BOEMRE to hold workshop on new offshore regs

“We are making every effort to help companies understand and comply with the regulations to ensure our nation’s vital offshore energy resources are developed safely and responsibly,” says Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Director Michael R. Bromwich

BOEMRE will conduct a public workshop March 15, 2011, in New Orleans to discuss new requirements for offshore oil and gas companies to develop and implement Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS). The new regulation, 30 CFR 250, Subpart S, was published in the Federal Register on October 15, 2010, and takes effect on November 15, 2011.

“BOEMRE has participated in more than 100 meetings with oil and gas companies to explain the new regulations, and we are continuing those outreach efforts through workshops such as this,” says Director Bromwich. “We are making every effort to help companies understand and comply with the regulations to ensure our nation’s vital offshore energy resources are developed safely and responsibly.”

The purpose of the workshop is to discuss the various elements necessary to implement a comprehensive SEMS program for offshore operations and to explain how those elements should be incorporated in an operator’s management system. In addition to addressing questions from workshop participants, BOEMRE staff will present an overview of the SEMS rule and describe the bureau’s anticipated audit methodologies for compliance reviews.  

The workshop will be held on March 15, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Two Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130.

There is no registration fee for this workshop. However, to attend participants must RSVP with Deborah O’Brien by phone at (703) 787-1579 or by e-mail at Deborah.O’Brien@boemre.gov. Participants may also submit written questions in advance of the workshop to Ms. O’Brien. The deadline to register and to submit advance questions is March 8. Seating capacity is limited to 500.

BOEMRE will make the workshop presentation available online following the workshop.
For more information on the SEMS rule, go to: http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=45792.

February 23, 2011