Follow up to postings on the Gulf Coast oil spill, news from MarineLog: “The Department of the Interior today issued a directive to oil and gas lessees and operators on the Outer Continental Shelf. It implements stronger safety requirements that Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recommended in a 30-day safety report to the President, following the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The Notice to Lessees (“Safety NTL”) issued today applies to both deepwater and shallow water operations. However drilling operations in water deeper than 500 feet remain under a six-month moratorium. “Shallow water drilling operations and production activity in both deep and shallow waters are not under a moratorium and will continue, provided they are in compliance with the new safety requirements,” says the Depart of the Interior.”
“This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) implements certain safety measures outlined in the report entitled Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (Safety Measures Report), dated May 27, 2010. The President requested that the Department of the Interior develop this report as a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident on April 20, 2010. This incident resulted in the death of 11 people, an oil spill of national significance, and the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon. Although the cause of the incident is currently under investigation, this incident highlights the importance of ensuring safe operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Secretary has a duty to ensure the OCS is managed in a safe manner, by considering available environmental information and implementing best available and safest technology. In furtherance of this duty, on June 2, 2010, the Secretary directed the Director, Minerals Management Service, to adopt the recommendations contained in the Safety Measures Report and to implement them as soon as possible.”
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