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BSEE Participates in API Winter Standards Conference

This week Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) participated in the American Petroleum Institute’s Exploration and Production Winter Standards Meeting. Doug Morris, Chief of the Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs, along with Candi Hudson and Joseph Levine were the featured presenters for the technical session. They presented the findings of two Quality Control-Failure Incident Team (QC-FIT) evaluations, which examined failures of Connectors and Bolts and Seal Assembly and Cement Systems. The presentation provided for an open discussion between BSEE and industry members on the reports. Specific opportunities to utilize standards to improve safety were also discussed.

A QC-FIT evaluation serves as a technical review following an offshore incident. The Connector and Bolt review followed the failure of connectors and bolts used in critical equipment offshore, and the Seal Assembly and Cement review occurred after an underground loss of well control resulted in gas flow into a shallow sand reservoir. In his review of the Seal Assembly and Cement evaluation, BSEE Director Brian Salerno identified the API Winter Standards meeting as a forum to discuss ways to incorporate new standards related to the integrity of dual barrier systems.

More information on the Connectors and Bolts evaluation can be found here.

More information on the Seal Assembly and Cement evaluation can be found here.​

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