MMS

SCIENCE

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 

MARCH/APRIL 2006

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

Looking Forward

The 5-Year

Program

The Atlantic OCS

Where’s 

the Polly?

Everything 

You Wanted 

to Know about

Oil and Gas

Leasing

MODU’s 

and FPS’s in 

Hurricane Ivan

Well Under Way –

Mars Platform

Repairs

Multipurpose

Marine Cadastre

Looking Forward

The 5-Year

Program

The Atlantic OCS

Where’s 

the Polly?

Everything 

You Wanted 

to Know about

Oil and Gas

Leasing

MODU’s 

and FPS’s in 

Hurricane Ivan

Well Under Way –

Mars Platform

Repairs

Multipurpose

Marine Cadastre
2 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

MARCH/APRIL 2006 Volume 3 Issue 2

3 Looking Forward

Blueprint for Future Development

4 The 5-Year Program

Encourage Development and Protect Resources

5 The Atlantic OCS

Waiting to Be Discovered

6 Where’s the Polly? 

Learning More About Alaska Shipwrecks

7 About Oil and Gas Leasing

Everything You Wanted to Know

8 Keeping Their Stations

MODU’s and FPS’s in Hurricane Ivan

10 Well Under Way

Mars Platform Repairs

10 The Promise of Wilcox

11 Multipurpose Marine Cadastre

Charting a Physical, Social, and 

Political Map of the OCS

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

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

MMS

SCIENCE

MARCH/APRIL 2006 

Volume 3 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:

Deborah Epperson

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Editor

Minerals Management Service

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70123

deborah.epperson@mms.gov

(504) 736-3257

ABOUT THE COVERS

Top: A fixed platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bottom: A diver examining growth on a platform leg in

the Gulf of Mexico. Photo by Gregory S. Boland.

Several photos in this issue are courtesy of 

BP Exploration and Production.

All photos courtesy of 

Minerals Management Service 

unless otherwise noted.

Publication services provided by 

Schatz Publishing Group
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2006 3

As energy consumption

reaches an all time high

and we depend more and

more on foreign energy 

sources – some of which

have questionable stability and security –

the need to develop, manage, and

conserve our national energy resources

has become more important than ever.

As steward of the natural resources on

the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the

Minerals Management Service (MMS) 

is responding to that need. As part of

that response, MMS is preparing its

legislatively-mandated 5-Year Plan for

the Leasing Program. After receiving

feedback from all interested parties 

on the draft plan, MMS will release a

final plan as a blueprint for the future

leasing program.

At the same time as oil and gas

exploration goes deeper, new technologies are attracting developers to older,

more shallow fields closer to shore.

These fields hold resources that may now

be profitably removed. As exploration

expands, MMS and its regional offices

are working closely with State and local

governments, academic institutions, and

industry to work cooperatively on

nearshore and deepwater exploration

and to develop long-term goals consistent with regional needs.

As more knowledge about the OCS

and its ecosystems is gained, MMS is

working with its academic and industry

partners to ensure that as much data as

possible is available to students,

academicians, and industry scientists for

study. The MMS is partnering with

several academic institutions, such as the

University of Alaska, to develop data

storage and distribution systems that are

flexible and user friendly.

The Energy Information Administration estimates that the demand for

natural gas in the United States will rise

by 42 percent over the next 20 years.

Looking forward, MMS will continue to

encourage and develop new research

frontiers, alternative fuels, and energy

sources. By decreasing the Nation’s

reliance on oil and natural gas and

promoting other energy sources, MMS is

striving to ensure our Nation will have

enough energy to meet its future needs.

Left: A jack-up rig used to drill for oil and gas on the

Outer Continental Shelf.

Below top: Part of the cabling system used to deploy

Horn Mountain spar in the Gulf of Mexico.

Below bottom: A stack of pipeline that will be used

to transport gas and oil from the development field

to shore. The pipeline diameters are 16, 20, 24, and

28 inches.

LOOKING

FORWARD

BLUEPRINT 

FOR FUTURE

DEVELOPMENT
4 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECT RESOURCES

THE 5-YEAR PROGRAM

The above map depicts the location of the 26 planning areas on the Outer Continental Shelf. These areas comprise over 1.78 billion acres of Federal lands.

T

he vast natural resources of the

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

are vital to our Nation’s economy and security. It is the

responsibility of the Minerals

Management Service (MMS) to develop

5-year leasing programs to encourage

resource management of the OCS and to

protect those resources. The 2007-2012 

5-Year Program is the seventh since the

program was mandated by the OCS

Lands Act of 1978.

The MMS has set forth a realignment

of OCS planning areas in the GOM.

There are currently 26 planning areas 

on the OCS. The increasing number 

and type of both traditional and nontraditional energy, alternative energyrelated, and other activities on the OCS

made the realignment necessary, and the

new Federal OCS offshore administrative

boundaries were announced in January

2006 by MMS.

As the 5-Year Program is being

developed, MMS is also cataloging the

inventory of undeveloped oil and gas

resources as directed by Congress as part

of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. At

present, an estimated 85.9 billion barrels

of oil and 419.9 trillion cubic feet of

natural gas remain undiscovered on the

OCS. This includes all oil and gas

resources, including deepwater, that are

considered technically recoverable.

A total of 21 OCS lease sales are

proposed in the 2007-2012 5-Year

Program. The public, State and local

governments, and industry interests are

encouraged to submit their

recommendations during the draft

development phase of the plan. There

will be a 90-day final comment period in

the summer of 2006. The final program

will be approved in the spring of 2007.

2007-2012: 5-Year Program 

Proposed Areas for Leasing
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2006 5

Relatively limited oil and gas

exploration and production

has occurred on the Atlantic

Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS) when compared with

the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Ten oil and

gas lease sales were held in the area

between the mid-1970’s and the mid1980’s. Forty-seven exploratory wells

were drilled. Those wells produced 

only five hydrocarbon discoveries – 

all of which have been abandoned as 

noncommercial. There are currently no

oil and gas leases off the Atlantic coast. 

Leasing and resource management

activities for the Atlantic OCS area have

been divided into four areas for

planning purposes:

1. The North Atlantic Planning Area

extends from Maine to New Jersey

and includes over 92 million acres.

Eight wells have been drilled and

five discoveries have been made.

However, there are currently no

active leases in the area.

2. The Mid-Atlantic Planning Area

extends from Delaware to North

Carolina and includes over 113

million acres. This area had the

most lease sales (5) and the most

exploratory wells drilled (32).

However, no discoveries have been

made and no leases are currently

active. A proposed lease sale in 

the 5-Year Program is located in

this area.

3. The South Atlantic Planning Area

extends from South Carolina to

Florida and includes over 54

million acres. Only one lease sale

has been held here and no leases

are currently active.

4. The Straits of Florida encompasses

over 9.5 million acres. Only one

lease sale has been held here and

no leases are currently active. 

As part of the proposed leasing 5-Year

Program in the Mid-Atlantic Planning

Area, the Minerals Management Service

(MMS) has proposed a single lease sale

to evaluate the potential for oil and gas

WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED

THE ATLANTIC OCS

The Atlantic Planning

Areas showing the

proposed area for

leasing off of Virginia.

development off the coast of Virginia.

The proposal was issued and open for a

comment period that ended in April.

Another comment period will be opened

in the summer of 2006. Current presidential withdrawals or congressional

moratoria have placed more than 85 percent of the OCS around the lower 48

states off limits to energy development,

including all areas off Virginia. 

“The idea of leasing Federal waters

off the coast of Virginia comes in

response to discussion in the State’s legislature about the potential of energy

development off its coast,” MMS

Director Johnnie Burton said. “However,

no offshore development will occur off

of Virginia unless the State’s congressional delegation works to lift the moratorium,” said Burton. The MMS is working

to ensure a leasing plan is in place if

Virginia seeks to end the moratorium

and encourage offshore oil and gas

development.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Draft Proposed OCS Oil and Gas

Leasing Program 2007-2012

Website: www.mms.gov/5-year/

2007-2012main.htm

The MMS estimates there are approximately 85.9 billion barrels of oil and

419.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas

that may be technically recoverable from

all Federal offshore areas. The estimate

for both oil and gas increased about 15

percent compared with the 2001 report.

A significant amount of environmental study would be required and State

moratoria would have to be lifted before

any exploration of the Mid-Atlantic

Planning Area could be considered.

However, as our Nation’s oil and gas

needs grow, the Atlantic OCS may

become a more attractive and viable area

for exploration.
To learn more about Alaska Shipwrecks, go to: http://www.mms.gov/alaska/ref/ships/index.htm.

Copies of the poster may be requested by contacting MMS Public Affairs - Alaska 1-800-764-2627.

6 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2006 7

T

he process of leasing blocks on

the Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS) for oil and gas

exploration and research is an

important issue for everyone.

The Federal regulations that protect

marine and land ecosystems, ensure the

safety of offshore personnel, ensure the

fair and speedy collection and accounting of royalties, and secure dismantling

of abandoned wells and leases fills

volumes of pages. Yet, everything you

need to know about oil and gas exploration leasing can be found in one book

from the Minerals Management Service

(MMS), Leasing Oil and Natural Gas

Resources - Outer Continental Shelf.

It contains a wealth of historical

information about oil and gas drilling

on the OCS – from the first offshore well

in 1896 to the first free-standing offshore

well owned by Pure Oil/Superior Oil in

1938. It describes the discovery of oil in

Prudhoe Bay in the early 1970’s as well

as the ultra-deepwater wells being drilled

today. A detailed timeline of developments on the OCS is included in the

appendix section of the book.

The history of leasing on the OCS is

also included in Leasing Oil and Natural

Gas Resources - Outer Continental Shelf.

Submerged land located from approximately 3 miles (varies by state) from a

State’s coast to 200-300 miles offshore is

potentially available for lease. In 1954,

the first offshore oil and gas lease sales

were held and the Federal Government

has conducted lease sales ever since.

One important section of the book is

a detailed explanation of the process of

drafting the 5-year Programs mandated

for the OCS. The leasing program must

take into account the following considerations: 1) existing geographical,

geological, and ecological information

about the area; 2) a balance of risks and

benefits; 3) location with respect to

regional and national energy markets; 

4) location with respect to other uses

such as fisheries, sea lanes, deepwater

ports, and other current and anticipated

criteria MMS uses to accept or reject a

potential bid. Additionally, the process

of determining fair market value for the

lease is explained.

Leasing Oil and Natural Gas Resources -

Outer Continental Shelf is an invaluable

resource for anyone with an interest in

leasing in the OCS. It may be accessed

through the MMS website at

http://www.mms.gov/ld/PDFs/

GreenBook-LeasingDocument.pdf

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW

ABOUT OIL AND GAS LEASING

Leasing Oil and Natural Gas Resources - Outer Continental Shelf

uses of the area; 5) the interest of potential oil and gas producers in the development of the area; 6) laws, goals, and

policies of the affected States as identified by the Governors of that State; and

7) the relative environmental sensitivity

and marine productivity of the area.

Included in the book is an explanation of OCS leasing procedures, the

process potential lessors must follow 

to be considered as a bidder, and the 
8 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

of equipment and structures in the Gulf

and how they withstand hurricanes such

as Ivan, Katrina, and Rita. Lessons

learned from these studies help engineers and production personnel make

design and operational changes to better

prepare for future storms.

During Hurricane Ivan, four FPS’s

and five semisubmersible MODU’s were

found to have moved from their stations.

In Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, nineteen

MODU’s were set adrift. The consequences of drifting vessels depend on its

location, the direction in which it drifts,

the speed at which it drifts, what 

components it drags with it along the

seafloor, and what it encounters along

the way. Fortunately, there was no loss of

life on these units or environmental

damage as a result of this powerful

storm. Damage to the equipment itself,

however, was extensive.

Drilling rig packages located on FPS’s

are fastened to the deck of the offshore

MODU’S AND FPS’S

I IN HURRICANE IVAN

n the Gulf of Mexico (GOM),

mobile offshore drilling units

(MODU’s) and floating production

systems (FPS’s) are operating safely

and efficiently around the clock to

help meet our Nation’s oil and gas

needs. Hurricanes in the GOM, however,

endanger that safe and efficient system.

As the steward of the Nation’s offshore

oil and gas resources and protector of its

marine environment and ecosystems, the

Minerals Management Service (MMS)

ensures that engineering and operational

systems are in place that will ensure safe

production and distribution of those

resources while leaving the marine environment that surrounds it unharmed. To

fulfill its mission, MMS sponsors studies

KEEPING 

THEIR STATIONS
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2006 9

10 years. After reviewing the study and

meeting with its industry partners, MMS

will establish any necessary changes, in

accordance with its ongoing mission,

that would better protect personnel,

production, and the environment that

surrounds them.

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Hurricane Ivan Research:

Website: www.mms.gov/

tarprojectcategories/

HurricaneIvan.htm

Opposite page: The mobile offshore drilling unit,

Ocean Confidence. Owned and operated by

Diamond Offshore.

Below: Examples of different types of production platforms used in the offshore environment. Floating production systems (FPS’s) would include the sea star, tension

leg platform, and spar, which are all anchored to the bottom by cables.

platform by large diameter bolts, weldments (welded joints), braces, or other

means. The fastening method must withstand hurricane winds and the acceleration of the deck itself from currents and

waves. The MMS has commissioned

studies of the sea fastenings that failed

during Hurricane Ivan. These studies will

find out if the criteria used in their

design was adequate to meet the stresses

of a 100-year storm such as Ivan,

whether the fastenings were installed

properly, and whether preparations to

meet the storm were adequate.

One hundred and fifty facilities and

10,000 miles of pipeline were in the

direct path of Hurricane Ivan, and many

more facilities and pipelines along the

storm’s edges were affected. One MODU

moved approximately 3,000 feet and

four others drifted up to 70 miles. The

moorings that failed during the 

hurricane will be studied for their design

adequacy and installation.

The results of the studies will reveal if

improvements in the design or a total

design overhaul are needed. Decisions

that will weigh the costs of “tweaking”

versus totally redesigning the fastening

and mooring systems can then be made,

and consideration can be given to the

chance of stronger storms over the next
from the platform to a point 40 miles

away, where it connects to a 24-inch line.

It then carries the oil 55 miles to

Fourchon, Louisiana. Its final destination

is a salt dome cavern with a 3 million

barrel capacity capable of distributing to

five major pipeline systems.

Even though repairs of the damaged

pipeline is of vital importance, its repair

has highlighted the shortage of qualified

workers and specialized equipment,

which are making the recovery more difficult. Because no other ships capable of

doing the job were in the area, an icebreaker from the North Sea was brought

in to help repair the pipeline. This ship

had the necessary available square

footage on the deck to make it possible

to hold both pipeline and repair equipment. It was also capable of remaining

above the repair location for weeks.

Repairing the damaged pipelines also

required new and innovative techniques.

New methods of connecting the broken

line, new supports for the repair, and

new methods of completing the repair

underwater were used. New computer

programs allowed repairs to be tried in

virtual space before they were tried on

the seafloor. Men and equipment

worked around the clock to ensure the

pipeline repairs were made quickly and

10 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

As this year’s hurricane season

approaches, oil companies are

still dealing with the destructive effects of last year’s record-setting

season. While none of the damage was

irreparable, oil producers and the

Minerals Management Service (MMS)

have lost billions of dollars in revenue

and royalties. And in a time of increasing

demand for energy, the Nation lost

unfettered access to the oil and gas produced in and transported from the Gulf

of Mexico (GOM). 

As of March 2006, approximately 25

percent of GOM production (6% of the

Nation’s domestic production) remains

shut down. At least 140,000 barrels a

day of that oil production was lost from

Shell’s Mars platform. The problem?

During Hurricane Katrina, the massive

drilling rig derrick on the facility collapsed onto the production deck below

and its 12-ton anchor was dragged across

two sections of the Mars pipeline system

connecting the platform to 

south Louisiana.

The Mars platform is an enormous

structure located about 130 miles

southeast of New Orleans. The

production from the platform makes it

one of the largest GOM discoveries in

more than 25 years. Pipelines carry oil

MARS PLATFORM REPAIRS

WELL UNDER WAY

The Promise of Wilcox

What started out as a test well into formations of the Miocene epoch yielded a surprise for

drillers – a thick hydrocarbon-rich sand section not previously known to yield such

potential reserves. The promise of this Lower Tertiary sand section, called the Wilcox trend,

in ultra-deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continues to be encouraging with the recent

announcement of discoveries on BHP Billiton’s Cascade prospect (located in 8,200 feet of water) and

Chevron/Devon’s Jack prospect (located in 7,000 feet of water).

The Wilcox trend was deposited as sands of a delta in the Lower Tertiary epoch. Both the

Miocene epoch (which started 23 million years ago) and the Lower Tertiary (from 66 to 38 million

years ago) are part of the Cenozoic period – the most recent of the three major subdivisions of

geologic history. Some scientists believe the Wilcox trend may cover 34,000 square miles and hold up

to 15 billion barrels of recoverable oil reserves.

These discoveries and earlier Lower Tertiary finds have spurred great interest for prospects in the area. Recent lease sales

in the Western GOM have seen strong bidding activity. The announcement of royalty relief for ultra-deepwater discoveries

has also made the area more attractive. The interest in ultra-deepwater exploration is likely to continue to increase as more is

discovered about this potentially world-class reservoir.

The Miocene Epoch is in

the Neogene Period of

the Geologic time scale.

The Shell Mars platform before and after Hurricane

Katrina in September 2005.

safely and that the repaired pipeline was

more stable than the one it replaced. 

To ensure no oil escaped into the

surrounding environment during the

repair and replacement of the pipeline, a

special pollution container was

constructed and connected to a subsea

pump. The pump, in turn, was

connected to the Environmental

Response Ship, the Louisiana Responder.

The pump ensured that any leakage

generated as the pipelines were flushed

out was transported to holding tanks on

the Louisiana Responder.

Repairs to the pipeline are expected

to be completed by the summer of 2006,

and Mars is expected to restart in the second half of this year. It is estimated that

production from Mars will be greater

than ever before, reaching and exceeding

pre-Katrina levels. 
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MARCH/APRIL 2006 11

To say the mission of managing the

Nation’s Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS) resources is challenging and

complicated is an understatement. But

the Minerals Management Service

(MMS) is coordinating the establishment

of a Multipurpose Marine Cadastre that

will make its mission, and that of other 

OCS stakeholders, much easier. The

project is ambitious and will require 

the cooperation of Federal, State, local,

territorial, and tribal entities working 

in partnerships.

The purpose of the cadastre is to

establish a physical, social, and political

map of the OCS. The cadastre will show

what resources are in the OCS, who

claims those resources, who needs them,

what restrictions affect them, and who

has responsibility for each acre. The

MMS’s Mapping and Boundary Branch

will coordinate the development and

implementation of the Multipurpose

Marine Cadastre with input from other

agencies such as the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA), which will supply National

Marine Sanctuaries data for the project,

and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service,

which will provide National Wildlife

Refuge data.

The MMS is committed to open

communication with all interested

parties – which may consist of

overlapping rights, interests, and

responsibilities – and to ensuring that

each stakeholder sees the “big picture”

CHARTING A PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL MAP OF THE OCS

MULTIPURPOSE MARINE CADASTRE

and the need for mutual cooperation to

ensure the cadastre is fully realized.

It is clear that, for the Multipurpose

Marine Cadastre to be workable, those

who make decisions about the OCS

must have all the information about

rights, restrictions, and responsibilities in

the OCS and how they interact with each

other. Data must include

• a universal grid system and a

national baseline;

• the boundaries of the Submerged

Land Act and Territorial Submerged

Land Act (which include Federal,

State, territorial, revenue-sharing,

and administrative boundaries);

• a leasing map;

• all maritime boundaries and zones,

including the Exclusive Economic

Zone (200 nautical miles) and contiguous zone (24 nautical miles);

• marine managed areas;

• marine protected areas; and

• administrative boundaries.

Additional information needed

includes locations of pipelines and

undersea cables; artificial reef sites;

military, aquaculture, and archaeological

sites; and the location of oil and gas

platforms, structures, and leases.

In developing and implementing the

Multipurpose Marine Cadastre, several

key elements must be acknowledged.

The cadastre must be dynamic –

adapting to a changing world, changing

knowledge, and changing needs. The

cadastre must be multidimensional –

addressing rights and restrictions in the

air, water surface, water column, seabed,

and subsurface. Finally, the cadastre

must be balanced between development

and protection of the resources it charts.

Before it began the project, MMS

realized that the data gathered and

integrated must meet the standards of

the shareholders who will use the

information. Of equal importance is

making the data readily accessible to

those who need the information and to

the public in general. To meet that goal,

plans are ongoing to have the

Multipurpose Marine Cadastre available

online through the MMS website at

www.mms.gov/ld/maps.htm

Tidal Datums – MHHW, MHW, MLW, and MLLW

are examples of tidal datums. Private/State land

varies by state.

Baseline – the X’s represent the salient points of

the baselines (MLLW in the U.S.). 

Bay Closing lines – used to separate inland water

bodies from the open sea.

Marine Protected Areas – reserved by Federal,

State, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations.

State Seaward – generally extends 3 nautical miles

from the baseline (exceptions: west Florida, Texas,

and Puerto Rico extend to 9 nautical miles). 

Often called Submerged Lands Act boundary or

Federal/State boundary.

Revenue Sharing – boundary extends 3 nautical

miles beyond the State seaward boundary – 27%

to State.

Territorial Sea – extends 12 nautical miles from

the baseline. Often referred to as the marginal sea.

Contiguous Zone – extends 24 nautical miles

from the baseline. Executive Order 9/99.

OCS Lease Blocks – subdivision of the OCS

within U.S. jurisdiction for mineral leasing.

EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) – out to 200

nautical miles from the baseline or as determined

by treaty. 

Continental Shelf – no U.S. claim to date

(UNCLOS Article 76).

For more information, see

http://www.csc.noaa.gov/mbwg/htm/outreach.htm

You can’t expect others 

to follow the rules if you 

can’t reasonably 

describe your boundaries.
Sidebar Head

FOR OR MORE MORE INFORMA INFORMATION:

Subject:

Website: www.

Caption

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

MMS – A Leader in 

Securing the Nation’s

Domestic Energy

Supply

NEW WAVES Late-breaking News & Information

A Great Blue Heron, which is native to

Gulf Coast wetlands. 

Photo by Herb Stein, USFWS.

CIAP Benefits Coastal Areas

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 costs 

of complying with the Act;

4. implementation of a federally approved marine, coastal,

or comprehensive conservation management plan; and

5. mitigation of the impacts of Outer Continental Shelf

activities through funding of onshore infrastructure

projects and public service needs.

Projects can be as diverse as monitoring sea turtles,

building a bridge, or restoring wetlands. Coastal

communities will be asked to participate in identifying the

projects through public meetings organized by the States

and CPS’s. For more information about this program, visit

the MMS website at: www.mms.gov.

The Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) was

created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) to

assist States that have had coastal impacts from

offshore oil and gas activities. The CIAP is administered by

the Minerals Management Service (MMS) and will disburse

$250 million for each fiscal year 2007-2010.

The three part mission of the CIAP is to provide

guidance to eligible States and coastal political subdivisions

(CPS’s) to develop their Coastal Impact Assistance Plan,

disburse funds (via a grant program) in a timely manner,

and effectively monitor Plan implementation. The CIAP

funds will be divided between eligible States and CPS’s

(boroughs, counties, and parishes) based on a formula

defined by EPAct. Revenues collected from offshore oil and

gas activities will fund the program.

The CIAP funds can be used by States and CPS’s for one

or more of the following categories: