Oil And Gas Program News

The Biden administration will propose a new five-year plan for offshore oil and gas development by June 30, the date when the current plan expires, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said on Thursday.The announcement comes as the administration has faced pressure from Republican lawmakers to expand domestic drilling to address soaring fuel costs. President Joe Biden, however, wants to reform the federal government's oil and gas program to consider its impacts on climate change.Haaland testified before the Senate energy committee to answer questions on the administration's 2023 budget proposal…

A federal judge invalidated the results of an oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday saying the Biden administration failed to properly account for the auction's climate change impact.The decision has cast uncertainty over the future of the U.S. federal offshore drilling program, which has been a big source of public revenue for decades but also drawn the ire of activists concerned about its impact on the environment and contribution to global warming.The Gulf of Mexico accounts for 15% of existing U.S.

In Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare coined the phrase “salad days” to mean a youthful time filled with unbridled enthusiasm and idealism. Indeed, youth, much like salad, is often raw, flavorful and most of all… green. Therefore, it is fitting to think of our present time as the salad days of offshore energy in the United States. Let’s dig in.Executive Order appetizersOn January 27, President Biden took early steps to implement his campaign promise to transition the United States away from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy…

The U.S. Interior Department announced Tuesday it will launch its review of the federal oil and gas leasing program on March 25, a key step that will determine whether the Biden administration will permanently halt new leases on federal land and water.The review will kick off with a public forum on oil and gas leasing on federal land and water, with participants representing industry, environmental conservation and justice groups, labor and others, and commence an online comment…

The Trump administration on Thursday proposed to loosen Obama-era safety regulations for the oil industry in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska to ease the way for petroleum extraction in the region, an effort that President-elect Joe Biden will likely throw out once in office.The proposal would revise a suite of Obama-era rules crafted to improve safety in the extreme conditions of the Arctic after a Shell drilling rig ran aground there in 2012. The company later abandoned oil exploration in the region and there are no active drilling operations there.Now, much of the U.S.

The 2015 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), to be held May 4–7 at NRG Park, will kick off on Sunday, May 3 in Houston with the Annual OTC Dinner to honor the recipients of this year’s Distinguished Achievement Awards, this year recognizing Elmer (Bud) Danenberger III for individual achievement, the Petrobras pre-salt development for corporate achievement, and Ray R. Ayers with the Heritage Award. Th eOTC Distinguished Achievement Award for Individuals will honor Elmer (Bud) Danenberger III for his contributions to offshore safety and environmental protection.

Unrealistic Fears and Overstated Risks obscure the benefits of new seismic data. The United States stands poised on the edge of a bright energy future. After decades of decreasing domestic energy production and increasing reliance on foreign sources of oil and natural gas, a revolution in production has positioned this nation to become a net energy exporter by 2017, according to the International Energy Agency. It seems the future is bright and promising for U.S. energy security, yet this promise is under threat from unrealistic fears and overstated risks. Policy makers must understand the true dynamics at play in the energy sector so they can make informed decisions. If not, we risk squandering the opportunity being presented to us.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on Risk Management, Financial Assurance, and Loss Prevention to seek public input as it considers modernizing its risk management program and bonding regulations for offshore oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf. This first step initiates a dialogue about BOEM’s existing regulations, which are approximately 20 years old and have not kept pace with offshore infrastructure developments, including deepwater operations, current industry practices, and the growing costs of decommissioning. “We would like to work with industry and others to determine how to improve our regulatory regime to better align with the realities of aging offshore infrastructure…

Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has strengthened its foothold in the offshore and marine industry in Mexico with the signing of an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with PEMEX Exploracion y Produccion (PEP) and P.M.I. Norteamérica, S.A. de C.V. (PMI), both subsidiaries of Mexico's national oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). The MOU is to jointly develop, own and operate a yard facility in Mexico, the first phase of which is to support the construction of six KFELS B class jackup drilling rigs for PEP. The MOU was signed today by the General Director of PMI, Dr. Jose Manuel Carrera Panizzo, and the Chief Operating Officer and CEO-Designate of Keppel O&M…

MWCC to Deploy Capping Stack for Exercise in the Gulf. As part of the Obama administration’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the oil and gas industry’s ability to respond in the event of a deepwater blowout and ensure that offshore oil and gas production can continue to expand safely and responsibly, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today charged the Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) with conducting a live drill this summer to deploy critical pieces of state-of-the-art well control equipment in the Gulf of Mexico.

Secretary Salazar, Interior Department Leadership to Announce 2012-2017 Offshore Oil and Gas Program at 1200 hours today. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Deputy Secretary David J, Hayes, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Tommy P. Beaudreau will hold a news teleconference TODAY to announce the Proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017. The OCS Lands Act requires that the Secretary of the Interior prepare a 5-Year Program that includes a schedule of oil and gas lease sales indicating the size, timing, and location of proposed leasing activity that the Secretary determines will best meet national energy needs for the 5-year period following its approval…