Preventing releases of crude oil is an important priority. The net volume of crude oil spilled on a production-weighted basis in 2010 decreased 40 percent from 2009, despite Oxy’s 5-percent production volume growth and an increase in wells, production facilities and miles of gathering lines and pipelines. The company’s Argentine operations, acquired in 2006, have represented, on average, more than three-fourths of Oxy’s reportable crude oil releases. Our focus on spill prevention in Argentina resulted in a more than 60-percent decline in the production-weighted release volumes there since 2008. Oxy divested its Argentine operations in February 2011.

In 2010, Oxy continued to devote significant capital and operating expenditures to spill prevention, detection and control efforts. We invest in technology to detect and prevent pipeline corrosion, make extensive use of secondary containment, train operators on release prevention and response, and frequently audit and inspect operations. Oxy has also increased rapid response capabilities to recover and remediate spilled materials.