WASHINGTON – Leading up to Made in America Week, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Director Scott Angelle took part in a well operations inspection Thursday. Angelle traveled 126 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico with BSEE inspectors to the Diamond Offshore Ocean BlackLion drillship. The dynamically positioned drillship is conducting well operations for Hess Corporation on the Stampede project.
“I witnessed firsthand the work that BSEE inspectors do to ensure safe and environmentally-responsible oil and gas operations,” described Angelle. “The inspectors’ work is important in securing reliable ‘Made in America’ energy production from the Outer Continental Shelf.”
Angelle’s offshore trip wrapped up four days on the Gulf coast meeting with representatives from industry and the environmental community in New Orleans, Houston, and Morgan City, La. Angelle gave opening remarks at the API Safe Lifting Conference in Houston emphasizing the essential role of the OCS.
“With the OCS contributing one out of every six barrels of oil produced in this country, we have an important role to play,” Angelle said. “To have robust activity on the Outer Continental Shelf, it has to be done safely and in an environmentally sustainable way.”
During the offshore inspection, Angelle spent time on the drill floor witnessing a well control drill, inspecting the shakers, and touring the drillship’s bridge. Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. is a U.S.-based company operating both in the Gulf of Mexico and internationally. Hess Corporation is also a U.S.-based company and is one of 88 oil and gas companies operating on the OCS.
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