Finalists Named for DOI’s 2006 Safety Awards for Excellence (SAFE)

Fifteen offshore energy companies have been named national finalists for the Department of the Interior’s 2006 Safety Awards for Excellence (SAFE) competition. Sponsored by the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the SAFE awards are presented annually to Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas operators and contractors who achieve excellence in safety and pollution prevention. Established in 1983, the SAFE Awards recognize and honor companies making concerted efforts to train and motivate their employees to conduct offshore operations in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

The SAFE Award is presented annually to offshore drilling and production contractors as well as to OCS oil and gas operators in two separate categories – “moderate activity” and “high activity.” A “moderate activity” company annually produces at least one million barrels of oil equivalent and operates a minimum of 100 production system components. A “high activity” company annually produces at least 10 million barrels of oil equivalent and operates a minimum of 1,000 production system components. One award is presented in each category.

The 2006 SAFE categories and finalists (in alphabetical order) are:

High OCS Activity Moderate OCS Activity Anadarko Petroleum Corp. ConocoPhillips Co. Shell Exploration and Production Co. Energy XXI GOM, LLC W&T Offshore, Inc. Eni Petroleum Co. Inc. Murphy Exploration & Production Company-USA Noble Energy, Inc. Drilling Contractor Production Contractor GlobalSantaFe Drilling Co. Baker Energy Noble Corp. C&D Production Specialists Transocean Danos & Curole Marine Contractors, Inc. Island Operating Company, Inc. SAFE winners will be announced Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at the MMS Industry Awards Luncheon at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston, Texas.