FOR RELEASE:  April 26, 1995                  CONTACT: Lee Scurry
                                                   (202) 208-3983

               $500,000 AWARDED FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF MMS'
               SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM


     An initiative of the U.S. Department of the Interior's
Minerals Management Service (MMS) got a boost from the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) today with the announcement that DOE
has awarded $500,000 to Taylor Energy of New Orleans, LA to
document procedures and costs associated with developing and
implementing a Safety and Environmental Management Plan (SEMP).

     "The SEMP program is intended to reduce the risk and
occurence of accidents, injuries, and pollution from offshore
operations by incorporating safety management practices into
facility activities and business practices," said MMS Director
Cynthia Quarterman.  "Additionally, implementing SEMP as a
voluntary standard, developed by industry, is a much favorable
alternative to federal regulations."

     DOE funded the contract to support SEMP, which is consistent
with the Domestic Natural Gas and Oil Initiative objectives to
streamline and improve environmental regulations.  Taylor Energy
will develop their SEMP plan over the next 30 months.  The effort
will conclude with a workshop jointly sponsored by DOE and MMS
that will highlight the findings.  

     MMS introduced the SEMP program and requested public
comments in a Federal Register notice published on July 2, 1991. 
In response, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Offshore
Operators Committee (OCC), with MMS participation, developed
Recommended Practices for Development of a Safety and
Environmental Management Program for Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) Operations and Facilities, known as RP 75.  RP 75 addresses
the identification and management of safety and environmental
hazards in design, construction, startup, operation, inspection
and maintenance of new, existing or modified drilling and
production facilities.  On June 30, 1994, MMS published a Federal
Register notice requesting that industry voluntarily adopt API's
recommended practice.

     "If successfully implemented across the offshore natural gas
and oil industry, SEMP will provide an alternative approach to
improving safety and environmental protection outside of
traditional regulations.  The results of Taylor Energy's work
will be helpful to other offshore petroleum companies who are
developing SEMP plans," said Quarterman.

     "We will continue to monitor industry's progress in order to
decide whether API's recommended practice will accomplish the
goals of SEMP," Quarterman said.  "MMS is also planning to
participate with companies in collaborative reviews of their SEMP
plans.  Input from MMS will be used by companies in fine-tuning
their plans."

     MMS is the federal agency that manages and regulates the
nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the OCS,
and collects and distriburses about $4 billion yearly in revenues
from offshore federal mineral leases and from onshore mineral
leases on federal and Indian lands.

                                 -- MMS --