The ANP Board of Directors approved today (3/25) the holding of a public consultation and hearing on the revision of Resolution No. 37/2015 (https://atosoficiais.com.br/anp/resolucao-n-37-2015?origin=instituicao&q=37/2015). The standard regulates the inspection procedure, by the Agency, of operational safety in the exploration and production (E&P) segment of oil and natural gas, based on the identification of non-conformities, establishes the cases that may be granted time limits for adaptation to technical and makes other arrangements.

The revision of ANP Resolution No. 37/2015 aims to promote administrative simplification and greater legal certainty for operators, in addition to providing greater efficiency to the actions to inspect the safety of exploration and production operations. The proposal is in line with the ANP's understanding that fostering a safe and accident-free operating environment is essential for the sustainable development of exploration and production in Brazil.

The approved draft for submission to consultation and hearing proposes improvements in the text of the standard, making it clearer and more objective. It also eliminates documentary and low impact obligations on operational safety, allowing for a better allocation of resources, so that the operator promotes the continuous improvement of the operational safety management system.

One of the main changes is the exemption from the obligation to send, by the regulated agent, evidence of the remedying of non-conformities identified by the ANP inspection, as well as the action plans that aim to demonstrate the steps for this regularization. After the implementation of the review, these documents will be kept under the custody of the installation operator and may be requested, at the Agency's discretion, or verified in inspections, generating procedural savings and better allocation of resources.

Other proposed elements provide transparency and regulatory consistency to the ANP's performance, promoting a better balance between the obligations imposed on agents and the regulatory objectives.

The public consultation and hearing process, foreseen in the ANP Regulatory Agenda for the year 2021, will allow a wide debate among the interested parties, aiming at the enrichment and improvement of the standard, which was the subject of a workshop in December 2020 (https://www.gov.br/anp/pt-br/canais_atendimento/imprensa/noticias-comunicados/anp-realiza-workshop-sobre-fiscalizacao-em-seguranca-operacional).

The draft resolution, other documents related to the consultation and procedures for participation will be available on the Public Consultations and Hearings page after its publication in the Federal Official Gazette (https://www.gov.br/anp/pt-br/assuntos/consultas-e-audiencias-publicas/consulta-audiencia-publica).