C.F.R. » Title 30 » CHAPTER II—BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR › SUBCHAPTER B—OFFSHORE › PART 250—OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF › Subpart Q—Decommissioning Activities

30 C.F.R. § 250.1700

What do the terms “decommissioning,” “obstructions,” “facility,” and “predecessor” mean in this subpart?

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(a) Decommissioning means:

(1) Ending oil, gas, or sulphur operations; and

(2) Returning the lease, pipeline right-of-way, or the area of a right-of-use and easement to a condition that meets the requirements of BSEE and other agencies that have jurisdiction over decommissioning activities.

(b) Obstructions mean structures, equipment, or objects that were used in oil, gas, or sulphur operations or marine growth that, if left in place, would hinder other users of the OCS. Obstructions may include, but are not limited to, shell mounds, wellheads, casing stubs, mud line suspensions, well protection devices, subsea trees, jumper assemblies, umbilicals, manifolds, termination skids, production and pipeline risers, platforms, templates, pilings, pipelines, pipeline valves, and power cables.

(c) Facility means any installation other than a pipeline used for oil, gas, or sulphur activities that is permanently or temporarily attached to the seabed on the OCS. Facilities include production and pipeline risers, templates, pilings, and any other facility or equipment that constitutes an obstruction such as jumper assemblies, termination skids, umbilicals, anchors, and mooring lines.

(d) Predecessor means a prior lessee or owner of operating rights, or a prior holder of a right-of-use and easement grant or a pipeline right-of-way grant, that is liable for accrued obligations on that lease or grant.

[76 FR 64462, Oct. 18, 2011, as amended at 88 FR 23579, Apr. 18, 2023]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2012–2022 · leading case: Taylor Energy Co. LLC v. United States, 975 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2020).
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Taylor Energy Co. LLC v. United States, 975 F.3d 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2020). “It relied on BSEE’s explanation that the regulations govern- ing a lessee’s decommissioning obligations, 30 C.F.R. § 250.1700 et seq., operate independently from any lease agreement and impose an independent obligation on Noble to permanently plug the well.”
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. EPA, 45 F.4th 380 (D.C. Cir. 2022). “See 30 C.F.R. § 250.1700 (a). Given the size of oil platforms and the scale of their operations, decommissioning proceeds in several stages and can take years to complete.”
Palm Energy Grp., LLC v. Greenwich Ins. (In re Tri-Union Dev. Corp.), 479 B.R. 425 (Bankr. S.D. Tex. 2012). “; 30 C.F.R. § 250.1700 et seq. (Subpart Q) (regulating decommissioning activities).”
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