NEW ORLEANS
— Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico have evacuated platforms
and rigs and have shut-in production in preparation for both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. The
Minerals Management Service is monitoring activities for both hurricanes through its Continuity of
Operations Plan team. This team will be activated until operations return to normal.
Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted
as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 591 production platforms, equivalent
to 82.4 % of the 717 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production platforms are the structures located
offshore from which oil and natural gas are produced. These structures remain in the same location throughout
a project’s duration unlike drilling rigs which typically move from location to location.
Personnel from 92 rigs have also been evacuated; this
is equivalent to 76.0 % of the 121 rigs currently operating in the Gulf. Rigs can include several types of
self-contained offshore drilling facilities including jackups, submersibles and semisubmersibles.
From the operators’ reports, it is estimated that
approximately 99.6 % of the oil production in the Gulf has been shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated oil
production from the Gulf of Mexico was 1.3 million barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that
approximately 91.9 % of the natural gas production in the Gulf has been shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated
natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico was 7.0 billion cubic feet of gas per day. Since that time, gas
production from the Independence Hub facility has increased and current gas production from the Gulf is estimated
at 7.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day.
As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the
shut-in procedure, which can also be accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing the safety valves
located below the surface of the ocean to prevent the release of oil or gas. During Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the time, efficiently closing in production from wells and resulting
in no major spills from the Outer Continental Shelf. Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedure
conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons.
The production percentages are calculated using information
submitted by offshore operators in daily reports. Shut-in production information included in these reports is
based on what the operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in production figures therefore are estimates, which
the MMS compares to historical production reports to ensure the estimates follow a logical pattern.
After the hurricane has passed, facilities will be inspected. Once
all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back on line immediately.
Facilities sustaining damage may take longer to bring back on line. The MMS will continue to update the evacuation and
shut-in statistics at 1:00 p.m. CDT each day until these statistics are no longer significant.
Districts |
Lake
Jackson |
Lake
Charles |
Lafayette |
Houma |
New
Orleans |
Total |
Platforms
Evacuated |
88 |
123 |
126 |
125 |
129 |
591 |
Rigs
Evacuated |
11 |
17 |
18 |
26 |
20 |
92 |
|
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in |
69,684 |
35,595 |
160,159 |
432,145 |
597,640 |
1,295,223 |
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in |
1,230 |
781 |
1,099 |
934 |
2,757 |
6,801 |