The permit to drill gives an operator approval to begin the process of drilling a well. Before a Permit to Drill can be granted, there are many direct and related approvals (including environmental compliance) that must be in place. There are several different types of permits that may be approved by BSEE.
New safeguards to protect offshore personnel and the environment took effect October of 2010. BSEE's Drilling Safety Rule significantly improves drilling safety by strengthening requirements. Operators must demonstrate that they are prepared to deal with the potential for a blowout and worst-case discharge and permit applications for drilling projects must meet new standards for well-design, casing, and cementing, and be independently certified by a professional engineer.
For more information on new applicable regulations and standards for both shallow and deep water drilling operations, see Offshore Drilling Safety Reforms.
The tables below demonstrate aggregate permitting statistics for both shallow water and deep water. The table for deep water includes both those permits that are subject to containment requirements and those that are not.
To download copies of approved permits see the eWell Online Query.
Read about the Permitting Workshop which took place Tuesday, August 30, 2011.
View the Status of Exploration and Development Plans Subject to Enhanced Safety and Environmental Requirements in the Gulf of America.
Note: As of 2025, a new format will be implemented for this page. To view the archive, please click here.
Overview
Updated Monthly - Last updated: 02/01/2025 11:00 AM (CST)
Water Depth Less than 500ft1
Water Depth Greater than 500ft2
Total
Approved
Returned3
Pending
Approved
Returned3
Pending
New Well
1
0
0
3
0
0
4
Revised New Well
1
0
0
25
0
0
26
Bypass
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
Revised Bypass
0
0
0
2
0
0
8
Sidetrack
0
0
0
2
0
1
2
Revised Sidetrack
4
0
0
10
0
0
14
1Shallow water drilling operations became subject to new rules and information requirements as of June 2010.
2Deep water drilling operations became subject to new rules and information requirements as of October 2010.
3Submitted permit applications may be returned for further information or clarification.
Drilling Permit Definitions
A new well involves an operator drilling an original wellbore hole in the seafloor to a geologic target.
A revision to a new well involves a change to the drilling of new well, which may be necessary for safety purposes, such as if an operator determines it necessary to set a liner deeper in the wellbore due to results from a formation integrity test.
A bypass is when an operator drills around a mechanical problem in the original hole to the original target from the existing wellbore.
A revision to a bypass involves a change to the drilling of a bypass from an existing well, which may be necessary for safety purposes, such as if an operator determines it necessary to set a liner deeper in the wellbore due to results from a formation integrity test.
A sidetrack involves an operator drilling to a new geologic target or a new location within the original target from an existing wellbore.
A revision to a sidetrack involves a change to the drilling of a sidetrack from an existing well, which may be necessary for safety purposes, such as if an operator determines it necessary to set a liner deeper in the wellbore due to results from a formation integrity test.
Permitting Workshop
A Permitting Workshop with industry representatives was held in the Gulf of America Regional Office on August 30, 2011. Below are the presentations from that workshop.
The full-day workshop included a discussion of common errors and omissions found in the submission of permit applications, and overviews and updates on sub-sea containment and the bureau's well screening tool. One highlight was an industry panel that discussed proven methods and strategies for the completion of fully compliant permit applications focusing on the well screening tool, a critical aspect of the sub-sea containment requirements which is most often a cause of returned permit applications.
Workshop Presentations:
- Overview of Permitting Process, Common Errors
- Discussion of Sub-sea Containment, Submissions
- Departures
- Discussion of Well Screening Tool, Analysis
- Industry Panel - WCST Overview (Shell Offshore)
- Industry Panel - Efficient methods for processing, what works (BP)
- Industry Panel - Level 2 Considerations (Nobel Energy)
- Industry Panel - Recent Chevron deepwater permitting experience (Chevron)