AMERICA’S ENERGY FORUM Bringing experts and verifiable facts to the energy discussion

Offshore Regulations

The following are just some of the oil and gas industry’s recent reforms: 

• Operators must adhere to the new Drilling Safety Rule, implemented through emergency rulemaking, which raises the standards for blowout preventers, well design, casing, cementing, and safety equipment. Blowout preventers must also meet new standards for testing and must be independently certified. 
• Under the new Workplace Safety Rule, operators will be required to develop a comprehensive management program for identifying, addressing and managing operational safety and environmental hazards and impacts, with the goal of reducing the risk of human error and improving workplace safety and environmental protection.
• The CEOs of drilling companies must – for the first time ever – put their signature on the line to certify that their rigs comply with all safety and environmental laws and regulations.
• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BEOM), Regulation and Enforcement has significantly expanded its team of inspectors, engineers, and other specialists to ensure that operators are following all laws and regulations.
• BOEM, with the collaboration of federal agencies like the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is conducting comprehensive new environmental analyses of the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic to help inform future leasing and development decisions.
• Proposed lease sales and drilling projects must undergo thorough environmental reviews in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.
• Permit applications for drilling projects must meet new standards for well-design, casing, and cementing, which must be independently certified by a professional engineer.
• Proposed exploration plans must meet new requirements to show the operator is prepared to deal with a potential blowout, the potential worst-case discharge scenario and the operator’s ability to respond to such a discharge.

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