In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, the U.S. Department
of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) continues to
monitor the progress made by the oil and gas industry in returning to
normal levels of operation in the Gulf of Mexico. About 475,000
barrels of oil per day (BOPD) and about 1.8 billion cubic feet of gas
per day (BCFPD) remain shut-in. Based on preliminary information
supplied by operators, perhaps as much as 150,000 BOPD and 1.0 BCF/D
of the shut-in production may be back on line by the end of October.
For the longer term, about 96% of the normal daily GOM production,
which is approximately 1.7 million BOPD and approximately 12.3 BCFPD
of gas, should be back on line within 6 months.
MMS
Gulf of Mexico Regional Director Chris Oynes said, “While significant
production from Gulf of Mexico facilities remains shut in due mostly
to pipeline damage there is a good likelihood that significant
portions of this may be able to return to production in a few
months”.
According to Oynes, “The companies are engaged in around the clock
repair operations and only bad weather is slowing down further
progress. For example, the tropical storm Matthew in the Gulf area
today is stalling operations.” Oynes noted that “the operators are
now starting to approach MMS with alternative ways to return to
production while pipeline repairs are continuing. MMS expects that
some companies will soon request approval for modifications to their
past plans to allow offloading of production from a platform to a
large tanker and then further offload the production into a shuttle
tanker to take to delivery points onshore. This will help restore
production ahead of pipeline repairs. MMS will carefully consider the
technical and environmental merits and risks of any proposals filed,
attach appropriate protective measures, and will closely coordinate
the review of all applications with the appropriate government
agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard.”
During the past several weeks industry has continued to assess damage
to their Gulf of Mexico facilities caused by Hurricane Ivan. Of the
4,000 structures and 33,000 miles of pipelines in the gulf, the MMS
estimates that 150 platforms and 10,000 miles of pipelines were in the
direct path of Hurricane Ivan. A substantial amount of the deferred
production is directly attributable to damage that has occurred along
pipeline routes rather than actual structural damage to the producing
platforms. Pipelines in mud slide areas off the mouth of the
Mississippi River experienced failures and will take a significant
effort to locate and repair because the pipelines are buried by as
much as 20 to 30 feet of mud. Overall, twelve large diameter
pipelines (10” or larger) were damaged in Federal waters. For
specific information on the large diameter pipelines that incurred
damage, please see the attached table. For specifics on locations of
the destroyed platforms and platforms that had major damage, please
see the attached tables.
Because industry is still conducting underwater structural damage
assessments with divers and Remotely Operated Vehicles, additional
information could change the MMS damage summary.
The Minerals Management Service is
the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages
the nation’s oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources on the
Outer Continental Shelf in Federal offshore waters. The agency also
collects, accounts for, and disburses mineral revenues from Federal
and American Indian lands. MMS disbursed more than $8 billion
in FY 2003 and more than $135 billion since the agency was created in
1982. Nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and
Water Conservation Fund annually for the acquisition and development
of state and Federal park and recreation lands.
Industry reports to MMS that seven
platforms were destroyed and six platforms had major damage. Five
drilling rigs had major damage. Production lost from five of the
destroyed platforms is about 3,100 barrels of oil per day (BOPD) and
nine million cubic feet of gas per day (MMCF/D). The other two
destroyed platforms did not produce – one was a single disposal well
and the other was a gathering facility. Additional information is
being developed each day as further assessments are completed. Major
damage examples include bent structural supports, rig derricks
collapsed, production vessels and piping destroyed, helicopter landing
decks overturned, and living quarters collapsed. Major damage does
not include the loss of handrails or deck grating for example.
Destroyed Platforms |
Operator |
Map Area |
Block Number |
Type of Facility |
Water Depth (feet) |
Taylor |
MC |
20 |
8-pile |
479 |
Forest |
MP |
98 |
Braced Caisson |
79 |
El Paso |
MP |
293 |
4-pile |
232 |
Noble Energy |
MP |
293 |
8-pile |
247 |
Noble Energy |
MP |
305 |
8-pile |
244 |
Noble Energy |
MP |
306 |
8-pile |
255 |
Chevron |
VK |
294 |
Braced Caisson |
119 |
Platforms with Major Damage |
Operator |
Map Area |
Block Number |
Type of Facility |
Water Depth
(feet) |
Status |
Dominion |
MC |
773 |
Spar |
5610 |
Waiting on
production equipment and drilling rig repairs |
Murphy |
MC |
582 |
Spar |
2223 |
Waiting on minor
production equipment repairs |
Shell |
MP |
252 |
4-pile |
277 |
Waiting on production equipment repairs |
ChevronTexaco |
VK |
786 |
Compliant Tower |
1754 |
Waiting on topside and structural repairs |
TOTAL |
VK |
823 |
Virgo |
1130 |
Waiting on production equipment and pipeline
repair |
Shell |
VK |
956 |
TLP |
3216 |
Waiting on production equipment and drilling
rig repairs |
Note: Platforms that did not have
major damage but are not producing (shut in) because of damage to a
pipeline are not included in this list. |
Large Diameter Pipelines with Damage (10” or greater)
in Federal Waters Only
|
Operator |
Map Area |
Block Number (starting
point) |
Diameter (inches) |
Product |
Status |
Tennessee Gas
Pipeline |
SS |
144 |
36 |
Gas |
Recently back on
line |
Tennessee Gas
Pipeline |
SS |
198 |
26 |
Gas |
Recently back on
line |
Tennessee Gas
Pipeline |
SP |
77 |
26 |
Gas |
Shut in |
Southern Natural Gas |
MP |
293 |
24 |
Gas |
Shut in
|
Southern Natural Gas |
MP |
289 |
24 |
Gas |
Shut in |
Equilon Pipeline LLC |
MC |
474 |
18 |
Oil |
Shut in
|
BP Pipeline |
MP
|
225 |
18 |
Oil |
Shut in |
Southern Natural Gas |
MP
|
306 |
18 |
Gas |
Shut in
|
Williams Field
Services |
MC |
20 |
12 |
Gas |
Shut in
|
Chevron USA |
GI |
37 |
10 |
Oil |
Shut in
|
Chevron Pipeline |
SP |
49 |
10 |
Gas/Oil |
Shut in |
Taylor Energy |
MC
|
21 |
10 |
Oil |
Shut in |
Area Key
GI
= Grand Isle
MC = Mississippi Canyon
MP = Main Pass
SP = South Pass
SS = Ship Shoal
VK = Viosca Knoll
Relevant Web Sites:
MMS Main Website
Gulf of Mexico Website
Media Contacts:
Debra Winbush (504)
736-2597
Caryl Fagot (504)
736-2590
MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for
America
U.S. Department of the Interior
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Last Updated:
10/08/2004,
10/08/2004 05:38 PM
Central Time
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