BLM, BSEE increase oil and gas penalties to adjust for inflation

The US Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement separately increased penalties for oil and gas operators to adjust for inflation. BLM’s interim final rule more than doubles fines for not taking corrective action and for major violations. BSEE’s interim final rule increases the maximum daily civil fine by $2,017 to $42,017.

Nick Snow

June 27, 2016

Both US Department of the Interior agencies acted to comply with the 2015 Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Improvements Act. BSEE also made its adjustment for inflation under the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The changes are effective 30 days after the notices appear in the Federal Register on June 28. Comments will be accepted for 60 days following the publications.

Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].

About the Author

Nick Snow

NICK SNOW covered oil and gas in Washington for more than 30 years. He worked in several capacities for The Oil Daily and was founding editor of Petroleum Finance Week before joining OGJ as its Washington correspondent in September 2005 and becoming its full-time Washington editor in October 2007. He retired from OGJ in January 2020.