NEW ORLEANS – The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's Hurricane Response Team is ready to support offshore oil and gas operators as they implement their preparedness plans for hurricane season 2018. BSEE continuously works with operators to ensure safety during hurricane and other weather-related response efforts and to minimize the disruption to offshore energy production.
“BSEE regulations are specifically designed to keep offshore operations safe,” said Lars Herbst, BSEE Gulf of Mexico Region Director. “Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico can result in platform and rig evacuations and curtailed production. Our hurricane guidelines help operators prepare and respond safely.”
Operators must report impacts to oil and gas production every day by 11 a.m. CDT to BSEE’s Hurricane Response Team. BSEE verifies the information and publishes the information daily.
Specific reporting requirements are found in Notice to Lessees 2015-G02. The notice clarifies reporting requirements related to personnel evacuation, production curtailment, and shut-in activity. This information is required to help mitigate risks associated with hurricanes and tropical storms on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
Reporting and monitoring continues during storms and until operations return to normal following the severe weather. Through an interagency collaboration, U.S. Coast Guard personnel are embedded within BSEE’s Hurricane Response Team to better coordinate response activities should they be required.
“If operators curtail production as a result of severe weather, they must inspect their facilities before restarting operations,” continued Herbst. “If damage occurs, BSEE also inspects the damage and the repairs before permitting an operator to resume operations.”
Regulations as provided by 30 CFR 250.192 on preparations for hurricanes, tropical storms, severe weather, and current reporting requirements, along with more about how BSEE’s Hurricane Response Team operates, can be found here.
###