BEIJING - China will start "overall and thorough" safety checks on offshore oil exploration and production to eliminate risks in the wake of an oil spill in the country's northern Bohai Bay, the work safety authority said Saturday.

The checks, which starts from September 10 to December 10, will be applied to all offshore oil exploration and production, the State Administration of Work Safety said in a circular addressed to oil companies on its website.

The order came after the State Council on Wednesday called for strengthened monitoring and management of the marine environment as well as safety checks over the country's ocean oil fields to toughen safety measures and erase potential risks.