Mcmoran Exploration Co News

Industry consortium wants to utilize McMoRan’s Main Pass Energy Hub™ (MPEH™) as a potential deepwater port facility. United LNG, LP, and Freeport-McMoRan Energy LLC (FME), a subsidiary of McMoRan Exploration Co, are engaged in efforts to utilize McMoRan’s Main Pass Energy Hub™ (MPEH™) as a potential Deepwater Port facility to receive, store, condition, and liquefy domestic natural gas for export as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Natural gas would be received by pipeline at MPEH™, processed, and then transferred to on-site floating vessels for liquefaction and offloading to LNG transport vessels for export to foreign locations. On January 4…

McMoRan Exploration Co. and Halliburton Company have announced the formation of a strategic alliance to conduct operations for McMoRan's recently announced major new oil and gas exploration and development program in the Gulf of Mexico. As previously announced, McMoRan has acquired from Texaco Exploration and Production the right to explore 89 oil and gas tracts and McMoRan purchased Shell Offshore Inc.'s, interest in 56 exploratory leases, all in the Gulf of Mexico. These two transactions, together with its current lease inventory, provide McMoRan exploratory rights to 160 blocks covering approximately 750,000 gross acres and the foundation for an aggressive exploration and development program.

McMoRan Exploration Co. has completed a successful production test at its Flatrock discovery located in the South Marsh Island section of the Gulf of Mexico. According to the company, the production test found a gross flow rate of about 71 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Production is expected to begin at the well by the end of the year.

Gulf of Mexico vessels carrying natural gas spend time and money rumbling up canals and through ports before reaching a terminal to process the cargo — a cost ultimately paid by the consumer. New Orleans-based McMoRan Exploration Co. recently received federal approval to build a $1b liquefied natural gas terminal 16 miles east of the Mississippi River capable of processing 10 percent of the nation’s daily demand of 31 billion cubic feet. Once complete in three years, the facility will cool natural gas to a fraction of its normal size to allow for transfer of bigger loads at cheaper prices as much as 7 cents to 20 cents per 1,000 cubic feet, said a spokesman for McMoRan.

McMoRan Exploration Co. said MarAd approved McMoRan's license application for its Main Pass Energy Hub(TM) (MPEH(TM)) project. MARAD concluded in the Record of Decision that construction and operation of MPEH(TM) deepwater port will be in the national interest and consistent with national security and other national policy goals and objectives, including energy sufficiency and environmental quality. a vital role in meeting national energy requirements for many years to come and that the port's offshore deepwater location will help reduce congestion and enhance safety in receiving LNG cargoes to the U.S. MARAD's approval and issuance of the Deepwater Port license for MPEH(TM) is subject to various terms…

Petroleum producer McMoRan Exploration Co. has received final approval for a $1 b liquefied natural gas project off Louisiana's coast, including storage caverns in an offshore salt dome, the company announced Thursday. The go-ahead from MarAd was the last needed for the Main Pass Energy Hub, sources said. The record accompanying the decision was 46 pages long and outlines requirements that will be put into the license. The facility will handle imported natural gas that has been liquefied in order to take up less space and be more easily transported by tankers. In the LNG process, natural gas is chilled to -256 degrees Fahrenheit, turning it from a gas to a liquid, and moved into heavily insulated storage tanks.

McMoRan Exploration Co. announced the publication of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact by the United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard) and the Maritime Administration (MarAd) for the Main Pass Energy Hub (MPEH) LNG license application. The Coast Guard issued a public notice on September 19, 2006, establishing a timeline for a record of decision on the project, including public hearings to be held during the week of October 2, 2006. Comments on the application, including from the Governors of adjacent coastal states (Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama), are required by November 20, 2006, and a record of decision would be issued by January 3, 2007.

Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Co. is one step closer to obtaining a deep port license to regasify one billion cu. ft. of natural gas per day at one of its former offshore sulfur mines. The U.S. Coast Guard all but approved the request, citing “sufficient information” to continue processing the application. Once approved, McMoRan’s former $1b offshore sulfur mines will receive a $450m facelift to convert the platforms to regasify liquefied natural gas and then ship it to onshore pipelines. McMoRan amended its license application with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration May 31 to obtain approval of its Main Pass Energy Hub project using closed loop technology.

McMoRan Exploration Co. has received correspondence from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the remaining steps to be completed to obtain a Deepwater Port License for its Main Pass Energy Hub (MPEHTM) project. This information confirms McMoRan's expectation that the work completed to date will enable an expeditious processing of our license application. McMoRan submitted an amendment to its license application with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) on May 31 to obtain approval of its Main Pass Energy Hub project using Closed Loop technology. On July 21, the Coast Guard advised McMoRan that the information provided…

Gov. Kathleen Blanco late on May 5 vetoed a proposed offshore natural gas port over concerns that fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico could be harmed. Blanco had until May 7 to file any objections to a proposed federal license for the Main Pass Energy Hub, a liquefied natural gas terminal being sought by Freeport McMoRan Energy LLC, a subsidiary of New Orleans-based McMoRan Exploration Co. "Until studies demonstrate that the operation of the open rack vaporizer will not have an unacceptable impact on the surrounding ecosystem, I will only support LNG terminals using a closed loop system having negligible impacts to marine life," Blanco said in a letter sent on May 5 to Julie A. Nelson, acting deputy maritime administrator and chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

McMoRan Exploration Co. and Halliburton Company have announced the formation of a strategic alliance to conduct operations for McMoRan's recently announced major new oil and gas exploration and development program in the Gulf of Mexico. McMoRan has recently acquired 160 blocks covering approximately 750,000 gross acres in the Gulf of Mexico with exploratory rights and the foundation for an aggressive exploration and development program. Chase Securities Inc. assisted McMoRan in forming this alliance, and will arrange a $50 million bank facility for McMoRan's use in funding the exploration program. Additionally, Halliburton will have the opportunity to participate in McMoRan's development opportunities in this program by providing a portion of the development financing.

A contract for the construction of a deepwater construction vessel was signed by Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc., and Torch, Inc. The Guido Perla & Associates-designed 340 x 85 x 31 ft. M/V Midnight Warrior is a current generation construction vessel, equipped to provide offshore flowline installation, offshore umbilical installation and subsea construction and is capable of worldwide operations. Midnight Warrior is to be ABS-classed, Maltese Cross A1, Maltese Cross AMS, DP-2 Circle E for unlimited international service. The 15,000 hp vessel will be diesel electric, SCR, with three 3,000 hp azimuthing thrusters on the stern and two 2,000 hp tunnel thrusters in the bow. The U.S.

Texaco and McMoRan Exploration Co. have signed an agreement granting McMoRan the right to explore all or parts of 90 of Texaco's Gulf of Mexico tracts in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), including seven leases in state waters of Louisiana. The tracts encompass a total of 391,349 gross acres and are located in water depths ranging from 10 to 2,600 ft. In addition to approximately 400 unexplored deepwater blocks in the OCS, Texaco retains its ongoing shelf producing operations as well as certain development zones not included in the agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, McMoRan will commit in excess of $100 million for exploration drilling over the next four years.