Office of International Programs (OIP)

    Both BOEM and BSEE take an active approach to identify and to become involved in international cooperation that is mutually beneficial and serves to promote better integration of safety and environmental concerns into offshore resource and development decision-making. To do this we focus on:

    • oil and gas and renewable resource management;
    • monitoring, developing, and refining safety and environmental standards;
    • technical and information exchanges with our international regulatory counterparts; and
    • providing technical advice to the U.S. Department of State, other relevant U.S. agencies and other developing countries.

    International Activities Map

    Current Cooperation

    Australia
    Brazil
    Canada
    Guyana
    India
    Iraq
    Liberia
    Mexico
    Norway
    Papua New Guinea (PNG)
    Seychelles
    Sierra Leone
    Suriname
    Uganda

    Past Cooperation

    Afghanistan
    China
    Country Georgia
    Indonesia
    Kazakhstan
    Russia
    Sri Lanka
    Thailand 
    Turkmenistan    		 The Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative (EGCI) is a U.S. Department of State-led, U.S. inter-agency effort to provide a wide range of technical and capacity building assistance to the host governments of select countries that are on the verge of becoming the world’s next generation of oil and gas producers. The countries receiving EGCI assistance have world class hydrocarbon resource potential and expect to receive sizable, near-term financial windfalls from the development of their oil and gas resources. EGCI’s core objective is to help these countries establish the capacity to manage their oil and gas sector revenues wisely and in a manner that maximizes the value of the resource development for the government. Although EGCI’s goals are country-specific in nature, the program broadly tries to ensure sound and transparent energy sector governance for the benefit of national economic development. EGCI also supports a broad range of U.S. foreign policy objectives, including ensuring the security of global oil and gas supplies, supporting clean energy goals by maximizing the efficiency of oil and gas resource development, furthering political and economic stability in developing countries, promoting democracy and human rights, and combating corruption.

    International Committee on Regulatory Authority Research and Development (ICRARD) The offshore oil and gas industry is an international organization. Major companies operate in many countries, and in each, certain organizations assess and ensure the use of sound technological developments. ICRARD's purpose is to coordinate research activities, to exchange information, and to promote research cooperation between these organizations. The ICRARD is open for membership to any country interested. Links to member countries may be found on the ICRARD website: www.icrard.org

    International Regulators Forum (IRF) is comprised of regulatory agencies with responsibilities for offshore facility safety. The first meeting was held in Houston in 1994, and annual meetings have been held subsequently. Currently, representatives from the U.S., the U.K., Brazil, Norway, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico participate in the IRF. Participants share information on technological advances, safety issues, accident investigations, regulatory policies, international standards and conventions, performance measurement, and research. Members may also exchange personnel, and establish reciprocal agreements.