ecological characterization atlas of coastal alabama - Data Center

depths . In addition to the five wells in Foley Field, one well nearby has
resulted in the designation of West Foley Field . These initial wells
i ndicate yi el ds of 25,488 to 212,400 m3 (0 .9 to 7 .5 mil l ion ft3 ) of gas per
day (Masingill 1982) . It is anticipated that the poorly explored Miocene
sands will produce greater yields throughout southern Baldwin County,
possibly extending into Mobile Bay . Indeed, very recent finds of shallow
Miocene gas have been made near Bon Secour, Weeks Bay, and Gulf Shores
(Pensacola quadrangle) (O'Neil and Mettee 1982) .
Mobil Oil struck gas in a deep well (6,289 to 6,365 m ; 20,634 to 20,883
ft) at the mouth of Mobile Bay (Biloxi quadrangle) in October 1979 . The well
produced 345 .3 thousand m3 (12 .2 million ft3) of gas per day from the Norphlet
Formation of Jurassic age . Mobil has received permits to continue exploratory
drilling in the area (Friend et al . 1981, O'Neil and Mettee 1982) .
Partly due to Mobil's find, a record $449,178,059 in cash bonuses, minimum
royalties of 25%, and $5-per-acre yearly rental fees will be paid by the
highest bidders for 5-year leases on 13 tracts of Alabama's State-owned
offshQre land . Cash offers on another 22 of the tracts were rejected by the
State in the ho pe that the value of the trac ts would increase sharply with
future discoveries . The 13 tracts leased comprise 55,045 acres of the
State's 147,140 acres of undrilled submerged land (Hagopian 1981) .
Although there has been little development of oilfield services (platform
fabrication yards, staging and supply areas) in Mobile and Baldwin Counties,
this situation could easily change in the next few years . The production of
pe troleum from offshore drilling will require onshore infrastructure in
relation to the quantity of resources found . One exception to the general
absence of petroleum infrastructure in coastal Alabama is the shipyard
industry, which manufactures and maintains seismic boats, crew boats, and
other vessels for the oil and gas industry .
Bayou La Batre (Biloxi quadrangle) is one of the more important shipyard
areas in the country, and probably the largest on the entire Gulf Coast . One
shipyard (Quality Marine) is the largest manufacturer of steel fishing boats
in the world . Although one shipyard builds wooden fishing boats exclusively,
13 other shipyards in the Bayou occasionally build or repair petroleumrelated
vessels (S . Bosarge, Bayou Area Chamber of Commerce, Bayou La Batre,
AL, 20 July 1982 ; pers . comm .) Mobile is the only other area in Mobile and
Baldwin Counties where shipyards are located . There are eight shipyards in
the Mobile vicinity, all located in the industrial areas along the Mobile
River, Three Mile Creek, and Chickasaw Creek (Mobile quadrangle) .
Table 20 lists the companies storing, refining, and transporting (via
pipeline) oil in coastal Alabama . The Miller Purchasing facility is in
northern Mobile County, south of Mt . Vernon (Citronelle quadrangle), and the
Marion Oil facility is located in Theodore (Mobile quadrangle) . A11 of the
other oil,storage and refinery facilities are in the Mobile area along the
waterfront .
The companies and facilities involved in the processing and treatment,
liquid extraction, and transportation of natural gas in the study area are
111