BLM hosts virtual conference to improve electronic system for tracking oil and gas activity on public lands
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WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management hosted a two-day virtual conference this week with oil and gas industry technical experts to identify needed improvements to the agency’s automated system which tracks activity on public lands.
The system, called the Automated Fluid Minerals Support System 2, was designed to replace legacy systems and modernize operations to better serve the American public by providing tracking, transparency and accountability for industry.
“With this conference we sought to identify opportunities for improvement, to respond to questions about our processes, to identify the most problematic issues, to engage users to develop solutions to improve our business practices, and to strengthen our partnership toward our common goal of an online system that works for everyone,” said BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Programs William Perry Pendley. “We’ve made a lot of progress in streamlining and improving our processes, but we also know there’s room for improvement – and that’s why this workshop was so important. I am greatly encouraged by what I heard.”
The latest version of AFMSS 2 seeks to standardize and modernize submittal and processing of Applications for Permit to Drill, Notices of Staking, Sundry Notices and Well Completion Reports. AFMSS 2 benefits not only the BLM and industry stakeholders, but also the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Natural Resources Revenue and the U.S. Forest Service. The automated system has already had an impact, helping to significantly reduce federal processing time for APDs.
The conference, originally planned to take place at the BLM’s National Operations Center in Lakewood, Colorado was switched to a virtual meeting after the onset of COVID-19, but was nonetheless attended by more than 100 industry and federal agency participants from 13 States and four time zones.
The workshop included discussions from technical experts and industry representatives of proposed improvements designed to make the system more user-friendly and responsive, and to further decrease on processing times. A BLM contractor also presented information about currently available and planned remedies and improvements.
Together, participants are working to identify consensus priority areas for additional improvements to the system, and to create a timeline for developing and implementing those improvements. In addition, BLM is developing a continuous feedback loop to ensure smooth system operations in the future.
For more information, visit https://www.blm.gov/site-page/afmss-workshop-april-13-14-2020
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.