Below is a report summary that was referenced in the Office of the Inspector General, Dept. of the Interior, Semiannual Report to Congress (9/30/2023). The summary does not identify the company that committed the violations.
Failing to identify the responsible company is not in the best interest of the OCS program or the many operators and contractors that are committed to safe operations and compliance with the regulations.
The subject violations were on the Federal OCS and were serious enough to be investigated by the IG. The public has a right to see the full report. (See also the discussion about the failure to release the IG report on the misuse of the decommissioning account for Platforms Hogan and Houchin.)
Presumably, BSEE has issued civil penalties, so we may be able to piece this case together when those penalties have finally been paid.
Summary: Offshore Servicing Company Failed to Conduct Mandated Safety Tests and Submitted False Information to BSEE
Report Date: August 29, 2023 Report Number: 20-0425
The OIG investigated allegations that an offshore oil and gas servicing company bypassed safety valves and falsified mandated safety tests associated with an oil and gas production platform located in the Gulf of Mexico. The safety tests are required by Federal regulations enforced by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to ensure that equipment aboard the platform functions properly and prevents the discharge of hydrocarbons into Federal waters.
We found that the servicing company did not perform the mandated safety tests but submitted documentation to BSEE that falsely represented that the safety tests had been conducted. We also determined that multiple safety valves aboard the offshore platform were bypassed and remained in that condition for at least 59 days but potentially as long as 223 days. We presented our findings to the U.S. Department of Justice, which declined prosecution.
This is a summary of an investigative report we issued to the Director of BSEE for action as deemed appropriate.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 