Curtas do Bryant´s

BOEMRE – “Idle Iron” decommissioning guidance for offshore rigs

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) issued a Notice to Lessees providing guidance concerning the decommissioning of nonproducing offshore wells, platforms, and pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico. The Notice, which will become effective on October 15, requires that so-called “idle iron” be fully decommissioned in a timely manner and no later than one year following expiration of the lease. This will require wells to be plugged and rigs and pipelines to be removed. For any existing well that has not been used for exploration or production during the past five years, a plan for decommissioning must be submitted to BOEMRE within 120 days. (9/15/10). Note: There are approximately 3,500 nonproducing oil and gas wells and 650 inactive rigs in the GOM. Well plugging and structure dismantling on this scale will be a major undertaking.

National Commission – meeting

The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, sponsored by the Department of Energy, will conduct an opening meeting in Washington, DC on September 27 and 28. Topics on the agenda include the response following the oil spill, impacts on the Gulf, and approaches to long-term restoration. 75 Fed. Reg. 56526 (September 16, 2010).

House – bill introduced to restore Gulf coastal areas

Representative Scalise (R-LA) introduced the Gulf Coast Restoration Act (H.R. 6112) to provide for restoration of the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and for other purposes. (9/14/10).

House – bill introduced re use of dispersants in oil spills

Representative Pallone (D-NJ) introduced a bill (H.R. 6119) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to ensure the safe and proper use of dispersants in the event of an oil spill or release of hazardous substances, and for other purposes. Official text of this bill is not yet available. (9/14/10).

Senate – hearing on defenses against nuclear terrorism

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs conducted a hearing on Nuclear Terrorism: Strengthening Our Domestic Defenses, Part II. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary Jane Lute testified concerning the layered security system utilized by the Department and its components. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) also submitted a Statement for the Record discussing how inadequate communication and oversight hampered DHS efforts to develop an advanced radiography system to detect nuclear materials. Among other things, the GAO Statement notes that DHS planned for the acquisition and deployment of advanced radiography equipment without fully understanding that it could not operate in a US port environment. The acquisition phase of the project has been cancelled. (9/15/10).

EP – call for Arctic governance

The European Parliament (EP) issued a news release stating that it hosted the Ninth Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (CPAR), which brings together governmental representatives from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. At the conference, the EP reiterated its call for a clear governance system for the Arctic. (9/15/10).

Russia and Norway – maritime boundary agreement

The Kremlin issued a news release stating that Russia and Norway have signed a treaty on delimitation and cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The treaty is intended to create favorable conditions for cooperation in fishing and hydrocarbon extraction in these previously disputed waters. (9/15/10). Fonte: Dennis Bryant.