Hurricane Gustav/Hurricane Ike Activity
Statistics Update
December 16, 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 45 production platforms, equivalent to
6.5% 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 14.1% 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 19.7% 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 Gustav and Ike,
just as 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 until these statistics are no longer
significant.
Districts |
Lake
Jackson |
Lake
Charles |
Lafayette |
Houma |
New
Orleans |
Total |
Platforms
Evacuated |
2 |
18 |
14 |
11 |
0 |
45 |
Rigs
Evacuated |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in |
1,862 |
6,909 |
53,278 |
108,666 |
13,146 |
183,861 |
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in |
156 |
301 |
473 |
402 |
129 |
1,461 |
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 a month. The next update will be released on Wednesday, January
14, 2009.
Contact:
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,
01:00 PM
Central Time