The purpose of this study is to analyze the Safety Management Systems (SMSs) for oil exploitation on continental shelves. Prevention of accidents during oil exploitation is critical for the safety of life of those engaged in the operations at sea. Additionally, shipping has become increasingly important for oil exploitation on continental shelves due to development of deep water drilling using Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) and shuttle tankers, rather than pipelines, for transporting oil. On the other hand, the international and domestic legal schemes to regulate oil exploitation on continental shelves have not been fully developed and limited to those in specific fields such as protection of marine environment. This study, therefore, aims to specify the needs for safety regulations for oil exploitation by comparing the legally binding multilateral treaties on SMSs applied to shipping and navigation with non-binding Codes and Guidelines on MODUs.
In conclusion, safety regulations by flag state jurisdiction, port state control, and coastal state jurisdiction should be implemented in order to prevent accidents during oil exploitation on continental shelves. A multilateral convention on this issue would be a leitmotif in the near future.
