Interior beefs up offshore inspections with multiperson teams

The Interior Department’s ocean energy branch is altering its inspection practices by sending multiperson teams to offshore oil-and-gas sites.

“As more inspectors are hired, we will be deploying multi-disciplinary inspection teams instead of individual inspectors, providing broader oversight to ensure that offshore operators are complying with federal regulations and conducting their operations in a safe and environmentally responsible manner,” said Michael Bromwich, head of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), in a statement.

Interior has sought to bolster its inspections in the wake of last year’s BP oil spill as part of a broader plan that also includes tougher safety rules for offshore drillers.

The offshore regulators had 56 Gulf of Mexico inspectors when the Deepwater Horizon rig blew up in April 2010, but the number is now 79 and several more are in the hiring process.

Congress boosted funding for BOEMRE in the recent fiscal 2011 spending bill approved in April of this year, enabling more inspectors.

The new inspection process “will allow teams to inspect multiple operations simultaneously and thoroughly, and enhance the quality of inspections on larger facilities,” according to BOEMRE’s summary.

The bureau is expanding its training program, recently establishing a national training center and developing a formal curriculum.

“An initial introductory course for new inspectors was recently held for 13 new BOEMRE inspectors. In the coming months, 24 additional courses will be developed covering specific areas of offshore inspections,” the bureau said.