C.F.R. » Title 30 » CHAPTER V—BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR › SUBCHAPTER B—OFFSHORE › PART 550—OIL AND GAS AND SULFUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF › Subpart A—General

30 C.F.R. § 550.101

Authority and applicability

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The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) authorized the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to regulate oil, gas, and sulfur exploration, development, and production operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Under the Secretary's authority, the BOEM Director requires that all operations:

(a) Be conducted according to the OCS Lands Act (OCSLA), the regulations in this part, BOEM orders, the lease or right-of-way, and other applicable laws, regulations, and amendments; and

(b) Conform to sound conservation practice to preserve, protect, and develop mineral resources of the OCS to:

(1) Make resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs;

(2) Balance orderly energy resource development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments;

(3) Ensure the public receives a fair and equitable return on the resources of the OCS;

(4) Preserve and maintain free enterprise competition; and

(5) Minimize or eliminate conflicts between the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas and the recovery of other resources.

[76 FR 64623, Oct. 18, 2011, as amended at 89 FR 31585, Apr. 24, 2024]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 2012–2025 · leading case: Defenders of Wildlife v. Bureau of Ocean Energy Mgmt., 684 F.3d 1242 (11th Cir. 2012).
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Defenders of Wildlife v. Bureau of Ocean Energy Mgmt., 684 F.3d 1242 (11th Cir. 2012). “30 C.F.R. § 550.101 . OCSLA uses a four-stage process for oil and gas development, with review at each stage: (1) preparation of a leasing program; (2) lease sales; (3) exploration by the lessees; and (4) development and production.”
Sierra Club v. Nat'l Marine Fisheries Serv., No. 8:20-cv-03060 (D. Md. May 24, 2021). “30 C.F.R. § 550.101 . Section 7 of the ESA applies to federal gas an oil leases extended pursuant to OCSLA.”
Sierra Club v. Nat'l Marine Fisheries Serv., No. 8:20-cv-03060 (D. Md. Jan. 9, 2024). “30 C.F.R. § 550.101 ; ECF 65-2, ¶ 35. In addition, Section 7 of the ESA applies to federal gas and oil leases extended pursuant to OCSLA.”
Cook Inletkeeper v. U.S. Dep't of the Interior, No. 3:22-cv-00279 (D. Alaska July 16, 2024). “101 (“The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) authorized the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to regulate oil, gas, and sulfur exploration, development, and production operations on the Outer of whether BOEM considered a reasonable range of alternatives based on this…”
Sierra Club, Ctr. for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, Turtle Island Restoration Network, & Nat. Resources Def. Council v. Nat'l Marine Fisheries Serv., et al., No. 8:25-cv-01627 (D. Md. Dec. 22, 2025). “¶ 38; see 30 C.F.R. § 550.101 . Another agency within Interior, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, is “responsible for enforcing safety and environmental standards for offshore oil and gas activities and approving some activities.”
Defenders of Wildlife v. Bureau of Ocean Energy Mgmt., No. 11-12598 (11th Cir. June 22, 2012). “30 C.F.R. § 550.101 . OCSLA uses a four-stage process for oil and gas development, with review at each stage: (1) preparation of a leasing program; (2) lease sales; (3) exploration by the lessees; and (4) development and production.”
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