What Is the Law’s Role in Offshore Drilling Safety?
As the OTC gets underway to record numbers here in Houston, one oft repeated phrase from industry and government is that safety should come first. James Watson, head of BSEE, also announced that the government plans to speed up its rulemaking on safety requirements by skipping the “notice of proposed rulemaking” stage and going straight [...] More »
Lawmaker presses for payment of drilling ban damage claims
Rep. Jeff Landry, R-La., is asking an oil spill plaintiffs’ group to recommend payments to oilfield service companies and workers who lost business and wages because of a five-month deep-water drilling ban. More »
Republican hits Interior with subpoena over drilling ban
Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., issued his first subpoena to the Interior Department for documents that he contends could shed light on how the Obama administration justified its five-month deepwater drilling moratorium following the 2010 BP oil spill. More »
Deepwater rig day rates top $600K
Rates for deep-water drilling equipment are rising along with increased exploration in Brazil, West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico, Barclays equity research reports. More »
Oil output on federal lands, offshore up under Obama, data show
Oil output during the first three years of the Obama administration was 13 percent higher than from 2006 to 2008, according to new federal data, though it did decrease somewhat between 2010 and 2011. More »
Governors urge Obama to loosen up deep-water drilling requirements
Seven state governors are urging President Obama to loosen up regulatory requirements for deepwater drilling, in a written letter to the White House. More »
Lawmakers, federal officials debate offshore permit rate
U.S. agencies’ request for more funding to hire people to help review offshore-drilling permits came front-and-center in Congress on Thursday as lawmakers, federal officials and witness continued debating the rate of approvals in the Gulf of Mexico. More »
Federal government won’t rush offshore drilling permits
Federal regulators won’t rush the issuance of offshore drilling permits amid ongoing Republican criticism that the Obama administration has slowed the rate of approvals, said James Watson, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. More »
BP, Anadarko ruled liable for pollution law violations
“BP and Anadarko are liable for civil penalties under the act because they are both owners of the offshore facility from which oil discharged,” Judge Carl Barbier said.
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Gulf Coast business still suffering from offshore drilling slowdown
The group found that federal regulators have approved about three deepwater drilling permits per month since the moratorium ended, down from six permit approvals per month prior to the spill. More »
Update: Gulf of Mexico recovery boosts Schlumberger profit surge
Schlumberger, a top oilfield service provider, announced fourth-quarter profits rose 36 percent as oil companies increased production and exploration worldwide in offshore fields and in shale plays. More »
Post-moratorium high for Louisiana OCS active rigs
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle says 38 rigs were actively drilling in Louisiana Outer Continental Shelf waters in the most recent weekly count. More »
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