BOEMRE permits Noble to complete GoM well drilling

March 1, 2011
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has approved the first deepwater drilling permit since the Deepwater Horizon incident and the subsequent moratorium on permitting.

Offshore staff

NEW ORLEANS – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has approved the first deepwater drilling permit since the Deepwater Horizon incident and the subsequent moratorium on permitting.

Noble Energy is permitted to finish the drilling of a well it began prior to the moratorium in Mississippi Canyon block 519, about 70 mi (~110 km) southeast of Venice, Louisiana, in 6,500 ft (~1.980 m) water depth. This is a bypass well to drill around a block in the original bore.

In issuing the permit, BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich said “This permit was issued for one simple reason: the operator successfully demonstrated that it can drill its deepwater well safely and that it is capable of containing a subsea blowout if it were to occur. We expect further deepwater permits to be approved in coming weeks and months based on the same process that led to the approval of this permit.”

Noble has contracted the Helix Well Containment Group to use its capping stack should emergency well control be needed.

03/012011