Celebrating 

25 Years of Science 

and Technology

MMS Unlocks the 

Secrets of the 

Ocean Floor

250th Unannounced 

Oil-Spill Drill in the 

Gulf of Mexico

Oil-Spill Research 

Flows for 15 Years

Gas Hydrates 

Present a 

Challenging 

Opportunity

MMS Milestones 

Partnership 

Initiatives Shape the 

MMS Family Tree

MMS and 

Environmental 

Studies

Managing the Arctic 

Becomes More 

Sophisticated

The “Pros” of 

the Environmental 

Studies Program

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 4

MMS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007

SCIENCE
2 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

Volume 4 Issue 4

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 Diving Deeper:

Celebrating 25 Years of Science and Technology

 4 A View of the Unknown

MMS Unlocks the Secrets of the Ocean Floor

 6 Minerals Management Service 

Conducts 250th Unannounced 

Oil-Spill Drill in the Gulf of Mexico

 6 Ohmsett Reaches Milestone

Oil-Spill Research Flows for 15 Years

 7 Gas Hydrates Present a 

Challenging Opportunity

 8 MMS Milestones 

25 Years of Highlights

 10 A Quarter Century

Partnership Initiatives Shape the MMS Family Tree

 12 From the Start

MMS and Environmental Studies

 13 Arctic Advances

Managing the Arctic Becomes More Sophisticated

 14 The “Pros” of the Environmental 

Studies Program

 16 New Waves

Late-Breaking News & Information

ABOUT THE COVER

Top Left: Early offshore oil development in the 

Gulf of Mexico.

Top Center: Tiny orange sea anemone 

growing on a rock near a natural asphalt site. 

Image courtesy of Aquapix and Expedition to 

the Deep Slope 2007.

Top Right: An expended shell casing 

from a German U-507 from the wreck of 

the Alcoa Puritan.

Main Photo: Frozen gas hydrate.

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

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 Volume 4 Issue 4

MMS

SCIENCE

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 3

DEEPER: 

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A

s 2007 comes to a 

 close, the Minerals 

 Management Service

 (MMS) looks back on

 its 25 years of accomplishments in adding to its scientific 

knowledge base and managing economic development of the ocean 

environment. There have been many 

highlights, from 15 years of oil-spill 

research at Ohmsett to oil and gas 

production on the Independence Hub 

in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), 

which is currently the deepest 

producing platform to date in the 

world. With these and numerous 

other advancements, new deepwater 

research and explorations hold exciting possibilities for the discovery of 

new domestic energy resources.

Currently, MMS manages 

offshore oil and gas exploration 

for 1.76 billion acres of the Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS). This task, 

along with balancing protection 

of the ocean environment, is 

a huge responsibility for the 

1,700 employees of MMS across 

the United States—and they 

have not taken it lightly. The 

continued study of the ocean has 

led to reaching great depths in 

the deep and ultra-deep waters 

of the OCS, advancements in 

the Arctic, significant coastline 

restoration, research partnerships 

with many government agencies 

and universities, and a new 

understanding of deepwater 

ocean communities.

Amid all the technological 

developments, safety has remained 

a top priority for MMS. Providing 

for the safety of offshore workers, 

engineers, inspectors, and scientists 

is of great importance throughout 

their operations. Even in the midst 

of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, all 

MMS and offshore workers were 

evacuated without a single injury 

or fatality, demonstrating the 

effectiveness of the top-notch safety 

regulations employed by MMS.

The prospects of future research 

and advancements are exciting, and 

MMS remains a leader in securing 

the Nation’s energy supply as it 

protects the ocean environment and 

its newly discovered frontiers.

Photo of the production platform Ocean Confidence.
Throughout the past 

25 years, the Minerals 

Management 

Service (MMS) has 

used its resources 

to balance industry development 

with the protection of the ocean 

environment. Their research has 

not only allowed oil and 

gas exploration to plunge 

into deeper ocean depths in 

an environmentally sound 

manner, but in the process 

has provided scientists a 

window with which to see 

the previously unknown 

features of the ocean floor.

Seismic surveys and remotely 

operated vehicles (ROV’s) are tools 

greatly utilized by scientists for ocean 

4 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

A VIEW OF THE UNKNOWN

Left to right: Tubeworms - After documenting the ecology of the tubeworm communities, scientists are collaborating with NOAA educators 

by providing leftover tubes to teachers as educational aids to promote ocean literacy. Image courtesy of Expedition to the Deep Slope 2007. Gas 

Measurements - A mass spectrometer with a uniquely designed membrane inlet system allowing in situ dissolved gas measurements in deep-sea 

environments. Image courtesy of Peter Girguis, Harvard University. Asphalt - Due to its unusual nature and rare occurrence, the big asphalt sample 

attracted a crowd once on deck of the Ron Brown. It has a botryoidally shaped (like a bunch of grapes) hardened outer crust that is very friable 

and, when pulled apart, the rock’s interior looks like chewing gum. Image courtesy of Matt Frye, Minerals Management Service.

MMS UNLOCKS 

THE SECRETS OF THE

OCEAN FLOOR

investigation. This technology has 

given MMS a means to ensure that 

deepwater biological communities 

are not disturbed by the search for 

domestic energy supplies. In addition 

to providing essential information 

about where oil and gas reserves lie 

biological communities. The ROV’s 

allow scientists close-up images of 

the deep-sea environment and its 

populations, and they can also be 

equipped with instruments to collect 

a variety of samples.

The MMS has partnered 

with the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration’s 

Office of Ocean Exploration 

(NOAA-OE) for several 

studies to investigate deep 

Gulf of Mexico (GOM) 

waters. Federal deepwater 

areas hold 7 of the top 20 

oil fields in the U.S., adding to 

the importance of understanding 

this environment. With the 

assistance of NOAA’s ocean 

exploration program, MMS has 

Knowledge gained from the 

Environmental Studies Program 

furthers the mission of MMS...

deep in the earth, seismic survey 

data are also used to map the ocean 

floor in 3D, aiding in the mapping 

of hazards on the seabed as well as 

providing the locations of sensitive 
Top: Target ships for the Deep Wrecks 

Project. Image courtesy Minerals Management Service and PastFoundation.org. 

Above: Interior of the conning tower of the 

WWII German submarine U-166. Below: 

Julia Zekely shows off a tiny crab collected 

with the Bushmaster collection device. 

The species is found in association with 

tubeworm communities. Image courtesy 

of Expedition to the Deep Slope 2007.

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 5

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Deepwater Program

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

archaeological/arch_bio_

analysis.html

MMS Ongoing Studies

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/

ongoing_studies/gm/GM05-03.html

Deep Gulf 

Shipwrecks of WWII

Website: www.pastfoundation.org/

DeepWrecks/index.htm

Expedition to the 

Deep Slope

Website: www.oceanexplorer.

noaa.gov/explorations/

06mexico

Expedition to the 

Deep Slope 2007

Website: www.oceanexplorer.

noaa.gov/explorations/

07mexico/welcome.html

been able to study the communities 

living in deep Gulf of Mexico 

waters, along with biological and 

archaeological studies of shipwrecks 

also acting as artificial reefs.

For the last two years, MMS 

and NOAA have partnered to visit 

communities deeper than 9,000 feet 

in the GOM. These expeditions 

have utilized modern ROV’s to 

study chemosynthetic communities 

and deepwater corals to understand 

their habitat and to avoid any 

potential effects of future oil and 

gas production. This research allows 

scientists to pinpoint sensitive areas, 

protecting the environment as new 

reserves are explored. During the 

2006 and 2007 “Expedition to the 

Deep Slope,” the teams of scientists 

discovered hard corals, bamboo 

corals, sea fans, and mussels. They 

have also studied the tubeworms of 

the GOM seeps, some of the oldest 

animals on the planet.

To learn more about the effects 

of artificial reefs, MMS and NOAA 

studied six World War II shipwrecks. 

Sunk by German submarines in 

the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulfpenn, 

Virginia, U-166, Robert E. Lee, Alcoa 

Puritan, and Halo were examined 

to determine how the manmade 

structures function as artificial 

reefs as well as for any historical 

properties significant to American 

history. Using satellite technology 

to map the wreck site and ROV’s 

capable of plunging thousands of 

feet below the surface, scientists 

were able to view and sample 

sediments and organisms from 

the artificial reef environments to 

compare to the natural environment. 

In addition, scientists were able 

to view the long-term effects of 

manmade objects on the deep 

seafloor and their disintegration 

effects on the surroundings.

As the search for domestic 

energy moves farther into deep 

waters, the research collected 

will help provide for the safety 

of the biological communities 

located in these new production 

areas. Knowledge gained from 

the Environmental Studies 

Program furthers the mission of 

MMS as a steward of the ocean 

environment while securing 

the Nation’s energy supply.
The Minerals Management 

Service (MMS) recently 

conducted its 250th oilspill response drill as part of its 

Unannounced Drill Program. 

The drill, which took place 

October 16, 2007, tested offshore 

operator Shell Exploration and 

Production Company’s (Shell) 

Oil-Spill Response Plan. 

“MMS uses these drills to test 

the operators’ Oil Spill Response 

Plans,” explained Lars Herbst, Gulf 

of Mexico Regional Director. “Oil 

and gas operators have excellent 

safety records in the Gulf and 

response plans are seldom called into 

action, but MMS wants to be sure 

that the operators are able to respond 

to an event if necessary.”

The 250th unannounced drill 

began with an early morning call to 

Shell’s URSA platform in the Gulf 

of Mexico informing the crew that 

an oil-spill drill was being initiated. 

As part of the drill, all activities were 

observed and monitored by both 

MMS staff and a representative of 

the U.S. Coast Guard, who serves 

as the Federal on-scene coordinator. 

The MMS documents the operator’s 

response time and ability to acquire 

the needed resources to respond. 

At the conclusion of the drill’s 

activities, staffs from MMS and 

Shell discussed the drill activities 

with the Coast Guard’s on-scene 

coordinator. A major benefit of the 

drill program is the lessons learned 

about what works and what needs 

improvement. An operator must 

meet all plan elements tested in order 

to successfully pass the drill. 

The MMS initiated the 

Unannounced Drill Program in 

1989. Approximately 20 drills are 

conducted by MMS staff each year. 

Every drill tests two components: 

an operator’s ability to notify 

the appropriate contacts and an 

operator’s ability to make the 

decisions concerning mobilization of 

a proper response. 

“The drill program has 

improved incident response across 

the board,” commented Rusty 

Wright, MMS Gulf Region oilspill program administrator. 

“These drills have increased the 

speed of response and improved 

the effective use of the plans.”

6 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

Minerals Management Service Conducts 250th 

Unannounced Oil-Spill Drill in the Gulf of Mexico

I

n 1992, Ohmsett, the only 

full-scale, oil-spill response 

facility in the world was 

dedicated as a testing facility for 

the Minerals Management Service 

(MMS). As a steward of the ocean 

environment, MMS acquired 

and restored the Ohmsett facility, 

originally constructed in 1973, to 

provide a safe marine environment 

to research, test, and train for 

thorough response to oil spills.

Ohmsett is located in Leonardo, 

New Jersey, approximately an hour 

south of New York City. The main 

feature of the site is its test tank, one 

of the largest of its kind at 667 feet 

long and 65 feet wide, filled with 

2.6 million gallons of salt water. 

Ohmsett is important to researchers 

who use it to create oil spills in an 

environment that models obstacles 

like those encountered in the vast 

ocean and to simulate real-world 

conditions with features 

such as wave-generators and 

artificial beaches.

With new upgrades to 

Ohmsett, the facility is now 

open throughout the entire 

year for testing and training 

in all temperatures. The data 

collected is vital to MMS 

for regulation of oil and gas 

development on the Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS), 

and the training is very 

Ohmsett Reaches Milestone – 

Oil-Spill Research Flows for 15 Years

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Website: www.mms.gov/

tarprojectcategories/

ohmsett.htm

Website: www.mms.gov/

taroilspills/

Website: www.ohmsett.com/index.

html

important for future response. Joseph 

Mullin, MMS Program Manager 

for Oil Spill Response Research, 

says, “Ohmsett is an international 

asset where government, private 

industry and academia can conduct 

oil spill research and development 

programs.” Partnerships and clients 

include foreign government agencies 

like the Canadian Coast Guard, 

major oil industry companies, and 

educational institutions such as 

the National Spill Control School 

at Texas A&M University. The 

knowledge and training gained 

from Ohmsett will continue to 

help MMS meet the challenges 

involved in protecting the OCS, 

while continuing to explore U.S. 

resources for domestic energy.
I

magine energy reserves 200 times the current known 

natural gas supply in the United States. That is 

what scientists estimate the potential of methane 

gas hydrates to be! But converting that promise into 

production is years, if not decades, away and too complex and expensive for private industry to tackle alone.

In light of the enormous potential of this clean-burning fuel resource and its possible positive impact on our 

Nation’s energy and economic future, Congress passed 

the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 

2000. This legislation directs agencies to determine the 

available supply of gas hydrates, its energy potential, and 

economically viable extraction methods. The Secretaries 

of the Department of the Interior and Energy were also 

directed to work together to develop technical and financial incentives to encourage private industry to develop 

gas hydrates as rapidly as possible.

Gas hydrates are complex chemical compounds 

known as clathrate compounds. Clathrates exist where 

molecules of one material (in this case, water) form a 

“cage” that encloses molecules of another material (in 

this case, methane and related gases). This frozen lattice-like enclosure occurs without chemical bonding of 

the two materials. Areas where the environment is cold 

and/or highly pressurized, such as the Alaskan permafrost or deepwater 

seafloors, contain 

vast deposits 

of hydrates.

Although 

recent research 

has proven that 

extraction of gas 

hydrates is technically possible, significant obstacles to 

commercial production exist. One important obstacle to 

the safe development of hydrates is their propensity for 

destabilization or dissociation, creating an uncontrolled 

release of large volumes of methane. Gas hydrate dissociation may also cause the seafloor to become unstable, 

presenting a significant hazard for exploration equipment 

and personnel should the surrounding floor collapse. 

The Gas Hydrate Sea Floor Observatory has recently 

been established with funding provided by the Minerals 

Management Service (MMS), National Oceanographic 

and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of 

Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab, and the 

Naval Research Lab. The observatory’s purpose is to 

“better understand the relationships between gas hydrates 

and episodes of sediment instability that may pose a 

threat to the petroleum industry’s infrastructure and safety of operations.” This tendency has proved a nuisance 

in oil and gas exploration, but methods that restrain or 

redirect this tendency must be explored and perfected 

before commercial production of gas hydrates is feasible.

Identifying the location and composition of highyield hydrate resources is another challenge that must be 

overcome. Their location in deepwater and Alaskan environs makes exploration difficult at best, and industry has 

thus far allocated minimal resources to research methods 

which could make hydrate development viable.

According to the National Research Council, a 

shortage of natural gas from conventional and unconventional sources is expected by 2020. The anticipated 

shortfall has led to renewed interest in finding alternative energy sources and has opened opportunities for 

industry to team with academic and governmental 

entities to further investigate future 

hydrate exploration and production. Incentives provided under the 

Methane Hydrate Research and 

Development Act of 2000 along with 

research initiated by MMS will help 

ensure that location, characterization, and extraction of gas hydrates 

will provide new energy sources for 

a more secure economic future.

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 7

GAS HYDRATES PRESENT A 

CHALLENGING OPPORTUNITY

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The Ocean Drilling Program

Website: www-odp.tamu.edu

An Interagency Roadmap for Methane Hydrate Research 

and Development

Website: www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/oilgas/publications/methane_

hydrates/mh_interagency_plan.pdf

Gas Hydrates Research Consortium

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

Concentrated gas hydrate (white material) 

covered with mud. This core was obtained 

on the Blake Ridge during Ocean 

Drilling Program Leg 164. The sediment 

bubbles are caused by the breakdown or 

dissociation of the gas hydrate, which 

is not stable at standard atmospheric 

pressure and room temperature.

Left: Gas hydrates (yellow) are ice with gas trapped inside; exposed 

beds are accessible to submersibles on the deep seafloor of the Gulf 

of Mexico. Ice worms (Hesiocaeca methanicola), a new species only 

seen in hydrate, were discovered in 1997 by C. Fisher, Penn State 

University. Right: Irregular shaped pieces of gas hydrate recovered 

from sediments in the Sea of Okhotsk, east of Sakhalin Island. The 

pieces were removed from sediment recovered from a gravity core 

that penetrated the seafloor sediments to about 2 meters in a water 

depth of 708 meters. Scale is in centimeters.
8 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

1985

3D vertical seismic profiling 

developed 

(map of GOM seafloor 

courtesy of Harry Roberts, LSU)

1989

Most bids received on a block: 

Western GOM Lease Sale 122, 

offshore Galveston, Texas

1992

Dedication of Ohmsett, a full-scale, 

oil-spill research facility 

in New Jersey

199

First Outer C

Shelf (OCS)

for beach re

Duval Coun

MMS created 

as a bureau of the 

Department 

of the Interior

1982

1988

First horizontal well drilled from 

semisubmersible drill rig

MILESTONES

M

S

1984

National Fishing Enhancement Act 

passed, encouraging use of offshore 

platforms as artificial reefs

25

1980 1990
95

Continental 

) sand used 

estoration: 

nty, Florida

2001

OCS production begins 

in Alaska at the 

BP Northstar Unit 

in the Beaufort Sea

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 9

1996

Neptune, the world’s first SPAR, is 

installed in the GOM in 1,851 feet of water 

2004

Technology Assessment & Research 

(TAR) Program reaches a milestone 

of 500 research projects 

2007

Production begins on the 

Independence Hub, the deepest 

production platform ever installed 

and the world’s largest offshore 

natural gas processing facility 

2006

In 2006, the 25 millionth cubic yard 

of OCS sand is placed on a beach. 

Also in 2006, over 100 miles of U.S. 

shoreline had been restored.

5 Years of Highlights

2000 2010

2005

The Energy Policy 

Act of 2005 is enacted, 

giving MMS jurisdiction 

over renewable 

energy projects
A QUARTER CENTURY

Partnership

Initiatives Shape

the MMS Family Tree

Balancing development 

of domestic resources 

with protection of the 

ocean environment 

is no small task. For 

the Minerals Management Service 

(MMS), this goal is accomplished 

through many partnership endeavors, 

from educational research to industry 

operations. The information gained 

from these combined efforts is used 

to make the best decisions for oil 

and gas leasing and exploration. 

Some key partnerships include 

the Coastal Marine Institute 

(CMI), Marine Minerals Program 

(MMP), International Activities 

Program, Industry Awards Program, 

Offshore Technology Resource 

Center (OTRC), and Ohmsett.

Coastal Marine Institute

The CMI is an initiative 

proposed in 1991, with its first 

official partnership signed in 1992 

with the State of Louisiana and 

Louisiana State University. Operated 

by the Environmental Studies 

Program, the purpose of the CMI 

initiative is to involve students 

and faculty at coastal institutions 

for development of new oil and 

gas activity research in the Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS). This 

partnership has resulted in a better 

flow of information to the public, 

10 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Coastal Marine Institutes

Website: www.mms.gov/eppd/sciences/esp/profiles/partners/cmi/index.htm

Offshore Minerals Management

Website: www.mms.gov/BetYouDidntKnow/BetGOMKnowledgeBaseContinuallyExpanding082207.htm

International Partnerships

Website: www.mms.gov/international

Industry Awards

Website: www.mms.gov/awards

Offshore Technology Resource Center

Website: www.otrc.tamu.edu/index.htm

Website: otrc.tamu.edu/Pages/mission.htm

Oil and beaches

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/whatsnew/papers/gp9518.html

Ohmsett

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

Environmental Studies

Website: www.mms.gov/eppd/sciences/esp/profiles/partners/index.htm

strengthened State relationships, 

and provided opportunities for costsharing. Other CMI partnerships 

have included the University of 

Alaska and the University of 

California at Santa Barbara.

Marine Minerals Program

Through the MMP, MMS has 

conveyed over 33 million cubic yards 

of OCS sand to restore 126 miles of 

the Nation’s beaches and coastlines. 

Of the 23 projects completed to date, 

several were done on an emergency 

basis to prevent imminent loss 

of a portion of a barrier island. 

The MMP continues to work 

with coastal states through sand 

management working groups and 

other venues to coordinate shoreline 

restoration activities and potential 

borrow site studies, and to establish 

priorities for processing sand lease 

requests. In addition, the MMP 

manages generic environmental 

and other technical studies related 

to OCS sand and other minerals 

at the Louisiana State University 

CMI, the Center for Marine 

Resources and Environmental 

Technology at the University 

of Mississippi, and the Marine 

Minerals Technology center at the 

University of Alaska-Fairbanks.

International Activities 

Program

The MMS has established 

relationships around the world and 

currently has involvement with 14 

different countries. Through these 

Minerals Management 

Service

1982 – 2007
relationships, MMS acts as a liaison 

for international activities and also 

provides policy direction for Federal 

OCS minerals management. The 

International Activities Program 

countries include: the United 

Kingdom, Australia, Canada, 

Kazakhstan, India, Afghanistan, 

Mexico, Georgia, Norway, China, 

Turkmenistan, Russia, Bangladesh, 

and Indonesia.

Industry Awards Program

Each year, MMS presents the 

safest offshore operators and outstanding revenue management with 

national recognition of their achievement. Operators, inspectors, contractors, and industry professionals are 

acknowledged in award categories 

including National Safety Award 

for Excellence (SAFE), Mineral 

Revenues Stewardship, Corporate 

Leadership, and MMS Inspector.

Offshore Technology 

Resource Center

The OTRC is committed to 

providing offshore research related 

to the development of drilling, 

production, and transportation of oil 

and gas. The project works jointly 

with Texas A&M University and 

the University of Texas at Austin 

for research projects focused on the 

following:

characterization of the 

ocean environment;

characterization of the 

seafloor environment;

environmental forces 

on structures and 

foundation systems;

structural responses 

and integrity; and

advanced composite materials.

Ohmsett 

Ohmsett is the national oil-spill 

response test facility. The facility 

provides a location for simulated oil 

spills and cleanup methods as part 

of the oil-spill response research 

program. Through its capabilities 

o

o

o

o

o

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 11

for training and testing, MMS works 

with a variety of government entities 

as well as private industry. Some of 

the clients include the U.S. Navy, 

U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental 

Protection Agency, University of 

Miami, and many others.

The MMS also has numerous 

important collaborations with 

government agencies such as 

the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration and 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The research gained from these 

lasting partnerships will help every 

American benefit from the over 1.76 

billion offshore acres of Federal 

lands managed by MMS.

The MMS Environmental Studies Program has completed more 

than 740 studies concerning the Gulf of Mexico ranging in 

topics from physical oceanography and marine archaeology 

to the study of habitats, fauna and flora, and meteorology.

Map showing states which have partnerships with MMS. (Alabama, Alaska, 

California, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, 

New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia)

The International Activities Program (IAP) has a dual role in MMS. The IAP 

functions as a liaison for MMS involvement in International Activities and provides 

policy direction for management of minerals resources on the Federal Outer 

Continental Shelf.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Website: www.gomr.mms.

gov/PI/PDFImages/

ESPIS/3/4090.pdf

12 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

From the Start

MMS and 

Environmental Studies

Minerals venting from the seafloor provide chemosynthetic sustenance for bacteria, some of 

Earth’s earliest life.

I

n the middle of the 

20th century, scientists, 

governmental agencies, 

and the public became 

increasingly aware of 

the effect of human activity on 

ecosystems worldwide. The National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

of 1969 was both a result and a 

precursor of increased environmental 

awareness in the United States. 

NEPA required Federal agencies to 

back their management decisions 

with environmental data on the 

impact those decisions might have 

on the ecosystems involved. The 

necessity for data for use as a 

“measuring stick” for environmental 

changes, especially in marine 

habitats, became clear. The 

Environmental Studies Program 

(ESP) was formed under the 

administration of the Department 

of the Interior and the supervision 

of the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM), the agency then responsible 

for submerged lands. Subsequently, 

in 1982 the Minerals Management 

Service (MMS) was formed and 

given the stewardship of the Nation’s 

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), 

its resources, and its responsible 

management. The ESP became an 

essential part of that management.

The first funded studies of 

MMS’s ESP were broad baseline 

studies designed to enhance the 

knowledge base to describe the 

physical, biological, and socioeconomic makeup of each region 

of the OCS. The studies were 

intended to provide a benchmark 

against which potential change 

caused by oil and gas activities 

could be measured and mitigated.

As early as 1974, BLM provided 

funding to the State University 

System of Florida, Institute of 

Oceanography to conduct a 

benchmark study in the MississippiAlabama-Florida (MAFLA) OCS 

in anticipation of oil and gas 

exploration in the area. The study 

was conducted by a consortium of 

investigators having special interests 

and expertise in the area. Results of 

the study indicated that in three of 

the five study areas, crude oil-like 

hydrocarbons were not present in 

the sediments or water column. The 

study concluded that the diverse and 

abundant inhabitants of the area 

were living in “pristine and natural 

ecological states.” Two of the areas, 

however, showed minimal petroleum 

traces. The study was then 

broadened to consist of seafloor, 

water column, and water surface 

data in the MAFLA area including 

biological, chemical, geological, 

and physical oceanographic data.

In the ensuing years, the 

original baseline studies have been 

supplemented by many additional 

laboratory, field, modeling, and 

synthesis studies in all MMS regions 

to enhance the body of knowledge 

on which offshore oil and gas 

resource management decisions 

are made. The MMS continues to 

use all available data to plan new, 

more specific and focused studies. 

These studies will better quantify 

any future environmental changes 

resulting from offshore oil and gas 

activities, ensuring protection of the 

Nation’s ecological resources.

Current meter for deployment from 

deep-ocean moored buoy. Deployed off 

Oceanographer on DOMES project. DOMES 

was a study to determine the environmental 

impact of ocean mining.
As newer and more

 complex equipment

 and applications

 are introduced,

 the development 

and protection of the Arctic 

environment are becoming more 

technologically sophisticated. 

Previously impractical tracking and 

in-depth study of Arctic mammals 

have become more feasible and 

methods of oil and gas exploration 

with a more sensitive environmental 

footprint are being used.

One dilemma scientists were 

facing while studying the Arctic 

polar bear population was: “How 

do you track well-camouflaged 

polar bear mothers and their cubs 

into their dens in deep snow drifts 

or total snow cover?” The answer 

may be found in forward-looking 

infrared (FLIR) imagery. This 

imagery is taken with a camera 

using the infrared portion of 

the electromagnetic spectrum. 

Studies have shown that FLIR can 

detect differences in temperature 

between the denning bears and the 

surrounding snow. FLIR technology 

allows scientists to pinpoint the 

location and number of dens 

without disturbing the bears or their 

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 13

ARCTIC ADVANCES

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Website: www.mms.gov/Alaska/reports/2005rpts/c_core_2005/468_1.pdf

Website: www.mms.gov/Alaska/reports/2004Reports/2004_062.pdf

MANAGING THE ARCTIC

Becomes

More 

Sophisticated

hiding places—vital knowledge 

when the possibility of oil and 

gas exploration in the area looms 

and the impacts on the animal 

population are being documented.

The possible negative impact 

of oil and gas exploration has 

also led to an innovative solution 

to the problem of human 

intrusion onto the tundra. The 

use of artificially constructed ice 

islands to host exploration and 

drilling platforms has proven both 

economically and environmentally 

feasible in the Arctic.

Ice islands in the Arctic 

have obvious advantages over 

conventional forms of platform 

construction, the foremost of 

which is the use of onsite natural 

materials with no transportation 

costs. The current technique of 

choice, spraying ice to build up thick 

foundations, has been used for over 

30 years, but new enhancements 

and refinements have continued to 

make it even more efficient. Future 

improvements may include larger, 

more efficient pumps for maximum 

build-up rates. Obstacles to the 

efficient construction of the islands 

include wind and natural variations 

in temperature. These barriers can be 

overcome with planning.

Developing the oil and gas 

resources of the Arctic, while 

protecting its delicate ecosystems, 

is a daunting challenge. But as 

scientists continue to discover new 

uses for old technology and new 

technology to solve old problems, 

this intimidating challenge can be 

the foundation for an even greater 

knowledge base. The Minerals 

Management Service, as the steward 

of the Nation’s offshore resources, 

continues to encourage new and 

innovative ways to protect the 

globally treasured Arctic.

Above: An Arctic sunrise. Inset: Tarsuit Relief Spray Ice Island (ICETECH, 2005).
From biologists to 

archaeologists, and 

engineers to economists, 

the Minerals Management Service (MMS) is 

made up of an extensive list of professionals dedicated to stewardship of 

the ocean environment.

But how are all of these experts 

involved in offshore oil and gas 

activities? Before the inception of 

MMS as a Federal agency in 1982, 

the Environmental Studies Program 

(ESP) was initiated in 1973 to gather 

environmental, social, and economic 

science information to assist in 

decisionmaking for the offshore oil 

and gas program. Previously under 

the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM), ESP was formally authorized 

through the Outer Continental Shelf 

Lands Act (OCSLA) with three 

general goals:

establish the information needed 

for assessment and management 

of environmental impacts on 

the human, marine, and coastal 

environments of the Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS) and the 

potentially affected coastal areas;

predict impacts on the marine 

biota that may result from 

chronic, low-level pollution 

or large spills associated with 

OCS production, from drilling 

fluids and cuttings discharges, 

pipeline emplacement, or 

onshore facilities; and

monitor human, marine, and 

coastal environments to provide time series and data trend 

information for identification of 

significant changes in the quality and productivity of these 

environments, and to identify the 

causes of these changes.

In 1982, BLM joined with 

the U.S. Geological Survey’s 

Conservation Division to create the 

present-day MMS.

o

o

o

14 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

THE “PROS” OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL 

Dr. Fred Piltz, Senior 

Environmental Scientist for the 

Pacific OCS Region, has seen many 

changes in ESP over the years. “One 

significant change in the ESP started 

in the early 1980’s with the funding 

of social and economic studies of the 

potential effects of offshore oil and 

gas activities,” said Dr. Piltz. “These 

topics had been narrowly investigated previously and then mostly 

confined to studies of archaeological 

and submerged cultural sites that 

are required to be protected. In the 

1980’s, at the encouragement of our 

OCS Scientific Committee, MMS 

began to do studies of the history of 

changes in communities that were 

adjacent to or depended upon offshore oil and gas economically.”

At this time the Pacific Region 

also began to undergo major 

changes. “There was a shift from 

studies focused on potential effects 

of leasing or exploration, to a focus 

on studies looking at long term 

effects and long-term monitoring,” said Dr. Piltz. “We still have 

significant oil and gas production here, and we have continued 

some long-term studies such as 

our Multi Agency Rocky Intertidal 

Network (MARINe) to make sure 

we are continuing environmentally safe operations,” he added.

Research conducted by ESP 

makes it possible for continued exploration of oil and gas resources in 

the OCS and, in addition, provides 

information essential to protection of 

the ocean environment. The analysis 

of oil and gas impacts on the human, 

marine, and coastal environments is 

vital to the assessments that guide 

A Fall College and Conference Recruiting Tour finds Geosciences Recruiting Team member 

Mike Smith talking to an interested student at the University of Tennessee.
the management of resources in 

the OCS. To make the results readily available to MMS, industry, and 

government agencies, ESP research 

reports are available through the 

Environmental Studies Program 

Information System (ESPIS), a web 

site accessible through the MMS 

homepage. Over 2,000 complete 

reports of ESP activities are available 

to view or download.

The ESP has provided for 

research collaborations with 

other Federal agencies and educational institutions, such as the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration and many state universities in coastal regions located 

near offshore mineral development 

areas. The faculty and students 

at these universities are able to be 

involved in ESP Coastal Marine 

Institutes where they can participate 

in long-term research as well as 

assist MMS staff in scientific studies. These studies create exciting 

opportunities for those interested in 

a career in the offshore industry. The 

many professionals in the offshore 

program include

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 15

STUDIES PROGRAM

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Environmental Studies 

Program (ESP)

Website: www.mms.gov/eppd/

sciences/esp/index.htm

ESP History

Website: www.mms.gov/eppd/

sciences/esp/history.htm

MMS Ocean Role

Website: www.mms.gov/ooc/

newweb/publications/

OurOceanRoleMMS.pdf

ESPIS

Website: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/espis/espisfront.

asp

MMS Pacific ESP

Website: www.mms.gov/omm/

pacific/enviro/enviro_

studies.htm

Early offshore oil development in the Gulf of Mexico.

The MMS Environmental 

Studies Program is presently in 

a number of studies, covering a 

variety of topics such as deep-sea 

ecosystems, marine mammals, 

physical oceanography, bowhead 

whale aerial surveys, and offshore 

industry operations. As many 

possibilities and advancements 

lay ahead for MMS “pros,” the 

knowledge gained from research 

will provide for continued balance 

of domestic offshore resources 

and the ocean environment.

geologists meteorologists

geophysicists marine biologists

physical scientists economists

environmental scientists archaeologists

oceanographers paleontologists

mineral leasing specialists computer specialists

petroleum engineers information specialists
MMS

A Steward of the 

Ocean Environment Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 204 

held August 22, 2007, in New Orleans, 

Louisiana. Pictured at the head table 

from left to right: Regional Director 

Lars Herbst, MMS Director Randall 

Luthi, and OMM Associate Director 

Chris Oynes. NEW WAVES Late-Breaking News & Information

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE

Minerals Management Service

Mail Stop 5431

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

FIRST CLASS

POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 1

ADDISON, IL

The MMS is pleased to name Lars 

Herbst as the new Regional Director 

of the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region. 

According to MMS Director Randall 

Luthi, “(Herbst) brings a wealth of 

experience and a great perspective to the job.” Having 

been an employee of MMS for 23 years, Herbst has 

held a variety of positions. He began as a petroleum 

engineer and has since worked as a supervisor for the 

past 13 years on the way to his most recent position 

as acting Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Regional Director. 

Luthi also commended Herbst on recent efforts for 

new hurricane standards and contract negotiations, 

saying these “are but examples of his leadership.” 

Herbst began his new position on October 1, 2007, 

MMS Announces New Regional Director for GOM

Lars Herbst was named 

Regional Director 

of the MMS Gulf of 

Mexico OCS Region 

by MMS Director 

Randall Luthi on 

October 1, 2007. 

directing approximately 600 employees in the GOM 

region including engineers, geophysicists, geologists, 

marine biologists, oceanographers, offshore 

inspectors, and many other professionals.