The environmental catastrophe following the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico continues to unfold. Yet, our growing consumption of oil and gas means that the incident is unlikely to stop the quest for drilling oil at such depths, despite the risks. Questions can be asked about whether or not international law can assist in helping to prevent further accidents of a similar nature arising again. International law already imposes obligations on states to regulate offshore drilling activity. Article 192 of the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC) places an obligation on the United…