orking
for America's Energy Future and a Quality Environment
The MMS Gulf of Mexico OCS Regional Office strives to be a showcase of careful, safe,
and efficient administration of the Nation's offshore oil and gas and other mineral
resources. Only close cooperation and consultation with State and local governments and
the wide array of industry and other constituencies that exist can make this possible.
The
MMS's Gulf Regional office has responsibility for OCS oil and gas and some other mineral matters
from offshore Texas to Maine, although most activity is concentrated in the Gulf
of Mexico.
The offshore oil and gas industry in the Federal part of the Gulf of Mexico is truly a
large and multifaceted group. In
January 2007,
82 exploration wells were being drilled in
Gulf waters and 36 of these were in water depths of 1,000 feet or greater.
Eleven exploration wells were in 5,000 feet of water or
greater. Currently,
there are approximately 4,000 producing platforms, of which about 1,962 are major
platforms (954 of these are manned by personnel) and some 152 companies are active in the
Gulf.
These are exciting times in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf's contribution to the Nation's energy supply is truly remarkable.
Production
in the Federal portion of the Gulf OCS amounts to 21% of the Nation's natural gas
production
(just under 5 trillion cubic feet) and
about 30% of the Nation's oil
production (570 million barrels) for
2002. Deepwater production has been rising rapidly. (see
News
Release.) Two lease sales are planned in 2007-
- one each in the Western and Central Gulf.
Excitement in the Gulf focuses on three areas. First
is deepwater.
MMS released a report in 2005 on deepwater activity (Deepwater
Gulf of Mexico 2005: Interim Report
of 2004 Highlights OCS Report MMS 2005-023) which addresses the intense interest in the oil and gas potential in the
deepwater tracts in the Gulf of Mexico. About 14 new
deepwater projects will start production in 2004 in the Gulf of Mexico.
The
use of advanced
technology is a marvel in the OCS program. In November
2003, ChevronTexaco drilled an exploratory well in a world record water depth of 10,011 feet of water on Alaminos Canyon
Block 951. MMS
approved in 2002 the first use in the U.S. of
synthetic (fiber) mooring
systems. MMS has
previously released an environmental assessment of
the effect of deepwater
exploration, development and production. (see MMS
2000-01) Many changes and new analysis are
underway.
A second area is ultradeep water (5000 ft. and greater)
where a number of discoveries have recently been made. In December 2006,
exploratory wells were being drilled by Kerr-McGee in 7,270 feet of water (GC
955), Chevron in 6,686 feet of water (MC 782), and BP was drilling an appraisal
well in 5,859 feet of water (KC 292).
MMS always remains concerned that OCS operations need to be conducted in a safe
manner. Related to this MMS issued final revisions in its drilling
regulations in March 2003 and issued new final regulations concerning training
of OCS workers. Through its inspection program MMS conducted more than
16,000 safety and environmental inspections of offshore oil and gas activity
last year. An environmental assessment of the effects
of seismic activity was recently issued.
MMS conducts an extensive environmental studies program in the Gulf of Mexico. MMS has
sponsored more than 220 environmental studies in the Gulf of Mexico, costing over $130
million, to assess what effects oil and gas drilling and production
may have on the marine, coastal and human environment.
Recent reports have focused on deep sea life, deep spills, sperm whales, and
economic effects. An award was made on
biotechnology research.
A contract to collect ocean current data with Mexico was issued.
In the Eastern Gulf,
lease sale 189 was held in December
2003. A final environmental impact statement on sales 189 and 197 was released
on May 30, 2003.
Several proposals to import LNG into the U.S. through a regassification plant
located out in the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico have been filed.
There is no offshore oil and gas activity off the Atlantic seaboard.
The last remaining 8 leases in existence offshore North and South Carolina were
relinquished back to the government in November 2000. No Atlantic lease sales have
been held since 1983. The last exploratory well was drilled in 1984.
In MMS's proposed 5-year leasing plan for 2007- 2012 one sale is being proposed
for offshore Virginia.
The MMS Gulf of Mexico OCS Region office's role in all this activity is
substantial. By law, MMS must approve every exploration well, every production
proposal, the structural design of every platform as well as every pipeline, and
must issue literally dozens of other approvals for the design and operation of
facilities and measurement of product. It conducts extensive environmental
review of proposed projects. MMS also conducts thousands of inspections every
year to ensure operational safety and protection of the marine, coastal, and
human environment.
These immense tasks are the responsibilities of the 600 employees in the MMS Gulf
regional office and require their professional training in a host of disciplines. To
accomplish this mission, we employ petroleum engineers, geophysicists, geologists, marine
biologists, oceanographers, other environmental scientists, offshore inspectors,
and computer personnel among other professionals.
