Offshore workers and operators know that Brian Salerno, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, encourages better safety. His organization has taken action to enforce proper safety efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, and he recently appeared at a conference in Houston, TX, to address the issues behind risky operator behavior.
According to Fuel Fix, Salerno encouraged companies to share data with each other to create a safer industry. He also urged businesses to become more responsible, even as the BSEE develops more regulations to address safety risks.
"The intent is to move beyond individual company's self-analysis and go to an industry-wide level of analysis," Salerno said. "As government agencies, we should strive for the same information sharing culture we advocate." The source said that some of the new rules include a call for more accurate drilling data.
"Salerno encouraged participants to share data with each other for a safer industry. "
This echoes some of the BSEE's other interest in collaborating with various agencies. While Salerno made his appearance, Doug Morris, the agency's chief of offshore regulatory programs, reportedly gave a joint discussion with a representative of a similar body within the Mexican government.
The collaboration between these two entities builds off of a letter of intent, signed last October, which listed several areas in which the agencies could work together.
As the BSEE's statement on this event noted, these include conducting joint research, training staff and exchanging information. The letter also left the possibility open for the two partners to create new terms in the future.
Offshore oil and gas projects can come under increased scrutiny. With new regulations on the horizon, operators may need to work with a new insurer to increase their existing level of safety.