scope:

SUMMARY:

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is amending and updating the regulations regarding oil and natural gas production safety on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) by addressing issues such as: Safety and pollution prevention equipment design and maintenance, production safety systems, subsurface safety devices, and safety device testing. The rule differentiates the requirements for operating dry tree and subsea tree production systems and divides the current BSEE regulations regarding oil and gas production safety systems into multiple sections to make the regulations easier to read and understand. The changes in this rule are necessary to improve human safety, environmental protection, and regulatory oversight of critical equipment involving production safety systems.