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with information about performance trends while also allowing operators the ability to compare their performance with industry ?averages.? One of our goals is to be able to gather more information on near-misses, so that the offshore industry doesn?t have to wait for an accident to occur in order to learn how to increase safety. SEMS is an ongoing process and I?m looking forward to continuing this work with operators so that we can all work to maintain the trust of the American people.The efforts undertaken over the past year have been part of President Obama?s goal of expanded responsible production of our domestic energy resources while ensuring the strongest possible safety and environmental oversight of offshore oil and gas activities. Actions ranging from the issuance of a Final Drilling Safety Rule to updated oil spill response plan guidance have provided offshore operators with greater clarity and consistency. Together, we have a shared commitment to reduce the risks associated with drilling in the United States. Offshore exploration and development will remain a perilous endeavor and regardless of how well our regulatory system operates, we will never be able to remove all of the risk. What I am hopeful of is that offshore operators will continue to work with BSEE on the continued development of a strong and dynamic safety culture that will evolve with the industry?s continued push into deeper waters and the use of increasingly complex technology. BSEE will continue to grow and keep pace with these changes while maintaining the highest standards of safety so that we can lead the industry toward offshore excellence. Rear Admiral James A. Watson IV was named as the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) in November of 2011. BSEE was one of the two agencies to succeed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) on Oct. 1, 2011. Previously, Watson served as the U.S. Coast Guard?s Director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship. Prior to that, he served as Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. MN 15www.marinelink.com