Offshore Safety and Technology Standards

Delivering offshore energy to the American people is safer than ever as a result of industry's leadership and continuous investments in safety, as evident in API's robust slate of offshore standards, the Center for Offshore Safety, the Marine Well Containment Company and HWCG, and an enhanced regulatory regime. Extensive resources have been devoted to safety, drawing on the best minds from the industry and government to build a multi-layer system, with many built-in redundancies to help prevent incidents, to intervene and stop a release that might occur, and to manage and clean up spills.

There are 3 critical aspects to this network of safety for offshore operations:

1. Prevention, through industry standards, the promotion of robust safety and environmental management systems through the creation of the Center for Offshore Safety
2. New, innovative well containment and intervention capabilities
3. Improved planning and resources for oil spill response

Through API, the oil and natural gas industry is focused on prevention-oriented reforms, including new guidance on deepwater well design and installation, maintaining multiple barriers during well construction to mitigate any loss of well control, cementing to prevent and control flows, and operator and contractor interface.