The BSEE has announced funding to help decommission orphaned offshore infrastructure

The funding will specifically support BSEE decommissioning service contracts in the Matagorda Island lease area in the Gulf of Mexico. The funds are part of a nearly US$64 million commitment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to address orphaned oil and gas wells on public lands announced by the Department of the Interior.

Director Kevin Sligh commented: “The funding announced today under the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is critical for helping BSEE leverage available funds to tackle the backlog of decommissioning orphaned infrastructure offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. If not properly decommissioned, offshore oil and gas infrastructure can become safety hazards, cause environmental harm, or interfere with navigation, fishing, or other uses of the Outer Continental Shelf.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering the largest investment in tackling legacy pollution in American history, including through a US$4.7 billion investment to plug orphaned oil and gas wells.

BSEE plans to award contracts to address nine orphan wells and associated pipelines and platforms in the Matagorda Island lease area, approximately 12 miles off the Texas coast. The initial contract will address the most immediate and urgent needs to reduce the risk of safety incidents and pollution in preparation for well-plugging operations.

An important part of BSEE’s responsibilities is to ensure that infrastructure used in exploration, development, and production activities undertaken according to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is properly decommissioned to provide the long-term protection of the resource and the surrounding environment.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/offshore-and-subsea/09062023/the-bsee-has-announced-funding-to-help-decommission-orphaned-offshore-infrastructure/