The sixth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon accident, which claimed the lives of 11 brave men and set off the largest offshore oil spill in our nation’s history, reminds us that we must always be vigilant when it comes to offshore energy development and that our first priority must be the safety of workers, coastal communities and the environment.
Over a year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposed a new rule to tighten standards on offshore well blowout preventers and controls how companies drill and monitor these wells. The oil and gas industry diligently attempted to help BSEE get the rule right, repeatedly voicing concerns about unintended consequences that could lead to less safety and less environmental protection.
A Wood McKenzie study showed that implementation of the proposal could risk 100,000 jobs, cost the U.S. economy upwards of $400 billion, and jeopardize as much as 35 percent of offshore energy production. The final version of the rule, released last week, addresses many industry concerns. However, it still has the potential to actually increase risk and reduce safety, leading to a de facto moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico with very definite negative impacts on the economy.
Industry shares the government’s goal of enhancing offshore safety while producing more oil and natural gas here at home. However, the safe exploration and production of offshore energy beyond where it takes place today, as part of a broad-based energy portfolio, is key to maintaining our nation’s position as the global leader in energy production.
Last month, the Obama administration backtracked on plans to explore for energy in the Atlantic, dealing a blow to the nation’s energy security, and forfeiting thousands of well-paying jobs and millions of dollars in government revenues. The coastal state political leaders and voters who support offshore energy have every right to be perplexed and disappointed. On April 26, the U.S. Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM) will hold a public meeting in Washington, D.C., soliciting input on its proposed 2017-2022 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The industry will make the case for a final leasing program that retains maximum access to our offshore areas.
By not taking a long-term view of the nation’s energy future, the administration is selling the American people short. Oil and gas producers have accomplished great things over the last decade. Applying American innovation and technical know-how, we have achieved what seemed impossible a few years ago. Today the U.S. is the world’s top oil and gas producer. This miracle is what has kept energy prices low for consumers despite political turmoil in the Middle East, Russia and elsewhere. The success of the oil and natural gas industry has been a key driver of the US economic recovery, creating jobs and putting more money back in consumers’ pockets.
In the end, however, nothing is more important to the oil and gas industry than safety. In the last six years, the industry has put sweeping new safety standards in place. The industry established the Center for Offshore Safety, which works with the regulatory community to make sure that the latest advances in safety technologies and practices are shared throughout the industry and across the country.
New containment and gathering systems also stand ready to deploy at a moment’s notice in the event of a future spill, and coordination among public and private entities has been vastly improved. Accessing our offshore oil and natural gas resources is safer now than ever before.
Nicolette Nye is vice president of communications and industry affairs at the National Ocean Industries Association, a retired U.S. Navy chief petty officer, and a resident of Arlington, Va. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
