Offshore staff
NEW ORLEANS – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved a supplemental exploration plan (EP) from BP for deepwater Gulf of Mexico activities.
Prior to any drilling under the plan, BP still must obtain drilling permits from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
The supplemental EP proposes to drill as many as four wells in the Gulf of Mexico's Keathley Canyon blocks 292 and 336.
This is the first EP that BP has had approved since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon event. Before approving this EP, BOEM confirmed BP's compliance with the bureau's new standards. In July 2011, BP announced additional safety enhancements and performance standards they would voluntarily implement in connection with its deepwater drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico. BOEM says it has verified that BP has met the relevant voluntary performance standards.
10/24/2011
