On 1 May, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement released its final Well Control Rule, which addresses well control safety. In response, IADC President Jason McFarland said:
“This latest refinement of BSEE’s well control regulations, first introduced in July 2016, provide the necessary framework upon which evolving technology and performance-oriented best practices can be leveraged to sustain the safety and productivity of offshore oil and gas operations. BSEE’s technical experts were particularly focused on only the most necessary enhancements to the originally drafted rule, and as such determined that only 59 of the original 342 provisions required adjustment. The Bureau’s approach ensured that 82% of the original provisions remain unchanged. The changes that are included in today’s Final Rule, reflect a common-sense approach to regulation and does nothing to decrease safety. Most importantly, it further optimizes technology and innovation to the greater benefit of effective and safe offshore operations.”
