30 CFR part 250, subpart O

Subpart O—Well Control and Production Safety Training

Source:   65 FR 49490, Aug. 14, 2000, unless otherwise noted.

§ 250.1500   Definitions.

Terms used in this subpart have the following meaning:

Employee means direct employees of the lessees who are assigned well control or production safety duties.

I or you means the lessee engaged in oil, gas, or sulphur operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

Lessee means a person who has entered into a lease with the United States to explore for, develop, and produce the leased minerals. The term lessee also includes an owner of operating rights for that lease and the MMS-approved assignee of that lease.

Production safety means production operations as well as the installation, repair, testing, maintenance, or operation of surface or subsurface safety devices.

Well control means drilling, well completion, well workover, and well servicing operations. For purposes of this subpart, well completion/well workover means those operations following the drilling of a well that are intended to establish or restore production to a well. It includes small tubing operations but does not include well servicing. Well servicing means snubbing, coil tubing, and wireline operations.

§ 250.1501   What is the goal of my training program?

The goal of your training program must be safe and clean OCS operations. To accomplish this, you must ensure that your employees and contract personnel engaged in well control or production safety operations understand and can properly perform their duties.

§ 250.1503   What are my general responsibilities for training?

(a) You must establish and implement a training program so that all of your employees are trained to competently perform their assigned well control and production safety duties. You must verify that your employees understand and can perform the assigned well control or production safety duties.

(b) You must have a training plan that specifies the type, method(s), length, frequency, and content of the training for your employees. Your training plan must specify the method(s) of verifying employee understanding and performance. This plan must include at least the following information:

(1) Procedures for training employees in well control or production safety practices;

(2) Procedures for evaluating the training programs of your contractors;

(3) Procedures for verifying that all employees and contractor personnel engaged in well control or production safety operations can perform their assigned duties;

(4) Procedures for assessing the training needs of your employees on a periodic basis;

(5) Recordkeeping and documentation procedures; and

(6) Internal audit procedures.

(c) Upon request of the District Manager or Regional Supervisor, you must provide:

(1) Copies of training documentation for personnel involved in well control or production safety operations during the past 5 years; and

(2) A copy of your training plan.

§ 250.1504   May I use alternative training methods?

You may use alternative training methods. These methods may include computer-based learning, films, or their equivalents. This training should be reinforced by appropriate demonstrations and “hands-on” training. Alternative training methods must be conducted according to, and meet the objectives of, your training plan.

§ 250.1505   Where may I get training for my employees?

You may get training from any source that meets the requirements of your training plan.

§ 250.1506   How often must I train my employees?

You determine the frequency of the training you provide your employees. You must do all of the following:

(a) Provide periodic training to ensure that employees maintain understanding of, and competency in, well control or production safety practices;

(b) Establish procedures to verify adequate retention of the knowledge and skills that employees need to perform their assigned well control or production safety duties; and

(c) Ensure that your contractors' training programs provide for periodic training and verification of well control or production safety knowledge and skills.

§ 250.1507   How will MMS measure training results?

MMS may periodically assess your training program, using one or more of the methods in this section.

(a) Training system audit. MMS or its authorized representative may conduct a training system audit at your office. The training system audit will compare your training program against this subpart. You must be prepared to explain your overall training program and produce evidence to support your explanation.

(b) Employee or contract personnel interviews. MMS or its authorized representative may conduct interviews at either onshore or offshore locations to inquire about the types of training that were provided, when and where this training was conducted, and how effective the training was.

(c) Employee or contract personnel testing. MMS or its authorized representative may conduct testing at either onshore or offshore locations for the purpose of evaluating an individual's knowledge and skills in perfecting well control and production safety duties.

(d) Hands-on production safety, simulator, or live well testing. MMS or its authorized representative may conduct tests at either onshore or offshore locations. Tests will be designed to evaluate the competency of your employees or contract personnel in performing their assigned well control and production safety duties. You are responsible for the costs associated with this testing, excluding salary and travel costs for MMS personnel.

§ 250.1508   What must I do when MMS administers written or oral tests?

MMS or its authorized representative may test your employees or contract personnel at your worksite or at an onshore location. You and your contractors must:

(a) Allow MMS or its authorized representative to administer written or oral tests; and

(b) Identify personnel by current position, years of experience in present position, years of total oil field experience, and employer's name (e.g., operator, contractor, or sub-contractor company name).

§ 250.1509   What must I do when MMS administers or requires hands-on, simulator, or other types of testing?

If MMS or its authorized representative conducts, or requires you or your contractor to conduct hands-on, simulator, or other types of testing, you must:

(a) Allow MMS or its authorized representative to administer or witness the testing;

(b) Identify personnel by current position, years of experience in present position, years of total oil field experience, and employer's name (e.g., operator, contractor, or sub-contractor company name); and

(c) Pay for all costs associated with the testing, excluding salary and travel costs for MMS personnel.

§ 250.1510   What will MMS do if my training program does not comply with this subpart?

If MMS determines that your training program is not in compliance, we may initiate one or more of the following enforcement actions:

(a) Issue an Incident of Noncompliance (INC);

(b) Require you to revise and submit to MMS your training plan to address identified deficiencies;

(c) Assess civil/criminal penalties; or

(d) Initiate disqualification procedures.