A new offshore drilling safety rule proposed by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is expected to improve safety offshore in response to the Deepwater Horizon incident five years ago.
The proposed rule, 30 CFR Part 250, Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf — Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control, will close gaps in existing requirements and update BSEE regulations to reflect industry best practices. The proposed rule would focus on blowout preventer (BOP) requirements, including incorporation of industry standards and revising existing regulations.
“By adopting detailed requirements related to their design, fabrication, maintenance and inspection, we intend to increase their performance and their reliability,” said Brian Salerno, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environment Enforcement during a press conference call on 13 April. “We also seek to improve the quality of information that is collected on BOPs component failures. This will allow both BSEE and the industry to identify trends in those failures and ultimately help prevent accidents.”
One of the key focus areas pertains to double shear rams. “This will dramatically reduce the possibility of a non-severable joints or other components impeding the functions of this vital capability and increasing the likelihood that a well can be safely shut in during an emergency.”
The proposal would also include a variety of third-party reviews to provide verification that equipment is properly maintained, repaired and remains suited to its purpose, he said.
Another requirement calls for real-time monitoring to require real-time data from offshore locations to be available to onshore personnel to increase oversight throughout operations.
“We are proposing criteria that will ensure that a safe drilling margin is maintained throughout operations,” Salerno said. “This also has the effect of strengthening risk management during the design phase before operations are even approved.” Operators will be required to submit their drilling plans with descriptions of the pressures and the well-control options that they will employ during well drilling.
Also, the new rule will regulate the use of centralizers during cementing operations to ensure more-secure wells. Other sections of the rule will regulate well design and control, casings, cementing and subsea containment.
Salerno called for industry comments on the proposed rule during the 60-day comment period to incorporate the feedback into the final rule. In response to BSEE’s announcement, National Ocean Industries Association president Randall Luthi said that there were areas that still needed work and further discussion with industry experts.
Meanwhile, a separate production safety rule is also undergoing finalization, Salerno said, and additional rules are forthcoming, including those for subsea systems, crane operations and helidecks, that will address the full scope of offshore safety issues.
The proposed rule, along with a list of the reports on which the rules are based and a list of industry standards that will be incorporated into the proposed rule, are posted on the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement website.
Image of Salerno. From BSEE.
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