Tag: BOEMRE

ISN News

2011 ISN Annual Users Conference: Navigating Through BOEMRE Regulatory Waters

November 8th, 2011 · ISN Team - Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

At the ISN Annual Users Conference, Doug Slitor, Acting Chief of the Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs, is presenting the new regulations and best practices for offshore operators and contractors as previously set forth by BOEMRE. BOEMRE, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, was reorganized on October 1 into two separate entities: the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Mr. Slitor explains the function and scope of these new bureaus’ work.

Originally created from the former Minerals Management Service, BOEMRE’s intention has been to make the Gulf of Mexico safe for workers and the environment alike. Now as two distinct organizations, BOEM and BSEE play specific roles.

BOEM focuses on resource identification, leasing, and compliance with environmental regulations. BSEE takes on the job of regulatory development, inspection, technical research, and enforcement of safety regulations.  Another important component of BSEE’s work is oil spill response oversight, a function whose value was magnified after the Deepwater Horizon spill in April 2010.

As part of its effort to encourage and regulate safe practices in the Gulf of Mexico, BSEE has created SEMS, Safety and Environmental Management Systems. It is mandatory for offshore operators to have a SEMS plan in place by November 15, 2011.

Mr. Slitor also outlines SEMS expectations in his presentation. Elements of an approved SEMS plan include: Hazard Analysis, Emergency Response and Control, and a Contractor/Operator interface. Operators must also provide records of their contractors’ knowledge and training for the job they perform. ISN has partnered with its Owner Clients to use the Training Qualification (TQ) tool in ISNetworld in order to meet this requirement.

ISN assists contractors in meeting TQ requirements set forth by their Owner Client by providing a comprehensive activity list, templates to organize and upload employee information, and step-by-step written instructions on how to meet SEMS requirements in ISNetworld.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/farewell-to-an-acronym/?scp=1&sq=bsee&st=cse
http://www.boemre.gov/
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/04/22/22greenwire-debate-on-protecting-oil-rig-workers-takes-a-n-82148.html?scp=1&sq=SEMS%20boemre&st=cse

ISN News

22nd Secretary of Defense, Dr. Robert Gates, to Speak at ISN Annual Users Conference

August 2nd, 2011 · ISN Team - Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Dr. Robert Gates, the 22nd Secretary of Defense, will speak at the 2011 ISN Annual Users Conference this November 3rd at the Gaylord Texan Hotel.

Dr. Robert M. Gates served as the 22nd Secretary of Defense (2006-2011) and is the only Secretary of Defense in U.S. history to be asked to remain in that office by a newly-elected President. President Barack Obama is the eighth president Dr. Gates has served. He previously served under President George W. Bush.

Before becoming Secretary of Defense in 2006, Dr. Gates was the President of Texas A&M University, the nation’s seventh largest university. Prior to assuming the Texas A&M presidency, on August 1, 2002, he served as Interim Dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M from 1999 to 2001.

Secretary Gates joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1966 and spent nearly 27 years as intelligence professional. During that period, he spent nearly nine years at the National Security Council, The White House, serving four presidents of both political parties.

Dr. Gates served as Director of Central Intelligence from 1991 until 1993. He is the only career officer in CIA’s history to rise from entry-level employee to Director. He served as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence from 1986 until 1989 and as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser at the White House from January 20, 1989, until November 6, 1991, for President George H.W. Bush.

Secretary Gates has been awarded the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, has twice received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and has three times received CIA’s highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

Click Here to listen to Rachel Martin, National Public Radio correspondent, report on Gates’ departure from the Pentagon.

ISN Annual Users Conference details are below.

November 3 – 4, 2011
Gaylord Texan Hotel
1501 Gaylord Trail
Grapevine, Texas 76051
*The Gaylord Texan is approximately 5 miles from the Dallas/Fort Worth airport

Conference attendance is free for all ISNetworld subscribers.

Register Online: Announcing the ISN 2011 Annual Users Conference

For more information, visit www.isn.com.

Industry News

SEMS: A New Standard for Offshore Operations

April 6th, 2011 · ISN Team - Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Time is running short for offshore energy operators.

April 15th gives industry operators only seven more months to plan and implement Safety & Environmental Management Systems (SEMS,) an approach made mandatory by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) last November.

Previously voluntary, the BOEMRE’s now-mandatory compliance deadline is November 15, 2011. This regulatory push by the BOEMRE, the federal agency responsible for overseeing the safe and environmentally responsible development of energy and mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS,) has even greater support in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which poured more than four million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

According to BOEMRE, the SEMS is a nontraditional, performance-focused tool for integrating and managing offshore operations. The approach is composed of 13 elements and was created to enhance the safety and cleanliness of operations by reducing the frequency and severity of accidents. Applicable to all OCS oil and gas operations under the BOEMRE jurisdiction, affected industries include: drilling, production, construction, well workover, well completion, well servicing and DOI pipeline.

The BOEMRE has four chief SEMS objectives:

  1. Focus attention on the influences that human error and poor organization have on accidents
  2. Continuous improvement in the offshore industry’s safety and environmental records
  3. Encourage the use of performance-based operating practices
  4. Collaborate with industry in efforts that promote the public interests of offshore worker safety and environmental protection.

With the Deepwater Horizon disaster still top of mind, the complexity and risk of offshore operations continue to draw attention to the need for strengthened safety audits and has furthered the importance of the SEMS initiative. Regulators are adamant and have set strict consequences for compliance, including the possibility of facilities being closed if the program implementation deadline is not met.

In a March 15 workshop, the BOEMRE provided an overview and background on SEMS, addressed frequently asked questions and reviewed the process for SEMS audits and reviews. Suggestions for creating a SEMS plan include having a strong commitment from management, getting an early start and utilizing a multi-disciplined team approach.For more information, please visit http://www.boemre.gov/semp/ or view the SEMS PowerPoint presentation here.

Sources
http://www.boemre.gov/semp/
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN0425169520110404
http://www.energylegalblog.com/archives/2010/10/06/3231