Library and Reading Room

Welcome to the Minerals Management Service's Electronic Reading Room, which contains documents related to the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill that have been cleared for public release. We recommend that you search this site before filing a FOIA request because you may find the documents or information that you are seeking.

Please note that we will be adding to this collection regularly as we continue to process and release documents that have been requested by members of the public and by members of Congress. We are providing this service in recognition of the intense public interest in this material and in furtherance of the Administration’s commitment to open Government through increased proactive disclosures.

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Request Number Title

ESO 00016597 Rahall 5-4-2010 Request
Request Letter:  PDF   Rahall 5-4-2010 Request Letter.pdf
Response Cover Letter:  PDF   Response Letter to Rahall 5-4-2010(Including Document Index) .pdf


Request #2: "The 2004 study commissioned by MMS regarding the ability of shear rams to operate properly in deepwater."

Request #3: "Information on all known instances, if any, in which blowout preventer shear rams operated properly in deepwater environments."

Request #4: "All NTLs related to Information Requirements for Exploration Plans and Development Operations Coordination Documents issued after 1982 and prior to 2002."

Request #5: "Any documents that related to the decision to restrict the applicability of 30 CFR 250.213."

Request #6: "Any comments received from outside groups, companies, or individuals relating to the inclusion of blowout scenarios in all exploration plans."


ESO 00016597 Rahall 5-6-2010 Request
Request Letter:  PDF   Rahall 5-6-2010 Request Letter.pdf
Response Cover Letter:  PDF   Response_Letter_to_Rahall_5-6-10 (Including Document Index).pdf


Request #10 (R4): "All Applications for Permits to Drill (APDs), including revised APDs, for wells and bypasses submitted by BP for Lease #G32306."

Request #8 (R2): "Exploration Plans (EPs) submitted by BP for Lease #G32306."

Request #9(R3): "Any analysis or other documentation from MMS related to the approval of the EPs for Lease #G32306"


ESO 00016814 Rahall 5-13-2010 and 5-14-2010
Request Letter:  PDF   Rahall 5-13 and 5-14-2010 Request Letter.pdf
Response Cover Letter:  PDF   Response_Letter_Rahall_5-13_and_5-14-2010(Including Document Index).pdf

"A copy of the National Potential Incident of Noncompliance (PINC) List, as well as copies of any other handbooks and training materials that are provided to MMS drilling or production inspectors."

"All documents related to the inclusion of categorical ( C) (10) (approval of an exploration plan, development/production plan, or Development Operation Coordination Document) and ( C)(12) (approval of an Application for Permit to Drill) into Part 516, Chapter 15 of the Departmental Handbook (516 DM 15), including any analysis that were conducted to justify the inclusion of these items onto the categorical exclusion list, and all correspondence with the White House Council on Environmental Quality regarding the inclusion of these categorical exclusions."

"Data showing when categorical exclusions were first used for the approval of exploration plans, development/production plans, Development Operation Coordination Documents, or Applications or Permits to Drill, and the number of categorical exclusions that were issued for the approval of each for each subsequent year."

"The chapter related to MMS implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that was in effect prior to the effective date of the current 516 DM 15, as well as any prior versions of such chapters dating back to 1982."

"Unredacted copies of all documents related to regulations that were either formally proposed by the Department of the Interior, subject to internal Department of the Interior discussions, or subject to discussion with industry stakeholders since January 1, 2000, if those regulations have not yet been finalized and they would have been included in Parts 250 through 254 of Chapter 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations."

"Unredacted copies of all reports from Minerals Management Service (MMS) inspections that took place on facilities located in Mississippi Canyon Block 252 since January 1, 2009."


ESO 00016936 Towns 5-14-2010
Request Letter:  PDF   Towns 5-14-2010 Request Letter.pdf
Response Cover Letter:  PDF   Response Letter to Towns 5-14-2010(Including Document Index).pdf

Request #6: "Please provide copies of all records relating to safety inspections of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, including, for each inspection, the date of inspection, the names of MMS staff and/or contractors performing the inspection, the titles of the inspectors, and all associated reports, orders, directives, and other actions resulting from the inspection."