The company was set up by BP in 1980 as a direct result of an oil spill in 1978 off the Pembrokeshire coast in the UK and is now owned by more than 20 international oil companies. There are several factors that cause oil spills, said Mr Horseman. But the main problem, he said, is simply the amount of oil that world industry uses, and the nature of oil itself. There are many different types of oil, but in simple terms there is ordinary crude oil which is carried by large ships to oil refineries. Crude oil has a suffocating, toxic effect and is like a heavy tar.
Gasoline is generally more toxic but evaporates fairly quickly.
Cost can also hamper a clean-up operation. Dr Kingston would like to see more financial help for poor countries to try to prevent fresh disasters. That reflects the poverty of the country. There is concern by the Euadorian Government for the environment, but the money's got to come from the outside. They simply can't afford the best navigation equipment.