Objective. Periodically recognize OCS lessees that are outstanding in the areas of offshore operating performance and fiscal responsibility.

Qualifications. An MMS SOAR recipient must be judged by MMS to be among the best OCS "citizens." The determination of who is the best is based on two primary considerations – operational safety and financial reporting.

Operational Safety. Must be among the top 10 OCS lessees according to the MMS Safety Ranking formula. The safety ranking formula considers data on Incidents of Noncompliance and accidents attributed to the lessee during a calendar year.

Financial Reporting. Must be among the 10 best-performing OCS lessees in terms of royalty reporting and production reporting during a calendar year. The method used to identify the top performers is similar to the method used to identify the MMS Stewardship Award candidates.

Selection process. During February, Offshore provides Minerals Revenue Management (MRM) with it's list of the 10 safest offshore operators based on data covering the previous calendar year. MRM compares the safety ranking list with its list of Stewardship Award candidates for the same time period. MRM identifies matches between Offshore's 10 best and MRM's 10 best. The SOAR Award Selection Committee confers to identify the best potential SOAR Award finalists from among the Offshore/MRM matches. The Committee selects the SOAR winner from among the finalists based on relative raking in the offshore performance and fiscal responsibility categories, and other factors.

Presentation venue and format. The SOAR award is presented during April at a Houston area conference facility. Houston is the corporate center of OCS operators, and it is home to an MRM Compliance Division office. The award presentation is a highlight of an MMS-sponsored industry awards program and luncheon. Offshore has lead responsibility for event planning and logistics. The award is presented by the Director during the luncheon. Offshore's Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE) and the MMS Corporate Leadership Award are also presented at that time.