Trump administration to rejoin offshore drilling agencies separated after 2010 Gulf oil spill
By Matthew Daly
Published on April 3, 2026.
The Trump administration is merging two offshore drilling agencies, which were separated after the 2010 Gulf oil spill. The new Marine Minerals Administration will bring together the functions of the current Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The move is part of an overhaul to increase efficiency and speed up permitting for offshore oil and gas drilling. The combined agency will provide a "streamlined approach" that maintains existing regulatory protections and rigorous safety standards, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. Critics have criticized the move as a repeat of the agency's troubled past, with allegations of lax oversight and cozy ties with industry.
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