Minerals Management Service Monitors Activities for Both Storms ...

Tag : minerals
Minerals Management Service Monitors Activities for Both StormsThrough its Continuity of Operations Plan NEW ORLEANS  Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexicoare reboarding platforms and rigs and restoring productionfollowing both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. The MineralsManagement Service is monitoring activities for both hurricanesthrough its Continuity of Operations Plan team. This team will beactivated until operations return to normal.

(PressZoom) - NEW ORLEANS  Offshore oil and gas operators in theGulf of Mexico are reboarding platforms and rigs and restoringproduction following both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. TheMinerals Management Service is monitoring activities for bothhurricanes through its Continuity of Operations Plan team. Thisteam will be activated until operations return to normal.

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30a.m. CDT today, personnel are evacuated from a total of 116production platforms, equivalent to 16.7 % of the 694 mannedplatforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production platforms are thestructures located offshore from which oil and natural gas areproduced. These structures remain in the same location throughouta projects duration unlike drilling rigs which typically move fromlocation to location.

Personnel from 1 rig are evacuated; this is equivalent to 0.9% ofthe 116 rigs currently operating in the Gulf. Rigs can includeseveral types of self-contained offshore drilling facilitiesincluding jackups, submersibles and semisubmersibles.

From the operators reports, it is estimated that approximately48.2 % of the oil production in the Gulf is shut-in. As of June2008, estimated oil production from the Gulf of Mexico is 1.3million barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated thatapproximately 44.6 % of the natural gas production in the Gulf isshut-in. As of June 2008, estimated natural gas production fromthe Gulf of Mexico was 7.0 billion cubic feet of gas per day. Sincethat time, gas production from the Independence Hub facility hasincreased and current gas production from the Gulf is estimated at7.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the shut-inprocedure, which can also be accomplished from a remote location.This involves closing the safety valves located below the surfaceof the ocean to prevent the release of oil or gas. DuringHurricanes Katrina and Rita, the shut-in valves functioned 100percent of the time, efficiently closing in production from wellsand resulting in no major spills from the Outer Continental Shelf.Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedureconducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons.

The production percentages are calculated using informationsubmitted by offshore operators in daily reports. Shut-inproduction information included in these reports is based on whatthe operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in productionfigures therefore are estimates, which the MMS compares tohistorical production reports to ensure the estimates follow alogical pattern.

After the hurricane has passed, facilities will be inspected. Onceall standard checks have been completed, production from undamagedfacilities will be brought back on line immediately. Facilitiessustaining damage may take longer to bring back on line. The MMSwill continue to update the evacuation and shut-in statistics at1:00 p.m. CDT each day until these statistics are no longersignificant.







Release Date This news item was released on 2008-10-05. Please make sure tovisit the official company or organization web site to learn moreabout the original release date. See our disclaimer for more information.