Bloomberg Law
May 13, 2022, 1:32 PM

US Mandates Pitched for High-Pressure Offshore Oil Drilling

Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Bloomberg News

The Interior Department is proposing new mandates to govern offshore oil drilling operations targeting high-pressure, high-temperature reservoirs below the seabed.

  • The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’sproposed rule is meant to keep pace with drilling operations that are advancing into more technically challenging Gulf of Mexico waters, with ultra-high temperatures and pressures that require specialized, hardened equipment
  • Measure targets environments with greater than 15,000 pounds per square inch absolute or temperatures greater than 350 degrees Fahrenheit (194.44 degrees Celsius)
  • Agency says proposal mostly would codify bureau’s existing practices for reviewing and approving “novel technology projects”
    • Measure would impose new ...