When BSEE dropped their new offshore drilling rulebook on October 29, subsea engineers knew they’d be pulling extra shifts. The regs zero in on the scary stuff – anything pushing past 15,000 PSI or cooking at 350°F (177°C). After watching wellheads and BOPs strain at these pressures, the feds aren’t taking chances. Out in the Gulf, Chevron and TotalEnergies are already dancing with 20,000 PSI at their Anchor field, drilling down to a mind-bending 34,000 feet (10,363 m). But BSEE’s not sugar-coating it: “Historically, most oilfield equipment has not been designed to withstand such high pressures and temperatures,” their final … Continue reading BSEE Tightens Safety Rules as Chevron and TotalEnergies Push High-Pressure Drilling in Gulf of Mexico to 20,000 PSI