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Attached are proposed revisions to BOEM’s marine minerals regulations as published today in the Federal Register. As advertised, the revisions appear to be largely administrative in nature and do not substantively change the marine minerals program.
The proposal does require BOEM to act on unsolicited lease sale requests within 28 days (currently 45 days), which may prove to be a challenge. See the excerpt pasted below.
G. Revise 30 CFR 581.11(b) “Unsolicited request for a lease sale”
The requirement for the BOEM Director to decide “within 45 days” of receipt of a lease request is not based on a statutory requirement. BOEM proposes to replace this 45-day timeframe with 28 days to ensure timely processing of such requests.
Posted in deep sea mining | Tagged BOEM, Federal Register, marine minerals, proposed regulations, unsolicited lease request | 2 Comments »
The wave data are from Georges Bank (buoy 44011, first chart) and Nantucket Shoals (buoy 44008, second chart).
Note that the significant wave height is the average height from trough to crest of the highest one-third of waves that occur in a given period.
Posted in climate | Tagged Georges Bank, Nantucket Shoals, NOAA, nor'easter, weather buoys | Leave a Comment »
Per Baker Hughes, the latest (2/20/2026) Gulf of America rig count (2/20/2026) slipped to 9. The count was 10 the previous week and 12 a year ago. In 2023 and 2024, the BH rig count was a more healthy 15-20.
8 of the 9 rigs currently drilling are at high potential deepwater locations: 3 in the Mississippi Canyon Area, 3 in Green Canyon, 1 in Walker Ridge, and 1 in Alaminos Canyon. One rig was drilling on the shelf in the Eugene Island Area.
Per MMS data, the active Gulf rig count in 2001 was 148. The 2001 count was not a one year blip; the number of rigs active in the Gulf exceeded 100 for the ten year period from 1994-2003.
Although drilling and production have become more efficient with improved exploration technology, modern well completion practices, high pressure/temperature equipment, and enhanced recovery programs, drilling activity must still be sufficient to replace reserves and sustain production over the longer term.
2025 may have been a record production year for the Gulf; we’ll find out at the end of this week. However, that level of production is not sustainable without increased drilling activity.
The EIA (chart below) is forecasting another banner year for Gulf oil production in 2026. However, they are pointing to a decline in 2027, when new production is not anticipated to be sufficient to offset natural declines. The decline in production is likely to continue beyond 2027 absent increased drilling.
BH rig count criteria: To be counted as active a rig must be on location and be drilling or ‘turning to the right’ for 4 out of 7 days during a week. A rig is considered active from the moment the well is ‘spudded’ until it reaches target depth or “TD”. Rigs that are in transit, rigging up, or being used in non-drilling activities such as workovers, completions, or production testing, are NOT counted as active.
Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General | Tagged 9 rigs, Baker Hughes rig count, decline in drilling, EIA, Gulf of America production, MMS | Leave a Comment »
Per PHYS.ORG: Researchers at the Helmholtz Center Hereon have analyzed the long-term overall impact of this large number of wind farms on the hydrodynamics of the North Sea for the first time. They found that the current pattern could change on a large scale.
The peer reviewed German study is attached. Excerpt:
The near- and far-field wake effects affect vertical mixing and surface heat fluxes – primarily driven by large-scale wind stress reductions – leading to shallower mixed layers and long-term surface warming of up to 0.2 deg. C in wind farm areas. Our findings reveal a basin-scale physical footprint of offshore wind energy and highlight the need to account r hydrodynamic impacts in future offshore wind farm planning.
Note that (1) an 11/2023 NAS study raised concerns about the potential hydrodynamic effects of wind energy on Nantucket Shoals Regional Ecology (see graphics below), and (2) a 5/2022 NOAA letter had voiced similar concerns.
Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Wind | Tagged German study, Helmholtz Center, hydrodynamic effects, NAS study, NOAA letter, Offshore Wind, surface warming | Leave a Comment »
As posted on 9/10/2025 (prior to PHMSA’s assertion of jurisdiction): Given that the Sable pipeline will carry OCS production, it would seem to fundamentally be an interstate line (Federal jurisdiction), as it was when owned by Plains. Could DOT reverse the 2016 letter agreement? That is conjecture for the attorneys and courts to consider.
A new Bloomberg Law article explains PHMSA’s position after a challenge by the California AG:
PHMSA said state-based hurdles are preempted by federal authorizations in the emergency permit notice letter the agency sent to Sable last year. Because the pipeline originates on the Outer Continental Shelf, the system automatically comes under federal oversight, the agency said.
A law professor adds the following:
The administration is invoking interstate commerce to classify the pipeline as a federal issue, “arguing that this is between a place in a state and outside that state,” said Hannah Wiseman, a professor at the Penn State Dickinson Law.
They are claiming this under their interpretational authority, as opposed to the actual language of the Pipeline Safety Act,” she said.
The language of the law only assigns PHMSA jurisdiction over oil operations that run outside or between state lines, but here the agency is arguing the pipeline’s start point is on the OCS, not at the onshore processing facility, she said.
Not mentioned in the article but pertinent:
- In PHMSA’s favor, the onshore pipeline was initially under their jurisdiction.
- In California’s favor, a court approved Consent Decree clearly identifies the California Fire Marshal as the sole oversight authority.
Meanwhile, Kruti Shah cleverly summarizes the Santa Ynez Unit story in a series of posts on X. Click on the post below to get the full thread. Great read for Sable/SYU followers:
Posted in California, energy policy, pipelines, Regulation | Tagged Bloomberg Law, California, consent decree, Fire Marshal, Hannah Wiseman, Kruti Shah, PHMSA, pipeline jurisdiction, Sable Offshore, Santa Ynez Unit | 2 Comments »
Important and long overdue:
- BSEE investigation report on the 7/13/2024 Vineyard Wind turbine blade failure and subsequent lightning strike. Will we see the report before the 2nd anniversary of this economically and environmentally significant incident?
- Updated incident tables for OCS oil and gas operations. The most recent data are for 2023! Providing timely details on incidents is a fundamental responsibility of a safety regulator.
- A summary of incidents associated with the OCS wind program. From press reports, we know about the fatality during Empire Wind construction. What other incidents have occurred to date?
- Coast Guard report on the May 2008 Russell Peterson liftboat tragedy. A crew member died in what is believed to have been the first OCS wind program fatality. Some of us haven’t forgotten this horrible incident.
- Hogan and Houchin decommissioning update, most notably the financial responsibility aspects. Why hasn’t the 2020 Inspector General’s report been released?
- Updated DOI-DOT offshore pipeline regulations.
- Workable California decommissioning legislation.
- Information on the mysterious sinking of the Aban Pearl semi-submersible in May 2010. An investigation was conducted, but the report was never shared. In the interest of offshore safety, the new regime in Venezuela should release this report.
- Report on the 9/26/2022 Nord Stream sabotage. 3.5 years have now elapsed since the pipeline bombing. Sweden and Denmark have conveniently opted not to issue reports. Germany continues to investigate, but politically sensitive questions about the responsible party may never be answered.
Posted in accidents, decommissioning, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, pipelines, Regulation | Tagged aban pearl, California, decommissioning, investigation, liftboat, Nord Stream sabotage, OCS incident data, Offshore Wind, pipeline regulation, Platforms Hogan and Houchin, Russell Peterson, turbine blade, Vineyard Wind | Leave a Comment »
Thirty years ago, when industry majors shied away from exploration offshore Israel, Noble Energy (then Samedan) boldly stepped forward and partnered with the Delek Group to explore the Eastern Mediterranean.
Exploration success was accompanied by national security, legal, and regulatory challenges. Nonetheless, Israel’s gas production has grown rapidly and is expected to exceed 3 bcf/day in 2026, which is > current gas production in the Gulf of America.
Chevron is now the main operator in Israel, having purchased Noble’s assets in 2020. The company has taken another major step by signing an MOU with Syrian Petroleum Co. and Qatar-based Power International Holding. The document is not currently accessible online, but appears to be substantive based on press reports.
The agreement focuses on preliminary cooperation for exploring and developing offshore oil and gas resources offshore Syria. It’s noteworthy that the MOU will only remain in effect for two months, after which “formal contracts and operational work are expected to follow.”
Having done some work for Noble Energy in the 2010s, I’m very impressed by the progress that has been made given the geopolitical challenges.
The EIA’s Eastern Mediterranean overview is attached.
Posted in energy policy, Offshore Energy - General | Tagged Chevron, Delek, Eastern Mediterranean, Israel, Leviathan, MOU, natural gas production, Noble Energy, Samadan, Syria | Leave a Comment »
This video reports on the United Oil and Gas geochemical exploration program. At the 3 minute mark, Jamaican Energy Minister Daryl Vaz does a good job of expressing optimism about Jamaica’s prospects while downplaying expectations and warning about uninformed rumors.
More difficult to understand is why the Jamaican govt granted 3 license extensions to a company that doesn’t have the financial strength to drill an exploratory well. Would it not have made more sense for the govt to deal directly with stronger companies that want full ownership, not just a share?
In Jamaica’s defense, there may be good reasons for extending United. However, as reported by the Jamaica Observer, United’s financial condition must be a concern:
“The company is also operating under financial constraints. It currently has no producing assets and remains reliant on equity raises and a successful farm-out to fund future activity, according to its latest annual report. That reality makes low-cost, high-information work programmes particularly important.”
Posted in Jamaica, Offshore Energy - General | Tagged Daryl Vaz, Energy Minister, geochemical survey, Jamaica, license extenstions, piston coring, United Oil and Gas | Leave a Comment »
Jarrod Agen is Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Director, National Energy Dominance Council. A question about Sable Offshore’s Santa Ynez Unit project was raised at a Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) event on “The State of American Energy Dominance.” See the Bloomberg blurb and X post below. The full event video is here.
Posted in California, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General | Tagged FDD, Jarrod Agen, National Energy Dominance Council, Sable Offshore, Santa Ynez Unit, White House | Leave a Comment »
Superhot geothermal is exciting because of the unlimited potential, universal availability, Star Wars drilling technology, and the dynamics of supercritical fluids.
There are still hurdles to clear, and commercial power generation is 5+ years away, but the promise is tantalizing.
Posted in climate, drilling, energy | Tagged gyrotron, millimeter wave drilling, Quaise Energy, Star Wars, supercritical water, superhot geothermal | Leave a Comment »
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 