US Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has introduced some initiatives to improve federal offshore oil and gas inspection procedures.
Announcing his plan at the annual CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Zinke said the changes would be implemented through the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), an agency under the Department of the Interior (DOI), which he heads. They will be in effect before the middle of this year.
Zinke said his proposals emphasized safety, efficiency and working smarter – all important as US offshore oil production is at record highs.
The initiatives include: specialized risk-based inspection protocols; increased engagement between BSEE and the industry; identifying gaps between regulations and advancing technologies; and researching possible third-party certification of BSEE’s inspection program by the International Standards Organization (ISO).
