If any proof were needed of just how stringent these checks can be, Commonwealth regulator Nopsema made a recent inspection of Roc Oil’s Cliff Head platform off Australia and the only thing that gave them cause for concern was a bottle of Worcestershire sauce in the canteen that was apparently out of date.

“As a Scotsman, I always thought Worcestershire sauce got better with age,” quipped Roc chief executive officer Alan Linn.