BOEMRE Activity
Statistics Update: September 1, 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 due to an area of tropical disturbance (Invest 93 L). 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 9 production platforms, equivalent to 1.6
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.
None of the 62 rigs currently
operating in the Gulf have been evacuated. 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 5.7 percent of the current oil
production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in. It is also
estimated that approximately 2.4 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 |
9 |
1.5 % |
Rigs Evacuated |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Total Shut-In |
Percentage of GOM Production |
Oil, BOPD Shut-in |
79,989 |
5.7 % |
Gas, MMCF/D Shut-in |
127 |
2.4 % |
This survey information is reflective
of 7 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today.
Contact: BOEMRE
Public Affairs