The denial of six pending geophysical and geological (G&G) permit applications comes due to a number of factors, including a diminished need for additional seismic survey information.
The move comes as the US government has recently removed Atlantic Program Area from the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
BOEM director Abigail Ross Hopper said: “In the present circumstances and guided by an abundance of caution, we believe that the value of obtaining the geophysical and geological information from new airgun seismic surveys in the Atlantic does not outweigh the potential risks of those surveys’ acoustic pulse impacts on marine life.
“Since federal waters in the Mid and South Atlantic have been removed from leasing consideration for the next five years, there is no immediate need for these surveys.”
The six permit applications were for use of airgun seismic surveys proposed for offshore oil and gas exploration.
The BOEM also said it denied the applications due to the possibility that the information would not be used if the Atlantic is not offered for future oil and gas leasing.
Additionally, it noted that the acquired data may become obsolete if leasing is far in the future; and the probable development of lower impact survey technology before future geophysical and geological information would be needed.
