Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management detailed how drillers can comply with recently imposed requirements regarding updating spill response plans, blowout preventer testing and calculating worst-case flow-rate scenarios for an uncontrolled spill.
"As we continue to strengthen oversight and safety and environmental protections, we must ensure that the oil and gas industry has clear direction on what is expected," said Michael Bromwich, the head of BOEM, in a statement.
The information does not include any new requirements. It is intended to provide a path forward to deepwater drilling in the aftermath of the massive BP oil spill, the agency said.
One area where the agency attempted to provide some clarity for drillers was the worst-case discharge estimates that operators have to provide regarding their wells.
The agency said it has developed a consistent methodology for these calculations and encouraged companies to consult with agency staff about estimates for specific projects. Some drillers had complained these calculations were holding up permit approvals.
The guidance also explained the agency's expectations for companies' oil spill response plans. Under Interior's regulations, the agency may require an operator to revise its response plans if they are found to be deficient.
One primary deficiency the agency said it has identified in its review of response plans is the lack of sufficient subsea containment equipment. When deepwater drillers apply for new permits they have to demonstrate they have access to and can deploy the necessary resources to deal with a subsea blowout.
The agency explained that drillers may meet this requirement by submitting a containment plan that addresses debris removal, the use of remotely operated vehicles, containment domes and capping stacks.
BP's drilling accident over the summer unleashed millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, prompting a months-long ban on deepwater drilling and a raft of new rules for energy firms.
Since the disaster, offshore drillers have complained that the lengthy permitting process has amounted to a de facto ban on all offshore drilling.
The oil industry's major lobbying group, the American Petroleum Institute, said it "is taking a close look at the guidance to evaluate whether it provides the clarity operators need to understand and implement the new standards."
As of Monday, two deepwater permit applications for new wells have been submitted since the agency's drilling ban was lifted in October.
(Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
