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Archive for the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ Category

Correction

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , , on April 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The table in the Sale 259 bid rejections post has been corrected below. That table incorrectly reported that subsequent bids for Keathley Canyon Blocks 745 and 789 were rejected at Sale 261. Those bids were in fact accepted. Houston Energy was identified as the submitter rather than Beacon Offshore Energy, the company that, per the bidding data, had the largest ownership share. (See the bidding partnership pasted below.)

The acceptance of those 2 bids significantly increases the net gain to the government as a result of the Sale 259 bid rejections. See the corrections in red to the table:

area and blockSale 259 rejected high bid – companySale 261 high bidbid acceptedgovt gain (loss*)
DC 6222,101,836 – Shell615,628 – Shellyes(1,486,208)
GC 173307,107 – Woodsideno bidNA(307,107)
GC 5471,783,498 – Chevronno bidNA(1,783,498)
GC 5911,291,993 – Chevronno bidNA(1,291,993)
GC 642605,505 – Anadarkono bidNA(605,505)
GC 777583,103 – bpno bidNA(583,103)
AT 51,551,130 – Anadarko5,215,628 – Shellyes3,664,498
AT 133607,107 – Woodsideno bidNA(607,107)
KC 745707,777 – Beacon2,422,222 – Beacon Houstonno yes(2,422,222)
1,714,445
KC 789707,777 – Beacon2,143,299 – Beacon Houstonno yes(2,143,299)
1,435,522
WR 794724,744 – Beacon1,487,624 – Beaconyes762,880
WR 795774,242 – Beacon5,301,107 – Woodsideyes4,526,865
WR 796774,242 – Beacon3,310,107 – Woodsideyes2,535,865
WR 750724,744 – Beacon1,498,555 – Beaconyes773,811
total govt. gain1,032,877
8,748,365

More on the Sale 261 bidding next week.

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Gulf of Mexico drilling rigs vs. 2001: numbers way down, capabilities way up

Posted in drilling, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The active rig count in the GoM in 2001 was 148 (AL-4, LA-119, TX-25), which is >8 times the current Baker Hughes rig count of 18. The 2001 rig count was not a one year blip; the number of rigs active in the GoM exceeded 100 for the ten year period from 1994-2003.

While the current rig count is anemic by comparison, the capabilities of the fleet are anything but. Below is a list derived from drilling contractor status reports of deepwater rigs now operating in the Gulf.

All of these rigs are dynamically positioned and are capable of drilling in 12,000′ of water. They have dual derricks and 15,000 psi rated BOP rams (one has a 20,000 psi stack, and another can be upgraded to 20,000 psi). The annular preventers are rated at 10,000 psi. All have impressive storage and hook load capacities, the latest tubular handling equipment, advanced control systems, and efficient power generation.

Note that most of the rigs fly the flag of the Marshall Islands. This “flag of convenience” registration is preferred for reasons related to taxation and operational freedom. For the record, the fact that the Deepwater Horizon was registered in the Marshall Islands had little to do with the Macondo blowout. The DWH was subject to all Coast Guard and MMS regulations under the OCS Lands Act.

The main cause of the Macondo blowout was the poorly planned and executed well suspension operation. Certain equipment capability, maintenance, and employee training issues were contributing factors. However, with that said, the Marshall Islands report on the blowout candidly acknowledges that “the complexity of and interdependence between the drilling and marine systems and personnel suggests a need for increased communication and coordination between the flag State and coastal State drilling regulators.” Hopefully, that coordination is being achieved and the risks associated with the fragmented regulation of mobile drilling units are being effectively managed.

ContractorRigOperatorEst. end dateFlag
TransoceanDeepwater TitanChevron3/2028Marshall Islands
TransoceanDeepwater AtlasBeacon4/2025Marshall Islands
TransoceanDeepwater PoseidonShell4/2028Marshall Islands
TransoceanDeepwater PontusShell10/2027Marshall Islands
TransoceanDeepwater ConquerorChevron3/2025Marshall Islands
TransoceanDeepwater ProteusShell5/2026Marshall Islands
TransoceanDeepwater ThalassaShell2/2026Marshall Islands
TransoceanDeepwater AsgardHess4/2024Marshall Islands
StenaEvolutionShell4/2029Marshall Islands
NobleStanley Lafosse???11/2024Liberia
NobleValiantLLOG2/2025Marshall Islands
NobleGlobetrotter IShell5/2024Liberia
NobleGlobetrotter IIShell5/2024Liberia
ValarisDS-18Chevron8/2025Marshall Islands
ValarisDS-16Oxy6/2026Marshall Islands
Diamond Offshore BlackHawkOxy10/2024Marshall Islands
Diamond OffshoreBlackHornetbp3/2027Marshall Islands
Diamond OffshoreBlackLionbp9/2026Marshall Islands

Short video about the Stena Evolution, the newest entry to the Gulf of Mexico fleet:

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Main Pass Oil Gathering system is finally cleared for production

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, oil spill response, pipelines, tagged , , , , , , on April 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

After 5 months of investigation, the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) system has finally been cleared for production. (The Coast Guard update only says that the pipeline passed the integrity test, but I assume the operators may resume production though the MPOG system.)

Only a small connector leak that was previously reported was identified during the extensive integrity testing. The Coast Guard had advised that the connector leak was not the source of the large sheen that was observed in November.

So what was the source of the November sheen and what was the basis for the 1.1 million gallon spill volume estimate? The sheen was not indicative of a spill of that magnitude. Did the Coast Guard et al assume a worst case loss from the MPOG system, even though no leak had been identified?

Is this the most oversight ever for a pipeline integrity test?

The removal and replacement of the spool piece and the subsequent integrity test of the MPOG line were conducted under the close supervision of the Unified Command and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. During both operations, spill response vessels were on site, along with divers, remotely operated vehicles, helicopters equipped with trained oil observers and multi-spectral imaging cameras, and other containment and recovery equipment. No material discharge of oil was observed during these operations.

Unified Command

The NTSB has the lead in the investigation into the source of the sheen. Don’t expect any findings soon.

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Interesting new player in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico – GOM 1 Holdings Inc.

Posted in decommissioning, energy policy, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, Regulation, well control incidents, tagged , , , , , , on April 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Houston, TX, March 29, 2024. Beacon Offshore Energy LLC (“Beacon”) announced today the completion of the divestment of its non-operated interests in certain fields in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico in accordance with a previously executed definitive agreement with GOM 1 Holdings Inc., an affiliate of O.G. Oil & Gas Limited. The divestment includes Beacon’s 18.7% interest in the Buckskin producing field, 17% interest in the Leon development, 16.15% interest in the Castile development, 0.5% interest in the Salamanca FPS/lateral infrastructure, and 32.83% interest in the Sicily discovery.

Beacon

According to BOEM records, GOM 1 HOLDINGS INC, a Delaware company, registered with BOEM effective 3/15/2024. The parent entity, O.G. Oil & Gas Limited, is a privately held E&P company incorporated in 2017 and based in Singapore.

O.G. Oil & Gas Ltd is part of the Ofer Global Group, “a private portfolio of international businesses active in maritime shipping, real estate and hotels, technology, banking, energy and large public investments.”

After a partial takeover by O.G Oil & Gas Limited in 2018, New Zealand Oil and Gas is now 70% owned by the Ofer Global Group. Among other interests, NZ Oil and Gas produces from fields offshore Taranaki, NZ.

Because they are jointly and severally liable for safe operations and decommissioning, minority investors should take a strong interest in safety management and financial assurance. Investors should remember that partners are adversely affected by the mistakes of the operating company. Anadarko and Mitsubishi took a hit following the Macondo blowout. To what extent had they been monitoring bp’s risk and safety management programs for drilling operations?

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Climate change is happening today! 😉

Posted in climate, energy policy, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, Wind Energy, tagged , , , , on April 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

… and you deniers are fully responsible. There’s a reason why Texas is the most affected state 😉

But fear not, we will line our shores with wind turbines, restrict offshore oil and gas leasing, and subsidize carbon disposal in the Gulf of Mexico. All of this “help” will have a negligible effect on the climate, which will continue to change as it always has and always will.

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Sale 259 bid rejections: how did the govt fare?

Posted in CCS, energy policy, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , , , , , on April 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

14 of the high bids at Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 259 were rejected. Did those tracts receive bids at sale 261? What was the net gain or loss of revenue? See the summary bullets and table below

  • 6 of the 14 tracts received no bids whatsoever
  • 5 of the 14 tracts received higher bids that were accepted.
  • 2 tracts received substantially higher bids that were again rejected
  • 1 tract received a lower bid that was accepted
  • net bonus revenue gain to the govt from the bid rejections (pending re-offering at future sales): $1,032,877
  • net bonus revenue gain = 0.27% of the total high bids at sale 261
  • net loss in future rental and royalty payments: ????

For a net bonus revenue gain to date of only 1/4 of one per cent, 8 of the 14 sale 259 tracts with rejected high bids remain closed to exploration. The timing of any future sales is very much in doubt given the minimalist 5 year leasing plan and the associated legal challenges.

Current bid evaluation practices only make sense if regular lease sales are held on a predictable schedule, as has historically been the case.

Meanwhile, 100% of the improper CCS bids (199/199) were accepted at the last 3 oil and gas lease sales.

area and blockSale 259 rejected high bid – companySale 261 high bidbid acceptedgovt gain (loss*)
DC 6222,101,836 – Shell615,628 – Shellyes(1,486,208)
GC 173307,107 – Woodsideno bidNA(307,107)
GC 5471,783,498 – Chevronno bidNA(1,783,498)
GC 5911,291,993 – Chevronno bidNA(1,291,993)
GC 642605,505 – Anadarkono bidNA(605,505)
GC 777583,103 – bpno bidNA(583,103)
AT 51,551,130 – Anadarko5,215,628 – Shellyes3,664,498
AT 133607,107 – Woodsideno bidNA(607,107)
KC 745707,777 – Beacon2,422,222 – Beaconno(2,422,222)
KC 789707,777 – Beacon2,143,299 – Beaconno(2,143,299)
WR 794724,744 – Beacon1,487,624 – Beaconyes762,880
WR 795774,242 – Beacon5,301,107 – Woodsideyes4,526,865
WR 796774,242 – Beacon3,310,107 – Woodsideyes2,535,865
WR 750724,744 – Beacon1,498,555 – Beaconyes773,811
total govt. gain1,032,877
*Loss based on rejected sale 261 high bid. If no sale 261 bid, loss based on sale 259 high bid. These tracts could receive bids at a future sale.

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Gulf of Mexico production declined further in January. How big of a factor were the “sheen shut-ins?”

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, oil spill response, pipelines, tagged , , , , on April 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Average GoM oil production from Nov. to Jan. was more than 130,000 BOPD below the July to Oct. average. Production in Jan. 2024 was 245,000 BOPD lower than Sept. 2023 production. (See the table and chart below.)

The production shut-ins associated with the mysterious November sheen in the Main Pass area were no doubt a contributing factor to the decline, but the magnitude and duration of those shut-ins has not been disclosed. The source of the sheen has apparently still not been determined, nor has any information been provided on the status of the Federal investigation. The absence of transparency is disappointing.

production monthGoM oil production (BOPD, 1000’s)
Jan. 20241752
Dec. 20231829
Nov. 20231845
Oct. 20231950
Sept 20231997
Aug. 20231890
July 20231935
EIA data

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Nice pop in the GoM rig count

Posted in drilling, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , , on March 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Swimming upstream against the Federal policy current, Gulf of Mexico drilling is demonstrating impressive forward progress. Baker Hughes reports 22 active GoM rigs on 3/15/2024, an increase of 3 from the previous week.

Glancing at the charts, this appears to be the highest GoM rig count since Nov. 2019, and is double the recent low of 11 in 2022.

It’s unclear whether Baker Hughes is including the CCS drilling operation offshore Texas. If so, the actual oil and gas rig count is 21 rather than 22.

Baker Hughes also reports 1 active rig offshore California (decommissioning?) and 1 active rig offshore Alaska (Endicott or Northstar?)

Per Baker Hughes, no rigs are currently active offshore Canada.

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RIP Jerry Boelte, LLOG founder and offshore safety leader

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , , , , on March 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Jerry Boelte, LLOG founder and offshore energy leader, passed away last month in a single vehicle accident. Boelte, a New Orleans native and LSU petroleum engineering grad, turned LLOG into a major deepwater player in the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2023, LLOG was the 6th biggest oil producer in the Gulf of Mexico trailing only Shell, bp, Anadarko, Chevron, and Murphy. As a natural gas producer, LLOG ranked fifth ahead of major GoM operators like Chevron and Hess.

Boelte built LLOG into a company with a strong commitment to safety and environmental protection. In that regard, the company achieved BOE Honor Roll status in 2023 and 2022.

LLOG’s ‘Who Dat’ floating production system in 3100′ of water in Mississippi Canyon Block 547 has produced more than 100 million bbls of oil equivalent. More on ‘Who Dat.’

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How much of the decline in shelf bids is attributable to higher royalty and rental rates?

Posted in CCS, decommissioning, energy policy, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, Regulation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »

A post from last March discussed the high and seemingly unfair royalty and rental rates for new leases in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico shelf. A 50% increase in the shelf royalty rate for lease sales 259 and 261 combined with rather punitive rental rates have likely contributed to the sharp decline in bidding for shelf lease blocks (see table below).

This decline in shelf bidding is unfortunate because the smaller companies that operate in the shallow waters of the Gulf are critical to sustaining the production infrastructure. These companies are also significant producers of environmentally favorable nonassociated (gas-well) natural gas.

lease saleshelf blocks with bids
(excluding CCS bids)		sum of high shelf bids
($million, excluding CCS bids)
25746$8.1
25929$4.1
26113$1.7
The royalty rate for shelf production jumped 50% from sale 257 to sales 259 and 261

BOEM has completed their evaluation of the Sale 261 shelf bids (see below). Each of these blocks received only a single bid, and every bid was accepted. Ironically, the invalid CCS bids for blocks that have no oil and gas value, were the first to be accepted. This was also the case for Sales 257 and 259.

CompanyBlockhigh bid ($)
per acre ($)		date accepted
ByronSM 60128,750
25.75		2/2
ByronSM 70182,235
33.32		2/20
CantiumGI 35125,000
25.00		2/20
CantiumGI 36125,000
25.00		2/20
CantiumMP 314125,000
25.00		3/12
CantiumSP 63125,000
25.00		3/12
ArenaEI 231135,000
27.18		2/20
ArenaEI 277135,000
27.18		2/20
ArenaEI 281135,000
27.18		2/20
ArenaEI 340135,000
27.18		2/20
ArenaEI 343135,000
27.18		2/20
ArenaWD 119135,000
26.75		3/12
FocusV 152121,152
25.16		2/20
Repsol36 CCS bids187,200 (1)
32.50		1/23
(1) All of the Repsol bids were $32.50/ac. Total bids varied by block size, but were $187,200 for the 5760 acre blocks.

Suggestions:

  • Seek a legislative fix to the Inflation Reduction Act😉 provision that established a 1/6 royalty rate floor for all OCS leases (formerly the royalty rate was 1/8 for leases on the shelf).
  • In the interim, administratively lower the royalty for shelf leases to 1/6 (from 18 3/4%).
  • Reconsider the rental rate scheme for shelf leases.
  • For future oil and gas lease sales, accept all high bids that exceed the specified minimum bid (currently $25/ac for the shelf). The Gulf of Mexico shelf has been extensively explored and developed for 70 years. While prospects remain, they are generally marginal as evidenced by the recent lease sale results. Fair market value is what any company is willing to bid (above the specified minimum).
  • Focus on assuring that lease purchasers are technically qualified to minimize safety risks, and that financial assurance for decommissioning (for new and existing leases owned by the high bidder) has been fully addressed.

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