"U.S. Issues New Rules on Offshore Drilling"

"The Interior Department tightened its rules on offshore oil  and gas operations on Thursday but left in place the moratorium on deepwater drilling that has left oil executives frustrated and Gulf Coast officials fuming.

The new rules — governing well casing and cementing, blowout preventers, safety certification, emergency response and worker training — provide offshore drillers with clarity on the terms under which drilling will resume when the current freeze ends.

The main conditions had already been telegraphed by the department in a safety report issued in May and in two notices to offshore operators handed down in June in response to the blowout of a BP well in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20."

John M. Broder reports for the New York Times September 30, 2010.

SEE ALSO:

"U.S. Adopts Stricter Safety Rules for Offshore Drilling" (Washington Post)

"Interior Dept. Sets New Offshore Drilling Rules" (AP)

"New Offshore Drilling Rules Require Rigs Practice for Spills" (McClatchy)