Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management Regulation and Enforcement?
Answer: The
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE),
a bureau in the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), is the federal
agency that manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral
resources on the outer continental shelf (OCS). The program is national in
scope and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Question:
What is the outer continental shelf (OCS)?
Answer: The
OCS is all submerged lands lying
seaward of state coastal waters which are under U.S. jurisdiction.
Question:
What is the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act?
Answer: The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
assigns the
Secretary of the Interior the responsibility for the
administration of mineral exploration and development of the OCS. The
Act empowers the Secretary to grant leases to the highest qualified
responsible bidder on the basis of sealed competitive bids and to
formulate regulations as necessary to carry out the provisions of the
Act. The Act, as amended, provides guidelines for implementing an OCS
oil and gas exploration and development program. Further information
is on
the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
Question:
What is the process for approving an exploration or development plan?
Answer: BOEMRE has created a simplified flowchart outlining the approval process for an
exploration plan and a
development plan. The process involves reviews by BOEMRE and various federal and state agencies.
Question:
What is the process for leasing OCS oil and gas?
Answer: BOEMRE has oversight responsibility on oil and gas leasing activities within the OCS. Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a 5-year oil and gas leasing program (5-Year Program) that consists of a 5-year schedule of proposed lease sales that shows the size, timing, and location of leasing activity as precisely as possible. The process to develop a 5-Year Program includes: three separate comment periods, two separate draft proposals, a final proposal, and development of an environmental impact statement (EIS). This statutorily mandated process usually takes about two and a half years. After the Secretary of the Interior approves the Proposed Final Program, the BOEMRE sends it to Congress. If Congress does not pass legislation to modify the proposal within 60 days, the 5-Year Program becomes final. View the
Leasing 101 Guide.
The current OCS oil and gas leasing statistics are updated and posted monthly in a
Combined Leasing Status Report.
Question:
Can I view a copy of an approved drilling permit?
Answer: Copies of approved drilling permits can be viewed by accessing the public eWell query
Application for Permit to Drill (APD,
AST, ABP).
Instructions for using the query tool are available to assist you.
Question:
Does Minerals Management Service (MMS) still exist?
Answer: No, BOEMRE has taken over all of the
responsibilities of the Minerals Management Service until the full
implementation of BOEMRE’s reorganization.
Question: Why
is BOEMRE re-organizing?
Answer: The purpose of this reorganization is
to separate and reassign the responsibilities that had been conducted by
MMS into new management structures that will improve the management,
oversight, and accountability of activities on the OCS; ensure a fair
return to the taxpayer from royalty and revenue collection and
disbursement activities; and provide independent safety and
environmental oversight and enforcement of offshore activities.
Question:
What will BOEMRE look like following the re-organization?
Answer: The reorganization will be responsible
for transforming BOEMRE into three separate bureaus: the Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement (BSEE) and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR). BOEM will exercise the conventional (e.g., oil and gas) and renewable
energy-related management functions of MMS not otherwise transferred
pursuant to
Secretary Salazar’s Order 3299 including, but not limited
to, activities involving resource evaluation, planning and leasing. BSEE will oversee the safety and environmental enforcement functions of
MMS including, but not limited to, the authority to inspect,
investigate, summon witnesses and produce evidence, levy penalties,
cancel or suspend activities, and oversee safety, response, and removal
preparedness. The royalty and revenue management functions of MMS
including, but not limited to, royalty and revenue collection,
distribution, auditing and compliance, investigation and enforcement,
and asset management for both onshore and offshore activities will be
transferred to ONRR.
Question:
What is the Investigations and Review Unit?
Answer: Director Bromwich announced the
creation of a new Investigations and Review Unit on 6/23/2010. This
permanent organization is a team of professionals with law enforcement
backgrounds or technical expertise whose mission is to: promptly and
credibly respond to allegations or evidence of misconduct and unethical
behavior by Bureau employees; pursue allegations of misconduct by oil
and gas companies involved in offshore energy projects; and assure the
Bureau's ability to respond swiftly to emerging issues and crises,
including significant incidents such as spills and accidents. The IRU
will evaluate all information submitted and will, where appropriate,
conduct further investigation. The IRU will be sharing allegations of
misconduct with the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector
General (OIG), and they will jointly determine which office conducts any
investigation of those allegations. Contact information at the
link above will assist individuals with knowledge of
misconduct or unethical behavior involving the Bureau.