Oil company executives spoke about the safety and security of offshore drilling operations, as well as the causes of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the ability of the energy industry to respond to future incidents. Executives characterized the spill as a rare event that their companies were not likely to repeat, saying that continued offshore exploration and drilling were essential to American oil and gas supplies. Pressured by committee members, BP America President Lamar McKay would not commit to place funds in an escrow account to handle future claims for economic and ecological damages.