October 6, 1995                        CONTACT: Tom DeRocco
3:15 P.M. (Eastern)                          (202) 208-3983
                     HURRICANE OPAL - REPORT #3

     To keep you informed about the effect of Hurricane Opal on
offshore energy production in the Gulf of Mexico, the Minerals
Management Service will provide status reports as information
becomes available.

Number of Operators reporting: 82

*Gas Production Shut-In: 1.04 billion cubic feet 

**Oil Production Shut-In: 162,000 barrels
 
MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BE
BACK ON LINE TODAY.  


DAMAGE REPORTS

- Yesterday, MMS personnel flew over the Main Pass and Mobile
facilities closest to the hurricane path and observed no damage.
Some bubbling was observed, however, which may indicate some damage
to gas pipelines.

- We have one report of the loss of a jack-up(#) workover barge
offshore Louisiana (Main Pass area), about 80 miles southeast of
New Orleans.  Owned by Falcon Operators, Inc., the jack-up was
working for Mobil Oil. 

- At this time, only 15-20 operators have submitted preliminary
damage reports indicating little damage; additional reports are
expected as operators are able to get crews out to platforms and
drilling rigs to conduct inspections. 
 

* Daily Gas Production in the Gulf averages about 13 billion cubic
feet 

** Daily Oil Production in the Gulf averages about 800,000 barrels

# A jack-up workboat lowers its legs into the water and raises
(i.e., jacks-up) its platform above the water to perform workover
on wells and construction or repair work on oil and gas platforms. 

NOTE: SINCE MONDAY, OCTOBER 9 IS A FEDERAL HOLIDAY, THE NEXT
HURRICANE OPAL REPORT WILL BE ISSUED TUESDAY AFTERNOON, OCT.10.   

                                                                
                                -MMS-