The NewsRoom
Release: #3931
Date: November 19, 2008
Hurricane
Gustav/Hurricane Ike Activity Statistics Update –
November 19, 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 58 production platforms,
equivalent to 8.4% 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 16.3 % 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 24.4 % 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 |
21 |
21 |
12 |
2 |
58 |
Rigs
Evacuated |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in |
2,396 |
12,536 |
61,281 |
113,904 |
22,099 |
212,216 |
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in |
202 |
366 |
584 |
441 |
212 |
1,805 |
This survey
information is reflective of 55 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 3, 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:
12/03/2008,
12:45 PM
Central Time
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