Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 2004: America's Expanding ... - OCS BBS

Figure 68a shows that the average deepwater oil completion currently produces at 20 times the rate
of the average shallow water (less than 1,000 ft [305 m]) oil completion. The average deepwater gas
completion currently produces at 8 times the rate of the average shallow-water gas completion
(figure 68b). Deepwater oil production rates increased rapidly from 1996 through 2000 and
remained steady since that time. Deepwater gas production rates rose from 1996 to mid-1997 and
then stabilized at the current high rates.
Two trends are readily apparent in figures 69a-b. First, average oil and gas production rates per well
are increasing and, secondly, production rates are declining from their peaks more rapidly in recent
years. These figures plot monthly average oil and gas production rates for all wells completed in a
specific year. For example, in figure 69a, the 1992 line represents oil well production for oil wells
completed in 1992 divided by the number of oil wells completed in that year. The 1992 line tracks
production from these completions in successive years.
Figures 70a (oil) and 70b (gas) compare maximum historical production rates for each lease in the
GOM, i.e., the well with the highest historical production rate is shown for each lease. These maps
show that many deepwater fields produce at some of the highest rates encountered in the GOM.
Figure 70a also shows that maximum oil rates were significantly higher off the southeast Louisiana
coast than off the Texas coast. Figure 70b illustrates the high deepwater gas production rates relative
to the rest of the GOM. Note also the excellent production rates from the Norphlet trend (off the
Alabama coast) and the Corsair trend (off the Texas coast).
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