OPERATORS of North Sea oil and gas facilities have been told to take a fresh look at their security measures following the mass killings in Norway by Anders Behring Breivik.
It emerged last week that the north-east headquarters of offshore giant BP was on a list of targets drawn up by the gunman.
In a 1,500-page “manifesto” setting out his extremist views, he offered advice to would-be terrorists – and said sabotaging a North Sea rig could cause the UK “magnificent” economic damage.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change said yesterday: “The UK Government and the police are analysing the implications of the events we have seen in Norway, and are working closely with our Norwegian colleagues.
“There is dialogue between the police, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, and UK infrastructure owners and operators.
“Relevant operators have been advised to re-familiarise themselves with existing good practice in this field.”
“As is the case at all times, owners and operators of relevant infrastructure will be advised of specific security measures and supported in their implementation if needed.”
A north-east terrorism expert has already said the oil rig attacks Breivik fantasised about would be “extremely difficult if not impossible to carry out”.
David Capitanchik, an honorary professor at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, did not think offshore platforms would be serious targets in the UK.
Breivik listed the world’s top industrial accidents and terrorist atrocities according to their financial cost, using them as examples of how much economic damage could be caused. He ranked the Piper Alpha disaster at number four and estimated it cost more than £2billion.
Breivik advised potential terrorists to identify offshore platforms or crude oil tankers in various European countries, including the UK.
He picked out BP as a key target and said the firm operated all its UK assets from its offices at Dyce.
BP said it had been advised by the authorities that there was no specific threat which would require any new security measures.
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