regulations

More than 100 members of Congress are urging the Trump administration not to open up the Atlantic or Pacific oceans for oil and gas drilling as part of the Interior Department’s review of federal offshore policies.

The US Senate on 10 May rejected a resolution to revoke an Obama-era rule to limit methane emissions from oil and gas production on federal lands, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump’s efforts to free the drilling industry from what he sees as excessive environmental regulation.

Three experts from different sectors discussed the challenge of methane and regulation at the first panel session of the 2017 SPE Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Responsibility Conference–North America in New Orleans.

Over the past year, various institutions and organizations—both domestic and international—have shown an interest in moving the increasingly prevalent cybersecurity conversation offshore.

With regulatory pressure and the cost of decommissioning increasing, many operators are seeking new and better decommissioning methods that could get more work done safely and at a lower cost.

Following years of deliberation, the European Union (EU) released a recommendation on unconventional hydrocarbons and a related communication in 2014. This paper traces the origins and development of these documents, which provide vital clues for the road ahead in European shale-gas regulation.

Well plugging and abandoning on a limited budget is a lofty goal that forces the industry to consider new ways and new materials. Cost-effectively dealing with this global problem will require developing tools to carry out the decommissioning without bringing in a drilling rig.

Booming US oil production is beginning to seep into international markets despite the country’s ban on oil exports. One sign of change was the departure in late July of a tanker from Texas City, Texas, with 400,000 bbl of liquid hydrocarbons bound for Asia, Reuters reported.

The United States’ top offshore regulator said his agency is adopting new policies and measures to improve its working relationship with the offshore industry.

Unmanned aircraft are finding their place in the oil and gas industry by providing aerial geologic modeling to address reservoir-related challenges and making inspections safer.