April 2000 Vol. 221 No. 4  Offshore

Robert E. Snyder,  Editor

Election-year distractions; offshore medical guidelines

Three days a week, The Associated Press picked an issue and asked U.S. presidential candidates a question about it. On March 3, the question involved offshore drilling. AP asked: Should companies that together spent over $1 billion to secure oil leases off the California coast be allowed to drill on them, or should an existing moratorium be expanded to ban drilling in those waters?

Candidates Bill Bradley and John McCain gave answers, but they are not too relevant now. Here’s how the two remaining Democratic and Republican candidates responded.

Al Gore: "Protecting our precious coastal areas is critical to maintaining a clean environment. I support the existing moratorium on granting new leases to drill oil off the coasts of California and Florida. As president, I will go even further to protect our oceans and coastal waters from offshore oil drilling, doing everything in my power to ban new drilling off these sensitive coasts – even in areas already leased for drilling by previous administrations."

George W. Bush: "I support the current moratorium banning any new leases for drilling off the coast of California. As governor of Texas, I understand the importance of listening to state concerns. I’ll work with California state leaders and the local communities to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether the drilling ought to go forward on the leases in place right now."

From his answers, there’s not much doubt about what we could expect from a President Gore on offshore drilling.

Federal action on hold this year. And we can’t expect much action on federal regulations, good or bad, this year, as the 2000 elections will severely limit any legislative decision making. That’s what the Senate and House energy committee staff told the National Ocean Industries Association during NOIA’s Legislative Strategy Group meeting on February 11.

For the House, its Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee will begin the year with a hearing on the Department of Interior’s fiscal-year-2001 budget proposal, which includes MMS’s budget requests. The subcommittee will pay particular attention to portions of the Administration’s request regarding land-use issues. And the House leadership will likely be reluctant to include any "riders" on this year’s appropriations bills.

The legislative director for Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-Louisiana) updated plans to move H.R. 701, the Conservation and Reinvestment Act, through the House. While the bill enjoys bipartisan support, its biggest challenge is said to have come from environmental groups who claim that it would "provide incentives to OCS activity."

In the Senate, natural gas supply / deliverability remains a top priority for Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), who plans to hold a second hearing this session to focus on findings of the recent National Petroleum Council (NPC) natural gas study.

Mary Katherine Ishee, who works for Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico), the ranking minority member on the Senate Energy Committee, offered some views from the "other side of the aisle." On the Conservation and Reinvestment Act, Ishee noted that similar arguments are impeding committee action on S.25. She said discussions between bill sponsors, committee leadership and those opposing the bill continue, and that a resolution is expected.

Bingaman is, reportedly, also very interested in the NPC report and examining what committee actions may be appropriate and possible during the year to address NPC’s findings.

Medical guidelines for working offshore. Revised guidelines setting out health / fitness requirements for working offshore in the oil / gas industry have been published by the UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA). The guidelines were drawn up to provide guidance for doctors carrying out medical assessments of offshore workers to determine whether they have the required physical / mental attributes for work on an offshore installation – they replace guidelines published in 1998.

"No other workplace can compare with the offshore environment," says Dr. John Wils, UKOOA’s Director of Operational and Technical Affairs. "The remoteness and potential isolation, storms and ocean swells, the sheer size of the installations with their numerous stairways, ladders and over-sea walkways, even the modes of transport to and from the workplace, all require a certain degree of alertness, physical mobility, coordination and stamina."

UKOOA’s policy is to require all persons designated as offshore employees to be examined on a regular basis and classified as medically fit. Every person must have a medical assessment at least every three years, depending on age. These are carried out by one of over 350 doctors recommended by the UKOOA Health Advisory Committee.

The revised guidelines set standards of good practice for conduct / content of medical assessments and provide a comprehensive list of medical conditions which may affect fitness for offshore work. The guidelines were drawn up in consultation with, and endorsed by, the Inter-Union Offshore Oil Committee (IUOOC).

"Guidelines for medical aspects of fitness for offshore work," Issue No. 4, January 2000, is available from UKOOA, Tel: 44 0171 802 2422/2400. Email: info@ukooa.co.uk. Website: www.oilandgas.org.uk.

DeepStar technology-study contract. Mentor Subsea Technology Services, a unit of J. Ray McDermott, has been awarded a contract by the DeepStar consortium to identify and study key gaps in deepwater technology. Mentor will work with representatives from the oil and gas companies participating in DeepStar to address problems associated with possible 60-mile subsea tiebacks in 10,000-ft water. Deepwater technology gaps will be identified by the team and prioritized based on value, risk and reward potentials. The study will take about four months. This team will also assist DeepStar in prioritizing its Phase V work tasks.

The DeepStar consortium identifies and develops economically viable, low-risk methods to produce hydrocarbons from deepwater tracts, primarily in the U.S. Gulf. The group is cooperating with the vendor community to develop the technology to address various commercial and technical challenges. A special report updating DeepStar’s activities and its Phase V work will be presented in World Oil next month.