The NewsRoom
Release: #3937
Date: December 03, 2008
Hurricane
Gustav/Hurricane Ike Activity Statistics Update –
December 03, 2008:
Minerals
Management Service Monitors Activities for Both Storms
Through its Continuity of Operations Plan
NEW ORLEANS
Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of
Mexico are reboarding platforms and restoring production following
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 are evacuated from a
total of 51 production platforms, equivalent to 7.4% of the 694
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.
There are no longer any evacuated rigs 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 14.9 % of the oil production in the Gulf is shut-in.
As of June 2008, estimated oil production from the Gulf of Mexico is
1.3 million barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that
approximately 20.9 % of the natural gas production in the Gulf is
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 every other Wednesday.
Districts
|
Lake
Jackson |
Lake
Charles |
Lafayette |
Houma |
New
Orleans |
Total |
Platforms
Evacuated |
2 |
20 |
18 |
11 |
0 |
51 |
Rigs
Evacuated |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in |
2,381 |
11,975 |
52,581 |
113,633 |
13,340 |
193,910 |
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in |
173 |
329 |
502 |
411 |
129 |
1,544
|
This survey
information is reflective of 50 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m.
CST. Beginning with this release, the Activity Statistics Update
will be issued once every two weeks on Wednesdays. The next update
will be released on Wednesday, December 17, 2008.
Contact:
Eileen Angelico 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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Last Updated:
12/16/2008,
12:16 PM
Central Time
|