoming speech was held up by two Greenpeace demonstrators who made it onto the stage wielding signs reading ‘Go Beyond Petroleum’.
The two female Greenpeace activists, Emma Gibson and Katie Swan managed to develop an address before being bundled off stage by security. “Ladies and gentlemen, we need to speed up progress and make a push to end the oil age,” Gibson declared, “Deepwater drilling risks disasters like the Gulf spill while tar sands means clear-cutting forests and literally cooking the ground below to produce oil.”
Gibson also pushed for the unpopular suggestion (amongst oil men in an oil conference) that, “Politicians must make moves to spark an electric car revolution so our cars can run on clean renewable energy.”
Following their removal Westwell, who was standing in for beleaguered chief executive Tony Hayward, went on to admit that the weeks following the Deepwater Horizon spill have been, “extremely difficult for BP.”
“Everyone at BP is devastated,” he continued, “and we deeply regret what’s happened. Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones. And we are profoundly aware of our responsibilities to those people whose livelihoods and neighborhoods have suffered.”
As regards going beyond petroleum it seems like chief executive Tony Hayward appears to be attempting to do just that. Westwell was forced to begin his speech by apologizing for Hayward’s noted absence, “He is genuinely sorry he couldn’t be here, especially with so many friends in the conference. But his schedule is under incredible pressure at the moment.”
The chief of the most unpopular company of the minute however, faced much media bashing following a casual public appearance at a yacht race around the Isle of Wight on Sunday.
A BP spokesperson on Monday declared, that Hayward could not attend the London conference because of his “commitment to the Gulf of Mexico relief effort.” Rumors however, abound that Hayward is in fact making an appearance in Russia to assure Russian President Dmitry Medvedev of BP’s stability. Russian company TNK with which BP has a joint venture, accounts for 25% of BP’s revenue.
Meanwhile Westwell’s speech seemed to offer a stoical optimism for BP. The financial consequences of the Deepwater Horizon spill are of course, he admitted, severe, however he was confident that BP would survive it. BP has so far spent $2bn fighting the spill and compensating victims. “We feel a huge moral responsibility,” he said. “All of us at BP will work tirelessly to clean up this spill, repair the damage, and restore the Gulf Coast communities.”
