The US government has pledged to make it easier to explore Arctic regions in US waters.
The US government has pledged to make it easier to explore Arctic regions in US waters.
The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is to issue an Arctic Exploratory Drilling Proposed Rule to remove ‘unnecessary, burdensome provisions’ while ensuring that energy exploration on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) remains safe and environmentally responsible.
‘As countries like Russia increase their presence in the Arctic – including the use of US technologies to develop their seabed resources, it is increasingly important to ensure that the United States has a strong presence in the Arctic OCS,’ said deputy secretary of the interior Kate MacGregor. ‘The Beaufort and Chukchi Seas have a long legacy of oil and gas development – we believe these proposed revisions will better harness new technological innovation and best science to allow for responsible domestic energy development off the coast of Alaska.’
Executive Order 1375 directed the Department of the Interior to review the 2016 Arctic Exploratory Drilling Rule and to report recommendations. To date, there have been 37 wells completed in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.
The proposed rule leaves 36 out of 65 provisions from the original Arctic Rule unchanged. Ten provisions were identified as appropriate for revision, and 12 provisions were added to maintain safety and environmental protection on the OCS.
