U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, announces the availability of a new studies report, Workshop on Environmental Issues Surrounding Deepwater Oil and Gas Development. The MMS must consider possible impacts of oil and gas development to both the natural and human socio-economic environments. Therefore, this workshop was conducted to address issues pertaining to four topic areas: physical environment, ecology, seafloor geology, and socioeconomics. Presentations and discussions from the four topic areas are contained within this report. With the passage of the Deepwater Royalty Relief Act and the development of technologies that allow for more cost-effective development beyond the continental shelf, leasing deeper than 1,000 meters has proceeded at an unanticipated high rate. If predictions of larger reservoirs in deepwater prove true, then during the 8- to 10-year development period allowed on these deepwater leases, the Gulf of Mexico will experience a profound change in the pattern of development. The MMS, charged with managing offshore oil and gas reserves, will bear the added burden of administering rapid expansion into a new environment in which evolving technologies will be used for the very first time.

For more information about the Environmental Studies Program, contact the Environmental Studies Section (MS5430), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-2897.

Copies of this report can be obtained from the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, at a charge of $7.00 by referencing OCS Study MMS 98-0022. This report will also be available from the National Technical Information Service in the near future. These addresses are provided below. Copies are also available for inspection at selected Federal Depository Libraries.

MMS is the Federal Agency that manages the Nation’s oil and gas and other mineral resources on the OCS and collects, accounts for, and disburses about $6 billion yearly in revenues from Federal offshore leases and Federal and Indian onshore mineral leases.