Offshore Installations: BSEE to Host Hurricane Preparations Forum

The Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) will host a public forum on offshore energy infrastructure hurricane preparedness and response on Thursday, June 27, 2013, as part of its efforts to improve the safety of offshore oil and gas operations.

“In our continuing efforts to be fully prepared for hurricane season, we are bringing together representatives from the government, oil and gas industry and environmental community to discuss our actions to protect offshore energy infrastructure and the environment during a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico,” said BSEE Director James Watson. “We will have an important discussion about what we are all doing to prepare for and respond to such storms to ensure minimal impact to the supply of energy from offshore areas.”

In the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane season, platforms toppled and pipelines were ripped from the seafloor. The severe damage to offshore infrastructure and refineries along the coast ultimately halted offshore oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico for a prolonged period of time. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is now predicting an active 2013 hurricane season and the BSEE Offshore Energy Hurricane Preparedness and Response Forum will examine how the government, oil and gas industry and environmental community will work to minimize the impact to offshore infrastructure and the environment.

Representatives from the following organizations have been invited to participate:
•         Department of the Interior
•         BSEE
•         Department of Energy
•         Environmental Protection Agency
•         Federal Emergency Management Agency
•         NOAA
•         Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
•         U.S. Coast Guard
•         U.S. Geological Survey
•         Alabama
•         Florida
•         Louisiana
•         Mississippi
•         Texas
•         American Petroleum Institute
•         PEW

The forum will be held on Thursday, June 27, 2013 at the South Interior Building, located at 1900 Constitution Ave., Washington, D.C., 20245, and last from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.The public is invited to attend, but should arrive early as seating is limited.

The forum will also be webcast live and can be viewed at www.bsee.gov/hurricane.