BSEE finales new offshore drilling rule in wake of BP plc oil spill

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Published on Thursday, 16 August 2012 14:59

Written by Zarina de Ruiter

The Drilling Safety Rule improves upon pre-Deepwater Horizon regulations by establishing new standards for casing and cementing.

In the wake of BP plc's (NYSE:BP) Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has announced the issuance of a final drilling safety rule in continuing commitment to expanding safe and responsible offshore energy exploration and development.

The rule makes final the important safety reforms put in place in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which significantly improved drilling safety by strengthening requirements for safety equipment, well control systems, and blowout prevention practices on offshore oil and gas operations, and which companies have effectively complied with for nearly two years.

In that time over 750 drilling permits for shallow water and deepwater activities in the Gulf of Mexico have been approved.

The Drilling Safety Rule was initially issued under an emergency rule-making process to implement urgent safety measures immediately following the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. The Interim Drilling Safety Rule provided opportunities for public comment, and the Final Rule issued today includes refinements to the rule based on consideration of those comments.

The Drilling Safety Rule improves upon pre-Deepwater Horizon regulations by establishing new standards for casing and cementing, including integrity testing requirements; third-party certification and verification requirements; blowout preventer (BOP) capability, testing, and documentation obligations; and standards for specific well control training, to include deepwater operations.

Today’s Final Rule refines the Interim Final Rule by addressing requirements for compliance with documents incorporated by reference; enhancing the description and classification of well-control barriers; defining testing requirements for cement; clarifying requirements for the installation of dual mechanical barriers; and extending requirements for BOPs and well-control fluids to well-completions, workovers, and decommissioning operations.

The Final Drilling Safety Rule will be published in the Federal Register Reading Room in the near future.