UPDATE: BOEMRE Continuing to Respond to
Natural Gas Leak in the Gulf of Mexico
NEW ORLEANS
– The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) is continuing to oversee Apache
Corp.’s source control efforts for a natural gas leak near East
Cameron Block 278 Platform B. The platform is located approximately
93 miles offshore Louisiana, south of Lake Charles, in about 173
feet of water. The platform, which has not been in production for
nearly a decade, is currently used to process natural gas and
condensate from other facilities.
With BOEMRE’s
approval and after a safety evaluation, Apache personnel have
re-boarded the platform and are preparing equipment to begin work to
contain the source of the gas leak. BOEMRE engineers are completing
final reviews of source control procedures. A remotely operated
vehicle (ROV) will maintain continuous monitoring of conditions to
ensure that the work can proceed safely. In accordance with
BOEMRE’s direction, Apache is continuing preparations for the
drilling of a relief well to be used in the event that the source
control procedures from the platform are not successful.
A BOEMRE Lake
Charles District engineer initially received the report of a
potential leak on January 16, at approximately 10 a.m. According to
Apache’s report, the operator was in the process of permanently
plugging its associated non-producing natural gas wells when workers
spotted what appeared to be natural gas bubbling to the surface near
the platform. The platform was safely evacuated and the associated
pipelines and facilities have been successfully shut in.
From Apache’s observation there have been no significant changes to
the bubbling and discolored water initially found near the platform.
The discolored water may be a mixture of sediment from the ocean
floor, gas, and formation water. Oil is not believed to be present
other than in small amounts of condensate, which quickly
evaporates.
BOEMRE has notified other agencies
and is continuing to closely oversee the situation. BOEMRE will also
conduct an investigation of the incident.