National Programs
BSEE’s six national programs set the Bureau’s policy and performance goals. Implementation of those goals occurs in the field. Daily field operations are managed by regions and districts in accordance with the national policies.
Below are brief overviews of BSEE’s six national programs:
Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs (OORP):
The Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs (OORP) manages rules, standards, and compliance programs governing oil, gas, and mineral operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
The OORP Emerging Technologies Branch (ETB) is charged with the identification, development and incorporation of new or emerging technologies into the BSEE regulatory program. Two major components of this effort are efforts to make sure that Best Available and Safest Technologies (BAST) are employed on OCS facilities and proper Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) are not only in place, but also followed.
The OORP Offshore Safety Improvement Branch is responsible for oversight of the Bureau's programs for inspection, aviation management, data analysis, and systems reliability and supports incident investigations when appropriate.
The OORP Offshore Training Branch (OTB) develops and designs training and professional development opportunities for all BSEE employees.
The OORP Civil Penalties and Enforcement Support Team oversees the BSEE Civil Penalty and Enforcement Program. The goal of the OCS Civil Penalties Program is to assure safe and clean operations on the OCS.
Oil Spill Preparedness Division
The Oil Spill Preparedness Division is responsible for requiring and ensuring that all offshore industry operations located in both state and Federal offshore waters of the U.S. are prepared for the possibility of an oil spill.
The Division’s responsibilities include: (1) reviewing and approving oil spill response plans, (2) funding, conducting, and disseminating oil spill response research, (3) supporting the National Response Team, Regional Response Teams, Area Committees, and the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research, (3) managing Ohmsett – the National Oil Spill Response Research Test Facility, (4) providing subject matter expertise to the federal on-scene coordinator during oil spills from regulated offshore facilities, (5) engaging with the international community to improve oil spill planning, preparedness, and response, (6) conducting government-initiated unannounced exercises to verify response capabilities of spill management teams and oil spill removal organizations, and (7) verifying that spill response equipment and resources intended for spills from offshore facilities are maintained at their optimal performance levels.
Environmental Compliance Division
Environmental stewardship is one of the three major responsibilities of BSEE. The Environmental Compliance Division (ECD) fulfils the Bureau’s mission by monitoring, verifying, improving, and enforcing environmental standards during Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) exploration and production operations. The standards ECD enforces and mandates include adherence to environmental laws and regulations, as well as fulfilment of relevant provisions, stipulations, and conditions placed on OCS leases, plans, and permits.
The specific responsibilities of ECD are: (1) environmental oversight in the Alaska OCS Regional Office (AKOCSR), Pacific OCS Regional Office (POCSR), and the Gulf of Mexico OCS Regional Office (GOMR) , (2) environmental policy, regulation, and program development and implementation, (3) compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regarding the permitting of BSEE’s OCS operations, and the monitoring of these activities, (4) coordination with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and other Federal, State, and local agencies, and (5) public outreach efforts regarding environmental compliance.
Safety and Incidents Investigations Division
When serious incidents occur offshore, the people impacted, and the public in general, expect a rigorous and thorough investigation to occur. BSEE is the agency generally charged with conducting such investigations. National policies regarding investigations related to incidents on the OCS are established by BSEE’s Safety and Incidents Investigations Division (SIID). National policies regarding training for BSEE investigators and the procedures for how investigations must be conducted and documented are all controlled by SIID. In addition, SIID sets the policies regarding how incident information is managed. Finally, the SIID is responsible for monitoring execution and effectiveness of investigation activity.
Safety Enforcement Division
BSEE believes that virtually every injury and fatality that occurs on the OCS is preventable, and that the only acceptable number of injuries and fatalities is zero. BSEE’s Safety Enforcement Division (SED) develops and maintains national compliance and enforcement policy and establishes and maintains procedures and business rules necessary for full implementation of a number of safety programs, initiatives, and requirements, including: (1) staff training requirements, (2) tracking and reporting obligations, (3) setting and revising enforcement priorities, and (4) liaison roles and responsibilities. The SED is also responsible for monitoring the execution and effectiveness of the BSEE’s enforcement activity.
Office of Administration
The Office of Administration assists BSEE and BOEM to meet its mission by sound management of its finance systems and through the provision of effective administrative services. The Office is responsible for the development and implementation of policies and procedures which affect these functions, consistent with guidelines for the Congress, the OMB, and the Department, as well as other appropriate agencies.
Offices under the Office of Administration include:
- Acquisition Management Division
- Equal Employment Opportunity Division
- Finance Division
- Human Resources Division
- Management Support Division
- Technical Services Division
- Data Stewardship Office
- Records Management and Directives Office