BOEMRE Tropical Storm Lee Activity Statistics Update:
September 6, 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 re-boarding platforms and rigs following 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.
Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today,
personnel have been evacuated from a total of 131 production platforms, equivalent
to 21.2 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 12 rigs, equivalent to 17.1 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
60.5 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been
shut-in. It is also estimated that approximately 41.6 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 storm 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 |
131 |
21.2 % |
Rigs Evacuated |
12 |
17.1 % |
|
|
Total Shut-In |
Percentage of GOM Production |
Oil, BOPD Shut-in |
846,670 |
60.5 % |
Gas, MMCF/D Shut-in |
2,204.6 |
41.6 % |
This survey information is reflective of 54 companies' reports as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today.
Contact: BOEMRE
Public Affairs