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]