The Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposed revising the 2016 rule that governs exploratory drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf. The bureaus said the changes are meant to cut regulatory burdens on companies operating in the Arctic while keeping exploration there safe and environmentally sound.
The proposal would:
- Modify existing requirements for real-time monitoring of blowout preventers, the stack of valves that seals a well to stop an uncontrolled release, on the Arctic OCS.
- Add new BSEE provisions covering crane operations on artificial islands and suspensions of operations and production.
- Revise parts of BOEM's Exploration Plan and Development and Production Plan regulations.
The requirements being revised come from the 2016 Arctic Exploratory Drilling Rule, published at 81 FR 46478.
The bureaus will take public comments on the proposed rule, filed under docket BSEE-2026-0133 and Regulation Identifier Number 1082-AA05, through October 5, 2026. Separately, comments on the rule's information collection burden are due to the Office of Management and Budget by September 8, 2026.
