Hurricane
Gustav/Hurricane Ike Activity Statistics Update – November 12, 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 62 production platforms,
equivalent to 8.9% 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 18.9 % 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 27.9 % 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 each Wednesday.
Districts
|
Lake
Jackson |
Lake
Charles |
Lafayette |
Houma |
New
Orleans |
Total |
Platforms
Evacuated |
2 |
22 |
24 |
12 |
2 |
62 |
Rigs
Evacuated |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in |
135 |
17,119 |
82,615 |
117,720 |
27,443 |
245,032 |
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in |
342 |
412 |
637 |
455 |
216 |
2,062 |
This survey
information is reflective of 59 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m.
CST. Beginning the week of November 3, 2008, the Activity Statistics
Update will be issued once a week on Wednesdays.
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:
11/13/2008,
10:03 AM
Central Time