The NewsRoom
Release: #3852
Date: August 31, 2008
Hurricane Gustav Activity Statistics
Update – August 31, 2008
Minerals Management Service Monitors
Activities Through its Continuity of Operations Plan.
NEW ORLEANS — Offshore oil
and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and
rigs in the path of Hurricane Gustav. The Minerals Management Service
has activated its Continuity of Operations Plan team to monitor the
operators’ activities. This team will be activated until operations
return to normal and the storm is no longer a threat to the Gulf of
Mexico oil and gas activities.
Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted
as of 11:30 a.m. CST today, personnel have been evacuated from a total
of 518 production platforms, equivalent to 72.3 % 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 86 rigs have also been evacuated; this
is equivalent to 71.1 % 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 96.26 % of the oil production in the Gulf has been
shut-in. Estimated current oil production from the Gulf of Mexico is
1.3 million barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that
approximately 82.3 % of the natural gas production in the Gulf has
been shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated current 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. CST each day until these statistics are no longer
significant.
Districts
|
Lake
Jackson |
Lake
Charles |
Lafayette |
Houma |
New
Orleans |
Total |
Platforms
Evacuated |
59 |
84 |
109 |
123 |
143 |
518 |
Rigs
Evacuated |
7 |
9 |
17 |
26 |
27 |
86 |
|
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in |
61,741 |
23,015 |
146,610 |
441,134 |
578,909 |
1,251,409 |
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in |
587 |
428 |
1,047 |
784 |
3,240 |
6,086 |
This survey information is
reflective of 61 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CST.
Contact:
Eileen Angelico
281-227-4986
504-654-7840
MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for America
U.S. Department of the Interior
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Last Updated:
10/27/2008,
06:15 AM
Central Time
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