As we mark the one-year anniversary of the Macondo oil well spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it is important that we remember the 11 workers who died in that accident, their families and the communities along the Gulf coast that were most affected by this incident. They remind us that, in our efforts to continuously improve safety in our operations, there can be no let-up. And just as we should not lose sight of what happened that day, we should not minimize our industry's unprecedented response to the accident. And we should remain mindful of our industry's strong safety record, as exemplified by the fact that, before the spill, more than 42,000 offshore wells were drilled safely in the Gulf of Mexico over a span of 60 years.

Our commitment to safety has been the guiding force of our operatio... more »

With more than 60-years operating in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil and natural gas industry has a strong safety record, drilling more than 42,000 wells. Thirty percent of U.S. oil production and 13 percent of natural gas production comes from the Gulf, and these resources are a vital part of our energy security.

Moving forward, our industry can do more--and most important--it can develop the U.S. oil and natural gas resources our nation requires safely and reliably.

Last week, after extensive review and development, API announced the creation of an industry-wide Center for Offshore Safety. The Center will promote the highest level of safety for offshore operations, drawing on lessons learned to accommodate unique industry challenges, and relying on independent auditing and review by third-pa... more »

The Interior Department isn't off the legal hook yet. Although it finally issued one deepwater drilling permit this week after months of delays, U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman has ordered it to act on two more permit applications, raising the total number to seven.

In a ruling last month, Judge Feldman gave the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEMRE) 30 days to take action on five deepwater applications. Yesterday he said two additional applications from Houston-based ATP Oil & Gas Corp. were included in his order.

API President and CEO Jack Gerard called the approval of the first application "welcome news," but warned that the slow pace of permitting could be dangerous to U.S. energy security and the economy:

"[T]ightening the screws on domestic oil and natural production du... more »

The administration announced today that 13 oil and natural gas companies can resume deepwater drilling activities in the Gulf of Mexico without submitting revised exploration or development plans for supplemental environmental reviews.

In a statement, Michael Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), said he is "taking into account the special circumstances of those companies whose operations were interrupted by the moratorium and ensuring that they are able to resume previously-approved activities." The statement added that the companies will have to comply with new regulations and information requirements imposed after the Deepwater Horizon tragedy.

Although this is probably welcome news for the 13 companies, Bromwich's announcement... more »

API President and CEO Jack Gerard yesterday sent a letter to Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar, providing the industry's thoughts and concerns about the proposed Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI). This new entity, as proposed by the government, would provide a forum for a collaborative government-industry research initiative aimed at improving the safety of U.S. offshore energy development.

In his letter, Jack reiterated the oil and natural gas industry's commitment to improving safety and told the Secretary that API has formed a task force to provide the government with feedback on the OESI proposal. First and foremost, Jack wrote in support of "a collaborative approach" to research and development (R&D) in offshore deepwater drilling safety, containment and oil spill response... more »