MMS has the responsibility under OCSLA to conduct investigations and prepare a report of incidents associated with OCS mineral development.  The purpose of the investigation is to identify the cause(s) of the incident and to make recommendations to prevent their recurrence and the occurrence of similar accidents.

The MMS reviews all incidents reported to the Bureau to determine whether or not they will be investigated.  Whether an incident is investigated and the degree to which it is investigated is based upon the following factors:

1.      The actual and potential severity of the incident.

2.      The complexity of the incident.

3.      The probability of similar incidents occurring.

MMS conducts an initial onsite investigation for many of the incidents reported.  Formal investigations are then conducted for the more serious or significant incidents, based on the criteria noted above.  MMS conducts two types of formal investigations:

District Investigations are conducted by a team appointed by the District Manager of the office with responsibility for the location of the incident.  Teams are primarily composed of District office personnel, but may involve other MMS or non-MMS personnel.  Occasionally, the District Manager may appoint an individual to conduct an investigation, rather than a team.   

Panel Investigations are conducted by a team appointed by the Regional Director of the office with responsibility for the location of the incident.  A panel leader is designated to direct the work of the team.  Teams are primarily composed of Regional and District personnel, but may involve other MMS or non-MMS personnel.  Panel investigations are usually conducted when a more in-depth investigation is needed and may involve more comprehensive investigation techniques such as formal hearings.

Below you will find a listing of all formal investigations conducted by the MMS and their status.  Completed District Investigation Reports are available for download from the District Investigation Reports index page.   Completed Panel Investigation Reports are available for download from the Panel Investigation Reports index page. These files can be downloaded, read, and printed using the free Acrobat Reader. 

Note: Only the Panel Investigation Reports published in the MMS number series, which started in 1984, are available.  Panel reports issued since 1992 are available from this website.  District Investigation Reports issued since January 1, 2005 are available from this website.

Reports for all Panel and District Accident Investigations listed below are also available through the MMS Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Public Information Unit (Call 1-800-200-GULF).