The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is publishing new regulations that aim to improve operational safety, human health, and environmental protections offshore and provide clarity to industry regarding BSEE’s review of projects proposing to use novel technology, including equipment used in high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) environments.
BSEE considers novel technology to include equipment or procedures that have not been used previously or extensively under the anticipated operating conditions, that have not been used previously in a particular Outer Continental Shelf region, that will operate in an HP/HT environment, or that have operating characteristics outside the performance parameters established in 30 CFR Part 250, the previous regulations adopted in 2010.
An HP/HT environment is present when well conditions have pressures greater than 15,000 psi or temperatures greater than 350°F. Reservoirs with HP or HT properties have been discovered in many areas of the Gulf of Mexico, but they are most prevalent in the Lower Tertiary and Jurassic Norphlet regions.
“This final rule is critical to ensuring the offshore energy industry minimizes the risks of harm to offshore workers and the environment,” said BSEE Director Kevin Sligh, “particularly when it encounters more challenging operating conditions.”
This final rule will
- Require submission of information in an order that provides both operators and BSEE the ability to evaluate whether a novel technology project is economically and operationally feasible
- Add specific equipment requirements, particularly for barriers, including through incorporation of updated industry standards
- Require independent third-party review of operator submissions in certain cases or provide BSEE with the ability to require independent third-party review to ensure project viability and safety
The notice of the final rule can be found in the Federal Register here.