Doug Morris, the newly appointed Chief of Offshore Regulatory Programs at the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is a veteran whose resume includes working in industry as a petroleum engineer and a stint at the  American Petroleum Institute (API) as Group Director for Upstream and Industry Operations.

"Throughout the recruitment process, we have looked for people who are technically skilled and experienced, who have a strong commitment to public service, and who can spearhead our ongoing efforts to enhance the safety of offshore exploration and production," said BSEE Director Michael Bromwich. "Because of his vast and diverse experience, both within the federal government and in private industry, Doug Morris brings to the agency a blend of personal qualities and professional qualifications that will help us achieve our goals. I look forward to having Doug on our team in this very important job."

Mr. Morris comes to BSEE most recently from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) within the Department of Energy, where he initially served as Director of the Reserves and Production Division and was subsequently responsible for the Oil and Gas Supply & Financial Statistics Team. He came to EIA from API job and before joining API had worked as a petroleum engineer with the Minerals Management Service, BSEE's predecessor, and with private industry.

As Chief of Offshore Regulatory Programs, Mr. Morris will be responsible for a broad range of programs - developing and maintaining technical and operational standards, developing new regulations, enhancing the agency's inspections and enforcement programs, leading efforts to enhance operational safety, and supervising the agency's National Offshore Learning and Training Center.

BSEE is the BOEMRE successor entity responsible for enforcing safety and environmental regulations. Functions include: Field operations including permitting and research, inspections, offshore regulatory programs, oil spill response, and newly formed training and environmental compliance functions.

November 4, 2011