The NewsRoom
Release: #3685
Date: May 30, 2007
Minerals
Management Service Marks Hurricane Season 2007
Improvements Emphasize Energy Security, Environmental Protection,
and Personnel Safety
WASHINGTON — In preparation for Hurricane Season 2007, which
begins June 1, the
U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS)
today announced operational and administrative improvements that
have been implemented to prepare oil and gas infrastructure in the
Gulf of Mexico for the possibility of hurricanes this season. Key
goals of the enhancements are to promote the nation’s energy
security, environmental protection and personnel safety.
Specifically,
MMS has prepared and is in the process of formally implementing
seven operational enhancements to further clarify special
engineering practices and reporting procedures used by offshore
operators on all structure types from Mobile Offshore Drilling Units
and Jack-up rigs to existing and new fixed platforms. Thanks to the
collaborative development of these new standards, the industry has
already put much of the requirements into practice.
“Energy
production from the Gulf is vital to our Nation’s energy supply, but
it’s also imperative that MMS continue our strong emphasis on the
measures we’ve implemented to ensure the safety of workers and
environmental protection,” said MMS Deputy Director Walter
Cruickshank. "By working with all involved parties, including the
Department of Energy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the American Petroleum
Institute and the oil and gas industry, MMS has significantly
improved the protection of oil and gas production in the Gulf from
disruptions during this Hurricane Season."
Also in
preparation for Hurricane Season 2007, MMS will activate its
hurricane information Web site with broad overview hurricane-related
information. The Web site will also offer updated evacuation and
production statistics in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm
as well as historical information on hurricanes and important links
to other involved federal agencies.
The 2005
hurricane season saw a depth and breadth of destruction and
disruption in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico unlike ever
experienced before. Two major hurricanes, Katrina and Rita, sliced
through the heart of the offshore oil and gas activity, hammering
about 75 percent of the offshore facilities with hurricane force
winds. In spite of this pounding there were no significant oil
spills from wells, no evidence that oil from OCS facilities reached
shore or impacted birds or mammals, and no significant personnel
injuries. That success resulted from extensive planning and
preparation overseen by MMS and implemented by the oil and gas
industry. The aim is to further improve that performance this year.
MMS oversees
more than 7,300 oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf in
the GOM. With more than 1,600 of these leases producing, current
estimated daily production from the GOM is 1.3 million barrels of
oil and 7.7 billion cubic feet of gas. These numbers are as of March
2007. This accounts for approximately 25 percent of the domestic
oil production and 14 percent of the domestic natural gas
production.
While always
preparing for the possibility of hurricane and storm damage, MMS and
the offshore industry witnessed unprecedented offshore damage
resulting from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Both MMS and
industry had to reassess what possible weather conditions could
occur with a major hurricane moving through the GOM. The
reassessment was done through American Petroleum Institute
committees in which MMS was an active participant. The committees
revised and updated the best practices and standards using the new
information that had been collected following the 2005 hurricanes.
Relevant Web Site:
• MMS Main Website
•
eWell: A Good
System Made Better, Post-Katrina
•
Energy from
Offshore Sources for America: It Begins with a Plan
•
MMS:
Dedicated to Providing Energy and Economic Value for Americans
•
Your
Federal Partners: Working Together for Offshore Safety
•
Safety Devices
•
Offshore Oil Spills:
PREPARATION is Paramount
•
Bringing Energy and
Value to America
•
Selected List of
Specialized Words and Their Definitions
•
2007 Hurricane Season Preparations:Protecting the Gulf of Mexico
Energy Production
•
Statement by Walter D. Cruickshank, Deputy Director, Minerals
Management Service,
for Joint Hurricane Season Press Conference
Media Contact:
Gary Strasburg 202-208-3985
Nicolette Nye 703-787-1011
MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for
America
U.S. Department of the Interior
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