U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region NEWS RELEASE

MMS Announces 2001 Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE) Finalists

The Minerals Management Service announced today the 2001 finalists for the National Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE). MMS presents this award annually to outer continental shelf oil and natural gas operators who have demonstrated superior performance. This year’s SAFE finalists are:

"This award signifies a corporate commitment to offshore safety and environmental protection. We are pleased to recognize these finalists for their exemplary company performance and look forward to announcing the winners in April," said acting MMS Director Lucy Querques Denett. MMS established the SAFE in 1983 to recognize and honor companies that make a concerted effort to train and motivate their employees to conduct offshore operations in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. The agency recognizes both high OCS activity and moderate OCS activity categories for production. Moderate activities are generally from a non-integrated, non-affiliated company. Drilling and production contractors with exemplary OCS performance are also recognized. MMS selects one winner from each category.

The National SAFE Award winners will be announced at the annual MMS Industry Awards program and luncheon. The event will be at the Hotel Inter-Continental Houston on April 11, 2002. Registration information is available at the following temporary internet address:

http://www.mms.gov/awards/

MMS is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf in federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for and disburses mineral revenues from federal and Indian leases. These revenues totaled nearly $10 billion in 2001 and more than $120 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and federal park and recreation lands.

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