Today, the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) published a  final rule in the Federal Register that will clarify and update existing regulations for Outer Continental Shelf post lease operations.

        These regulations, found in Title 30, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 250, Subpart A,will ensure opportunities for good OCS operators and provides penalties for the worst performers. According to MMS Director Walt Rosenbusch, AThis rule emphasizes both diligence and performance. We want the United States OCS to be a place where top-notch performers can excel. An important component of this rule is a provision that gives us the authority to disqualify a company from being an operator on an OCS facility if they have a poor record of safety performance."

        The final rule also gives MMS the authority to grant a right-of-use and easement on the OCS to a State lessee. It brings uniformity to the public release time for all proprietary geophysical data and information gathered under pre-lease permits, including those submitted post lease. It also clarifies the distinctions between granting and directing a suspension, and the different consequences of each; and requires evacuation statistics for natural occurrences.