JUNE 3, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is
extending the public comment period on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
entitled “Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations on the Outer Continental
Shelf – Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control,” which was published
in the Federal Register on April 17, 2015 (80 FR 21504). The original
public comment period would have ended on June 16, 2015.
However, BSEE
received requests from various stakeholders to extend the comment
period. The BSEE reviewed the extension requests and determined that a
30-day comment period extension to July 16, 2015 is appropriate.
This proposed rule is intended to consolidate equipment and
operational requirements that are common to other subparts of BSEE’s
regulations pertaining to offshore oil and gas drilling, completions,
workovers, and decommissioning.
This proposed rule would focus, at this
time, on blowout preventer requirements, including incorporation of
industry standards and revision of existing regulations. The proposed
rule would also include reforms in the areas of well design, well
control, casing, cementing, real-time well monitoring, and subsea
containment.
The proposed rule would address and implement multiple
recommendations resulting from various investigations of the Deepwater
Horizon incident.
This proposed rule would also incorporate guidance
from several Notices to Lessees and Operators and revise provisions
related to drilling, workover, completion, and decommissioning
operations to enhance safety and environmental protection.