The NewsRoom
Release: #4049
Date: November 10, 2009

Tropical Storm Ida Activity Statistics Update – November 10, 2009

Minerals Management Service monitors activities through its Continuity of Operations Plan

NEW ORLEANS — Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are reboarding platforms and rigs and restoring production following Tropical Storm Ida.  The Minerals Management Service’s Continuity of Operations Plan team is monitoring the operators’ activities.  This team will be activated until operations return to normal.

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CST today, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 158 production platforms, equivalent to 22.8 % of the 694 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.  Production platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and natural gas are produced.  These structures remain in the same location throughout a project’s duration unlike drilling rigs which typically move from location to location.

Personnel from 10 rigs have also been evacuated; this is equivalent to 15.2 % of the 66 rigs currently operating in the Gulf.   Rigs can include several types of self-contained offshore drilling facilities including jackups, submersibles and semisubmersibles.

From the operators’ reports, it is estimated that approximately 43.09 % of the oil production in the Gulf has been shut-in.  It is also estimated that approximately 27.96 % of the natural gas production in the Gulf has been shut-in.  Estimated energy production from the Gulf of Mexico as of March 2009 is 1.3 million barrels of oil per day and 7.0 billion cubic feet of gas per day.  The increase in the shut-in amounts is due to inaccurate reporting by an operator.

As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the shut-in procedure, which can also be accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing the safety valves located below the surface of the ocean to prevent the release of oil or gas. During the recent hurricane seasons, the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the time, efficiently closing 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.

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 what the operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in production figures therefore are estimates, which the MMS 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. The MMS will continue to update the evacuation and shut-in statistics at 2:00 p.m. EST each day until these statistics are no longer significant.

This survey information is reflective of 43 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CDT.

News Media Contact:
    MMS Public Affairs Gulf   504-736-2595

MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for America
U.S. Department of the Interior

Last Updated: 09/17/2010, 05:10 PM Central Time