US Still Processing Atlantic Seismic Permits
The U.S. Interior Department is still processing permit applications for companies to conduct seismic testing in the Atlantic - a precursor to drilling - despite shelving its plan to vastly expand offshore drilling, a spokeswoman said on Monday.Atlantic coastal state lawmakers, businesses and conservation groups are adamant that Interior should not allow seismic testing - a process that often uses powerful air guns to map resources below the ocean floor - arguing the surveys hurt marine life, such as the endangered North Atlantic right whale.Newly confirmed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said last
US Sets Gulf of Mexico O&G Lease Auction for March
The U.S. Interior Department said it will hold its largest offshore auction to date, nearly 77 million acres, to energy companies in March 2018 to conduct oil and gas development. The proposed lease of offshore Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida blocks continues U.S. President Donald J. Trump's efforts to encourage domestic energy production despite relatively low oil prices, the department said. The proposed lease sale includes 14,375 blocks that are located from three to 230 miles offshore in the Gulf's Western, Central and Eastern sectors in water depths ranging
US Issues Alert on Offshore Oil Equipment Problems
The U.S. Interior Department issued a safety alert on Tuesday, warning offshore oil and gas drillers about a "recurring problem of connector and bolt failures" in equipment including blowout preventers. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), a unit of the department, said it was aware of the problem, which affected components used in risers and underwater blowout preventers used in offshore drilling. "These failures are of great concern to BSEE due to their frequency and the potential for a catastrophic event," the agency said. In 2012, failures
US: Shell is Not Yet Allowed to Drill in Arctic Oil Zone
The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday granted Royal Dutch Shell two final permits to explore for crude in the Arctic this summer, but said the company cannot drill into the oil zone until required emergency equipment arrives in the region. The department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) conditionally granted Shell permits for exploration in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska, in a season which sea ice limits from July until October. But Shell must have emergency equipment to contain a potential blown-out well deployable within 24 hours before drilling into the
Groups Seek US SEC Probe of Shell Arctic Drilling Risk Disclosures
An environmental group and a law clinic petitioned the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Royal Dutch Shell has adequately disclosed to investors the risks of oil exploration in the harsh Arctic waters, the groups said on Tuesday. The U.S. Interior Department is mulling whether Shell can drill test wells for crude and gas off Alaska this summer. The company abandoned exploratory drilling efforts in 2012, an accident-plagued season in a region with little infrastructure for emergency response. Oceana, an international environmental group, and the Abrams
US Well Control Regulations Proposed
U.S. Interior Department releases proposed well control regulations to ensure safe and responsible offshore oil and gas development; result of extensive consultation, evaluation after Deepwater Horizon In response to the findings of investigations into the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, and following a thorough evaluation of recommendations from industry groups, equipment manufacturers, federal agencies, academia and environmental organizations, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced proposed regulations to better protect human lives and the environment from oil spills. The measures
US Clears Way for Offshore Wind Farm Development
The federal government cleared the way for Virginia to seek a research lease in its Atlantic coastal areas to help speed up development. The move would allow for greater study of wind, waves and wildlife in a 130-square-mile set aside for wind development. The announcement by U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management was welcomed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, energy companies and proponents of clean energy, reports Associated Press. Bidding is expected later this year by up to 10 energy companies interested in building wind farms in the federally designated leasing area 27 miles
February 2024
