Safety of maritime transport of oil and gas: regulations, controls, and key players

Updated on 02.13.2026

10 min read

High School

STEM Professional fields, energy field

Transporting oil and gas by sea is a complex operation involving shipowners, oil companies, and governments. All have a role to play in ensuring the safety of ships and protecting the environment. Thanks to international regulations and strict controls, major accidents have fallen sharply: in 30 years, the number of major oil spills has been reduced eightfold. How do these rules work and who are the key players?

The Montesperanza, a tanker chartered by Total, departs Le Havre, France on its first voyage.

Shipowners and Oil Companies: Who Does What in Maritime Transport?

Most oil and gas tankers sailing the seas and oceans today belong to specialized shipowners who recruit and train crews, equip and maintain ships, and operate them commercially. Oil companies are charterers: they lease ships and only own the cargo.

When an oil company wants to transport oil or gas to a refinery or consumption site, it charters a ship from a shipowner. The choice of ship is not made at random: it is guided by very strict safety standards.

Did you know?
The MARPOL Convention requires double hulls to prevent leaks in the event of a collision.

International Regulations: SOLAS, MARPOL, and Ship Safety

After the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) took action. It created the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention. Its objective: to strengthen and harmonize the safety of crews and ships. The IMO also adopted the MARPOL (Maritime Pollution) Convention, which combats pollution at sea following a shipwreck (Torrey Canyon, 1967). These conventions are respected by almost every country in the world.

For oil and gas tankers, MARPOL imposes, among other things, the principle of double hulls, which isolate cargo tanks from the ship's hull by means of an empty space: this prevents leaks in the event of a collision.

Did you know?
A ship's flag is like its registration document: it indicates the country of registration.

Flags of Convenience: What are The Challenges for Maritime Safety?

Each ship is registered in a country that issues it a flag, i.e. a registration number allowing it to sail. Before assigning this number, the flag state is responsible for checking the condition of the ship and the practices on board.

Many countries carry out these checks thoroughly. However, some countries offer to register ships at very low rates. The problem is that they do not check the condition of the ships. These are known as “flags of convenience.” There is no global consensus on the list of flags of convenience: every year, white, black, and gray lists of flags are published by maritime stakeholders.

Ships are regularly inspected by independent certification bodies (Classification Societies) that issue them authorizations to continue sailing.

Inspections and Standards: the Role of The OCIMF and The SIRE System

The world's leading oil companies have come together under the OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum) and set up a ship inspection system called SIRE (Ship Inspection Report Exchange). Specialized inspectors regularly board oil and gas tankers to verify that OCIMF safety standards are being met. These inspections are documented in a standardized report that is shared with all OCIMF members. Thousands of inspections are carried out every year.

Before chartering a ship, the oil company

checks its history. If the ship appears unreliable, it may refuse to use it. It can therefore exclude ships that are too old, have received unfavorable inspection reports, or refuse a crew that it considers insufficiently trained.

Beyond international regulations, each oil company sets its own quality and safety criteria concerning:

• the ship's construction conditions and characteristics;

• the condition and maintenance of the ship;

• the recruitment, training, and management of the crews in charge of the voyage;

• route planning and the voyage itself.

30 years
In 30 years, major oil spills have been reduced eightfold thanks to regulations.

Increasingly Safe Oil and Gas Transportation: Figures and Trends

Accidents involving oil and gas tankers are steadily declining: between 1970 and 2020, the number of oil spills fell tenfold and is now very rare.

Regulations and inspection standards are constantly evolving to adapt to new risks and technologies. Crews receive ongoing training to maintain the highest safety standards.