THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1

MMS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008

SCIENCE

Unwrapping the 

Ocean’s Potential

Uncovering 

Possibilities 

in the Chukchi Sea

Shell and NOAA 

Pool Resources in 

the Gulf

Exploring the 

Details of 

the Detail

CIAP Funds 

Protection of 

Louisiana’s 

Shoreline

Harvesting the 

Deep: Marine 

Biotechnology 

Research and 

Potential

Rigs-to-Reefs 

Program Creates 

New Habitats 

for Underwater 

Species

Offshore Operations 

Inspection

MMS Receives 

Award for Study 

of Shipwrecks as 

Artifi cial Reefs
2 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

Volume 5 Issue 1

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE is published 

quarterly 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:

Dr. Deborah Epperson

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Editor

Minerals Management Service

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

deborah.epperson@mms.gov

(504) 736-3257

 3 Deep-sea Cornucopia:

Unwrapping the Ocean’s Potential

 4 Uncovering Possibilities 

in the Chukchi Sea

 6 Shell and NOAA Pool Resources in 

the Gulf

 7 Exploring the Details of the Detail

 8 Working in the Ice:

TAR Evaluates Arctic Offshore Technology

 10 Shelling Out for the Shore

Coastal Impact Assistance Program Funds Protection of 

Louisiana’s Shoreline

 11 Harvesting the Deep:

Marine Biotechnology Research and Potential

 12 Rigging Up Residence:

Rigs-to-Reefs Program Creates New Habitats for 

Underwater Species

 14 Offshore Operations Inspection

Safe Resource Development Has Its Rewards

 15 MMS Receives Award for Study of 

Shipwrecks as Artificial Reefs

 15 The MMS Portfolio

Published Professionals

 16 New Waves

ABOUT THE COVER Late-Breaking News & Information

Left and Top Right: Corals from NOAA’s Coral 

Kingdom Collection. Credit: Florida Keys 

National Marine Sanctuary.

Middle Right: Platform inspection.

Main Photo: Atlantic trumpet triton and 

cushion sea star. NOAA’s Coral Kingdom 

Collection. Credit: Florida Keys National 

Marine Sanctuary.

Back Page: Background platform image by 

Gregory S. Boland

All photos courtesy of Minerals Management Service 

unless otherwise noted.

Publication services provided by Schatz Publishing Group

 THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

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 lefthand column, check the box marked Environmental Studies or 

e-mail deborah.epperson@mms.gov or call (504) 736-3257

JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 Volume 5 Issue 1

MMS

SCIENCE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 3

The ocean holds an 

amazing array of 

undiscovered treasures, 

from new domestic 

energy supplies to 

potentially lifesaving marine bioproducts. The Minerals Management 

Service (MMS) continually explores 

the marine environment, searching for new ways to understand the 

potential held in the ocean realm. 

New technology and research 

projects are stretching farther into 

previously unreachable areas of the 

ocean’s domain.

In Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, recordbreaking numbers of bids were 

received for the February 2008 lease 

sale. This was the first Chukchi Sea 

sale held since 1991. In preparation 

for industry exploration, MMS conducted 30 to 40 environmental studies per year since 2000 to research 

offshore development in Alaska and 

ensure that its natural environment 

will remain protected through the 

course of the new oil and gas activities. These new energy possibilities 

are exciting, and MMS estimates 

60 percent of oil and 40 percent of 

natural gas domestic resources are 

waiting in undiscovered fields.

In addition to examining new 

technology for oil and gas production, MMS scientists also assess ways 

to enhance the ocean environment. 

Through programs like Coastal 

Impact Assistance and Rigs-to-Reefs, 

they are finding ways to give back to 

the environment by enhancing shorelines and providing new fish habitats.

In the midst of exploration 

into Arctic technology, oil and gas 

development, biotechnology, and 

numerous other investigations of the 

marine environment, MMS will continue to provide balance between the 

management of ocean resources and 

the protection of the treasured natural environment from which those 

resources come.

DEEP-SEA

Unwrapping the Ocean’s Potential

Left: Live bushes of the deep-sea coral, Lophelia, may act like island oases in the deep sea. 

Photographer: Dr. Ken Sulak, USGS. Below: Gray snappers at the reef. NOAA’s Coral 

Kingdom Collection. Credit: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) 

has discovered great potential for domestic 

oil and gas off the coast of Alaska through 

its extensive projects and studies. Almost 

$300 million in MMS funds have been 

dispersed over the past 30 years to fund research of 

Alaska’s offshore environment. These projects have 

also added treasure troves of information about the 

environment and the life that flourishes in Alaska’s 

offshore areas. This information arms MMS with the 

knowledge it needs to protect the environment from any 

activities that may have an influence on it.

Alaskan offshore exploration has experienced 

renewed interest in recent years, and several areas appear 

to be rich in oil and gas resources that have yet to be 

discovered. This interest was evident at the Federal Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS) Chukchi Sea lease sale held 

in February 2008—the first Chukchi sale since 1991. 

The data from MMS studies has uncovered possible 

new sources of energy, including an estimated 15 billion 

barrels of undiscovered technically-recoverable oil in 

the Chukchi Sea (This oil may be in place 

but cannot necessarily be retrieved.). 

Although commercial exploration 

can now officially begin within this 

Alaskan frontier, there is still much 

more to consider beyond leasing the 

area. MMS Director Randall Luthi 

notes that “Leasing is just a first step 

in the energy development process,” in an 

editorial titled The Bear Necessities. “Actual 

4 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

Alaska Planning Areas

production in the Chukchi Sea realistically is 10 to 

15 years in the future—and will not occur without 

many environmental reviews, public commentary, 

and application of environmental protections.”

These environmental protective measures will 

consist of safety and drilling requirements, including the 

protection of Alaska’s marine mammals, endangered 

species, and air and water quality. In addition, the sale 

did not include nearshore coastal waters, and leased areas 

ranged from 25 to 50 miles from the coast. Excluding 
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 5

MMS Chukchi Sea 

Lease Sale 193

On February 6, 2008, MMS completed the 

first Chukchi Sea sale since 1991. The offshore 

lease sale is the most successful in Alaska’s history 

based on the number of bids received and the 

number of blocks receiving bids. The sale showed 

the industry’s heightened interest in this area 

with 667 bids on 488 blocks—both record-setting 

numbers—on the Outer Continental Shelf.

• Blocks are spread throughout the Chukchi Sea, 

with the closest to land being approximately 54 

miles offshore.

• Companies submitted bids totaling almost $3.4 

billion, with high bids of more than $2.6 billion. 

• The highest bid received for the sale was 

$105,304,581 submitted by Shell. 

• The sale was first proposed in the 2002-2007 Oil 

and Gas Leasing Program, but MMS delayed 

it to provide sufficient time to complete the 

environmental analysis. It was then incorporated 

into the 2007-2012 Leasing Program.

• The Chukchi Sea Sale 193 sale area is located 

offshore Alaska from north of Point Barrow to 

northwest of Cape Lisburne. It contains more 

than 29 million acres. The sale area extends 

from about 25 to 50 miles from shore out to 200 

miles offshore.

Graphic Map of Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Chukchi Sea Lease Sale

Website: www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2008/

FactSheetSale193-02-01-2008.htm

Website: www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2008/press0102.htm

Message from 

MMS Director Randall Luthi

Website: www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2008/

OpEdLATimes02-01-2008.htm

Challenges for 

Development in the Chukchi Sea

Website: www.mms.gov/alaska/reports/2007rpts/2007_

002/MMS%20COMIDA%20Workshop%20Proc

eedings.pdf

these areas will safeguard the coastal zones where marine 

mammals and birds migrate and local communities hunt 

for food.

Offshore oil and gas development will not be 

without challenges. To create the initial infrastructure, 

new strategies and technologies will need to be developed. This cost could amount to more than $5 billion. 

In addition, there is no current system in place to move 

natural gas resources to market. Potentially, this could 

cause gas production to be delayed for more than 20 

years. However, if these obstacles can be overcome, 

development in the Chukchi Sea could create a significant domestic energy supply that is well worth the effort.

There are currently more than 40 Arctic-specific 

studies in progress that are funded by MMS to help 

monitor any effects of oil and gas activities. The research 

will assist MMS in making decisions and aid in the 

preservation of the precious natural environment of the 

Alaskan frontier.
6 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

Satellite view of Gulf of Mexico hurricanes. Top left: Hurricane Lili – October 2002. Bottom left: Hurricane Andrew – August 1992. 

Right: Hurricane Katrina – August 2005. Images courtesy of NOAA and NASA.

flooding, algal blooms, and 

cyclone development.

Federal regulations currently 

require oil and gas platform 

operators in the Gulf of Mexico 

to collect and transmit current 

profile observations to NOAA. 

This agreement will go further and 

includes upgrading weather stations 

on four platforms to include direct 

transmission to NOAA satellites, 

collecting ocean heat measurements 

from the Brutus platform, collecting 

meteorological information 

from two new continental shelf 

locations, upgrading ocean wave 

instrumentation on the Auger 

platform, and installing highShell and NOAA 

Pool Resources in the Gulf

The National 

Oceanographic 

and Atmospheric 

Administration 

(NOAA) has signed 

a cooperative agreement with 

Shell Oil Company that will place 

meteorological and oceanographic 

observation sensors on seven of 

Shell’s Gulf of Mexico oil platforms. 

This equipment will be used as 

an important component of the 

Integrated Ocean Observing System 

(IOOS). The data provided will 

assist in hurricane research, weather 

forecasting, and coastal resource 

management, while allowing 

NOAA to study coastal 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Website: www.energycurrent.com/?id=2&storyid=8836

Website: www.mms.gov/PDFs/FederalPartnersWorkingForSafety.pdf

frequency radar transmitters to 

measure surface current speed.

Installation of the equipment 

will begin in the spring of 2008, 

with completion scheduled for late 

2009. Shell will acquire and install 

the equipment, while NOAA will 

provide quality control of the data 

and make it available to the National 

Weather Service, National Hurricane 

Center, and the general public.

The NOAA is the Federal 

agency charged with providing 

storm forecasts and warnings 

to the American public. As a 

storm approaches, the Minerals 

Management Service, U.S. Coast 

Guard, and Department of Energy 

also work cooperatively with NOAA 

to minimize potential damage to oil 

and gas infrastructure, prevent injury 

to industry workers, and respond 

quickly after the storm has passed.
Dr. Kendall described 

this detail as “a once in a 

lifetime assignment.” It required 

directly linking such diverse 

disciplines as applied and basic 

research, exploration, and mapping 

to the stewardship of our Nation’s 

ocean resources. Dr. Kendall was 

also asked during his tenure at 

NOAA-OER to author a paper for a 

special issue of Oceanography devoted 

to Ocean Exploration. In this issue, 

Dr. Kendall and his co-authors 

describe the unexpected benefits 

of utilizing exploration as a tool to 

support better resource stewardship, 

as well as how MMS and its partners 

are forging ahead. To explore 

MMS’s role in Ocean Exploration, 

visit Ocean Exploration: Discovery 

and Offshore Stewardship online at 

www.tos.org/oceanography/issues/

issue_archive/issue_pdfs/20_4/20.4_

kendall_et_al.pdf.

fish stocks beyond 

200 nautical miles are not 

included. While not yet a party 

to UNCLOS, the U.S. accepts the 

substantive provisions of Article 76 

as reflecting customary international 

law.

In May 2007, the Interagency 

Committee on Ocean Science and 

Resource Management Integration 

(ICOSRMI) established the Extended 

Continental Shelf (ECS) Task Force. 

The Task Force is to coordinate 

the preparation of the necessary 

documentation to establish the outer 

limit of the U.S. ECS. The U.S. ECS 

is estimated to exceed one million 

square kilometers and potentially 

include energy and mineral resources 

with an estimated value in excess of 

$1 trillion. The actual documentation 

process involves describing a natural 

prolongation of the continental 

landmass beyond 200 nautical miles, 

as determined by a set of formulae 

and a thorough analysis of geologic, 

geomorphology, and tectonic history.

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 7

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Special Interagency 

OAP Issue

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

ocean_science/mms_

ocean_06_sep_oct.pdf

NOAA Ocean Explorer

Website: http://oceanexplorer.

noaa.gov/

Exploring the 

Details of the Detail

Dr. James Kendall, Chief 

Scientist of the Minerals 

Management Service 

(MMS), recently 

returned from a fivemonth detail to the 

National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric 

Administration’s 

Office of Ocean 

Exploration and 

Research (NOAAOER), a science 

partner of MMS. Dr. 

Kendall’s primary focus at OER 

was coordinating the drafting of the 

strategic plan for the U.S. Extended 

Continental Shelf Project.

Article 76 of the United 

Nations Convention of 

the Law of the Sea 

(UNCLOS) enables 

coastal States to 

establish their 

continental shelves 

beyond 200 nautical 

miles and control those living and 

nonliving resources on and beneath 

the sea bed, including clams, crabs, 

scallops, and sponges, but rights 

to conventional (non-sedentary) 

Above: Anadarko’s Independence Hub 

platform installed at the world-record water 

depth of 2,439 m (8,002 ft). Photo courtesy of 

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

Below: MMS Outer Continental Shelf 

Planning Areas. Right: Ocean Exploration: 

Discovery and Offshore Stewardship 

available online.
8 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

I

n the early 1980s, exploration drilling for oil and gas 

began in Alaskan Arctic 

waters. Now, 20-plus years 

later, cold region exploration continues the search to find 

ways of safely extracting the valuable resources below the ice-covered 

waters of the Arctic.

As the Minerals Management 

Service (MMS) continues to manage and identify new resources for 

the Nation’s domestic energy supply, it travels into colder and deeper 

waters with many development and 

SSDC drilling system, 

Beaufort Sea Alaska.

TAR EVALUATES ARCTIC OFFSHORE TECH
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 9

operational challenges. To aid in 

the study of these environments, the 

MMS’s Technology Assessment and 

Research (TAR) Program conducts 

assessments to determine ways to 

advance project development in the 

cold-water regions.

To date, TAR has conducted 53 

Arctic research projects. Of these, 

two recently completed studies are 

helping guide current and future 

Arctic development. Project 577: 

Design Options for Offshore Pipelines in 

the U.S. Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 

and Project 584: Arctic Offshore 

Technology Assessment of Exploration 

and Production Options for Cold Regions 

of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, 

have provided valuable information 

on recommended design and development options. These assessments 

can help make oil and gas development in the Arctic areas possible as 

well as less hazardous. The many 

types of structures and technologies 

studied include

• ice islands;

• gravel islands;

• bottom-founded structures;

• fixed structures;

• floating structures;

• subsea facilities;

• pipelines and flowlines; and

• export terminals.

Further study and technical 

advances will help MMS ensure 

that the majestic Arctic environment is protected as oil and 

gas operations advance into the 

deeper, ice-covered waters of 

the Outer Continental Shelf.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

TAR Arctic Research

Website: www.mms.gov/tarprojectcategories/ice.htm 

Website: www.mms.gov/tarprojects/577.htm

Website: www.mms.gov/tarprojects/584.htm

Alaska OCS Region

Website: www.mms.gov/alaska/fo/INDEX.HTM

HNOLOGY

Above: A jumble of ice. In just a few days, ice conditions and extent varied widely as the U.S. 

Coast Guard icebreaker Healy moved northward over its cruise track from Barrow, Alaska, 

during the 2002 Western Shelf-Basin Interactions research cruise. Here the sea is covered with 

broken fragments of sea ice, which forced researchers to be cautious when placing scientific 

instruments over the Healy’s side. Credit: Peter West, The National Science Foundation.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:

CIAP

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/whatsnew/

newsreal/2007/071129.pdf

Website: www.mms.gov/offshore/CIAPmain.htm

Website: www.mms.gov/offshore/CIAP/PDFs/

FAQs041007.pdf

Louisiana CIAP Progress

Website: http://dnr.louisiana.gov/crm/ciap/ciap.asp

As the Minerals Management 

Service (MMS) pursues 

its ongoing mission of 

protecting the ocean environment, the agency also recognizes 

the importance of safeguarding the shorelines of the coastal 

States involved in the development 

of oil and gas resources. The Coastal 

Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) allows MMS to 

authorize use of approximately $1 billion to conserve, 

protect, and restore these shoreline environments.

Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, CIAP 

mandates MMS to disburse $250 million for each fiscal year (FY) 2007 through 2010 to six eligible Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS) producing States (Alabama, 

Alaska, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) and 

67 coastal political subdivisions (CPS’s; boroughs, counties, and parishes); all funds will be disbursed through a 

noncompetitive grant process. In order to receive CIAP 

funds, a State, in coordination with its CPS’s, is required 

to submit a coastal impact assistance plan (Plan) prior to 

July 1, 2008, which MMS must approve. Each Plan must 

include a list of projects the State and its CPS’s anticipate 

submitting for grant funding; all projects must comply 

with one of the five authorized uses below:

1. projects and activities for the conservation, protection, 

or restoration of coastal areas, including wetlands;

2. mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural 

resources;

3. planning assistance and the administrative cost of 

complying with CIAP;

4. implementation of a federally-approved marine, 

coastal, or comprehensive conservation management 

plan; and

5. mitigation of the impact of OCS activities through 

funding of onshore infrastructure and public service 

needs.

Projects submitted under authorized uses 3 and 5

together may not total more than 23 percent of the 

amounts received by a State or CPS for any one 

fiscal year. Once a State’s Plan is approved, the State 

and its CPS’s may submit grant applications for funding 

at www.Grants.gov.

10 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

Coastal Impact Assistance Program

Funds Protection of 

Louisiana’s Shoreline

SHELLING OUT FOR THE SHORE

CiAP

MMS Director Randall Luthi and former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco at the 

Louisiana Coastal Impact Assistance Program signing ceremony along the Blind River in 

St. James Parish.

The MMS, on November 29, 2007, approved 

the Louisiana CIAP Plan. Louisiana and its CPS’s, 

which consist of 19 coastal parishes, have been allocated 52.60% of the FY 2007 and 2008 CIAP funds 

or $127,547,898.57 for each of the fiscal years. As 

per the Act, the State retains 65% of this allocation 

($82,906,134.07), while its CPS’s share the other 35% 

($44,641,764.50). The Plan covers all four years of fiscal 

allocations (FY 2007-2010); the FY 2007 allocation was 

used as an estimate for the FY 2009 and 2010 allocations, which will be announced by MMS on or before 

April 15, 2009. The Plan identifies 114 Tier 1 projects 

and 54 Tier 2 projects, which are backup projects. 

Proposed projects fall within the following major categories: enhanced management of Mississippi River water 

and sediment; protection and restoration of critical land 

bridges; barrier shoreline restoration and protection; interior shoreline protection; marsh creation with dredged 

material; coastal forest conservation initiative; and infrastructure projects to mitigate onshore OCS impacts.

The MMS remains dedicated to maintaining the 

conservation of the natural coastal resources and the 

ocean environment. Providing funding for these conservation projects through programs such as CIAP will 

allow restoration and lasting protection of Louisiana’s 

shoreline environments.
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 11

organisms for research and industrial 

use. Many of these species contain 

compounds with the potential for 

pharmaceutical applications, such as 

new medicines for antibiotics or the 

treatment of cancer. With increased 

interest in the uses of marine 

bioproducts, MMS has conducted 

studies to assess the potential 

ecological impacts on the harvesting 

of the desired organisms and their 

habitats. The MMS scientists have 

also explored the use of oil and gas 

production platform habitats as an 

alternative to disturbing the natural 

reefs. If these platforms can function 

as a harvestable source for the 

bioproducts, then fewer organisms 

will need to be obtained from their 

natural environment.

The MMS has conducted these 

studies through its Coastal Marine 

Institute (CMI) initiative, part of the 

Environmental Studies Program, 

where MMS and coastal universities 

jointly carry out research projects 

related to the marine environment. 

The biotechnology studies were 

accomplished with cooperative 

agreements with Louisiana State 

University (LSU) and the University 

of California at Santa Barbara 

(UCSB). The project at UCSB 

ended in 2004 (final report in 

HARVESTING THE DEEP

Marine Biotechnology 

Research and Potential

Approximately 71 percent 

of the Earth’s surface is 

covered by oceans. The 

Minerals Management Service 

(MMS) manages over 1.76 billion 

acres of these offshore lands and 

has an enormous responsibility 

to protect the ocean environment 

while also exploring the valuable 

resources held within. These 

ocean resources provide new and 

exciting possibilities, from recovery 

of domestic oil and gas supplies 

to scientific discoveries in marine 

biology. Marine organisms have the 

potential for a wide range of uses, 

and of these, biotechnology research 

is a growing field of study.

Marine biotechnology is 

the harvesting of living marine 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

MMS Resources

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

studies/turning_to_the_

sea.html

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/whatsnew/

newsreal/2000/000927.

html

Website: http://www.mms.gov/

mmab/Archives/policycommittee-archives/

Meetings/Fall00/turgeon/

turgeon.PPT

CMI Studies

Website: www.

coastalresearchcenter.ucsb.

edu/cmi/biotech.htm

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

ongoing_studies/gm/GM92-42-84.html

Website: www.mms.gov/eppd/

sciences/esp/profiles/pc/

PC-00-02-10.htm

NOAA

Website: www.nurp.noaa.gov/

Biotech.htm

Website: www.oar.noaa.gov/

oceans/t_biotech.html

2008), contributing information 

to MMS from the Pacific waters 

where platform habitats contain 

a marine community of over 50 

species of algae and invertebrates. 

At LSU, the field sampling is 

also complete, having collected 

biofouling community (a layer of 

attached organisms) samples from 

platform legs at various depths. 

The data collected from these two 

projects will greatly assist MMS 

in determining if the platform 

communities can be shown to be 

a ready source for bioproducts.

There are many possible exciting 

pharmaceutical uses for marinederived compounds. Bryozoans 

(small moss-like organisms) have 

compounds found to fight the 

growth of cultured cancer cells, 

and it also has potential for battling 

non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and 

lymphocitic leukemia. In addition, 

compounds from mollusks include 

hypotensive agents, cardioactive 

substances, muscle relaxants, 

antibiotics, antiviral agents, and 

antitumor agents. Many other 

organisms like these exist with the 

vast potential for highly beneficial 

medical and industrial products. 

It is of great importance to MMS 

to balance the collection of these 

valuable resources with protection of 

the ocean environment from which 

they come, and through data from 

these studies, MMS and its partners 

are equipped to make the best 

decisions possible.

Typical encrusting bryozoan and 

anemones on platform leg. 

Photo by Gregory S. Boland.

The stunning leafy green algae (Anadyomene 

lacerata). From Voyage To Inner Space–Exploring 

the Seas With NOAA, located in the Gulf of 

Mexico, West Bank, Flower Garden Banks 

NMS. Photo courtesy NURC/UNCW and 

NOAA/FGBNMS. 
12

RIGGING UP RESIDENCE

of Commerce with developing a 

national artificial reef plan. The 

NFEA has the following goals:

1. recognition of social and 

economic values in developing 

artificial reefs;

2. establishment of national 

standards for artificial reef 

development;

3. creation of a National Artificial 

Reef Plan (NARP) under 

the leadership of the U.S. 

Department of Commerce; and

4. establishment of a reefpermitting system under the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers.

The NARP was written in 1985 

to allow states to plan, construct, and 

manage artificial reefs within and 

seaward of their jurisdictions. The 

plan recognizes oil and gas structures 

as suitable materials for artificial reef 

development. Subsequently, MMS 

developed the following RTR policy:

The MMS supports and encourages the reuse of obsolete offshore 

petroleum structures as artificial 

reefs in U.S. waters. The structure must not pose an unreasonMMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

The responsibility 

of securing domestic energy for the 

Nation is an important task charged to 

the Minerals Management Service 

(MMS), and just as great is the duty 

to protect the environment while 

new oil and gas development is 

pursued. The best situation occurs 

when oil and gas production creates 

benefits to both the economy and the 

environment, and this is exactly what 

takes place as a result of the Rigs-toReefs (RTR) program, where oil and 

gas structures that are no longer producing are kept in the marine environment to be used as artificial reefs.

Policy and Background

The first planned RTR conversion took place in Florida in 1979 

with the relocation of an Exxon 

experimental subsea template from 

offshore Louisiana to a permitted 

artificial reef site off Apalachicola, 

Florida. Interest increased in this 

alternative form of platform disposal, and in 1983 the Department of 

the Interior formed the Recreational 

and Environmental Enhancement 

for Fishing in the Sea (REEFS) task 

force to promote an artificial reef 

program on a national level. The 

National Fishing Enhancement Act 

(NFEA) was passed in 1984 and 

established national artificial reef 

standards and tasked the Department 

able impediment to future mineral 

development. The reuse RTR plan 

must comply with the artificial reef 

permitting requirements of the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers and the 

criteria in the National Artificial 

Reef Plan. The State agency responsible for managing marine fisheries resources must accept liability 

for the structure before MMS will 

release the Federal lessee from obligations in the lease instrument.

Functions and Benefits

Petroleum structures are artificial habitats, and whether placed 

intentionally as an artificial reef or 

working petroleum structure, they 

have been found to increase the algal 

and invertebrate biomass and to significantly increase the numbers and 

species of fish. But when that structure becomes obsolete, it is typically 

removed from the environment, taking away the habitat that it created 

and disrupting those organisms residing at the site. To prevent this disruption, oil and gas companies can 

choose to donate the reef to a coastal 

State by one of three methods: towand-place, topple-in-place, or partial 

The tow-and-place 

platform reefing 

method

The topple-in-place 

platform reefing 

method

The partial 

removal 

platform 

reefing 

method

Diver exploring coral growing on rig legs.

PROGRAM

CREATES

NEW HABITATS FOR
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 13

removal (see diagram). The RTR 

benefits platform owners by eliminating the high cost of transporting 

the platform for disposal, and States 

benefit as the platform develops into 

an area that enhances commercial 

and recreational fishing, tourism, 

and the biological community. The 

States also benefit through cost-sharing with industry. Typically, industry 

donates half of its realized savings to 

the State.

The populations that result from 

the recycled structures are called 

platform communities. At these 

areas, fish densities have been found 

to be 20 to 50 times higher than in 

open water and support over 10,000 

fish per platform. In addition to fish, 

the platforms are also home to many 

other forms of sea life; barnacles 

and mussels dwell on the hard surfaces, and sea turtles are often found 

close by. The result is a complex 

food chain formed in environments 

that did not previously have the 

characteristics to support a natural 

reef community. The benefits to the 

nearby coastal communities are substantial. For example, 75 percent of 

recreational fishing trips in Louisiana 

visit one or more rig sites for the 

excellent fishing.

The platforms are an ideal 

choice for artificial reefs. Their size, 

density, and open design attract fish 

to the structures where they can 

swim easily through the circulating 

water, and they are very stable during storm events.

Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Region

Currently, there are multiple 

ongoing studies to examine the 

RTR program in the GOM. In the 

northern GOM alone, there are 

approximately 4,000 operating oil 

and gas platforms where the Outer 

Continental Shelf is mostly soft sediment. These platforms provide the 

hard surface needed to create coral 

communities. Subsequently, these 

artificial reef corals are being studied through MMS and the Coastal 

Marine Institute (CMI) at Louisiana 

State University (LSU). In addition, 

MMS is also partnering with LSU’s 

CMI to examine whether artificial 

reef fishes have an increased chance 

of survival in comparison with 

those living in natural reef habitats. 

Another study is looking at the 

ecological effects of removing large 

numbers of petroleum structures 

from the GOM.

Pacific Region

 In southern California, the 

populations of fish living in platform 

communities are subjects of several 

research projects. With many areas 

off the coast becoming overfished, the 

increased population of fish at artificial reefs could be very valuable to 

the Pacific Region. Ongoing studies 

are helping to determine if the platforms could serve as rockfish nurseries, which are a variety of fish with 

eight species already declared overfished by the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration. The 

study will add important data concerning fish dwelling in the platform 

The International Coral Reef Initiative designated 2008 

as the International Year of the Reef (IYOR 2008). IYOR 

2008 is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the 

importance of coral reefs and to motivate individuals to 

help protect them.

The goals for IYOR 2008 are to:

• strengthen awareness about the ecological, economic, 

social, and cultural value of coral reefs and associated 

ecosystems;

• improve understanding 

of the critical threats 

to coral reefs and generate both practical 

and innovative solutions to reduce these threats;

• generate urgent action at all levels to develop and 

implement effective management strategies for 

conservation and sustainable use of these ecosystems.

Find out more at www.iyor.org/about/.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Rigs-to-Reefs

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

rigs-to-reefs/information.

html

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

rigs-to-reefs/artificial-reefs.

html

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

PDFs/2000/2000-073.pdf

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/whatsnew/

stories/940318.html

International 

Year of the Reef

Website: www.iyor.org/default.asp

Platform Communities

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

platform_communities.

html

habitats and will help to encourage 

more decommissioned platforms to 

be designated as artificial reefs.

Conclusion

Obsolete oil and gas platforms 

put to use as artificial reefs have 

been thriving in the GOM. The 

positive effect on the environment, 

coastal States, and the oil and gas 

industry is exciting for MMS, whose 

mission is to provide America with 

the benefit of offshore resources 

while at the same time protecting 

the ocean environment. Now 

forming the world’s largest artificial 

reef complex, Rigs-to-Reefs is a 

remarkable success story for MMS.
14 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

OFFSHORE OPERATIONS INSPECTION

Safe Resource Development Has Its Rewards

The mission of the Minerals 

Management Service (MMS) 

is to manage the ocean 

energy and mineral resources on 

the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). 

Safety is a top priority for MMS in 

the monitoring of oil and gas activities across the 1.76 billion acres of 

Federal offshore land.

The MMS requires thorough 

inspections of offshore operations 

and facilities to safeguard the environment and preserve the natural 

marine resources. Field inspections 

are performed seven days a week by 

inspectors, engineers, geologists, geophysicists, and physical and environmental scientists. Annual announced 

inspections plus numerous unannounced inspections to ensure clean 

and trouble-free oil and gas operations are conducted at hundreds of 

offshore oil and gas platforms.

For complete inspections, MMS 

uses a four-step process:

Review operator records 

to verify completion of 

all required operatorperformed inspections, tests, 

and training since the last 

complete MMS inspection.

Visually inspect all safety and 

pollution-prevention devices.

Test or demonstrate the 

operation of critical safety and 

pollution-prevention devices to 

ensure that they are properly 

installed and operable. Witness 

critical pressure and/or 

operational tests.

Inspect for operations 

safety throughout the 

facility, looking for unsafe 

conditions, spills, leaks, and 

environmental effects.

MMS inspection of an offshore platform.

The 2007 SAFE award winners are as follows:

New Orleans

High Activity ............................................Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Moderate Activity ...................................Anglo-Suisse Offshore Partners, LLC

Production Contractor ............................Baker Energy, Inc.

Houma 

High Activity ............................................Chevron USA, Inc.

Drilling Contractor ..................................Pride Offshore

Production Contractor ............................Danos & Curole Marine Contractors, Inc.

Lafayette

High Activity ............................................Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Moderate Activity ...................................Energy Resource Technology, Inc.

Drilling Contractor ..................................Rowan Drilling Company, Inc.

Production Contractor ............................Evans Operating, LLP

Lake Charles

High Activity ............................................Chevron USA, Inc.

Moderate Activity ...................................Nippon Oil Exploration USA, Ltd.

Drilling Contractor ..................................Transocean Inc. High Island I

Production Contractor ............................Wood Group Production Services

Lake Jackson

High Activity ............................................Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Moderate Activity ...................................GOM Shelf, LLC

Drilling Contractor ..................................Noble Drilling, US

Pacific Region SAFE Award

Moderate Activity ...................................Pacific Energy Resources, Ltd.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Industry Awards Program

Website: www.mms.gov/awards/

SAFE Program

Website: www.mms.gov/awards/

SAFEcriteria.htm

Partial inspections are also performed, comprising randomly selected portions of records and devices to 

be reviewed.

Each year MMS presents the 

Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE) 

Program to recognize the companies 

and industry professionals who go 

above and beyond the inspection 

requirements. Awards are given to 

high-activity operators, moderateactivity operators, drilling contractors, and production contractors. 

Additional industry awards include 

Corporate Leadership, Mineral 

Revenues Stewardship, and Safe 

Operations and Accurate Reporting. 

This year, MMS marks the 10th 

anniversary of the Industry Awards 

Program and the 25th 

anniversary of the SAFE Program.

The commitment to safety by the 

oil and gas operators and contractors, 

along with the highly qualified MMS 

inspectors who monitor their operations, help MMS protect the ocean 

environment while managing the 

development of resources to secure 

America’s future energy supply.
A companion CD includes a modeling 

package and electronic files.

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 15

MMS Receives Award for 

Study of Shipwrecks as Artificial Reefs

Deep-sea wrecks act as artificial reefs, attracting far more species of plants and 

animals than expected, marine scientists report in a new award-winning 

study just released by the Minerals 

Management Service (MMS). The 

finding indicates that oil and gas production platforms in deep water are 

likely to serve as hard surfaces, supporting hundreds of life forms.

The MMS and the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration’s (NOAA) Office of 

Ocean Exploration and Research 

funded this study. This project represents the first time that these two 

agencies have partnered through the 

National Oceanographic Partnership 

Program (NOPP). This resourceful partnership earned NOPP’s 

Excellence in Partnering Award.

“The biological analyses 

conducted during this investigation 

concluded that as petroleum 

exploration and production expands 

into deeper Gulf waters, platforms 

potentially could provide a habitat 

for marine life,” said Lars Herbst, 

Regional Director of the MMS Gulf 

of Mexico Region.

The Deep Wrecks Study is 

also obtainable as a book, titled 

A Study of Living History: Deep WWII 

Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico, and 

is available for purchase online at 

www.lulu.com/content/1714012.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Press Release

Website: www.mms.gov/ooc/

press/2007/press0517.htm

The MMS Portfolio: Published Professionals

water quality professionals and 

graduate students in related fields. 

With over 20 years of experience 

in surface water modeling, Dr. 

Ji uses his expertise to illustrate 

ways to solve environmental 

problems in surface waters with 

actual case studies, and he also 

works on oil-spill-risk analysis for 

the MMS’s offshore program.

There are over 1,700 professionals employed by MMS, each dedicated to safeguarding the environment 

and managing responsible development of America’s energy resources. 

If you are interested in a career 

with MMS, visit the website 

for job opportunities at 

www.mms.gov/ooc/jobopp.html. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

To Purchase

Website: www.amazon.com/Hydrodynamics-Water-Quality-Modeling-Estuaries/

dp/0470135433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200583040&sr=1-1 

The Minerals Management 

Service (MMS) employs a 

long list of professionals 

who are experts in engineering, 

geophysics, geology, biology, 

oceanography, environmental 

science, and many other fascinating 

fields. From their extensive research 

comes a wealth of knowledge 

available for MMS, its partners, 

and the public, so it is exciting for 

MMS when these studies result in 

published material.

Dr. Zhen-Gang (Jeff) Ji, an 

oceanographer and numerical 

modeler at MMS, has recently 

published Hydrodynamics and Water 

Quality: Modeling Rivers, Lakes, 

and Estuaries, a reference book for 
MMS

A steward of the 

ocean environment

NEW WAVES Late-Breaking News & Information

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE

Minerals Management Service

Mail Stop 5431

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

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ADDISON, IL

New Appointees Will Bring More Than 50 Years of Federal Energy Experience

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region’s Director Lars 

Herbst announced the appointments of two staff members to management positions in 

the regional office in New Orleans, Louisiana.

John Rodi has been appointed to the post of Deputy Regional Director; second highest 

position in the regional office. John has worked for MMS for 27 years in the energy policy field. 

He began his career as a staff economist and later worked as a leasing specialist. Most recently, 

he served in the position of Leasing Program Manager. John holds a BA degree in Economics 

from Tulane University and an MA degree in Economics from the University of New Orleans.

“John’s wealth of experience in the leasing program will be helpful as we continue to 

manage the Gulf of Mexico’s OCS oil and gas resources and move forward into our newest 

mission of Alternative Energy,” Herbst said.

Mike Prendergast has been named Chief of Staff. Mike has been with MMS for 24 years. 

After receiving his BS degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Southwestern 

Louisiana, he started with MMS as a reservoir engineer in the Reserves Section. He has 

subsequently held several positions related to energy development and resource assessment throughout his MMS career. “Mike’s 

valuable background in resource evaluation and his past experience in the Regional Director’s Office will be extremely helpful as 

we tackle future challenges,” Herbst said.

John Rodi 

Deputy Regional Director

Mike Prendergast 

Chief of Staff

MMS Gulf of Mexico Region Names Two to Management Positions