In the wake of the revisited tests of vessel status by the Supreme Court in Stewart vs. Dutra Construction Company, 543 U.S. 481 (2005) and Lozman v. City of Riviera Beach, Fla., 133 S.Ct. 735 (2013), it remains to be seen whether floating oil and gas production structures, such as SPARS and tension leg platforms (“TLP”),… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Offshore Oil
Subscribe to Offshore Oil RSS FeedJones Act Status Remains Unavailable on SPARS
Posted in Jones Act, Offshore OilJones Act status remains unavailable on SPAR Platforms, a type of deepwater floating oil drilling and production facility used in the offshore petroleum industry. While, as noted in the recent blog by Joseph Devall, Jr., the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) contemplates a further “clarification” of the term “vessel,” the Fifth Circuit has reiterated that, even in light… Continue Reading
BOEM Five Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program Under Attack
Posted in Energy, Offshore OilThe Center for Sustainable Economy, a non-profit public interest consulting firm, filed a lawsuit today against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in an attempt to halt that agency’s first approved five-year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program since the BP oil spill. The Program, which establishes a schedule for 2012-2017… Continue Reading
Supreme Court Extends the Scope of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Landward
Posted in Marine Services, Maritime Contracts, Offshore Oil, Ports & Cargo ShippingThe United States Supreme Court, in Pacific Operators Offshore, LLP v. Valladolid, concluded that the widow of an employee who suffered fatal injuries on shore may still recover LHWCA benefits pursuant to OCSLA if her husband’s death had a “substantial nexus” to his employer’s oil and gas operations on the OCS. This is an unexpected… Continue Reading
Fifth Circuit Focuses on Manning Requirements and Charter Arrangements for Foreign Floating Rigs
Posted in Marine Services, Offshore OilThe U.S. Fifth Circuit, in Brown v. Offshore Specialty Fabricators, Inc., No. 10-40936 (Nov. 23, 2011), recently addressed the confluence of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (“OCSLA”), the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), and “foreign control” exemptions from the OCSLA manning requirements that had been issued… Continue Reading
Coast Guard proposes changes to Inspection of Towing Vessels regulations
Posted in Energy, Maritime Contracts, Offshore Oil, Ports & Cargo ShippingThe U.S. Coast Guard has proposed significant changes to the regulations concerning the Inspection of Towing Vessels and arguably eliminating the class of vessels formerly known as uninspected towing vessels. The Coast Guard has established a deadline of December 9, 2011, to receive public comments, which can be made at the following link: www.regulations.gov and… Continue Reading
Competing Interests Collide Over Proposed New Legislation for Oil and Gas Rigs and Vessels
Posted in Energy, Maritime Contracts, Offshore OilRep. Jeff Landry (R-LA) has added a provision to the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2011, currently under consideration in Congress, which would require the owner/operator of any offshore rig or vessel engaged in drilling, plugging and abandoning or workover operations to maintain a standby rescue vessels within 3 nautical miles. The provision… Continue Reading
New Oil Discoveries in Brazil Spur Demand for Oilfield Services
Posted in Offshore OilAs this article indicates, a veritable “bonanza” is taking place in Brazil as a result of recent offshore oil discoveries by Petrobras: “The result is that every company and group is piling into the country to set up their shopfront to show their wares.” The booming demand for oilfield and related marine and construction services is… Continue Reading