New Offshore Drilling Rules Announced By Department of Interior
The U.S. Department of the Interior on Thursday announced two new rules intended to improve the safety of offshore oil and gas operations. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the rules in a presentation in Washington, explaining that “Under these new rules, operators will need to comply with tougher requirements for everything from well design and cementing practices to blowout preventers and employee training. They will also need to develop comprehensive plans to manage risks and hazards at every step of the drilling process, so as to reduce the risk of human error.”
The new rules are comprised of the Drilling Safety Rule and the Workplace Safety Rule.
The Drilling Safety Rule was issued under an emergency rule-making process and takes effect immediately. According to the government, among other things it prescribes proper cementing and casing practices and other aspects of drilling to maintain well bore integrity, and it strengthens oversight of blowout preventer and other mechanisms designed to shut off the flow of oil and gas in an emergency.
The Workplace Safety Rule requires operators to have in place clear and comprehensive procedures for identifying, resolving, and responding to hazards in the offshore drilling environment. Already under consideration before the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, the rule makes mandatory American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 75, which includes 13 primary elements governing various aspects of the work environment and procedures to be employed in offshore drilling efforts.
The Independent Petroleum Association of America and others in the petroleum industry pushed for removal of the deepwater drilling moratorium in light of the new regulations. Secretary Salazar defended the administration's moratorium, criticizing those who wanted to "go back to business as usual" and forget about the tragic events in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year.
If you have questions about a maritime personal injury claim, contact Arnold & Itkin LLP's maritime attorneys toll free at (866) 222-2606 or online through the firm's website.
