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The
NewsRoom
Release: #3269
Date: May 3, 2005
2004 Highlights of
Deepwater Frontier Are Focus of New Report
NEW ORLEANS - The latest edition of an annual
report,
Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 2005: Interim Report of 2004 Highlights
(OCS Report (MMS 2005-023) (
12 MB) , has been released by the
Minerals Management Service. Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, MMS Regional
Director Chris Oynes announced the release of the report today at the
Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.
The report is a shorter, updated version of the
biennial report chronicling the activities of the oil and gas industry
in the deepwater (1,000 ft of water or more) Gulf of Mexico over the
past thirteen years and, in particular, the year 2004.
“The deepwater Gulf of Mexico continues to be an
expanding frontier with many new discoveries and new geologic plays,”
said Oynes. Oynes noted the following significant accomplishments and
trends in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico:
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There are 107
deepwater projects on production as of March 2005. Production from
the deepwater frontier grew to an estimated 922,000 barrels of oil
per day and 3.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by the
end of 2004. Deepwater oil production accounted for approximately
64 percent of the Gulf’s oil production in 2004.
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Significantly, in the
last four years, there have been 18 industry-announced discoveries
in water depths greater than 7,000 feet. |
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A record 16
exploratory wells drilled in water depths greater than 7,500 feet.
• A record number of four spars were installed in 2004.
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Significant strides
were made to bring the Chevron Texaco Tahiti Project on
production. |
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The installation of
the world’s largest spar at Holstein in Green Canyon Block 644 and
the world’s first cell spar at Red Hawk in Garden Banks Block 877.
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The installation of
the deepest tension-leg platform (TLP) in the world, Magnolia,
Garden Banks Block 783 in 4,674 ft of water.
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In another industry first, several independent
exploration and production companies formed a consortium known as the
Atwater Valley Producers Group to facilitate the development of
multiple ultra-deepwater discoveries in the previously untapped
Eastern Gulf of Mexico through the development of the “Independence
Hub.” This natural gas facility is expected to start production in
2007 and will involve subsea well production from eight projects to a
facility located in the Central Gulf Planning Area.
Subsea production has expanded from a water depth of
1,462 ft with Placid Oil Company’s Green Canyon Block 29 project in
1988, to 5,318 ft with Shell's Mensa in 1997, and to 7,591 ft with
Shell’s Coulomb/Na Kika project in 2004. The Na Kika production
facility now supports six subsea tieback projects: East Anstey,
Fourier, Herschel, Ariel, Coulomb, and Kepler.
Copies of this new report can be obtained from MMS,
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, free of charge, either in paper copies or
on a single compact disc, by visiting the Public Information Office at
Regional headquarters, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New Orleans, Louisiana
70123, or by telephoning 1-800-200-GULF (736-2519 local). Ask for OCS
Report MMS 2005-023, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 2005: Interim Report of
2004 Highlights. The entire report, in Adobe's PDF format, can be
found on the MMS website.
MMS, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior,
oversees 1.76 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf, managing
offshore energy and minerals while protecting the human, marine, and
coastal environments through advanced science and technology research.
The OCS provides 30 percent of oil and 23 percent of natural gas
produced domestically, and sand used for coastal restoration. MMS
collects, accounts for, and disburses mineral revenues from Federal
and American Indian lands, with Fiscal Year 2004 disbursements of
approximately $8 billion and more than $143 billion since 1982. The
Land and Water Conservation Fund, which pays for cooperative
conservation, grants to states, and Federal land acquisition, gets
nearly $1 billion a year.
Relevant Web Sites:
MMS Main Website
Gulf of Mexico Website
Media Contacts:
Dr.
Joe Trahan (504) 736-2595
Caryl Fagot (504)
736-2590
MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for
America
U.S. Department of the Interior
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