A regulatory move by the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environment Enforcement (BSEE) gives offshore drillers more time for development operations.

The regulation doubles the amount of time offshore oil and gas operators have to coordinate development operations and retain their leases in federal waters of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, BSEE said in a June 9 news release.

“This rulemaking extends the time from 180 days to one year between production, drilling or well-reworking operations on a lease,” said BSEE Director Scott Angelle. “These additional months mean companies doing business on the Outer Continental Shelf will have more planning flexibility, which will help them be more cost efficient, create more jobs and maximize the economic benefit for the entire nation.”

Congress directed BSEE to make this amendment in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, Public Law No. 115-31, BSEE said. A notice of the final rule, titled Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf—Lease Continuation Through Operations, is available in the June 9 Federal Register.

—Staff Reports