BOEMRE Tropical Storm Lee Activity Statistics Update:
September 3, 2011
Gulf of Mexico
Oil and Gas Activities are Being Monitored by Hurricane Response
Team
NEW ORLEANS — Offshore oil and gas operators
in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in the path
of Tropical Storm Lee. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Hurricane Response Team is
monitoring the operators’ activities. The team will continue to work
with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies until
operations return to normal and the storm is no longer a threat to
Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities.
Based on data from offshore operator reports
submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today, personnel have been evacuated
from a total of 237 production platforms, equivalent to 38.4 percent
of the 617 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production
platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and
natural gas are produced. Unlike drilling rigs, which typically move
from location to location, production facilities remain in the same
location throughout a project’s duration
Personnel have been evacuated from 23 rigs,
equivalent to 32.9 percent of the 70 rigs currently operating in the
Gulf. Rigs can include several types of self-contained offshore
drilling facilities including jackup rigs, submersibles and
semisubmersibles.
As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate
the applicable shut-in procedure, which can frequently be
accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing the
sub-surface safety valves located below the surface of the ocean
floor to prevent the release of oil or gas. During the recent
hurricane seasons, the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the
time, efficiently shutting in production from wells on the Outer
Continental Shelf and protecting the marine and coastal
environments. Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard
procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental
reasons.
From operator reports, it is estimated that
approximately 60.3 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf
of Mexico has been shut-in. It is also estimated that approximately
54.6 percent of the natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has
been shut-in. 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
the amount of oil and gas the operator expected to produce that day.
The shut-in production figures therefore are estimates, which BOEMRE
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. BOEMRE will continue to update the evacuation
and shut-in statistics at 1:00 p.m. CDT each day as appropriate.
|
Total |
Percentage
of GOM |
Platforms Evacuated |
237 |
38.4 % |
Rigs Evacuated |
23 |
32.9 % |
|
|
Total Shut-In |
Percentage of GOM Production |
Oil, BOPD Shut-in |
844,190 |
60.3 % |
Gas, MMCF/D Shut-in |
2,895.9 |
54.6 % |
This survey information is reflective of 47 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today.
Contact: BOEMRE
Public Affairs