Risk Management, Financial Assurance, and Loss Prevention-Decommissioning Activities and Obligations

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issues this final rule to clarify and formalize its regulations related to decommissioning responsibilities of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and grant holders to ensure compliance with lease, grant, and regulatory obligations. This rule implements provisions of the proposed rule intended to clarify decommissioning responsibilities of right-of-use and easement (RUE) grant holders and to formalize BSEE's policies regarding performance by predecessors ordered to decommission OCS facilities. This rule withdraws the proposal to amend BSEE's regulations to require BSEE to proceed in reverse chronological order against predecessor lessees, owners of operating rights, and grant holders when requiring such entities to perform their accrued decommissioning obligations if the current lessees, owners, or holders have failed to perform.