Houston– Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) senior officials accompanied representatives from Mexico’s offshore oil and gas safety regulator, the National Agency for Safety, Energy and Environmental Protection of the Hydrocarbons Sector (ASEA), for site visits of subsea containment equipment and service providers in the Houston area May 4.
BSEE and ASEA have collaborated closely on a range of topics – including safety and environmental management systems (SEMS) and third-party accreditation – since ASEA’s creation in March 2015. The two agencies share a common goal of ensuring that offshore energy production in the Gulf of Mexico is conducted in a safe, environmentally-responsible manner, and their close working relationship advances that goal.
The presentations from HWCG and Trendsetter Engineering covered the types of subsea containment systems available for different situations, how the firms structure and support their services, and how long it takes to respond to various situations. They also had the opportunity to view a capping stack.
The subsea containment site visits and other engagements fall under the purview of the October 2015 BSEE-ASEA Letter of Intent. The Letter specifies that the two agencies may coordinate through periodic information and experience exchanges, organization of bilateral events and visits of delegations, and other relevant areas.
