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

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22 Texas 1000 ft 1500 ft 1 $T Louisiana $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T 15 $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T 12 16 $T $T $T $T$T $T $T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T$T $T $T $T $T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T$T $T$T $T$T $T $T $T $T$T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T 9 $T $T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T 13 3 6 $T $T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T$T$T $T $T $T$T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T $T$T 4 10 $T 2 7 $T 17 $T 14 $T $T 5 $T $T 5000 ft Western Planning Area 7500 ft 8 Louisiana 11 Mississippi Central Planning Area Alabama $T Deepwater discovery Grid EA completed Grid boundary 50 0 50 mi 50 0 50 km N Figure 13. Grid EA status.
Operators submit a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey plan as an integral part of an Exploration Plan (EP) or a Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD) that has a surface structure in one of the 18 grid areas. The MMS will notify an operator in the EP or DOCD approval letter if the operator needs to conduct the ROV survey. The decision to require the survey is based on whether or not the grid area that contains the proposed activities has already received adequate ROV-survey coverage. Figure 14 shows the location of existing ROV surveys. Exploration and development activities in deepwater may have localized impact on benthic communities. A description of these potential impacts is available in Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Operations and Activities: Environmental Assessment (USDOI, MMS, 2000). The MMS believes that sensitive benthic communities such as chemosynthetic communities are protected by the existing review process, relying on NTL’s and mitigative measures that require avoidance of sensitive communities. The ROV-monitoring surveys are intended to verify the effectiveness of mitigative measures and to ensure that previously unknown, high-value benthic communities do not exist in the vicinity of proposed activities. New information could lead to changes in the review process and in the mitigative measures required. The deepwater GOM has an amazing diversity of about 20 species of whales and dolphins (cetaceans), including the endangered sperm whale. Sperm whales are the deepest diving cetacean, routinely engaging in 45-to-60-minute dives while chasing prey (predominately large squid) in 2,300-3,300 ft (701-1,006 m) of water. Approximately 1,000 sperm whales can be found in the northern GOM. They are rarely seen in less than 2,300 ft (701 m) of water, and most likely are found at about 3,300-ft (1,006-m) water depths. Although the whales move throughout the deeper Gulf, one preferred area is off the Mississippi River delta – an area with considerable oil and gas activity. Sperm whales, like the majority of cetaceans, depend more on hearing than on vision to navigate, communicate, and find food. They have complex sound-producing organs and equally complex soundreception and sound-processing capabilities. Since airguns create intense sound waves, there is concern that seismic surveys could damage whales’ hearing or interfere with their communications and biological sonar. To date, there are no definitive data demonstrating the effect that airguns have on sperm whales and other cetaceans. However, preliminary findings from ongoing studies suggest that sperm whales do not react to moderate levels of airgun exposure. To mitigate potential impacts, MMS has engaged in a precautionary approach to regulating seismic operations. New rules require seismic vessels to • start airgun operations during daylight hours only, • ramp up airguns slowly when operations begin, • visually monitor for sperm whales within a 1,640-ft (500-m) radius, and • halt airgun operations if sperm whales are seen within a 1,640-ft (500-m) radius. OCEAN CURRENT MONITORING The most energetic currents in the Gulf of Mexico are created by the Loop Current, which moves from the Caribbean Sea into the eastern part of the Gulf and exits between southern Florida and Cuba (figure 15). It affects the ocean from the surface to approximately 3,000-ft (914-m) water depth with varying speeds. Currents as high as 4 knots (kn) have been observed from the surface to 1,000-ft (305-m) water depths. These upper currents then taper off between 1,000- and 3,000-ft (305- and 914-m) depths. The Loop Current path may vary by hundreds of miles while the flow direction generally remains constant. Once it reaches its most northward position, a portion may break off and form an eddy current, a mass of clockwise-rotating water that traverses westward until it dissipates off the western coast of the Gulf. 23
Page 2 and 3: ON COVER - The cover features four
Page 5 and 6: Table of Contents Page PREFACE.....
Page 7 and 8: Figures Page Figure 1. The Gulf of
Page 9 and 10: Figures — continued Page Figure 5
Page 11: Tables Page Table 1 List of Deepwat
Page 15 and 16: INTRODUCTION The deepwater Gulf of
Page 17 and 18: BACKGROUND DEFINITIONS The GOM Oute
Page 19 and 20: EXPANDING FRONTIER When the origina
Page 21 and 22: 1992 - 1993 Louisiana Mississippi A
Page 23 and 24: 1992 - 2003 Texas Louisiana Mississ
Page 25 and 26: fffffffffffffffff 1500 ft Quaternar
Page 27 and 28: In addition to the traditional oil
Page 29 and 30: 15 Figure 8. Gas hydrates on the se
Page 33 and 34: 4,500 4,000 Number of Active Leases
Page 35: ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITY The extensiv
Page 39 and 40: 25 Figure 15. Loop and eddy current
Page 43 and 44: 29 Deepwater Discoveries $ #Y Texas
Page 45 and 46: 31 Texas ð PORT ARANSAS 1000 ft 15
Page 47 and 48: Louisiana Mississippi Alabama 33 Te
Page 49 and 50: Pipelines New pipelines Proposed pi
Page 51 and 52: LEASING Until the mid-1990's, leasi
Page 53 and 54: Number of Leases Bid On 600 500 400
Page 59 and 60: 2004 - 2005 (741 leases) Louisiana
Page 61 and 62: DRILLING AND DEVELOPMENT Deepwater
Page 63 and 64: 49 Figure 30. The Discoverer Deep S
Page 65 and 66: 51 Number of Wells Spudded 250 200
Page 67 and 68: 120 > 7,500 ft 107 108 100 5,000 -
Page 73 and 74: 180 160 Deepwater EP Deepwater DOCD
Page 75 and 76: 340 626 390 472 472 456 393 475 590
Page 77 and 78: Year of First Production Table 4 De
Page 79 and 80: Year of First Production Table 4 De
Page 81 and 82: A predominant workhorse of the GOM
Page 83 and 84: 3 Number Installed 2 1 0 2004 69 TL
Page 85 and 86: Flow lines to host platform Subsea
Page 87 and 88:
140 131 120 100 78 Number of Wells
Page 89 and 90:
RESERVES AND PRODUCTION The deepwat
Page 91 and 92:
77 Million Barrels of Oil Equivalen
Page 93 and 94:
18 16 14 12 10 8 Number of Fields 6
Page 95 and 96:
81 Million Barrels of Oil Equivalen
Page 97 and 98:
45,000 40,000 Million Barrels Oil E
Page 99 and 100:
1992-1993 1994-1995 1996-1997 Lease
Page 101 and 102:
S hallo w- wa ter GOM 11% Deepwater
Page 103 and 104:
1,200,000 1,000,000 Total productio
Page 105 and 106:
1,100,000 1,000,000 Subsea oil Tota
Page 107 and 108:
900,000 800,000 Majors Nonmajors 70
Page 109 and 110:
45,000 40,000 Max oil rate 1,000-1,
Page 111 and 112:
4,000 3,500 Shallow water Deepwater
Page 113 and 114:
Texas Auger Louisiana SS182 Troika
Page 115 and 116:
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS This report
Page 117 and 118:
2,500 Number of leases Average U.S.
Page 119 and 120:
Number of Years 14 12 leas es in p
Page 121 and 122:
data for this analysis include only
Page 123 and 124:
80 2500 70 60 Number of leases dril
Page 125 and 126:
4,500 4,000 3,500 Leases tested Lea
Page 127:
• Nonmajor companies have made mo
Page 131:
REFERENCES Bascle, B. J., L. D. Nix
Page 134 and 135:
Project Name Area/Block Water Depth
Page 136 and 137:
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 142 and 143:
Page 144 and 145:
Page 146 and 147:
Sale Number Sale Location Sale Date
Page 148 and 149:
Completed Studies [MMS Study Number
Page 150 and 151:
Group Name Company Name MMS Number
Page 152 and 153:
Group Name Company Name MMS Number
Page 154 and 155:
Appendix G. Subsea Completions. Are
Page 156 and 157:
Area Block API Number Operator Comp
Page 158 and 159:
Area Block API Number Operator 144
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Page 162 and 163:
Page 164 and 165:
Year Shallowwater Oil (MBOPD) Deepw
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