Back to work in the Gulf of Mexico

We expect to invest at least $4 billion a year in oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico over the next 10 years, focusing on deepwater exploration and development

2012 was a year of growth for BP with seven BP-operated rigs in place in the Gulf of Mexico by the end of the year, compared to five in 2011. Since the end of the year-long moratorium imposed in 2010, BP has received government permits for drilling and well work, and has begun work on more than 20 wells.

We have completed several major projects to deliver new production and enhance the integrity of our operations. For example, we began production from our Galapagos development and saw major maintenance activity carried out safely at our Mad Dog and Atlantis platforms.

Temporary suspension and mandatory debarment

BP directly employs more than 2,300 people in the Gulf of Mexico business and supports tens of thousands of additional jobs in the region

Safety and response capabilities

BP’s internal investigation into the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident led to 26 recommendations for reducing risk in BP's drilling operations. We have made significant progress in implementing these recommendations, including in our Gulf of Mexico operations.

Following our agreement with the US government in November 2012 to resolve all federal criminal claims, we have agreed to take additional actions designed to further enhance the safety of drilling operations in the Gulf.

Line management has ultimate responsibility for managing operational risk. To support and assure the efforts of line management, we have a team dedicated to safety and operational risk activities in our Gulf of Mexico business. These staff members are accountable to the head of BP’s safety and operational risk function, who reports directly to the group chief executive.

BP joined the Marine Well Containment Company and in 2011 transferred equipment and expertise developed during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response to this group to help industry meet regulatory requirements for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, we are advancing our capability to respond to potential incidents and work with our industry to further enhance access to equipment and technologies around the world. BP’s global deepwater well-capping and tooling package is stored in Houston and can be deployed in a matter of days to anywhere in the world in the event of a deepwater well blowout.

Since July 2011 we have implemented voluntary drilling standards in the Gulf of Mexico that exceed existing regulatory requirements in the US and strengthen our oversight of contractors.

Enhanced monitoring of drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico

We have a state-of-the-art facility in Houston that displays live well information about our operated rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Operating 24/7, experts at the facility provide an additional level of assurance to their colleagues located at each offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Working with others

We are participating in collaborative industry efforts in the US and globally and have conducted more than 200 briefings and presentations in 27 countries over the past two years to share lessons from the Deepwater Horizon response. In May 2012, we hosted a workshop in Houston to share our experience of simultaneous marine operations and remotely operated vehicles.

Attestation

The information on this page forms part of the information reviewed and reported on by Ernst & Young as part of BP's 2012 sustainability reporting.

View Ernst & Young's assurance statement

External site

RestoreTheGulf.gov

An official website of the United States government