Giant

Tools for 

Exploring

the Deep

Moving

Into

Deepwater

Deepwater

Communities

Na Kika –

Challenge &

Innovation

Artificial

Deepwater

Reefs

Giant

Tools for 

Exploring

the Deep

Moving

Into

Deepwater

Deepwater

Communities

Na Kika –

Challenge &

Innovation

Artificial

Deepwater

Reefs

MMS

SCIENCE

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2 

MARCH/APRIL 2004

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE
2 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

MARCH/APRIL 2004 Volume 1 Issue 2

3 Drillships – Giant Tools for 

Exploring the Deep

4 Moving Into Deepwater

The Challenges of Development 

in the Gulf of Mexico

6 Density & Diversity

Exploring the Communities of 

Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

8 Na Kika

Bringing Challenge & Innovation 

to the Gulf of Mexico

10 Past, Present & Future

Deepwater Points of Interest

Deepwater Program

Extended-Reach Drilling

Oil and Gas Milestones

Gas Hydrates

Platform Size – Coming Into View

12 New Waves

Late-breaking News & Information

For more information about the Minerals Management Service, 

check out our site on the World Wide Web:

www.mms.gov

Subscribe

To receive MMS OCEAN SCIENCE, sign up on the website

www.gomr.mms.gov, click on e-mail subscriptions on the left hand

column, check the box marked Environmental Studies or e-mail

mary.boatman@mms.gov or call (504) 736-2781

MARCH/APRIL 2004 

Volume 1 Issue 2

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE is published 

bi-monthly by the Minerals

Management Service to communicate

recent ocean science and technological

information and issues of interest related

to offshore mineral recovery, ocean

stewardship, and mineral revenues.

Please address all questions,

comments, suggestions, and changes

of address to:

Mary Boatman

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Editor

Minerals Management Service

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

mary.boatman@mms.gov

(504) 736-2781

ABOUT THE COVER

Top: The drillship Discoverer Deep Seas.

Photo courtesy of Transocean.

Bottom: An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

(AUV) used for exploring the seafloor.

Photo courtesy of C&C Technologies.

All photos courtesy of Minerals Management Service

unless otherwise noted.

Publication services provided by 

Schatz Publishing Group

MMS

SCIENCE
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2004 3

Left: Artist rendition of a drillship showing the riser and

connection to the blowout preventer at the seafloor.

Below left: Autonomous underwater vehicle used to

explore the seafloor. Photo courtesy of C&C

Technologies. Below right: Deepwater blowout preventer

(BOP). Below: Remotely operated vehicle used for

installing BOPs and repairing equipment at depth.

strong currents, high water pressure, and

cold temperatures. 

Among the vital equipment on any

drill rig is a blowout preventer (BOP),

which secures the well in case of a

blowout and serves as a method to

relieve well pressure. The BOPs are rated

according to the depth of water they can

withstand and the amount of pressure

they can hold back (typically 10,000 to

15,000 pounds per square inch). For

deepwater drilling, the BOP attaches to

the wellhead on the seafloor and is

computer controlled through cables run

from the surface. The BOPs may be as

tall as 45 feet and weigh as much as

640,000 pounds.

The drilling riser provides a way for

drilling fluids and cuttings to return

from the wellhead to the surface. The

riser is constructed of 75-foot lengths of

21-inch diameter pipe. The risers connect

the drilling ship itself to the BOP which,

in turn, is attached to the wellhead.

Drilling mud is used to lubricate the

drill bit, to keep the formation fluids

from entering the wellbore, and to

circulate out cuttings to the surface. The

weight of the mud has to be sufficient to

keep formation fluids from entering the

As exploration activities extend

farther into the deepwater Gulf

of Mexico, industry is finding

new technologies to reach the oil and

gas resources lying beneath the ocean

floor. The most impressive of these new

technologies are the giants of the sea –

deepwater drillships.

In November 2003, ChevronTexaco,

using Transocean’s Discoverer Deep Seas

drillship, set a new world water-depth

record for drilling in 10,011 feet of water.

How deep is that? Imagine stacking the

world’s nine tallest buildings top to

bottom from the Petronas Tower to the

Empire State Building. You would still be

over 500 feet short of the record. 

The Discoverer Deep Seas is a drillship

of amazing complexity; it is almost as

tall as the length of a football field and

nearly as long as three fields placed end

zone to end zone. This massive drillship

is constructed with more than 75

million pounds of steel...equal to the

weight of over 1,300 empty flatbed

railcars!

To drill in the deepwater Gulf

successfully, the ship must use special

tools that allow safe drilling despite

wellbore but not so heavy that the rock

fractures and the circulation is lost.

A riser tensioner system consisting of

giant hydraulic cylinders is used to help

support the weight of the drilling riser,

the drilling fluid it holds, and the BOP.

Drilling in deepwater is never easy,

and the deeper you drill, the more

difficult it becomes. The potential risks

include oil spills, worker accidents, and

effects on the surrounding environment.

These giant drillships are helping to

minimize or eliminate the risks by using

innovative new safety and exploration

tools or improved versions of old, “tried

and true” ones. Who will set the next

record for deepwater drilling? That is

unknown, but what is known is that the

drilling will be as safe and

environmentally responsible as industry

and MMS can possibly make it!

FOR EXPLORING

THE

DEEP

DRILLSHIPS

GIANT

TOOLS

Photo courtesy of C&C Technologies
4 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

T

he typical shallow-water oil

well produces 100 barrels of

oil a day, but deepwater

(greater than 1,000 feet

deep) wells are producing

30,000 barrels in the same

period! With such high recovery

amounts, why hasn’t the deepwater Gulf

of Mexico been developed long before

now? The answer lies in a complex

combination of economic,

environmental, informational, and

technological challenges.

In the early 1970s and 1980s, the

Minerals Management Service (MMS)

limited the size and location of offshore

leases. However, concern about

dependence on foreign oil prompted the

Government to rethink its leasing

policies. Although the policies were

relaxed, the 1986 oil price bust led to

reduced exploration and leasing activity.

It was not curtailed for long, however. In

1987, Shell’s discovery in the Auger field

opened industry eyes to the amount of

oil lying under the Gulf. But the costs of

exploration and the necessary

infrastructure for development in the

deepwater Gulf can be enormous.

Congress recognized that economic

incentives were vital to future expansion.

The Deep Water Royalty Relief Act

(DWRRA), passed in 1995, provided

royalty relief in specific water depths.

According to MMS statistics, as a result of

the DWRRA, the percentage of deepwater

leases rose from 17% of the total leases

in 1994 to 70% in 1997. The expansion

in deepwater activity was led by several

factors including royalty relief and

advances in technology.

Increased interest in deepwater

leasing and exploration was

accompanied by a greater awareness of

the need to know more about the

marine environment before deepwater

exploration moved full speed ahead. It

soon became clear that the job of

studying and protecting the environment

needed the input of both MMS and

other stakeholders. So, MMS enlisted the

help of academia and industry by

UNIQUE CHALLENGES

Deepwater exploratory wells for oil and gas can cost $25 to $40 million per

well, and it is not unusual for that cost to quickly rise to $80 or even

$100 million because of delays and other issues. With limited budgets,

the operators are looking for ways to cut costs without increasing risk.

One example of this scenario occurred during a ChevronTexaco project.

ChevronTexaco hired the Transocean drill ship Discoverer Deep Seas under a longterm contract. Upon completion of the Toledo Project, ChevronTexaco planned

to drill the Tiger Prospect with the Discoverer Deep Seas at a location only 9 miles

away. While drilling the Toledo, ChevronTexaco approached the MMS with a

plan to cut several days from their drilling plan.

The deployment of the riser and the blowout preventer (BOP) system takes up to

two and a half days to complete, as does their retrieval. Each of these five days in

the drilling schedule cost ChevronTexaco approximately $400,000 for the rig and

for hiring specialty personnel. After analyzing the effects and costs of pulling the

riser to surface, ChevronTexaco and Transocean proposed to pick the BOP 2,000

feet off the bottom and sail slowly to the Tiger field. Oceanographers were

consulted and further analysis was performed to determine the effects of the

currents and the additional loads from the travel on the riser system. A safe

transit speed was calculated on the basis of the analysis. The MMS approved the

procedure and the move was successfully made, saving over $1 million. 

Above: The submarine Johnson Sea-Link. Photo by

Gregory S. Boland.

holding a workshop. Together

they compiled a list of the

information they felt was vital

to ensure the protection of the

environment and the safety of

workers.

Four priorities for study were

identified by MMS and its academic and

industry partners:

1. Characterize the rates and effects

of deepwater blowouts or

pipeline leaks.

2. Initiate a Gulfwide study of the

ecology of deepsea life.

3. Undertake intensive observations

of the currents in the deep Gulf.

4. Analyze the socioeconomic

effects of deepwater development

and exploration on ports and

coastal facilities.

Studies addressing each priority were

initiated and continue to add to a

database of scientific and environmental

information that will guide future

exploration and leasing plans.

Exploring and developing the deepwater Gulf is not only an environmental

challenge, it is a technological challenge.

Not only are developers drilling deeper

than ever before, but they are drilling in

relatively high-speed currents, among

newly discovered animal communities

and atop salt layers that can inhibit

seismic data gathering. New advances in

technology and exploration methods are

happening almost daily and the volume

of regulatory oversight concerning their

implementation is growing with them. 

Because technology is advancing so

rapidly, the industry saw the need for

greater flexibility and speed in the

approval process. To meet this challenge,

MMS developed a Deep Water

Operations Plan (DWOP) process to

THE CHALLENGES OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO MOVING INTO

DEEPWATER
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2004 5

...exploration was accompanied by a greater awareness of the need to know

more about the marine environment in the Gulf...

FOROR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION

ON DEEPWAATER TER DEVELOPMENT EVELOPMENT:

Deepwater Development: A

Reference Document for the

Deepwater Environmental

Assessment, Gulf of Mexico OCS

(1998 through 2007) 

(MMS Publication 2000-015)

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/whatsnew/publicat/

gomr/00015.pdf

Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 2002:

America’s Expanding Frontier

(MMS Publication 2002-021)

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/whatsnew/techann/

2002-021.pdf

Deepwater Research by MMS’

Technical Assessment and 

Research Program

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

tarprojectcategories/

deepwate.htm

Above: A deep-sea crab, Rochinia crassa. Long

appendages are considered by some as a deep-sea

adaptation to prevent sinking into soft oozes. 

Photo by Gregory S. Boland.

Above: A blowout preventer (BOP) used for deepwater drilling projects. Note the man standing on the top.

provide a means by which industry can

learn, well in advance of significant

spending, if new methods of development and production are acceptable to

MMS. In many cases, custom designs are

being developed, employing new space

age materials and unique operating

characteristics, all of which need to be

independently verified by MMS through

the Technical Assessment and Research

Program, ensuring safety of operations

and protection of the environment.

At present, there are more than 90 oil

and gas discoveries in the deepwater Gulf

of Mexico. A wide-ranging strategy for

exploring and developing deepwater and

ultra deepwater (greater than 5,000 feet)

in the Gulf of Mexico has been

developed and continues to be updated

by MMS, industry, and academia to

protect both workers and the

environment. Encouraging development

while protecting the environment,

improving the identification of our

Nation’s resources, and protecting the

safety of its citizens are the challenges of

deepwater. And as we move even deeper,

the challenges will continue to grow –

and so will the rewards.
T he Gulf of Mexico is 12,000

feet deep at its deepest point.

Life at that depth must be

able to survive harsh

conditions. Yet, even in these

seemingly inhospitable environs, animal

communities thrive. And we are just

beginning to understand the extraordinary diversity that inhabits the depths.

There are two general categories of

benthic (bottom-dwelling) communities

in the Gulf: those that live in or on soft

sediments, which allow the animal to

burrow and hide, and those that attach

themselves to the hard surfaces on the

bottom(such as coral or sponges). But in

either category, the communities

confront cold temperatures, tremendous

water pressure, and a lack of light and

food.

The surface waters of the Gulf are

warmed by sunlight and air temperature.

But as one travels deeper into the depths,

the water becomes colder – eventually

reaching a temperature of approximately

39 degrees F. at around 3,300 feet. Below

that depth, the water temperature

remains roughly the same. 

A man standing on the shore of the

Gulf will experience 14.7 pounds of

pressure per square inch (called one

atmosphere). But as he descends below

the water, he experiences an increase of

approximately one atmosphere for every

33 feet he descends. According to

industry, the deepest recorded dive by an

unassisted skin diver is 60 meters (197

feet). The deepest recorded dive by a

scuba diver is 313 meters (1,027 feet).

But benthic communities can

survive even at the deepest

part of the world’s oceans at

36,000 feet.

The Gulf food chain

begins at the water’s surface.

Small animals known as

zooplankton graze on singlecelled plants called

phytoplankton, which

produce their own food

through photosynthesis.

Zooplankton are eaten by

small fish, which are eaten by

larger fish. The leftover

biological waste and digested

food will sink to the bottom

and has been described as an

“organic rain.” But despite

the “rain,” the benthic

communities that dwell in

sediment layers exist in an

energy-poor environment.

The majority of animals in

the deepwater Gulf feed by

straining the water, sweeping

sediments, or scavenging for

decaying bits of organic

matter. The exception is the

Gulf’s chemosynthetic

communities.

Despite the total absence

of light, chemosynthetic communities

thrive in the Gulf. They live on dissolved

gases through a symbiotic relationship

with specialized bacteria living in their

tissues. 

Research sponsored by MMS has

identified four major types of

chemosynthetic communities: tube

worms, mussels, large clams living on

the surface, and small clams living

6 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

A chemosynthetic mussel bed (top) and a chemosynthetic assemblage of clams (above) living in the

vicinity of hydrocarbons seeping from the bottom. Note

how sharply defined is the boundary between the mussel

bed and the surrounding soft bottom. Deep-sea images

by Gregory S. Boland.

EXPLORING THE COMMUNITIES OF DEEPWATER GULF OF MEXICO DENSITY & DIVERSITY

Deep-sea images by Gregory S. Boland Deep-sea images by Gregory S. Boland

Fishes of the Deep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deep-sea images by Gregory S. Boland 

Ray Scorpion Fish Hake
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2004 7

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION ON DEEPWAATER TER COMMUNITIES OMMUNITIES:

Characterization of Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Hard Bottom Communities

with Emphasis on Lophelia Coral (GM-03-02)

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/ongoing_studies/gm/

GM-03-02.html

Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope Habitats and Benthic Ecology

(MMS Publication 2002-063)

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/studies/2002/2002-063.pdf

Stability and Change in Gulf of Mexico Chemosynthetic Communities 

(MMS Publication 2002-035)

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/studies/2002/2002-035.pdf

benthic communities will enable MMS

to make better decisions to protect the

density and diversity of each community. 

beneath the mud. All of them use

symbiotic bacteria to convert dissolved

methane or sulfide into a carbon food

source. These animals, which exist

around hydrocarbon seeps, create new

habitat that attracts other snails, fishes,

worms, sea stars, shrimp, and crabs. The

result? A greater biomass than that of the

surrounding seafloor. 

What effect does oil and gas

exploration have on these diverse animal

communities? All indications thus far are

positive and it appears that energy

production in the Gulf has not harmed

these communities at all. Before

exploration is done in the deep Gulf, a

special environmental review is

undertaken to determine its potential

effect on any nearby sensitive biological

communities. Even areas that have the

possibility of harboring chemosynthetic

communities are avoided. To learn more

about where these unique communities

exist, new studies are underway to foster

better understanding of the fragility or

robustness of deep-sea marine life. A

more complete knowledge of these

Above left and above: Deepwater Lophelia coral in

dense thickets located less than 55 miles east of the

Mississippi River delta. Photos courtesy of Harry

Roberts/LSU.

Photos courtesy of Harry Roberts/LSU.

Invertebrates of the Deep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deep-sea images by Gregory S. Boland

Sponge Anemone Squid
8 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

ARMS SPREAD 

THROUGH DEEPWATER

NA KIKA

BRINGING CHALLENGE & INNOVATION TO THE GULF OF MEXICO

As improvements in

exploration and

scientific techniques

advance and our energy

needs continue to

increase, the economic

development of resources in the Gulf of

Mexico becomes more attractive for oil

and gas companies. The Minerals

Management Service (MMS), cognizant

of the costs, risks, and technological

challenges of deepwater development,

has attempted to ease the way for such

development while continuing to protect

the environmental health and safety of

the Gulf. One example of the

partnership of government and industry

bringing new technology to the Gulf is

the Na Kika project.

The Na Kika facility sits atop six

independent fields approximately 140

miles southeast of New Orleans in 5,800

to 7,600 feet of water. Located in

Mississippi Canyon Block 474, the

Kepler, Ariel, and Herschel fields are

primarily oil, while the Fourier and East

Anstey fields are primarily gas. It is

estimated that Na Kika will ultimately

recover 300 million barrels of oil at a

total project cost of $1.26 billion,

excluding lease costs. 

Appropriately named for the multiarmed octopus god of the Gilbert

Islands, Na Kika is the largest subsea

umbilical project in the world. Owned

jointly by Shell (responsible for the

design and installation) and BP

(responsible for production), the

permanently moored floating facility is

setting world records and achieving

technological firsts in the deepwater Gulf

of Mexico. It hit the deepest water depth

ever for a development well, installed the

first pipe-in-pipe risers in the world and

is the first deepwater subsea well with

three co-mingled reservoirs. 

Na Kika is an engineering marvel.

Reviewing all the technological

innovations that were necessary to

construct and operate the platform was

(and is) a daunting task.

Realizing the value of academia and

industry in helping it keep abreast of

those and other new innovations, MMS

Above: The Na Kika complex, tying six fields to a host

facility. Artist rendition courtesy of Shell Offshore

Companies.
has chosen to participate in DeepStar, an

industry consortium formed to address

the unique technological challenges

posed by deepwater exploration and

development. 

The partnership between DeepStar

and MMS has allowed participants to

address issues of concern and to

cooperate in finding answers to those

concerns without undue delays in

implementing innovative technology.

The goal of both organizations is to

meet safety and environmental

mandates while encouraging further

exploration and development in the Gulf

of Mexico. 

To that end, the Deepwater

Operations Plan (DWOP) was created to

address the technological challenges

associated with deepwater exploration

and development. The DWOP allows

developers to submit proposed new

technologies and methods ahead of time

so that they can

know whether these

new methods will

be acceptable to

MMS. It also allows

MMS and industry

to discuss possible

alternatives and

allows flexibility in

the encouragement

and implementation

of new ideas. The

MMS also works

with industry

through the

Offshore Operators

Committee (OOC), an industry

cooperative formed to address

operational issues in the Gulf of Mexico.

The use of a semisubmersible

floating platform such as Na Kika in the

Gulf was the subject of study by both

environmental and engineering

representatives. Their technological and

environmental concerns were raised after

the recent accident of P-36, a platform of

similar design that sank off Brazil in

2001. The results of the investigation in

the accident led to the determination

that P-36 sank as a result of a sequence

of events that began with the undue

pressure and subsequent rupture of a

drain tank. Before approving the

construction of Na Kika, MMS initiated

an extensive review of those events and

called for the creation and implementation of safeguards to ensure that a

similar incident would not occur in the

Gulf of Mexico. The developers of Na

Kika, Shell Oil and BP had initiated a

similar, thorough review.

As industry moves deeper into the

Gulf of Mexico, the challenge to balance

economic and development issues on

one hand and safety and environmental

concerns on the other will continue to

grow. But technological innovations 

and improved methods of exploration

that address those concerns are being

developed almost daily. And, as with the

Na Kika project, the cooperation

between MMS, academia, and industry

will make the move to deepwater both

economically and scientifically

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2004 9

Above: Na Kika semisubmersible platform, all 40,000

tons, being transported offshore. Photo courtesy of BP

Exploration & Production Inc.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Deepwater Operations 

Plan Guidelines

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/regs/

ntls/00-n06a2.pdf

A WELL BY ANY OTHER NAME –

NAMING DISCOVERIES IN THE GULF

What would you do if you wanted to talk about your great oil discovery

in the Gulf but you didn’t want anyone to know where it was? You’d

pick a nickname for your discovery! Perhaps you’d refer to your find

as Na Kika, or Bullwinkle, or even a racehorse. And how do you pick a name

for your new discovery? Just look at some of the current nicknames being used

in the Gulf – the possibilities are endless!

Mythological creatures are popular nicknames for platforms in the Gulf. Na

Kika, the largest subsea umbilical project in the world, is named for the multiarmed octopus god of the Gilbert Islands. Other projects named after

mythological creatures include Medusa, Ariel, Poseidon, or Triton.

Some names are descriptive pictures of the platform itself. Bullwinkle, the

name of the tall and lanky moose of cartoon fame, is appropriate for the

world’s tallest fixed platform. Other projects named after television characters

include Popeye, Rocky (Bullwinkle’s ever-present partner), Mad Dog, and King

Kong.

Other projects are named after powerful geologic structures such as the

Matterhorn or Devil’s Tower. Some are named for geographical areas like

Morpeth, Tahoe, Allegheny, Holstein, Camden Hills, Aspen, or Serrano. Seattle

Slew is named for a champion racehorse, and Balboa and Marco Polo are

named for famous explorers.

But the nicknames of some projects are not so easily classified! What

images do Arnold, Macaroni, Oregano, and Ladybug bring to mind? They may

just reflect the sense of humor of the company naming them!

Although MMS provides a system for the official names of fields and wells,

the nicknames chosen by oil and gas exploration companies remains a purely

creative and perhaps lighthearted aspect of the serious technical business of

exploration.
10 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE

DEEPWATER 

POINTS OF INTEREST

Deepwater Program

The Archaeological and Biological Analysis of World War II 

Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico: A Pilot Study of the Artificial Reef

Effect in Deepwater

The MMS has announced the funding of a pilot study to examine the

artificial reef effect of World War II shipwrecks in the deepwater region of

the Gulf of Mexico. This study is a joint partnership between MMS and

NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration, through the National Oceanographic

Partnership Program (NOPP), and is designed to conduct a biological and

archaeological investigation of seven World War II shipwrecks in water depths

ranging from 400 to 6,500 feet. 

The biological component of this study is intended to approach one basic

question: do man-made artificial structures or objects, i.e., shipwrecks, function

as artificial reefs in deepwater?

Although there is not yet a

complete understanding of how

artificial reefs function on the

continental shelf, particularly in the

photic zone above 100 meters (328

feet), it is generally accepted that

artificial reefs can serve a positive

function by the creation of new

hard-bottom habitat in areas where

hard-bottom is naturally lacking

(most of the Gulf of Mexico). 

The archaeological objective of

the study is to ground-truth,

document, positively identify, and

assess the National Register status of

seven wrecks sunk during World

War II. This objective will require

both historical research and field

investigation to be conducted for

each site.

Extended-Reach

Drilling in

Deepwater at

Platform Heritage

Platform Heritage stands in 1,075

feet of water in the Santa Barbara

Channel, a mere 8 miles off the coast of

California. Installed in 1989, this 60-

slot platform’s first production was from

the Pescado field. About 40 wells

(including sidetracks and redrills) have

been drilled to date

in the field,

producing from the

Monterey

formation heavy oil

reservoir and lighter

gravity oil

sandstone

formations, with

peak production at 62,000 barrels of oil

per day in 1995. ExxonMobil, the

operator, had originally planned a new

platform to develop the adjacent Sacate

field, but advanced drilling and

production technology eliminated this

need. Instead, they are developing the

Sacate field using extended-reach wells

from Platform Heritage. The longest

reach Sacate well has 21,277 feet of

horizontal displacement. Peak

production from the Sacate field was

approximately 10,000 barrels of oil per

day in 2001. Twelve extended-reach wells

have been drilled to date; extended-reach

drilling has proven to have less impact

on the environment than installing new

platforms and pipelines. Future wells are

in the planning stages as additional

reserves are identified. As with other

areas of the OCS, extended-reach wells

are providing access to greater resources

with fewer platforms. Both fields are part

of the Santa Ynez Unit, which

incorporates 16 leases and two other

platforms and associated pipelines.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Study Summary

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

ongoing_studies/

gm/GM-03-07.html

Past Foundation

Website: www.pastfoundation.org

NOPP

Website: www.nopp.org/

www.nopp.org/iDune

Download.dll?GetFile?

AppId=103&FileID=

255534&Anchor=&ext=.pdf

NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration

Website: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/

Right:

The oil tanker 

David McKelvy 

shortly after being

torpedoed by the 

U-506, 

May 13, 1942.
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2004 11

Gas Hydrates:

Ice That Burns 

Gas hydrates are naturally

occurring ice-like solids in

which water molecules

trap gas molecules in a cage-like

structure known as a clathrate. 

Gas hydrate looks very much like

ordinary ice, but if you put a

match to it, it burns with a soft

orange flame, like the pilot light

on a gas stove. 

Although many gases form

hydrates in nature, methane

hydrate is the most abundant

natural gas. Hydrates are found in

locations with high pressure and

low temperature, such as nearsurface sediments in deepwater

environments. The volume of

carbon contained in methane

hydrates worldwide is estimated to

be twice the amount contained in

all fossil fuels on Earth, including

coal.

Manage the Nation’s offshore resources; 

protect the ocean environment

Oil and Gas 

Milestones of the Gulf of Mexico

• First Gulf Discovery – 

1947 at Kerr-McGee’s Ship Shoal 32, 10 miles off the Louisiana coast in

18 feet of water. 56 years later, it is still producing!

• Deepest Water Depth – 

10,011 feet by the Transocean drillship Discoverer Deep Seas on

November 16, 2003, at Alaminos Canyon Block 951 on 

ChevronTexaco’s Toledo prospect.

• Tallest Fixed Platform – 

Bullwinkle’s structure, completed in 1983, is the world’s tallest pilesupported, fixed steel platform and is taller than the Empire State

Building.

• First Floating Production Facility – 

Auger, a tension leg platform, installed

in the Gulf of Mexico in 1987.

• First Production SPAR – Neptune,

installed by Oryx in 1996.

• Largest Discovery – 

Thunder Horse, discovered in 1999.

• Deepest OCS Production – 

Na Kika will become the deepest OCS

production at 7,600 feet in 2004.

Platform Size – Coming Into View

Yes, Ursa is large – but in the expanse of the open Gulf, it’s easy to lose your perspective. Even though we talk about 4,000

structures offshore, the area occupied by these structures is less than one ten-thousandth of a percent of the Gulf of Mexico!

Photo courtesy of

Naval Research Laboratory.

Ursa Facility 10 miles from south Ursa Facility distance 5 miles from south

Mars Platform

approximately 

5 miles distant

Ursa Facility distance 1 mile from south
MMS OCEAN SCIENCE

Minerals Management Service

Mail Stop 5431

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

FIRST CLASS

POSTAGE 

PAID

PERMIT NO. 298

LOMBARD, IL

Manage the Nation’s

offshore resources;

protect the ocean

environment

NEW WAVES Late-breaking News & Information

Na Kika in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Photo courtesy of 

BP Exploration & Production.

“One fundamental tool on the horizon for advancing our understanding 

of the marine realm is the Integrated Ocean Observing System. 

Successful implementation of the IOOS will be a huge advance in our ability to

observe, monitor, and forecast ocean conditions.” 

– Admiral James D. Watkins, U.S. Navy (Retired) Chairman, 

U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, 2003 

Working with other members of the

National Oceanographic Partnership

Program (NOPP), the Minerals

Management Service (MMS) is working

with Ocean.US, NOPP’s office for

integrating ocean observing activities, to

make IOOS a reality. The MMS Alaska

Outer Continental Shelf Region will be

working with Ocean.US and the Alaska

Ocean Observing System to plan the

study entitled Surface Circulation Radar

Mapping in Alaskan Coastal Waters: Field

Study Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet. 

The development of the IOOS requires

an effective synergy between research

and more operational elements, and

this 2004 MMS study fits the bill! 

Stay tuned for future developments!