This document provides an overview and status of various rulemaking efforts by the Minerals Management Service related to offshore minerals management. It outlines 15 final rules, 7 proposed rules, and their expected publication dates ranging from December 2009 to 3rd quarter 2010. The rules cover topics like leasing and bonding regulations, pipeline regulations, production rates, safety management systems, and decommissioning requirements.

1. Minerals Management Service
Status of Offshore Minerals Management Rules
For OOC and API
November 23, 2009
Rule Overview Status
Final Rule
Rewrite of 30 CFR 256
Leasing and Bonding
Regulations
AD06
The rulemaking will reorganize and streamline the
regulations to better reflect the 5-year and lease sale
processes. The rule also updates the bonding
requirements.
Published on May 27.
Comment period closed
on September 24, 2009.
Expect publish final rule
in 2nd
or 3rd
quarter of
2010.
Final Rule
Subpart J –Pipelines and
Pipeline Rights-Of-Way
AD11
This rulemaking reorganizes the current pipeline
regulations and put the requirements in a plain
language format. Final rule includes provisions
contained in NTL’s and LTL’s and incorporates
several industry standards.
Expect to publish the rule
in March or April 2010.
Final Rule
Subpart K—Oil and Gas
Production Rates
AD12
The final rule revises all of Subpart K. The rule is
written in plain language. It will also eliminate most
restrictions on production rates and clarifies flaring
and venting limits.
Expect to publish the rule
December 2009.
Proposed Rule
Right of Use and Easement
(RUE) changes
AD13
The proposed rule would clarify the bonding
requirements for RUE holders, conditions for
terminating a RUE, and decommissioning
requirements for a RUE.
Expect to publish in 2nd
quarter 2010.
Final Rule
Requirements for Safety
Management Systems
AD15
The final rule will revise regulations to require a
comprehensive safety and environmental
management systems program. The program will
cover all lease activities associated with drilling,
production, pipelines, and construction.
Comment period closed
on September 15. We
are reviewing comments.
Expect to publish final
rule in 2nd
or 3rd
quarter
2010.
Final Rule
Incorporate API Spec 14 A
AD45
The final rule will update a document currently
incorporated by reference and add a new requirement
for the submittal of information concerning safety
valve design and testing used in wells with working
pressures greater than 15,000 psi.
Expect to publish final
rule in December 2009.
Final Rule
Update requirements to
address sustained casing
pressures in producing oil
and gas wells on the OCS
AD47
This rulemaking will revise the regulations for
dealing with sustained casing pressure in oil and gas
wells on the OCS. The rule will incorporate API
Recommended Practice 90 and identify the
information that a lessee must record and submit to
the MMS.
Comment period closed
on September 29, 2009.
Expect to publish final
rule in 1st
or 2nd
quarter
2010.
Proposed Rule
Marine Minerals
AD51
The rule would revise the regulations by adding
definitions currently not present in the regulations,
such as noncompetitive agreement, Federal funding,
lessor, lessee, authorization, and construction.
Plan to publish in 3rd
quarter 2010.

2. Rule Overview Status
Proposed Rule
Incorporated by Reference
New Production
Measurement Documents
AD53
The rule would incorporate 14 API MPMS
documents and 3 American Gas Association
documents into the regulations. The rule also
proposes to incorporate API recommended practices
for design of heliports and use of coil tubing
operations (RP 2l and RP 16ST).
Expect to publish in 1st
quarter 2010.
Final Rule
Update of Revised and
Reaffirmed Documents
Incorporated by Reference
AD54
This final rule will update 17 documents previously
incorporated by reference in regulations by
references recently revised editions. The rule will
also update the regulations by citing the reaffirmed
editions of 16 documents previously incorporated by
reference.
Expect to publish final
rule in December 2009.
Proposed Rule
Hurricane related
requirements for MODU’s
and Floating Production
Facilities
AD56
This rulemaking would require all MODU’s and
floating production facilities to be equipped with
tracking beacons and black boxes which record sea
state, wind, etc., and that specific data would be
submitted appropriately after or during a hurricane or
other environmental event. This rulemaking would
also incorporate the requirements of the past
hurricane NTL’s into the 30 CFR 250 regulations.
Plan to publish in 2nd
or
3rd
quarter 2010.
Proposed Rule
Technical Revisions to 30
CFR 250
AD57
The rule proposes to:
• require a job safety analysis for lifting activities,
• require submittal of a Performance Improvement
Plan for poor performing operators,
• prohibit operators from becoming designated
operators on additional properties while on
probation,
• incorporate the annual performance review into
regulations, and
• clarify safety requirements for completion and
workover operations (2 barrier concept).
Plan to publish in 1st
or
2nd
quarter 2010.
Proposed Rule
Requirements for timely
decommissioning of OCS
wells and platforms and
other Technical
amendments.
AD61
The proposed rule would establish clear timeframes
of when wells must be abandoned and platforms
decommissioned. The rule would also establish
submission requirements for decommissioning and
abandonment plans and establish an expiration
deadline for decommissioning permits.
Plan to publish in 2nd
or
3rd
quarter 2010.
Proposed Rule
Clarify Appeal Procedures
30 CFR Part 290
AD58
The rule would clarify what MMS decisions must go
to through civil suit versus current requirements in 30
CFR 290. This revision follows an appeal of a
decision that should have been made through a civil
action in the appropriate US court of appeals.
Plan to publish in 1st
quarter 2010.
Proposed Rule
Subpart H – Oil and Gas
Production Safety Systems
AD62
The rule proposes to make plain language changes,
reference to several API documents, and incorporate
production safety NTLs. The rule will also clarify
requirements for operating dry tree and wet tree
production systems.
Expect to publish the rule
2nd
quarter 2010.

3. Rule Overview Status
Proposed Rule
Meter and Site Security
Requirements for Gas Plants
The propose rule would address a current gap in the
regulations concerning meter and site security
requirements for gas plants that handle OCS
production.
Expect to publish the rule
2nd
or 3rd
quarter 2010.
Please contact Bill Hauser, Chief, Regulations and Standards Branch, @ william.hauser@mms.gov or
(703) 787-1613.