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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Updates

safety_response_130Wx75H America’s thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. An enormous effort is currently underway to contain and resolve the spill. Safety is a core value of the oil and natural gas industry. We follow and constantly improve best practices for safe offshore operations, including training, operational procedures, regulations,industry standards and technology. We remain committed to continually improving our strong safety record, and we take seriously our role in finding and producing energy for American consumers.
API has developed a Q&A on Transocean Deepwater Horizon Incident, Oil Spill and Subsequent Issues that addresses some of the news reports and questions about the incident.  It also discusses industry standards and best practice documents that contain guidance and recommendations to address safety concerns.
Here are some other resources that provide more information on the Deepwater Horizon response, the industry's dedication to environmental protection and API Safety Standards.
Spill Information and Updates
Energy Tomorrow Blog - The Truth about Hydraulic Fracturing (June 25, 2010)
A federal judge in New Orleans today lifted the ban on deepwater drilling. In a 22-page ruling, Judge Martin Feldman wrote: "The blanket moratorium, with no parameters, seems to assume that because one rig failed and although no one yet fully knows why, all companies and rigs drilling new wells over 500 feet also universally present an imminent danger."
State Specific Sites
API Safety Standards and Programs  
The oil and natural gas industry continually strives to build upon its record of safety and to develop the advanced technology and operations necessary to supply Americans with the energy they need – safely, efficiently and with the lightest environmental footprint possible. For more information, please visit API’s Spill Prevention and Response website, which discusses the oil and natural gas industry’s safety measures, responsibilities and technology in greater detail. 
Safety is a core value of the oil and natural gas industry. We have a strong safety performance record, and we continue to improve upon it. According to data from the Mineral Management Service (MMS), the overall safety and environmental performance on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has shown steady improvement over the past decade. In fact, for combined operations on the OCS, the recordable lost workday incident rates fell from 3.39 percent in 1996 to 0.64 percent in 2008 – a reduction of more than 80 percent.
The industry follows and constantly improves best practices for safe offshore operations, including training, operational procedures, regulations, industry standards and technology. It also works closely with local, state and federal regulators – including the U.S. Coast Guard and MMS – to ensure a strong focus on safety. Stringent regulatory oversight helps maintain environmental performance, and offshore operators are required to obtain 17 major federal permits and comply with 90 sets of federal and state regulations to operate on OCS. Furthermore, MMS and the U.S. Coast Guard conduct thousands of offshore facility inspections each year.
Additionally, offshore operators and contractors have comprehensive management programs that assess safety and environmental hazards system-wide and establish procedures, work practices, training programs and equipment requirements, including monitoring and maintenance rules, for continuous improvement.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has also produced more than 45 standards related to offshore operations and practices that help protect workers and the environment, including recommended practices for blowout prevention systems and well control operations. Both MMS and the U.S. Coast Guard often incorporate industry standards into their regulations, giving them the force of law, and the standards and recommended practices are regularly reviewed and updated.
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