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 The Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement announced the finalized regulations, which include more
stringent design requirements and operational procedures for
offshore oil and gas operations.
The new standards come nearly six years after a deadly explosion and
fire on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig off the cost of Louisiana,
which led to the worst oil spill of all time.
The Macondo well blowout and the fire on April 20,2010 killed 11
workers.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell told reporters the rule took six
years to complete because the agency wanted to understand the root
cause of the disaster.
"There are a number of things that went wrong," she said. "It was
important that we understood those things and the evolution of
technology."
 The Interior Department said it took into account industry and other
stakeholder feedback since it first proposed the rule last April.
To improve the "culture of safety" on oil rigs and prevent future
spills or blowouts, the new rule tightens requirements for blowout
preventers, well design, well control casing, cementing and sub-sea
containment.
It also calls for real-time monitoring, third party reviews of
equipment, regular inspections and safe drilling margin
requirements.
The agency estimates the new rule would cost the industry $890
million over a 10-year period, but would yield $1.5 billion in
benefits.
Republican Louisiana Senator David Vitter slammed what he called an
"overarching" rule that would "kick our oil and gas industry while
it’s down.”
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Industry lobby group the American Petroleum Institute said it is
still reviewing the document, but said technical problems in the
initial proposal could cause unintended consequences if they remain.
Offshore drilling has seen at least 1,066 injuries, 496 fires and
explosions, 22 losses of well control, 11 big oil spills and 11
fatalities since the Deepwater Horizon accident, according to the
Interior Department.
Jacqueline Savitz, vice president of the ocean protection advocacy
group Oceana, said the new standards were "a significant improvement
over the status quo" since Congress has not passed legislation to
improve offshore drilling safety but are "absolutely not sufficient
to protect our oceans."
Earlier this month, a federal judge in New Orleans approved BP's $20
billion settlement, paving the way for Gulf restoration to begin.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Alan
Crosby)
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