Gulf Of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf News

National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito has said that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issue of a Notice to Lessees (NTL) with recommended restrictions on ongoing industry activities within the expanded Rice's Whale habitat area imposes “unwarranted restrictions on U.S. energy production at a time of continued inflation with prices rising at the pump for consumers.”With likely fewer than 100 individuals remaining, Rice's whales are one of the most endangered whales in the world.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper today announced Mike Celata as the Regional Director of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Region. Celata, who starts his position immediately, has been with BOEM and its predecessors since 1988. He has been acting Regional Director since March. The Gulf of Mexico Region is responsible for managing more than 4,600 active leases over 25 million acres of land on the OCS. “Mike has many years of service with the agency, working on aspects of the OCS energy program and on regional and national ocean policy initiatives,” said BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper. After receiving a B.A.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), announces the availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed Central Planning Area (CPA) Lease Sales 241 and 247 and Eastern Planning Area (EPA) Lease Sale 226. The proposed CPA oil and gas lease sales are tentatively scheduled to be held in March 2016 and 2017, respectively, and the proposed EPA Lease Sale 226 is tentatively scheduled to be held in March 2016 under the Proposed Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program:  2012-2017.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is preparing a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed Central Planning Area (CPA) lease sales beginning with Lease Sale 235 in the Gulf of Mexico off the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Sale 235 is scheduled to be held in 2015. The study will also cover CPA lease sales 241 and 247, to be held in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The supplemental EIS will update the environmental and socioeconomic analyses completed in July 2012 and in April 2013. The supplemental EIS will consider possible new circumstances and information arising from, among other things, the Deepwater Horizon explosion, oil spill and response.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued guidance to oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) extending existing guidance on how to conduct archaeological resources surveys and prepare archaeological reports, and adding certain additional areas for examination based on new information about the likely location of historical resources. “There are more than 2,100 historic shipwrecks in the Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico…

The offshore energy industry continues to show interest in the Gulf of Mexico’s Outer Continental Shelf, with 67 companies submitting 642 bids on 468 tracts that are being offered offshore Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in tomorrow’s Minerals Management Service Central Gulf Sale 213. “The industry’s interest in tomorrow’s Central Gulf oil and gas lease sale demonstrates the importance of the deepwater Gulf to future energy development” said MMS Gulf of Mexico Regional Director Lars Herbst, who presided over the lease sale in the New Orleans Superdome. A total of 295 tracts in water depths greater than 1,300 ft received bids. The sealed were opened and publicly read at the sale. The high bidder for each tract will have its bid analyzed for fair market value before the lease is awarded.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the Department will hold an oil and natural gas lease sale for the Central Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf that will offer nearly 36 million acres and could produce up to 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 5.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. “As we build a comprehensive energy strategy for our nation, we are moving ahead both with environmentally-responsible renewable energy development on public lands and appropriate oil and natural gas exploration and development onshore and offshore,” said Secretary Salazar. Interior’s Minerals Management Service has proposed that oil and gas Lease Sale 213 for the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area be held March 17, 2010.

Seatrials were completed by Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., on the first of four 145.5-ft. utility vessels under contract for Guilbeau Marine, Inc., Cut Off, La. Delivery of the Ms. Caroline was August 24, 2001, and the second boat, Mr. Chad is scheduled for delivery in late September 2001. The boats are named in honor of Caroline Guilbeau, granddaughter of owner Anthony "Noonie" Guilbeau, Jr. and Chad Guilbeau, office manager of the company. "Older utility boats in the 110 to 125 ft. range are becoming obsolete," said Chad Guilbeau, "and this new Bollinger 145 ft. design is ideal for working the shallower waters of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf because of their size, versatility and maneuverability.

Not only did most oil producing companies post increased income and revenues in the first quarter 2000, compared to 1999, but in some cases, the increases were record-setting. In fact, Conoco's first quarter was the best quarter in the company's 125-year history. Here is a capsulated report of several companies' earnings. USX-Marathon Group's net income adjusted for special items was $199 million in first quarter 2000, compared with a net loss adjusted for special items of $11 million in first quarter 1999. The Marathon Group recorded first quarter 2000 net income of $254 million, which included a $55 million favorable aftertax gain on the sale of its 33.34 percent interest in the Angus/Stellaria development in the Gulf of Mexico. Net income in first quarter 1999 was $119 million.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico Region, released new oil and gas daily production rate projections that encompass the year 2006. According to the new report, Daily Oil and Gas Production Rate Projections From 2002 Through 2006, Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf, MMS is forecasting a daily oil production rate of between 2.00 and 2.47 million barrels by the end of 2006, and a daily gas production rate of between 10.97 and 16.39 billion cu. ft. by the end of the same year. These represent high case and low case estimates. MMS Director Johnnie Burton called the new projections "a healthy, sizeable increase in the range of possible oil production.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico Region, released new oil and gas daily production rate projections that encompass the year 2006. According to the new report, Daily Oil and Gas Production Rate Projections From 2002 Through 2006, Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf, MMS is forecasting a daily oil production rate of between 2.00 and 2.47 million barrels by the end of 2006, and a daily gas production rate of between 10.97 and 16.39 billion cu. ft. by the end of the same year. These represent high case and low case estimates. MMS Director Johnnie Burton called the new projections "a healthy, sizeable increase in the range of possible oil production.

The federal Mineral Management Service named Lars Herbst the new regional director of the agency’s Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Region. Herbst will manage the leasing of OCS lands off five Gulf Coast states for oil, gas and other mineral development. The region includes more than 7,000 leases, which involve more than 4,000 platforms. A staff engineer with MMS since 1983, Herbst has previously served as district manager of the New Orleans district, deputy regional supervisor and regional supervisor of field operations.

Seatrials have successfully been completed by Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., on the first of four 145.5-ft. utility vessels under contract for Guilbeau Marine, Inc., Cut Off, La. Delivery of the Ms. Caroline was August 24, 2001, and the second boat, Mr. Chad is scheduled for delivery in late September 2001. The boats are named in honor of Caroline Guilbeau, granddaughter of owner Anthony "Noonie" Guilbeau, Jr. and Chad Guilbeau, office manager of the company. "Older utility boats in the 110 foot to 125 foot range are becoming obsolete," said Chad Guilbeau, "and this new Bollinger 145 foot design is ideal for working the shallower waters of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf because of their size, versatility and maneuverability.

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS), deepwater drilling (1,000 ft. and deeper) shows the greatest potential of development, and certainly has garnered the attention (as well as the E&P dollars) of offshore oil production industry leaders. By yearend 2003, the MMS estimates as much as 63 percent of the oil production and 29 percent of the daily gas production will come from deepwater reserves. In August of 1998 there were 30 (temporary and permanent) deepwater rigs drilling simultaneously in the Gulf of Mexico's Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), at depths greater than this. The proliferation of deepwater development projects will likely continue to grow…