The NewsRoom
Release: #3850
Date: August 29, 2008
Tropical Storm Gustav Activity Statistics
Update – August 29, 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 Tropical Storm 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 6 production platforms, equivalent to 0.84 % 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 17 rigs have also been evacuated; this
is equivalent to 14.05 % 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 6.62 % 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 1.84 % 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 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
Rigs
Evacuated |
2 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
7 |
17 |
|
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in |
0 |
2,273 |
9,507 |
25,484 |
48,749 |
86,013 |
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in |
0 |
16 |
28 |
16 |
76 |
136 |
This survey
information is reflective of 13 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m.
CST.
Contact:
Eileen Angelico
504-736-2595
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
|